Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards 2015 culminate this weekend!

The Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards 2015 culminate this weekend with Finalists Judging tomorrow (Thursday 1st October).

Now in their 8th year, the Blas na hEireann (which means Taste of Ireland) Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. Over 2500 products have been entered into this year’s competition to win Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in over 90 food and drink categories as well as key awards such as Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.


A Blas na hEireann accreditation has been researched to show the highest recognition amongst Irish consumers and using the award logo on product packs really does encourage shoppers to buy these great products. It is a guarantee of a top quality Irish product.

Blas na hEireann  takes place annually on the first weekend in October, 1st – 4th October 2015. Set against the backdrop of the Dingle Peninsula Food Festival the awards and events throughout the weekend are a fantastic opportunity to meet with producers, trade and press.

The Blas Awards and the Dingle Peninsula Food Festival is an event which has grown to be one of the most recognised and well attended food events in Ireland. In the past few years the first weekend in October has become a critical date in the food industry’s calendar. in 2014 this Irish Food Networking event was attended by over 200 producers with buyers and press from all over Ireland, the UK & US!

Most importantly, the Blas na hEireann awards and the Dingle Food Festival have retained a sense of informality while becoming a key business event.

There is a real sense of the pressure that the food producers are under when you attend the awards ceremony. Everyone in the room knows that winning a Blas na hEireann Award, whether it is Gold, Silver or Bronze, can help launch a new product and boost sales of an existing line. And that is what awards the Blas are all about - helping passionate people with wonderful food products to reach new customers.

I'm delighted to have been asked to be one of the Finalists Judges again this year and I write this as I sit in the Dingle Benner Hotel. If you're coming down to Dingle for the Blas na hEireann Awards and/or the Dingle Peninsula Food Festival, do try to get around as much of it as you can, if you can!

Food Festivals all over Ireland have come to understand the power of social media in helping to get the word out about their event and so you can:
Follow the Blas na hEireann Awards on Twitter at @BlasNahEireann
Follow the Dingle Peninsula Food Festival on Twitter at @DingleFoodFest
And of course you can Follow me on Twitter at @IrishFoodGuide

For more details on the Blas na hEireann Awards see www.IrishFoodAwards.com
For more details on the Dingle Food Festival see www.DingleFood.com

Kelly’s Butchers of Newport open new Black Pudding factory

Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire performed the official opening of a 6,000 square foot manufacturing facility at Kelly’s Butchers in Newport, Co. Mayo, on Friday 25th September 2015.

The affable Cavan chef has been a longstanding supporter of Kelly’s Butchers and their products. The new manufacturing unit represents an investment of €1 million. It trebles the capacity of the previous facility and leaves Kelly’s Butchers poised to sell into new and bigger markets both at home and abroad. The Kelly family would like to thank South West Mayo Development Company and Mayo LEO for supporting this expansion project.

“I’ve used Kelly’s puddings not only in my restaurant but all over the world from Dubai to the USA", said Neven Maguire, speaking in the very appropriately black and white themed marquee, “I love their consistency and their quality – you can taste the passion the Kellys put into their food. Through that they’ve put Newport, Mayo and Ireland on the map and I’m delighted to be here today to celebrate with them."

“This is a very proud day for the Kelly family”, said Seán Kelly, “It’s the culmination of our family’s work since my father opened the first butchers shop here back in the 1930s. His name, Dominic Kelly, is still over the door.”

The ribbon on the new manufacturing facility was cut by Seán’s mother-in-law, 95 year old Mamie Marley, ably assisted by Neven Maguire.

The new facility will be used to manufacture Kelly’s award winning puddings and sausages. It will hugely increase the manufacturing capacity and will allow Kelly’s to supply customers all over the island of Ireland as well as the UK market. Kelly’s are already supplying customers in major UK cities, and are now able to respond to the increasing demand.

Kelly’s Butchers are a phenomenal success story in the West of Ireland; their turnover has increased steadily year on year and this is expected to continue into the future. Several jobs have already been created by Kelly’s Butchers and they expect to take on more staff over the next year. This will bring their employee numbers to 22.

“We would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported Kelly’s Butchers”, said Seán Kelly, “Every person who chooses Kelly’s Black Pudding or sausages for their breakfast is doing their bit towards creating and sustaining jobs in Ireland.” 

Stuffed Saddle of Rabbit with Serrano Ham and Kelly's Black Pudding
from Sage Restaurant, Westport

Indeed Kelly’s Puddings are seen in all sorts of guises in literally every course of every meal – even in desserts. Seán Kelly has been credited as the man who took black pudding off the breakfast table and put it on the dinner table.

Gerry O’Neill, CEO of South West Mayo Development Company said, “This is another step in the evolution of the Kelly brand which is such a hallmark of success. We are delighted to have supported this project, particularly as it supports rural employment and uses local skills. We wish the Kellys well in their future.”

Michael Holmes, Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, recalled bygone days on the football field with Seán Kelly, saying, “Seán always played at the front, he was always moving forward and he still is. He and the family have always been very progressive and have always been more than generous in helping their community as well. It’s a fantastic day for them and for Newport.”

Tanya Whyte, Business Advisor with Mayo LEO who has special responsibility for food, noted that ‘The Kellys are significant employers in Newport and important to the community. I see three reasons for their success: hard work, innovation and excellence in marketing.”

