الأربعاء، 29 يناير 2014

glutenfreier blaubeerkuchen


schon lange wollten wir uns an einem glutenfreien kuchen probieren, spätestens seit dem noras mama mir einen glutenfreien aprikosenkuchen gebacken hat, der vorzüglich war! ich konnte kaum glauben, dass der glutenfrei sein sollte und so auch dieses mal. eiegntlich ja das betse geschmackzeichen, oder?! gestern haben wir also unser glück versucht & es ist voll und ganz gelungen. der kuchen war sehr lecker & wir können euch das nachbacken sehr ans herz legen! wir haben allerdings auch ein ganzes ei verwendet. bei histaminintoleranz wird ja angeblich das eigelb vertragen, das eiweiß eher nicht so. mir hat es jedenfalls keine probleme bereitet und ich habe schon oft gelesen, dass viele auch ganze eier vertragen. wie ist das bei euch? beim nächsten kuchen versuchen wir mal nur mit eigelb zu backen, mal schauen ob es dann noch gelingt. wir haben jetzt übrigens auch endlich rausgefunden wie man google friend connect installiert, wenn ihr uns also auch darüber folgen mögt, freuen wir uns sehr.
nun aber nichts wie los zum kuchenrezept!


zutaten (für eine 20cm- springform)

125g reismehl (o.ä.)
125g rohrzucker
100g butter (o. margarine)
1ei + 1eigelb
1tl weinsteinbackpulver
1 prise salz
ca.200g tiefkühlblaubeeren
1-2 tl agaranta (o. anderes geliermittel)
blaubeersirup (o. einfach zucker, honig..)
(puderzucker – wer es gerne besonders süss mag)

ofen auf 160grad ober-/unterhitze vorheizen. für den teig zunächst zucker und butter miteinander vermengen, ei untergeben, dann das reismehl, salz und backpulver. den boden der springform mit backpapier auslegen. unter den teig eine handvoll gefrorene blaubeeren geben und den teig in der springform verteilen. Bei 160grad für ca. 40min in den backofen, bis die oberseite anfängt braun zu werden. abkühlen lassen. für das blaubeergelee einfach 1-2 handvoll blaubeeren in einen topf geben, in einer kleinen schale das agaranta-pulver mit etwas blaubeersirup (oder wasser) vermengen und unter die blaubeeren im topf mischen (wer kein sirup verwendet, einfach ein bisschen wasser mit agaranta vermischen und anschliessend zucker oder honig zum süssen nehmen). die blaubeeren aufkochen und für 1-2min köcheln lassen, bis die masse dickflüssig geworden ist. (bei bedarf etwas puderzucker mit etwas milch oder blaubeergelee vermengen und ein bisschen zuckerguss auf der torte verteilen.) blaubeergelee auf der dem kuchen verteilen. 




english translation
glutenfree blueberrie cake

ingredients (for a 20cm- springform pan)
125g rice flour
125g cane sugar
100g butter (or margarine)
1egg + 1egg yolk
1 tsp tartar baking powder
1 dash of salt
ca. 200g frozen blueberries
1-2 agaranta (or similar gelling agent)
blueberry syrup (or sugar, honey...)
(icing sugar – for those, who really like it sweet)

preheat oven to 160degrees top/bottom-heat. for the dough mix first sugar and butter, then add the eggs, rice flour, tartar baking powder and salt. cover the springform bottom with baking paper. fold in the dough a handful of frozen blueberries and spread the dough in the springform pan. bake the cake at 160degrees for ca. 40min until the top starts to turn brown. leave the cake outside to cool down. for the blueberry-jelly add 1-2handful frozen berries to a pot, mix in a small bowl the agaranta with some blueberry syrup (or water) and mix afterwards with the blueberries in the pot (who doesn´t has blueberry syrup can mix the agaranta with water and add afterwards some sugar or honey to the pot). bring the berries to boil an let them simmer for 1-2min until the mixture is getting thicker. (if wanted, mix some icing sugar with milk or blueberry-jelly and coat the cake with the icing .) spread the blueberry-jelly on the cake.

