Good Irish Food for a Good Cause: Good Food Ireland makes a U.S. Debut with Authentic Irish Food Products

Posted by artfulgourmet on Nov 13, 2012 in Appetizers, Breakfast, Breakfast Food, Ethnic Recipes, Fall Recipes, Food and Drink Events, Food Reviews, Guest Feature, Lifestyle, Markets, NYC, Product Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Savory Dishes, Seafood, Seafood Recipes, Things I Love, Travel, Uncategorized, Winter Recipes | 1 comment

Good Food Ireland, the first-ever, all industry network driving food tourism in Ireland, kicks off its international debut in the U.S.. Seeking to promote innovations in contemporary Irish cuisine and the country’s commitment to sustainable, authentic products, the organization also hopes to inspire Americans to travel to Ireland to experience and engage with its citizens and culture.

Good Food Ireland was established by Margaret Jeffares to link the agri/food sector with the hospitality industry. It was her philosophy that by supporting Irish farmers and producers, she could establish a healthy business environment where commercial opportunities for agriculture could be promoted through tourism and visa-versa.

“It is my mission to grow Ireland as a food tourism destination and to establish the ‘Good Food Ireland’ brand as the brand of choice for good food lovers everywhere,” says Jeffares. “One of Ireland’s greatest secrets is its locally produced ingredients and Good Food Ireland aims to set the standard for quality across a variety of industries – agriculture, food, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality.”

The premise is that by creating trusted and authentic Irish food experiences, Good Food Ireland will drive business to the hospitality sector and that, in turn,

inspires consumer purchase of more Irish food from farmers and purveyors,

contributing greatly to the local Irish economy.

Good Food Ireland’s U.S. launch includes:

They have kicked off the debut of Good Food Ireland Approved Provider foods at Dean and DeLuca’s flagship store in NYC, featuring the highest quality food the island has to offer. The foods available for sale in the Dean and DeLuca Store include:

Good Food Ireland’s Kilbeggan Organic Porridge,

Ditty’s Oatcakes,

Irish Farmhouse Cheese,

Ballymaloe Relish,

Burren Smoked Irish Salmon,

Seymour’s Traditional Irish Shortbread and more. For those living outside the NYC area, there is the opportunity to purchase products from Good Food Ireland’s online shop.

In addition to bringing both providers and products to New York City, Good Food Ireland seeks to increase awareness for its hub at www.goodfoodireland.ie.

Here consumers can book a food journey via “My Food Trip,” a feature that is supported by a host of information including locations and details about Irish tours and holidays, farmers and producers, cooking schools, restaurants and cafes, food shops, festivals, markets, and Irish bars and pubs, as well as an ongoing calendar of events.

In addition, there’s the opportunity to meet the people behind the products. Special offers and recipes are also available online, and I’ve included a few below.

Salmon Fishcakes

Ingredients

2 shallots finely chopped
1 lb salmon, filleted and skinned
1 Tablespoon Kerrygold butter
5 fl oz dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Mashed Potatoes – no cream no butter

For the Coating:

2 tablespoons plain flour
2 eggs
2 oz soft white breadcrumbs

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200c/400fgas 6

Butter and season a tray.  Sprinkle with the shallots and sit the salmon on top.  Drizzle with white wine and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 8- 10 minutes – the salmon should be firm to touch but still pink in the middle .

Sit the salmon in a colander over a pan to collect all the juices.

When all the juices have drained, place in a small pot and reduce on a stove to a nice syrup consistency.

Break up the salmon into flakes, add the syrup and chopped parsley, then fold in the potato until you have a binding texture. Check for seasoning and roll into 12 to 18 ball shaped cakes.

To Breadcrumb – Lightly pass through the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, repeat the process again.

To Cook – Deep fry at 180c/ 350f for 4-5 minutes drain well.

Serving suggestion: Serve 3 per portion on a bed of steamed baby spinach and lemon butter sauce.

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Irish Porridge

Ingredients

2 oz Porridge Oats
7 fl oz Milk

Heat the milk, add porridge oats and cook for 1 min serve with honey or salt.

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Bircher Muesli made with Irish Porridge Oats

5 oz porridge oats
1 oz Irish honey
20 fl oz milk
14 oz natural yogurt
4 oz sultanas (raisins)
1 whole Banana, chopped
1 apple, grated
4 oz blueberries

Combine ingredients and devour!!

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Good Food Ireland sets strict criteria for Approved Provider status based on a core commitment to using local Irish ingredients and operating at a standard that is “best in class” and its branding on packaging of authentic Irish products is already recognized as the standard bearer of the industry. Beyond food products, the Good Food Ireland brand can also be used by hotels, restaurants & cafes, cookery schools and markets that meet Good Food Ireland standards. To date there are 450 Approved Providers that ensure consumers that all products and services bearing the brand meet the strictest “best in class” standards. All products and service standards are independently assessed.

