Posted on Nov 9, 2009 in Cook, Demos, Food Events | 10 comments

Winter Warmers: Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Winter Warmers: Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
This is the soup that I cooked at the Glenroe Ladies’ Club demonstration – it is something that I make regularly as it has a great flavour, doesn’t take long and is really good for freezing. The smoked paprika is fabulous with it, giving a real depth to the soup. Perfect for sipping out of...
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Posted on Jun 4, 2009 in Food for Friends | 4 comments

Barbecue days: Marjoram and Lemon Chicken

Barbecue days: Marjoram and Lemon Chicken
A quick marinade to make, with herbs from the garden, while someone else is lighting the barbecue. Avoid chicken breasts – overpriced and tasteless pieces of cotton wool that they are – and grab yourself some cheap and tasty chicken thighs instead. I normally allow two per person or one if I...
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Posted on Feb 6, 2009 in Cook, Grow | 7 comments

Jerusalem Artichoke, Parsnip and Bacon Soup

Jerusalem Artichoke, Parsnip and Bacon Soup
A quick trip to the first Killavullen Farmers’ Market of the year last weekend produced an unexpected treasure. I pounced on a pile of just-scrubbed nobbly tubers on the Nano Nagle stand – Jerusalem artichokes. Also known as fartichokes (in my house anyway) they’re not vegetables that you...
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Posted on Sep 13, 2008 in Do, Eating Out | 3 comments

Food in Kenmare

A short trip to Kenmare earlier this week unearthed plenty of good food. Dinner at the Lime Tree was worth waiting for, as we arrived late, stepping into the lively, convivial atmosphere of the restaurant from a cold, damp night. There was plenty to choose from on the menu but my eye didn’t go too far...
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Posted on Jun 7, 2007 in Do, Grow | 13 comments

Growing like crazy – and a wedding

Growing like crazy – and a wedding
Life is busy – but, despite a routine that involves week-long neglect and frenzied activity at the weekend, the cottage garden is thriving! The Boyfriend is a member of the Irish Seed Savers Association so we got a few different types of potatoes from them, planting Cara, Ratte and Arran Banner...
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Posted on Jan 26, 2007 in Cook, Lovely Lunches, Storecupboard Specials | 0 comments

Simple Tomato Sauce

This is the most useful recipe to have in your repertoire. I use it – sometimes with the addition of broccoli, chorizo, bacon or chilli – with gnocchi, pasta, cannelloni and polenta, as a topping for pizza and even when baking pancakes. If you can track down some decent Italian plum tomatoes,...
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Posted on Jun 17, 2006 in Cook, Lovely Lunches | 2 comments

Magic mushrooms: Mushrooms in Olive Oil

Magic mushrooms: Mushrooms in Olive Oil
When the weather is good no one wants to spend time in the kitchen and, when the Boyfriend arrived home from the supermarket the other day with a large box of button mushrooms, I didn’t much feel like frying them or using them in an omelette strognoff or making a mushroom stroganoff or risotto or any...
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Posted on Jun 7, 2006 in Do, Storecupboard Specials, Travel | 4 comments

Moroccan (foodie) souvenirs

Moroccan (foodie) souvenirs
Honey – Moroccan honey is the most un-honey-tasting honey that I’ve ever eaten. We often had it for breakfast, the rich caramel sweetness drizzled across English muffin-styled Moroccan pancakes called beghrir or the flaky, multi-layered rghaïf. Accompanied with a tall glass of freshly squeezed...
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Posted on Nov 11, 2005 in Food for Friends, Storecupboard Specials | 0 comments

Mexican moments: Mexican Beans

Mexican moments: Mexican Beans
I’ve been having more than a few Mexican moments lately with my chocolate and chilli experiments and I’ve also cooked several Mexican meals. The first was for a pot-luck dinner for eight in our house when some of the Boyfriend’s college friends and their wives were about. This was only...
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Posted on May 18, 2005 in Cook | 0 comments

One-pan dinners: Pan Couscous with Chorizo and Green Beans

One-pan dinners: Pan Couscous with Chorizo and Green Beans
Heading away for a long weekend to a bach (Kiwi for holiday home) by the sea tends to concentrate the mind when it comes to cooking. You know you’ll have to bring all your supplies with you, the local shop will probably be five miles down the road and that you’ll be having to cook on an...
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Posted on May 4, 2005 in Food for Friends | 3 comments

An Indian feast: Mughali Chicken

An Indian feast: Mughali Chicken
We were having five people over for dinner on Saturday night and, as I was digging through the cookbooks looking for inspiration, the Boyfriend asked if I had ever cooked an Indian curry from first principles. Well, with a challenge like that it didn’t take me too long to dig out a few recipes that...
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Posted on Apr 29, 2005 in Cook | 0 comments

The simplest supper: Garlic and Lemon Butter Prawns

The other night I was trying to take the Boyfriend out to dinner but, after ringing a few restaurants only to be informed that they were booked solid, I soon gave up that idea. That’s what happens when you wait until 4pm on the Friday afternoon of a bank holiday weekend to try and make your...
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