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May 14, 2008

Baking bread

Breads_2

For the bones of three weeks I found myself at home chained to the kitchen sink as a chain of illness took hold in our house. First the small fella had a chest infection, so off to the doctor with him, closely followed by the big fella. Then after a weekend of partying at the Riverfest I was totally knocked out with a chest, sinus and throat infection. Fun and games. During my cabin fever, when the lads were not so well but I was fine, I made bread with them. This was the first time I ever made bread by hand, other than soda bread, so I was chuffed with then results. The kids got to beat something up and then we got to eat our wares.

 

Our local Milk Market has stalls that do a roaring trade in so-called Artisan breads, while yummy, some of these breads cost as much as €6.00 per loaf. Has bread become a luxury item? I myself often buy these specialist breads and they are great but they are a treat, costing more than the average sliced pan. One particularly yummy loaf was a cheese and onion number, a small loaf that cost €4.00. Of course the baker deserves the bread, I mean the money for putting in the effort, but at €4.00 a pop I couldn’t spend this much on bread every day.

 

Having owned a bread machine for years, I know how much bread you can make, for very little money, from a bag of Strong White Flour. This flour has extra gluten so stands up better to kneading and makes better bread than standard white flour we use for cakes. One large bag of this costs €2.80 from a supermarket and makes 3-4 large loaves of bread. If you factor in yeast and other little things like salt and sugar, that brings the price of making your own loaf to €0.90. Bear in mind that your own bread has no additives or preservatives and you get the satisfaction of making it yourself. Bread machine bread is fine, it’s great that you can set the machine to make bread while you sleep so you get to wake up to a fresh hot loaf first thing in the morning. However, bread machine bread is always the same shape and has quite a robust crust on it, it gets a bit samey.

 

I’d never made bread by hand before and found this recipe in Jamie Oliver’s Return of the Naked Chef. It’s an easy recipe. I made the bread with my two boys who enjoyed mixing up the dough, beating it to a pulp, watching it rise, and beating it to a pulp again. I used a standard sized loaf tin and made one regular white loaf from half the dough. It was perfect for sandwiches and we were all chuffed with ourselves for making the bread together.Basic Bread Recipe

Ingredients
30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g sachets dried yeast
30g/1oz honey or sugar
625ml/just over 1 pint tepid water
1kg/just over 2lb strong bread flour
30g/1oz salt
some extra flour for dusting

Method
1 Dissolve the yeast and honey or sugar in half the tepid water.
2 On a clean surface or in a large bowl, make a pile of the flour and salt. On a clean surface or in a large bowl, make a pile of flour and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the dissolved yeast mixture. With four fingers of one hand, make circular movements from the centre moving outwards, slowly bringing in more and more of the flour, until all the yeast mix is soaked up. Pour the other half of the tepid water into the centre, and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a moist dough. (Certain flours may need a little more water, so adjust the quantitites.)
3 Roll, push and fold the dough over and over for five minutes, to develop the gluten and structure of the dough. If any of the dough sticks to your hands, just rub them together with a little flour.
4 Flour both your hands well, and lightly flour the top of the dough. Make it into a roundish shape, and place on a baking tray. Deeply score the dough with a knife, allowing it to relax and prove with ease. Leave it to prove until it's doubled in size. Ideally you want a warm, moist, draught-free place for the quickest prove, for example near a warm cooker, in the airing cupboard or just in a warmish room, and you can even cover it with clingfilm, if you want to speed things up. This proving process improves the flavour and texture of the dough, and should take around 40 minutes, depending on the conditions.
5 When the dough has doubled in size, you need to knock the air out of it by bashing it around for a minute. Shape it into whatever shape you want - round, flat, filled, or tinned - and leave it to prove for a second time until it doubles in size again. Make some deep cuts across the dough to allow it to expand. Don't feel a need to rush through this, because the second proving time will give it a lovely, delicate soft texture.
6 Preheat the oven to 200ºC Now you want to keep all the air inside the loaf, so don't knock it. Gently place it in the preheat oven and don't slam the door. Bake the bread for about 40mins, depending on the shape of your loaf.  You can tell if your bread is cooked by tapping its bottom (take it out of the tin first!) If it sounds hollow, it's cooked. If not, put it back in the oven for a little longer. Place on a rack to cool.

