Appetizer

Endive Au Gratin

July 7, 2011

There are some vegetables that I just never buy or cook with. The unpopular vegetables, the ones you rarely see on regular restaurant menus or in your local supermarket. The kind of vegetable which you have to hunt down, which are only ever available in season and are usually organic. Vegetables with funny names and funny tastes that rarely make it onto our plates: Kohlrabi, Samphire, Black salsify, Jerusalem artichokes and Swedes. These vegetables may have lots of flavour, but have little or no reputation. The kind of vegetable that you excitedly pick up and think ‘Hmm what would I do with that’, then promptly put it back as you don’t have the time to contemplate a new recipe with an unusual looking vegetable. These are the forgotten vegetables.

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Salad

Mouth-watering Watermelon Salad

July 5, 2011

As this was a sunny Greek inspired dish I thought it only natural to try and capture some sunlight for the picture. As I have a normal nine-to-five job I only get time to do my blog outside office hours, so I have a very small window of opportunity to capture the light. So, I waited and I waited and I waited. By the time a few watery rays of sunshine appeared, I was almost falling down with hunger. When the photos were finally taken, I grabbed the closest available prop and tucked in with gleeful abandon. The evening sun was now warm and bright and had illuminated the entire balcony as I savoured this sweet and salty summer salad. This is my favourite kind of summer snack – light, fruity and fresh with a bite of salty olives and crispy pistachio nuts. Haloumi and Watermelon are a match made in heaven and the honey and lemon dressing really brings out all the flavours. This salad takes only minutes to make and is a perfect after work snack. Continue Reading…

Dessert

Cheery ‘Cherry Clafoutis’

June 30, 2011

Cherries for me are the essence of summer. Whatever the weather in Ireland, one bite of a deep red, juicy cherry makes me think of sweet warm sunshine and brightens my whole day. Amazing how the small things can change your mood. Continue Reading…

Salad

Orange and Fennel Salad

June 28, 2011

This week it’s all about celebrating the summer. We’ve been having a pretty miserable summer here in Ireland so far; but I decided to celebrate the fact that it is getting a bit brighter with a sumptuous summer salad. This salad is so refreshing with ripe juicy orange segments, peppery leaves, a hint of nuttiness and a well balanced dressing. It’s my new favourite summertime snack. This dish is inspired by a salad that we ate in Rustic Stone on a rare sunny evening in Dublin. I didn’t use all the components in their recipe so I kind of formulated my own version.

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Cake

Fancy That!

June 23, 2011

This week I am still dreaming about the past and cooking from my lovely old antiquated cookery books. The latest grand dame of the kitchen is Maura Laverty and her book ‘Full and Plenty’, which was fondly known as a doorstopper due to it’s hefty size and weight. This book was first published in 1960 and was the first ‘real’ Irish cookbook. Before that, the only cookbook Irish people owned, was the one you got free with the cooker! Maura was quite the character and her cook book is filled with funny little anecdotes. She was something of a Renaissance lady with a talent for writing and broadcasting as well as cookery. She was a woman before her time and if she was still around today she would most likely be a millionaire. Maura initially started writing pieces for the paper, and then progressed to writing novels (some of which were banned) and plays. Her cookbook came about from her love of food which was shaped by the time she spent in Spain working as a governess. Her first cookbook was commissioned by the government and its intention was to show Irish housewives how to make do with what little food they had at their disposal. Continue Reading…

Dessert

Retro Recipe Revival

June 16, 2011

 

So, I finally dusted down the old recipe book, donned my 1950’s style apron, put on some Frank Sinatra and began my journey back in time. Wouldn’t this dish look very impressive at a dinner party in the 1950’s?  I chose this particular recipe for Chocolate Meringue Tart, because it looked so decadent and delicious. I was also kind of intrigued by the concept. Chocolate, meringue and pastry, I wasn’t too sure if it would turn out to be yucky or yummy. As I read the recipe I realised I would have to change a few little things. I just couldn’t bring myself to use margarine, so I used lovely Irish butter instead. And that chocolate filling looked a little bland, so I jazzed it up with some Cointreau. I also used real cherries on top instead of sticky glace ones and garnished with some fresh fragrant mint. The rest of the recipe is pretty much as is and I even used Bourneville chocolate.

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