Food bites and other stuff

So I was a tiny bit lazy this weekend and didn't feel like posting, but do you know the guilt gets to me and I have to put something up and seeing as I can't be bothered writing out a recipe here's some foodie bites to keep you going:


Firstly major news from the wonderful Kieran over at Ice Cream Ireland. Kieran and some others have managed to get funding for the 1st Annual National Irish Food Awards (Blas na hÉireann) which will be held in Dingle during the Food and Wine festival, this is amazing news and I wish them all the best, should they need a judge I am only too willing to lend my services ;-) .

Secondly, Deborah has started her new blog Tast.ie and also Spicendipity which is a shop selling gorgeous gourmet baking and cooking mixes of which I must try come payday this week. Dying to try the Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and I definitely wouldn't mind the Luxury BBQ hamper so if anyone feels inclined to send me a present please don't be shy!?!?! tee hee

I also have to tell you about the new Bugatti range that kitchendresser.net have in stock, I am totally in love with these coffee cups and saucers and they have joined my ever espanding list of "must buy" kitchen implements. They also have the new Kenwood Kmix mixer which I am majorly coveting but my Kenwood Chef outweighs it in terms of muscle so I'll be sticking with that for now methinks but a girl can dream............


I bought a couple of new cookery books in Hodges Figgis sale today, Everyday by Bill Granger and Gorgeous Desserts by Annie Bell. Gorgeous Desserts is such a food porn book for me, the pictures are gorgeous and decadent and while the pics Bill's book are fabulous as always, desserts win out for me every time and I've wanted this book for ages since I saw Gorgeous Cakes in my cousins house (I will be buying this book a.s.a.p aswell), I will be heading to bed early tonight to plan what I'll be making first.

I had my aunts and mam over yesterday for afternoon tea which I've wanted to do for ages. My mam passed me the cups, saucers, milk jug, sugar bowl and cake plate from my grandmothers tea set and I finally got a chance to use the cups and saucers (after a friendly Mrs. Bucket (read Bouquet) type warning about no breakages and plastic beakers beforehand) and I must say Rachel Allen, although far from my favourite tv chef, does a mean afternoon tea. I made greek almond crescent biscuits, cardamom sour cream cake and lovely scones from a couple of her books which I seem to have accumulated over the last year or so. I have to say Rachel (love the name ;-) tee hee) has really grown on me and I've made a lovely mackeral dish and honey and lemon chicken from her books in the last few weeks and I was very impressed. Her recipes are simple and taste really good and I think these books are well on the way to becoming go to books for lovely home cooked food at the weekends for me.

I haven't bought anything off my "must buy" list recently, not since my creme brulee dishes which I still haven't used so this month I'm planning to buy a book stand for the kitchen and I always have trouble balancing my book and end up putting it down in eggs whites that have spilled on the counter. I'm also thinking maybe a bamboo steamer and maybe an ice-cream maker aswell as I've had to give the one I had a loan of for well over a year back. I'm thinking this one might suit my needs for now as I won't be making ice cream too often I'd say.

And in that note I may love you and leave you. Today's foodie news has been brought to you by Rachel and the fuit lemon (tee hee)