have your cake

Here are some snaps (with Photographer Jack Caffrey) from a recent shoot for The Journal Magazine in the Farmer's Journal...

and the finished feature....

and Neven's recipe....

PEANUT TOFFEE SHORTBREAD

Makes about 16 bars

300g butter, at room temperature (plus extra for greasing)
125g caster sugar
1 egg
175g plain flour
175g light muscavado sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp lemon juice
400g roasted unsalted peanuts

preheat the oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease a 18 x 27cm (7 x 11in) baking tin and then line the base and sides with parchment paper.

Using an electric beater, cream 100g of the butter with the caster sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well to combine. Sift the flour in a seperate bowl and then fold into the butter mixture using a large metal spoon until just combined. Press into the lined tin and bake for 15 minutes or until firm and very lightly browned. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Place the remaining butter in a heavy based pan with the muscavado sugar, golden syrup and lemon juice. Cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Increase the heat slightly and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring.

Remove the toffee from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Using two spoons, spread evenly over the shortbread base, being very carfeul as the mixture is extremely hot. return to the oven for another 5 minutes to help the toffee to set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out and cut into squares or small bars.

To serve, arrange on plates or wrap in greaseproof paper to take on picnics or in packed lunches.

wexford food fair

I'm just back from Wexford where (after having a sneeky much needed couple of days R&R) I was at a school fund raising Food Fair. Local food producers and suppliers had stands there, including Thai Gold and Carrigbyrne Farmhouse Cheeses as well as companies such as chef Phelim Byrne's fab cookery school and also Good Food Ireland. Phelim did a great demonstration to kick off the evenings events, followed by good buddy Neven Maguire who received a great welcome to Wexford. Hopefully plenty of money was raised for the local school.

book shoot

Friday was a busy busy day in Cork working on the reportage shots for Rachel Allen's new cookbook. It was nice to see that the recipes worked perfectly also, phew! We were spoilt to work with amazing photographer David Loftus, and the lovely Jenny Heller from Harper Collins was over from London also. Really can't wait to see the finished book now - but I'll have to be patient for another few months yet!

David, Issac, Rachel & Jenny

Happy Mother's Day!

Food Styling in Country Living Magazine in the Farmers Journal

Happy St. Paddy's!

Food Styling in Country Living Magazine in the Farmers Journal

props

Here's a prop line up from a recent editorial shoot. We've got paddy's day, mother's day and then easter coming up shortly, hence the colours. The boxes of props are still dumped in my hallway...I hate unpacking everything after a shoot!

say cheese

Cheese on toast has to be a favourite of mine, so what better to style for a shoot during the week?! I worked with photographer Trevor Hart and we did eat a bit of cheese on toast along the way. It took several hours for me to come up with the perfect cheese on toast for the shot - I definitely wouldn't get a job in a busy caffe! I'll post the finished ad here once I get hold of it.

'the book'

I've felt like I've been guarding the devil wears prada 'book' since last November. In this post I didn't explain properly what I've been up to all this time. I've just this second finished working on Rachel Allen's new cookbook. I've been busy developing and testing recipes with Rachel and her husband Issac. It's been a rollercoaster (Rachel even managed to deliver scarlett lily in the middle of it all!) but we've managed to submit about 240 recipes so it's a whopper - watch out for it later on in the year (when I'll be able to tell you more). In the meantime here's some of the action from the job (which hopefully doesn't give too much away!)...

recipease

Doing a little bit of foodie reading I came across this bit of news about Jamie Olivier...he's about to open a new cooking shop in Clapham Junction in London. By cooking shop they mean it's like a drop in cookery school. There are two options (as far as I can make out!) - you can book a 1 hour session online and then drop in and learn how to cook a fish pie for example and then sit down and eat it (which is about £30-35) OR you can choose to go and cook yourself a one, two or three-course meal (for between 1-4 people)....drop your choices into a shopping basket online and when you get there for your slot you are provided with prepped ingredients and a recipe card to follow - and people on hand to help you along of course. You cook your choices and then they get packed up for you to bring home. Sounds like a great idea to get people cooking and no excuse now for not having a homemade meal every day. Also a nice idea for something different to do when on a visit to London perhaps?. Check it out here.

A murderous day of work!

Here are some snaps from a recent shoot for some Uncle Ben's recipe leaflets. The things I have to put up with eh?...

working away like a busy little bee, minding my own business

while, photographer Harry decides he's had enough of me

no, we're good buddies really...thankfully a happy ending!