A special presentation was made to the Kelly family by Peter Hynes, Mayo County Manager of a commemorative scroll for Mayo Day created by artist Fionntan Gogarty. Mr Hynes said, “Kelly’s Black Pudding is being consumed everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires and everywhere in between. I wish them every success with their new venture and into what looks like a very bright future.”

Sean Kelly presents the cheque to Caroline Leneghan Mc Manamon

Seán Kelly presented a cheque for €3,000 to Cystic Fibrosis West. This is from sales of the book of Kelly’s Puddings recipes, entitled ‘The Proof is in the Pudding’ which was launched last year and is on sale in Kelly’s shop. Caroline McMenamen of Cystic Fibrosis West thanked the Kelly family for their support saying, “This money will all go towards the new clinic in Castlebar”, she also noted, “It’s very appropriate that Neven Maguire is here beside me today – one of his recipes is in the ‘Proof is in the Pudding’ book.”

Kelly’s Butchers produce and sell award winning black and white puddings and six varieties of speciality sausages. Awards include Blás na hÉireann, Great Taste Awards, Business Achievers Award and many butchers’ awards. Kellys also manufacture the ‘Putóg’, a traditional farmhouse black pudding. Kelly’s products are available through their shop and in hundreds of outlets around Ireland and the UK. 

Their products will soon be available online as well, through a new website which will launch in the next few weeks at www.kellysbutchers.com

Zack

October 24th is "International Bake Bread for Peace" Day

"Bake Bread For Peace has the potential to become a global movement and an international initiative made up of individuals who wish to bring peace, harmony, neighbourliness and a sense of community to those around them and to the world they live in."

International Bake Bread for Peace Day was born out of a passion for humanity, in 2014, by a Baker and Storyteller from Glenties, Co. Donegal, named Breezy Kelly.

The aim of Bake Bread for Peace is to bring people together in a celebration of everything communal and good through one of the most common and basic activities that humanity shares all over the world – Baking Bread. 

Baking bread together as a sign of peaceful intentions is a world-wide costume, common to cultures around the globe and it is the main aim of Bake Bread for Peace to bring the costume into communities and to strengthen it where already present.

“What must you break apart in order to bring a family close together? 

Bread of course.” - Jodi Picoult, Storyteller.

"We are all at a loss for words to describe our sadness about the dis-ease in the world at present and things seem to be going from bad to worse", said Breezy. "We hear talks of ceasefire, talks, talks and more talks but the madness goes on. The world wide chaos is so terrible that we try to ignore it, bury our heads in the sand and hope that it will go away, we feel helpless that there seems to be nothing we can do and yet we want to do something."

Breaking Bread together is a universal sign of peace, it is something we can do together, no blaming, no making anyone right or wrong, just baking and sharing bread to reach out in peace and for peace. Together we can make a difference. 

Join in on October 24th for "International Bake Bread for Peace Day", get your thinking hats on, create an event in your area, in your kitchen, in your local school, it's up to you. Share your ideas, send photos, advertise your events, spread the word far and wide that we want Peace! 

Bake Bread for Peace is not an organization, it does not raise funds, it does not have a CEO, managers, or accountants. It is solely based on people taking the initiative and creating events in their own locality. It is based on communication and creative thinking shared between individuals across the world that have the same aim – to bring people together and share their love for Baking Bread and for Peace.

Breezy Kelly (aka Breezy Willow) is a native of Glenties in Co. Donegal. She has been involved in promoting the ancient tradition of home-baking for over 15 years. For over a decade she was included in the Heritage in Schools scheme which is run by the Heritage council and the I.N.T.O.

Breezy comes from a background where traditions were very important and it was her realisation that these traditions are fast disappearing that prompted her to launch “Sillybucks”, a project whose aim is to collect and record stories, songs, recipes and cooking methods of days gone by.

In 2006 she published a collection of traditional recipes – “Bread, Scones, Stories & Songs” – which is now in the process of its 3rd print. In 2013 she was involved in organizing and facilitating ‘Born and Bread’ project, as part of the ‘One Donegal Cultural Diversity Month’.

Breezy came up with the idea for “Bake Bread for Peace” in 2014 and on October 24th of the same year she organized the first “Bake Bread for Peace” day. Working mainly through social-media, she encouraged countless individuals, in Ireland and abroad, to share their wishes for world-Peace and bring their neighbours and communities together through the ancient and Peaceful activity of baking Bread together.

Breezy Kelly, with her dog Sheila, Baking Bread for Peace around the world

During 2015 Breezy, along with her wee dog Sheila, a bag of bread soda and a tub of Bextartar has taken to the roads of Ireland, north and south, to share the idea of Bake Bread for Peace. During her journey she was hosted by various individuals and families and wherever she stayed she organized an evening of baking, songs and stories, encouraging her hosts to invite family and friends and to turn the evening into a celebration of Peace, unity and neighbourliness.

Breezy believes that although Bake Bread for Peace Day is now becoming an established date in many individual calendars, it is in fact an ongoing, year-long event. "It is a philosophy, a universal wish, an urge to make a positive change in the world that we are all invited and welcome to take part in."

Breezy wishes to encourage those who wish to organize an evening of Baking, Songs & Stories to contact her. She believes, "Think globally – Act locally, Peace begins at home. All that is required is an invitation, and baking ingredients. Together we can create an evening of Bread, Scones, Stories & Songs and most importantly, Peace and neighbourliness".