Cheese_n_onion_bread_2

Cheese and onion bread

1.Take half or a quarter of the dough at stage 5 of the above recipe.

2. I used leftover parmesan, gorgonzola and cheddar, cut up into small pieces and mixed it into the dough with the white part of a spring onion, sliced up.

3. Shape this into a round or small loaf shape and bake for 30-40mins depending on size

Nutella swirls

Needless to say kids go mad for making and eating these

1. Take half or quarter of the dough at stage 5 of the above recipe

2. Roll it out to about ¼ inch thick, spread with nutella, right out to the edges

3. Roll it up like a swiss roll and slice about 1inch thick slices

4. Place the slices, cut side facing up, into a baking tray and bake for 20 mins

 

May 08, 2008

Competition time for artists and fashionistas!

Tasche_4
This is not a picture of me, I wish! It is a picture of a model with a very cool bag from a German company called Tausche, Tausche is a mixture of the words Tasche, which is bag and Tauschen which means to swap. So called as when you buy one of these uber urban so-useful bags, you get to choose two flaps to go with you bag. So when you feel like a change of look you don't need to empty all you stuff from one bag to the next, you just zip off one cover and zip on the next one.

These bags answer the prayers of many, rugged enough to be a blokes bag, hardwearing and durable for artists and students. They even do a laptop insert and a bag for toddlers, not to put them in, for them to carry! The different flaps mean you can be as whimsical and girly as you like too. Plus they do a small shoulder bag, perfect for nights out.

The nice people in the Tausche shop in Crow's Lane market in Temple Bar are running a competition to design a flap or cover for their bag. The theme is Dublin or Tokyo as they are their two most recent shops. Maybe if they open one in in Limerick we can have a Limerick competition too. The competition is open to everyone but of course please pass it on to any budding artists.

As a prestigious prize the winning design will go into production, and the winner will get his or her very own bag for themselves. Closing date for entries is May 30th so get doodling.

If you fancy yourself as  the next  big designer then download the forms and get out your colouring pencils, or photoshop or whatever you like to get  creative with

This is the entry form, in B/W with the space for your design

Download Deckelwettbewerb_Nr_6engl.pdf

This is any extra info you might need

Download tausche_press_info_Dublin.pdf

May 02, 2008

BBQ time, eating pants on!

Firejpg
It's time for Riverfest again, when the city is full to bursting with outdoor parties, music and of course, the highlight, the International BBQ Competition. Every May Bank Holiday Weekend Limerick embraces the River Fest, an event that attracts people from all over the country to come to the city and experience a carnival of events including Dragon Boating, Music Gigs and, of course, the main attraction the World BBQ Cook-Off, River Feast in association with the Irish BBQ Association, a non-profit organisation. This unique event incorporates teams from every corner of the world. Growing from strength to strength each year this culinary competition has made its mark as being the worlds largest international BBQ cook-off.

I might be judging and they need judges people. So e-mail kennethswitzer@yahoo.co.uk if you're interested, happy foodie lovers need only apply. I got tickets to see the Zutons at Dolan's Marquee on Saturday night and hope to take it the curragh racing on the Shannon too.

Big thanks to Limerick Now Magazine who put on an amazing first birthday party at the Dagdha Dance Group Church last night. It was all red carpet, pink champagne, dancers and acrobats and cocktails. After mingling with the best dressed and funkiest people in town, from fire eaters to film-makers, we were all transported on a coach to the VIP area of Trinity Rooms, don't you just love going in and out past that red rope.....

