I left my heart in Venice

in , , , , , , , ,
On these rainy summer days it's nice to close your eyes and escape into day dreams....today I'm wandering around fairy tale streets, inhaling the sweet smell of coffee and pastries, feeling the sun gently kiss my skin, absorbing the stunning architecture and listening to a gondolier... in the distance ....singing Volare....I'm in Venice/Venezia and everything you've heard about how beautiful it is is true!  Here the Rialto food market is the sweet shop to my foodie inner child, the stalls are dripping with fresh, seasonal, local produce http://www.veniceconnected.com/content/markets-venice . Venezia is such a feast for all the senses and it's even better if you're there for La Biennale http://www.labiennale.org/en/biennale/index.html  -basically a giant art exhibition throughout the city.






Even the laundry drying is beautiful!

Fresh borlotti beans


Courgette flowers

La nonna




Chestnuts Castagne





Watering the fish



Even the street art has a food theme




 


I always like to rent an apartment when away -it's cheaper for one thing, but mainly because you've got a kitchen to cook. I would highly recommend this for a foodie visit to Venice, as the place is filled with tourists and some of the restaurants take advantage of that. Also, we found that after eating our lunch feasts, which had to be washed down with a few glasses of prosecco -a nap was sometimes required.... and how beautiful it was that the cot was only short stumble away!
Eadaoin preparing the razor clams with compulsory prosecco, as you do...



Simple sardines, lemon, salt





Quite by accident we discovered one of the most delicious drinks on earth. It is a red wine made with the Isabella grape the drink is called Fragola or Fragolino because it tastes like strawberries. Fragola is the Italian name for strawberry. It has a slight fizz and is served cold...never ever pass up an opportunity to try it!
Gummy berry juice... Fragolino



Gorgeous ice-cream from Grom
So, you can't go to Italy and not eat ice-cream,  but one ice-cream place is better than the rest and it's called Grom. http://www.grom.it/eng/filosofia.php I'm not usually a fan of 'chain stores' but I'm glad this place is.  They are different form most because they have a seasonal menu, they grow a lot of the ingredients on their farm, there are no colours or artificial nasties, the eggs are organic....the list goes on, but the bottom line is it is the best ice-cream!
Taverna Ciardi Tiramisu -I think I ate three on my last night

Tiramisu is another typical Italian sweet and I must admit I thought I hated Tiramisu -soggy sponge with a slight coffee taste -euch. However, I realised that I had just never had a good one, until I ate this one in Venice -so good we had to get the chef to write down the recipe for us. Taverna Ciardi is where you need to go and you'll be well looked after by Guiliormaria. http://www.facebook.com/#!/tavernaciardi

Enjoying an aperitif with my bro
If you like architecture, history, food, design and art then Venezia won't let you down. You might need an inhaler though because it is breath taking. Oh and don't forget some mosquito protection, the canals are part of Venices charm, but they provide the perfect breeding ground for mozzies. Buon viaggio!


Crispy Crunchy Chiptastic

in , ,
Today I had a craving for some chips, possibly something to do with the fact that yesterday was national fish and chip day in Ireland. Heston Blumenthal or should I refer to him as 'le bible'  ;-) has spent many long hours painstakingly finding out the best way to cook a myriad of foodstuffs and chips are one of those things. Some of the methods can be rather time consuming -but good things come to those who wait! The perfect chip didn't seem to be too much extra in terms of method and certainly not hours more time wise -so I thought lets do it. I wouldn't set out to do these for a large family -maybe wait til you're alone and you fancy a guilty treat....good to share too though!
  • Get a large saucepan of unsalted water on the heat and get it simmering
  • Cut some floury spuds (Maris Piper,  King Edwards, Golden Wonder, Rooster) into chips -best to use chips that are all around the same size
  • Cut them into a bowl of cold water and rinse them loads of times to get as much starch off as possible...Heston says keep the tap going for 5 mins to do this- I didn't want to waste so much water!
  • Add the chips to the hot water and cook until they are soft -but not falling apart
  • Drain from the water and cool on a wire wrack, once cooled transfer to fridge for 30 mins
  • Put your deep fat fryer on to 130'C and add your cooled chippies, cook until they start to look dry Heston says -it's hard to gauge this as they are covered in oil -but just don't let them get colour!
  • Next drain and cool and go back to the fridge for 30 mins
  • Turn your fryer up to 190'C and add your cooled chippies and cook until golden brown


Yes, these chips were very crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and if you are a chip lover and you've got the time then why not try Heston's perfect chip recipe too!!



