Perhaps the prettiest food shop I’ve seen in Dublin is Morton’s new shop on Park Place, Hatch St. Just around the corner from the Harcourt Luas stop (in fact it’s on the other side of that facing stone wall), the shop is not located in a great position for being noticed, since you have to walk around the corner, but it’s definitely worth a look, especially if you’re feeling hungry around lunch time. Anyone who knows the original Morton’s shop in Ranelagh, will know they take their quality seriously and have enough variety of tasty treats to delight any foodie. Give it a visit, if you’re in the area, and grab something to nibble on the way home!
A Marketing Dilemma
As everyone knows, there has been a lot of bad press about banks recently (and with good cause, it seems, for the most part).
However, I have to say that our local bank manager at AIB Dingle has been extremely supportive, helpful, and has extended credit at a time when the media and politicians keep saying “the banks are closed for business.”
We can’t talk about banking as a whole, but we have no problem saying publicly that in our case AIB has been brilliant, has been open for business, and that we could recommend our bank and bank manager to any small business.
Now to the dilemma:
As many people know, AIB has done ad campaigns highlighting small businesses, ads that have been very helpful to the businesses selected. We have been told that we are shortlisted for being included in one. They also want to use us for a poster campaign.
Now, the question is this:
Recognising that this is free marketing that we could never afford and could significantly increase our brand awareness in this country, should we go ahead and do it, or is it too risky linking our brand to a bank in these times?
I’ll put a poll below, but I would also love to have your comments!
[poll id=”5″]
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
We’ve been playing around a lot with our chocolate ice creams over the last months, and here’s a flavour that has gone down a storm in the shops. Instead of using melted chocolate (such as in our chocolate whiskey recipe), as we have always done, we’ve used pure, 100% cocoa powder. The benefit of this is that you’re introducing less fat into the ice cream, and so it has a much more intense chocolate flavour.
If you want, you can add chocolate chips for even more chocolate hit.
DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
• 120g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 220 ml cream
• 220 ml milk
• 80 gm pure cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 75 g dark chocolate chips, optional.
What to do:
1. Combine the cocoa and sugar and stir until combined.
2. Add the egg yolks and beat until thick.
3. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
4. Beat the milk into the egg/sugar/cocoa in a slow stream.
5. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
6. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
7. Immediately remove from the heat.
8. Allow to cool, then stir in the vanilla.
9. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
10. Fold (gently stir) in the custard.
11. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, adding the chocolate chips when it is somewhat solid.
12. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.
Yield: 8 servings
Notes:
1. Make sure your cocoa is of a good quality and is fresh. Cocoa can go stale very quickly once it is opened.
2. In case you’re wondering, we’re using Chocolaterie de l’Opera cocoa at the moment, which has a lovely taste and an amazing reddish colour.
3. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.
Feile na Bealtaine 2009
Anyone thinking of heading to Dingle in the near future would do well to schedule their trip to coincide with Feile na Bealtaine, which runs from Wednesday, 29th April, to Monday, 4th May 2009. Although I’m naturally partial to the Dingle Food Festival, Feile na Bealtaine is my favourite festival of all. It’s so eclectic, with such a range of interesting things from all over the world, while at the same time being very, very local in feel.
Some of the highlights this year include Nuru Kane from Senegal, Jack L, Michael O Suilleabhain, and a political symposium with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho and the head of the Palestine Delegation. However, it’s really all of the small events around the place, from literature to art to short films, that make it special, and any one of them might be something one might remember for decades to come.
You’ll find a schedule of events here. Come on down if you can!
Technorati tags: Dingle, music, festival, bealtaine, feile, literature
IIA Awards Shortlist
I’m happy to announce I’ve been shortlisted for the Irish Internet Association’s Net Visionary Awards.
Other business bloggers shortlisted are: Aedan Ryan: PuddleDucks.ie, Damien Mulley: Mulley Communications, Maryrose Lyons: Brightspark Consulting, and Peter Donegan: Peter Donegan Landscaping.
It’s pretty cool to be in such company, and thanks to the judges (I promise I didn’t send in any brown envelopes stuffed with ice cream)!
From here on in, it’s a popularity contest. The winner will be chosen by votes from people such as you, so please click here and have your say! Closing date for votes is May 1st.
Technorati Tags: Irish, internet, award, net visionary
Waffles and Ice Cream Makers
Amazon has decided once again to allow Irish people to buy electronics again, and even though I’m seriously annoyed by this, I ordered a Kitchenaid Waffle Baker from them. Our old waffle maker broke down, and hopefully this one (although pricy) will better withstand the rigours of a busy shop. If you have a waffle maker and are interested, I have a waffle recipe here.
While I was on the site, I noticed that they also had the ice cream maker bowl for the Kitchenaid mixer (photo right). Since I’m always asked for a good ice cream maker, I was wondering if any of you have it, and if so, what do you think of it. I’m guessing it’s only a viable option if you already have the mixer, because it would be far cheaper otherwise to pick up one of the many passive ice cream makers out there that come at a fraction of the price. Anyway, I’d love to hear from you if you own it!
Technorati tags: kitchenaid, ice cream, maker, waffle
A Puff of Chocolate
Happy Easter, everybody! Since it’s Easter, I thought something on chocolate was appropriate (when is it not?)
Now, if it were April’s Fools, I’d think it was a prank, but I just read that a Harvard professor has invented inhalable chocolate, and it’s called Le Whif. Yes, it’s chocolate that comes in an inhaler. Good idea? I’m kind of thinking it’s an abomination, but if it’s a calorie-free chocolate experience you want, maybe it’s for you. What do you think?
[poll id=”4″]
Blueberries and Ice Cream
I know blueberries aren’t in season in this part of the world, but I found a beautiful-looking punnet of them in our local supermarket, and I thought it would make a perfect topping, served warm, for vanilla ice cream.
It was pretty tasty, I must say, and it is dead easy to prepare. Here’s what I did:
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
150 grams fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cognac
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
What to do:
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, just until the sugar is dissolved and some of the blueberries burst and release their juice (about 3-5 minutes). Don’t overcook, or it will be mush.
3. Immediately serve over vanilla ice cream.