Coffee is everywhere, you meet friends for it, there is a wall of jars filled with the instant-coffee-ish-tasting-beverage in supermarkets. It's increasingly stylish and rarified a la Starbucks in a "orange-vanilla-mocha-whipped-latteccino-with-a-twist-and-dash-of cinnamon-sugar" kind of way. And even a cup of the plain black coffee, when purchased at a cafe, costs close to a pint of beer.
I do love the stuff but, unlike the Californians I don't worship the Goddess Caffeina. As a side note, I don't see coffee represented by a noumenous goddess in the pantheon, but rather by a god. Somehow it seems more masculine to me. Tea, I think, is feminine. There may be those who disagree.
But in the spirit of frugality I've cut back on how much time (and money) I spend in coffee shops. However, I still have a cup of the real stuff everyday at home and it comes in at a hefty price, about Eur4 for 300g. If I go the cheaper route, which are the Lidl brands, I'm penalised through flavour; I've noticed that they leave a distinct taste of ashes in my mouth. I've been vastly disappointed by the real coffee offerings of the supermarkets, both in price and flavour.
So I've been scouting around for the best value and best tasting ground coffee. And the answer is a very strange one: IKEA, where a packet of vacuum packed coffee comes home at Eur1.80. That is damned excellent. I've tried each one, the espresso, the medium and dark roasts (even the caffeine free). My recommendation for anyone who stumbles on to this blog is to bag a few packets of Ikea's medium roast coffee anytime you're near the place, buy in bulk and take advantage of their special offers (sometimes there are two packs for three quid). It makes Sunday morning coffees that little bit easier. Best of all it works in whatever coffee making equipment you happen to have - be it cafetiere or filter. Brewing coffee the best smell in the world.....
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Sunday 6 November 2011
Mulling Over Breakfast and A Roast Chicken
I'm simply not awake at breakfast, I go through the motions of putting on the kettle and making tea, dozing while standing up (it is possible), being 'not with it', and prone to crabbiness when approached. All the same I still manage to make some sort of breakfast that tastes all right and does the trick.
However, I think it would behoove everyone to read this....
http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/2009/04/29/cereal-offenders/
...on the utter disgrace and rank disregard with which cereal manufacturers hold for their consumers. Might as well have the jam doughnut you've been hankering for anyway!!
Expensive junk. So in the spirit of health, frugality and a refusal to be a consumer of all that's rubbishy; from now on it's porridge (oatmeal) for me and mine. There are ways around the 'I don't have enough time' syndrome. And that's to soak it the night before. 1 Cup of Porridge Oats to 2 Cups of Water is my preference (allowing half a cup of oats per person, one cup for Daddy Bear). I never make it with milk unless there is a particularly hideous pot which I can't, otherwise, justify throwing away. Soak it overnight with the above ratio and the minute it comes to the boil it's done. 3 minutes - faster than a microwave.
Don't you think it's a bit boring though? I certainly do..so I've been tarting mine up with a handful of raisins and a dash of cinnamon. Use maple syrup or golden syrup instead of honey. Dice in some apple the night before too - as long as it's under the water it won't brown. A particularly nice variation is walnuts and dried cranberries, if you're up to it.
The best part is this is seriously cheap for breakfast presuming you buy the largest bag of Flahavan's Oatlets; plain porridge clocks in at 10cents per person add another 30cents for raisins and the same for apples. Meaning that brekkers for a family of four should, maximum, cost EUR1.50 per day.
However this evening we have had a roasted chicken, a magnificent bird from my local butcher, for which, he charged me 7 Euros. Rather on the plump side, no blood spots in the meat and even better the bones weren't blackened (what on earth causes that in supermarket chickens?) plus it had flavour.
Lidl once again provided the vegetables, clocking in at a modest EUR1.75 (including spuds).
Even as I type there are leftovers in the fridge for luncheon sandwiches and the carcass is simmering gently in a pot with a carrot, some celery and an onion. That stock will be for Wednesday and I have some chicken soup with spatzle (little egg dumplings) in mind.
Three meals from a 7 quid chicken, who would have thought it.
However, I think it would behoove everyone to read this....
http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/2009/04/29/cereal-offenders/
...on the utter disgrace and rank disregard with which cereal manufacturers hold for their consumers. Might as well have the jam doughnut you've been hankering for anyway!!
