First off, I don’t usually have anything to do with lamb as food. They’re too cute. I know, it’s ridiculous, all animals are beautiful and have a right to life. But y’know….deliciousness and all.

Anyhoo, it was Father’s Day last Sunday, and I was gifted a pack of lamb seasoning from Crete, so off I went.

Using Paul Flynn’s roasting method, for cuts about 1kg and the seasoning pack’s instructions, I was all set.

First up was to marinade the lamb in oil, lemon and the seasoning mix for 5 hours.

Roast the leg (mine was about 900g, roughly €10 in Lidl) at 185 C/ 365 F/ Gas 4 for 30 minutes. Drop the temperature to 175 C/ 345 F/ Gas 3 for a further 30 minutes.

Remove and let rest for 15 minutes. Tah dah! Perfectly pink and cooked throughout for those who prefer their meat done a little more on the end bits.

And for the lamb guilt…

Adapted from hurrrr

Serves 8

For the Cake

150g caster sugar
150g butter or margarine
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp instant coffee (add more if you like it strong)

For The Icing
225g icing sugar
100g butter or margarine
1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp hot water

Preheat the oven at 160 C, 325 F, Gas Mark 3.

Line two equally sized sandwich tins with greaseproof paper. Grease the paper.

I greased silicon moulds because I have trust issues.

Add the sugar and the butter to a bowl and whisk until fluffy and a pale cream.

Whisk the eggs in a mug with a fork and then add them gradually to the mixture (about four or five pours) with 2 tbsp of flour each time.

Keep back a couple of tablespoons of flour.

Add the rest of the flour and the baking powder to the mixture and mix with the electric mixer.

It says from here on in the original method to gently fold in. Yeah…no.

Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and add to the mixture, electric whisking away.

Divide into the sandwich tins and cook for 30 minutes.

Test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean from the centre of the cake, it’s done.

It’s the spongiest cake I’ve made so thought it needed more time, but thirty minutes was perfect.

Leave for about 15 minutes before removing from their tins/ moulds.

Remove from the tins/ moulds, and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Clean your mixing bowl and whisk attachments.

When the cakes have cooled completely, cream the butter and the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Watch out for the asthma attack inducing plumes of dust from the icing sugar. It might seem like you’ll never get creamy icing out of this, but it does come together, hoorah!

Dissolve the coffee in boiling water, making sure you don’t add too much water or the icing will be runny. Add it to the butter and icing sugar and whisk to combine fully.

Once the cakes have completely cooled, place one cake onto the plate you’ll be serving from.

Spread the icing on the top of the cake layer you’ve put on the serving plate. You can spread the icing to the edge, unless you plan on squishing it right down. Even when cutting into it, it didn’t squeeze out like most fillings.

Leave around half of the icing for the top.

Pop your other cake on top, and spread the remaining icing all over the top layer.

Decorate with walnuts or chocolate shavings.

It’s worth noting this has been my most popular baking result in memory. It’s already been booked for upcoming get togethers. I fear for my safety if I don’t produce it. If I go missing you’ll know why….

Body&Soul is a feast for the senses and a festival full of surprises! The 2014 luscious line up of food at the festival, features decadent dining in a fantastical long-table Banquet Feast prepared by celebrated Chef Niamh Fox and Yum Tree Kitchen and presented by Folláin, Traditional Irish Preserves. 

Nestled in the Walled Gardens of the 15th Century Ballinlough Estate, gramophone grooves and orchestral strings will entertain as guests are treated to a grand affair of Bacchanalian proportions in an Indian tent adorned with chandeliers, wild flowers and a lavishly dressed interior. Festival foodies will be transported, in a two hour sitting, to a magical place of culinary decadence and tantalizing tastes. Follow the hum of dinnertime music and the chatter from within the private party of 50 to consume the delectable menu** inspired by Ballinlough Estate and featuring Folláin’s Traditional Irish preserves.Pre-booking is recommended (https://decadentdiningatbodyandsoul2014.eventbrite.ie) for this gourmet gastronomic five course banquet. Tickets are priced at €52 for dinner and €27 for brunch (inc booking fee).*  

Experience fine dining, fine wine, clinking plates and flickering candlelight and in keeping with the lavish setting all must come in their finery; whether old-school glamour, sparkles and feathers or styled as mischievous characters. 

