Just said I’d share a few pics from the late night preparation of the star wars 21st birthday cake I made for order last week.

The stars and mini characters

A half tonne of fondant icing went into this mask and cake covering #sugarrush

The text

Three layers of chocolate and almond sponge made up the base

White fondant for the bottom 12 inch layer

The Darth Maul fondant mask in early stages

The cloak

Layer two with text and the black layer

Moving to the final stages

IT’S a back to basics approach with this chilli pork kebab with tzatziki to celebrate the summer sun. Tzatziki is a fresh and cooling Greek or Turkish style sauce that accompanies some Persian hot dishes and can be used in many different ways and this is just one with a little twist on the presentation.
The name tzatziki might baffle or dissuade you from tackling it but it is a delightfully easy dish to serve with this pork skewered kebab.
The kebab, made from good quality minced pork is generously flavoured with spices and herbs to tickle the taste buds.
Here’s what I did.

Sure they only had to go and make a video… but I hope that it gives you an insight into the very reason that we should “Love Gourmet Week” and love Limerick with all its food delights and restaurants and history. Enjoy

THANKFULLY, we in Limerick are blessed with a number of good and great things. A magnificent river that we have been able to incorporate into a wondrous festival that celebrates what is good and great about the city.
We have a love of sport that is second to none. We have an arts, cultural and historic repertoire that is renowned on many a world stage. We are littered with history at every turn and that is celebrated in some of the most picturesque and informative settings that our city can deliver and showcase.
We have a thriving community that is proud to put its best foot forward despite the negativity that sometimes rains on our parade – we have a resilience to dust ourselves down, pick up the pieces and stubborn as you like come back twice as good.
There is much to celebrate and an article that winged its way past my desk recently highlighted some 99 reasons to visit Limerick and while it created much debate about what was included and what was omitted, I hasten to add, it celebrated Limerick.
Number two on the list was the Milk Market and that was only toppled by the May bank holiday festival…… A festival, Parisian in style, European in delivery and family friendly while all the while Limerick to the core. And it is a celebration of food that comes to the fore for both of those top two on the listing.
That is what is great about Limerick. We have a food culture here and it is thriving and the restaurants and eateries the length and breadth of this green county are growing, evolving and enticing as ever.

SOUNDS like a mouthful and then when you see the picture, there isn’t really a whole pile to this dish if you were looking for a good feed, and partial to a good feed I am.
However, and there is always a caveat to what I do, if it’s not deconstructing dishes for the hell of it or trying to emulate Heston at home, I like to try and create and share with you the readers, something that both looks and tastes great, all with as little effort as possible.  The hardest part of this dish is getting the food skid right – and it’s something i am still perfecting.
Anyway, this one is all about the flavour and the look as it is eaten with your eyes first before you get the sweet, sour, citrus or crunch sensations.
Traditionally, scallops are pan fried, but this French style of poaching brings a new approach to cooking scallops and one that might ensure you get it right all the time.
Here’s what I did.