To mark the end of my exams: A Giveaway!

by Cake in the country

Hello boys and girls (Bosco flashback anybody?),

Today, since I just finished my last exam (fingers crossed for good results), and since the amazing Appliances Online’s Fairy Hobmother , who sells cookers and other white goods paid me a visit last week and offered me not only a voucher for myself (hello cookbooks) but also a gift for one of you, my lovely followers.

All you have to do is leave me one wee comment telling me what your favourite kitchen appliance is. Ian from Appliances Online will pick a winner to receive a gift on Friday the 17th of June. Best of luck everyone! Oh and if you feel like making me happy, pop over to my facebook page and give it a like!

You can also thank Appliances Online  for being lovely people and making my week. Pop over to their site if you’re in the market for some cookers or kitchen appliances!

Guest post: Review of Aeropress coffee and Hario grinder

by Cake in the country

So I am not a massive fan of coffee (bad foodie, I know) but after Inishfood and our great tutorial I was intrigued. Well I know a lady who loves her coffee, and she recently acquired an aeropress and boy is she smitten. So she decided to write a review for me as I’m terrible at posting during exam time! So thanks Mary. Without further ado, I had her over to you:

I began drinking coffee around 9 years ago. Tim Horton’s* coffee was all I would have, and despite other people claiming it was quite poor quality, I didn’t know better.

(*Tim Horton’s is a Canadian coffee shop chain. It’s an awesome chain, and almost every Canadian loves it. But, their coffee really isn’t great.)

It took a good number of years, but I moved onto a drip coffee machine (after a period of time where I spent ~50 Euros per month on white mochas that tasted amazing… maybe it was the sugar). The drip coffee was okay, but nothing special. It got me going in the morning, and as long as it was loaded with milk and sugar, it was acceptable.

My drip coffee machine broke, so I moved onto a french press. It continued to only be okay. But there would always be a good amount of grit at the bottom, despite making sure my coffee was ground coarsely. I did not enjoy that.

I also didn’t make my french press coffee the way true coffee experts would. My beans were not freshly roasted (they were from Starbucks). They also were not freshly ground (they were ground at Starbucks and sat in a jar). I would leave it to steep far too long. But, it made coffee and it was okay.

I ran out of ground coffee, and since it was close to the end of the academic year, I didn’t feel that getting a whole new bag of coffee ground was worth it. So, I started researching. And sent Sarah out to get facts.

I wanted a grinder. But I wanted a hand grinder, because I don’t want to take my appliances that use EU plugs back to North America. In my search, I was directed to the Hario Grinder Skerton. It was cute and seemed to have good reviews. (How can one buy anything without the reviews of other consumers?)

While Sarah asked around, she was told by CoffeeAngel (@CoffeeAngel) that the grinder paired well with the Aeropress. Once again, reviews seemed very positive! Most notable was the mention that this produced an amazingly smooth coffee with no grit. No grit?!

So. I had to try it.

I’m only day 2 (and 3 cups of coffee) into my ownership, but I am very impressed so far!

Hario Grinder Skerton: Very fun and easy to use. Can grind coffee beans into different sizes of particles. As with other reviews I’ve read, the coarse grind seems rather irregular in terms of size. But the fine grind, as appropriate for the Aeropress, is very consistent.

Aeropress: Amazingly, there is absolutely no grit. And it is quite delicious and smooth. So smooth that it can be consumed without milk. There is much tinkering that still much be done, as apparently this is one of the most customizable methods of coffee brewing. Clean up is very quick and easy.

Bottom line? The Aeropress is a simple and cheap machine that makes some delicious coffee. It’s not going to break the bank to try it out, but it might change how you enjoy your coffee.

