In My Madeira Kitchen

So, you all know that I had a fantastic time in Madeira. It goes without saying that I brought a few goodies home. Thanks to Celia from Fig jam and Lime cordial for gathering us all together.

In My Kitchen…

… Are three small bottles of rum. I thinking that they might be good in this year’s Christmas cake.

I also brought home three bottles of Poncha! Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink of Madeira; made with sugar cane juice, honey, sugar, lemon rind and with other fruit juices.

In My Kitchen…

… Stands a bottle of Madeira, suprise suprise! I tried the sweet version, the medium sweet version and the dry version but I came home with a bottle of medium dry. I think I’ll be baking with it…

In My Kitchen…

… Sits a jar of homemade passionfruit and banana jam, which was bought from a little market in Funchal.

In My Kitchen…

… Is a piece of honey cake. Madeira Sugar Cane Honey Cake is the oldest and most traditional pastry cake in Madeira. The influences include spices from the East Indies and even influences from Britain, given its strong resemblance to English traditional Christmas cake.

In My Kitchen…

… Stands a rather beautiful bottle of Portuguese olive oil!

In My Kitchen…

… Sits this stunning teapot that Dr Doolittle bought me. In the middle of Funchal, up a side street was this cute little tea shop!

Melissa xx

In My Kitchen

Bloom 2015 took place in the Phoenix Park Dublin over the June bank holiday weekend, from Thursday 28th May until Monday 1st June. Over 100,000 visitors headed to the Phoenix Park in Dublin. There were show gardens, cookery and craft demonstrations, free gardening advice from the experts, Irish food produce, live entertainment and gardening workshops, oh and rain… Lots and lots of rain.

Goal garden at Bloom 2015

Unsurprisingly,  I bought lots of goodies for my kitchen!

In My Kitchen…

… Are butters from local producers Blast and Wilde! I love Love LOVE this stuff! Their infused butters are incredible on meat or fish, or even on a bit of bread. I also picked up a pot of delicious garlicky pesto…

In My Kitchen…

… Is was a packet of Kilbeggan oat chocolate chip cookies. We ate them! They were soooooo good! However there is a packet of oats left, so I might attempt my own version or i’ll make tasty porridge.

In My Kitchen…

… Is the latest addition to the Newgrange Gold family. The smokey Rapeseed oil is delicious. I’m a huge fan of their oils and recently attended an earlier morning breakfast there as part of the Boyne Valley Food Series.

I also picked up a bottle of WildWood blackberry vinegar. It’s amazing! It has a wonderful sharp, sweet taste.

In My Kitchen…

… Are these spice mixes by the brilliant Green Saffron. Green Saffron is a multi-award-winning family business based in Cork, Ireland. “We passionately produce stunning spice blends, sauces and chutneys from spices sourced by family members in Moradabad, India….” I can’t wait to try them.

In My Kitchen…

… Are several jars of Big Red Kitchen jams and their yummy butterscotch sauce which is great at this time of the year with icecream.

In My Kitchen…

… Was a suprise from Dr Oetker yesterday! They sent me their new cupcake centres. I can’t wait to try them out and report back.

Melissa xx

In My International Kitchen

Once again I find myself sipping a soya chai latte at Mumbai International Airport, waiting to board a flight to London. My visits always seem to be as manic as the country itself, so it’s nice to take a little time out to write a blog post before I leave it all behind….

In My Kitchen Garden…

… Are mango trees full of delicious sweet fruit. This time of year is terribly hot but atleast the fruit is ready for picking!

In My Garden Kitchen…

… Are hundreds of coconuts! The green coconuts have turned brown with the formation of a hard husk shell.

In My Garden Kitchen…

… Hangs these delicious bread fruits. Best eaten sliced and fried!

In My Garden Kitchen…

… Are these custard apples. I actually think they taste more like a pear!

In My Kitchen…

… Sits this beautiful wooden juicer! It belonged to my Grandparents and is presumably very old!

In My Irish Kitchen…

… Is a fantastic display of home baked goodies. I completed a home baking course with a good friend. We made cheese and herb scones, banana and walnut bread and berry muffins. It was great fun!

In My Irish Kitchen…

… Are loads of goodies from Dr Oetker! I recently took part in an interview for their ‘Even Better Baking With’ series and they were kind enough to send a thank you gift.

This great series is brought to you by Celia fromFig Jam and Lime Cordial.

Melissa xx

In My Kitchen

It’s March, it’s meant be be spring, but in Ireland this week we’ve had rain, hail and snow! So as I drink my hot cuppa I bring you this month’s instalment of In My Kitchen, the wonderful blogger series run by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.

