Project Pig's Head

Living in the country side and calling some farmers your friends can result in the most amazing moments. Especially if you meet said farmer in the local pub after a few glasses of delicious red ale. The result of such a meeting was a knock on the door one evening and I was given a pig's head. Yes, I did mention in the pub that I would like to cook a pig's head because Paul Flynn served whole pig heads at a gala dinner in Dungarvan during a food festival 2 years ago.

Te poor head looked at me and I thought - do I have a pot big enough. I had. So off I went into my library (see photo) to search through
cookbooks. And I discovered that not many food writers have a recipe for a whole head. The legendary Thomas Keller of The French Laundry has one but my butchery skills are limited (he is asking to remove the meat in one piece from the head) - it looked delicious finished but didn't fit my purpose. Fergus Henderson's book Nose to Tail Eating gave nice instructions but didn't include roasting the little fella. The 1938 edition of Economical Cookery by Mrs D.D. Cottington Taylor had a recipe for a sheep's head but I wasn't too sure how that could be translated to a pig. So I went to the source of my inspiration and asked Paul Flynn himself.

A few tweets later

With a few tweets, I felt comfortable to go ahead in my project. The head was already brined, so I simply set a pot of stock & cider with some vegetables on the stove and cooked the head for about 30 mins just to make sure that all scum has left the head. Then chopping some more vegetables (carrots, leeks and onions), putting them in the roasting tin and placed the head on top. Continuing with the cider, pouring it over the head. Covering the roasting pan with tin foil, I baked the head for 4 hours on a low/medium heat.

Towards the end of the baking time, I mixed some honey, brown sugar with salt & pepper and removed the pan from the oven. Taking off the tin foil, I smeared the honey mix all over the head and returned it to the oven. I increased the heat a bit to make sure that we get a nice colour.

The head isn't burned, my camera seems to darken it

The result was great. The meat was cooked through without being dry and tough. The meat of the cheeks was tender and juicy. Mr T loved that he could just pick away at the meat and served with mashed potato and delicious spiced red cabbage was a Sunday feast.

My next project might really be to re
-cook Thomas Keller's recipe of Pig's Head roulade. But in the meantime, said Pig Farmer has challenged me to a pizza cook-off. So back to the kitchen, practicing my pizza skills....... 

Cook like Ross Lewis

Christmas Time is the time of year where more cookery books are sold than the rest of the year (that's one reason, we get so many new publications at this time of year). And I have to admit - I have a list as long as my elbow on books I REALLY need (but that is for another post). 

One of the last books I bought, was Ross Lewis' Chapter One. It's a beautiful book, celebrating not only the years of success in Chapter One but also the producers, people who gave him inspiration and his amazing team. It is a book that is easy to read with lovely anecdotes and gorgeous photos. 

The recipes are long and labour intense and one might leave the book on the coffee table and just dreams of re-creating the dishes in the book. 

Now, here is your chance to learn how to re-create the recipes in their full glory. Let me introduce you to the Master the Star @ Kinsale Gourmet Academy. Under the gentle guidance of David Rice of Kinsale Gourmet Academy, students will be divided into groups and cook a course each from the Chapter One Cookbook. David has worked with Ross Lewis, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. All dishes in the book have been prepared by David while working in Chapter One - so no one (apart from Ross Lewis himself) is better suited to teach the techniques, tricks and tips. 

David will assist in the preparations, will give tips on how to re-create components of each dish, explains the different techniques and ingredients.

After cooking has finished, the students will sit together and enjoy the 'fruit' of their labour. 

This class is a unique opportunity to learn from one of Ireland's best chefs and to become confident to cook on the highest level. So, join us on Saturday, 1st February from 10am - 4pm.

It is a perfect Christmas gift for the foodie in your life. Tickets for this class go for €145 and include all recipes and ingredients for the class.

Bookings can be done via 087/3168855

Dream Deli by Lilly Higgins

It doesn't happen very often that I get an invite for a book launch (not sure why cause I am a little gem) but when I got invited to Lilly Higgin's Dream Deli book launch (ok, I kinda begged), I was delighted to attend.

