Apple and Blackberry Jam | Autumn 2014

Autumn is one of the best times of year to go foraging for fruits. It is the season of Blackberry picking which I am very familiar with since I've been young. I live on a country road with an endless sight of fields which are full of blackberries every year. This year I went picking with my little sister Eve. Unfortunately we are both under 5ft4 so we couldn't reach the ones very high up but we managed to get enough for a few jars of yummy jam!

 Ingredients:
-800g of Blackberries
-800g of peeled, sliced cooking apples
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1.3 kg of granulated sugar
-6-7 Jam jars
Tip: Make sure jam jars have been cleaned and labels taken off. I like to put them through the dishwasher then use a cloth and scrubber to take off the label.

Pick the blackberries in a safe area during the day. Make sure with every blackberry you pick has a white core once picked from the vine (This means the berry is ripe!) . After picking, leave the berries soak for an hour.

Step 1. Put the apples, blackberries, lemon juice and 150ml of water into a large pot. Leave it on a medium heat for 25 minutes until reduced.
Tip: Place lemon in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm then cut in half and squeeze. This makes it easier to get all the juice out

Step 2. In the meantime, put a saucer into the freezer to chill.
Step 3. Add the sugar and keep stirring until dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly 5 minutes.
Step 4. Take the chilled saucer out of the freezer and place a teaspoon of jam on it for 1 minute. Drag your finger over it and if it wrinkles , it has reached setting point. If not, leave the pot of jam boil more as this will reduce it then try again with another chilled saucer.

Step 4. Take the pot off the heat and leave cool for 40 minutes
Step 5. Microwave the jam jars for for 30-45 seconds depending on the size of the jar. This will sterilise them and extend the longevity of the jam.
Step 6. Pour the cool jam into a jug then pour into the jam jars.
Step 7. leave settle for 15 minutes

Refrigerate and enjoy :)

~Serve with scones, croissants, toast, oat cakes, rice cakes, pancakes, cake, porridge~

The Castle cafe|restaurant|bar | Blackrock, Cork

It was well overdue a catch up with my friend Maeve I used to work with and dearly miss.She had left me for the 'big smoke' to follow her dreams. We badly needed a catch up after spending endless hours in a restaurant working together to barely any time together at all. So after working from 4am til 1pm, I went straight home and got ready in a hurry! We were meeting Gemma who was another work friend. Tired with exhaustion, good friends and good food were the only thing to pick me up! 

The Castle is a well known cafe that is linked to the popular restaurants Market Lane and Orso that are found in Cork City. It is located in a spacious area on the banks of the River Lee. It is extraordinary in a unique way as it is found in a castle which is also an observatory space for science. There are many different menus throughout the day which also includes a coeliac friendly menu. It can often be difficult to find tasty gluten free food but there is a lovely option here (including my favourite dessert!!)

I have heard a lot about The Castle's sandwiches and after not much convincing I had ordered one in a heartbeat . The bread was fresh and was full of brightly coloured ingredients. The combination of flavours was perfect in every way. The mashed sweet potato was very impressive as I had never encountered or thought it would fit so well in a sandwich before. I was more than pleased with what I ordered !

 Lemon, rosemary & thyme marinated chicken with roast peppers, goats cheese,sweet potato and rocket

Dessert Time

Staring at the menu for about ten minutes, none of us could decide. They all looked so amazing so we had to settle by choosing three and shared. There was three spoons for each dessert which made us laugh having nine spoons between us! The desserts were scrumptious but strawberry glory was my favourite. I am a sucker for anything with strawberries and the vanilla creme anglais just topped the whole thing off. I couldn't get enough so hands down I will admit I devoured most of it!. My second favourite would have to be the coffee custard creme layered with bananas. This was rich and had a creamy texture that melted in your mouth. Bananas,coffee and nuts together are to die for together so I was in my element. Lastly, the half baked brownie was very inventive. The presentation was superb and had a small cute rectangular shape. It tasted amazing with the added touch of cream and pistachio.. The desserts are carefully constructed in a way to suit the different needs of customers. I'm far from a picky eater so I thoroughly enjoyed the adventurous desserts.