Expensive junk. So in the spirit of health, frugality and a refusal to be a consumer of all that's rubbishy; from now on it's porridge (oatmeal) for me and mine. There are ways around the 'I don't have enough time' syndrome. And that's to soak it the night before. 1 Cup of Porridge Oats to 2 Cups of Water is my preference (allowing half a cup of oats per person, one cup for Daddy Bear). I never make it with milk unless there is a particularly hideous pot which I can't, otherwise, justify throwing away. Soak it overnight with the above ratio and the minute it comes to the boil it's done. 3 minutes - faster than a microwave.
Don't you think it's a bit boring though? I certainly do..so I've been tarting mine up with a handful of raisins and a dash of cinnamon. Use maple syrup or golden syrup instead of honey. Dice in some apple the night before too - as long as it's under the water it won't brown. A particularly nice variation is walnuts and dried cranberries, if you're up to it.
The best part is this is seriously cheap for breakfast presuming you buy the largest bag of Flahavan's Oatlets; plain porridge clocks in at 10cents per person add another 30cents for raisins and the same for apples. Meaning that brekkers for a family of four should, maximum, cost EUR1.50 per day.
However this evening we have had a roasted chicken, a magnificent bird from my local butcher, for which, he charged me 7 Euros. Rather on the plump side, no blood spots in the meat and even better the bones weren't blackened (what on earth causes that in supermarket chickens?) plus it had flavour.
Lidl once again provided the vegetables, clocking in at a modest EUR1.75 (including spuds).
Even as I type there are leftovers in the fridge for luncheon sandwiches and the carcass is simmering gently in a pot with a carrot, some celery and an onion. That stock will be for Wednesday and I have some chicken soup with spatzle (little egg dumplings) in mind.
Three meals from a 7 quid chicken, who would have thought it.
Saturday 5 November 2011
The Larder or What Have I Got in My Kitchen Cupboards
If there was one thing which drove me nuts it was Darina Allen's finicky 40 ingredient recipes, for example "this recipe only really works if it's made with this chutney made by Mrs. So-In-So, she makes 4 pots of it a year, so it's a must have for your kitchen". A gawd-help-us moment and unrealistic about so many things; like how much money one has to hand, how much space you have in your kitchen (mine is tiny), and how much time you really have to be baking your own bread in glazed terracotta bakeware in your Aga and Smeg filled life.
I have done this to some extent because I like to cook. I've had every spice I could lay my hands on in the Asia market, had jars of chutney and pickles, thinking "wouldn't this be great with cheese". Actually, most of that rubbish that's on offer in Fallon & Byrne or any of the upmarket "fayre" style foodmongers just isn't necessary.
Pretty - most definitely; Necessary - absolutely not.
But I'm going to come clean; once I buy them I never use them. Instead, once bought, I've had jars of stuff and fresh produce sitting in my kitchen and on my fridge shelves covered by a hoarfrost of mold. How much money was wasted on a dream, an illusion of how my cooking should be or the lifestyle I wanted to project? Loads.
Those foods don't really represent good food, fine food, or even nutritional value. They really are just a statement of lifestyle sold to wannabes. Having some obscure ingredient in your kitchen doesn't make you Jamie Oliver. Ditto for making your own ketchup like Doris Day. Heinz is delicious. The only time I can really justify having particular spices in my press is when I make a particular meal regularly, so paprika and caraway seeds are always there for Goulash.
Therefore, I've pared down my larder (the food press in my kitchen) to reflect real essentials that do need to be replenished now and then. They are as follows:
Whole Milk - for making bechamel/white sauce and Bird's custard
Butter - the real stuff, again for making sauces and mixing with olive oil to roast potatoes (a combination that's just as good as goose fat).
Olive Oil (a small bottle of extra virgin for salad dressing and a larger bottle of the slightly more refined stuff for cooking)
Vinegar - white wine & malt (for chips!)
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Beef Stock
Chicken Stock
Worchestershire Sauce - Lea & Perrins is the nicest
Grainy Dijon mustard
Tabasco
Plain Flour
Curry Powder - mild Madras is my favourite, it covers so many things
Chili Powder
Honey
Garlic
Cheddar Cheese
Tube of tomato puree
A few tins of chopped tomatoes
Pasta - your favourite shape
Rice - I genuinely think that Basmati is the best (its 1.50 in Lidl for a kilo)
Light soy sauce - dark soy is rarely, I repeat, rarely used in Chinese cooking - including takeaways (I know because I worked in one when I was a teenager).