Quigley's Bakery

Here are a couple of shots from the Quigley's Bakery job I posted about previously here. Designworks sent them onto me - it's always nice to see how the images got used in the end and the fruits of your labour.

website design

Thanks to Neil from Fuel who designed my website, for adding it to his website portfolio. Check it our here.

Neven's Food From the Sun

Neven's programme starts on RTE 1 this Wednesday at 7.30pm and runs for 13 weeks. After a very busy few weeks working on it last April / May, I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished result. Check out RTE for more details. Hope you enjoy!

...additional news...the series has just been sold to UKTV Food for transmission in the summer.

The food of love!

(c) Jack Caffrey

Well, if you haven't yet decided what to cook to woo your honey on Valentine's, then here's a dessert recipe that Neven Maguire wrote for the Journal Magazine in the Farmer's Journal (& I styled in all it's girlie gloryiness!) that is sure to win them over...

PASSIONFRUIT MOUSSE WITH LEMON SABLES
Serves 2

finely grated rind of 2 lemons
50g caster sugar
3 passionfruit, halved and pulp scooped out
2 eggs, separated
40g chilled butter, diced
10 raspberries

for the lemon sables:
50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
50g room temperature butter
1 egg yolk
grapeseeds oil for brushing

To make the lemon sables, sift the flour and icinf sugar into a bowl. Stir in the lemon rind, then add the butter and egg yolk. Beat well to form a soft dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to three days is fine.

Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas Mark 5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Stamp out heart shapes or 2 1/2 cm rounds using a biscuit cutter, then transfer to oiled baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.

To make the passion fruit mousse, place the lemon rind in a heatproof bowl with half of the sugar, the pulp from two passion fruit and the egg yolks. Set over a pan of simmering water and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the butter, a little at a time until smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Whisk the egg whites in a seperate bowl until soft peaks form, then add the remaining sugar, a bit at a time until stiff and shiny. Fold half into the cooled passion fruit mixture using a slotted spoon, then fold in the remainder. Divide among serving glasses, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight is fine.

To serve, arrange the glasses on plates and decorate each glass with the pulp from half a passionfruit and the raspberries. Place a couple of the lemon sables on the side for dipping. Yum!

Chocolate Fetish

It's that time of year....indulging in chocolates is on the cards as it's almost Valentines! Not just to be fed them by your dearest but also to gorge out yourself - any excuse! Here are some test shots i worked on many moons ago with photographer Lis Parsons when we were both starting out. I have given the recipes (2 of them are mine) also in case they have you coming over in a hot flush...

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Makes about 24

225g plain or milk chocolate, chopped
100ml double cream
3 tbsp coffee or orange liqueur (or coffee or orange extract)

to decorate:
- cocoa powder
- finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
- finely chopped pistachios
- ground almonds

Place the chocolate and cream in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and leave until the chocolate melts. Stir until smooth, remove from the heat and leave for about 20-30 minutes until cooled and thickened.

Add your choice of liqueur (or extract) and beat with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes until light, fluffy and paler in colour. (This will take double the time if done by hand, but will obviously work off more calories!). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until quite firm.

Scatter your choice of coatings on small plates and make sure your hands are cold. Scoop out a teaspoon of the chocolate mixture at a time and roll it into a small ball. Toss the truffle in a coating to stick evenly and arrange on a parchment lined tray. Repeat until all the truffles are made and either refrigerate until ready to serve or package into pretty boxes to give as gifts.

WHITE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CUPS

Serves 2-4

100g white chocolate, chopped (milky bar is ideal)
2 tbsp cold water
150ml double cream
1 egg white
1 warm shot of espresso mixed with good glug of coffee liqueur
small handful coffee beans

(This was written by my friend Jo Pratt for the book to accompany a series we worked on for the BBC called Nation's Favourite Food. I added the coffee beans in as they looked nice for the shot)

Place the chocolate and water in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and leave to slowly melt. Remove from the heat, stir and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.

Whip the cream until it thickens to form soft peaks and, in a seperate bowl, whisk the egg white until it also forms soft peaks.

Pour the melted chocolate into the whipped cream and gently stir in. Fold in the egg white before spooning into coffee cups, making sure you leave about 1cm of a rim at the top for the coffee.

Place in the fridge for about 2-3 hours until set. Just before serving, pour over the warm espresso and coffee liqueur mixture, decorate with the coffee beans and enjoy straight away.

CHOCOLATE BODY SPREAD

Makes about 450ml

150ml double cream
75ml milk
200g plain 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp of your favourite liqueur (eg tia maria, frangelico, ameretto, grand marnier)
25g unsalted butter, softened

Heat the cream and milk in a small pan until just coming to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.