Since Good Food Ireland was founded approximately five years ago, almost 70% of its Approved Providers have increased their business profile or heightened their awareness of local food. As a result, 92% have increased their purchasing of Irish food over the last 3 years, directly contributing close to 50 million euro to the local economy. (Source: Grant Thornton Survey – April 2012).

VOTE IN THE GOOD FOOD IRELAND FOOD LOVERS’ CHOICE AWARD 2012!

The Good Food Ireland Food Experience Awards celebrates excellence in food experience, the Food Lovers’ Choice Award lets you have your say. Simply vote for your favourite shortlisted GFI Approved Provider from the list below. The provider that gets the most votes will be announced on November 20th in the Shelbourne Hotel and presented with an award from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D.

About Good Food Ireland:

Good Food Ireland is a grassroots industry network aimed at promoting innovations in Irish food, the country’s commitment to sustainable, authentic products across food, hospitality and travel industries – incorporating farmers, chefs, hoteliers and outposts of cultural interest. The organization seeks to promote its authentic products in the U.S. and to inspire Americans to travel to Ireland to experience the contemporary cuisine and engage with its citizens and culture. The cross section of agriculture, food & culinary, production/manufacturing and tourism industries seek to grow and sustain the Irish economy.

Visit Good Food Ireland on Facebook
Follow Good Food Ireland on Twitter
Visit Dean and Deluca on Facebook
Follow Dean and Deluca on Twitter

Unleash your Skinny Girl w/ Bethenny Frankel, Author & Healthy Living Expert on OpenSky.com

Posted by artfulgourmet on Jul 7, 2012 in Chef Interviews, Diet, Guest Feature, Healthy Cooking, Kitchen and Home, Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Video | 2 comments

Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel, the well-known TV personality, entrepreneur, healthy living chef, new mom and author (known for Skinnygirl cocktails and New York Times best-selling books Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish, and A Place of Yes) has just joined the ranks at OpenSky.com as their newest healthy living guru.

Bethenny has a knack for making healthy food taste delicious. For her what started as a hobby, was enhanced with formal training at the National Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary arts, and has elevated her to national prominence as a natural food chef.

As the go-to expert for all things reality and lifestyle, Bethenny wants her fans to get the insiders truth on all-things healthy. She is on a mission to democratize healthy living, making information available to everyone she can reach.

On Monday, July 2, Bethenny just launched her healthy living shop on OpenSky. She is featuring her favorite products for living a healthy and happy life along with tips, videos, advice and ideas for living a healthier lifestyle.

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Read the Q&A with Bethenny about her new OpenSky shop and philosophy on healthy living:

You’re a new TV host, Founder of Skinnygirl, 4-time NY Times best-selling author and chef, but if you had to describe yourself beyond that to someone, what would you say?

Well, I’m most definitely a businessperson, but I’m most proud of being a mother. Ever since I had Bryn, I make all my decisions based on what’s best for her so that’s how I define myself first now.

It seems like everybody’s biggest challenge for living a healthy lifestyle is time. What’s one simple thing time-starved women can fit into their day to live a healthier lifestyle?

What I tell women is there’s no way you can be the best mother, the best wife and the best businessperson if you’re running yourself ragged!

The best thing you can do to keep healthy is to keep hydrated. Even if you have one hand on your Blackberry, your baby bouncing on your lap and your ear on a conference call, you can still manage a few quick swigs of water. I even struggle with it personally because I don’t love water, but your body needs it to detox and to keep things moving if you know what I mean. So my alternative is knocking back club soda.

Summer’s here so we’re all thinking about baring more skin. Can you share one of your best secrets for getting a more toned body?

There’s honestly no secret. I believe in watching what you eat and exercise in moderation. Otherwise you go on one of these crash weight-loss regimens and you give up by Day 4. You can’t keep it up! And then you end up beating yourself up. If I eat a burger for lunch, I’ll have a salad for dinner. If I don’t have time to do 40 minutes of yoga, I’ll take the stairs instead of the elevator or park a little further away and walk a little extra. Moderation is key.

I’m a New Yorker so I’m used to walking a ton every day. That’s just what we do.

With your incredibly busy schedule, how do you find the time to cook at home?

My schedule is crazy but I always make it a point to make Bryn a home-cooked meal every day. I started out in catering so cooking is what I enjoy. And I swear, it’s easy…as long as you make it easy. Don’t say you’re going to make Beef Wellington and a Baked Alaska for a weekday dinner with the hubby—make turkey burgers and 30-minute brownies instead.