Bloom in the park

by Cake in the country

Well hello there. It’s been a bit quiet around here recently due to my four weeks of exams which are almost almost over. But I must alert you all to the fact that it’s that time of the year again- time for Bloom in the Park! It runs in the Phoenix Park from next Thursday the 2nd to Monday the 6th of June, and as well as providing eye candy in the form of beautiful gardens and brain candy with lots of tips on how to make the most beautiful gardens, it’s a definite foodie heaven. Details are as follows:

Bloom, Bord Bia’s garden, food & family festival returns to the Phoenix Park

Bloom 2011, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family festival returns to the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday June 2nd to Monday June 6th.

The event will showcase the best of Ireland’s horticulture and food industry and key attractions this year include a record 27 spectacular show-gardens; a Crafts Council of Ireland garden to celebrate the Year of Craft; Bloom’s first international garden from China and the all new Bord Bia Food Village.

Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia said “Bloom 2011 will celebrate the best of Ireland’s creative flair and passion while showcasing our skills and success in food, horticulture and design. This year’s show will offer a vibrant, engaging and creative experience to share with both family and friends with a broad range of features offering something for everyone.”

Gardens

At the heart of Bloom are 27 stunning large, medium and small show-gardens which will be judged by International independent judging panels and Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded.  In addition, RTE’s Super Garden winning garden will be featured at the show. Gary Graham Bloom Show Manager said “Our show-gardens have been designed by a mixture of new talent and Bloom veterans and the quality and detail contained in all of the designs is just superb. This year’s offering sees the use of a broad range of materials and inspiring features that we are sure will excite and engage visitors”.

A Chinese Garden entitled “Ire-Su”, built by the Suzhou Garden Bureau and presented as a gift from the Chinese people to the people of Ireland will be a key feature at Bloom. The authentic Chinese Garden is Bloom’s first international show-garden and will provide the perfect platform for a dazzling display of Chinese cultural activities and entertainment.

A number of broad themes will be explored in the Engaging Space gardens which include a garden which will evolve and develop over the course of the show for the Crafts Council of Ireland; an Allergy Free Garden in association with the Asthma Society of Ireland; a garden created by people who are homeless for Focus Ireland; a garden design focussing on Mental Health Recovery in association with the HSE’s EVE Plantmarket Training Centre and a garden designed to celebrate Dublin City of Literature.

The show-garden area will be complemented with features covering all aspects of the broad floral and horticultural spectrum including the Nursery and Floral Marquee; the new AOIFA Floral Art Stage; the Garden Expert Stage with speakers including Garry Daly and Dermot O’Neill; ICA Bootcamp; GIY Ireland’s grow it yourself feature; the OPW’s Kitchen Walled Garden; a wide range of DIY Gardens and a complimentary Plant Crèche to store visitors plants while they are exploring everything Bloom has on offer.

Food

New to Bloom for 2011 is the Bord Bia Food Village which will feature many of the elements of Ireland’s thriving food and drink industry in one central area. Ireland is recognised for producing some of the best food and beverages in the world.  The Farming for Life; Best in Season and Field to Fork features will demonstrate to visitors the origins of our food and how the raw materials are used to produce world-class ingredients.

Visitors to the Bord Bia Food Village at Bloom can consume and purchase the best of Irish food and a wide range of delicious wholesale local produce in the Artisan Food Market from almost 50 Irish Artisan Producers and a selection of Artisan Caterers. The food offering will be complemented by a range of local artisan beers, whiskeys and spirits available at the BloomInn. Love Irish Food returns to Bloom as an event partner and will host a large number of its member brands in the Love Irish Food pavilion.

At the centre of the new Food Village is the Chef’s Summer Kitchen which will present a daily programme of cookery demonstrations by a number of Ireland’s well known Celebrity Chefs including Catherine Fulvio, Neven Maguire, Donal Skehan and Jenny Bristow. RTE Presenter and Foodie, Ella McSweeney will host the Chef’s Summer Kitchen and will interview Chefs and food producers throughout the event.