الأحد، 26 يناير 2014

schwarzer quinoa-salat – schnell, lecker & supergesund



obwohl laura sich jetzt schon seit mehr als 2 jahren glutenfrei ernährt, sind wir erst vor kurzem auf den gedanken gekommen doch endlich mal quinoa auszuprobieren. ein kleines wunder, dass es so lange gedauert hat...sind wir doch bestimmt vier mal die woche im biomarkt! und was soll man sagen: wir sind sofort zu quinoa-fans geworden! super schnell zubereitet, lecker, großer abwechslungsfaktor und dann auch noch gesund...quinoa gilt nämlich z.B. als eine der besten pflanzlichen eiweißquellen und hat darüber hinaus noch einiges mehr zu bieten. wer es genauer wissen möchte, klickt hier.
das graue handtuch, die kleine schüssel und die (zweckentfremdeten) eierbecher haben wir übrigens neulich bei lilo berlin erstanden, ein sehr schöner einrichtungsladen in charlottenburg. die schüssel und die eierbecher sind von housdoctor und man kann sie natürlich auch online shoppen - z.B. hier.




zutaten (für 2pers.) :
100g schwarzer quinoa (z.b. von davert)
70g feta
3-4 el olivenöl
1-2frühlingszwiebeln
4-5 radieschen
½ gelbe paprika
¼ avocado (bei histaminintoleranz evt. nicht verträglich)
1 el cranberries
1-2 el sonnenblumenkerne
1-2 el kürbiskerne
1 kleine packung kresse

den schwarzen quinoa – wie auf packung beschrieben -  zubereiten: in einem topf wasser mit etwas salz aufkochen (die 2½ fache menge an wasser). den quinoa hinzugeben und für 15min köcheln lassen und ab und zu umrühren, bis der quinoa das ganze wasser aufgesogen hat. derweil frühlingszwiebel, radieschen, paprika und avocado waschen und kleinschneiden. feta kleinschneiden. kresse abschneiden.  sonnenblumen-und kürbiskerne in einer pfanne kurz anrösten. fertigen quinoa in eine große schüssel geben, olivenöl untermischen, dann alle anderen zutaten hinzugeben und evt. noch einmal nachsalzen.


english translation

black quinoa-salat – quick, simple, tasty & super healthy
ingredients (for 2pers.) :
100g black quinoa (e.g. from davert)
70g feta
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1-2 spring onions
4-5 radishes
½ yellow pepper
¼ avocado
1 tbsp cranberries
1-2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 small packet cress

prepare the black quinoa – as per description on the package: bring a pot with water and some salt to boil (use 2½ amount of water). when water is boiling, add quinoa and let simmer for 15min until the quinoa absorbed all water -  stir regularly. meanwhile wash and chop spring onions, radishes, pepper and avocado. chop feta. cut off cress. roast pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a pan. put done quinoa in a large bowl, mix in the olive oil, then all other ingredients. if needed, add more salt. 



الخميس، 16 يناير 2014

Change to Entry Format for The Great Taste Awards 2014

The Great Taste Awards 2014, one of the world’s largest and most respected blind-tasted food & drink awards, will soon be open for product entry and the organisers have decided to give their members of the Guild of Fine Foods a two-week advantage to get their entries in, ahead of non-members. 

General entry, with a new maximum entry cap of 10,000 products, will be open to non-members from February 24th. See information on applying for Membership to the Guild of Fine Foods, which is open to Food Producers based outside the UK, at the end of this post.




Organised by The Guild of Fine Food and judged by hundreds of food experts, Great Taste has discovered and celebrated the very best of fine food and drink for 20 years. Chefs, buyers, fine food retailers, restaurateurs, food critics and writers, blind-taste and provide valuable feedback to producers who covet the gold and black Great Taste logo which is increasingly recognised by consumers as a sign of excellence. 

The Great Taste Awards epitomise the best of small artisan food producers from around Britain & Ireland, with many producers now also coming from continental Europe. The black & gold sticker has become an accepted acknowledgement of quality and is a great public relations boost for any food producer that wins one. A 2-star or 3-star is a guarantee of increased business opportunities for your food product and will certainly followed up by calls from major buyers. Awards such as this are a great way for the smallest producers to have the chance to compete with the biggest on a level playing field where taste is king!




