When I was kid I was always in the kitchen cooking and once I'd worked through some of the basics I was introduced to Chinese cooking, after a visit to the Asian market in Dublin.  With so many new and exciting ingredients to explore, I tried everything I could!  If you want to try your hand at some Chinese dishes, it’s really important to make sure you pick up some store cupboard essentials.  People laugh at me when I drag them around the Asian market pointing out all the exciting ingredients, but it is so much fun and a visit to your local market is well worth it.  You can pick up ingredients for far cheaper, and in larger quanitities than in the regular supermarket.  The one big purchase I have to suggest if you want to really experience true Chinese cooking... Similar posts

This has been a really unusual week from a bird point of view first I like to start with this [part of a qoute] from Neighbours.ie. I had written something myself on birds in our gardens a few days ago but I had neglected to mention the wider bird populus It is reported that up to... Similar posts

This is my recipe contribution to December's edition of Irish Tatler, and it also just so happens to be one of my favourite recipes of all time forever and ever the end!  It is also one of my favourite recipes from my cookbook which may I remind you would make a lovely christmas present for a loved one!  Ok shameless plugs aside, this is such a wonderful dish and it's super easy to prepare, stick the duck in the oven slice the vegetables, make the dressing and you're done!  Couldn't be easier! Open Aromatic Duck Salad This is basically an adaptation of the classic aromatic duck and pancake dish which is available at most Chinese restaurants. It’s one of my favourite dishes and is so simple to produce. The tender crispy duck goes well with the fresh raw vegetables and... Similar posts

Here's a little treat for one of my lucky readers! Laura from Le Canot Rouge is giving away one of her lovely prints. All you have to do is make sure you are a "follower" of the blog and answer the very easy question at the bottom by leaving a comment (clue click on the link above to find this out!). As a special treat I have managed to include a little interview with Laura... happy reading :)Where do you take your inspiration from?Ooh - a filing cabinet in my head. Each drawer holds ideas from inspiring artists, authors, places and things I've come across over the years:~ Henry David Thoreau, with his book Walden; Or, Life In The Woods was/is huge for me; ~ the Canadian artists known as the Group of Seven - love them; ~ Algonquin Park: Canada's first provincial park, established in... Similar posts

I remember first tasting duck confit on a family holiday in the south of France, which is where my love for this deliciously tender dish first sprang from.  The dish is prepared in an age old traditional method by salting the duck meat and then poaching it in its own fat.  By salting the meat the duck is preserved, before it is cooked extremely slowly at a low temperature for up to 10 hours.  The duck is cooled and then transferred to jars or cans.  It is then topped up with duck fat and some jars and cans can be stored for up to several years! Duck Confit and A Tasty Bean Stew I absolutely love duck confit and this little dish is a perfect compliment.  If you don't order online you should be able to pick up some in most gourmet food stores, but beware they... Similar posts

I should probably stop taking all my photos at sunset! Related posts:Swan ...It’s infra-red, but not as I knew it… I’ve tried this before. Infra-red photography intrigues me; the chance... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts... Similar posts

As you might have guessed, if you are a regular reader of the blog, I have a major thing for zingy Asian food!  It all started when I was a lot younger, when my grandmother bought me a simple Chinese cookbook.  At that stage I had already worked my way through most of the cookbooks in our house but had never tried to cook any sort of Asian food.  Ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk, and the rather peculiar looking star anise were all foreign to me, as a curious youngster.  I took it upon myself to become immersed in this little book, being brave and cooking the most strange sounding dishes first, in order to get a taste for the vast landscape of this cuisine.  From fortune cookies to spring rolls, from Thai green curry to sushi, I really gave... Similar posts