Family

Bloom is a wonderful family day out and best of all children under 16 go free! There are a range of family activities including entertainment on the Outdoor Stage which will feature the Café Orchestra, Nigel Mooney Quartet, Mooge 69 and the Mellochords; Craft Demonstrations and Children’s Workshops; Outdoor Catering and Bistro Bloomfeaturing a Café, Restaurant and Seafood Bar.

In the Children’s Zone, Dale Treadwell will host Gondwanaland – a haven for Dinosaur enthusiasts and an Australian Bush feature. The Children’s Stage will feature a host of activities including storytelling from Dublin City of LiteratureReaders and a Creative Kids Café will also run throughout the event encouraging children to use their imaginations, discover and investigate.

A host of wildlife features will include demonstrations and activities from Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Beekeepers Association who are Celebrating the Year of the Honeybee.

Sponsors
Key sponsors and event partners for Bloom 2011 include:  the OPW, Failte Ireland, Love Irish Food, Irish Times, Growise, Woodies DIY, Nissan Leaf, Craft Council of Ireland, An Post, Irish Rail, LUAS, Laurent Perrier, VW, Viking, Lyric FM and Glenisk.

Bloom is open daily from 10am-6pm. Advance tickets are on sale now from €15 – kids go free!www.bloominthepark.com.

I know for a fact it was a highlight of last year, and seems to coincide with end of exams every year so it’s perfect. And I shall be testing out my brand spanking new camera which I shall be receiving next week. Am only overjoyed with the whole setup! I’ll be tweeting and reporting from it on Friday and most certainly will be happily greeting all the amazing Irish Food Producers there – A supply of yummy goodies for the summer is on my list!

Are you going to Bloom?

My favourite things that people have said.. (a.k.a. Hannahbanana the sequel)..

by Cake in the country

This started out as another Hannah based post, but bless her she’s starting to think before she speaks (contrary to popular belief) and so I’m adding one in from everyone in the audience!
Part 1 here

Midnight Mass, Priest comes out to the altar. Hannah: Who’s that?!

Sarah: Hannah, you cannot write an english answer without thinking it out first!
Hannah: But I haaate thinking…

Amy: This is actually delicious Vera
Vera: It is isn’t it! (With utmost ‘Jaysus would ya belive this’:) And thats a rib roast too!
Hannah – In a very smart and sarcastic tone: A RIB ROAST?! SERIOUSLY?!
Vera earnestly answering, without copping onto the sarcastic thing: Yes it is! (Realisation dawns) Oh.. Never mind..

Sarah: Whilst learning to drive and filling Richie in on the proper roundabout rules: No but if the exit is past 12 o’clock (as in where 12 would be on the roundabout if roundabout were a clock) you take the inside lane! Even if it’s only the second exit!
Richie:……………….What?
Sarah: Like even if it’s the 2nd exit, if it’s past 12 o’clock you use the inside lane in the roundabout.
Richie:……. But it’s half two…?!

Hannah comes down at about half 11 at night when Aine was staying, and she was wearing one of those one piece pyjama babygrow things, and we had a wee chat and then, clearly being really really sweet and nice to Aine:
Hannah: Oh my God, these are sooo comfortable, you should get one Aine
Aine:……..(With utmost contempt)…… You look like a teletubby.

Hannahs friend Orla, when I was setting something up on the computer for them:….Longish silence…. You know moths are blind.
Hannah: No they’re not Orla.
Orla: No, they really are. I’m telling you they are definitely totally blind. I know they are, like.
Hannah: No I really don’t think so Orla.. Where did you hear that?
Orla: I dunno but I’m 100 percent sure. They are. Look it up Sarah! They use that dolphin thing to see. I’m telling you, they’re definitely blind.
Sarah looks it up.. Moths aren’t blind.
Sarah: You’re not thinking of bats, Orla are you? (
Orla: OOOOOH RIIIIIIGHT, that’s what I meant. Bats are blind!

Steph: No, really. I’m the female unfunny version of Billy Crystal..