For More info about "International Bake Bread for Peace Day" and pictures and recipes of bread posted by people from all around the world, visit: https://www.facebook.com/bakebreadforpeace
and you can also contact Breezy at   breezy.willow@hotmail.com

Zack

Irish National Bread Week starts 4th October

From 4th – 10th October 2015, National Bread Week will be calling on the nation to ‘Love Your Loaf’ and celebrate one of Ireland’s favourite foods – Bread! The week is organised by Ireland’s bakers, who make the fantastic range of great tasting breads for us to enjoy every day. Whatever kind of loaf you prefer, be it Soda Bread, Sour Dough, Batch Loaf, Fruit Bracks or simply Sliced Pan – Irish Bread has so much to offer and is arguably the best in the world!

National Bread Week celebrates Irish Bread and aims to encourage consumers to love bread and its heritage and versatility and is organised by FCBA (Flour Confectioners and Bakers Association)

The week-long celebration, which is being supported by TV chef and author Rachel Allen, will highlight the heritage, value and versatility of bread, and dispel some of the myths about breads. Irish bread is steeped in history and tradition and has been part of our culture for hundreds of years and is definitely something we should all be proud of. 

Imagine breakfast without toast, a picnic without sandwiches or soup without soda bread – bread has a part to play in every meal and is also one of the most versatile foods there is. Registered Dietitian Dr Mary McCrery, explains that bread also has a valuable role to play as part of a healthy balanced diet: 

“National Bread Week is a great opportunity to correct some of the confusion there is about bread. For example, many of the facts quoted about bread are based on American bread which is completely different in its composition, particularly its sugar content, to the healthier style Irish bread. Contrary to popular belief bread is good for us – providing protein, folic acid and many nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.”

To find out more about Irish Bread and National Bread Week visit www.nationalbreadweek.ie. There you will find a host of information all about bread as well as details of participating bakeries around the country. Make sure you join in and Love Your Loaf this autumn!

Follow the campaign on Twitter @loveyourloaf and like them at www.facebook.com/nationalbreadweek.

Zack

see also our story about  International Bake Bread For Peace Day

Macarons variations: blueberry-vanllia & vanilla-elderberry

first of all: thank you so much for all your lovely words and your support for our last post! it means a lot to us and we are more than happy that you like our cake stand as well!! we are still so excited and can't wait to share more news with you soon.

but let's talk about today's recipe now: believe it or not, but we made macarons for the first time! 

the original recipe is from our friend linda's first book and it worked out so well!! we changed the flavours a little bit and made one version with blueberry and vanilla and one with elderberry and vanilla. we love the elderberry-season so much and could eat elderberries with almost everything right now. the best thing is, that they boost your immune system, because they contain a lot of vitamin c, which is so helpful around this time of the year when almost everyone get's a cold. 

another favorite ingredient  is the blueberry powder that we brought from our holiday's in denmark. everything looks even more beautiful with that powder on top, you have to stop us at some point when we start using it in almost every new recipe. there is also a golden powder (christmas is coming soon) just to warn you already :D

we hope you enjoy the recipe and have a lovely day!

 

ingredients for the macarons-shells:

100-110g egg whites (we took 102g)

100g ground almonds

200g powdered sugar

4 tbsp sugar

1 vanilla bean

1,5 tsp blueberry powder (or gel food coloring for the blueberry-vanilla-macarons; our blueberry-powder is from mill&mortar)

vanilla-white-chocolate-cream:

60g white chocolate

1 vanilla bean

75g heavy cream

elderberry cream:

150ml elderberry juice (incl. some lemon juice if you like and can tolerate citrus)

65g white chocolate

80ml heavy cream

1 pk agar-agar

prepare the macarons-shells:

separate the eggs the day before you will use them, cover the eggwhites with clingfilm and leave outside the fridge so they will have room temperature. line two baking sheets with silicone macaron-mats or baking parchment (you can draw 2-euro-coin circles (about 1-inch) on the baking parchment - leave some space between circles).

blend ground almonds and powdered sugar and process in a food processor until finely ground. sift through a sieve and put away the grainy remains. beat the egg whites until foamy, then add gradually the sugar and vanilla pulp - beat 3-4min longer. fold in the almond-powdered sugar mix with a silicone spatula or similar, fill about half of the batter into another mixing bowl and fold in the blueberry powder. stir the batter slowly until it looks like a thick paste and runs in a thick ribbon from the the spatula (don´t stir too much!). fill the blueberry batter into a decoration bag with a round decorating tip (7-9mm-ø) (cover the tip with clingfilm, so the batter cannot leak while you fill the decorating bag) and start to pipe the batter on the baking parchment (or silicone mat - pipe in the size of the circle, then they should "melt" a bit and increase their size). then stir the vanilla-macaron-batter and fill into another decorating bag and pipe on the other baking parchment. let the batter on the baking sheets rest for 30-60min until a "skin" has formed. preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius (we took 140 degrees - depends on your oven) and bake the one baking sheet after the other for 11-13min (check constantly after 11min, so the macarons don´t get too brown - press lightly on the top, if the skin feels stable and is not cracking they are done). let cool down completely before you remove them from the baking parchment. 