Photos coming soon

Plus for my first ever wine write up click here and go to page 33 of the digital version

April 24, 2008

The seventeen month itch

Cartoon

I've noticed amongst blogging friends that we are all letting ourselves go a bit, I'll take the slack for this I know! It seems that blogs are a bit like relationships, at first you're so excited about it and post every day, sometimes even twice a day!!! As it becomes more everyday you post less, as you settle into your blogging status. Then, as time goes on you start to resent posting, and end up making up excuses about why you don't post and eventually you hardly post at all.

I put my hands up and admit to being guilty for blog complacency. I mean taking a picture of your dinner???? How mad is that? Actually it's what made me love this whole blogging thing in the first place. We did the whole choccy night and I never blogged, but I've done no new recipes really ,so I'll play catch up. Me and the blog are giving it another go..................like I said, just like relationships

Before I do a lazy post, I'm all excited about going to a Slow Food Supper tonight at Bruschetta bar on Mount Kennet place. There are some fab Italian wines  (my favourites) on the list and a yummy looking menu. Will report back tomorrow. I promise..

April 15, 2008

Who wants this sexy coffee machine??

Coffee_machine_2
I'm trading up. We've all heard of the wonderful tale of Kyle MacDonald who traded up from a red paper clip to a home of his own, mortgage free.

So when I was trying to decide what to do with this very sexy coffee machine  here, my son No.2 suggested I do what the guy what the paper clip did, and see what happens. I also would like a home of my own, mortgage free. But I'm happy to see where the coffee machine takes me. So if you want the machine and you have something that I want thats of about the same value, or at least swappable, we can maybe do a swap. I don't want any money for this

Of course I'll blog all activity and trades with photos and stories, if I get some action.....

So here she is, click on the link for some more images. The one I'm trading is slightly different in that it has a brushed stainless steel jug instead of glass, which to be honest, is much better looking.
It's a sexy piece of stuff as kitchen things go but I've only used it once in two years, so I'd rather move it on to a better home. I just prefer my coffee from a cafetiere.

This is a standard filter machine, but designed by some guy called Jasper Morrisson. It's made from a super smooth resin and is really, really sleek. It retails at around £150 sterlingish. I don't have the box anymore as I was sure I'd keep it forever.
I'm trading this for fun, to see where it will go
So people, and coffee lovers
What am I bid?

April 08, 2008

Mole recipes please

Topleft_logo_2

I was on air last Friday talking about men in the kitchen. A minefield you understand and so not my idea of a safe conversation. The interview is here. Have a listen please, all custard pies via twitter please. Some of the things I didn't say but I would have liked to are:
Men should be allowed in the kitchen only if they are
Buff
Semi naked
Great cooks
Great at cleaning up
Great company
Etc etc etc

Anyway we had a bit of a bloggers night out on Friday in Limerick to welcome the lovely Debs to our city. Humble housewife she is NOT!!!! We got on like the proverbial burning down house, new best friend here I come. Sadly the restaurant we went to performed dismally and the food was, bleeurrghhh!!! Won't be going back there. More reports from Lette.

Currently I'm researching recipes for Mole Sauces, I'm making one for tomorrow nights Limerick Foodie Society Supper, hosted by Laura. Does anybody have a recipe they can pass on to me please?
The theme is chocolate, the food of the moment, including savoury dishes. This is causing much head scratching amongst participants.....Come on people. If wonky Willy managed to inject a whole pig (what he killed himself) with liquid chocolate and barbeque the whole thing then you people can do more than a choccy mousse. It's time to step up to the culinary plate, so to speak. Nom nom.

April 03, 2008

Turkuaz Kebab - when only a kebab will do

Turknaz

Congratulations to Lette who is the winner of the food festival naming competition with her suggestion Bia Luimni (pronounced Bia Lim nee). This means Food Limerick in Irish/Gaelic. Limerick don't rhyme too good with anything so we are happy with the name as it has a nice ring to it and of course will be subtitled in English for all you non speakers. Well done Lette and you can collect you prize of a voucher for dinner for two plus wine at Moll D'Arby's.

