About the Blog The Good Mood Food Blog started in 2007 after I moved in to my first apartment. I've always had an interest in photography so when I bought my lovely camera, I thought it was finally time to start documenting some dishes I was cooking and with that the blog was born! Most of the recipes on the blog try to include as many healthy ingredients as possible. I'm a big believer in the power of food and it's affects on our lives. I hope you enjoy the recipes and the bit of banter that goes with them.
About Me Hey I'm Donal I come from Dublin. I grew up in family obsessed with food and drink which made it pretty hard not to have an interest. I love trying out new recipe's, adapting old ones, and tasting new things. I also have a serious addiction to cookbooks! But there's nothing wrong with that, right?
About the Book
I have recently finished writing my first cook book which is due for release Oct 09' with Mercier Press. The book is called "Good Mood Food" and is full of healthy home cooking.
Good Mood Food is a cookbook that aims to change your attitude to food, offering a delicious range of simple, healthy home-cooked recipes. Good Mood Food features mouth-watering recipes like Broad Bean, Pancetta and Pea Shoot Salad, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes, Blueberry and Banana Muffins, and a tasty Aromatic Duck Salad.
"Good Mood Food is a new breed of cookbook that springs from the talent of a passionate home cook. A truly scrumptious read." Ross Golden-Bannon The Sunday Business Post and Food & Wine Magazine.
“At last... Simple, easy recipes that are healthy and interesting. Donal Skehan's book reclaims good food from the convenience of supermarket shelves and puts it back where it belongs - in the domestic kitchen.” Paolo Tullio The Resturant
Buy Book via Mercier Press Buy Book via Easons Buy Book via Amazon Buy Book via Play.com
About the Photos All the photo's featured on the blog are taken with my handy dandy Canon 400D camera which has seen me through the last few years. The food is all home cooked and barely tweaked before being shot.
Press for the blog and book Irish Independent Weekend Magazine "My First"- Richie Taylor Irish Independent "The Guilty Gourmets"- Declan Cashin Irish Tatler "Food For Thought"- Ciara McDonnell
Sunday Independent "Why You Should Know About Donal Skehan"- Julia Molony
2009 has been a fairly spectacular year indeed, between the band, the book, and lots and lots of cooking I have never been so busy in my life, but it has been totally worth it! Here's my run down of 2009 highlights!
- Started the year flying high as Peter Pan in the Tivoli theatre's panto. - Putting together plans for a mixed pop group. - Forming Industry with Lee Hutton, Michele McGrath, and Morgan Deane! Favourite Recipe: Roast Garlic Potatoes
- Going to Stockholm to record Industry's first single, "My Baby's Waiting". - Received first draft of Good Mood Food, the book. - Pancake season! - Went to Stockholm to support my Swedish superstar buddy sing at the Swedish Eurovision selection. - A name was finally chosen for Industry, thankfully 4DB was thrown out the window. - Going to Stockholm again to record very first music video, for "In Your Arms". - Doing first photoshoot as a band- very glamorous. Favourite Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes
- Was busy working on what I thought were the final drafts of the book. - Planned my very first attempt at a vegetable garden. - Planted Dill, Fennel, Pak Choi, Broad Beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Cabbage, Cos Lettuce, Rosemary. - Submitted last photos for the book. - Made first public outing as Industry on the red carpet at the Meteor Irish Music Awards. - Went for a walk on the cliffs every morning this month. - Blog got 10,000 unique visitors in one day, was very excited. Favourite Recipe: Bacon Avocado and Sundried Tomato Sandwich
- Got my very first blog/book press. - Back to Stockholm to record more tracks with Industry. - Flew to Spain to record music video for Industry's "My Baby's Waiting". - Took a little break in Gothenberg with Sofie. - Submitted what I thought was the last draft of the book. - Fell in love with dried Mango... mmmm... mango. Favourite Recipe: Red Onion and Garlic Focaccia
- Got the BBQ out early for Mays mini heat wave. - Back to Stockholm again to record more tracks with Industry. - Shot the final cover for the book with the help of Erica and Sofie. - Performed with Industry at our press launch at The Sugar Club in Dublin. - Industry's single got it's very first airplay on 2fm. - Got a blackberry phone. - Sang Kate Bush wuthering heights in falsetto on radio, not pleasant but very funny. - Discovered Flahavans porridge pots which kept me alive and well on the road. Favourite Recipe: BBQ Cajun Spatchcock Chicken
- Got to finally visit Cork's English Market. - Went to Ireland's Eye with Morgan and Lee for my birthday. - Found a brill table to shoot food on. - My annoying but hilarious fight with the birds and the strawberries. - Lee buying male Ugg boots. - Got introduced to Dave Peelo, the toughest fitness trainer you ever did see. - Industry's first single "My Baby's Waiting" went straight in at number one in the Irish charts. - Performed at the Ms. Universe competition. Favourite Recipe: Warm Chorizo, Red Onion and Baby Potato Salad