vanilla cream:

chop the white chocolate finely. stir the vanilla pulp in the heavy cream and let boil. let cool down for 1min, then pour over the chopped chocolate and stir with a whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and you have a nice smooth cream. let the cream chill for a while, then fill into a decorating bag with round tip and fill the blueberry-macarons (twist the shells a bit when you press them together). 

dust with some blueberry powder and allow to mature overnight in the fridge. 

elderberry cream:

chop the white chocolate finely. let the heavy cream boil, then cool down for 1min. pour over the chopped chocolate and stir with a whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and you have a nice smooth cream. stir the agar-agar into 100ml elderberry juice and boil for 1min, let cool down for a moment, then stir in the remaining 50ml elderberry juice, then the white chocolate cream. let the cream chill for a while until it turns a bit more firm, then fill into a decorating bag with round tip and fill the vanilla-macarons (twist the shells a bit when you press them together). allow to mature overnight in the fridge. 

german translation

als allererstes: tausend dank euch für die lieben worte und eure unterstützung zu unserem letzten post!!

es bedeutet uns wirklich viel und wir sind mehr als glücklich, dass euch unser kuchenständer so gut gefällt. wir sind immer noch ganz aufgeregt und können es kaum erwarten bald weitere neuigkeiten mit euch zu teilen.

aber jetzt zum heutigen rezept: ob ihr's glaubt oder nicht, wir haben tatsächlich zum ersten mal macarons gemacht!

das basis rezept ist aus dem ersten buch unserer freundin linda und es hat natürlich wunderbar funktioniert! wir haben die geschmacksrichtungen etwas geändert und eine version mit blauber-vanille und eine andere version mit holunderbeer-vanille kreiert. wir sind gerade ganz verrückt nach holunder und könnten momentan fast jedes gerricht damit veredeln. das beste ist, dass holunder auch noch das immunsystem stärkt, da die beeren so viel vitamin c enthalten. sehr praktisch, wo es jetzt so langsam kühler wird uns fast jeder erkältet ist. 

noch ein lieblingszutat momentan ist das blaubeer puder, welches wir von unserer reise nach dänemark mitgebracht haben.

alles sieht einfach noch viel schöner aus mit blaubeerpulver! ihr müsst uns stoppen falls wir anfangen sollten, das pulver in jedem unserer neuen rezepte zu verwenden. wir haben übrigens auch ein goldenes puder (weihnachten steht ja schon fast vor der tür) gekauft, nur um euch schon mal vorzuwarnen :D

wir hoffen ihr lasst euch die macarons gut schmecken und habt noch einen schönen tag ihr lieben!

macarons-variationen: blaubeer-vanille & vanille-holunderbeer

(das grundrezept stammt aus linda lomelino´s wunderbarem kochbuch "torten")

zutaten macarons-schalen:

100-110g eiweiss (wir haben genau 102g verwendet)

100g gemahlene mandeln

200g puderzucker

4 el zucker

1 vanilleschote

1,5 tl blaubeerpulver (o. pastenfarbe für die blaubeer-vanille-macarons; gibt es von der marke mill&mortar)

weiss vanille-schoko-creme:

60g weisse schokolade

1 vanilleschote

75g konditorsahne

holundercreme:

150ml holundersaft (inkl. etwas zitronensaft wer mag und darf)

65g weisse schokolade

80ml konditorsahne

1 pck agaranta

macarons-schalen backen:

eier einen tag vorher trennen und mit abgedeckter frischhaltefolie bei raumtemperatur stehen lassen.

entweder mit einer silikon-macarons-backmatte (2x stück) arbeiten oder backpapier (man kann mit einem 2euro-stück kreise mit einem bleistift vorzeichnen - etwas abstand lassen; für 2 backbleche vorbereiten).

mandeln mit puderzucker mischen und in 2 portionen in einem universalzerkleinerer o.ä. feiner mahlen und nochmals durch ein feines sieb sieben. körnige reste weglassen. eiweiss 4-5min steif schlagen und nach 1min den zucker und das vanillemark während des schlagens einrieseln lassen. mandel-puderzucker-mischung mit einem teigspatel unterheben, etwa die hälfte in eine zweite schüssel füllen und das blaubeerpulver unterheben. masse mehrmals mit dem teigspatel rühren bis er breiig und dickflüssig vom spatel läuft (aber nicht zu flüssig verrühren!). blaubeer-schnee in eine spritztülle mit rundem aufsatz (ca. 7-9mm-ø) füllen (die spritztülle mit frischhaltefolie und einem gummi o.ä. abdecken solange man die spritztülle befült) und auf das vorbereitete backpapier (oder silikon-macarons-matte) spritzen (in größe der 2euro-kreise spritzen, dann sollten sie etwas breiter verlaufen). dann den vanille-schnee rühren und ebenfalls mit einem spritzbeutel auf das zweite backblech spritzen. backbleche für 30-60min ruhen lassen bis sich eine haut auf den macarons gebildet hat. ofen auf 150grad (wir haben 140grad erwärmt - von ofen zu ofen unterschiedlich) vorheizen und ein blech nach dem anderen für 11-13min backen (nach 11min immer wieder prüfen, dass sie macarons nicht braun werden - mit dem finger leicht andrücken, wenn die oberseite sich fester anfühlt, sind sie fertig). komplett abkühlen lassen bevor man sie vom backpapier löst.