Beginning on Monday, 10th February, a new ‘Members’ Fortnight’ has been created as a benefit to members of the Guild of Fine Food who will be able to enter at the same price as last year and ahead of non-members. On Monday 24th February, general entry will be open until 21st March.

“This year we have decided to cap the number of Great Taste entries at 10,000 and we wanted to give a clear benefit to our members who will be able to enter for 14 days at the same rate as last year before entry fully opens” explained John Farrand, MD of the Guild of Fine Food and organiser of Great Taste.

Winning a 1-star Great Taste award brings significant benefit to producers with increased sales and brand awareness through extensive consumer and trade promotion by The Guild of Fine Food. Every year the Great Taste team receives positive feedback from producers who may only enter one product and then receive 1-star. That Great Taste logo encourages greater confidence in smaller businesses and often leads to further development of a product and entire ranges.

“Great Taste is not just about the big winners and the trophies – Great Taste benefits thousands of producers each year who greatly benefit from having a 1-star Great Taste logo on their products. We have also introduced more specific classes for wines and spirits to take into account the growing number of producers who have approached Great Taste in the last year. Great Taste classes range from truffles to chutney, porridge to single estate tea and we’re confident that our judges will find the most exceptional food and drink to carry the Great Taste stars,” said John Farrand, MD of the Guild of Fine Food and organiser of Great Taste.


Last year’s Great Taste Supreme Champion was Marybelle Greek-style Yoghurt made in Suffolk, England. “Winning Great Taste 2013 gave us the confidence to push forward into new markets," 
said Katherine Manning of Marybelle. "It presented wider opportunities and gave our brand valuable exposure to millions of people through the media and other channels – it has been a brilliant year for Marybelle." 

New Awards introduced last year included; Great Taste Shop of the Year, Nigel Barden Heritage Award, Small Artisan Producer Award and Deli Chef’s Signature Dish and these awards will continue for 2014.

Since 1994, Great Taste has been organised by The Guild of Fine Food and over the last 20 years almost 80,000 products have been blind tasted by judges including top restaurateurs, chefs, food critics, fine food retailers, buyers and cookery writers. 

What do Great Taste Judges look for?

They look for great texture and appearance. They judge the quality of ingredients and how well the maker has put the food or drink together. But above all, they look for truly great taste. Working in small teams, experts taste 20 foods in each sitting, discussing each product as a coordinating food writer transcribes their comments directly onto the Great Taste website which producers access after judging is completed. 

Over the years, numerous food businesses, start-ups and well-established producers have been advised how to modify their foods and have subsequently gone on to achieve star status. 

Any food that a judging team believes is worthy of a star is judged by at least two further teams. Only when there is a consensus will a star be awarded. For 3-stars, judges attending the session, which can be as many as 30 experts must overwhelmingly agree the food delivers that indescribable ‘wow’ factor. 




Irish Food producers did really well in last year with 496 Irish products being awarded Gold Stars. 16 Irish products received 3-Gold Stars, 61 products received 2-Gold Stars and 419 received 1-Gold Star. Those who recieved 3-Gold Stars were Corleggy Cheese, Burren Smokehouse Organic Salmon, Stonewell Cider, Kilcree Gold Organic Honey, Abbey Farm Gooseberry Preserve, William Carr & Sons Smoked Mackerel, Newgrange Gold Camelina Oil, Cashel Blue Cheese, Duncannon Smokehouse Oak Smoked Haddock, Wilkie's Organic Chocolate & Ardrahan Cheese.

If you are a supplier of speciality food and drink to delicatessens, farm shops, food halls and other 
independent retailers, the Guild of Fine Food could help you promote your products to a wider 
market outside of Ireland. Membership is also open to food producers based outside the UK and the membership fees are:
  • If turnover is below £1m, cost is: £110.00 (+VAT) Total is: £132.
  • If turnover is £1m+ cost is: £210.00 (+VAT) Total is: £252.
  • If based outside the UK with a turnover below £1m cost is: £145.
  • If based outside the UK with a turnover over £1m cost is: £245.
Remember, members can enter two weeks before anyone else!
You can download an Application Form for Membership as a Food Producer to the Guild of Fine Foods here: http://www.finefoodworld.co.uk/downloads/2014%20Producer%20membership.pdf
where they also free and reduced cost benefits which might help you break into UK and Overseas markets.

