Orchestral Times!

The wonderfully talented Josh Ritter played 2 gigs in Dublin before Christmas (Well December 11th and 12th to be exact) and I had fun with my new lens (Sigma lens for Nikon , 70-200mm, 2.8 the whole way through)
However, moments after taking my last photo, the bouncer told me that if I didn't put the camera away, it woudl be taken off me as I didn't have accreditation and only photographers were allowed to bring zoom lenses in! I pointed out to him that this was not written on the ticket, and there were no signs up in the venue. As well as that, three (at least) of his colleagues allowed my onto the balcony, and even moved out of my way so that I could get a shot from side of stage.
Go Figure!
Anyway, here are some of the photos from that night.
I forget to mention, that as well as Josh and band, there was also a 24 piece orchestra. These wonderful musicians added another, luscious and lovely level to his music. It was a very special night. Made all the better by the company. Mr. C, SJ & Mr. T.

I will post them all on my flickr site, www.flickr.com/orlak.

Orls xx

Mini Puddings rock.

I made these litte babies using a christmas pudding that I had no use for. I don't really like it as it can be very strong. Much prefer the christmas cake!

They are a great addition for hampers, and as a littlf gift for friends or family when visiting!

They are really really simple to make, but the green and red "holly" on the top is quite fiddly!

You need :

350g of christmas pudding, 125g dark chocolate, 60ml sherry, 2x 15ml tablespoons of golden syrup

For the topping: 100g white chocolate, 6 red cherries, 6 lengths of angelica.

Line a baking sheet with silpat or baking parchment.

Melt the dark chocolate in a glass bowl over the pot of simmering water.

Crumble the pudding into another bowl and add the sherry and golden syrup. Mix well until encorporated.

If you don't like sherry, just leave it out. It can end up really strong as there is a lot of drink in the pudding itself.

Once melted, add the chocolate to the pudding mixture and mix well until combined.

Allow to cool for about 10 mins. Put on a pair of latex gloves (available in most pharmacies) and pinch out a small amount of the mixure into your hand and roll into a smal ball. Place on the baking tray and repeat until all the mixture is used. Don't make the truffles too big as they ar very very rich!!!

Cover with cling film and place in the fridge untill set.

To top, melt the white chocolate in the same way you melted the dark chocolate earlier.

Allow to cool slightly and then pour a small amount over each truffle. Using the cut up cherries and angelica, place on the top of the truffle before the chocolate sets.

Store in a cool dark place, in an airtight box before gifting to friends and family, or enjoying with anice coffee after dinner!

These will keep for about 2 weeks, but I can assure you that they will not last this long!!!

While the white topping on them makes them resemble christmas puddings, you could coat them totally in white chocolate or just leave them un coated and use all year round! Perfect for getting rid of the pudding leftovers and a cheap way to make little gifts! It is all about the recession people!!!

Orls

xx

MMMMM Fruity!!!

Mr C. and I have sat in for the last three years on New Years eve as neither of us particularly relish the thought of being all squished into a pub with hundreds of strangers and, more that likely, paying for the privilege.
So this year, we had a lovely lunch in Cafe Bar Deli, on Georges Street in Dublin with two friends of ours, one of whom is home from Wales for the hols. She took the very brave move to go back to college there last September as a mature student and to say I have buckets of admiration for the girl is an understatement!!!
After a lovely lunch, we headed to Grogans for a quick pint and then home to get ready for our guests. The two boyos that play in Mr C's band and their, very often better halves, were coming round for dinner and some champers as the clock struck midnight.
For the dinner part, I had the tagine all under control but I was little stuck for dessert. I usually do something like Baked Alaska, or a stack of shortbread with berries and ice cream but given that I had been rather bold and had a few too many drinks the night before, I really didn't trust my own ability to pull of cold icecream surrounded by hot meringue!!!!

I had picked up a copy of Rachel Allen's new book, Bake, from the book people at work and had a little flick through it and was struck by a flash of inspiration as the page fell open at a baked blueberry cheesecake! Blueberries, check (on special in the supermarket) extra low fat cream cheese, check, butter, digestives, sugar, eggs and vanilla, check!!! Horray!!!! Bake now, leave to cool and serve later! Brilliant!!!

You will need a 24cm/9.5inch spring-form or loose based tin for this!
Preheat your oven to 180 c (350F) and butter the sides and base of your tin.

175g digestive biscuits, crushed or whizzed in a food processor, 75g butter, melted
175g blueberries, plus extra for decorating,
450g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs lightly beaten

Mix the melted butter into the crushed biscuits and press into the bottom of your tin. Place in the fridge while you are making the topping.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together ensuring that it is smooth. Add the eggs and beat until all combined.
Remove the base from the fridge and pour the blueberries onto the base. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the berries and place in the centre of the oven.
Bake for about 40 mins until the centre of the cake is just slightly wobbly when the tin is shaken.
Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 mins before lightly running a knife around the outside of the cake. Remove carefullt from the tin and place on your cake stand or serving plate. Place remaining blueberries on the cake and dust lightly with icing sugar.
This cake is best served at room temperature, with good friends and good conversation!