- Went to LA with James, Morgan and Sofie. - Got upgraded on the flight over but had to slum it on the way back. - Saw the massive amount of tributes to Michael Jackson at his house and his Hollywood star. - Went surfing with my Uncle Niall on Santa Monica beach. - Did a photo shoot for VIP magazine, blue steel was out in force. - Went to outdoor yoga in Stephens Green in Dublin. - Supported the Pussycat Dolls at the Killarney Summerfest. - Sent off the final final final edits of the book. - Visited the republics very first Ikea store. - Recorded music video for Industry's second single "Burn" at the amazing Grouse Lodge studios. Favourite Recipe: Sticky Mustard Chicken Drumsticks
- Went on a romantic little bank holiday break in a cottage near Carlingford. - Co-hosted the South East Radio breakfast show with the brill Tony Scott and Industry. - Became a regular contributor with Irish Tatler. - Industry's second single "Burn" went to number one. - Supported Tynchi Stryder in Tralee, as you do. - Had a brill getaway anniversary weekend in Castle Leslie, massages all round. Favourite Recipe: Asian Teriyaki Chicken Salad
- Started tweeting 140 character recipes on my twitter. - Appeared on RTE's Ice with Industry. - Performed at the Barretstown Charity Bandana launch. - Went blackberry picking with Maisie the cupcake queen. - Picked up my copy of Good Mood Food! - Recorded 3 new tracks with Industry at the amazing Grouse Lodge recording studios. Favourite Recipe: Oriental Steak Salad
- Picked up my brand new camera, the Canon 5d Mark ii. - Saw the book in shops for the first time, rearranged the shelves. - Appeared on the front page of the Irish Examiner. - Did lots and lots of radio interviews about the book. - Went mushroom hunting with Aoife. - Went back to school to do a cupcake demonstration at my old school. - Interview on Tubridy with Ryan Tubridy about the book. - Got a text from Michele to tell me she nearly fell over when she saw a giant poster of me in the window of Dubray Books on Grafton Street in Dublin! - Did the official launch of the book in Dubray Books on Grafton street in Dublin. - Appeared on RTE's The Cafe with Industry. - Went to Gothenburg and visited a Swedish bakery. - Interview with Ian Dempsey on Today FM. Favourite Recipe: Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes
- Upgraded my old desk, for a new fancy one from IKEA. - Wrote my very first food column for the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine. - Finally made a vision board. - Became obsessed with one of the kitchens in IKEA. - Heard that The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten has a copy of Good Mood Food. - Did a cookery demonstration at an all girls school. - Assistant food stylist on a Christmas food shoot. Favourite Recipe: Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
- All the brill Christmas food press. - Feature in the lovefood magazine with fellow Irish food bloggers, Italian Foodies, Cheap Eats, and Daily Spud. - Visit to a free range turkey farm. - Massive Christmas baking session with Erica and Maisie. - Getting a video of the book launch from Darragh. - Visit to Sheridans cheese, I am now hooked on cheese. - Skiing with Sofie in Gothenburg. - Jul pa Liseberg. - Christmas in Sweden Favourite Recipe: Avocado, Parmesan and Rocket Pasta
Thanks so much to all who read this blog for all the support, comments and emails this year, and I hope I'll be keeping you cooking all through 2010!
Another recipe from that amazing dinnerparty I keep mentioning, this time it's the turn of the amazing cheesecake which Sadhbh's son Jamie prepared. Cheesecake is definitely a winner when it comes to making desserts ahead of time, and even if you don't have a son to make it for you, it's not to tricky to get great results! :)
White Chocolate Cheesecake (Recipe from Bill Granger's "Bills Food")
Serves 8 100g plain digestive biscuits 50g butter, melted 400g of good quality white chocolate 284 ml carton of double cream 250g full-fat soft cheese (such as Moonshine Farm cream cheese) 250g tub of mascarpone cheese
For the sauce 275g blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, plus extra to serve 50g golden caster sugar 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Whizz the biscuits in a processor until they look like breadcrumbs. Pour in the melted butter and whiz again briefly. Line the base of a 20cm springform tin with a disc of baking parchment. Tip the mixture in and press firmly to cover the base in an even layer – use the back of a spoon. Cover and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make the topping. Break the chocolate into small pieces into a heatproof bowl. Put it over a pan of simmering water, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the chocolate has melted. Stir once or twice. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool slightly. Gently beat the cream, cheese and mascarpone in a bowl until well-combined – don’t overbeat it or it will go too stiff. Stir in the melted chocolate until the mix is smooth. Spoon this mixture on to the biscuit base and put the cheesecake back in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. To make the sauce, tip half the blueberries into a blender or food processor, add the sugar and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Press through a sieve into a bowl and set aside until needed. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and cut into slices. Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with the fruit sauce and top with the remaining fresh fruit.