*a note on buying lentils and beans....do not, for the love of god, do not buy them in a supermarket or health food shop, you'll be charged five times the price. Go to the Asia market or Oriental emporium to get them and I would err on the side of lentils over beans. Dried beans are just too finnicky and who really has the time for that?. Lentils, especially Puy or Brown lentils cook in half and hour, tops (and will sprout in 2 days for salads) , and are a great source of fibre and protein and fill out a casserole or soup nicely. They're about 3 quid for a big bag.
At it's most expensive this will cost about 45 Euro..but you can get this down to about 35 Euro if you shop around (especially at the Asia Market & Lidl, who have surprisingly good olive oil).
Today was a rather fishy day supplied by my local fishmonger Fitzsimons (again cheaper than the supermarket and I can negotiate the amount and price) which came in at a hearty fish pie for six at a cost of about 6 Euro for the fish and 2 Euro for the spuds.
I have done this to some extent because I like to cook. I've had every spice I could lay my hands on in the Asia market, had jars of chutney and pickles, thinking "wouldn't this be great with cheese". Actually, most of that rubbish that's on offer in Fallon & Byrne or any of the upmarket "fayre" style foodmongers just isn't necessary.
Pretty - most definitely; Necessary - absolutely not.
But I'm going to come clean; once I buy them I never use them. Instead, once bought, I've had jars of stuff and fresh produce sitting in my kitchen and on my fridge shelves covered by a hoarfrost of mold. How much money was wasted on a dream, an illusion of how my cooking should be or the lifestyle I wanted to project? Loads.
Those foods don't really represent good food, fine food, or even nutritional value. They really are just a statement of lifestyle sold to wannabes. Having some obscure ingredient in your kitchen doesn't make you Jamie Oliver. Ditto for making your own ketchup like Doris Day. Heinz is delicious. The only time I can really justify having particular spices in my press is when I make a particular meal regularly, so paprika and caraway seeds are always there for Goulash.
Therefore, I've pared down my larder (the food press in my kitchen) to reflect real essentials that do need to be replenished now and then. They are as follows:
Whole Milk - for making bechamel/white sauce and Bird's custard
Butter - the real stuff, again for making sauces and mixing with olive oil to roast potatoes (a combination that's just as good as goose fat).
Olive Oil (a small bottle of extra virgin for salad dressing and a larger bottle of the slightly more refined stuff for cooking)
Vinegar - white wine & malt (for chips!)
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Beef Stock
Chicken Stock
Worchestershire Sauce - Lea & Perrins is the nicest
Grainy Dijon mustard
Tabasco
Plain Flour
Curry Powder - mild Madras is my favourite, it covers so many things
Chili Powder
Honey
Garlic
Cheddar Cheese
Tube of tomato puree
A few tins of chopped tomatoes
Pasta - your favourite shape
Rice - I genuinely think that Basmati is the best (its 1.50 in Lidl for a kilo)
Light soy sauce - dark soy is rarely, I repeat, rarely used in Chinese cooking - including takeaways (I know because I worked in one when I was a teenager).
*a note on buying lentils and beans....do not, for the love of god, do not buy them in a supermarket or health food shop, you'll be charged five times the price. Go to the Asia market or Oriental emporium to get them and I would err on the side of lentils over beans. Dried beans are just too finnicky and who really has the time for that?. Lentils, especially Puy or Brown lentils cook in half and hour, tops (and will sprout in 2 days for salads) , and are a great source of fibre and protein and fill out a casserole or soup nicely. They're about 3 quid for a big bag.
At it's most expensive this will cost about 45 Euro..but you can get this down to about 35 Euro if you shop around (especially at the Asia Market & Lidl, who have surprisingly good olive oil).
Today was a rather fishy day supplied by my local fishmonger Fitzsimons (again cheaper than the supermarket and I can negotiate the amount and price) which came in at a hearty fish pie for six at a cost of about 6 Euro for the fish and 2 Euro for the spuds.
Friday 4 November 2011
The Butcher's Shop
I've been doing my weekly shop and scanning around Dunnes and Superquinn, finding out that it is far better to buy your meat from you local butcher.
