tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90880262251259073052023-01-08T19:40:00.830+00:00Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.comBlogger312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-52583255330720326662014-12-23T14:44:00.001+00:002014-12-23T14:53:08.267+00:00

Loire Valley wines, dressed for Christmas Mince pie tarts, mincemeat recipe below I'm doing a wine pairing with a couple of Christmas dishes. First up is one of my favourites, home made mince pies, paired with Bougrier Rosé d'Anjou, 2013. The wine is a gorgeous pink colour and bursting with red berry and fruit flavours. It complements the fruity flavours of the mince pie

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-13825439230548661322014-12-18T23:18:00.001+00:002014-12-18T23:18:31.024+00:00

Powers Court, Dublin looking stunning with its Christmas decorations Following on from my Lovin Dublin post, I'm going to give you a flavour of what makes Dublin such a great food destination. The Dublin food scene is experiencing a revival. Fantastic cafes, restaurants and bars are popping up on every corner, and the food is becoming more creative and delicious. Local produce is being

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-81395112582681770602014-12-14T16:01:00.001+00:002014-12-15T11:44:19.185+00:00

I'm not really a whisky drinker, but I do like cooking with it and I think it's terrific with chocolate and caramel based desserts. I was intrigued by this recipe for Bowmore Salted Caramel Crust I was asked to try using Bowmore Small Batch single malt Scotch whisky. Created for Bowmore by Mark Sargeant (owner of Rocksalt in Kent), this drink is sweet, salty and smooth, with the Bowmore

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-84860902140611760512014-12-05T23:10:00.000+00:002014-12-05T23:10:50.004+00:00

No, that's not a typo, it's the name of a new publication that celebrates the city of Dublin and its food! Lovin Dublin is about people who create food and their companies, and it is on a mission to help foodies from all over find the best that the city has to offer, and to raise the profile of Dublin as a food destination. Irish comedian Al Porter, compare of the Lovin Dublin Show Live

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-61993219000149166262014-11-30T12:48:00.001+00:002014-12-01T16:05:47.224+00:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended the IWSC World of Wines Experience at the BBC Good Food Show, London. The IWSC is an annual wine and spirit competition, and the awards given are considered to be the foremost in the industry. The World of Wines Experience is a unique opportunity to enjoy and sample an extensive selection of the award winning wines, which were chosen from thousands of

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-35783092468018108252014-11-24T00:21:00.001+00:002014-11-24T00:21:11.666+00:00

  Norwegian whole baked salmon, recipe below You might be a die-hard turkey fan at Christmas, but this year I'm going to do something a little bit different. For Boxing Day lunch, I'm going to make a wonderful traditional Norwegian baked salmon, with a festive winter kale, roasted butternut squash, and pomegranate salad on the side. Signe Johansen The other week, I attended a

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-19403943691854472772014-11-17T20:20:00.000+00:002014-11-17T20:21:16.444+00:00

Following on from Tried and Tasted Seasonal part 1, here's part 2 - some gift ideas and edible treats from Lakeland and Waitrose. Lakeland is a good place to pick up Christmas gifts, here are a few new things that I spotted this year. Dare devils should try this fun game of sprout roulette, nasty or nice hehehe! £4.99 Milk chocolate chilli topped pizza - how could I resist? £2.79 Lock

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-55012366440341087322014-11-12T17:29:00.002+00:002014-11-12T17:29:43.432+00:00

It's that time of year when I get to post some seasonal food, gift ideas, stocking fillers and treats to look out for in the shops or online in the lead up to Christmas. I got to try all the food items here after visiting the 'Christmas in July' shows, and can say I enjoyed every one. I'm starting with a few Irish treats, if you can't find them in the shops they're all available online!

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-90323738025904253812014-10-22T11:26:00.000+01:002014-10-22T11:33:14.363+01:00

Kent cob nuts, ready for cracking   A few weeks ago, my neighbour and I did a swap of our garden goodies - I gave her pears and she gave me a bag of large cob nuts. I spent an enjoyable afternoon in the late summer sunshine cracking the nuts, before roasting them in a medium oven until they were golden. Using one of my favourite Martha recipes, I dunked the nuts in caramel before dusting

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-70352632238557511912014-09-16T13:21:00.000+01:002014-09-16T13:21:02.568+01:00

The Poet at Matfield   You can't beat a long lunch with the girls, and this was a good one. The Poet at Matfield had been recommended by one of the girls who had recently stopped by for breakfast, and had also celebrated a special birthday there. It's somewhere I pass by quite frequently and had been meaning to try for a while.   Set in the village of Matfield, Kent, The Poet has

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-52357805356387778352014-08-22T11:55:00.000+01:002014-08-22T12:01:28.858+01:00

The jury is still out for us on these caramel crunch brownie bars from a Donna Hay recipe, but we did discover that if you heat them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, they go all lovely and melty, perfect to eat with some vanilla ice cream.   Caramel Crunch Brownies The original recipe makes an awful lot of caramel and ganache for the amount of brownie, so I cut the quantities

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-31435240968685473982014-07-23T13:17:00.001+01:002014-07-24T13:33:01.248+01:00

I recently saw a brilliant summery salad that's totally different to anything I've made before - a fabulous light salad called Puy Lentil & Carrot Tabbouleh and the perfect dish to serve alongside grilled vegetables and meats. I saw it on Sunday Brunch, where it was cooked by guest chef Maria Elia, who has a great website with some very modern vegetarian dishes. She has also written some

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-41153580950296387002014-07-12T15:33:00.000+01:002014-07-12T17:39:08.983+01:00