What are a few easy tips for gradually moving toward a healthier lifestyle?

The easiest way to start is to get rid of all those processed foods in your kitchen. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it. Fill your fridge with real food instead. If you really need those potato chips, buy chips that are the most natural. (Hint: Check the ingredient list and it’ll be the one with the least ingredients.) If you really need that booze, make a Skinnygirl cocktail so you’re not downing all those calories.

With all of these extraordinary experiences on your resume, what made you decide to work with OpenSky as your next move?

I love giving women practical solutions that can make their lives a bit easier. It’s like having boozy brunch with my girlfriends and talking out our problems. But OpenSky is a way to bridge that gap between recommending something great and giving my fans a way to actually buy it.

What kinds of products and advice can your fans expect to see you offer on OpenSky?

Well, you definitely won’t get recipes for cardboard chicken. I mean I want you to actually like healthy living. I’m planning on showing you practical products and awesome tips that you can actually use in your day-to-day routine… And some of my Skinnygirl favorites, naturally.

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Bethenny’s OpenSky profile - https://opensky.com/bethenny-frankel?osky_origin=osm&osky_source=PRartfulgourmet

Check out all the videos, products and more on Bethenny’s shop at Opensky.com

Check out the Skinnygirl Cocktail Guide on Facebook

WTH Are You Eating? Demystifying Olive Oils with Joy Bauer from Everyday Health

Posted by artfulgourmet on Jul 3, 2012 in Diet, Food and Cooking How-To's, Guest Feature, Healthy Cooking, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Video | 0 comments

There’s a new show in town and a it’s a huge hit at that! The new Joy Bauer YouTube show (which is part of the Everyday Health channel) “What the Heck Are You Eating?” is a great video series on food, health and cooking how to’s, chock full of advice from Joy on the insider myths, truths and history of food. Whether you want to know the health benefits of coconut water, what is really in that hot dog, the history of America’s favorite food (bagels!), whether to eat frozen yogurt vs. ice cream, or if diet sugar substitutes are safe – you’ll find a wealth of information and helpful advice on food, diet, and nutrition topics with a variety of short, fun and engaging videos in this web series.

Here’s the latest show on the nutritional value of olive oil and the main differences between them – enjoy!

Check out more great videos from Joy Bauer on EverydayHealth.com

Take Everyday Health’s Diet Quiz

Follow Everyday Health on Twitter

Follow Everyday Health on Facebook

Food Styling & Photography Workshop w/ Bea Peltre @ Haven’s Kitchen NYC

Posted by artfulgourmet on Jun 19, 2012 in Chef Interviews, Food and Drink Events, Food Styling & Photography, Guest Feature, Healthy Cooking, NYC, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Uncategorized | 2 comments

Food Styling & Photography Workshop w/ Bea Peltre

I recently attended an amazing food styling and photography workshop with Beatrice Peltre, of La Tartine Gourmande at Haven’s Kitchen in NYC. Bea is an amazing Chef, food stylist and photographer and author of the cookbook La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life and one of my favorite food bloggers on the planet! If you don’t know Bea, she is very talented and creative – not only in her cooking and recipes but in her unique, fresh, colorful food styling and photography that has given her fame in the food community.

The workshop was at Haven’s Kitchen, a great cooking school and event space in Chelsea, NYC. If you haven’t visited this place you must next time you visit New York! The front area is stocked full of gourmet food items, cooking tools and utensils, kitchenware, and housewares; and they also serve coffee and tea, wine and great gourmet snacks. They offer small group cooking classes in their great location too, which you can check out online. The kitchen was set up with all of the fresh, beautiful food that we cooked and prepared together with Bea before we went upstairs to the private event space to prop, style and shoot the gourmet dishes we prepared.

After the shoot, we all sat down for a healthy gorgeous lunch of smoked salmon, veggie and dill cream tartines, fresh fruit and salads, cheese, gourmet pizzas and more. We laughed and ate, and had great conversation among the group and learned valuable lessons in the art of cooking, food styling and photography with Bea.

Check out my photos from the workshop and event below (there’s a slideshow on Flickr and a mini-gallery below for viewing pleasure). And if you have the opportunity to ever take a class from Bea or Haven’s Kitchen, I highly recommend! Enjoy.

VIEW THE SLIDESHOW

Grill like a Pro w/ Essentials from Chef Tom Colicchio

Posted by artfulgourmet on May 21, 2012 in Comfort Food, Grilled Recipes, Guest Feature, Kitchen and Home, Product Reviews, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Chef Tom Colicchio

Memorial Day is just a week away and marks the unofficial start of the grilling season. If you’re looking to host the ultimate barbecue, making sure you have all the right grilling ingredients is essential.

