Month: November 2012

  • Eating out over Christmas

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    peter
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    A nameless friend – we’ll call her Siún A., or S. Aherne – sent this to us via Facebook at the end of August: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!! Yes my lovely friends it is that time of year again! Time to organise our Christmas dinner… So a couple of suggestions… Sat…

  • Natasha’s easy-peasy gingerbread house

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    peter
    in ,

    Natasha White*, a long-time family friend, has gained a reputation as a sterling cook and baker. Lately she’s been sharing some of her easy-to-follow recipes on Facebook, and she’s kindly allowed me to pilfer this one. It’s perfect to get you in the Christmas mood. Natasha’s Easy-peasy Gingerbread House Recipe Turn the oven to 180c/350f/gas…

  • Product review: Aruna sauces

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    rebecca
    in

    Some of you may have seen Sarajit Chanda and his wife Sarah on Dragons’ Den earlier this year, a charming couple pitching, and winning investment for, their budding business, Aruna sauces. I’ve been wanting to try their sauces for a while, especially since I’m a spectacularly lazy curry cook and usually use one of the…

  • Best before and use-by: How to eat “gone off” food and not die

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    peter
    in ,

    I felt very slightly queasy yesterday. The soup was four days past the use-by, but I ate it anyway because I couldn’t bear to let it go to waste. Ah, I was fine. Didn’t get sick or nothing. Grrrr… Later that day I came across some research from safefood Ireland, which showed that one in three…

  • Query: Thanksgiving dinner in Dublin

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    peter
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    Our reader AnneMarie asks: Would anyone know of any places in Dublin that are serving Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday, ideally with all the trimmings? I have some hungry american ex pats to feed and I’d rather the lazier eat out option than cooking a bird! There’s a surprising dearth of options. One reader, Aisling, suggests…

  • Bloggers Recommend: Emma from E-D Does It

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    peter
    in ,

    We’re joined today by Emma Dyar of the very lovely food blog E-D Does it (e-ddoesit.com), who has some excellent tips for North Dublin and the city centre. Also check out Emma’s Facebook and Twitter. About E-D Does It I started ‘E-D Does It’ as an outlet for all my culinary experiments and triumphs. I…

  • Recipe: Spicy duck pie with carrot and pea veloute

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    julie
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    More pie, please.  This one is called “Romany’s Lucky Ducky Pie” and is my favourite recipe is from the Pieminister Cookbook by Tristan Hogg and Jon Simon. If you have sampled their wares, or just like a good pie, I highly recommend it. The recipes are quite tricky, but just clear the decks, open a…

  • Query: Best wheelchair-friendly restaurants

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    peter
    in

    Our reader Sue is looking for recommendations for a cheap and cheerful wheelchair accessible restaurant: I often organise nights out for our team at work and I’m now tasked with organising the Christmas party. There’s 20 of us and we have a very small budget (€20 a head). My difficulty is that there is one…

  • Fifteen tips to cut supermarket spending

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    peter
    in

    In today’s Pricewatch, Conor Pope has an excellent article on how to save money in supermarkets. His tips include looking out for value in M&S, never taking perishable items from the front shelves, and shopping late in the day when you’ll find more price cuts. It’s an incredibly useful and readable piece. Highly recommended for…

  • Review: Mak at D6, Ranelagh

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    rebecca
    in ,

    It was a long day on Halloween, and I spent it at my nephew’s 7th birthday party. Cooking dinner was the last thing I felt like doing after spending the day entertaining 15 sugared-up little boys. So, Jim and I decided to check out a new dim sum and Chinese restaurant in Ranelagh, Mak at…