‘Twas the night before holiday and in our mad house the Crev was a-slumbering, no sign of our mouse. The packing was finished, a taxi arranged, all was quite organised, but that would soon change. The quiet was shattered by panic above: ‘The Crev’s being sick!’ cried Papa, ‘the poor love.’ So that’s how our Easter…
Tag: Epicurienne
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Celebrating the Year of the Sheep at HKK, PART II
Jasmine tea smoked poussin Moving on from the previous five courses in our ten course culinary tour of China at HKK, we would now try jasmine tea smoked poussin. The Anhui area, located inland from Shanghai, is known for its tea and wild herbs, both of which were incorporated into this recipe, along with more black truffle, creating a…
Coppinger Row, Dublin
Guinness. Potatoes. Oysters. If asked to name three things that come immediately to mind on thinking of Irish food, those would be the ones popping up in my head. It’s embarrassingly simplistic, when I consider the broader picture – of the various other healthy and delicious edibles produced by The Emerald Isle. Take Dublin’s Coppinger Row, for…
Comfort with the Caldicotts
It’s the Northern Hemisphere winter and we’re fast approaching the year’s shortest day. It’s more often gloomy than bright, the sun sets early and leaves fill the gutters. Setting foot outside a warm home or office becomes a chore, coats and scarves weigh heavy on tired bodies, so when we finally do have some…
Lovin’ Dublin Live 2014
Niall Harbison struts his stuff Niall Harbison is an Irish entrepreneur with the sort of history that someone will probably find to be good film fodder. In spite of being self-admittedly difficult to teach he worked as a chef for a Michelin-starred restaurant before touring the world as private chef to the super-rich, the likes of whom chopper in to Cannes to…
Confit de Canard for Gressingham Duck
I’ve been up to my elbows in duck of late, writing recipes for Gressingham Duck, the big name in store-bought duck in the UK. Apart from breasts and legs, I’ve even barbecued a whole duck, with a little help from Monsieur who is the outdoor chef for our household while I mostly cook within four…
Postcards from Old Palma, Mallorca
I don’t know how I’d never made it to Palma before now. Wonderful tales of Mallorcan life have been reaching my ears for years, many imparted with passion by people who return year after year for just a bit more of what this picturesque Mediterranean isle has to offer. On this, my first visit, three generations…
Total-ly Greek – the Yoghurt Cookbook by TOTAL
TOTAL yoghurt is totally, one hundred per cent Greek. Not Greek-style, but authentically Greek, as in Nana Mouskouri Greek, only a bit older. TOTAL was born of a traditional Greek recipe in 1926. It’s so natural that all it contains is milk, cream and live yoghurt cultures. It’s a household name here in the UK and has…
Suppose for Christmas
I don’t SUPPOSE many of my readers start buying presents for loved ones in October. Then again, you might. Please do correct me if I’m wrong. Anyway, when I visited my local supermarket yesterday there were plenty of chocaholic advent calendars on display, which makes me think that if I start buying the odd present…
Nossy Be, La Baule
Following a rough pregnancy and even rougher ‘special delivery’ of our small person this summer, I seriously doubted I was up for a trip to France. Two months into parenthood, still feeling battered and bloated and somewhat embarrassed to be seen in public, I somehow lost the family holiday debate to the ever-persuasive Monsieur and…
The Octo-Cocktail
I ADORE octopus. All eight legs of it. And the head. Even removing the so-called beak during kitchen prep no longer freaks me out. When I spotted a whole octopus at our local fish stall recently, I had to have it. Home it came, where I cooked it into a red wine and tomato sauce…
Epic Sherry Truffles
Every year, as Christmas approaches, I make a mound of sherry truffles. They’re lovely to have on hand as a sweet treat for the end of a meal – just one or two will satisfy any sugary craving. Sherry truffles also make a special gift for the grown ups on your pressie list – I…
Epicurienne 