Going Potty For Mackerel

in , , ,
It's just coming up to mackerel season (June through to October) and this certainly brings a smile to my face. They are such a beautiful looking fish, with sparkling silvery blue tiger like stripes and their size isn't daunting if you have to gut them. If ever there was a recession busting fish it's name is mackerel! I have to talk about the environmental and health side of these fishies too.....there are a lot of problems in the world with food consumption- too many people and not enough fish (where's Jesus when we need him?!) and even the farmed fish, which seem like a solution of sorts, actually have more of an impact on regular fish stocks, because they are fed lots and lots of regular fishies. Lets make informed choices http://www.fishonline.org/fish-advice <----this website has an easy to use guide and a rating system for sustainability. Just click on the fish in question and they'll give you lots of information, such as the method by which they are caught and the levels of stock. Fish with a 1 or 2 rating are good to go but 3,4,5 should be left alone. In terms of pollution levels a good rule of thumb is the smaller the fish the better -so mackerel is a winner here, not to mention the good oils it contains to keep the ol' grey matter in good shape.



Mackerel is quite a meaty fish and you can team it with strong flavours such as horseradish and capers. Try one on the bbq with a nice potato salad to which you've added a dollop of horseradish sauce -nom nom! Or cook them under the grill, crisping the skin, serve with spuds roasted in the oven with quartered lemons and capers...don't forget to scoop out the cooked lemon flesh....MMnnn! Anyway, I had an urge to pot some up and spread it on some crunchy toast. Potting things is a pre-fridge method of conserving perishables and lordy lord it makes things really flippin tasty too.....nothing of course to do with the amount of butter involved!

This is a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe from The Guardian newspaper.
  • Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. 
  • Take 4 mackerel put in a lightly oiled roasting dish. Insert a squashed clove of garlic and a bay leaf inside each fish. Season with pepper and a little salt, cook for 12-15 mins turning once halfway through.
  • To see if it's cooked through, gently lift some flesh away from the bone -it should come away easily.
  • After the fish have cooled, gently flake them into a bowl, set one of the cloves aside. Add 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbsp parsley chopped, 1 tbsp thyme and 1 tsp ground mace.


Next to make clarified butter to seal the deal;
  • Melt 250g of butter in a pan on a low heat. Add your reserved garlic clove chopped finely. Once melted let the butter settle off the heat and it will separate into two layers. The milks solids will sink and form a whitish layer at the bottom and the rest will form a golden layer on top.
  • Pour 2/3 of the golden butter on to your flaked fish and gently toss. Also add the juice of half a lemon.
  • Place into a large kilner jar or individual ramekins and cover with a layer of the liquid gold butter. Allow to cool and place in fridge, covering the ramekins with cling film. Use ramekins within two days and jars within a week.
The loaves and the fishes.

Mouthwatering Mooreish Macaroooons

in , , ,
The macaron has something of an 'initiation' label attached to it and it had been on my mind lately. Half waking in the middle of the night muttering 'must make macrons ...must make maca.....zzz.zz...z' The other day when I saw them on MasterChef Australia making a tower (!!) of macarons, I thought right that's it -just do it. It felt a bit weird baking yesterday with the intense heat...yes 24 degrees is intense for us Irish! Elder flowers are bursting out all around right now so I decided that one of the fillings would be a kind of elderflower custard and it's partner would be a gooseberry 'jelly'. I also filled some with some lemon curd that I found at the back of the fridge and lastly I made a mint chocolate ganache....this was the winner!



Not bad for my first attempt...!
 To make the elderflower custard;
  • Take 150 mls of cream -add the flowers from 4 blooms of elder flowers -scald the mixture
  • Take two eggs yolks and whisk with about 10gs of caster sugar
  • Slowly pour the scalded milk onto the egg and sugar -whisking ALL THE TIME
  • When combined pass through a sieve to remove the flowers and return to the cooker and stir continuously over a low-med heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.  
To make the gooseberry 'jelly';
  • Take 10-15 frozen of fresh gooseberries, put into a pan over a medium heat with a tbsp of caster sugar
  • Simmer and soften, then strain through a sieve
  • Put back on the heat and reduce until you have a thick mixture -allow to cool

To make the chocolate peppermint ganache;
  • In a bowl break 75 gs of dark mint chocolate
  • Take 75 mls of cream -scald it
  • Pour the hot cream onto the chocolate and whisk vigorously until combined
  • Taste and add a few drops of peppermint essence until it is to your liking
  • Allow to cool in fridge



Folding the almonds into the 'meringue'

