Re-use, Recycle, Eat Ice Cream

Bertie with Ice Cream Enda Kenny w. Ice Cream It looks like a photo or two from my brother and my “Caught with Ice Cream” series from last year will find a second life as they should appear on the Tubridy show on RTE television tonight.

I have no idea in what fashion, except I think it will be part of a photo montage. Apologies to Bertie and Enda in advance in case ice cream is used against them. Of course, in my mind, ice cream can only be a good thing, but I’m kind of biased…

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Spiralling Costs and Organics

Milk Churn The soaring price of food was often in the news in 2007, and we are not immune. We have been looking at our accounts, and it is impossible to miss the fact that many of our main ingredients, including milk, cream, and eggs, have risen as much as 30% within the last calender year.

While this is good news for farmers, who have seen generally declining prices up until recently, it is not good news for consumers. It is inevitable that we (like many other food companies) will be forced into a price increase to counter our rapidly shrinking margins.

What’s interesting is that the price disparity between organics and conventional foods, although still substantial, has shrunken somewhat. With a litre of local, regular milk now an amazing 1.24 in our local supermarket, we have discussed whether we should switch to organic milk for our coffee drinks. Organic milk costs more, of course, and we would have to pass that on.

Would such a move be a good idea? We all know that organics is a good thing, but how much extra would you be willing to pay for a cappuccino or latte made with organic milk?

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{democracy:5}

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“Freeheld” Nominated for Oscar

Freeheld There are few things as satisfying in life as seeing the people you love do well. I’m so delighted to pass on the news that one of my best friends from the States, Cynthia Wade, has scooped an Oscar nomination for her documentary film, Freeheld. Based upon Laurel Hester, a dying police lieutenant who wants to leave her pension benefit to her same-sex partner, the film is about love and battling injustice. The film has already won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

I am so proud of you, Cynthia. Well done, and best of luck!

Best of luck to the Irish nominees as well!

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The Cure for a Cough?

Chocolate Squares I have written about the health benefits of chocolate before, and there was an article on the topic in yesterday’s Tribune, which you can read here. What surprised me was the mention of a 2004 study from Imperial College London that chocolate is 30% more effective than codeine in suppressing coughs. I had never heard that one before, but the study shows that theobromine, a chemical found in cocoa and known for its health benefits, works better for easing coughs – without any of codeine’s side effects.

So, if you’ve given up chocolate as part of a New Year’s resolution and are coughing away, you might think again! A chocolate bar with high cocoa content might just save you a trip to the chemist. Mind you, if you’re like me and such a resolution would be unthinkable – it’s simply yet another good excuse to keep munching.

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Korova Cookies (Sables Korova)

Korova Cookies Feeling the need for a little chocolate burst last night, I went making some cookies. I have written about Pierre Herme here and here. The recipe came from him via Dorie Greenspan’s excellent cookbook Paris Sweets, which is a compendium of desserts from Paris’ best pastry shops.

Sables Korova Closeup

What makes these cookies really special is the inclusion in the ingredients of fleur de sel, hand-harvested sea salt that is less salty and more flavourful than regular salt. Although the recipe only calls for half a teaspoon, it’s a distinctive flavour in the final cookie and really works well. (I actually have “fior di sale,” which comes from Italy rather than France, but is the same idea.)

These are dead easy and will disappear very quickly indeed, so I highly recommend them. Rather than write up the recipe, I will refer you to Dessert First, where Anita has already done so. She rates them as her favourite cookies. I’d better eat the last few before I make up my mind!

P.S. – The photos don’t really show how dark and full of chocolate they are. I took the photos late at night, and it’s impossible for me to be patient and fiddle with lighting and camera settings when there are fresh cookies cooling!

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How to Make a Chocolate Emulsion

Virtually every recipe I have written for hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate sauce involves making a chocolate emulsion. An emulsion is simply a mixture of two liquids that don’t normally mix, such as oil and water. Chocolate can be a bit tricky to work with, and consistently getting a smooth, glossy final product is not always so easy. In fact, I struggled with it before going off to France for the Valrhona chocolate course. There, I learned a very simple trick that’s shown in this video – adding warm liquid to warm chocolate in small parts, mixing all the time, until you have a very professional looking product.

Anyway, here’s the video! I hope it’s helpful. Here are recipes where it might come in handy:

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