My favourite breakfast place.

I've been meaning to spill the beans on the best breakfast place by miles in Dublin, in fact, maybe anywhere I've had the pleasure of breakfasting in. It's an added bonus that it is a short cruisey weekend stroll from where I live. It is the Lennox Cafe aptly on Lennox street a stone's throw from the Bretzel Bakery. I have been here for breakfast many times, often as a restorative cure after hectic evenings and as such have never previously managed to order anything other than the breakfast offerings. And these are mighty. But this weekend I delved into the menu, dehydrated gremlins not being a problem, I ordered their parma ham, roast pear and caramelised walnut salad, it was delicious, as well as the advertised ingredients it was packed full of interesting extra nuggets and the whole thing dressed well with a sweet mustard salad dressing. It was so good we visited again the following day, this time I tried the Huevos Rancheros, for brunch (as in miss breakfast!) this was hard to beat, chock full of avocado, salsa, salad, melted cheese, and then eggs of your choice, all siting on a crisp tortilla. This is a taste bud tingler of a dish and everything fresh as you like. I urge you to go visit but preferable not when I'm angling for a table too....

I'm kicking myself. I absentmindedly knocked my camera at a job and bust my macro lens..  I'm very sad as I've discovered they are mucho expensive. I'll have to wait till after Chrimbo and hope there's a sale at the camera shop. So no photo's till then. I tried taking some with my standard issue lens and they look a bit pathetic. Foolish foolish, I do now own a camera bag...! 

Another long absence and this time there's a great reason.
I'm going to be a mum....   I am totally delighted, but the baby is making sure I have the stamina for when it's around. I'm being tested to the limits. Nausea and vomiting are not the best bedfellows for someone working with food!  For a couple of weeks I couldn't cook at all. Thankfully I am now back to cooking and on the whole feel better, I just have the odd daily turn.
I assisted on Neven's latest series last month. It will be showing in the new year. We were generously treated to dinner in McNeans not once but twice and all I can say is it should be on everyones to do lists.  The food is outstanding. It is very beautifully considered in it's cooking and its plating and top it off there is an element of fun. Combine this with excellent service and the experience is hard to beat. 

More birthday cakes.

Another cake commission but this one was a little different as it was for my uncle. The brief was Victoria sponge, so I did a victoria sponge but pimped it up a little! 
Nothing like  a bit of fruit and cream to bring a touch of luxury.

The ends of the earth.

My last job involved me travelling to a beautiful if inaccesible part of the world. I was working on a location shoot for another cookery programme, this time for a new chef on the block. The view from where I was chopping/cooking/baking was to die for. I realised the draw-back in living in such an untouched part of the world when I had to pick up grocery supplies and some props, a road trip would be a more accurate description than picking up some bits and pieces. The round trip which did involve almost two hours in the supermarket took 7 hours. I should have brought me a packed lunch. All saying that I'd be back in a flash, the beaches looked amazing, next time I'll organise a bit more time for relaxing.

Bangor, co. Down

Sometimes I love my job/jobs...    My last assignment took me to Bangor Co. Down to work on the Hairy Bikers new TV programme. I was drafted in for the day to assist the Home Economist a lovely lady, who was so on the ball I didn't have a huge amount to do other than fetching and carrying and making lunch for the crew. The bikers are very impressive, they are naturally very funny people. The script is all in their heads. They do most of their cooking outdoors which is fun but can bring it's own headaches. We were blessed with beautiful weather. The afternoon locationn was on a beach with the added exitement of the tide coming in. Off to the wilds of Kerry next to work on a different cookery show...

Canapes.

I had the pleasure of providing canapes for an event recently. It's an area of my business that brings me great joy. I think it's designing them in my head and then building them to meet my design, that gets my creativity flowing. It reminds me of my art college days, the design process was something I always loved.
A lovely friend took these shots for me.