Happy Father's Day!

(c) Jack Caffrey

Go on, make him Bangers & Mash!

The Big Noodle

Oh I'm coming over all asian recently so here's a noodle recipe written by Hugo Arnold for Food & Wine mag, shot by Cliona O'Flaherty and styled by your's truely...

Chicken fried noodles

400g boned chicken thighs, roughly chopped
1 dessertspoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
450g noodles
sesame oil
vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
8 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
250g beansprouts
1 cucumber, deseeded and thinly sliced
bunch coriander, roughly chopped
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 fresh red chillies, thinly sliced

Combine the meat with the sherry, soy and cornflour. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain , plunge into cold water and drain. Toss in a tablespoon of sesame oil and set aside.

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok and add the garlic, ginger and mushrooms, stir-fry for 30 seconds and then add the meat mixture. Stir fry for two minutes and then add the noodles and a tablespoon or two of chicken stock or water. Stir-fry for a further two minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the beansprouts and cucumber, heat through and serve on four plates with a sprinkling of coriander, scallions and chilli.

A really big Taste of Dublin

Marty & I had a really fantastic time at Taste of Dublin in Iveagh Gardens this weekend. The weather was fab, the atmosphere was infectious and the food (and drink!) was to die for.

If you have never been before, as well as food and drink producer and supplier stands, lots of top Dublin restaurants are there too. Each restaurant has a simple menu of three dishes usually one starter, main and dessert. The portions are small sample sizes rather than full courses and each is individually priced between €5-8. The stands don't accept cash so you buy currency called florins (like monopoly money) from stands around the event and basically 1 florin is worth €1.

looking a bit happy on pink bubbly!

We sampled lots and lots but it's unanimous that a dish from Indian restaurant Jaipur was our top favourite...tandoori chicken with potato chatt, chutney & minted yoghurt...sounds simple but the flavours were amazing (and the racket from the Indian guys brought us back to our mad travels in India). Everyone seemed to be going crazy for the soft centre chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream from Roly's Bistro..it did look absolutely amazing but we just couldnt fit it in by the time we got there. By that time we had stocked up on lots of gorgeous Parisian macaroons from Laduree (who by the way are soon to open up a fab tea shop in Brown Thomas following their successful few weeks with a stand there). Here's a snap from their display...

take me to your leader..

I bumped into lots of people I know while there also...Rory O'Connell & Pam from Ballymaloe cookery school where beavering away teaching lots of punters, Avril & Mary from Brand Events (the organisers) were lapping their success, Kevin Dundon from Dunbrody House was about to start yet another dem in the Miele kitchen and then old school friend Paul Lambert, Mixologist for Bacardi & Saba was setting up for a dem too.

I also tried lots of drinks, including Bulmers Pear which I hadn't yet tried (and have to say much prefer the apple!) and a chilli beer which was pretty nice (considering I don't like beer!). Oh and for all you 80's chics out there - word on the street is that West Coast Cooler are launching a rose version of the drink to be served in tall glasses with a strawberry - I can see hen parties all over the country going crazy on this!

Anyhow, altogether a very fun and filling foodie event!

skinny sushi

Well we're definitely seeing some sushi weather (def: that which makes you think of getting into the yellow polka dot bikini) going on here this summer which is great! Here is a shot from a disc I got in the post this week from the lovely Paul Sherwood. We worked on BIM's cookbook 'From Tide to Table' early last year (more about it on a previous post here) so I am finally getting some images from it up on my website today now too. Here's the recipe to go with it if you're dreaming about that bikini...

SMOKED SALMON SUSHI

This sushi is actually very easy to make and is far simpler to assemble than it sounds. Most large supermarkets now stock all the ingredients you'll need.

350g sushi rice
50ml mirin (japanese rice wine)
6 nori sushi sheets (seaweed)
4 tsp wasabi paste
400g smoked salmon, cut into long thin strips
6 spring onions, trimmed
1 cucumber, cut into 6 long pieces
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into long strips
light soy sauce, wasabi and japanese pickled ginger, to serve

Place the rice in a sieve and rinse very well under cold running water. Drain thoroughly and put into a large pan that has a lid. Pour over 600ml of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes or until all the water has been nearly absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Tip the rice onto a large flat clean tray, preferably metallic, as it will help the rice to cool down more quickly. Dress the rice with the mirin, turning frequently as this helps the rice to cool, and then wave with a fan or magazine until the rice is at room temperature (this is not essential but quite authentic).

To make the sushi, take a japanese bamboo sushi mat and place a sheet of seaweed on top. Have a small bowl of water to hand. Dipping your fingers in the water before you touch the rice, spread it over half of the seaweed, taking a little rice at a time and pushing it to the edges leaving a layer about 1cm thick.