In My Kitchen…

… Hangs the gorgeous old fashion tea towel that Dr Doolittle bought me and has now framed.

framed tea towel

In My Kitchen…

… Sits a magnificent French inspired cake stand, that was given to me by a dear friend. I came across the matching jug, and had to buy it! I can’t wait to adorn the stand with a classic tea time treat.

cake stand and jug

In My Kitchen…

… Stands this fabulous brown and cream plate. I love the pattern! The cup cakes are the Forrero Rocher ones that I’ve made before.

beautiful plate

In My Kitchen…

… Sits these cute dishes, perfect for all sorts of goodies!

cute dishes

In My Kitchen…

… There are new additions to my cinnamon pantry. I met the producers of these local products at the weekend at a local food and craft fair. I bought Dunany spelt and Rye flour and something I’d never heard of before Spelt berries. I’m sure someone reading this will have a great recipe for me???? I tasted them at the fair mixed with garlic and salad and they were delicious. I made some rye bread yesterday and it turned out really well.

I also bought some Lannléire Honey which I tasted for the first time at The Boyne Valley Boyne Appetite dinner and Cecilie’s handmade Irish truffles which went down very well with a glass of red wine (as suggested).

local produce

fresh rye bread

In My Kitchen…

… Sits my gorgeous tagine which is a constant reminder of the wonderful trip to Morocco that we took last year. Dr Doolittle has got really good at making lamb tagines, however this one was special…. It was the first time that he had used Elaine from Foodbod’s Ras El Hanout spice blend. It was yummy!!!

tagine

lamb tagine

Melissa xx

P.S. What are your thoughts on my new header???

In My Kitchen

Firstly,  sorry.

I’ve been noticeably absent from blogging life for the past month, I just can’t seem to get myself together. There is so much change going on in the real world, that freeing up my head space to write and bake has been so difficult.

That will change.

Life IS changing and now I’m excited. The stress and the pressure is nearly over and my life is starting a new chapter. What better way to share it with you, then sharing what’s In My Kitchen this month.

In My Kitchen…

… Are four bottles of Irish cold pressed virgin Rapeseed oil. Donegal Rapeseed Oil “reflects the charactor and nature of the carefully selected growers and the land that they and their ancestors have farmed for generations”.

This beautiful gift contains Rapeseed oil with Lemon, Rapeseed oil with Garlic, Rapeseed oil with Chilli and a Honey and Mustard dressing. These are going to be heavily used in The Glen House!

In My Kitchen…

… Is this delightful traditional mixing bowl and teatowel that Dr Doolittle found in Sainsburys. The teatowel is too pretty to use, so I might frame it and hang it in the kitchen!

In My Kitchen…

… Are these gorgeous ceramic dishes from TK Maxx. Elaine from the Foodbod blog has dishes from the same range, so it’s great to see what she puts in her’s.

In My Kitchen…

… Is this cool stove top kettle, yet another Christmas present from Dr Doolittle. It looks fantastic on the range cooker.

In My Kitchen…

… Is a gift of wonderful local Irish produce. A big thank you to Pauline Clarke from Kookee for sending me such a fantastic selection of artisan cookie mixs; Oatmeal and Raisin, Gluten free Oatmeal and Chocolate, Spotaì Chocolate Chip, Gluten free Double Chocolate, Gluten free Coconut and Cranberry and Triple Chocolate Chip. I can’t wait to start baking them this week!

In My Kitchen…

… Sits a stunning set of cast cookware! Dr Doolittle bought me a wonderful selection of pots, pans, casserole dishes and ramikin pots for Christmas. They are so beautiful and sooooooo heavy!

In My Kitchen…

… Is a new cook book! The Irish Country Womens Association cookbook is just lovely. It’s full of what I would deem, traditional ‘old school’ recipes. I really must sign up and become a member!

This brilliant blogging series is brought to you by Celia from Fig jam and Lime cordial.

Melissa xx

In My Goan Kitchen

It’s that time of year and I’ve been back in glorious Goa! No better place to bring you this month’s installment of In My Kitchen. However I’m very late this month and am writing this post in Mumbai International Airport, waiting on my second of three flights today!

In My Kitchen…

… Sits Grandad’s amazing knife! I think he used to sharpen it by hand on a stone because it’s a strange shape. The handle is round and wooden, making it very comfortable to hold. I remember sitting at the kitchen table cutting delicious fruit with him.

In My Kitchen…

… Lies this small ceramic mortar and pestle. Once again, both the dish and wooden handle must be ancient! I’m sure that over the years, all sorts of spice blends have been pounded in this.