Supermarket meat now gives me the screaming heebie jeebies. Looking at all of that glossy packaging you have to pay for and is reflected in the prices, wondering how long it has been sitting there lonely as a cow. Then, adding insult to injury, I never know if the chicken is really Irish or flown in from Thailand.
So instead I'm heading to my local butcher's from now on: P&A Homan's on Harty Avenue in Dublin 12. Where I managed to pick up real rashers with the rind on (half a pound cost 2 Euro - remind me how much a crappy packet of Galtee is again?) a proper chicken, pork loin, a couple of pounds of minced beef and some chicken fillets, all coming to the grand total of 27 euro. All of which will stretch to seven, maybe eight meals if I do it right. The other wonderful thing is, I can negotiate exactly how much I want and am not limited to the tryanny of the sanitised plastic box. I'm winning in so many ways here....not only do I get good value, quality meat, my green bin is happier too.
So for this evening dinner shall be Bacon, Lentil and Cabbage stew: a meal for four which costs about 5 quid.
8oz Streaky Rashers - Diced
2 Carrots - finely chopped
2 Sticks of Celery - finely chopped
1 Onion - you guessed it - finely chopped
1 Cup Puy Lentils (get them in the Asia Market - sooo much cheaper)
Half a Savoy Cabbage - roughly chopped (they're about 40c in Lidl at the mo')
Couple of pints of Chicken Stock (cube, real: whatever you've got)
Bowls, Spoons, People, Bread.
Fry off the diced rashers, add the carrots, celery and onion and sweat them in the bacon fat for a couple of minutes. Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Then add the cabbage and bring down to a blip-blip simmer for about thirty minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Delicious velvety stewy soup. There's even enough for Lunch tomorrow afternoon.
Supermarket meat now gives me the screaming heebie jeebies. Looking at all of that glossy packaging you have to pay for and is reflected in the prices, wondering how long it has been sitting there lonely as a cow. Then, adding insult to injury, I never know if the chicken is really Irish or flown in from Thailand.
So instead I'm heading to my local butcher's from now on: P&A Homan's on Harty Avenue in Dublin 12. Where I managed to pick up real rashers with the rind on (half a pound cost 2 Euro - remind me how much a crappy packet of Galtee is again?) a proper chicken, pork loin, a couple of pounds of minced beef and some chicken fillets, all coming to the grand total of 27 euro. All of which will stretch to seven, maybe eight meals if I do it right. The other wonderful thing is, I can negotiate exactly how much I want and am not limited to the tryanny of the sanitised plastic box. I'm winning in so many ways here....not only do I get good value, quality meat, my green bin is happier too.
So for this evening dinner shall be Bacon, Lentil and Cabbage stew: a meal for four which costs about 5 quid.
8oz Streaky Rashers - Diced
2 Carrots - finely chopped
2 Sticks of Celery - finely chopped
1 Onion - you guessed it - finely chopped
1 Cup Puy Lentils (get them in the Asia Market - sooo much cheaper)
Half a Savoy Cabbage - roughly chopped (they're about 40c in Lidl at the mo')
Couple of pints of Chicken Stock (cube, real: whatever you've got)
Bowls, Spoons, People, Bread.
Fry off the diced rashers, add the carrots, celery and onion and sweat them in the bacon fat for a couple of minutes. Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Then add the cabbage and bring down to a blip-blip simmer for about thirty minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Delicious velvety stewy soup. There's even enough for Lunch tomorrow afternoon.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Now is the winter of our discontent
I've wondered for a while now, because of the recession here in Ireland and the threat of a double dip global recession, whether or not is it possible to feed a family of four on a very tight budget. I think that so many of us are in this position that it might be timely to check, just for pig iron, whether it's really possible.
I shop in the most basic of supermarkets, Dunnes, Lidl, Superquinn and the odd time I'll splash out on something in M&S. And money barely even touches my pocket, it is that ethereal. So tomorrow being Friday it's the weekly big shop and I'm really going to look at what I spend on food. Breakfast Lunch and Dinner.
The restaurant is open.
I shop in the most basic of supermarkets, Dunnes, Lidl, Superquinn and the odd time I'll splash out on something in M&S. And money barely even touches my pocket, it is that ethereal. So tomorrow being Friday it's the weekly big shop and I'm really going to look at what I spend on food. Breakfast Lunch and Dinner.
The restaurant is open.
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