Zack


الأربعاء، 15 يناير 2014

New Junior Chamber branch looking for young Business People in Donegal

Junior Chamber International Ireland (JCI) have decided to start a new JCI branch in Donegal. They are having an Official Donegal launch on Thursday the 16th of January in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, at 7.30pm. 

JCI Ireland is nearly 60 years old and is part of the largest personal and leadership development organisation for young people in the world. JCI internationally is nearly 100 years old. It provides a range of activities and projects in 4 opportunity areas: Individual, Community, International and Business.




JCI Ireland runs activities throughout the year, including The Outstanding Young Person award, Friendly Business Awards and Active Citizenship Week. JCI is a place where young leaders and entrepreneurs meet, learn and grow. JCI Donegal is seeking young people in their 20’s and 30’s who are dynamic and enthusiastic, motivated and interested in increasing their exploitable skills set.

Members come from all walks of life; from university students to corporate executives, from self employed professionals and business people to employees of multinationals or state organisations, but all share a common goal in terms of self improvement and contribution to society.


National President of JCI Ireland, Derek Reilly 

Derek Reilly National President of JCI Ireland commented “We wanted to expand JCI into many different counties. Donegal was an obvious choice as it has a wealth of young motivated people who I know could make a great contribution to JCI. Getting involved with JCI offers an ideal opportunity for individuals to expand both their personal and professional networks, to get involved and give something back to the community, to have fun and to develop the skills to help them in their personal and professional life. I would urge young people in Donegal to get involved as JCI can bring many great opportunities to them.”

Getting involved with JCI offers an ideal opportunity for individuals to expand both their personal and professional networks, to get involved and give something back to the community, to have fun and to develop the skills to help them in their personal and professional life.

Along with a wide variety of projects and training opportunities, JCI offer a wide variety of training programmes that members can avail of. Recent examples include public speaking and debating, sales training, interviewing techniques and time management seminars among others. This is complemented by an array of social events including bowling, barbecues, quiz nights, ballroom dancing, surfing and photography classes, so there’s something for almost anyone.


So if you are between 18 and 40 and feel you would like to get involved in JCI in Donegal get along to the launch night in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, at 7.30pm.

For more information contactderekreillyirl@gmail.com or call 086-6839709. 
You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JciDonegal
LinkedIn and Twitter @jciDonegal

Zack


الأحد، 12 يناير 2014

WIN an Irish Whiskey Haggis from McCarthys of Kanturk

Jack McCarthy and his son Tim (the fifth generation of butcher in the family to run the shop) have become one of Ireland’s most prominent and celebrated meat producers. Their meats have won many national & international food awards.




McCarthy's Blackpudding has received acclaim from La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin (the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding). This gave them the highest achievement of any participant in Europe at the event. They received Gold awards for le boudin traditionelle and le boudin a grilliere and the Bronze was for le boudin creatif. It was even served to the Queen at the banquet on her visit to Ireland.

Medal from the La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin


Jack and Tim use traditional techniques but are always leading the field with innovative new food ideas and they have become some of Ireland’s most prominent and celebrated meat producers. Jack developed their "Boars Head" pudding in 2010 and it was named in honour of Kanturk, "Ceann Tuirc" means the head of the Boar in Gaelic.

Jack & Tim McCarthy are some of Ireland's best known Butchers

For several years Jack has been developing his Haggis range. This is a traditional Scottish dish that combines meats, spices and oatmeal. A traditional recipe for haggis would involve the boiled and minced liver, lungs and heart of a sheep mixed with chopped onions, toasted oatmeal, salt, pepper, and spices. The mixture would then be stuffed into the cleaned sheep’s stomach, sewn up and then boiled gently for several hours.

Jack has developed his own special recipe and he won't even tell me what it is!

The Haggis has now become quite popular outside Scotland and is particularly served around January 25th every year to celebrate Burn's Night, in memory of the Scottish poet Robert Burns - click here for info.


Haggis stacked with mashed turnips and potatoes (neeps & tatties)


The dish is usually served with "neeps and tatties" which are mashed turnip and potatoes, a whiskey sauce, a few readings of some poetry and copious amounts of whiskey to toast the Haggis!