The menu will change each evening and include wild Irish foods, artisan fare and locally sourced produce. There will be two dinner settings each evening and a festival friendly brunch served each morning. 

Another foodie feature of Body&Soul Festival this year will be the serving on the Wonderlust, spoken word stage. Entitled ‘Food – The Ties That Bind’, the conversation will explore relationships and food by talking to two brothers, a husband and wife and close friends who work in three of Ireland’s most innovative food businesses. Hosted by Aoife McElwain (Forkful TV), it features Kevin and Seamus Sheridan (Sheridan’s Cheese mongers), John and Sandy Wyer (Forrest Avenue) and Aisling Rogerson and Luca D’Alfonso (Fumbally).

Elsewhere and dotted throughout the Ballinlough landscape artisan food yurts will feed the famished with the finest of foods and most tempting of treats as they celebrate the Summer Solstice including Suhas Falafel, Kanum Thai, Happy Campers Tea & Toast, Ecobus Café, Quenchers Smoothies and the return of the Happy Pear. 

(above pic via stevesimpson.com)

Jesus wept, I love me lots of Campo Viejo *heart shaped liver thumps*, so was only delira to be invited to this year’s Tapas Trail again.

Since Christmas, I’ve been hibernating in the new gaff, reluctant to venture out while I nested and settled in. As a result, over the last six months I have missed new places that have opened up in town. This was a great bonus to get to experience them and be spoiled for the afternoon.

This year, there were a couple of new venues added to the Trail. First stop and first new venue of the day was the Drury Buildings. I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw this was our kick-off point, but the website is pretty lovely as is the venue itself. Heavy downpours were forecast, but when we arrived, the sun was shining, showing the place in glowing light and brightening up the split level patio area out the back. We were immediately presented with a glass of the gorgeous Campo Viejo Cava. I only found out the Cava existed at last year’s Trail. As far as I can tell, it’s only stocked in O’Brien’s. Currently 7 in stock..free delivery over €60….yoink.

Also in the first venue, we were introduced to the art on the Trail, all by Steve Simpson. I LOVED it. Unfortunately, the prints are limited and apart from the ones in the venues, were all given away at the Tapas Trail launch. Booo. Being a Taurus, I particularly liked the Bull one. All of them are fab. You might have seen Steve’s other work around Dublin. Short of popping it off the wall and doing a legger, my home will remain Tapas Trail Toro free.

So, to the food. Along with our first glass of Campo Viejo Reserva, we were served Smoked Coley Croquettes, Lamb and Pistachio Meatballs, and Taleggio Cheese and Garlic Pesto Crostini. Absolutely delicious.

Thankfully, the rain shower that did appear had the good manners to start and finish while we were chowing down. Dry skies and sunshine returning, we went for a potter the long way round to the Market Bar, misled by some of us (OK, me… ‘Follow the brolly!’), and returned to the right route by our unflappable Trail guide, Paul.

The Market Bar was, as always, welcoming, bright, and prompt with the grub. An ‘almost’ Spanish guitarist played while we were given three dishes to sample.

Well, no chance of us going hungry here. Piri Piri Chicken Salad, Patatas Bravas and to-die-for Goats Cheese Crostini. Oh, and another glass of Campo Viejo Reserva. Woo and indeed, hoo!

All very tasty dishes, and the music was a lovely touch. We were mingling with more of the group at this stage and getting gently relaxed by the wine. The only way to move us on was to remind us we get nothing else unless we shift ourselves.