Honestly it is !Ducks... Similar posts

Surprise….., originally uploaded by magnum_lady (back online . ….yet more rain! I’m starting to feel like a duck…must be the webbed feet So things here are fine. I managed to get at least the front gardens grass cut the other day and I’m sure the minute I came inside the buttercups showed their heads….blooming things! Birthdays are looming, Jono will be 16(!) on June 4th and has given me a list of old computer games that he wants….so I’m on ebay most of the time and not having much luck. Andy will be another year older on June 9th and wants a ……wait for it……meerkat!! Yeah right that’s so going to happen. I had to take Bertie in to get two new front tyres today, I had to laugh when I found out the make of... Similar posts

I was looking down at this bike in the river Liffey. The tide was out, revealing the usual assortment of shopping trolleys, bags and bicycles. Just when I was about to walk away I saw this little duck swimming over to investigate. Poor little fella, the amount of rubbish they have to swim through. Share...... Similar posts

Quack There’s a little voice in my head It isn’t exactly motivating “life is pointless” It’s a bit of an emo There’s another voice inside my head It offers it’s opinion “Quack” It’s a bit of a duck There’s one more voice inside my head It helps me see things clearly “Listen to the duck”... Similar posts

I absolutely love this combination of flavours, it's sticky and sweet and everything I want on my roast duck! Sesame Honey Duck with BroccoliWith just a few simple ingredients this is an easy dish to create and is really tasty. Serves 2 potions 1 head of brocolli chopped into florets. 2 duck breasts. 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. 5 tablespoons of soya sauce. 3 tablespoons of honey. In a small bowl, mix the soya sauce, sesame oil and the honey until combined. Place two duck breasts in a small roasting tray and brush over half the soya honey marinade. Place in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of the cooking time brush over the rest of the soya honey marinade, sprinkle with half the sesame seeds and finish cooking. When the duck... Similar posts

On Saturday I hosted the 2nd annual turducken dinner at my home (although my friend Kristie prefers to refer to it as a ‘festival’). The first turducken party/ festival was founded last year by my friend Pat. Pat was unemployed at the time and idling his time away on Wikipedia. This is where he came across the turducken a dish believed to be southern in origin and consisting of a boned chicken, stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey and roasted together. After much persistence Pat persuaded me to attempt to prepare this awe inspiring creation. I had first come across the turducken when I was in college back in Dublin, Ireland and read Jeffrey Steingarten’s book I’t Must’ve Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything’ .... Similar posts

A trip from Dublin City to Glencullen Mountains is just great whenever, but it’s more spectacular when your car drives you to Johnnie Fox’s Pub (”The Highest Pub in Ireland“). I must say that it was a windy&foggy evening when we arrived at Johnny. Lucky me that I’m not a smoker:). So, after a few steps... Similar posts

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This is such a tasty, fragrant and fresh dish, I have had the idea for this dish for a while now and eventually got round to cooking it last night. The whole process took about 30 mins and was pretty hassle free. The duck is from Silverhill foods, it's a really great product, it's so handy to have in the freezer and is nice and crispy when cooked.There is nothing more appealing to me in fresh cooked food as combining texture's and this dish has it all, crunchiness from the cucumbers, crispiness from the duck, and softness from the aromatic vermicelli noodles.This recipe is a perfect example of experimentation in cookery. I had a vague idea of what I was doing when I started but the dressing itself came purely from my own tastes. That's the way cooking should be, not meticulously... Similar posts

Beware the giant duck! If you come down to Blarney today you should watch out for the giant ducks, and if you sit on a bench look behind you, there’s a good chance a tree is reading over your shoulder. Don’t get me started on the dastardly Parking signs! Yes, walking around Blarney can be quite dangerous especially if you meet some of the little people. The leprechauns are out and about these days. If you go to kiss the Blarney Stone, you’re almost guaranteed to see them in the grounds of the castle. Unfortunately due to the high cost of living and the price of property, their crock of gold has been sadly depleted to the extent that they are forced to entertain tourists. ’tis a sad day! Just remember, always look out for the giant ducks! PS. on a more serious... Similar posts