In My Kitchen…

… Sits my Grandad’s favourite tea set. For a woman who loves her tea, I found these little cups frickin’ tiny! I love boiling the water in the pan on the stove, adding loose leaf tea and then letting it brew. It’s a wonderful ritual. When Grandad had got down to the last drop of tea in his cup, he’d throw it into the saucer, swirl it a bit and drink it out of that!

In My Kitchen…

… Stands this amazing bronze motar and pestle. It’s small but extremely heavy. This must be old, I’ve no idea how old…. I wish I’d asked him…

In My Kitchen…

… Will be all these delicious goodies! Dad and I found a great shop a few years ago that we always pop back to. I’m bringing cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anaise, fennel seeds (and the sweet coated kind) cashew nuts and dried fruit home to The Glen House.

In My Kitchen…

… Will be some interesting new additions to the liqor cupboard. I promise I only went to the shop to bring a bottle of local coconut Feni home. It’s the most famous and popular drinks that Goa. Also known as the Fenny, this Indian liquor is of two types – Cashew Feni and Coconut Feni. While cashew Feni is made by fermenting the fruit of the Cashew tree, coconut Feni is made from the juice of toddy plants. The Goan Fenny is usually considered to be superior compared to all other types of Fenny.

Er, while I was in the shop I saw some strange flavours of vodak that i’d never seen before! Who knew Smirnoff did chilli or honey flavoured vodak? Dr Doolittle will think I’ve lost the plot when I arrive home with these!

The In My Kitchen series is all thanks to Celia over at Fig jam and Lime cordial, stop by this month and you can see all the delightful goodies she has.

Right, I’m off home… Two flights left!

Melissa xx

Advent Calendar Day 1: In My Kitchen

Some people open up a window of an Advent calendar to mark the 24 day run up to Christmas, but last year, to mark my first Christmas as a blogger I blogged every day in the run up to Christmas! Who needs chocolate behind a little window when you can have recipes and fun behind every post!

So to kick off the 1st of December,  I’m bringing you a post as part of Celia’s series In My Kitchen for her blog Fig jam and Lime cordial.

In My Kitchen…

…Are these cute Santa boxes! Only special people will receive homemade goodies for Christmas. I’m planning to put little cakes in them.

In My Kitchen…

… Are these great versatile food grade bags. These will be perfect for cake pops or cookies.

In My Kitchen…

… Are these heavy duty cookie cutters. I made the mistake of buying flimsy ones a few weeks ago- they were just awful! These new ones are much better made, they’re going to need to be, with all the work I have planned for them over the next few weeks.

In My Kitchen….

… Are these fantastic cheat “I’m in a rush” products. Easy to use cupcake icing in chocolate and vanilla and shimmer spray in gold and silver! I have cupcakes and a birthday cake planned between now and December 24th for my Advent calendar.

In My Kitchen….

…Is our Christmas reindeer table runner! I can’t wait to put it out!

In My Kitchen….

…Is a jar of Ottolenghi’s quick pickled lemons. You only have to wait 24 hours for this pungent, addictive accompaniment. Roll on the leftovers!

In My Kitchen….

…Sits beautiful jars of preserved lemons. Another fine recipe from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem. The jars are only at the first stage, having been salted. The next stage will see rosemary, chilli and olive oil added. I promise I’ll post the lemon recipes in my Advent calendar posts over the next few weeks.

I’m hoping January’s In My Kitchen will be coming live from an airport, before I head to The Glen House’s cousin…. In Goa!

Melissa xx

In My Kitchen

Here I am for the third month sharing what’s In My Kitchen as part of the series run by Celia over at Fig jam and Lime Cordial. This month my preparations for Christmas have begun. I always think that the more I get done now, the more i’ll enjoy the run up to Christmas because I won’t be up at all hours of the night baking!

In My Kitchen…

Christmas cake is coming

… Sits a bowl of dried fruit steeping in rum (you could use tea or apple juice) for my Christmas cake. I’m very late making one this year, but better late than never! I tend to use the fruits that I like, so I leave out mixed peel and those awful glaice cherries! Every week i’ll add a dash of alcohol to the baked cake to “feed” it, this nice spicy rum is perfect.

In My Kitchen…

Mince pie time

… Stands these yummy jars of apple mincemeat for Christmas mince pies. These jars were made last year, so this week i’ll make the pies and freeze them. Then i’ll take them out and freshly bake them as and when I need them next month.

In My Kitchen…

Cake pops...