It was a grand affair with all foodies in attendance - we are talking people like Billy Lyons, Deidre from Arbutus, Mags Curtin, Caroline from 8Degree Brewery to name just a few. It is always great to meet these lovely people and catch up on all things foodie in Cork.

But back to Lilly - When you have Darina Allen saying 'Just the sort of food I like to eat, simple and delicious but always with an extra special bit of Lillyzest' and Rory O'Connell launching the book - you know you are in for a treat. Browsing through the pages of Dream Deli, you can feel the love this book was written with and you just want to start cooking the delicious sounding dishes. Lilly and Colm have 2 small boys and they are lucky to grow up eating this wonderful food.

The dishes featured are easy, simple but so totally delicious that it will make it a breeze to cook them and feel super foodie about yourself. You have old favourites like Granola but Lilly takes this wonderful breakfast dish a step further - not only because Michael D Higgins gave permission to use his poem 'The Age of Granola' - by adding quinoa and chia seeds. Ever tried Fruit Tabbouleh?? No?? Then it is time to do it now as it is absolutely delicious - and it shouldn't be.

The book is divided into Breakfast & Lunch, Lunch & Supper, Tea Break & Desserts and Sides & Extras. Each section will give you ideas to make each meal a bit more interesting - nothing big and nothing fancy just very good ideas to put a smile on your face.

I wanted to use a recipe for this review but was very busy to plan much ahead - but no worries, Lilly's recipes don't need much planning as I found out when I read the recipe for Coconut Cookies. I had everything in the pantry and they were done in minutes - I kid you not, minutes.

A wonderful, personal book - Lilly shot a lot of the photographs herself (there doesn't seem to be any limit to her talents) and the love that Lilly has for feeding her family shines through from the first to the last page.

Make sure to get your hands on the book - it is meant to be used and not left on the coffee table

Salt Sugar Smoke - Diana Henry

The first time I heard about Diana Henry and her book 'Salt Sugar Smoke' I wanted to have the book (ok, my cookbook addiction could have also something to do with it) - so here it is finally in my shelf and smiling at me, teasing me to open the pages and choose one of the wonderful recipes to re-create..... What a difficult task to just choose one. I can't wait for summer to have more choice in fruit and vegetables to cook my way through this amazing book.

Diana Henry has won several awards for her writing - she wrote several books including 'Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons' (which is now also on my wish list). Her style of writing is clear, the recipes are easy to follow and her love of food seeps through every page and recipe. You almost can follow her on her journeys of discovery to new food ventures.

Flavour combinations as you never imagined them before - anchovy mustard, summer afternoon corn relish, soy & ginger pickled green mango to name but a few. A section on home-smoking has me in total excitement to try hot smoked salmon or smoked maple & bourbon chicken, so watch this space for updates on my smoking adventures. 

Apple & Sage Jelly in the making

After I finally gave into temptation on a Sunday afternoon, to pick up the book and decide on what to make..... Apple & Sage jelly was a must (mainly, because I had all the right ingredients at home). The aroma swaying through the kitchen was fresh & musty at the same time - so homely, I was smiling inside and out. The instructions were very clear and I ended up with a clear fragrant jelly as promised.

Golden Amber in a Jar

This book is for everyone who loves preserving food but wants to step it up a bit and bring preserving to a higher level.... This is the next level and the next after that... I am happy to have met Diana Henry through her book and can't wait to get my hands on her other books...

Limoncello & Linen Water by Tessa Kiros

I am already a big fan of Tessa Kiros and every time I am reading a new book of hers, I think she can't get any better - and then, a new book comes out and proves me wrong. Her latest book 'Limoncello & Linen Water' is again not only a cookbook but a book for all occasions. As with all her books, Tessa Kiros let us being part of her life and introduces us to her family and friends. No one captures the feel of people or a place like Tessa Kiros does.