vanillecreme:

weisse schokolade fein hacken. vanillemark in konditorsahne einrühren und aufkochen, dann 1min abkühlen lassen und in einer kleinen metallschale über die gehackte schokolade giessen. masse mit einem schneebesen verrühren bis sie zu einer creme wird. creme etwas abkühlen lassen, dann in einen spritzbeutel füllen und blaubeer-macarons-hälften befüllen (macaronshälften beim zusammendrücken leicht drehen). mit etwas blaubeerpulver bestreuen und in den kühlschrank am besten über nacht stellen zum durchziehen.

holunderbeerencreme:

schokolade fein hacken. konditorsahne aufkochen, dann 1min abkühlen lassen und in einer kleinen metallschale über die gehackte schokolade giessen. masse mit einem schneebesen verrühren bis sie zu einer creme wird. jetzt agaranta in 100ml holunderbeerensaft einrühren und 1min aufkochen, kurz abkühlen lassen, dann restliche 50ml saft einrühren, dann schokoladencreme. masse abkühlen lassen bis sie fester geworden ist, dann in spritztülle füllen und vanille-macarons-hälften befüllen (macaronshälften beim zusammendrücken leicht drehen). in den kühlschrank am besten über nacht stellen zum durchziehen.

We made a cake stand with nutsandwoods & a glutenfree elderberry-pear-hazelnut cake

today we have exciting news with you to share: WE MADE A CAKE STAND!! together with our friend philipp from NUTSANDWOODS we designed this beautiful cake stand. it's made out of solid oakwood and it's handcrafted. we were looking for a simple and beautiful wooden cake stand for a really long time (at least here in germany it's crazy difficult to find one) and then finally had the idea together with philipp to design one by ourselves. we met philipp almost a year ago now, when we bought our oak-kitchen table from him and already a few month later we worked together for the first time when we made the pictures for his online shop. all his products are timeless pieces of beauty, exactly as our cake stand. 

so what do you think guys?? we hope we make you as much as happy as we were, when we had the first prototype in our hands. here is the ONLINE-SHOP, were you can buy it.

to celebrate the launch of our new little friend we invited philipp and his girlfriend alex - and nora made this delicious glutenfree elderberry-pear-hazelnut cake to inaugurate our new cake stand. the cake tasted amazing, the sun was shining as if it was still summer and we all sat under our pear tree and enjoyed this delicious cake and the fact that we made our first product together (more to come!). 

i know, i say this almost every time, when nora comes up with a new cake recipe, but seriously guys, this cake might be the most delicious one i ever ate! give it a try as long the elderberries are still in season and in best case enjoy it with our beautiful cake stand together as well :) happy sunday!

cake batter:

4 eggs

120g sugar

1 dash of salt

75g butter

75g cornstarch

2 tsp organic tartar baking powder

150g ground hazelnuts

elderberry cream:

100ml elderberry juice (unsweetened)

100g sugar

150g mascarpone

150g heavy cream

1 pk agar-agar (or 6g)

elderberry jelly:

150ml elderberry juice (unsweetened)

2g agar-agar (1/3 pck)

pear cinnamon cream:

160g pears (peeled & cored)

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

1/2 tsp cinnamon

120ml water

65g mascarpone

80g heavy cream

1 pk agar-agar (or 5-6g) 

buttercreme:

140g butter, room temperature

240g powdered sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

2-3 tbsp milk (optional)

decoration:

1 handful chopped hazelnuts

1-2 small pears

1-2 elderberry umbels

prepare the cake batter:

preheat oven to 175degrees celsius top/bottom heat. liquify butter plus salt in a small saucepan and let cool down for a moment. line a springform pan with baking parchment and grease the sides. separate eggs, beat egg whites half stiff. continue beating and gradually add half of the sugar. beat 1-2min longer. beat remaining sugar together with the egg yolks for 2min and fold the egg yolks gently in the beaten egg whites, then fold in the liquid butter. blend baking powder with the cornstarch and sieve in 3 portions to the egg mixture - stir in with a cooking spoon. then fold in the ground hazelnuts. fill the cake batter into the springform pan and bake for 45-50min on the middle oven rack, then let cool down the cake with opened oven door for 5-10min. afterwards place on a cooling rack and remove from springform pan after 10 more minutes. 

elderberry-cream:

boil down elderberry juice and sugar for 10min. whip the heavy cream and chill for a moment in the fridge. stir agar-agar in the elderberry syrup and boil for 1min (as said on packing instructions), then quickly fill into a mixing bowl and stir mascarpone in with a whisk. stir in whipped cream in 2-3 portions and let chill in the fridge to turn more firm (about 1hour or longer). in the meantime prepare the elderberry jelly & pear cream:

cut cake with a bread knife into 4 cake layers. stir agar-agar in the elderberry juice and boil for 1min, let cool down for a moment until it starts to jelly and spread then on the second cake layer. peel, core and quarter pears. cook them together with the water, sugar, vanilla pulp, vanilla bean and cinnamon for 5-10min until tender. sieve the juice, remove vanilla bean, dice pear quarters and place them back in the sieve, so all juice can drain from the pears. whip heavy cream and let cool in the fridge for a moment.  

measure 100ml pear juice and stir in the agar-agar. boil for 1min, fill quickly into a mixing bowl and mix in the mascarpone. fold in the whipped cream and in the end the pear dices. place in the fridge for 20min until the cream turns more firm, then spread on the cake layer on top of the elderberry jelly. let cool in the fridge. when the elderberry cream is firm enough, spread on the bottom cake layer and third cake layer and leave in the fridge until you´ve prepared the butter cream.