Random person overheard in hospital: Well I got one of them CCTV scans yesterday… (Meaning CT scan). I had to leave the room. So glad it wasn’t that wasn’t directed at me.

Mary: You’ve taken to blogging like a liver fluke to the portal vein

Short explanation – Back in 1st year we had clinical skills classes, and they took 1 or 2 from our original groups to make a new group so there’d be less people in each group. Laura…. was one of these people
Laura: No, you’re in my group Friday-  the clinical competencies reject group…

Amy: Missing you like a fat kiddy misses caca milis!

Steph: At least you don’t have a bum chin. When I was younger I used to be really scared I’d grow up to look like John Travolta (Oh Steph, you’re a ticket!)

And just so people can appreciate the madness – snapped from a poster in a hospital in Ireland. As far as premature babies go, Jedward are on par with Einstein apparently.

Drinks for those hazy days of summer: Rhubarb lemonade

by Cake in the country

Rhubarb. How I love thee when thou art in season. And these days I can’t go anywhere without seeing it. I had a hankering for some rhubarb crumble making, but due to my feeling rather ill this week, and studying taking up my time I didn’t get round to it. I used my precious hours off yesterday for ice cream making instead (brown bread and sea salt from the wonderful Murphys. I fear I went a bit heavy on the maldon salt, oopsys). But tonight I felt like I needed something nice, light and refreshing to drink. I made 2 drinks – one being this rhubarb lemonade, which Corgan is looking pretty hopeful about.. (Excuse the photos, reduced to phone photos due to my camera being burgled).

This was surprisingly simple to make. I have to confess I estimated this going in, but I have a fair idea of the amounts!

What you need:

  • 4 sticks of rhubarb chopped roughly. Approx 400-500 grams I believe!
  • About a 3/4 cup of sugar.
  • Juice of 1.5 lemons
  • Zest from 3/4 of one lemon
  • about a cup or so of water. Just enough to cover your rhubarb in a large saucepan
  1. This makes your rhubarby lemony syrup. Then you can add water or sparkling water to dilute to make a beautiful pink rhubarb lemonade.
  2. Deadly complicated. Shove the whole lot in a pan, add the water as above. See?
  4. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 8-10 mins until all the rhubarb has broken down. Give a taste, I like my lemonade zingy and tart, you might want to add some more sugar and give it another minute or two to dissolve.
  5. Strain through some muslin and a sieve into a container for keeping in. I used a jar I had sterilised (details in jam post here!)
  6. The rhubarby mush is perfect for stirring into yoghurt or your porridge in the morning!
  7. Let cool. This is a concentrated syrup. I use about 1/3 of a glass of this syrup poured over lots and lots of ice and top it up with water or sparkling water if you want a little fizz in your life!  Taste to test and add more syrup or water as you need!
I absolutely loved this. It was zingy, refreshing, and just the ticket for these beautiful evenings we’ve been having. Bring on 5 weeks time when I am finished exams, cannot wait. Lets hope this weather keeps up for the summer for once!
I’m not sure how long this will last (not long when my family is around, hardy har har), but I’ll update if it goes bad. I’m keeping it in a sealed sterile jar in the fridge for now.
Enjoy! Oh, also, I think with a tad more sugar and using about half syrup and half water, these would make smashing ice pops!

The chocolatiest of chocolate cake – Devils Food Cake.

by Cake in the country

When one has a chocolate cookalong, one of his or hers dessert must consist of a serious amount of Chocolate. And who better to turn to than Nigella. She is a goddess when it comes to kitchen treats, and let me just tell you, this one is no different… I’m glad I waited this long to make it because it’s impossible not to eat. Ask Jennifer and Julie who helped me polish it off when still fresh. And Mary had some on its 2nd day and still enjoyed it? I am showing you a photo, one of the last from my poor burgled camera…

Is that not appetite inducing?! I’m telling you, it’s a good thing I’m making it tomorrow for a reason, or I’d have to think one up. Most yummy yummy cake.