… Are these newly acquired cake-pop-stick-things! I’ve never made cake pops before and to be honest i’m still not sure if they’re very ‘me’, but i’ll give them a go. I like the idea of little balls of cake as Christmas gifts, not sure about the whole lolly pop stick part though. I found a couple of recipes from trusted sources, so i’m going to try them this week. I’ll keep you posted…

In My Kitchen…

Banana bread

…Is what’s left of a delicious banana and pecan loaf that I made last night. I had some bananas on the turn, so it was an obvious choice. Dr Doolittle decided he would have a slice hot out of the oven with vanilla icecream and toffee sauce. He said it was yum! I’ll post the recipe during the week….

In My Kitchen…

Tea

… Is my tea box. My love of tea is well documented; from ‘normal’ every tea, to mint tea, to my current favourite camomile and honey. I’m also a huge fan of homemade Indian Chai tea both in The Glen House and in the warm magical heat of Goa!

In My Kitchen…

Gravy pot

…Stands this cute enamel gravy pot with a wooden handle! This was purchased on a recent trip away. I’d never seen anything like it before and knew it would look perfect sitting by the range cooker. I’ll be serving gravy straight out of it at Christmas time.

See you next month!

Melissa xx
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In My Kitchen

‘In My Kitchen’ has an Irish feel this month. This amazing country that I live in, has a wonderful array of food producers and crafts!

In My Kitchen…

… Stands this beautiful Tara tea set. This Irish made birthday present includes a teapot, milk jug, sugar bowl and six teacups.

In My Kitchen…

… Are bottles of delicious oils, made around the corner from The Glen House. Newgrange Gold Rapeseed and Camelina Oil is grown and produced on a farm in the heart of the Boyne Valley, Co. Meath. The oil is a delicious “culinary oil with an amazing fruity taste, which is great as an incredibly healthy cooking oil, salad dressing, for frying and other culinary uses such as making home-made mayonnaise and baking”.

In My Kitchen…

… Is a jar of Fig and Apricot chutney from McCambridges of Galway. This gorgeous, tasty chutney had been a staple in The Glen House since we moved in. It is great with all sorts and meats, hot and cold as well as cheese and crackers!

If you ever find yourself in Galway city, you MUST visit this amazing deli/cafe/shop. They make yummy brunch as well as stocking great foodie goodies!

In My Kitchen…

… Are two new jars of goodness! The mango and apple chutney and red onion marmalade came from Foxford Woollen Mills in county Mayo. The mill is famous for blankets and scarfs, but we left after a recent visit with these delights. The marmalade is sharp with sour notes and the chutney is slightly spicy and sweet.

In My Kitchen…

… Sits a little handmade wooden honey dipper.

In My Kitchen…

… Are these fantastic jam accessories. Dr Doolittle has been busy making jams and jellies, so we picked up these cute owl jar accessories from Kilner at Market 57 in Westport in county Mayo. Dr Doolittle recently made crab apple & elderberry jelly….

In My Kitchen is a brilliant food series that bloggers from all over the world join in and write about, brought to us by the wonderful Celia from Fig jam and Lime cordial.

See you next month!

Melissa xx

In My Kitchen

For a while now, Celia from fig jam and lime cordial has been posting a series called ‘In my kitchen’. Every month she invites other bloggers do the same, and every month I comment that I will (and I never do). Well guess what? Here it is…

In my kitchen…

…are all these cookery books! I haven’t actually counted them, I’m quite scared of arriving at a high number because it might force me to stop collecting them. So I decided what I don’t know can’t hurt me! There is a great mix of cake and pudding books alongside meat, fish and vegetarian ones. Sitting in amongst them all are photos of my cakes and some random knick knacks!

In my kitchen…

…stands this magnificent range cooker. It really is the heart of the home. It cooks, heats and drives us bananas when it doesn’t work. It’s a nightmare to keep clean, but I love it. This post recalls the first time I made a cake in the rayburn.

In my kitchen…

…is a beautiful yellow wooden tray and bottle opener all the way from a recent trip to Valkenburg in the Netherlands.

In my kitchen…

… is a colourful tagine! This one is only for decoration as I’d hate to break it, but it’s a beautiful reminder of the Moroccan trip.

In my kitchen…

…stands this French inspired chocolate box, bought on a trip to Galway. It’s always full, it doesn’t matter how much chocolate you eat! It current holds some delicious treats from our holiday to the Netherlands.

In my kitchen…

…sits these cute little salt and pepper orniments, gifted to me as a house warming present several years ago.

In my kitchen…

…are jars, loads of jars! The pantry holds jars with all sorts of things, from pasta to nuts, biscuits to icing sugar. The latest addition has been the amazing drinks dispenser.

In my kitchen…

…sits these fantastic tapas style bowls. I love the way they are all the same but it different sizes!

This post has been so much fun! If Ceila allows me, I’d love to do another one next month and share some more of my kitchen.

Melissa xx