Would you believe, the average household in Ireland will eat eight Easter eggs over the Easter weekend! If you are lucky enough to receive a luxurious dark chocolate egg, then you need not feel as guilty as you may think; dark chocolate is considered a functional food and contains several nutrients that may pose health […]

What is a functional food? A functional food is a food that provides additional benefits above its nutritional value. Examples, other than turmeric, include probiotic and prebiotic yoghurts, fortified breads and omega-3 enriched eggs. Origins and properties Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and is a spice that comes from a root called […]

Yeast is a biological raising agent from the fungi family. It produces carbon dioxide and this causes bread to rise. What’s actually happening? The dough is kneaded to give the bread its texture. The protein in the flour is stretched to make an elastic dough and pockets of gas are formed. Whilst the dough is […]

My name is Emily and I’m a third year Culinary Entrepreneurship student in DIT, Cathal Brugha St. As part of my course, we go on placement for 12 weeks in a food related business. I’m a real foodie who loves to cook – and eat – tasty, no-fuss food. However, I don’t want to work […]

Local butcher Michael Fleming tells us about the added extras you didn’t know your butcher offered One of the advantages of shopping in your local butcher’s shop as opposed to the supermarket is the personal touch. Many people are unaware of just how knowledgeable their butcher is and the added extras that s/he will do […]

Local butcher Michael Fleming gives us the inside scoop on steak dinners. How many different cuts of steak are there? These days, there are a lot! New American-style cuts such as hanger steaks and flatirons have become more popular over here in recent years. I would say there are probably about 15 different steak cuts […]

Why do we traditionally eat lamb at Easter? Traditionally, it’s linked with Christian symbolism and the idea of Jesus as “the lamb of God.” From a practical standpoint, it’s also because lamb happens to be in season. People have a misconception that spring lambs are these tiny babies, but in fact they are 3-4 months […]

Local butcher Michael Fleming talks quality over quantity Is there a difference between organic and free range? Yes. The term “organic” used in meat labelling means that the animal has been fed only organic feed and been raised on organic land, with no chemical pesticides or use of antibiotics. “Free range” means that the animal […]

Butcher Dave Lang talks through the questions he wishes his customers would ask… Why is buying from the butcher better than buying the cheaper, pre-packaged meat from the supermarket? The meat in the butcher’s will be fresher, as it is prepared that day. Butchers also age their meat for an extra 10 days, meaning it will […]