Here’s what I’ve been working on – waffles and ice cream. It is, we think, a great option for the winter in our shops, especially this winter with all the gloomy recession talk and abounding worries. Hopefully a warm waffle with ice cream will be pure luxurious comfort for our customers. Somehow, I think, it’s also quite appropriate in terms of all the recent news and government climbdowns :-).
I still haven’t the recipe quite right, but I’ll post it when I do!
The ice cream man had to turn model yesterday, as I had a visit from top photographer Catherine Karnow, who has done excellent work for National Geographic, among others. She was sent by my alma mater, who are writing up something on the book for the alumna magazine. It was an interesting morning, but I hardly think I’ll be stepping out on the Milan catwalks any time soon…
Technorati tags: ice cream, photographer, Catherine Karnow, National Geographic
Like many people, I suppose, I’ve always wondered what’s at the end of the rainbow.
Well, I think I might have an answer.
After snapping the above photo at the back of the house, I came out the front, and saw the rainbow again, seeming to end right on the ice cream van.
We’ve had our second consecutive rainy summer, and it does have some effect on business. However, If Murphys is indeed at the end of the rainbow, this winter might be easier than expected!
Unfortunately, there was no pot of gold on the front seat, so it seems there’s still going to be some digging involved…
Sometimes I ask myself some odd questions, and one of them, when thinking about our recent Mexican ice cream flavours, was whether one could candy chilli peppers in the same way one candies orange peels. They are a fruit, after all. The answer to this is of course you can, and they are strangely addictive. We put them into ice cream as an inclusion for the food festival, but we also snacked on them over the course of the week.
If you want to make something different, and like spicy things, give them a go! (They also look quite dramatic as a decoration – especially if you combine red and green chillis).
Please note: you would be wise to use plastic gloves when chopping the chillis, or at the very least make sure you wash your hands carefully afterwards. If you absentmindedly rub your eye before doing so (as I have done), you will have a very unpleasant reaction.
Candied Chilli Peppers
Ingredients:
150g fresh, mild chilli peppers
150g sugar
300g water
What to do:
1. Cut the stems off the chillis, then cut them lengthwise. Scrape out seeds, and chop them into narrow, half-round strips.
2. Combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the chopped chillis and cook over medium heat for about an hour, topping up with water as needed to keep from burning.
4. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve, catching the chilli peppers. (The syrup is quite tasty too if you want to keep it – great over mango sorbet or fruit…)
5. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the chillis on a baking tray, and bake at 200C for about 5-10 minutes to dry them out. They should darken slightly but not turn brown.
6. Remove from oven, cool, and enjoy!
Anyone who’s been reading these pages for long enough knows that ourselves and other Killarney traders had to survive nine horrific months of construction on Main Street (ending in May 2007). What’s amazing is that they are at it again. Needless to say we’re not pleased about re-living the disruption to business, the sound of jackhammers, and fences outside our shop. I don’t know how long it’s going to go on or what’s the reason for it. One would like to think they would have gotten it right the first time and didn’t forget anything when they had the street open for such a long period, so I have a few alternate theories:
Not sure. I am open to other theories…
Technorati tags: construction, Killarney, Kerry, Main Street, town, shopping
It’s all done! I’ve finished with the Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards for at least a year. The judges have done their work and picked the winners, the awards ceremony is over, and I’m quite happy with the way things went, especially since it was our first year. We received so much help from so many people, and thanks to everybody. I would like to especially thank all the Irish food producers who went to considerable trouble and expense to enter the awards and it was a real treat to see many of them and their food in Dingle over the weekend.
We had quite a range of medalists, from big companies to small companies all across Ireland. There might be a little bit of controversy among some quarters in that some larger companies won, but it was a blind tasting, and it was taste that decided things.
The grand champion, the entry rated highest of all the products by an extremely distinguised panel of judges, was Dingle Penisula Cheese’s – “Semi-hard cow’s milk with seaweed” (photos of cheesemaker Maja above at the market and right with her award). I am absolutely delighted for her.
The full list of winners is here, and congratulations to every one of them. To win any kind of a medal with such a huge number of entries was a massive achievement. Next year, there will definitely be more categories!
I really hope that this whole process will bring more attention to the fact that food is something we’re good at here in Ireland, and that small (as well as large) food producers are a vital part of our economy and our way of life.
(And in case you’re wondering, we didn’t enter our ice cream since I was an organiser of the awards.)
Now, how do I unwind?
Things are pretty crazy here with the amazing logistical challenge that is the Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards.
We have 720 food entries that have to be categoriesed, labeled, divided up into samples and backup samples and then stored.
The whole thing would be so much harder without the amazing work of UCC’s Food Department, who have sent a team of professors, post-docs, and students. They are preparing the samples (photo right)and will oversee the judging.
Tomorrow the 40 judges start to arrive, and there will be runs to the airport and lots of work making sure they are fed and find their lodgings. And the food festival kicks off! It’s so exciting!
This experience has given me a real appreciation of Mr. Mulley and and what it must take to put on the blog and web awards.
Anyway, best of luck to all the entrants, and I hope to see many of your around this weekend!