And I am certain that the blueberries contribute in some way to your five a day fruit and vegetables portions!? No???

Enjoy!
Orls
xx

Then and Now!

So the new year is here, and the world hasn't fallen apart as was predicted by some of the more pessimistic economists. However, I do feel that they are right about something and things are gong to have to change.
All of the papers are all about "then and now". Then being 2008 and now being 2009!!! Anyway, then we (the collective national we that is!) ate out three nights a week in a fabulous and often Michelin Starred restaurant, and now we cook at home on a Monday and live on reheats for the next four days.
Now I dont' know about anyone else but I certainly wasn't eating out three times a week, unless you can call eating in the kitchen at work as "out". Granted Mr.C and I would treat ourselves to dinner somewhere nice once a month, we would still baulk a little if the bill was more than 100euro for the two of us. We would go to somewhere cheap and cheerful like Wagamama about once a fortnight, and that was a real midweek treat.
However, in the last few months we have really come aware of the cost of eating out and we are trying to be good. Me because I am hoping that 2009 will be the year that I can buy a house and Him because he is recording some new tracks and putting all that together is costly!

So with that in mind, I am going to post a few recipes over the next few weeks that are recyclable and can be reheated. Usually, they are better on the 2nd day as all the flavours have a real chance to develop!
The first one is a fab tagine that I have made three times. The first time was when I had purchased a lovely tagine dish for all of 10euro, and I thought, well I better at least try to make something!!!! The second and third time were when I had friends coming over for dinner and wanted something that I could do all the prep for earlier in the day and then just bung it in the oven and put on the table when it was done. The added beauty of this is that it can be adapted to be vegetarian so easily. If I am honest, I prefer it without meat!
Don't be alarmed at the amount of ingredients, it is so simple to make!

You will need:
2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt,
One quarter tsp each of ground tumeric, cayenne pepper, ground cloves
One Half tsp each of ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground ginger
Three quarters tsp of shredded garlic and ground coriander
One Pince of saffron strands, the zest of one lemon and one Tbsp of oil
One pound of lamb in bite sized pieces
One tbsp oil
1 chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbsp grated ginger,
2 tbst tomato paste, 2 carrots in bite sized pieces,
One half cup of dried apricots, dates and figs chopped,
1tbsp fresh coriander and parsley, chopped
1tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Preheat your oven to 150 c.
Directions: Mix the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, garlic, coriander saffron, lemon zest and oil in a ziplock bag and mix well. Add the lamb and mix and squish well and marinate for a min f 4 hours. I usually leave the marinate over night.
The following day, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the lamba nd brown well & set aside. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Add teh garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute. Add the lamb and tomato paste and 1-2 tins of chopped tomatoes and a little stock to cover.Bring to the boil and at this point transfer to your tagine dish.
Place the dish in the middle of your oven and leave for about 2-3 hours until the meat starts to fall apart. Keep an eye on the food and if you feel it is still very wet, take the tagine lid off for a while.
Add your carrots, apricots, dates and figs and a little more stock about 20 mins before the end and cook untilthe carrots are tender.
When ready to serve, garnish with chopped coriander and parsley and some flaked almonds.

Serve with some couscous and naan bread. YUM!!!

To make vegetarian, substitute the lamb with aubergines, which I cube and marinate as the lamb, and plenty of mushrooms, which will also soak up all the flavours!
Enjoy!!!
This dish is perfect for a dinner party or even a cold sunday afternoon after a brisk walk. Enjoy again for lunch on Monday or Dinner on monday evening!!!!It is also very healthy and is pretty cheap per portion! Perfect for anyone watching their pennies!!!!

Orls xx

nervous energy...

I have just finished a baking marathon of lots of Christmas Muffins, Mince Pies, mini mince pies and some christmas pudding truffles that I volunteered to bake for the Alison Curtis Show outside broadcast tonight.
It takes place in Whelans in Dublin in about 2.5 hours and I am only beside myself with the nerves.
I always do this. Volunteer for something and then get sick with nerves in case everyone thinks I am a looper who can't actually bake.

Hopefully, the pretty sugar dusting will make like fairy dust and make it all better!!!!

Will let you know how it goes, and also will post some photos tomorrow. The week seems to be getting away from me this week. We have no TV in the house which I though would be good for getting things done. Only the list of things to do has grown out of control and it is christmas next week!!! EEK!!!