Next, smear a little wasabi in a line a little off centre on the side nearest to you. Follow with a layer of smoked salmon, some spring onion trimmed down to fit, a piece of cucumber and some of the avocado. Roll up the bamboo mat slowly, tucking in the closer end of the sushi to start a roll and press lightly with both hands. Remove the roll from the mat and leave to sit with the joining edges downwards. You can wrap in clingfilm and keep in a cook place for up to 1 hour until you are ready to serve. Dont place in the fridge as this dried out the rice. Repeat until all of the ingredients have been used up.

To serve, use a sharp lightly moistened knife to trim the ends, and then cut each roll into 4 pieces - you should ahve 24 pieces in total. Arrange on plates and serve with tiny mounds of the pickled ginger and wasabi with dipping bowls of the soy sauce.

VARIATION:
You can use a wide variety of fillings in the sushi. Try smoked tuna or mackerel, for example, or fresh crab meat; cooked peeled prawns with avocado and rocket or chives also work well.

Jo is in The Mood for Entertaining

Congratulations to my friend Jo Pratt on her new cookbook, In the Mood for Entertaining, which is being published today. It's a follow on from her other fabulous book, In the Mood for Food. Both books show off Jo's effortless, gorgeous style and taste, both herself and her food! You can buy them from her publishers, Penguin, here. Also Jo, even bigger wishes for the soon to be born bump! xx

top secret mission accomplished

The girly gang was back together after way too long apart - photographer Cliona, her assistant (& fabulous stylist!) Aoife and I had lots of catching up to do, ehem, I mean work, on a recent shoot. The shoot was very exciting as it was a bit of a test of ideas for a new concept and for a new client (all top secret at the moment, sorry!). It was all pretty relaxed, just lots of thinking creatively and having fun with it which was great. Everyone was happy with the results so lets hope the idea gets the go ahead! Watch this space..

new studio

Here are some snaps from photographer Harry Weir's new studio. I told you about the opening party a couple of posts ago but today was my first day of work there so Harry & I worked really hard (of course) but managed to have some time to poop around taking some fun shots (Well, I only took the one of Harry pretending to be busy!)...

Click on the image to make it a bit bigger!

Rachel's Home Cooking

I was having a browse on Amazon, as you do, when I was shocked to come across Rachel Allen's next new cookbook (which I worked on here)...I only saw the first proofs of it last week, so was a little confused. Harper Collins are well ahead of themselves in that you can pre-order the book now...very speedy as the front cover was only shot a few weeks ago, so well done! A few different titles were bounding around so looks like they settled on 'Home Cooking', sounds lovely. The rough print looked fab so I really can't wait to see the finished book (but will have to until the 1st Oct)...

happy harry

Congratulations to photographer Harry Weir on the opening of his new, very grown up studio. No thanks for all the bubbly last night Harry - although it did seem like such a good idea at the time! Harry is not only 'Happy' in predictive text, but was totally over the moon celebrating all his hard work turning an abandoned unit into a gorgeous, warm and friendly work space....looking forward to stuffing many a chicken there Harry! Congrats!

Rachel's Market Kitchen

I'm just back from Cork having worked with Rachel Allen and the Optomen / UKTV, Market Kitchen gang. Rachel is one of the presenters on the show, so she heads to London every so often to film that part but then Market Kitchen come to her at home in Cork to film her actually cooking too. So lots of cooking and lots more calories! Here is one of the recipes we filmed which is from Rachel's book 'Bake'. Market Kitchen is on UKTV food every week day at 7pm (& repeated throughout the next day).

BAKED AUBERGINES WITH TOMATOES, BASIL & PINE NUTS
Serves 4
2 large aubergines
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 onion, peeled & finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed
650g (1lb 6oz) good red ripe tomatoes, peeled & chopped
pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp chopped or torn basil leaves
1 ball of mozzarella, torn into pieces, or 25g (1 oz) grated parmesan (optional)
4 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4.

2. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and, using a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a 5mm (1/4 in) border around the edge intact. Chop the flesh, then place in a sieve sitting over a bowl adding a good pinch of salt to draw out any bitter juices. Place the aubergine halves on an oiled baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onion is soft. Add the drained aubergine flesh, the tomatoes, chilli flakes and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is reduced. Add the chopped basil and season to taste.

4. Spoon the tomato sauce into the par-cooked aubergines, then add the torn mozzarella or grated parmesan (if using). Bake int he oven for about 30 minutes or until the aubergine is cooked at the sides and the mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

beautiful belleek

(c) Khara Pringle

Belleek have to be the best client ever! I had a gorgeous goody parcel in the post recently from their newly launched jewellery range. It's the beautiful bracelet in the image above (from their new brochure) and I totally love it! you can see it on their website here.