There are quite a few methods out there but the one I pretty much stuck to was http://www.giverslog.com/?p=1089  -In my serach for a recipe Ijust happened upon this lovely blog by AmberLee. The only thing I found that didn't work for me were the cooking times. My first batch cracked and I didn't understand this 'foot' thing that everyone was talking about -when you've piped them out onto a tray allow them to sit quietly, for 45 mins at least.... while they're meditating they form a skin -when they go into the oven this skin stops them from cracking by causing the macaron to 'lift' itself' forming a 'foot' and the air is released out at the 'ankle' of the 'foot' shall we say....! I then sort of used Adriano Zumbos cooking method, http://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/macaron-tower-with-kalamata-olive-and-beetroot-and-raspberry-macarons.htm?target=dessert to try get over the cracking .... he suggests; oven on at 200'C then when you put the macrons in you turn the oven off for 10 mins, then you turn it up to 155'C for 9/10 mins! Mine were small enough and I found that just switching the oven off from 200'C and leaving them for 8-10 mins worked best -I didn't even need to turn it back up again. It's a matter of trial and error with your own oven I'm afraid -but err on the side of caution and just keep watching them. My second attempt didn't crack but browned (which is not correct) but the third attempt came out best. Phew -I was happy enough for a first time macaron maker!

Fun with food colouring -pretty natural one made from chlorophyll


Meditating macarons -allowing the skin to form!




Le Vin et Le Fromage et Le Trip Down Memory Lane

in , , , , , , ,
A very simple, humble supper of cheese and wine - the setting is breathtaking. A stone cottage towards the end of Bolas head, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry. We walked to the top of Bolas head earlier to fill our lungs with fresh, salty, sea air and now back at the cottage by the fire we fill our bellies.

Re-tracing my childhood memories yesterday we jaunted to Kenmare town - it was more beautiful than I remembered - although it has been 20 years! Some of it remained the same, but the food culture had well, let's say become multi-cultural. We ate lunch in The Bakery Vegetarian Cafe, it's owner is a half Isreali/ half Irish woman with staff from France, Germany and Spain. Taking a stroll down Henry St was a little like a magical mystery tour. A great little healthfood shop The Pantry, http://www.kenmare.eu/thepantry/ , a brilliant hardware store called Hallisseys, with amazingly good value in the kitchen section - where amongst other things I bought a giant wooden spoon for €5.50! We sniffed our way into The Truffle Pig, http://www.trufflepigkenmare.com/ a cafe/deli which offers a small but tasty and tempting variety of cheeses and meats, as well as handmade chocolates, cakes, savoury snacks and mains. We got some chocolates and cheeses... Comte and Bleu D'Auvergne.

Next serendipitous stop was The Vanilla Grape wine shop, http://www.vgwines.com/about ,  where we met the most helpful and sweet French owner Alain Bras. While watching A Very Hungry Frenchman recently, I had taken note of Raymond Blancs suggestion or rather 'order' that you must drink Vin Jeune with Comte cheese - malheuresment Alain didn't have any as it's quite a specialised, local wine. However he did offer us a glass from a different bottle which he had in the back, it had oxidised slighty - Alain said Vin Jeune has a similar taste. In the heel of the reel, after a nice chat we went with Alains suggestion of Chiroubles a Cru Du Beaujolais, to balance the strength of the Bleu D'Auvergne. En route home we stopped in Caherciveen at the fantastic healthfood shop The Aquarian, http://www.fororganichealth.com/about_us.php , where I couldn't resist getting a slice of a German goats cheese with fenugreek seeds running through it.... We feasted on the three cheeses with some Matzo crackers, occasionally drizzling them with some honey and washing it down with the Chiroubles ....(inhale slowly ...and ...exhale slowly...and ...smile...)

The view from the cottage...aaaahh sigh!
Sometimes the simplest of meals offers the most satisfaction - especially after a hard slog up and down a big hill!
Bleu D'Auvergne -it's craggy landcsape mirroring that of our surroundings

Tempting 3- Rose Buds, Preserved Lemons & Irish Buffalo Mozzarella

in , , ,

I will get to the last supper club post soon folks....once I am reunited with the black box recorder (aka camera). For now though a little blog on some new things that I bought in the last week. You know how you pass things on the shelves and you think oh yes I've heard of them -but I don't need them for tonights dinner well, I say flip it just buy it anyway! Because you'll be more likely to 'explore' the possibilities of it rather than buying it for a specific recipe. So the top three at three...... (I'm putting on my radio deejay voice for this)