Manos Chatzikonstantis' photography just seems to understand what the book needs as he captures the essence of the book and in fact Italy perfectly. You just feel transported into Italy's small villages with their tiny allies and you can almost smell fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic. 

This book is so much more than just a cookbook - it is a collection of things my nan and mum taught me while growing up and that got lost in the daily routine and rat race of our modern times.   I can almost hear my great-grandma's old clock ticking along while I was sitting next to he listening to her stories. This book makes me realise how much I miss these times.

Homemade Pizza

The recipes in the book are easy to cook - proper family food and most dishes are also quickly to prepare. Tips and tricks throughout the book don't only help with daily tasks but put a smile on the readers face. Also throughout the book are 'Wise Words' or Sapiente and look like this:'if you drop a knife, it means a man is coming to visit , if you drop a fork, a woman is coming'.

Recipes include potato & truffle purses, spinach polpettine, grilled scallops with truffle butter and lots more. Mr T and I love pizza and I used the recipe for pizza margerita - the dough was easy to handle and the the tip to drain the mozzarella and leave it to stand for a while resulted in wonderful melted cheese.... Mr T fell in love with it (have to make sure that he never meets Tessa Kiros) .... This book is a beautiful read - even if you never cook a recipe from it. It is a travel guide, history book and a diary all in one. Have I mentioned that I am a big fan of Tessa Kiros???

The perfect Cheese Board

I was recently asked to be part of a radio magazine and to cover all food related things of the show. You can imagine that I jumped at the opportunity. CorkCity FM is a community radio and works out of the Douglas Shopping Centre. The people involved are just too nice and everyone works for free.

Anyhow, for tomorrow's show I was asked to cover all things cheese - especially local cheese. And aren't we just too lucky with the offerings in our beautiful county. We have Durrus, Gubbeen, Desmond, Hegarty to name just a few. Ireland has some of the worlds best cheesemakers and Irish cheeses cubed up prizes and awards everywhere. You might notice towards the end of this post that cheese is one of my favourite subjects to talk about.

Cheese isn't difficult to make but it is difficult to mature the cheese. So many factors influence the cheese - and you have only limited control on how the cheese will turn out (unless you have a state of the art maturing facility) - so artisan cheesemakers do deserve the upmost respect for their work.

Some cheese are exclusive to a special region/country like Parmesan to Italy, Manchego to Spain, Camenbert to France etc. and I love them all but Irish cheeses have that something special - the love, milk and special flair. Our cows and goats are fed on succulent green pastures and the milk is the best milk you can get. I personally love raw milk cheeses as I believe it gives the cheese a depth that can't be achieved on pasteurized milk - but that is a complete different discussion.

Back to the title - the perfect cheese board: But first a question - when do you serve the cheese board, before or after dessert. The French say before dessert as it cleanses the palate for the dessert wine to come while the English have it after to enjoy it with a lovely rich port they are so famous for. In my humble opinion, a cheese board is a course best served when ever it well pleases you. I love to have a cheese board with Mr T instead of supper. Fresh baked bread and a cheese board with grapes and relishes - the perfect Saturday night stay in treat.

But which cheeses should you use - it depends if you have it just for yourself or as part of a dinner party. It is of course easier if it is just for you as you know your own taste and can be a greedy eater but when you have to cater for a few people it can be more difficult. As a thumb rule, a board should have at least one goats cheese, semi hard cheese, blue cheese, camenbert/brie style cheese and of course a mature cheddar.  Let's say, we are going for an entire Irish board - see my favourite selection below:

• Ardagh Castle Goats Cheese - made with raw milk, natural rind, semi-firm, vegetarian rennet
• Beal Raw Milk Cheddar - made with milk from own herd, animal rennet, matured for at least 6 months
• Knockalara Sheep Cheese, pasteurized milk, vegetarian rennet, matured between 10 days and 5 months
• Milleens - pasteurized cows milk, animal rennet, matured between 4 - 12 weeks
• Bellingham Blue - raw cows milk, vegetarian rennet, matured for at least 4 months

I like to serve homemade tomato relish, beetroot chutney, freshly made bread and crackers - a perfect snack for a night in front of the fire. Make sure to remove the cheeses at least 30 minutes from the fridge to get the best flavour from the cheeses. 