A decision has finally been made! After a hell of a lot options this is the cover Mercier Press decided on. I'm pretty happy with it, and just can not wait to see the finished product after all this time!
Here's a little bit about the book and some of the quotes:
Good Mood Food is a cookbook that aims to change your attitude to food, offering a delicious range of simple, healthy home-cooked recipes. Good Mood Food features mouth-watering recipes like Broad Bean, Pancetta and Pea Shoot Salad, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes, Blueberry and Banana Muffins, and a tasty Aromatic Duck Salad. "Good Mood Food is a new breed of cookbook that springs from the talent of a passionate home cook. A truly scrumptious read." Ross Golden-Bannon The Sunday Business Post and Food & Wine Magazine.
“At last... Simple, easy recipes that are healthy and interesting. Donal Skehan's book reclaims good food from the convenience of supermarket shelves and puts it back where it belongs - in the domestic kitchen.” Paolo Tullio The Resturant A sneaky peak from one of the recipes inside the book!
The book will be available from mid-October but can be preordered here: Mercier Press Easons Amazon Play.com Borders
Just to let you know, The Good Mood Food Blog is now on Facebook! Following in the footsteps of my bloggie friend Lorraine and her restaurant/blog facebook page I thought it was high time I added this blog to another social network! If you're on Facebook make sure to add yourself as a fan!
Also I have added two recent press pieces to the "About Me" section, which feature a bit about the book and the blog.
After a fairly busy weekend the majority of my worldly belongings have been moved into our new house! The bad news we got today however is that it's going to take a whopping 25 days to get broadband installed in the house because there hasn't been a line there since 1994. So a life of robbing other peoples internet is what's on the cards for the next 25 days. Which isn't a bad thing really, I mean I would get far more things done if I wasn't drooling over my new favourite food blog What Katie Ate and talking crap on twitter. The truth is that I will probably far more focused now on cooking in the kitchen without my laptop keys getting covered in flour, corners nearly being singed and screen getting a lovely smattering of grease.
We should really talk about the kitchen, it is a bit of a work in progress but there is lots and lots of light and space so in the next few days I'll be adding a few touches to make it perfect and then you most definitely will be due a photo or two. Very exciting stuff! The other advantage this new lovely house has is a big back garden, which at the moment looks like an overgrown jungle, but with a bit of work, by next spring will make the perfect little vegetable garden! Right enough new house talk how about a recipe?
Rustic Apple and Blackberry Galettes These are one of my favorite little autumnal (yes I said autumnal, it rolls off the tongue doesn't it!) desserts, because they are really easy and make you look like a baking genius, when, realistically all you do is make some pastry and fill it with apples and blackberries. No messing around with blind baking, pie tins, or fancy latticing here, this is a no fuss dessert which you have to serve with cream or, even better, a soft scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Serves 4 Pastry: 250g of plain flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 140g of chilled butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg yolk 3 tablespoons of cold water
Filling: 250g of blackberries 250g of cooking apples, peeled and sliced thinly 4 tablespoons of light brown sugar A good squeeze of lemon juice 1 egg whisked together with a drop of milk to brush on the galettes
Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. This can take time, but don't worry the mixture will come together. Add the egg yolk and water and form the dough using your hands. Press the dough into a sausage shape and cover it in clingfilm, place in the fridge to chill for at least 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas mark 5. Mix together the blackberries, apples, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Split the dough in four and roll each quarter out into 6"/15cm circles on a floured work surface with a rolling pin. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet with a non stick surface. Add a handful of the blackberry apple mix to the centre of each pastry circle and fold the sides of the pastry up and over the sides of the fruit mix. Brush with the pastry with egg wash and place in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving with a dollop of thick, cool whipped cream and dust with a little icing sugar.
Apologies for the delay in this post, I am still try to get over all the excitement. The launch of the cook book took place on Wednesday evening and it really got a great turnout, I was so thrilled! So now it's official the book is finally launched! I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along on the night, it was so lovely to meet regular readers of the blog, and of course all my fellow Twits who attended too!
With the help my lovely aunt, we provided the nibbles, inspired by recipes in the book. We had Lemon and Poppyseed Cupcakes, Swedish Cinnamon Buns, and Roast Vegetables and Feta Crostini!
Niamh Hatton from Mercier Press spoke briefly about the book and the other books they had coming up in the next few months, she was followed by Eoin Purcell who commissioned the book way back at the start of 2008 and spoke about working on the book! Normally I prefer to speak off the cuff at these sort of events but there was so many people I had to thank, that I knew I had to write it all down! Thanks to everyone who turned up, hope you like the pics taken by the lovely Aoife Nathan!
