FFF (Friday's Fun Food)

I spend an inordinate amount of time online mooching around food sites, usually when I should be doing something more productive. Here is the highlights of this week's wasted hours:

This week I laughed and laughed  then pondered the representation of women in advertising after finding  http://thehairpin.com/2011/11/women-struggling-to-drink-water

I can't stop humming this; Mario Batali's spaghetti recipe sung to a very jaunty  tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVqn6sUEn_0&feature=player_embedded. I will also be making said dish soon as I have learnt it off by heart.

He of the fabulous hair,  Jon Bon Jovi, is one of my new food heroes after reading about his community restaurant where you only pay if you can! The menu looks yummy too.
 http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/

When I am not reading cookbooks I love to damage my psyche with a really good bit of maudlin writing so I was more than a little disturbed to find out that the infestive Miss Emily Dickinson could not have been that austere as she enjoyed dipping her home made coconut cake in a drop of sherry. You can find Emily's recipe here http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/emily-dickinson-sweet-genius/
I will post my attempt at her cake asap.

Finally I felt stirrings of  my Scottish roots when I found these fab fried foods. I think they even beat a deep fried mars bar. http://ecosalon.com/7-weird-fried-foods-256/

Black Olive, Potato and Mint Bake

 I've had one of those days where everything has taken about double, no triple the amount of time to do that I had anticipated and so I am awake at 2am, again!

But my increasing inability to perform even the simplest of tasks led to me throwing together this really easy, fab potato bake. 'Cause sometimes potatoes are the best comfort around especially when a stupid boy/man has not called.

Recipe-
A bit of feta thrown in would make this a great lunch dish.


Now I think of it there may be a correlation between my unproductive day and the amount of time I have spent pondering men and telephones but best not to dwell there.

Not a good start!

Well, I guess that a bit more blogging discipline is needed, so dusting off my keyboard and starting again.

MasterChef Ireland Final Night Party

MasterChef finished airing here in Ireland last week and we had a wee party to celebrate. I can't remember much after this point but even the next day's hangover was worth meeting up with all my pals again. The thing I most treasure from Masterchef was meeting 15 other people that are also completely obsessed with food. My fellow contestants inspired, challenged and taught me and I hope that I am going to be able to find that same kind of enthusiasm and support in the foodie blog world.

Dinner- Baked Spiced Chickpeas with Spinach and Tomato topped with yogurt and mint.

Driving home after great day at working at Waterford Harvest Festival.

Dinner- Garden of Ireland organic herb oil and Spelt bread.

Had a brill day including live music, food fair and Threshing demos but exhausted after leaving home at 6.15 am back at 9.30pm. Off to bed as being a film extra in Cobh tomorrow. 

 Night night, ClareAnne xxxx

Middleton Food & Drink Fair

 Slept in for Midleton Market this morning after staying up a with a couple of glasses of wine for company last night. Weather turned out not to be quiet as hellish as anticipated and I returned home with a good haul of booty from lovely stallholders so all in all a good day.

My haul included a squashed Ardsallagh soft cheese, blueberries, bashed strawberries and some organic oats.  

On my rather rainy walk home from the train I nicked some lavender from a neighbour's garden, found a lime at the back of the fridge and started on my shortcake.

Lime, Lavender and Caramelised Oat Shortbread filled with sweetened Ardsallagh soft cheese, blueberries and strawberry and lime puree.

Off to Waterford Food Fair in the morn at 7am so really best get to bed.

Night night,  ClareAnne xxx

Why this Culinary Indulgence?

I have this week exposed myself (well my cooking, strange accent and overly expressive face) to ridicule and scrutiny on national TV. I am one of the final 16 contestants on MasterChef Ireland and honestly applying for this was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.

After a year of lost boyfriends, jobs and flatmates I was feeling more that a bit despondent but the absolute terror of being judged by Nick and Dylan (or Nilan/Dyck in modern parlance) made me realise that my life wasn't that bad, after-all. Actually this competition brought back my joy in cooking and the adventurous culinary spirit that I had lost.

So, I am hoping that in writing this blog I will keep hold the elation I found this summer while participating in the show.