If you like to learn more about cheese, I can recommend this wonderful book - a labour of love by Glynn Anderson and John McLoughlin.

Bon Appetit with your very own cheese board

Firehouse Bread - A Piece of Heaven

I really really want one of those

It is not very often that I am impressed with a cookery/baking course but wow - what a day I had recently at Firehouse Bread Bakery in Heir Island. A beautiful spot in the depth of West Cork - 27 people are living on Heir Island and you are happy about the low number as that is the charm of this heavenly place.

The ferry arrived bang on time at 10 o'clock on Cunnamore Pier - it was a frosty but calm morning and the view from Cunnamore made the almost 2 hour trip worth the while. No sound other than what nature intended and I enjoyed the peace for the few moments until the ferry arrived.

I was joined by a mother/son/girlfriend team and together we boarded the ferry. The short trip (about 5-7 minutes) took us to Heir (or Hare) Island where Laura waited already with her jeep to pick us up. It was as if we all had been friends for years and just met again. The short spin took us to the Firehouse Bakery with views over the bay. We were greeted by warm tea, homemade mince pies and wonderful shortbread biscuits. We were chatting away until Patrick Ryan joined us and took us out to the clay oven that gave the name to the bakery. A beautiful constructed outdoor oven, wood fired and perfectly crafted by Hendrik Lepel who runs regular workshops on how to build a clay oven. Wood blocks were burning away and you almost forgot the chill on the air.

Back inside, we were shown into the workroom and our stations. I was introduced to my new friend, Sourdough (mine had died previously and I was happy to see a future for my sourdough plans). Patrick is not only a damn talented baker but also a natural teacher - generous with his knowledge, easy to follow his instructions and always there to help when one of us struggled. After we made out sourdough bread - we left it to rise and got on with our other tasks. Patrick had a few recipes laid out upside down and we had to choose one recipe each (so that we could cover several different recipes) and I ended up with Brioche. This is normally thought of as a sweet bread but I learned now that this is actually not the case (unless you buy the industrial prepared ones). Brioche is meant to be rich and indulgent - either way, it was the first time that I tried my hands on Brioche. Again, the instructions were easy to follow and the result was a beautiful rich, almost flaky bread. I will make mini Brioches for my Christmas Party on Saturday. It will go perfectly with my liver pate. From the rest of the dough, I made cinnamon rolls with mincemeat.  The others were making Baguettes, Flower Pot Breads and Focaccia.

After all that kneading, we worked up an appetite and Laura served us a wonderful lunch with sourdough bread that was slightly toasted, crisp bread, beetroot dip, hummus - again, it felt as longtime friends were sitting together.

The View

After the break, it went back onto the work stations were we tried our hands on soda bread. I am making my own soda bread for years, sometimes mixing in fruit and sometimes herbs - but Patrick showed us how many versions you can make with this one dough. Again, we had to pick a recipe out of a pack and I ended up with apple & cider bread, while the others were doing a beetroot, tomato & feta muffins and walnut & honey loaf.

In the middle of all that - we returned to our sourdough bread and knocked it back and placed it on the lovely proofing baskets that creates the wonderful patterns on the bread (and I finally got 2 for myself). We left it to proof again and turned our attention to cakes....

Fresh bread & mulled Cider

I am a very good baker but I am not really bothered about cakes but Patrick had some tricks up his sleeve for us. I got the recipe for Chocolate & Guinness Cakes which I spooned into mini muffin tins. The batter was silky and rich and turned out amazing muffins which I then topped with a cream cheese toppings to make it look like mini pints of Guinness - guess I will make these also for the Christmas Party.

The kitchen was a hive of activity with us four bringing our goods to the ovens and Laura preparing dinner for us - bliss for any serious cook or baker.

