Dorcas talks food

Getting back to food

May 17, 2012
Inishfood 2012

It has been a long time since my last blog post.  In March my lovely dad died suddenly, and it has taken some time to get back to normal life and to get back into cooking, writing and teaching.  I have learned a lot from this experience, firstly that nothing prepares you for the reality of losing a parent, secondly that I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful last two years with my dad on borrowed time and thirdly, that it takes a certain level of commitment and energy to eat healthily.

When so much of my energy has been spent on grieving and coming to terms with the shock and reality of the situation, I have found it difficult to stick to all my usual food habits in the last couple of months.  These would normally include eating lots of healthy food and leaving out wheat and dairy.  However, it is very interesting that somewhere inside, my body was asking to get back a way of eating that suits it well, and little by little I have begun to prioritise getting back on track.

Because I wanted to put some structure on making changes, I chose to do a 30 day acid to alkaline course which includes lots of raw foods and a juice fast.  I have always been fascinated by the idea that the acid/alkaline balance in the body has a direct affect on disease and illness, and it has been a very interesting process seeing the difference in daily ph readings depending on which foods I have eaten.  One of the most interesting aspects of this program however, has been learning about how non-food factors have such a large impact on our acid/alkaline levels.  Deep breathing, exercise, meditation and avoiding stress are all huge influences on maintaining a healthy ph balance in the body, as are fun, laughter and contentment.

So with the fun and laughter element in mind, it is with great excitement that I am heading off to Inishfood in Donegal this weekend.  I was heartbroken last year not to be able to go because I was away, but loved reading all of the tweets and the many amazing blog posts following the event.  The line of events sounds fantastic and so even the anticipation of heading up to an extremely beautiful part of Ireland for such an exciting event is enough to balance my ph levels!

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Lunch at Salt, a celebration of getting it right

February 27, 2012
fruit & veg at avoca

A wonderful lunch, great conversation and a celebration of great quality healthy Irish food

Recently I was invited to Avoca’s Salt in Monkstown with a group of food bloggers, where we had a really enjoyable lunch and a tasting of Irish products from Avoca.

I loved the food hall. There is enough choice of fresh vegetables, bakes, paté, meat and desserts to make you feel like a child in a sweet shop.  Beside the entrance to the restaurant there is a delicious waft of  rotisserie chicken from Poulet Bonne Femme, which along with roast pork and duck are flavoured with a secret blend of herbs. The meat is Irish, free range and absolutely lick your fingers delicious. The chicken that I brought home was stripped of every last piece of tender meat and tossed with thinly sliced fennel, avocado and rocket with a lemon olive oil dressing. The bones were then used for stock and turned into a deeply satisfying savoury chicken noodle soup with star anise and ginger the following day.

Gavin at Poulet Bonne Femme

Gavin at Poulet Bonne Femme

And so to lunch, there is a lovely atmosphere in Salt, the surroundings and attention to detail all add toward making it a very special place to be and eat in.  In terms of getting it right, Salt ticks every one of the boxes.  Our lunch was chosen from an extensive menu, also with the focus on Irish food and containing an impressive number of tempting healthy choices.  All of the food on the table looked delicious and by all accounts the taste delivered also.

I was sitting beside Pat Whelan and chatted to him about the newly opened branch of his renowned craft butcher shop, James Whelan Butchers, in the food hall.  The design of this butcher shop is very special.  It is edgy, different, cleverly laid out and innovative, providing the perfect backdrop for the high quality product being sold.  It nods to nostalgia with the ongoing display of butchery skills by the very helpful butchers and the hanging meat on display, and at the same time, is very contemporary in the choice of materials and layout.

Display of meat at James Whelan Butchers, Avoca, Monkstown

Display of meat at James Whelan Butchers, Avoca, Monkstown

Paying attention to the detail and presentation of a product to this extent, really makes a business stand out.  Pat explained to me that the Bord Bia innovation group of food producers to which he belongs, really played a part in creating this space.  This group over the years, has travelled to centres of excellence worldwide, gathering information and experiences which are then invaluably applied back home.  I was also sitting beside Elaine O’Connor, one of the food buyers at Avoca, who explained to us that she is buying almost exclusively Irish products at the moment, and that a recent group of International food buyers visiting Avoca had been blown away by the quality and packaging design of Irish food products in the food hall.  The inspiring conversation about Irish food couldn’t have been happening in a better place.

I think for me this was the most exciting aspect of visiting Salt and the food hall, eating wonderful Irish food in beautiful surroundings which are carefully thought out and packed with customers – definitely a celebration of getting it right!

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Pear Pancakes

February 20, 2012
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Oat pancakes with pear for pancake Tuesday

Quite a few years ago, I discovered that I could no longer eat wheat.  For someone who not only has a sweet tooth but who also loves to bake, this felt like a disaster.  But, bit by bit over the years I have sourced ingredients and recipes, tested lots of different ways of cooking with these ingredients and am so delighted that I can now still enjoy equally delicious cakes, biscuits and especially pancakes.  Pancakes are special, the weekend breakfast that everyone shares together, the arguments for the best recipe, the myriad of different accompaniments and of course Shrove Tuesday.