buttercreme: 

sieve powdered sugar. stir butter and vanille pulp for 1-2min with the dough hook of your hand mixer, then add gradually the powdered sugar. add some milk (by tablespoons), if the frosting is to firm. fill the buttercream into an piping bag with a round icing tip. put the cake layers on top of each other and fill the gasps between the cake layers with buttercream - the buttercream should oozes out a bit of the gasps. then smooth the sides with a spatula (if you have a cake stand, you can spin it slowly and hold the spatula still). spread the remaining butter on the cake top in circles and flatten with the spatula. leave the cake in the fridge 10min before you start serving and decorate with chopped hazelnuts, elderberries, small pears or similar.

german translation

heute haben wir aufregende neuigkeiten: wir haben unser erstes produkt designed, einen TORTENSTÄNDER!! zusammen mit unserem freund philipp von NUTSANDWOODS haben wir diesen wunderschönen tortenständer entworfen. er ist aus massivem eichenholz in liebevoller handarbeit gefertigt. wir waren wirklich sehr lange auf der suche nach einem schönen, simplen tortenständer aus holz (zumindest hier in deutschland ist es unglaublich schwer einen zu finden) und hatten dann endlich gemeinsam mit philipp die idee einen selbst zu designen. 

wir haben philipp fast vor einem jahr kennengelernt, als wir unseren eichen-tisch für die küche bei ihm gekauft haben und schon ein paar monate später haben wir das erste mal zusammen gearbeitet, als wir die fotos für seinen online-shop gemacht haben. all seine produkte sind zeitlose schönheiten, genau wie unser tortenständer. also was denkt ihr?? wir hoffen ihr seit genauso begeistert wie wir waren, als wir den ersten prototypen in den händen hielten. hier ist der ONLINE-SHOP wo man das schöne stück kaufen kann. 

um den launch von unserem neuen tortenständer zu feiern, haben wir philipp und seine freundin alex eingeladen und nora hat diesen köstlichen glutenfreien holunder-birnen-haselnuss kuchen gebacken.

der kuchen schmeckte himmlisch, die sonne schien als wäre immer noch sommer und wir saßen alle unter unserem birnenbaum und haben diesen köstlichen kuchen genossen und die tatsache, dass wir unser erstes produkt zusammen entworfen haben (es wir bald noch etwas dazukommen, aber dazu später mehr!).

ich weiß, ich sage das so gut wie immer, wenn nora einen neuen kuchen gebacken hat, aber ganz im ernst, das ist wirklich der leckerste kuchen den ich je gegessen habe! probiert das rezept unbedingt aus solange die holunderbeeren noch saison haben und im besten fall genießt den kuchen gleich mit unserem neuen tortenständer zusammen :)

habt einen wunderbaren sonntag ihr lieben! 

teig:
4 eier

120g zucker

1 prise salz

75g butter

75g speisestärke

2 tl weinsteinbackpulver

150g gemahlene haselnüsse

holundercreme:

100ml holunderbeersaft (muttersaft)

100g zucker

150g mascarpone

150g schlagsahne

1 pck agaranta (oder 6g)

holundergelee:

150ml holundersaft (muttersaft)

2 g agaranta (1/3 pck)

birnencreme:

160g birnen (geschält & entkernt)

2 el zucker

1/2 vanilleschote

1/2 tl zimt

120ml wasser

65g mascarpone

80g schlagsahne

1 pck. agaranta (o. 5-6g)

buttercreme:

140g butter, zimmertemperatur

240g puderzucker

1/2 vanilleschote

2-3 el milch (optional)

dekoration:

1 handvoll gehackte haselnüsse

1-2 kleine birnen

1-2 holunderbeerenzweige

teig vorbereiten:

ofen auf 175grad ober-/unterhitze vorheizen. butter mit salz in einem kleinen topf verflüssigen und kurz abkühlen lassen. den boden einer springform mit backpapier auslegen und die seiten buttern. eier trennen, eiweiss 2-3min zu eischnee aufschlagen - nach 1min die hälfte des zuckers einrieseln lassen. eigelb mit dem restlichen zucker cremig schlagen. eigelb unter den eischnee heben, dann abgekühlte butter unterheben. speisestärke und backpulver mischen und in 3 portionen unterheben. langsam gemahlene haselnüsse einrühren. teig in springform füllen und  45-50min backen, 5-10min bei geöffneter ofentür und abgeschaltetem ofen abkühlen lassen, dann auf einem kuchengitter abkühlen lassen und nach weiteren 10min aus der springform lösen. 

holunderbeeren-creme:

holunderbeerensaft mit zucker zum kochen bringen und 10min einreduzieren. schlagsahne aufschlagen und kurz in kühlschrank stellen. agar in holunderbeerensirup einrühren und 1min aufkochen, dann zügig in eine rührschüssel geben und mascarpone mit einem schneebesen einrühren. schlagsahne in 2-3 portionen einrühren. creme in den kühlschrank stellen und fester werden lassen (ca. 1h-2h).

in der zwischenzeit holundergelee & birnencreme zubereiten:

zunächst mit einem langen brotmesser den boden in 4 böden zerteilen.