Onwards to the second new venue this year, Zaragoza. I really like the feel of this place. I heard something about the bathrooms-some intricate tap and hand drying tree branch of some sort. I didn’t get to venture in myself, too busy yapping, but I will be prepared for my next visit, which will be very soon.

Here, we were offered Shredded Duck in cinnamon dusted filo pastry, Pork Cheek Burger and a Cod and Prawn Fish Cake. The big winner all around was the burger. So succulent and packed with flavour. Can I have one the size of my head, please?

Last stop was Bagots Hutton for dessert. The cutest little pots of Banoffi or…what was it I had? It was a creamy thing topped with berry compote something. So profesh, Poola.

It was all on an empty stomach, I do apologise, but whatevs, it was LOVELY. As always, I had to go for a wander in their cave. The red wine flushed cheeks needed a bit of cooling down and no better place than the cave. Not that it’s cold, it’s just good for regulating the lushy flushes. It wasn’t the only think causing a rush of circulation in there, ifyouknowwhatImean.

We had a fab time, with a really fun group and Paul, as always, a great Trail guide.

After being released into the wild again, the goo was on us for a bit more splishysplashy. After a quick pit stop in a nearby rooftop bar, we shifted back to the Drury Buildings where we proceeded to beat the rain and demolish the Sunday Fear with another bottle and a shared meat and cheese platter. Can’t beat a bit of liquid Sunday Funday action.

SALUD!

Massive thanks to Conway Communications, the venues, Trail staff and Campo Viejo.

This is my kind of baking. Minimum ingredients, fuss and clean up.

A friend had been at me to make these for a long time. Now I’ve found something this simple he can make it his bleedin self!

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients-

70g plain flour

300g Nutella

1 large egg

50g chocolate chips

Add the flour, Nutella and egg to a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a regular spoon, mix it up until the flour has been mixed through thoroughly. It will all mix in, don’t worry. I used a teaspoon as well also to mash the flour in, delicate flower that I am. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Once all a lovely even chocolatey colour, add the chocolate chips. Mix up to distribute the chips as evenly as possible.

You can either grease a baking tray or some greaseproof paper (less washing up in my eyes using the paper) and put it on the tray.

Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350F/ Gas 4

Using the spoon, take small amounts of the mix, roll in your hand and space out aiming to fit twelve cookies on a standard baking tray. Realising I don’t have a proper baking tray, I used the oven chip/ pizza tray yoke. You know the ones with the holes that doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to a regular tray? ANYWAY.

It’s better to make them on the small size, and more like fat balls (teehee) and gently flatten them just a bit using your index and middle fingers. Some chocolate chips might be left over so plonk them on top of the cookies.

Bake in the oven for ten minutes and voila, all done! Leave to cool on the tray/ paper on a wire rack.

I got these silicone oven mitts in Penneys for €2 each. Love them!

Wait about fifteen minutes before removing them from the tray as they might crumble.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Not to be confused with the Optigrab…

Judging precisely when a steak is done is a tricky culinary skill to master.  But now you can enjoy a perfectly cooked sirloin, fillet or rump steak every time thanks to Tefal’s intelligent new OptiGrill, RRP €169.99.

Using the Tefal OptiGrill is like having a professional grill chef at home. Meat is cooked to your personal preference each time, whether rare, medium or well-done – removing any worries about over or under-cooking. There’s no more need to keep opening the grill to check whether your food is done and no more cutting into the steak to see what colour it is!

 No matter if you are rustling up steaks for the whole family or just for you, the Tefal OptiGrill is the world’s first appliance to automatically measure the thickness of the meat and adjust cooking time to suit. Its patent pending technology even detects how many items are on the grill and adapts the temperature and grilling cycle accordingly.

 Uniquely, a clear colour-changing LED display reveals how your steaks or chops are cooking, allowing you to see exactly when they are done.  If the light is yellow, the steak is still rare, as it moves into orange the steak is medium, when the light turns red the meat is well done. Plus, the Tefal OptiGrill will beep at each stage of the cooking process to inform you that your meat is rare, medium or well done.