With it's very 1st birthday coming up on the 23rd of July, I thought it was high time I gave "The Good Mood Food Blog" a bit of a fresher look. I've moved it too it's own domain name here at "www.thegoodmoodfoodblog.com" and finally all the links are available and ready to click on- I'd love to hear what you think of the changes, if there is anything you would like to see here or would like to make any suggestions, please email me or comment below.
I also have some pretty big news! Way back in January, I got an email from Eoin Purcell who had read some of my posts, and was interested in discussing the possibility of creating a book based around the blog. I jumped at the idea and Eoin gave me his thoughts about what sort of direction the book should take and now after months of throwing idea's back and forth, I signed contracts with Mercier Press last week!
I've haven't mentioned anything here because I didn't want to jinx it, but I have been busy putting together the bones of the book and have come up with some really tasty, healthy dishes.
With a looming submission date, I've been making lists upon lists, and it's starting to take shape. I'm hoping to preview a few of the recipe's here, and would really appreciate it if you could try them and give me some feedback. I'll let you know- But until then stay tuned!
Since the launch of the book I have been asked to do quite a few kids school demonstrations, and although I was a little apprehensive at first, I have pretty much grown to love them. The amazing thing that I forget about everytime I do a demo, is just how excited they get about food, and not only that, but how much they actually take in, when you speak about food. Today a little guy, around 7 years old, bravely stuck up his hand during the demo, in front of all of his mates and asked me, what was the best healthy substitute for mayonnaise. I was totally taken aback because it just shows that these kids are really thinking about the food that is being cooked! Having grown up learning how to cook from a very early age, I guess I always took that sort of knowledge as granted and to a certain extent it was just a part of normal life for me. After reading recent reports that 1in 5 of Ireland's children are obese, it's quite disturbing to think that these kids with unhealthy diets are growing up without that sort of knowledge. Knowledge which could potentially change their lives and have a dramatic impact on their health both now and in the long run.
From what I can see on the TV and in the press, the problem with kids eating unhealthy diets doesn't lie with the schools, they can only do so much, the problem and the solution lies with the food routines set out by the parents at home. Which is why an emphasis has to be put on teaching those parents who can't cook, the basic meals and cooking habits which will set them up to run a healthy, happy household. I am of course coming to you from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't have kids and I don't mean to get all preachy on you, I know there are time constraints and all sorts of other factors to consider but when you see kids who have such an active interest in food you seriously have to question where the problem actually lies. What do you think?
Food politics aside, I started a brand new weekly food column with Cork based newspaper, The Cork News, a few weeks back and it has been getting a really great response so far! Here is the recipe from today's column!
Garlic and Rosemary Chicken with Roast Cherry Tomato Salad Although I do try to buy as much in season vegetables as possible I just can't resist using cherry tomatoes in this tasty little dish. The good thing about roasting the them is that it brings out the best from even the most tasteless tomatoes. By feeding them with a little sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar you are guaranteed little morsels packed with punchy flavour. It's dishes like this which are really simple and full of flavour that make mealtimes far more enjoyable and take the hassle out of cooking for groups. Feel free to adapt the recipe as you wish, try using different herbs, different salad leaves, just use what you have.
Serves 4 4 chicken breasts 6 cloves of garlic 2-3 sprigs of rosemary 4 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of ground black pepper A good pinch of sea salt
For the salad: 4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar A good pinch of ground black pepper A good pinch of sea salt 1 large punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 120g of rocket leaves 1 small red onion, finaly sliced Shavings of parmesan cheese to serve
In a bowl whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the salad. Add the tomatoes to a large roasting tray cut side up, pour half the dressing over and toss to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Place in an oven at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced in size. While the tomatoes are roasting in the oven, in a pestle and mortar or with the back of a knife, crush the garlic cloves with a little sea salt, until you have a fine paste. Remove the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary, and add them with the mushed garlic, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and chicken breasts to a bowl and allow to marinade while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. On a large hot griddle pan, fry the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes either side, depending on the size, but just make sure they are cooked through. In a large bowl, toss together the rocket, roasted cherry tomatoes, red onion and remaining dressing. Serve alongside the chicken with some shavings of parmesan cheese.
On Wednesday, I was out in Blanchardstown IT to launch a new campaign to get students eating healthy, the lovely girls in the pic were students at the college and we had lots of fun, though one of them got an oily courgette dropped on her lovely new UGG boots.... I think she might hate me! The launch went great and in a few week colleges and schools around the country will be serving up some Good Mood Food! You can have a read of the press release below...