 Strawberry glory with crushed meringue, vanilla creme anglais and ice cream

Coffee custard cream, layered with bananas and almond florentine crunch

This Castle is definitely one of my favourite places to lunch in Cork. It is only 2km from the city which is very close to the centre but far enough to escape the busy atmosphere.

Find out more on there FB page and website ! :)

Holly xoxo

14A | French Church Street, Cork

Recently, I was catching up with an old college friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. We decided to re live the memories of our college days by visiting this little cafe on French Church Street. The location of this cafe is down a little street which is always full of mouthwatering sights of food and smells. We were regulars, often found guilty for spending hours upon hours here chatting when college deadlines were approaching. It often led to last minute decisions to hit the town dancing for the night. The funny thing is about this cafe is we never sat inside for a meal in the three years we were going there. We always sat outside where the waiters would turn on the heaters if needed. Even in Winter, we ate outside. It was our 'thing' , nevertheless  the inside has a beautiful decor full of mirrors everywhere. The menu is full of carefully put together dishes which include gluten free and dairy free etc to suit various different diets. 14A is a gem in the heart of cork city which is definitely worth a visit.

I thought this quote would be very fitting here and I'm sure nearly every tight knit college gang would understand...

" Life's too short to drink crappy coffee and cry about boys who don't care"- 

Matty Healy (The 1975)

Some of the amazing food...

Starters:

House baked breads with dips

Main course:

Tiger prawns and sliced chorizo cooked in Cajun spices and garlic on mixed leaf salad.

Bread and dips is a very simple but palatable entree which is rich in flavours including balsamic, sun dried tomato pesto and green basil pesto. They were accompanied by a wide variety of freshly baked breads. This dish is suitable for sharing and is extra yummy with a glass of wine!

The prawn and chorizo salad is a must have here! It will always be a favourite for me to order . It is a light but filling dish which is suitable for people who get really tired (aka food coma!) after too much carbs like myself. I'm usually very skeptical about ordering chorizo and prawn when dining out as they can often be poor quality. 14A sets a good standard to meet this quality and freshness. Being a big fan of spicy food, this little bit of heat can be found in the salad dressing which is made of Cajun spices and garlic.

This blog post wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the lovely desserts found in this restaurant.The girls and I would often come here for a coffee and a sweet treat. Good day or bad day, it always made us feel a bit better eating warm chocolate fudge cake in each others company.

A little personal message to 14A...

14A, Thank you for the long night memories with such amazing people. But most importantly, Thank you for such the incredible food which got us through the college years. 

Visit there FB page or website to find out more! :)

Croissant bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding is a very delightful dessert which is made from very basic ingredients.The first time I made this was in second year of secondary school. I was 14 years of age and looking back it was pretty obvious bread and butter pudding earned a place in my heart. I was very taken by this delicious dessert and would always order it from the cantine in the factory I used to work in. (It was always freshly made, the chef was amazing!). Here I am, seven years later and still vowing on this dessert. Today I changed up the traditional use of bread to croissant instead. It definitely adds a unique 'patisserie' style to British cuisine. 

Ingredients:
- 4oz of butter
-7oz of sugar
-1 Tsp of ground cinnamon
-1 Tsp of vanilla extract/ 1 vanilla bean
-5 large eggs (lightly beaten)
-750ml of heavy cream
- 12 croissants (slightly stale is okay)
-3.5 oz of raisins (optional)
-7 oz of small roughly chopped pieces of chocolate

Cream:
- 500ml of cream
- sugar
- vanilla extract

Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C
Step 2. Mix butter and sugar until well blended. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and blend again.while the mixer is on, add the eggs and then the cream. ( Make sure it is modes but do not over whip!)
Step 3. Lightly butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. ( A similar size will too once there is enough room to fit the croissants in with the egg mixture)
Step 4. Break. The croissants up into one inch pieces and layer on top of each other in the baking dish. In between layers add pieces of chocolate/raisins. Scatter some on top as well so it will look pretty after being baked :)
Step 5. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants evenly and leave soak for 10 minutes. You will need to gently push down on the croissants  to absorb the egg mixture properly especially on top which will go dry the quickest once in the oven. This dish is best served moist so this step is very important.
Step 6. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Make sure it is cooked right through. (Raw egg is very bad for you so double this!) the croissant bread and butter pudding is ready when the custard is
set but still soft.
Step 7. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes if it needs to be browned on top.