Item Number 1- Dried Rose Buds;



I had never seen these before in my life -they are very cute (says my inner little girl) and they were also really cheap! About 3 euro for the container, now I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with them yet -cake decoration is an obvious choice and I do have a lovely Nigel Slater (...sigh!) recipe for a Lemon Pistachio Cake with rose water, almonds and lemon syrup icing and they would sit atop that very nicely indeed. It's from one of my favourite dip into books, The Kitchen Diaries. Thank you universe -I have been looking for a good reason to bake that cake again....watch this space! What else could I do?....I was watching The Hairy Bikers Bakation recently and somewhere in France they had gotten pink praline.....peut-etre, peut-etre.....! When I opened the jar there was a lovely smell of roses, but I'm not sure how much flavour they would impart...I ate one for a dare...it was ...well....Well, lets just say you wouldn't be snacking on them! F.Y.I. they were purchased in the Asian Supermarket on Drury St, Dublin 2, if you've never been you must go -it's an experience to say the least!




Item Number 2- Preserved Lemons;




Both myself and my mother are lemon fanatics and I can't believe I haven't tasted these before now! I bought them last week in the lovely Listons food shop on Camden St. Dublin, cost was a fairly reasonable E4.35. The smell is kinda strange, sort of like a cleaning product that has a lemon scent. But don't let that put you off, please, the taste is like a tangy, sweet ball of sunshine, with a mellow, almost limey undertone. So, obviously I haven't made a tagine otherwise I would have used these before now. Anyway, yesterday because the weather was so cold, so windy and so very Wintry, I wanted comfort food, so I decided that the fire would be lit and a chicken would go into the oven. I picked some thyme from le jardin to go with the butter beneath the breast skin and then as I chopped a fresh lemon for the cavity, the jar of preserved lemons flashed into my mind ....so I cut up a few pieces to accompany the butter and thyme....The result was really rather delicious! I also had some today with item number three....





Item number 3- Toons Bridge Irish Buffalo Mozzarella;





I heard about this a few months back on a News Talk radio feature. They've started stocking this in Listons where I found it today, price wise decent value at E3.35. I've eaten plenty of Buffalo Mozzarella in my time but never anything with as small a carbon footprint as this one! It's produced at Toons Bridge, West Cork, by farmer Johnny Lynch in conjunction with Toby Simmons of The Real Olive Company  Taste wise? -delicious, it has the sweet tang that you associate with buffalo milk. Texture wise -this was a little bit tighter and drier than other varieties I've had. I ate it with a simple salad and a little bit of preserved lemon on the side -nom nom. I would definitely recommend it, who would have ever thought that shopping 'local' would include Buffalo Mozzarella!!! Molto buono!


I think we should leap more often when we see something different on the shelf, maybe all of you are already leaping....well I'm joining in the fun now too. And on the link below you can see News Talk presenter Henry McKean  leaping onto a buffalo at Toons Bridge...
http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/programmes/all-programmes/moncrieff/henry-on-a-water-buffalo/

Let me know if you've any good recipes or ideas for any of the above :-)

The April Open Door Menu

in , , , , , , , , , ,




So it's time for the next installment of The Open Door Supper Club. This time we are heading outside The Pale, to my home place, Kilkenny...there won't be any cats on the menu as this one is all veggie......Although I'm sure the carnivores will leave satisfied too! I do my best to source organic, seasonal and local produce.
To book your place send me a mail; aoife_co@hotmail.com -places are limited and remember it's first come first served.


The Open Door Supper Club

Shooting Stars
An Apple Champagne Cocktail

Crunch & Munch
Three Tasty Types of Fresh Baked Bread Sticks with Watercress Hummus & Wild Garlic Pesto

Seasons of Sushi
Nori Maki with Asparagus Tempura & Nori Maki with Samphire & Butternut Squash


Demeter & Dionysus
Greek Filo Pie with Foraged Nettles & Feta , Wild Mushroom Parcel served with an Organic Mixed Leaf Salad

Part & Parcel
Wild Mushroom Parcel with a kick of Ricard served with Thyme Toasted Sourdough Bread 

A Mountain & a Cold Hill 
Mini Mont Blanc with Chestnut Puree & Chocolate Snow.
A Mini Cone of Rhubarb Custard Ice Cream topped with Lemon-Pistachio Praline Crumbs

Small & Sweet
Herb Tea/ Builders Tea/ French Press Coffee/ Espresso -served with a selection of Petit Fours

April 21st.7.30pm
Suggested donation E35
Mayfield, Kilkenny