Beat in the egg yolks and your chosen liqueur and leave to cool slightly. Stir the butter through until melted.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a 500ml kilner jar and refrigerate for about 4 hours until set. Label and then package with a small pastry brush tied with ribbon. (This should be kept refrigerated when not in use and will keep for up to a week).

little love muffin..

(C) Cliona O'Flaherty

Well, Valentines is looming and as much as the cheeseyness fills my heart with dread, I do give into gorgeous edible temptations (any excuse of course!). This is a recipe I wrote for Food & Wine magazine a couple of years ago. Keep them to yourself or send them to your little love muffin...

CHOCOLATE, CHERRY & HAZELNUT BROWNIES

Makes about 18 hearts

200g plain 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into pieces
100g unsalted butter (plus a little extra for greasing)
2 eggs
125g dark muscavado sugar
50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
50g dried cherries, halved
50g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C (Gas Mark 3). Grease a 19cm square cake tin, line with parchment and grease again.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, add the hazelnuts and cherries and mix everything together.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the mixture and gently fold through. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out just slightly wet.

Remove from the tin when cool enough to handle and leave to completely cool on a wire rack. use a heart shaped cutter, measuring 4cm at it's widest point to cut hearts from the brownie. Dust with icing sugar and send to your sweetie in pretty packaging.

TIPS:
- I'm sure the leftover bits of brownie from cutting the hearts out won't last long, but use for quick individual trifles or crumbled over ice cream if any survive!
- This brownie is even better a day or two after making so get organised and make in advance, leaving nothing to do on valentines day but love!

Dear Diary..

What will the year hold? A peaceful looking new diary....

Glossy Food

I was very excited to open the current edition of 'The Gloss' mag to recognise a photo in there. They featured Simon Dougan's cookbook 'The Yellow Door' which I styled (and Cliona O'Flaherty snapped). Here it is...

am-a-zing sting

I'm just in the door from a quick trip to Dungarvan where I was working on some stings for Neven Maguire's upcoming cookery programme (more about that later). 'Inproduction' produced so the old team was back together (from working on Neven's programme). Here's producer / director David (middle), soundman Ray (left, as usual telling everyone to shush), and camera man Billy (right).

We filmed at Paul Flynn's new cookery school at the Tannery - AM-A-ZING! What a totally fabulous space - ever as stylish and state of the art as you would expect from the Flynns. They have seven new bedrooms also (additional to their townhouse rooms) so no excuse for not treating yourself to a glamorous getaway! Obviously, from the photos we trashed the school a little with all of our gear (but of course put it back together perfectly, promise!)

Watch out for 'Neven's Food From the Sun' series (transmitting for 13 weeks from Wed 18th Feb on RTE1) to see what the stings were for...and watch out for my hands!

Team Topaz

The other day on my travels I came across some shots I worked on for the 'Topaz' in store menu board. Kieran Hartnett was the photographer...

belleek shoot

Here are some photos from a shoot I did for Belleek before Christmas - Chef Neven Maguire is the new face of Belleek so we shot in Neven's gorgeous kitchen at home in Cavan. Marie McGrellis from Belleek and I had a yummy meal at Neven's restaurant the night before the shoot (I'm sure we ordered one course and ended up eating for about four hours, naughty Neven!).

Me trying to look busy while Neven chats to John, Belleek's MD.

Food stylist, make-up artist, whatever.
That's hilarious photographer Khara, doing her thing in the background.

John & Marie checking out the finished Belleek '09 catalogue
at a recent showcase in the RDS.

Neven the cover guy!

TV commercial

Here are some more behind the scenes photos, this time a recent commercial...

another day, another glamorous location...a hallway!

bit of a production line going on

deep in surgery

a fun monitor shot (thanks aoife!)

professional shopper

If car door dents are anything to go by, I spend a lot of my life in supermarkets. I'm still busy testing recipes (for a soon to be revealed cookbook) which means I'm shopping even more than usual - here are some recent (OCD) shopping lists...

back to work blues

OK, OK, Happy New Year! It was a bit of a shocker for me this year to be back with a bang and a big work load - no January hibernating for me - I guess I shouldn't complain. I did struggle to get my head around it a bit though - here's some funny evidence of mardiness (well, more tiredness than anything, i am enjoying it really!)...

loving being back amongst the boxes of god knows what (in yet another little cottage)

back to work and being a brat

and what am i up to? testing like a mad woman...