NEW CAMPAIGN TO PUT IRISH STUDENTS IN A GOOD MOOD WITH FOOD Exciting new culinary campaign to boost mood, memory and concentration of students
Well-known food blogger and ‘Ireland’s answer to Jamie Oliver’, 23-year old Donal Skehan, has joined forces with the world’s biggest foodservice business, Unilever Food Solutions, to bring what he describes as “the power of good mood food” to students in secondary schools and IT colleges across Ireland.
Renowned for his love of good, simple, healthy, homecooked foods, Donal and Unilever Food Solutions are on a mission to show students and school chefs just how easy it is to make food that will lift spirits, naturally boost performance and generally put students in an all-round ‘good mood’, even in times of stress – perfect timing as Irish students face into their mid-term exams this month.
Donal has worked with Unilever Food Solutions’ culinary team to create five delicious and nutritious recipes that use a mix of readily-available ingredients that will appeal to even the fussiest of student palettes! The recipes range from fiery salsa chicken to vegetarian frittatas, which are packed with flavour and mood-enhancing goodness.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign in IT Blanchardstown, Aoife McGuigan, Channel Marketing Manager of Unilever Food Solutions said, “Good Mood Foods are foods and meals that have a positive impact on those eating them. They can be dishes that help you concentrate, an energy boost before a game, stimulation for the brain or just a dish made to share and lift the mood of all. We’re excited to have Donal on board – he’s a big believer in the power of food and how it effects our lives and is the perfect advocate for the campaign, appealing to all audiences in this exciting schools activation.”
The Good Mood Food campaign is open to all secondary schools and IT colleges in Ireland. To participate, teachers and school chefs can simply request an information pack and recipes when they place their order with their local Unilever sales representative. The information pack contains all the recipes along with colourful materials to promote the campaign in the school’s canteen including posters and Good Mood Food recipe cards that students can take home to try out for themselves.
All schools and IT colleges that participate will be entered into a competition to win a Good Mood Food masterclass with Donal where students and chefs can cook with the talented young chef and learn more about the foods that can help boost mood, memory and concentration powers.
The Unilever Food Solutions Good Mood Food campaign will commence in February, with the Good Mood Food masterclass held in April 2010.
As I think I mentioned before I am a HUGE fan of Asian cuisine, so I thought I would write a post about the essential ingredients for your very own Asian pantry.
I have been having a terrible time recently when it comes to cooking Asian inspired dishes because my girlfriend is extremely allergic to soya and nuts. Soya is a staple part of Asian cuisine and in many recipe's hard to avoid. However not one to be beaten I have been adapting some of my favourite dishes without the addition of soya, so I will include some of these here in the future with soya as an option.
On to the reason were here, in the ever shrinking world getting your hands on international ingredients has become ever so easy! I would normally have said just pop down to your local Chinese supermarket as this is what I would do in Dublin, but I was living in the north of Ireland for a couple of months recently and asked where the nearest Chinese supermarket was and the answer to which was laughter. There is a great little shop in Dublin that I visit regularly to stock up and it's nuzzled in the back of a building of Georges St. So if you ever get a chance to visit, do!
You can purchase lots of these ingredients in supermarket's now but I like the having the options of more than one brand to choose from.
Soy Sauce- A fermented sauce made from soy bean, roasted grain, water, and salt. I was a bit of an addict before my recent situation arose, as it really adds a salty sweet taste to dishes.
Chilli Flakes- Made from crushing dried chilli peppers, give a nice spice when added to dishes.
Rice Wine Vinegar- A much milder vinegar than the western variety, can be used in most dishes and sauces.
Fish Sauce- A sauce brownish in colour and salty in taste. Is often substituted for salt in dishes. It is more common in Thai cooking but I use it all the time.
Sesame Oil- Used mainly as a flavour rather than a regular cooking oil as it burns very quickly- has a very distinct nutty flavour.
Ginger- An aromatic root of the ginger plant, has a strong fresh flavour. Can be used in stir Fry's soups and marinades.
Oyster Sauce- It's name alone tends to put people off, but this sauce doesn't have a strong fishy taste due to the fact the oysters are boiled. It's a very rich sauce with a strong savoury flavour.
Lemon Grass- Another strong aromatic flavour here. This herb gives a distinct lemon smell and taste. It can be used in soups and chopped finely into stir fry's.
Chinese 5 Spice powder- A seasoning which combines sweet sour bitter savoury and salty all in one. It consists of cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cassia, and cloves.
Noodles- I always aim to keep a wide selection of noodles in my press, these include different varieties of Egg noodles, Rice noodles and Wheat Noodles. My best advice on this one is to experiment, it's the only way of finding your own taste.
Big Congrats to Mary Donnelly who won the signed copy of Good Mood Food! The competition had a huge 264 entries so thanks a million if you entered. Due to the success of this competition I may just have to put another one up for grabs next month, so if you weren't successful make sure to check back to try again!
