Award-winning blog of Irish food writer and broadcaster Caroline Hennessy.
Although already the author of two well-received memoirs – Kitchen Confidential and A Cook’s Tour – as well as a couple of not so popular detective novels, it has taken American chef Anthony Bourdain a little while to embark on his own cookbook and he throws himself into the undertaking with commendable vigour.
In the wake of leaving New Zealand and my living-out-of-a-bag-ness in Ireland during November and December, it’s only now that I’ve gotten round to checking out Chris Bell’s Five minutes with Peter Gordon at NZBC. That’s the New Zealand Blogging Corporation, rather than the New Zealand Black Caps, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation or even the New Zealand Building Code. After I blogged about Peter Gordon’s sublime Tomato and Chilli Jam, Chris contacted to tell me with this link to his Gordon interview.
Derry woman and Sunday Telegraph food writer Diana Henry has again come up trumps with her latest book, Roast Figs, Sugar Snow. Her first cookbook, Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons, focused on the tastes and enchantments of the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa. With praise from Claudia Roden and its appearance twice on the Glenfiddich award shortlist, it became an instant classic.
For anybody with more than a passing interest in food and/or blogs, check out the 2005 Food Blog Awards at the Accidental Hedonist‘s own blog. As Kate points out, the list of nominees is one of the best ways of discovering blogs that you might not have come across otherwise, such as the five-times nominated The Travellers Lunchbox and Gluten-free Girl. There’s also tried-and-true names such as the inimitable Chocolate & Zucchini, 101 Cookbooks and the new, improved Too Many Chefs. Voting is open now and continues until 18 January so, if you’d like to have your say or even if you’re just interested in discovering new food blogs, click over to Accidental Hedonist.
Before we took off for our year in New Zealand, the Boyfriend was really getting involved in bread-making. There was an ongoing, sporadically successful, sourdough project but where he really hit his stride was in making bagels. A birthday present of Bread by Ursula Ferrigno and Eric Treuille (never let it be said that I didn’t encourage him!) inspired him to try their recipe. Do you know how they get the holes into their bagels? You take a small ball of dough, stick your finger through the centre of it and then work your finger in a circle to stretch and widen the hole. It’s rather like doing the hula hoop, but with your finger instead of your waist! We were in fits laughing that first morning that he tried the recipe as our fingers hula hooped their way through eight bagels.
Before we took off for our year in New Zealand, the Boyfriend was really getting involved in bread-making. There was an ongoing, sporadically successful, sourdough project but where he really hit his stride was in making bagels. A birthday present of Bread by Ursula Ferrigno and Eric Treuille (never let it be said that I didn’t encourage him!) inspired him to try their recipe. Do you know how they get the holes into their bagels? You take a small ball of dough, stick your finger through the centre of it and then work your finger in a circle to stretch and widen the hole. It’s rather like doing the hula hoop, but with your finger instead of your waist! We were in fits laughing that first morning that he tried the recipe as our fingers hula hooped their way through eight bagels.
I was home down the country last weekend and, when I was investigating the fridge, I discovered a chunk of almond paste. It had originally been made by my little (in age, not so in height) sister to cover the Christmas Cake and the leftovers got abandoned in the fridge. I couldn’t pass it by – I must admit I love almond paste. When I was a child, I’d take a piece of Christmas Cake just for the almond icing and try to trade the cake part off against someone else’s icing. Many’s the Christmas Cake, much to my mother’s annoyance, that was denuded of its tasty almond coating ever before the royal icing came near it!
I was home down the country last weekend and, when I was investigating the fridge, I discovered a chunk of almond paste. It had originally been made by my little (in age, not so in height) sister to cover the Christmas Cake and the leftovers got abandoned in the fridge. I couldn’t pass it by – I must admit I love almond paste. When I was a child, I’d take a piece of Christmas Cake just for the almond icing and try to trade the cake part off against someone else’s icing. Many’s the Christmas Cake, much to my mother’s annoyance, that was denuded of its tasty almond coating ever before the royal icing came near it!