agaranta in holunderbeerensaft einrühren und 1min aufkochen, kurz abkühlen lassen bis es anfängt fest zu werden, dann auf dem zweiten boden verteilen. birnen schälen, entkernen und vierteln. mit dem wasser, zucker, vanillemark, vanilleschote und zimt 5min weich kochen lassen. saft absieben, vanilleschote entfernen, birnen in kleine würfel schneiden und in einem sieb abtropfen lassen. schlagsahne aufschlagen und kurz in den kühlschrank stellen. 100ml saft abmessen und agaranta einrühren. 1min aufkochen, in rührschüssel umfüllen und mascarpone einrühren. schlagsahne unterheben, dann birnenstücke. 20min im kühlschrank fester werden lassen, dann creme auf dem holundergelee verteilen und boden in den kühlschrank stellen. wenn die holundercreme fester geworden ist, auf den untersten und zweitobersten boden verteilen und in den kühlschrank stellen bis man die buttercreme angerührt hat.

buttercreme: 

puderzucker sieben. butter und vanillemark mit dem knethaken 1-2min rühren, dann nach und nach puderzucker einrühren. falls das frosting noch sehr fest ist, kann man etwas milch (esslöffelweise) unterrühren. buttercreme in eine spritztülle mit rundem aufsatz füllen. tortenböden aufeinander setzen und in den zwischenlücken rundherum buttercreme verteilen, sodass ein bisschen buttercreme "hervorquillt". dann mit einem kuchenspachtel rundherum glätten (wenn ihr einen tortenständer habt einfach den tortenständer drehen und spachtel dabei gerade halten). restliche buttercreme auf dem tortendeckel verteilen und kreisum verstreichen. bis zum servieren in den kühlschrank stellen. mit gehackten haselnüssen, holunderbeeren, kleinen birnen o.ä. dekorieren.

Rockwell Catering College Reunion taking place this October

The Rockwell Hotel and Catering School, which had a major influence on traditional cooking and service in Ireland, is holding a Reunion for past students on Sunday 11th Oct 2015.

Rockwell was world renowned for training and turned out some of Ireland’s best chefs and waiters, many of whom work in top restaurants around the world today. The Catering College began in 1958 under the auspices of Bord Failte Eireann and was run by Mr. Jimmy Kelly.

Well-known past pupils include Martin Shanahan, TV chef and proprietor of Fishy Fishy in Kinsale Cork, Eugene McSweeney, a well-known industry consultant who resides in Kilkenny, Ed Cooney, Executive Chef at The 5 in the Merrion Hotel, Steven McNally, Deputy CEO at the Dalata Hotel Group and President of the Irish Hotels Federation, Noel Cunningham, Media personality and General Manager at Harvey’s Point, Paul Carty, MD at Diageo and Chair of Irish Tourism Confederation (ITIC).

Jimmy Kelly and Pat Cronin

Mr. Pat Cronin, who was one of the first students and the last Manager of the Catering School after being at the helm for almost 15 years, said, “Rockwell had a major influence on traditional cooking and service over its 25 year history the hotel and catering industry in Ireland, and it’s legacy is still lives on as past pupils continue to make a major impact on the National and global Hospitality business. It is a sadder place without the Rockwell student”.

Some famous Rockwell Hotel School students include:
Steven McNally, Ed Cooney, Martin Shanahan, Noel Cunningham and Paul Carty.

Dolores O'Connor, the co-ordinator of the event, is looking forward to welcoming all past students, of any year, to the event. Dolores, who was a former secretary of the catering school and is currently Managing Director of Ambassador Recruitment, said, “This year’s get-together will be the best yet and we expect in excess of 180 past pupils. Everyone is assured of a great night with excellent food exceeding expectations of those working in the industry.”

Former pupils will be travelling from all over Ireland and further afield for the event – one chef Padraig Molloy is even coming in from Antarctica. The evening, which is in aid of local charity, will commence with mass at 7pm in the hotel, followed by a drinks reception, 4 course dinner and music to follow.

The organisers also looking for old photos or memorabilia of Rockwell and another of their famous past students, Rory Morahan, The Druid Chef, is putting together a collection for all to see on the night.

Past pupil from Rockwell Catering College, Rory Morahan, The Druid Chef

If you have memorabilia, would like more details on the event, or you would just like to reconnect with old Rockwell friends see the Rockwell Hotel School Facebook page or contact rockwellhotelschool@gmail.com

The Reunion will be held in the 4-star Landmark Hotel, located in the heart of the beautiful riverside town of Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. The hotel is owned by Ciaran Kelly, a past student of the Rockwell Catering School.

The Landmark Hotel is situated on the main Dublin to Sligo (N4) road overlooking the beautiful river Shannon, with access to stunning lakes, is offering special overnight rates for past students. Book your room and dinner on www.thelandmarkhotel.com at  071 9622222 or reservations@thelandmarkhotel.com

I went to Killybegs Catering College so I won't be joining you but have a great evening!

gluten-free mini tarts with vanilla pudding, blueberries and figs & a week of vacation in denmark

finally we get to share our pictures from denmark with you. it's only two weeks ago that we've been there and it feels like it's been ages. it was our first vacation since quite a long time and while i first though a week of vacation would be a huge amount of time, in the end i could have easily stayed two weeks longer. will remember this for the next vacation for sure! as i already wrote in the last post we fell in love with denmark since years and already travelled around the whole country. this time we went to the gorgeous little island orø with our dear friends eva and gesa. it's been a wonderful time with a lot of good food, a stunning view over the fjord from our little cabin, a lot of reading and hiking and almost every evening we sat around a little bonfire in the garden together. it could not have been better!