If you just can't wait to get your hands on a copy, the book is in all good Irish bookshops and for international readers you can purchase online via Mercier Press, Amazon UK, Amazon US, and Play.com Europe.
Blackberry picking always reminds me of my childhood. Quiet late summer evenings were spent grazing the edges of golden fields, slowly wandering down the sides of little lane ways in search of overgrown brambles full and heavy with blackberries ripe for the picking. Time was spent in comfortable silences with my mom, as we focused on finding the biggest, plumpest fruits on offer, quickly passing over the bushes which had already been scoured by fellow, free, berry hunters. With a warm smile she would bend down the brambles of the higher bushes, so I could reach them and squeeze the little black pearls off into my red bucket, being extraordinarily careful so not to get pricked by the giant thorns.
By the end of a long evening out in the open, with pink stained fingers, we would bring the buckets, heavy with our bounty, back through the dusk light to the kitchen. I would be occupied with stirring the pot, standing on a stool, while she got on with making fresh scones. All the while the comforting smells of hot blackberries wafted around the room. Cold butter melting rapidly on a freshly baked warm scone, served with a little runny blackberry jam was always the best way to end those evenings.
Homemade Blackberry and Apple Tart
(Adapted from FoodandWine.com) I absolutely love the look of this pie, it is the epitome of everything home baking should be- local ingredients, homemade pastry and little bit of love and care thrown in for good measure! If you can't get your hands on cooking apples, pears also work nicely in this tart.
Serves 6-8 Pastry: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar Pinch of salt 170g cold butter, cut into cubes 2 large egg yolks mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Filling: 750g blackberries 750g cooking apples, peeled cored and sliced into small chunks 100g cup granulated sugar 35g flour 1 large egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon water A little extra sprinkle of sugar on top
In a mixing bowl, using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. It takes a few minutes but it will eventually come together. Add the egg yolk mixture and combine until you get large clumps. Turn the pastry out onto a work surface and form it into a disc. Wrap the pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Make sure to take the pastry out and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry to an 11 1/2-inch round. Gently lift the pastry with a tray or the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch tart pan 1 inch deep. Press into the pan, folding in the overhanging dough to reinforce the sides. Trim the overhang and knead the scraps into the remaining dough. Dust the work surface with flour again and roll out the remaining pastry to a 9 1/2-inch round. Using a pastry wheel, cut the round into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, toss the blackberries, apples, sugar and flour; spoon into the tart shell. Scatter the butter on top. Arrange the strips over the berries in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends onto the pastry rim. (Just think over under and start from one corner of the pie) Trim any excess pastry. Brush the lattice with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
Bake the tart for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the pastry is golden and the juices are bubbling. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
One of my favourite food related movies has to be "Waitress" it's full of beautiful imagery and has a cute little story to match! The story is based around Jenna who is a waitress, trapped in an unhappy marriage, her one escape is creating and baking the most amazing, inventive pies you could imagine. If you haven't seen this great movie make sure to go out and rent it, it's not deeply intellectual but it's a warm, clever and cute one which serves a purpose, here's the trailer:
I was searching on the internet a few weeks ago for some of the fantastic recipes from the movie and it turns out when the movie was first released, promo cards were printed with 5 of the pie recipes! I stuck the link up on my twitter and it got a great reaction with lots of retweets, so much so it inspired a group of us on there to start our very own blog event! So I would like to proudly introduce to the first monthly:
We had originally planned to just bake the pies from the movie, but as time went on we thought it would be great to try and start something that others could join in too. So I hope you enjoy this post, and stick a comment below and let me know if you would be interested in joining us next month for the great big pie bake off!
Check out the other bloggers and their pies from the movie: Lori: Recipegirl - I Can't Have No Affair Because It's Wrong & I Don't Want Earl To Kill Me Pie Sandie: Inn Cuisine - I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie Tiffany: The Nesting Project - Falling In Love Pie Patsy: Family, Food Friends- Baby Screamin’ Its Head Off In The Middle Of The Night; Ruinin’ My Life Pie
Marshmallow Mermaid Pie
This is definitely a once a year pie, it is most likely one of the most unhealthy desserts I have ever cooked in my life! Saying all that, it is delicious and extremely therapeautic to make. This is the orignal recipe but I used digestive biscuits in the place of graham crackers and toasted dessicated coconut on a baking tray in the oven.
Serves 8 9 graham crackers 1/2 Cup sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted 5 tablespoons. butter or margarine, melted 34 marshmallows (8 oz.) 1/2 cup whole milk 1 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack. Heat marshmallows and milk in 3-qt. saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes.) In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight. Top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles.
On Tuesday I traveled down to Cork for the first time ever to meet with the guys in Mercier press to discuss the release of the cookbook and the interior design. When I arrived they had a full mock up of the book to leaf through and I'm really thrilled with the look were going for. There's lots of bits to add here and there but it's much easier to work on it when you can see something that resembles the finished product.