Table set for a Brazilian gourmet extravaganza! If you hear the word 'Brazil' and the first thing you think of is football, think again! Think food. Think Brazilian food. It's fabulous, spicy and different. Want to know a bit more? Read on! A few weeks ago, I was invited to a Brazilian supper club by a wonderful blogging friend, Rosana McPhee. I was rather thrilled to get this invitation,

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-25317105228952709232014-06-27T22:35:00.000+01:002014-06-27T22:57:44.430+01:00

Wines chilling for a tasting A refreshing summer cooler - recipe further down I think I'm finally getting the hang of this wine tasting business! After attending a rather fabulous wine tasting event last month, I learned exactly what food would go well with a good bottle of Rosé d'Anjou, and how different a collection of rosé wines from the Anjou region could be. Great setting

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-16712552593215160452014-06-19T17:40:00.000+01:002014-06-19T17:40:04.207+01:00

A few weeks ago, I found myself in rural Somerset at the Royal Bath and West Show. I had been invited by the lovely Barber family to spend the day enjoying the livestock, food, drink and, of course, the cheese of this beautiful area! I certainly wasn't going to miss anything involving cheese, especially when there was talk of a cheese toastie competition using Barber's 1833 Vintage

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-7970600218010708322014-06-04T18:24:00.001+01:002014-06-04T18:24:48.076+01:00

Last week I braved the torrential rain to attend a special Pinterest event, a cookery class with chef Tom Aikens (swoon!) learning how to make 3 fabulous fish dishes! Tom Aikens On arriving at L'atelier des Chefs cookery school, I was greeted by the event's host Lizzie from Pinterest, who was armed with Chapel Down Brut, which just so happens to be one of my favourite English sparkling

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-79094041725718423572014-05-20T15:01:00.000+01:002014-05-20T15:01:35.055+01:00

Red onion & chilli jam One of my favourite ways to use up chillies is to make a spicy jam with them. I found a great recipe, really easy and so much better than the shop bought stuff. The jam is the perfect accompaniment to a good cheeseboard, but remember not to go overboard with too many chillies to start with, especially if they're really hot ones! Thank you to Peter's Yard for my

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-30487353408386580272014-04-29T22:46:00.000+01:002014-04-30T14:27:25.671+01:00

View from the top of Galeries Lafayette If you have a few days to spare and Paris is on your 'places to visit' list, GO! Here's my review of a long weekend, arriving Friday afternoon and returning Monday morning. If you plan with military precision, you can fit in quite a few iconic tourist traps, markets and museums. Enjoy the pâtisseries and a bottle of wine, but don't forget to

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-28699047126010820422014-04-04T21:58:00.000+01:002014-04-04T21:58:17.110+01:00

I'm really into using praline (nuts and caramelised sugar) at the moment and it plays a part in one of our favourite desserts, a chocolate pecan praline tart. It is my re-vamp of a recipe that has been around for a while - I've changed the quantities to make it a more family-sized dessert and have used pecans instead of hazelnuts. Serve it with some clotted cream or the praline cream

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-72677465075531437962014-03-23T21:39:00.000+00:002014-03-23T21:54:18.398+00:00

Table set for #currysinthekitchen event Being a big fan of kitchen gadgets, I was pleased to be invited to an event showcasing some of the latest kitchen appliances. The evening was hosted by Currys, the electrical store, and was held at a lovely little cookery school in London, the Underground Cookery School. The theme of the evening was making a curry (!) and some pear soufflés, as well as a

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-31124739515641576732014-02-25T21:35:00.000+00:002014-02-25T21:35:23.476+00:00

An invite to a chocolate truffle masterclass with leading chocolatier Paul A Young is a no-brainer! I do like playing with chocolate and I'll take any help going, especially if it's from one of the world's best. The event was organised by Pinterest UK and held at The Cookery School in central London, with help from Great British Chefs. Paul A Young We learned about the different

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-69714140285368841572014-02-18T12:36:00.000+00:002014-02-18T12:36:21.817+00:00

One of my favourite things to make with leftover egg whites are meringues. I made up this easy 3 layer raspberry meringue torte for the husband's birthday. If you like your meringue crunchy, eat on the day you make it because it will go soft due to the double cream filling. Pecan Raspberry Meringue Torte 4 large egg whites 200g caster sugar 100g chopped, roasted pecans 300ml double

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-19305497092558022362014-02-07T12:01:00.000+00:002014-02-07T12:01:11.869+00:00

My latest wine challenge was quite interesting and very timely (given we're in the middle of Chinese New Year!) - can Côtes du Rhône wines be paired with Chinese takeaway food? I have to admit that I've not eaten Chinese takeaway food for years - after all, you can make a fabulous stir-fry at home, and Chinese ingredients are easily accessible in all supermarkets nowadays. I asked

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-6973761078259523982014-01-23T13:31:00.000+00:002014-01-23T13:31:42.287+00:00

Saturday Kitchen set   Have you ever watched Saturday Kitchen and thought, 'I could give them a run for their money with the omelette challenge'? Well, now you can! Cactus Kitchens, where Saturday Kitchen is filmed, have opened a cookery school and they hold 'A Taste of Saturday Kitchen' once a month. The other side of the kitchen I went along last Saturday and had a rather

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088026225125907305.post-5008367529176492832014-01-02T15:31:00.000+00:002014-01-02T15:43:13.777+00:00

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas - ours was quiet but it was great to spend it with the family. Last year seemed to go by so quickly, it's hard to believe 2014 is here! Over the festive period, I was sent 3 Loire valley wines to try.  We started with a sweet white wine from Côteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin, 2012, produced by Domaine des Forges and his son

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11843118087690038577noreply@blogger.com1