When we were little, the aim of the game was to eat as many as possible.  When you went into school the next day, you would be bombarded with demands for how many you had eaten so that the winner could be indentified as early as possible in the day.  It was a big event, and nobody ever had anything else but lemon and sugar with their pancakes.  Once I discovered American pancakes, I never looked back and these smaller puffier pancakes have remained my favourite to this day.  Finding an alternative to wheat was a matter of priority and these oat pancakes are every bit as good as the traditional ones made with wheat.

There are lots of variations.  I have made these ones with a slice of pear in the middle and a couple of drops of natural almond essence in the batter.  You can omit the pear and of course add any berries, or cook without fruit and pile on fruit and yoghurt afterwards.  I use goats yoghurt for this recipe, Ardsallagh is the perfect pouring consistency and has a lovely mild flavour.  If you want to cut out the butter, use only vegetable oil to cook the pancakes with, but a little bit of organic butter really helps the pear to caramelise.

Oat Pear Pancakes
100g organic porridge oats (Lots of great Irish varieties available)
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon of maple syrup or dark agave syrup
2-3 drops of natural almond essence (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
30-50ml natural yoghurt (I use Ardsallagh Goats yoghurt)
1 pear, sliced into 1cm thick slices

Place the porridge oats into a liquidiser and process until as fine as possible.  Scoop into a bowl and add the egg yolks, syrup, vanilla and almond extract (if using).  Add 30ml of the yoghurt and mix together, adding the rest of the yoghurt if needed to get a good pouring consistency.  Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl to the soft peak stage and then add into the oat mixture very gently with a metal spoon.  Keep stirring until the egg whites are incorporated, doing your best not to knock out all the air from the whites.

Heat some oil with a little organic butter in a pancake pan and place a slice of pear in the pan.  Leave it for a minute or two to start cooking and then pour a couple of tablespoons of the pancake batter on top of the pear slice.  Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear around the outside of the pancake and then flip it gently to cook for a further 1-2 minutes on the other side.  Continue with the rest of the pancake mixture in the same way.  Serve with the syrup of your choice, my preference is Highbank Orchard Syrup which adds tart sweetness and perfect balance.

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Morrocan Eggs

February 15, 2012
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Delicious spiced tomatoes with eggs for a quick lunch or supper

It doesn’t matter how many times I make this, it is always as delicious as the first time I tried it.  It’s one of those recipes that’s more than the sum of it’s parts, simple ingredients that when cooked together become something really special.  Moroccan flavours always have a soft spot in my heart and my stomach.  The magical combination of fresh and dried fragrant ingredients with the balance of spices and flavours used, delivers really satisfying taste combinations, working really well with both vegetables and meat.  For me the ultimate in comfort food, even with these everyday ingredients.

This is lovely to cook for friends as brunch, a quick and easy supper for two and equally good for a solitary lunch that feels a little indulgent.  I tend to use chorizo as a flavouring rather than an ingredient, cutting it into very small pieces to be distributed throughout the tomatoes.  For a vegetarian version, omit the chorizo and add 1/2 a teaspoon of good quality smoked pimentón with the chopped shallot.  Try if you can to get a natural chorizo, as there is a lot of evidence lately to suggest that we should limit the use of processed pork products in our diet.  It’s difficult, but not impossible to find natural chorizo.  In Dublin, Fallon & Byrne stock a preservative and additive free chorizo.

Make sure to use lots of fresh coriander at the end to serve, you could also use parsley for a different flavour to the finished dish.  As with all ingredients, cooking in season will always enhance the final flavour.  In the summer, these eggs are fantastic with deeply flavoured plum tomatoes and of course organic farm eggs will always produce the best results.

Moroccan Eggs – serves 1-2
1 shallot, or 1/2 an onion, chopped finely
1 inch piece of chorizo, skinned and chopped into small cubes
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
500g tomatoes, chopped
2 eggs
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

In a saute or frying pan heat a little olive oil and then add the shallot and the chorizo.  Allow to cook until the chorizo releases it’s paprika scented oil and then add the cumin seeds and the coriander.  Cook the spices for a further 1-2 minutes and then add the tomatoes.  Turn down the heat to a simmer and allow the tomatoes to cook until they have softened and then create a little space with the back of a spoon for the eggs.  Gently break the eggs into the spaces and place a lid on the pan.  Depending on how well you like your eggs done (they are best with oozing runny yolks), cook until the eggs are ready and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Sprinkle with lots of fresh coriander and serve with toasted brown bread or sourdough.

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My Favourite Fruit Compote

February 7, 2012
Fruit_3233

Fruity topping for porridge, yoghurt or even ice-cream

This compote is so versatile and is delicious however you wish to eat it, in yoghurt, porridge or on its own.  It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

I really like prunes in this recipe, I love prunes anyway and can never understand why they are so misunderstood.  Prunes seem to be viewed solely as a means to an end if you suffer from constipation (no nice way of putting it), and never as a delicious ingredient.  I know chefs that use prunes in their recipes, but never would dream of calling them prunes on a menu, preferring to refer to them as plums (which of course they are the dried version of).  The French have the right idea when it comes to prunes.  They celebrate the wonderful Agen mi-cuit prunes in delicious recipes, many which feature the double act of dark chocolate and prunes, which is a sublime combination.  Add to this the bonus that they are extremely healthy, high in anti-oxidants and fibre and low GL also.

This compote is a perfect start to the day hot or cold with porridge, and tastes sweet enough without having to add any honey or sugar.  The trick to making the compote sweet is to include the fresh pineapple, which sweetens all the other fruit a little and adds a lovely crunchy texture also.

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