Here's your chance to WIN an Irish Whiskey Haggis from McCarthys of Kanturk!




Jack & Tim have kindly offered us a whopping 3kg Irish Whiskey Haggis as a prize for one lucky reader here on the Irish Food Guide Blog and will be delivered to the winner in time for Burns Night, which is celebrated on January 25th.

Sorry but This competition is open for delivery to residents of Ireland and the UK only.

To enter, you must click the button below to
LIKE the McCarthys of Kanturk Facebook Page


AND you must leave a comment here at the bottom of this post.

The winner will be picked by random number generator on Sunday 19th of January. Thanks to Jack & Tim for this wonderful prize. For more from these famous Irish Butchers see www.jackmccarthy.ie

Good luck everyone!
Zack

UPDATE!
And the Winner is..... Kat Laing. I'll be in contact today. Congrats.

الأربعاء، 8 يناير 2014

schwarze reisnudeln mit zucchini und rote beete an basilikumpesto







































endlich gibts mal wieder etwas salziges von uns! dafür das wir oft nudeln essen haben wir euch bisher erstaunlich wenig davon gezeigt...aber bevor es zum rezept geht noch folgende erfreuliche nachricht: omlette-ed, die marke von der wir unsere schönen salz- und pfefferstreuer haben, hat neulich eines unserer fotos auf ihrer facebook-seite gepostet. wir freuen uns und sagen danke!
außerdem gibts bei pilot leonie  eine blogvorstellung, vielleicht habt ihr ja auch lust mitzumachen.
jetzt aber zu den leckeren nudeln!



zutaten ( für 2 pers. ) :
200g schwarze reisnudeln (glutenfrei von terrasana)
1 zucchini
1 kleine rote beete
1 tl thymian (frisch oder getrocknet)
1 rosmarinzweig
1 el sesam
1 tl honig
1-2 el (ziegen)frischkäse
olivenöl

pesto
10-15 basilikumblätter
1 knoblauchzehe
olivenöl

für das pesto öl, basilikumblätter, etwas salz und eine knoblauchzehe pürieren. lieber mit etwas weniger öl anfangen und dann nach und nach mehr dazugeben.

zucchini waschen und mit einem julienne-schäler zu streifen verarbeiten. rote beete schälen, in ca. 0,5-1,0cm dicke scheiben schneiden und in einem topf mit wasser für ca.5-10 bissfest kochen, dann abgiessen. währenddessen nudelwasser mit salz für die nudeln aufsetzen. in einer pfanne 2-3el olivenöl erwärmen und darin die zucchinistreifen mit etwas thymian und zum schluss salz anbraten (geht ziemlich schnell - ca. 5min). zucchinistreifen vorrübergehend in einer abgedeckten schüssel warmstellen. nudeln ins nudelwasser geben (achtung – diese reisnudeln brauchen nur ein paar min) . rote beete scheiben in streifen schneiden und in der leeren zucchinipfanne für 3-5min mit etwas öl, 1tl honig, sesam, dem rosmarinzweig und salz knackig anbraten. nudeln abgiessen, mit einem teil des pestos vermengen und auf den tellern anrichten. in der pfanne kurz noch einmal zucchini und rote beete nebeneinander erwärmen und auf die nudeln geben. ein bisschen ziegenfrischkäse obenauf und evt. noch etwas pesto.





english version

ingredients ( for 2 pers. ) :
200g black rice noodles (glutenfree from terrasana)
1 zucchini
1 small beetroot
1 tsp thyme (dried or fresh)
1 rosemary sprig
1 tbsp sesame
1 tsp honey
1-2 tbsp fresh(goat)cheese
olive oil
pesto
10-15 basil leaves
1 garlic clove
olive oil

for the pesto blend basil, garlic, olive oil and some salt. start with less oil and add step by step more.
wash zucchini and cut with the julienne-peeler into stripes. peel beetroot, cut in 0,5-1,0cm thick slices and cook for 5-10min until firm, pour off water. meanwhile bring salted water to boil for the noodles. warm up some olive oil in a pan and fry the zucchini-stripes with the thyme and some salt (quite fast – ca. 5min). put the zucchini stripes in a covered bowl beside for a few min. add noodles to the water (theese rice noodles only take a few min). cut beetroot into stripes and fry for 3-5min in the empty zucchini-pan with some oil, 1tsp honey, sesame, 1 rosemary sprig and a dash of salt. drain the noodles, mix with some pesto and arrange them on the plates. warm up again the zucchini-stripes in the pan besides the beetroot and place them on the noodles. add some fresh (goat)cheese and pesto on top.