I'm finally getting settled back into a some sort of normal routine after a fairly exciting but disruptive Christmas period, which means I'm getting to do a lot more cooking and photo's! I cooked two pasta dishes with goats cheese yesterday, one with sundried tomatoes and basil and this one here with garlic and mushrooms.
I'm a huge fan of goats cheese not only because of its distict flavour but there is recent research that suggests goats milk and cheese can be digested by the human body far easier than cow's. As it contains a similar calcium and nutrient content as cow's milk, it's has become common knowledge that people who suffer from a lactose intolerance can often use goat's milk and cheese as a dairy alternative.
Garlic Mushroom and Goats Cheese Pasta
Garlic and mushroom is a classic combination and works super in this tasty pasta dish. Crumbling the goats cheese over the hot pasta creates a creamy coating and leaves the dish with a distinctive tangy taste. The dish only takes the time to cook the pasta and is perfect to make a little extra and stick in a lunchbox for tomorrow.
250g of wholemeal penne pasta. 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely. 1 onion chopped into thin half moon slices. 150g of mushrooms sliced thinly (Approx. 6 large mushrooms). 75g of goats cheese. A generous pinch of black pepper. A generous pinch of sea salt.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the pasta. While the pasta is cooking prepare the garlic and onion. In a large frying pan heat the oil, add the garlic and onion and fry gently until softened and browned. Then add the mushrooms and cook until soft. The mushrooms will turn from white to a nice creamy brown colour. When the pasta is cooked drain in a colander and put back in the pot. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and add the mushrooms, garlic and onion. Crumble in the goats cheese, add the salt and pepper and stir together until everything is combined evenly. Serve straight away in deep dishes and season with a little extra black pepper.
If you don't know who Ken Hom is, where have you been hiding! When I was growing up he was the king pin when it came to Chinese cooking, he was the guy you turned to when you needed advice on which wok to buy and how to create that very first stir fry. I was introduced to him via his first cookbook "Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery" which one of my aunts had bought back in 1984, being an avid fan of Chinese cookery I tried so many recipes from this book and have been a fan ever since.
Now although, there have been many Chinese chefs since Ken introduced the cuisine to our TV screens, I still think he is the best and he is regularly regarded as the world's leading authority in Chinese cookery. He was in Dublin launching a new range of Chinese ready meals he has developed with Tesco which includes Crispy Aromatic Duck, Spare Ribs, Duck Spring Rolls, Crispy Chilli Beef, and Chicken Chow Mein all quite reasonably priced. Although people can be cynical about chefs selling out and doing these sort of things, Ken had loads to say on the whole process of recipe development and taking what he described as really bad ready meals to ones which had far more authentic flavours and interesting back notes. I was convinced!
During the demonstration, he spoke about the idea of Chinese cooking and how the aim is too build layers of flavours and textures. He really emphasised the importance of cooking with a really hot wok to seal the in the flavours and how it was so important to marinate any meat you cook with, but generally no more than 20 minutes. I loved the fact that throughout the demonstration, Ken tasted absolutely everything he put in to the wok before it went in, and was really particular in the amounts he used. He also introduced us to a brand new ingredient he had started using called Chee Hou sauce which is made from fermented soy beans with garlic and has a sweet and salt taste, I will be keeping an eye out for it. If you've tried it let me know!
Beef and Black Bean Stir Fry This is the recipe we were given along with the press release and Ken actually demonstrated the dish for us. I can tell you it is absolutely delicious and you should definitely give it a go. It follows through from what he mentioned about using different ingredients to build layers of flavours and many different notes.
Serves 2 200g of beef, sliced in strips 25ml of rapeseed oil 2 teaspoons of ginger, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped Zest of one orange 1 teaspoon of birds eye chillies, chopped 25g of black beans 75g of spring onions, chopped in 1 inch shanks 50g diced onion 75g diced red peppers 75g diced green peppers 45ml oyster sauce 40g of Chee Hou sauce 2 teaspoons of sugar 200ml water 20ml sesame oil 1 teaspoon of cornflour
Heat the wok over a high heat and add oil to coat. Quickly stir fry the meat and when it is cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the wok and add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry over a high heat until it becomes golden and toasted. Add the orange zest and fry until it releases fragrant citrus notes. Then fry the chilli, black beans and chopped onions for 20 seconds. Add the spring onions and peppers and fry lightly until tender. Add the the Chee Hou sauce, oyster sauce, water and sugar and stir through. Then add the meat and toss until it is coated with all the sauce and vegetables. Finish with the sesame oil and thicken with the cornflour. Serve with noodles or rice.