For the cream:
I love cream but sometimes on its own I find it a bit tasteless so I add some sugar and vanilla extract to give it that but more flavour. Vanilla is considered such a 'plain Jane' flavour but I disagree. Vanilla beans are excellent here too but I am using the vanilla extract as I had it handy!
Step 1. Add cream to a bowl and mix until thick ( I prefer medium thick cream with this dessert)
Step 2. Add vanilla extract and keep tasting it until you are happy with it. Be careful with the amount added as vanilla extract had quite a strong taste. Keep tasting it as you go along to make sure it
doesn't get spoiled!
Step 3. Add some sugar as you mix until you think it tastes right

Serve the pudding warm with a dollop of cream ! :)

Other serving suggestions:
- Madagascar vanilla ice cream goes down a treat with this
- Bourbon drizzle (this is a mixture of slightly melted ice cream and bourbon)
-Place in individual serving dishes and garnish the plate

Enjoy the yummy dessert!


xoxo

Homemade Lemonade

There is nothing like an ice cold glass of homemade lemonade on a summer's day. Since I come from a big family, I always end up making countless batches of this juice every summer. It is the perfect time to make this refreshing drink as the weather in Ireland is sunny and warm (which is something us Irish are used to here!).

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice (usually takes about 12 lemons)
- 1 3/4 cups of white sugar
-8 cups of water

Step 1. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons.
Tip: In order to get as much juice as possible out of the lemons, I usually microwave them for about 20-30 seconds or repeatedly roll the lemons on the kitchen counter top to soften them. This allows the juice to be squeezed out easily and in greater amounts.
Step 2. Add 1 cup of water and sugar to the saucepan. Stir with the heat until sugar is dissolved.Leave in fridge to cool down.
Step 3. Add the lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water to the chilled syrup.
Step 4.Serve ice cold and enjoy ! :)

My all time Favorited way to use lemonade is to make a cocktail with it. I am completely obsessed with gin and it tastes best when mixed with this lemonade. It is so refreshing and would recommend Bombay Sapphire Gin for this mixture. Perfect for punch at BBQs! 

The Counter

                               

Passing through Dublin and looking for a Classic American burger joint?

The Counter is perfect!

I was visiting Dublin with my friend Aidan to see a Beyonce concert. We had previously traveled California for a month together last year, eating around us like kings. It became requited love between us and the food stateside and since America is known for its notorious burgers, we became pros knowing what it takes for the perfect patty.

 My first impression of entering The Counter was how simple and retro the place was. The waitress approached us and seated us straight away. We were so happy not to be waiting as we were STARVING after our long bus journey! We were given a set menu attached to a clip board and a tick the box sheet to make a customized built burger. Obviously, this option went straight to our heads, getting us really excited to order. Using the little pencils, we ticked the boxes spoiled with choice on what to get (I will admit I took awhile because there was so many yummy toppings much to choose from).

The Menu

First of all, I'm going to talk about the menu as this was not your average restaurant menu you would pick up. It was one of the the most exciting parts of the whole experience.

Section 1: This section consisted of what size burger you wanted and how you wanted it served (burger or bowl)

Section 2: Various different types of cheeses are listed here. There was 12 in total which ranged from Goats Blue cheese to Greek Feta to Irish Cheddar. I like a bit of heat so i opted for the Jalapeno Jack cheese.

Section 3:  This was my favorite section which had 31 toppings to choose from. Obviously, this is a big enough number which led to me taking ages to decide what i wanted. The selection was amazing ranging from classic burger toppings to more a more diverse range. I ordered Jalapenos, dill pickle, fried onion and smoked bacon. 

Section 4: This part of the menu had 23 different sauces to choose from. They complimented different tastes which is why the menu was suitable to everyone (sweet, sour, spicy). As I said earlier, I like the heat so i chose the hot sauce. 

