Dinner in 10 : Fusilli with Salmon and Peas

Tonight I was tired to the core.  I had physio on dodgy arm on Monday evening and I am black and blue - it's ok Lisa, I know you didn't mean to hurt me... much.  If there had been bread in the house, I would have settled for toast and jam for dinner.  But there was no bread - what's a lazy sod like me going to do with a hungry husband to feed?  Last night I went on a little road trip with Little Sis and the fluffy dog.  Her Hoover had broken (again - how much cleaning can one person do???) so we needed to visit The Hubs in work to get a new one.  Next door to him is a German supermarket so Sis dragged me in to get a few bits.  Twenty minutes later she was still faffing around so I decided to get a few bits for myself.  And those little bits made a dinner in 10 minutes tonight.  Excellent planning, wha?

Raspberry and Lemon Muffins

Sometimes I long for a little ray of sunshine on these dark and dreary days.  I want something delicious and light for a treat.  My Raspberry and Lemon Muffins are full of (frozen) raspberries and lemon zest to create a midmorning snack or afternoon slump-buster. You can make the batter, bake them and be cleaned up with a cup of coffee ready for the first bite in under an hour.  Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar or some rock sugar before you put them into the oven for some extra crunch.  Little Brother tried them out and apparently they are savage. Yes, that means good, in Little Brother speak

Wining, Dining and Valentining

Oh no.  You've forgotten, haven't you?  Well here's your advance warning - Friday is February 14th, also known as Valentine's Day.  Or Mammys Birthdays in Maison Babaduck.  Yes, both my Mammy and the Mammy in Law celebrate their birthdays on February 14th.  What are the chances?

So, back to the matter in hand.  Valentine's Day.  A day of love, romance, lots of cards, presents, dinner, fine wine and the like.  If you've let matters slide, here's a positive plethora of ideas for you to plan a memorable evening.  Me, I'll be tucked up on the couch with The Hubs, the fluffy dog known as Sandie and a bottle of fizz. After dispatching pressies and cards to The Mammies, of course...

Image courtesy of Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa

A Masterclass at Saba To Go (and Childerbeasts with Chopsticks)

Back in pre-Childerbeast times, Little Sis spent quite some time in Australia and the Far East.  One of her favourite places where she lived for a while was Thailand living in a hut, cutting hair on the beach for beer money and developing a love of the local food.  Down where I live, Thai food is treated as a poor relation in the local Chinese restaurants and is a small add-on to the main menu.  This saddens me because Thai cuisine is so fresh and aromatic and MSG free for those who are sensitive to it.

Image courtesy of Saba

I was a very lucky duck recently to be invited to a private Thai cookery masterclass at Saba To Go, the takeaway arm of Saba restaurant in Dublin 2. I'm very familar with Saba's cuisine (and their excellent cocktail menu!) and I also own a copy of Saba: The Cookbook which is filled with exquisite photos of daily life in Thailand and some exceptional recipes, so I was very excited to learn more.

My January Roundup

The days are getting longer, second by precious second, and the festive season is but a distant memory (apart from the "thunk" of the credit card bill hitting the mat).  I've quite a few things to tell you about that are happening right now, so pull up a chair.

Deconstructed Afternoon Tea at the Fitzwilliam Hotel

Courgette & Lemon Linguine - Low FODMAP

This recipe takes no time at all to make and yet produces a vibrant, healthy dish that tastes fantastic. The use of gluten-free pasta means it's kind to your digestion – important if you are struggling with the complexity that food intolerance brings to your diet - and the combination of heat from the chillies and zing of the lemon gives you a perfect flavour combination. Find out more about food intolerance symptoms as they vary and it's wise to know which food affects you and how.

Calling All Food & Drink Producers : Great Taste 2014

We all know about the X Factor and The Voice (the UK one, not the Voice of Direland as that's just brutal) where people enter to win and be lauded throughout the land. Did you know that the food and drink world has a similar competition? Well pull up a chair and allow me to tell you all about it. You may be familiar with a little black and gold sticker on some of the products that you buy in your local shop, deli or supermarket. It's actually a Great Taste sticker, awarded to food and drink producers who are quite literally the best of the best. And reader, last year I was one of the judges.  I'd like to think I was a cross between Gary Barlow & Cheryl Cole : keeping it real but being honest too.  Stop laughing and keep reading...

It could be you

My Favourite Kitchen Gadgets

Recently somebody asked me what I would save if the house was on fire. I thought about it for a minute and figured I’d go room by room. I’d go for passports, jewellery and photos in our bedroom, our wedding DVD in the sitting room (The Hubs would probably try to save his previous music collection instead) and as for the kitchen, I’d be in a bit of a quandary as I’ve so many things I’ve collected over the years. The two that stand out to me though, are the two items I use the most – my food mixer and my food processor. Having a dodgy back means I find it harder to manually knead dough or grate vegetables by hand, so owning these two gadgets makes my life much easier.  

We Are Saving (for a Rainy Day)

We are saving, we are saving - sing along there. It’s something we all promise we’re going to do and then we forget and spend the money on something else. Over the years, I’ve managed to get into the habit of saving a small amount regularly so I have an emergency fund and it gets raided regularly despite my best intentions. Last year there was the curious case of the leaking immersion, the day that Hubs impaled the car on a giant gate and the garden gate disintegrating. It’s all about the money. Last month, I saw an article online about an American lady who decided to save, a dollar at a time, to create a little nest egg and I was hooked.

ItalianFoodie's Big Boobstravaganza

A what of a what?  Let me explain this to you.  ItalianFoodie is the alter ego of my friend Lorraine Fanneran.  Joint owner of the delectable La Cucina in Castletroy, Limerick with the equally delectable Bruno Coppola, they have a fantastic restaurant, a brilliant pasta sauce range called Real Italian Foodies and are parents to the most photogenic girlies I know, Miss Alessia (#MiniIF) and Miss Sofia (#BabyIF).  Sickening, wha'?