الثلاثاء، 7 يناير 2014

The 20 Best Irish Food Finds to Watch Out For in 2014

I don't review restaurants. There are enough people out there who feel qualified to do so and therefore I don't get involved in that aspect of Irish Food. What I do, is simply share information and news about food in Ireland so that others can discover new foods, learn more about modern Irish food and make up their own mind.

I am passionate about buying as much from local people as you can and I really believe that shopping at a local market must become a regular part of our weekly shop, as happens in France and many other countries. I love helping build up our own Leghowney Country Market here in Donegal and I do what I can to encourage people to buy Irish and buy local.

Over the last few years, buying local and supporting local food enterprises has finally become recognised by Irish consumers as being vitally important to the rest of the economy. This has helped the development of more country markets & farmers markets as people realise that local money, spent locally, stays local. It means that people can take their passion for baking or making their favourite food product to a new level and generate a business from it. It means people are returning to living as part of a community.

Most of Ireland's growing artisan food brands started off at local markets. In the close-knit community that surrounds a market, artisan food entrepreneurs are able to develop their product and streamline their decision-making based on honest opinions from regular customers. This also helps to make the products being offered for sale at a market be of the highest quality possible within a shorter product-development time frame. The food producer will quickly find their optimum price position too, as regular customers that love your product won't be long telling you if it's value for money or not!


For the last few years, over the Christmas & New Year period, I have posted out a question on Twitter.
"What was your Irish Food Find of 2013? #BestIrishFood" went out this year and I had an truly amazing response which I have again whittled down to the twenty most regularly mentioned replies. 

The responses from people all over the country are varied and show a definite confidence in Irish taste buds to try new products. You will see some great new food products and also recognise some familiar names that are growing in popularity though are still only being discovered by many, for the first time. 





In this year's Best Irish Food Finds over 80% of the food products, as recommended by Irish food lovers that responded to my Twitter Question, started off in Farmers & Country Markets around the island of Ireland. This is wonderful news for the future of new Irish Food producers, their products and food markets. 

There were many replies which named restaurants or food shops as favourite finds, but in this particular list we only concentrate on the food product and its producers. County Cork, the acknowledged home of the Irish Artisan Food Revival, shines well in this year's list. One name kept popping up again and again, over the last 10 days, as the food find most requested by so many people around the country - we will, of course, save that for last :)

Remember, this is based on Irish Twitter replies of your favourite food finds! I have included web-links in the product name, the county of origin & the Twitter name or phone number of the producer.




And so, in alphabetical order, 

The 20 Best Irish Food Finds to Watch Out For in 2014 are:




Arbutus Bread Cork Co. Cork @ArbutusBread




Castlefarm Shamrock Cheese Co. Kildare Phone 087-6785269






Firehouse Bakery Wicklow/Cork    @firehousebread


















The Scullery Roast Corn Relish Co. Tipperary   Phone 0861744402






And so, based on the huge number of your replies, mentions and requests for it on Twitter by Food Lovers all over Ireland...


The Best Irish Food Find To Watch Out For in 2014
 is...

The Real Italian Foodies sauce range was launched in April 2013 by Lorraine Fanneran & Bruno Coppola from the kitchen of their small but award-winning casual dining restaurant, La Cucina, which is situated at University Court, Castletroy in Limerick.

The sauce recipes are based on some of Bruno's old family recipes and their snappy modern branding has captured the imagination of youthful & modern palate-educated food lovers all over Ireland, with it's tag line of "Be Eatalian About Life"!

The couple are looking forward to a busy year ahead of them with plans to extend the range as they build the Real Italian Foodies into a nationally recognised brand. This should attract lots of attention from the smarter multiples as the brand should sit easily in both the ready-to-use and the artisan food aisles. 
Congrats Guys!

I wish you all a Happy & Prosperous New Year of Irish Food!
Zack