Section 5: The last part was very impressive as  was a choice as to which type of bun you wanted.

Overall, the menu was pretty impressive and easy to fill out. This definitely did add to my experience at The Counter as not much restaurants in Ireland have this fun little option. The most impressive and reassuring part of the menu was at the very top where it had printed "Fresh 100% Irish Hereford Beef, Never Frozen, Hormone and Antibiotic Free, Humanely raised and handled". Fat free options and Vegan veggie burgers were also available catering to those with different eating preferences. 

Starters

My friend and I decided on the large buffalo wings with hot wing sauce to share. Not only do they look amazing but they were the most amazing buffalo wings I have ever had.  The chicken was falling off the bone and as you can see they were generous with the sauce. I have often experienced overdone buffalo wings which could convincingly break your teeth they were so hard. These were flawless though and I could not find a fault in them. The sour cream sauce was tasty too. I have often come across buffalo wings served with garlic mayo and it doesn't taste the same with the flavors combined. The starters set the standard for what was going to come next. 

Main course

Beef burger with Jalapenos, fried onions, dill pickle, Jalapeno Jack cheese and smoked bacon.

Chicken Burger with Jalapenos, fried onions, smoked, Jalapeno Jack cheese and spicy pepperoncinis.                

                                         

                                       

My beef burger was delicious. It had a smokey flame grilled taste while the bacon was juicy and Texas style. I love spicy food so my choice of hot sauce and jalapenos gave me the heat i was looking for. I could not fault this. I investigated the condition of the bun to see if it was soggy but thankfully it wasn't. That is my worst nightmare when ordering a burger. The Counter had everything down to a T! Extra brownie points for putting a slice of lemon in my Coca Cola. :)
We had no possible room for dessert our bellies were so full and happy!
Overall, my experience at The Counter was amazing. I will definitely be back here and I am excited already to try something new off the menu. Next time I will try make room for dessert as no doubt it will be delicious :)
Visit their FB page here  or website to find out more. :)

Elderflower Cordial

It is that time of year again when the Elderflower starts to blossom, allowing us to create a delicious fruity cordial.

First of all you will need to pick some Fresh Elderflower. This is usually found on the side of the road or in a field of a countryside area. Picking Elderflower from the side of the road can be quite dangerous while flowers can also tainted with petroleum fumes. In this case, I recommend a field of some sort away from the road.

Tips
1. Do not mix up Elderflower with Cow Parsley.  I made a huge rookie mistake by doing this before as they are quite alike. Cow Parsley are usually on the side of the road sticking up from straight green thick stalks whereas Elderflower is on a bush and usually grows high up.
2. If you pick the Elderflower and do not plan to used it straight away, be sure to freeze it as this keeps the flavour. The longer they are left out in the air they will wilt and wont be suitable for making cordial
3. Citric acid can be found in any pharmacy. It is used to kill bacteria and therefore acts as a preservative. This will allow the Elderflower cordial to last up to a year.
4. Store in glass bottles with screw top lids.

Ingredients:
- Elderflower (50 heads)
- 4Ib of granulated sugar
-2pints of water
-2 lemons each chopped into founded fours (using the zest from 1)
-2oz citric acid


Step 1. Pour 2 pints of water and 4Ib of granulated sugar into a large pot and bring to the boil. Stir with the heat while dissolving as much sugar as possible.
Step 2.While the sugar is dissolving, shake the Elderflower heads lightly to remove any insects that could be on them. Remove as many of the green stalks as possible.
Step 3.Take the water off the heat. Add lemons (including zest off one) , citric acid and Elderflower heads.
Step 4.Allow to sit for 24 hours
Step 5.Put the cordial through a a very fine sieve in order to get rid of all the little bits.

Store in glass bottles with screw top lids.

My favourite ways to use Elderflower cordial:
1. Dilute with water/sparkling water
2. Mix with Gin and soda water or white lemonade
3. Add to wine

Make loads of batchs now while the Elderflower is here. They will be gone soon. Enjoy bottles of Elderflower cordial all year round :)