So this is

Devils Food Cake with Cocoa Nib Icing and Spun Sugar…

(Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Kitchen’)

You will need:

  • 50g good quality cocoa powder
  • 100g dark muscovado sugar
  • 250ml boiling water
  • 125g soft unsalted butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 225g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
For the icing
  • 125ml water
  • 30g muscovado sugar
  • 175g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 300g best quality dark chocolate chopped finely – Here I used a 73 % claudio corallo cocoa nib chocolate along with some 74% I had lying around
What to do:
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line 2 20 cm sandwich tins.
  2. Put the muscovado sugar and cocoa in a jug, add the 250 ml boiling water, give it a good whisking so that it’s mixed, and then set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Warning, not the best therapy when using wooden spoon and recovering broken wrists. Still though, worth it!
  4. Sieve the bicarb, baking powder and flour into another bowl and stir to mix evenly.
  5. Then add the vanilla slowly to the creamed butter and sugar whilst still mixing.
  6. Still mixing, add in one egg, a scoopful of flour, the other egg, and ev just mixedentually all of the rest of the flour.
  7. Finally, add your sugar/cocoa mixture and give a good stir, incorporating fully
  8. Divide evenly between your two tins, and pop in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Ok icing time straight away! (Possiby my favourite time of the day)
  1. Put the water, muscovado sugar, and butter into a pan and melt over a low heat
  2. When this mixture bubbles, remove from heat, add your chopped chocolate and give it a minute to begin it’s melty journey, and then whisk until smooth and glossy.
  3. Ahem:
  5. Leave in a cool place for about an hour. This took me 2 as my apt was quite warm, but thats ok.
  6. When it’s a spreadable consistency and your cakes are cool, taste to test (yumyum) and use about 1/3 to sandwich the two cooled layers together. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake.. It should look something like this…
Cut a generous slice, serve with cream and rasberry coulis if you wish, it works!
I dream of cake…?
Oh, and as you can see, I made some spun sugar to decorate this (it was that kind of day I think) and to do that I melted about 4 tablespoons of sugar and about a tablespoon of water and put over a high heat until it turned golden. I then gave it a second to cool and become gooey, and made the nest. I got a fork and drizzled the (burning hot) sugar syrup over the handle of the saucepan and it formed weblike strands. I, rather quickly, shaped it into a ball type nest phenomenon.
For the other arty looking bit I got two teaspoons and dragged the sugar between them until it formed a thickish strand. For control I broke off the piece from one spoon and guided it around the cake like you see. The trick was to pull evenly, there’s an odd bit where I pulled too slow  and its a bit thick. But all in all for my first time making it, I was happy with it!
I tried to make spun sugar once when I was about 11. My parents were out of the house. I blame my reading of cookbooks and high expectations. The hardened sugar on the saucepan was slightly panic inducing when your parents are due home in 30 minutes and it’s not budging. I boiled some water in it and it got rid of most of it, but I hid the pan until I got it cleaned properly. Oh and the sugar itself was a fail! Ah the joy of being 11. When I didn’t burn the house down it was a miracle. But starting early seems to have stood to me.. See?

Your farm friendly awww of the day

by Cake in the country

Goes to this:

Does it not? I went out to check on him there and couldn’t for the life of me find him, until I spotted him nestled amongst some bits and pieces there. Adorable little lamb, a triplet that we’re struggling to keep going at the minute. His poor mum just isn’t able for the three of them so we’re supplementing with feed for today, and we’re going to give him away tomorrow probably.

Up the west! Kelly’s of Newport win a prize

by Cake in the country

As you know, I managed to get burgled last week (still sobbing over my camera being gone, SOB). And my ever so lovely aunt and uncle came right over and picked a shellshocked me and my stuff up from the lockless apartment that I was a bit too shaky to stay in. Well I was in the middle of telling her about the amazingness of Inishfood, and Jack McCarthys AMAZING chocolate, pistachio and mint black pudding, and she began telling me about her favourite black puddings. And she mentioned one in Newport, that, lo and behold I had recently got an email about! They won a prize! And I love to see some producers from the west get a shout out so delighted for them. Here’s the press release.