Deep breaths will help surely! I suppose getting dressed before I go out will also help. On that note..... bye now!!

Orls xx

check out the show on http://www.todayfm.com/ and click on the Alison Curtis link. Listen live and see can you hear people eating???

Pies or Muffins?

Or both?
Mince meat is something that I never liked as a child. And I don't mean mince meat as in beef or lamb or anything like that. I mean the mince pies that were always in our house at christmas time and rolled out (along with the shortbread and pudding) when anyone came into the house. "Sure you know you want one with a cup of tea, it is christmas after all"

However, thanks to a lovely lady that I work with I had a million (maybe a slight exaggeration) apples and had to do something with them. So I made a few bits and pieces such as spicy apple cake, and some apple sponge cake (that my granny used to call Rush'n'mush...don't ask)

This year, after the success of the experimental amoutn I made, I decided to produce a mass of Mince meat, for the pies!

I use the Hettie Potter's Suet Free Mincemeat recipe from Nigella's Domestic Goddess book.
I substitute freshly pressed apple juice instead of the dry-cider, and the finished product has a very fresh and crisp sweet taste to it. This makes about 2kg.

250g soft, dark sugar
250ml medium dry-cider
1kg cooking apples, peeled and quartered
half tsp mixed spice
half tsp ground cinnamon
250g currants
250g raising
75g natural coloured glacé cherries, roughly chopped
75g blanched almonds, finely chopped
rind and juice of half a lemon
90ml brandy
4 x 500g preserving or old jam jars, or one 2kg kilner jar.

In a large, heavy based saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider (or apple juice if you wish) overe a gentle heat. Roughly chop the apples and add them to the saucepan.
Then add the other ingredients except the brandy, and simmer for about 30 mins or until everything looks pulpy. This time varies on your cooker and pan!
Take off the heat and when cooled a little stir in the brandy.
Spoon in to sterilized jars*

*to sterilize jars, scrub well in warm soapy water. Rince them well and let them dry off in a cool oven (140c/gas mark 1). Put your product into the jars when they are still warm, so leave them in the oven until you are ready to use!)

This mince meat is really lovely and isn't overpowering at all. I have already got about 20 pies in the freezer and plan to spend the weekend making more!!!!
And I found a scrummy recipe for Mincemeat Muffins, which I will also tackle with vigour. Mr.C, isn't the greatest fan of all things mincemeaty or puddingy but he has told me that he will happily be the tester for anything I want an opinion on... I'm sure!

I will post photos as well as recipes of the new recipes I have and will let you know how they turn out!

Orls
xx
PS Happy Birthday to my other dude Paddy. I was away for his big day last week and I can't believe that he is already 7!!!! Lemony men making their way to you this weekend buddy!!!
:)

The city that never sleeps, but always eats!!!

I have had that song going through my mind for the last week and a bit. Last wednesday Mr. C and I went to the city that never sleeps, New York, New York.

And it was amazing.

After what was a fairly horrid flight and airplane experience, we arrived in the city at about 8pm US time. We settled into the hotel (http://www.marrakechhotelnyc.com/) and went for food.

We settled on a little mexican place called Mama Mexico for two reasons. The first was because it was right beside the hotel. The other was because they had a mariachi band! A real life mariachi band!!!!

I also discovered that their guac was the best I had ever had! And they made it at the table. A little senor, with a huge tray, with lots of avocodos, cilantro, garlic and choppend onions and tomoatoes. All I can say is I would have eaten there every day given the chance.



Thursday started very early as I was on Irish time and was in bits!!!! Then we headed off for a wander and found ourselves at Katz's Deli at around Lunch time. Covenient eh??? This is where that scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. We felt the need to have a Pastrami Sandwich that was about 6 inches thick, which was amazing.http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlak/3101202482/in/photostream/
It was quickly followed by a corned beef sambo! Which was also pretty awesome!



Come dinner time we settled on a fairly small but equally amazing restaurant called Sura Thai Kitchen, which was also by the hotel. Tiny but amazing. And, for the love of god, only $52. Which is about €37.50. For 2 starters, mains and 2 beers!



Anyway, the shining star of the entire trip (apart from spending time with my lovely bloke) was the experience on Saturday night. Mr C and I, and his cousin and wife ate in the amazing Babbo in Greenwich Village. Mario Batali is a genius and if I met him I am not sure that I would shake his hand or kiss him!!!!

Amazing food and wine, the highlight of which was the Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads for my Secondi. I never in my life thought that I would eat sweetbreads but, they are one of the signature dishes.

It took me 2 hours of pressing the redial button on my phone to get a reservation and you can only call a month in advance to the calendar date, but it was so so worth it! (http://www.babbonyc.com/)



Some of the pictures of the trip are at www.flickr.com/orlak Check them out and let me know what you think,



Orls
xxx