one afternoon nora decided to make these delicious gluten-free mini tarts with blueberries, figs and vanilla pudding. we enjoyed them together with eva and gesa in the garden while looking at the sea - quite a magical moment. luckily two tarts were still left the next morning, so we walk down to the sea and enjoyed them with our morning coffee. we will never forget this special week and place for sure and can't wait to go back already. 

ingredients (for 4 tarte pans á 12cm-ø)

tarte-pastry:

200g rice flour

125g cold butter

100g cane sugar

1 dash of salt

1 egg

vanillepudding powder:

1 pk vanilla custard powder (40g)

500ml milk

45g sugar

1 vanilla bean

topping:

250g blueberries

3 figs

blueberry powder (e.g. from mill&mortar)

blend rice flour, sugar and salt. dice cold butter and knead the butter in the flour-sugar-mix together with the egg - work quickly. shape pastry to a flat brick, wrap in clingfilm and cool for minimum 1 hour in the fridge. 

before you roll out the pastry, prepare the vanilla pudding as explained on the packing instructions (we added some extra vanilla pulp, because then the flavor is even more intense). preheat oven to 180degrees celsius top/bottom heat. butter your tarte pans. take half of the pastry off the fridge and roll out between 2 layers of floured clingfilm or baking paper. divide in 2 parts and turn the pastry upside down on the tarte pans. press the dough on the pans and prick the crust with a fork. prepare the second half of the pastry in the fridge the same way. bake the tarte crusts for 15min blind. the fill with vanilla pudding and berries and bake for another 10-15min (5min before end, add the fig slices). let cool down a bit, then serve lukewarm - we decorated with some blueberry-powder. bon appétit!

german translation

endlich kommen wir dazu euch unsere bilder aus dänemark zu zeigen. es ist gerade mal zwei wochen her dass wir dort waren, es fühlt sich aber schon wie eine ewigkeit an. 

es war unserer erster urlaub seit längerer zeit und während ich am anfang noch dachte, dass mit einer  freien woche eine ungalublich lange schöne zeit vor uns liegt, ist die woche im endeffekt viel zu schnell vergangen und wir hätten am liebsten noch zwei wochen bleiben wollen. das werden wir uns für die nächste reise sicher merken! wie ich schon im letzten post geschrieben habe, hat dänemark schon seit einigen jahren unser herz erobert und wir sind schon fast durchs ganze land gereist. dieses mal hat es uns gemeinsam mit unseren freunden eva und gesa auf die wunderschöne kleine insel orø verschlagen.  wir hatten wirklich eine wunderbare zeit mit viel gutem essen, einem atemberaubenden blick aus unserer kleinen hütte auf den fjord, sind gewandert und haben gute lektüre genossen und haben fast jeden abend mit einem kleinen lagerfeuer im garten ausklingen lassen. es hätte wirklich nicht schöner sein können!

an einem nachmittag hat nora dann diese köstlichen glutenfreien mini tarts mit vanille pudding, blaubeeren und feigen gebacken. wir haben sie gemeinsam mit eva und gesa im garten verspeist, während man einen fantastischen blick über den fjord hatte - wirklich ein wunderbarer moment. 

wir hatten auch noch das glück, dass am nächsten morgen zwei der kleinen tarts übrig waren. also sind wir runter zum wasser gelaufen und haben sie in wuderbarer umgebung mit unserem morgenkaffee genossen. diese besondere woche werden wir sicher nicht vergessen und freuen uns schon auf das nächste mal!

blaubeer-tartelettes mit vanillepudding

zutaten (für 4 tarteförmchen á 12cm-ø)

tarte-böden:

200g reismehl

125g kalte butter

100g rohrzucker

1 prise salz

1 ei

vanillepudding:

1 pck vanillepudding-pulver

500ml milch

45g zucker

1 vanilleschote

dekoration:

250g blaubeeren

3 feigen

blaubeerpulver (z.b. von mill&mortar)

reismehl, zucker und salz mischen. kalte butter in kleinere würfel schneiden und zusammen mit dem ei zügig in den teig kneten. teig zu einem flachen ziegel formen, in frischhaltefolie wickeln und für min 1h im kühlschrank kühlen.

vor dem ausrollen des teigs den pudding laut verpackungsanleitung vorbereiten (wir haben zusätzlich das mark einer vanilleschote hinzugefügt - dann ist das aroma noch intensiver).

ofen auf 180grad ober-/unterhitze vorheizen. tarte-förmchen buttern. die hälfte des teigs aus dem kühlschrank nehmen und zwischen 2 lagen bemehlter frischhaltefolie oder backpapier ausrollen, in 2 teile trennen und auf 2 förmchen stürzen. teig andrücken und mit einer gabel mehrmals in den teig stechen. die zweite hälfte des teigs ebenso auf die zwei anderen förmchen verteilen. tarteböden für 15min blind vorbacken, dann pudding und beeren auf den tarteböden verteilen und für weitere 10-15min backen (feigen schneiden und 5min vor ende der backzeit auf die blaubeeren legen). etwas abkühlen lassen, dann lauwarm servieren - wir haben die tartes noch zusätzlich mit blaubeerpulver dekoriert. bon appétit!