The Good Mood Food Blog got a great mention in Irish Tatler! I'm pretty excited about this because it is the blog's first glossy magazine mention! Not only that, I'm interviewed alongside food blog royalty, "The Pioneer Woman" and "Cannelle et Vanille", plus the book gets a great plug! The article written by the Ciara McDonnell, talks about the rise of food blogs and the many different routes and causes each one takes. She also goes on to talk about the increased impact blogging has on modern journalism. It's a great read and features in the July edition of Irish Tatler which is out now! If you want to read the whole article, click on the picture above and I have added it to the press in the about me section.
Life is constantly full of surprises, there are some things I plan for and then there are some things that sneak up and just smack you around the chops! I was lucky enough to be shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards last month for my book Good Mood Food, but to be perfectly honest never really expected to win, it was an extremely tight category with some amazing competition. Not being a regular at black tie events I borrowed a tuxedo from my pal Simon, which just about fit, bar some tightening with a belt and dragged myself into the mansion house in Dublin for the awards. It wasn't until the first award winner Donal Og Cusack stepped up to deliver his speech, that the panic set in that on the off chance of winning, I had absolutely NOTHING prepared! Not the way I usually roll! So Best Irish Published category came up and guess what I WON! Honest complete utter shock took over and I really can't remember what I mumbled on stage but I was just so thrilled. It's a fantastic tip of the hat towards young and upcoming writers and huge win for myself, Mercier Press and of course everyone who was involved in producing the book. While celebrations ran into the earlier hours, I managed a couple of hours sleep before getting up to prep my demonstration at the Food&Wine Show in the RDS. It was a fairly packed weekend with the Taste Of Christmas also taking place at the new convention centre in Dublin. For my Food&Wine demo I ran through a collection of traditional Swedish Christmas dishes, after working at a Julbord (the traditional Swedish Christmas buffet) in Gothenberg, I had a great selection of interesting dishes to show off. Along with the Julgrot and Gravadlax I demoed the big hit of the day was the Jansson's Temptation a delicious creamy potato dish which is served alongside the Christmas Ham. It makes an interesting addition to our Irish Christmas dinner and I definitely suggest you give it a go! :) I am getting around to a full thank you video for the book award but I'll keep you posted on that!
Janssons Temptation Not unlike a French Potato Dauphinoise this Swedish take features anchovies and is a regular at the Swedish Christmas table. If you don't fancy the anchovies you could of course add some finely chopped garlic instead.
Serves 8 14-16 Swedish anchovy fillets and the brine they're stored in 2 large onions, sliced in half moons 5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into matchsticks 200ml of cream 2 tablespoons of butter A small handful of fine breadcrumbs Sea salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 225oC. Put half the potatoes into a large rectangular pyrex dish. Evenly distribute the anchovy fillets and onions over the top of the potatoes and top with the remaining potatoes. Pour half the cream and anchovy brine over the top and then add the butter in knobs over the top. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place in the oven until the potatoes are golden and after 20 minutes remove from the oven and top with the breadcrumbs and remaining cream and brine. Place back in the oven and cook for a further 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
As I might have mentioned on the blog before I absolutely LOVE Donna Hay, her stylish magazines and her beautiful books. I found this recipe in a Christmas edition of Donna Hay's magazines last year and have had a craving to make them ever since. Sofie spotted them the other day when we were looking through a pile of Christmas foodie mags and insisted we make them as soon as possible. We headed over to Sofie's grandparents house on Sunday where we had to compete for space to bake our cookies as her aunt, cousins, and granny were all busy working on gingerbread muffins and gingerbread cookies!
We managed to squeeze ourselves in amongst everyone else and started on our cookies! They really look super festive, but they work just as well as really indulgent double chocolate cookies without the candy cane chunks. I have a strange fondness for chopping chocolate so I took that job while Sofie got to work measuring everything on her granny's brilliant retro weighing scales! I'm pretty proud of our results so you gotta give them a go!
Donna Hay's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Personally I think these cookies taste even better a day or two after you make them. The intense dark chocolate flavour mellows out a bit and makes a really moist cookie. You can also make these without the candy cane chunks which aren't essential. Chopping the candy canes is fairly easy though so don't worry, just use a sharp knife.
Makes about 12-15 cookies 110g butter, softened and chopped 1 cup (175g) brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted ¼ cup (25g) cocoa, sifted ½ teaspoon biccarbonate of baking soda 120g dark chocolate, melted 280g dark chocolate, extra, chopped 120g candy canes, chopped
Preheat oven to 160°C/ Gas Mark 3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8–10 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and melted chocolate and beat until just combined. Fold through the extra chopped chocolate. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into rounds. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for the cookies to spread, and flatten slightly. Press the chopped candy canes into the tops of the cookies and bake for 12–15 minutes or until the edges are firm. Allow to cool on the trays.