Tom Colicchio, James Beard Award Winner, Top Chef Judge and restaurateur, is known for his top-quality food served in his restaurants across the country. After 30 years in the business, and cooking at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian, Tom is an expert when it comes to grilling.

From the most flavorful meats to the sharpest knives, Tom’s been able to get his hands on the best ingredients and products from around the country. Some of his favorites include using the Konro Charcoal BBQ Grill, the perfect tool for cooking skewered foods, and grilling with D’Artagnan Wagyu Striploin, the best and most flavorful cut of meat when cooked at just the right temperature.

On Wednesday, May 16 Tom brought together all of his grilling essentials, including ingredients you’ll see on the menus in his restaurants, to OpenSky.  With warmer weather on the way, now you have the chance to grill like a pro this Memorial Day.

Fuego Portable Gas Grill

Fuego Portable Gas Grill ($149) – it’s a high-quality tool and only 15 pounds – very portable. It’s equipped with a stainless steel burner that heats up to 650 degrees and it offers 159 square inches of grill space — enough to fit four burgers and as many hot dogs on the grill all at once.  The steel frame construction means super durability, and an enameled cast iron grill grate allows your cooking surface to get and stay hot enough to guarantee a good sear.

Rufus Teague BBQ Sauce

Rufus Teague BBQ Sauce & Rub Bundle ($27) These sauces and rubs are the real-deal – with rich, spot-on flavors that complement meat rather trying to outshine it – and will get your summer grilling off on the right foot.  Here’s what’s included: (1) 16 oz flask of Touch O’ Heat BBQ Sauce 
- (1) 16 oz flask of Honey Sweet BBQ Sauce 
- (1) 7 oz flask of Meat Sauce
- (1) 6.8 oz jar of Fish Rub
- (1) 6.8 oz jar of Meat Rub

Baxter's Premium Smoker Wood

Baxter’s Original Premium Smoker Wood ($20) – Essential tools for basic grilling include: a limitless supply of charcoal, a good set of tongs, and a big pile of wood chunks. Since the quality of the wood you grill with really does affect the flavor of your food, Tom is particular about what he uses. Baxter’s Original sources all their wood in Georgia, where they’re based, and they’re careful to make sure that it’s free of bark and debris.

Tip from Tom: If you’ve never used smoker wood on your grill, it’s easy.  Soak the chunks in water and then add them to smoldering briquettes in a charcoal grill, or into the smoke tray of a gas grill, and they’ll flavor whatever you’re cooking with a nice, wood fired taste. A couple of chunks on a hot grill will mean a steak with just a hint of smoke, whereas a few cups of the stuff over low heat allows you to transform your grill into a smoker, capable even of turning out amazing, authentic barbecue ribs.

Konro Charcoal BBQ Grill

Konro Charcoal BBQ Grill with Bag of Charcoal ($77-$151) Konros are small Japanese tabletop grills – a cousin to the hibachi. The compact ceramic units use as their heat source binchotan charcoal, a slow-burning hardwood charcoal that’s traditional to Japan. They’re the perfect tool for cooking skewered foods like yakitori, or any other small items that you could otherwise cook on a big, free-standing grill.  They’re fun to use – especially in a dinner party setting where everyone can participate in the cooking – easy to set up and clean up, and totally portable for picnicking and tailgating.

Sweet Deliverance Chutney Duo

Sweet Deliverance Chutney Duo ($24) – Try Kelly’s Spicy Green Tomato Chutney and Raisin Haters Apple Chili Chutney as spreads to accompany a cheese and charcuterie platter, or better yet, as a condiment to serve alongside a rich meat like lamb. It transforms a hunk of cheddar, a slice of pate, or a simple ham sandwich.

Wagyu, Boneless Ribeyes & Pork Chops from DeBragga

Wagyu, Boneless Ribeyes & Pork Chops From DeBragga ($61-$250) These meats are supplied in his restaurants and work perfectly on the grill:

-Two 12-ounce American Wagyu (a.k.a. “Kobe beef”) strip steaks, the richest and most decadent steak on the market, sourced from Imperial Wagyu cattle raised in Nebraska. A little of this stuff goes a long way.

-Four 12-ounce boneless ribeye steaks, sourced from naturally raised Angus cattle. These cattle are never fed any antibiotics, hormones, or animal-based protein supplements, and the meat is amazingly well marbled and tender.

-Four 14-ounce pork chops from naturally raised Duroc and Berkshires hogs, free-ranging in Iowa. The meat is nothing like the pork chops you’re used to from your local supermarket. It’s beautifully marbled, succulent, and sweet.

Check out more cool food items, cooking and grilling essentials on OpenSky.com (sponsor of this post) and have an amazing Memorial Day weekend grilling your hearts out!