It may seem to normal cosmopolitan dwellers of the world that a kebab shop is nothing to shout about. Having enjoyed the slobby but yummy fruits (or meats) of Abrakebabra, post pub, for many years, we felt quite  well served. Having lived in Hamburg, Germany for years I was spoiled by all the amazing Turkish Kebab shops. They stayed open all night so you could have a night on the tiles followed by a feast at 7am. No dodgy pitas here, just fresh flat bread filled with freshly grilled lamb shish and filled with fresh salads and hummus, yum.

So the great news is that we now have one of these great places in Limerick, woo hoo. Turkuaz Kebab at the Milk market is not just a fast food joint, and a cute website. They do chips and doner sure. All their flat bread is made on site and freshly cooked in their huge oven. The menu goes from doner to lamb shish, Adana Kebab - minced beef with chilli peppers on a skewer, kofte, veggie shish, Pide - little open meat filled pies and all these meaty goodies are cooked to order. My friend wanted his chicken burnt (odd but what the hey) and they did it for him, no questions asked. Their hummus is silky smooth with a deep flavour of olive oil and it seems they make it themselves. Nom nom.

So people, for no fuss, yummy yummy fresh spicy meaty grub, go here. Oh yes they do pizza too but I didn't try it yet.

March 24, 2008

There were no survivors

Chicken_head

Well, both Paddy's Day and Easter went by without a blog post from Val's Kitchen, Tsk tsk, bad blogger me. Thanks to everyone who sent in their ideas for a name for the food festival, I'll announce the winner once it's decided by the powers that be.
This year the Easter Bunny gave me the flu so I've been in the bed since yesterday and missed the turkey at the folks house, though I do have enough taste buds left to enjoy my amazing Easter egg from Skelligs chocolate. I got a milk chocolate fella thats filled solid with a strawberry and champagne ganache, yum. Though I did have to chisel it open. I used to dream of solid eggs like this when i was a kid, mostly of the Cadbury's Creme Egg variety. I'd lie in bed fantasizing about a huge creme egg that I'd need a spoon to insides of. I'm a good foodie citizen this year and I bought all my easter goodies from Irish choclatiers, there are so many good ones now creating really high-end goodies. Lorge in Kenmare make the most amazingly artistic creations with patterns and swirls and even golden eggs. I got an old-style chicken in a basket, with praline filled eggs, and the basket was made of chocolate too. That's the remains of the poor chook in the poor quality photo. The kids got their eggs from Wilde's, who were snowed under with queues at the Milk Market last Saturday.

So, all that aside. No few days of and long weekend would be complete for me without a trip out to Caroline to get some pork goodies and to see how the pigs were doing. The tamworth sow had just had a litter of seven piggies and they were so cute all climbing all over each other and squeeling every time their mother grunted. You'd squeal too if your Mum was 100 times your size. On this visit I loaded up on bacon ribs, which I boiled and had with cabbage and spuds and a pound of kerrygold, what a simple and amazing dinner. Caroline now sells her sausage meat in packs, not made into sausages so I got some and decided to make my all time favourite snack, sausage rolls. I used to make these with my Mum, years ago, and having never made them myself before, I was amazed at just how ingrained something can be in your brain when you haven't even done it for years.

The small fella, Saoirse, helped with these and was very proud of the production line he made. Though he wouldn't eat the at the end. As timing would have it my Mum called in as they were just coming out of the oven and we managed to get through all 24 of them between four of us, nom nom. This is a fun thing to do and very easy, it's tricky to put down in words so I hope you get it 

Sausage rolls
You will need
1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry, from freezer section in supermarket or fresh from a posh baker
500g good quality sausage meat
1 egg, beaten
Flour for rolling the pastry

Preheat the oven to 180degreesC

  1. On a large table, sprinkle over some flour and unroll your de-frosted pastry
  2. Roll it out until it is about half a metre square
  3. Get some sausage meat in your hand and make it into a sausage shape, you want this to go the whole length of the pastry so it's ok to add on bits as you go. Start at the top of the pastry.
  4. Place this on top of the pastry, about 3cm in from the edgeSausage_rolls_3
  5. With a pastry brush or your fingers brush some egg along the length of the pastry facing you.
  6. Cut along this edge and fold the other side over, rolling it gently as you go
  7. Cut this piece into four or six or any number depending on the size you want
  8. Make three little slits in each roll and brush with more egg and lay on a baking tray with enough room for them to expandSausage_rolls_2_2
  9. Repeat this process until all your sausage and pastry are used up
  10. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and eat warm with cups of tea or a glass of red wineSausage_rolls_done_2

March 13, 2008

Thinking caps on

Cafe_noir
It's competition time at Val's Kitchen, I know, how weird is that.