Finally we brought our sourdough out to the clay oven and marked them with the razor - for us to recognise our bread when it came out again. These type of clay ovens were very common in earlier times where a village would have one of these ovens and every family would bring their bread to be baked and everyone was responsible to maintain the oven and keep the heat going. I can see this tradition being revived by Patrick & Laura and that the people of Heir Island are bringing their loaves to the Firehouse Bakery.

Lovely dinner - perfect ending to a prefect day

After all that baking and cleaning up, we worked up quite an appetite and sat down at the dinner table were Laura served up a scrumptious dinner. Hearty vegetable soup, chickpeas & bacon, red cabbage slow, roast and of course our own bread - I could have stayed so much longer and I wasn't the only one. It felt like home or at least at home with close friends. But the ferry was waiting for us and it meant to say goodbye. We were all given a goodie bag with a dough scraper and a razor cutter, recipes and some reading material. I bought the book which Patrick signed for me and I persuaded him to sell me also 2 of the proofing baskets and a portion of his sourdough (which got fed straight away when I got home).

The Team

Firehouse Bakery is also a B & B and I am planning to take Mr T for a relaxed weekend away during spring. Heir Island has no shop or pub and you would have time to just relax and enjoy life - while being surrounded by the smells of homebaked bread. A piece of Heaven on Earth.

Breadmaking courses run throughout the year and I can only recommend the course. Even if you think you are a good baker, I bet Patrick will still be able to teach you a trick or two.
All recipes are structured for use in a home kitchen - and they work

My Christmas Wishlist

I think I have mentioned several times that I love cookbooks - and that I have quite a few. But I think I have also mentioned a few times that you can't have enough cookbooks. So here is my wishlist for Christmas - please feel free to ask for my mailing address :-)

Pierre Hermé - Pastries

 “I consider the creation of pastries as an Art with a capital A, in that it is a true form of expression, just like music, painting, or sculpture. I imagine and then create pastries the way I would like them to taste. Many people, places, and cultures throughout the world inspire me in the creative process, but at the core, pleasure is my only guide.” - Pierre Hermé - Words from the famous French Pastry Chef who is most famous for his macarons. He is a real artist when it comes to patiesserie and has outlets in Paris, London and Tokyo. Pierre Hermé was the youngest person ever to be named France's Pastry Chef of the Year, and is also the only pastry chef to have been decorated as a Chevalier of Arts and Letters

I love preserving food - everyone who grows their own food will do it eventually.
Diana Henry is a food writer for The Sunday Telegraph. She is also one of the presenters on Good Food Channel's daily show, Market Kitchen. Diana started to write about food after the birth of her first child. Jams and jellies, chutneys and pickles, smoked and potted meats and cured fish, cordials and alcohols, vegetables in oil, mustards and vinegars- inspirations have been taken from all over the globe. When reading this book - it becomes clear why Diana Henry is an award winning author

And here it is - my favourite food writer. Tessa Kiros has written several cookbooks - being the daughter of a Finish Mother and a Cypriot Father - you can imagine the food memories this woman must have. But now consider this, she lived in South Africa, married an Italian and lives now in Tuscany - the wealth of knowledge of food - wow. But next to that, she is an amazing writer and reading her books will transport you right into her kitchen. The photography is also beautiful - this book is on top of my list this year

 Ahh, the Roux brothers. What is there to say that hasn't been said already. Michel and Albert Roux turn their attention to the traditional French art of patisserie - a speciality in which they both served apprenticeships and for which Michel Roux was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1976. This book is for the serious cook who doesn't mind a challenge and who loves to create outstanding dessert to wow their guests.

 Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born chef, cookery writer and restaurant owner. Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi go on a journey to explore the flavours of their childhood, flavours that made Ottolenghi what it is. Now accomplished chefs, they don't only explore their families' cuisine, but also delve into the incredible richness of this exciting city. The result is a book bursting with incredible recipes, intriguing stories and striking images (taken from their website).