Also, you may recognise the model - she is one of the finalists in the RTE series The Model Agent, Carrie-Ann. Belleek did well there to nab her as the first face of their new jewellery - hope she wins now!

Anyhow, thank you guys for the most gorgeous gift and good luck with the range!

UPDATE: Congrats to Carrie-Ann (& indeed Belleek!) for winning her contract on The Model Agent (despite revealing her pregnancy in the final stages of the show!).

before & after

I got back from a big job earlier this week which I will tell you about when I have sorted the photos out (& once I finally face up to unpacking the kit!). In the meantime, here are some silly snaps of food I've been taking over the last 6 months in work...before food was cooked and after. Have I lost it?!

THE Bill Granger

I was back at The Afternoon Show again today, this time setting up for THE Bill Granger...what a lovely man! He was very sweet and so smiley, you could just take him home! Bill was over to promote his gorgeous new cookbook (full of his trademark simple but tasty recipes), feed me now!...

I didn't manage to get a snap with Bill but I truely was lucky enough to meet and work with him - he did sign his cookbook for me though...

Bill cooked two recipes, a spicy prawn stir fry and a delicious coconut slice (which needless to say, didn't last long with the crew around!)....click here to check out demo recordings. Here's the stir fry recipe...

Spicy Prawn Stir Fry

. 2 tablespoons mild flavoured oil, such as sunflower
. 20 large prawns, shelled and deveined, with tails intact
. 2 tablespoons red curry paste
. 1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
. 400g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths on the diagonal
. 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into thin strips
. 200ml coconut milk
. 2 tablespoons lime juice
. 1 tablespoons fish sauce
. 1 teaspoon sugar

. Coriander leaves
. Steamed rice

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the prawns and stirfry for 2 minutes or until they turn pink and are just cooked. Remove and set aside.
2. Return the wok to a high heat, add the remaining oil, followed by the curry paste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the onion and asparagus and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the red pepper and cook for a further 1 minute.
3. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, and stir to combine. Return the prawns to the wok and cook for a further minute or until they are heated through.
4. Scatter over some coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

neven's new cookbook

I'm just back from piling on the pounds in Cavan - I've been busy testing the 130 recipes from Neven Maguire's next new cookbook. People always ask me what I mean by testing....it isn't just taste testing (although not fitting into my desk chair now makes me wonder!), I also make sure timings, sizes and dimensions, temperatures, quantities and descriptions are correct and make sense so that the recipe 'works' when people follow it.....I have the disasters, not you!

Anyhow, I have now officially cooked more in Neven's home kitchen than he has (although I'm not surprised as he's always in the restaurant kitchen).....this new book is a great collection of Neven's signature recipes that he cooks in the restaurant...although still easy enough for the home cook to make - that's why it's been given the catcy title, homechef. watch out for it at the end of this year.

me and my other husband (with a mock-up front cover)!

Thanks to Neven's wife Amelda for not batting an eyelid at me taking over her lovely home once again for weeks on end. Huge thanks also to Neven's chefs Vicky, Zara and Carina for helping me test and for all that shopping! and of course to Amelda's mum Eileen for all her help. not only in work but also with eating all that food and drinking all those cocktails!! cocktail o'clock...amelda, carina and eileen...

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Easter Eggs

I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend! Continuing the theme here is a pic which I prop & food styled for Food & Wine Mag a couple of Easters ago...

BOILED EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS SOLDIERS
(c) Cliona O'Flaherty

Annabel Karmel on The Afternoon Show

The Afternoon Show presenter Blaithnaid, with Annabel

This week I worked with Annabel Karmel on RTE'S, The Afternoon Show. She is of course the fantastic children's cookery book writer from the UK - friends with children are always raving about how they couldn't have fed the kids properly without her! The show had lots of calls with questions since they announced Annabel's arrival last week so she is hugely populer here.

I set up the two cookery slots for Annabel and had the tough job of keeping the crew hands off her yummy food until we went off air (and of course there was a stampede of big kids ater that!). Annabel was over to promote her gorgeous new book, Top 100 Finger Foods. Check it out for the recipes for her delicious rice crispy coated chicken nuggets (good for grown ups parties too!) and her really quick and easy no-cook flapjacks.

Annabel & I

Get Well Soon

The photographer on yesterdays shoot told me his granny, Maisey had just gone into hospital as she fell over and broke her hip. I saw a really cute photo of her waving and smiling from her hospital bed. She must be a really strong woman as she is 92! We are always looking for takers for the leftover food from shoots so we packed up a little get well soon goodie bag for Maisey. Hope it cheered her up!

some Easter chocolate cupcakes, leftover mini eggs,
fruit smoothie and some prop daff's!