French food group award gold medal to Kelly’s Butchers

Triumph for innovative black pudding shaped like a pint of stout

Kelly’s Butchers, Newport, Co. Mayo have just been awarded a gold medal from The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goute-Boudin (The Black Pudding Fraternity of Lovers of Good Food). Kelly’s winning entry was a black pudding made in the shape of a pint of Irish stout. The Normandy based food group run a full scale black pudding (or boudin) festival each spring in Mortagne-au-Perche, France. Last September 23 members of the Fraternity came to Ireland and made Sean Kelly, Avril Allshire (Rosscarbery Foods) and Jack McCarthy (Kanturk) members of the Fraternity.

“I am genuinely thrilled with this gold medal for Kelly’s Black Pudding”, said Seán Kelly, the charismatic spokesman for the Kelly family, “I can’t wait to go over to the Boudin Noir Festival in France next week for the presentation and of course the Irish-themed gala dinner”.

During the visit of the Fraternity to Ireland last year Seamus Commons, award-winning Head Chef in Knockranny House Hotel, served them a show stopping Kelly’s Black Pudding themed menu. As a result of this, the French foodies decided on an Irish theme for this year’s festival and gala dinner. Chef Commons and his team are heading to France next week to produce the dinner for 350 using the best of Irish produce including Aberdeen Angus beef and Kelly’s Black Pudding of course. The support of Fáilte Ireland and Bord Bia has been invaluable in putting this together.

Kelly’s Butchers is an artisan butchers shop located in Newport, seven miles from Westport, Co. Mayo. Best known for black and white puddings and the traditional Putóg, the Kelly family have been instrumental in putting Mayo firmly on the foodie map. Kelly’s have earned a string of accolades for their puddings and sausages from Good Food Ireland, the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, the Great Taste Awards, Blás na hÉireann and Food & Wine Magazine. Kelly’s are proud members of Good Food Ireland and in the Bridgestone Good Food Guide.

Well done guys, I’ll have to call during the summer and pick some up!

Masterchef Ireland. Who’s entering?

by Cake in the country

So this is primarily a cooking blog, and every day I am just blown away by the visitors that come, that read my blog, and that leave comments. Every so often I get an email about something that is kinda cool, but that I can’t participate in. So I’m passing it on to ye. This one is about Masterchef Ireland. I’m just dying to see some foodies or familiar faces or names go on this, and win of course! If you’re thinking about it please go for it and let us know about it in the comments! Here’s the info you need:

THE SEARCH IS ON TO FIND IRELAND’S FIRST EVER MASTERCHEF CHAMPION!

Are you passionate about food and love to cook? Do you constantly impress your friends and family with your culinary skills? Are you an amateur cook with amazing talent? If so, you might have what it takes impress our judges, Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath to become Ireland’s first ever MasterChef Champion!

Don’t miss out, APPLY NOW for the chance to win the coveted title of Ireland’s firstMasterChef Champion and a cash prize of €25,000!          

For further information and to apply go to:

www.rte.ie/masterchef

 

Application deadline is 27th April 2011.

Did I mention I’m insanely jealous of those that apply and can take part? I can’t as I’m just up to my eyes and ears and scalp in medical stuff coming up to exams, and then I have electives and research to manage throughout summer.

Are you thinking of applying?

A poll: What is your favourite tea?

by Cake in the country

Ok, so I had a quick conversation with Richie the farmer just there, and we discussed the Lyons vs Barrys tea question. So due to my curiosity, I am putting up a poll to see what my readers choice is! That is all. I am wrecked so I’ll post the chocolate cake recipe later this week instead!