Based in both Paris and Amsterdam, Yvette van Boven works as an illustrator, food stylist, recipe writer and culinary editor. Home Made is a series of books with Winter being the latest. Summer will be following soon. The photography is amazing and mouthwatering - you just want to start cooking straight away and invite all your friends over. The photos were taking by her husband and everything else, creation, design, cooking - has been done by Yvette herself. A labour of love - I know I will love this book

Gift Ideas for Foodies

It is this time of the year again - what to buy your loved ones and friends for Christmas? You don't want to buy some 'rubbish' that no one needs or want but you also don't want to break the bank. My gift guide below will make it easier to get the perfect gift for your foodie friend - and let's face it, we all have one of those (in my case, it's actually me). All gifts below are made in Ireland (apart from the cookbooks). What ever you decide to buy this year, try to make it Irish. For each € spend on Irish Goods, jobs are saved.

A Breadmaking Course at Firehouse Bakery

Patrick and Laura of Firehouse Bakery

This is a gift that every aspiring breadmaker will love. The Firehouse Bakery is located on the idyllic Heir Island and is run by Patrick Ryan and Laura Moore. Patrick has been on TV and has published his first book this year. What makes Firehouse Bakery so special is not only the location in one of the most beautiful spots in West Cork but the fact that they are using a wood fired clay oven which produces the most amazing breads. Day Courses run throughout the year and costs around €110 which include the following

• Return ferry to Heir Island
• Full day hands on baking experience
• Bake your very own hand made bread in a wood fired clay oven
• Lunch with wine, with Roaringwater Bay serving as the back drop
• An artisan baker's goodie bag to take home
• And as much freshly baked bread as you can carry 

I was lucky enough to win a course with Firehouse Bakery and can't wait to get my hands into the flour.

Smorgasboard Game

A game from foodies for foodies - a fun new game for foodies created by Irish husband & wife entrepreneurs, Richard Kelly & Maggie Leonar. Players take on the guise of aspiring chefs as they work their way around the board in search of gastronomic success. The object of the game is to be the first team of chefs to graduate from Rick’s Culinary Academy! This game would be the perfect after dinner entertainment.

Subscription for Food Magazines

Food & Wine

Easy Food Magazine

We have some wonderful food magazines in Ireland - Food & Wine and Easy Food to name just two. Why not give a subscription this Christmas? Irish publishers are struggling these days and any sold subscription can make a big difference and your friend can learn and improve their cooking skills in the process - win win for everyone.  Which one you are going for is absolutely up to you but keep in mind what your friend likes. Food & Wine is for the serious foodie - great recipes, reader events and the latest news on top notch restaurants makes this a great read. Easy Food is a great magazine for all who want to take up cooking or want to improve their skills and try new ideas. A year's subscription for Food & Wine cost you €41.80 while Easy Food is €30 per year.

Slowfood Membership

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Slowfood - I try to live by the motto, clean food, honest food and think globally - act locally. Slowfood Ireland has been founded by Darina Allen after a meeting with Slowfood founder Carlo Petrini. Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Becoming a member of Slowfood supports the organisation in supporting and promoting the Slow Life. Membership for a year is €50 - a new initiative for Youth has just been introduced where young people can join for €12. Each convivium is holding events throughout the year - so there is the social aspect of it as well. You can find out more about Slowfood here 

Cookbooks

I personally love cookbooks - you could even call me a collector. I have learned so much from my cookbooks without having ever followed a recipe. I believe that each household should have at least one cookbook in the house. And there is only one book I can honestly recommend for beginners and 'pros' alike = Miss Delia Smiths Complete Cookery Course. I have the first edition of this book at home and it has never ever let me down if I had to look for something. It has been recently re-published. If you are a beginner - stick to the recipe and I promise you it will work. Her recipes are based on simple facts, no gimmicks, no frills. If your child is leaving home for the first time to live on his/her own, if you just got married without having ever had to cook, if you want to ensure your mother-in-law that you are able to look after her precious son - this is your book. I mean, if even Marco Pierre White isn't giving out about Delia - she must be good. 

In the next few days, I will add more ideas but I hope that the suggestions above make it easier for you to find the perfect gift this Christmas.