I need your help to come up with a name for a food festival that I am working on with someone. It's going to be on in Limerick, focusing on restaurants and producers here and probably as far as the Shannon region. So really that's the brief so far.

If anybody comes up with a usable name they get dinner for two plus wine in Moll D'Arby's in Limerick. Yeah it's an unusual way to get someone else to do the work, but hey, nobody's forcing you ! Ideas on a blog comment to moi please.

P.S this prize probably has most appeal to Limerick residents, me thinks.

On another note there's a new cafe in town, and it's nice, woo hoo. Cafe Noir, all painted black and French Stylee, is closse to the Milk Market and opened for business just three days ago. Rumour has it that the pastry chef from above mentioned Moll Darby's is responsible for their small but excellent range of fresh bread, baked on the premises. Thanks God I hear the foodies of Limerick say, bread that isn't shipped in from the States and finished off in a supermarket oven. You can buy bread by the loaf to take home or have it used to make whatever sandwich you fancy. They also have a yummy looking range of tiny tarts and choux buns shaped like swans, eek. I'd sell my soul for a sausage roll and the ones here are the best ever, made by James McGeough in Galway. Salads are made to order and are really fresh and you don't feel like a whale after eating them, not covered in greasy, cheesy dressing.

As the name would suggest, the decor is all Frenchy  with Frenchy music playing. The back yard is really cute and surrounded on all sides by the St. Michael's church and the old print works on either side. Given it's close proximity to the market I expect this place will be hopping on Saturday's. Given that it's just three days old they are already doing great business.  Yay and  keep it coming.

P.S for a better late than never report on the blog awards click here and open the digital version on the right of the page. I'm on page 25, so is Lorraine, ahem.

March 10, 2008

Happy Mondays

Choccys_1

Has anybody been following the fab Willy's Wonky Chocolate factory on C4? The show follows the fabulously eccentric and oh so British Willy and his wife tanya and their sprogs as they follow Dad's dream to become a chocconaire. Of course they have run out of money, of course they are painfully good-looking and call each other "dahling" all the time, a la Ab fab. Great to see that Willy grew up in Ireland and describes his abundant childhood on the family's small hold farm here. I take it they will make it, chocolate it seems, has officially replaced sex in the "naughty" rankings of the western world. Does that mean that we all go out on Saturday nights and, at 2am walk up to the first sweet shop we see and try to score?

Lucky me got to spend my Monday morning in an altogether more down-to-earth but no less important chocolate factory in Co.Clare. Trish and hubby Con Farrell started their chocolate factory ten years ago in answer to a shared dream to be self employed and for Trish to fulfill her childhood wish of having a chocolate shop. They are the only place of it's kind in the country to have both organic and fair trade certification and now sell in over 60 outlets countrywide. But this isn't chocolate just for kids, though they do make excellent dreamy milk chocolate and easter goodies.

For the grown up in you (?) Wildes have come up with well, wild flavour combinations like 70% cocoa bars with chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon, milk chocolate with latte and mocha and dark chocolate with orange and almonds. The bars are adult and the flavours are dark and rich.  Trish promised me that after a few squares of dark and chilli I would be fit to climb a mountain. I didn't believe her until the drive home when I got so frustrated by the slow-coach truck-driver in the rain and the not funky enough music on the radio.Still hyper, it works!!!

Wildes Irish Handmade Chocolates, Co.Clare (061) 922080

P.S the choccy is also for sale every Saturday at the Milk Market