The uranium content of granite has always been somewhat in our radar since we moved to Ireland, since there’s a lot of granite in Wicklow;  and where there’s granite, because of the decay of the tiny amounts of uranium it often contains, sometimes there’s radon as well. But here’s a side effect I hadn’t given […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, News, Technogeekery No Comments »

It would have been perfect for the crumpets.
(via Clotilde at Chocolate and Zucchini)
Tags: food, cooking, batter, dough, whisk, kitchen, tools

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life, Toys 1 Comment »

We’ve been idly looking for something to replace our old rusty hibachi. This looks like a nice possibility. It’s British (but the sales source is in the US: must see who’s carrying it locally).

The grilles both swing in and out and are height-adjustable (with the big one, the swing facility this means you can add charcoal […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life 1 Comment »

Click here for the crumpet recipe 
Here in the depths of Ireland, if I want crumpets, I have to make them myself: the local supermarket doesn’t carry them. This is okay, though, because there’s no way a store-bought crumpet can compare with one just baked. However, there are a lot of crumpet recipes out there that […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life, recipes 2 Comments »

This ad apparently premiered in Europe a couple of days before my birthday, and the minute I saw it, I fell in love with it.
The love falls roughly into three parts: (a) The basic conceit of the ad. (b) The nuts and bolts of the production (i.e., working out how much of the construction really […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Media 3 Comments »

I mentioned this place in passing in a post some while back, and it really needs to have something more said about it, as there’s not nearly enough information online.
There are a lot of nice estaminets and bars in Brussels, but this one’s a favorite one for both Peter and me. Other such places will […]

Posted in Cats, Europe, Food, restaurants and cooking, Travel No Comments »

“Lots and lots and lots of heart.” …Well, one anyway.
Our local craft butcher is sufficiently old-fashioned and down-country that the less commonly seen meats still make a strong showing — remarkable (in the older sense of the word) in this time when Ireland is prosperous, and many people are turning their backs on memories of […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life, Ireland 2 Comments »

While I’m in the food mood:

Via The Knife: at Eater, “Adventures in Shilling #101“
Food Trivia Quiz at Slashfood
Fun with the Fabulous Plantain Smoosher (aka “Tostobueno”) at Off The Broiler
Lussekatter (Lucia Cats or Saffron Buns) at A Cat in the Kitchen
Some very dodgy Photoshopping of nice looking dumplings at Eatdrinknbemerry
Erin’s first truffle at Erin’s Kitchen
Basil and […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Online life No Comments »

Like (it seems) about half the Internet-connected bread bakers on the planet, I’ve been experimenting with the New York Times-published recipe from Sullivan Street Bakery’s Jim Lahey for no-knead bread. (The original NYT article, which talks more about the recipe’s genesis, is here. The article discussing the ensuing discussion, and suggesting possible fine-tuning, is here.)
(Also […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life, Media, Uncategorized 2 Comments »

And too many desserts, if you ask me.Technorati Tags: White House, Barney, dessert, menu

Posted in Current events, Food, restaurants and cooking No Comments »

…But Reese’s peanut butter cups would have nothing on this confection.
“Get your gold off of my chocolate.”
“No, you get your chocolate out from under my gold!”
(…pauses to make note of T-shirt slogan: “I’d sooner be in Valrhona than Valhalla.”)
Technorati Tags: chocolate, Delafee, gold

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking No Comments »

“You should read my LJ posting,”  he said. “OK,” I said.
Euuuuuuuuuuu.
I just had my breakfast — which was, as usual, tea and toast — but having seen the “All Day Breakfast”*, a guaranteed Pound O’ Food, I will probably skip lunch.
(More on the subject here.)
*This being how long it takes to digest it.
Technorati Tags: Swanson, […]

Posted in Food, restaurants and cooking, Home life No Comments »