Posts in: 'Local Food Heroes'
Carluccio’s now delivering to Northern Ireland!
Posted: 22 February '10 by Niall
Carluccio's delivering to Northern Ireland
When Kelly and I visit London our itinerary always includes at least one meal (and a bottle of wine or two) at a Carluccio’s restaurant. Aside from the delicious, authentic Italian food, the friendly staff, and the pocket-saving prices, the in-store deli is a treasure-trove of mouth-watering treats: from truffle butter to dried porcini, imported Italian liqueurs and wines to specialty chocolates.
Carluccio’s was founded in 1991 by chef Antonio Carluccio and has flourished ever since, with 43 locations across mainland UK. When we noticed that they had opened a branch in Dublin (March 2008) Kelly and I were over-the-moon, hoping that a Belfast location was on the cards.
While we’re waiting, however, we can now get our Carluccio’s “fix” online. Until recently they couldn’t deliver to Northern Ireland – but that has all changed! So, as a special treat for Kelly, I ordered a box of Italian delicacies..
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2
The delivery from Carluccio’s
- Limoncello Di Sorrento 70cl – £19.50
- Vin Santo D.o.c. 37.5 Cl – £16.50
- Cantucci Al Cioccolato (Chocolate Cantucci Tuscan Biscuits) 300g – £4.95
- Burro Al Tartufo (Truffle Butter) 80g – £4.95
- Sugo Al Nero Di Seppia (Cuttlefish Ink Sauce) 140g – £2.95
- Limoncello Di Sorrento
- Limoncello is a lemon liqueur from Southern Italy, and Sorrento in particular. Served after a meal, it’s an intensely lemon-flavoured digestif that was particularly to Kelly’s liking.
- Vin Santo and Cantucci Al Cioccolato
- A Tuscan dessert wine, and similar in some ways to sherry. We followed the directions from Carluccio’s an dunked our Cantucci biscuits into the sweet, fiery drink which really enhanced the almond flavour of the biscuits. Delicious, and a nice way to finish a meal when you have guests for dinner.
- Burro Al Tartufo
- The truffle butter is the one product that we longed for when Carluccio’s didn’t deliver to Northern Ireland – we’d lament the delivery policy as we salivated over the thought of the white, creamy butter infused with the dark, earthy flavours and aromas of the truffle. We enjoyed ours on toasted crusty bread, which was delicious – but I have a feeling that the scrambled eggs with a dollop of truffle-butter melting over the top that we have planned will be amazing.
- Sugo Al Nero Di Seppia
- We haven’t tried this yet – but I have a great recipe for Spaghetti in Squid Ink Sauce. Make sure you check the blog in the near future for the recipe and photos of how I got on.
What we thought
Finding ingredients and specialist goods in Northern Ireland can be frustrating – impossible, at times – but with the change in the delivery policy at Carluccio’s a world of authentic Italian tastes are a mouse-click away.
We both loved the various products – each and every one was delicious and had us looking up the site to see what else we could order.
The delivery charge was £5.60 – it sounds a lot but, considering the weight of our parcel, I thought that it was fair enough.
You might have already picked up on the fact that we love Carluccio’s.
Other information
You can visit Carluccio’s online at: www.carluccios.com/.
After some wrangling over their rental agreement for the Dawson Street premises in Dublin, and after the reported closure of the Dublin branch, I’m pleased to report that all is well. A week after closing it’s doors an agreement was reached between the restaurant chain and the landlord, saving around 60 jobs and ensuring the future of one of our favourite restaurants in Dublin.
You can find Carluccio’s in Dublin at:
Carluccio’s
53 Dawson Street
Dublin 2
T: (01) 6333957
W: www.carluccios.com
You can also find Carluccio’s – Dublin on Google Maps.
Categories: England > Local Food Heroes > News > Product Reviews > United Kingdom
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Super Market sweeps up the plaudits
Posted: 19 January '10 by Niall
St. George's Market, Belfast
The City Food and Garden Market in St. George’s Market is one of the highlights of our week – it’s a great start to the weekend – and is seems that The Guardian think so too, having named St. George’s as one of the top 10 markets in the UK. You can read the original post in The Guardian here.
The Saturday market is a real treat for all the senses: the air is full of exotic spices and the aroma of exotic delicacies for you to try; the happy murmur of shoppers talking to stall-holders about their produce; the sense of expectation that turning the next corner will reveal another stall of new and never-tried-before cuisine; and the strains of the live musical entertainment weaving through the crowds. Perhaps the best thing about the market, however, is the atmosphere – people genuinely care about the produce on display, from the proprietors to the customers. Freshness and flavour is the order of the day.
Many of the stalls actively encourage you to “try before you buy” too, with plates of free-to-sample food allowing customers to mull over their choice before handing over their hard-earned money. The choice is really bewildering, and everything looks so good. A word to the wise though – you will want to buy everything – like a recovering compulsive gambler in Las Vegas, you will have to take yourself aside and have a quiet word with yourself (or with your partner when your monthly statement comes in)!
Our favourite stalls include: the olive oil from Biostore; artisan chocolate from Co Couture; cold meats, olives, and cheese from Love Olive; bread from The Yellow Door; and free-range, organic rare-breed meat from Pheasants Hill Farm.
All of this walking about and tasting is hard work mind you. Fortunately, there are also a wide variety of hot food stalls (and seated areas) for you to take a break. You’ll often find us enjoying those tasty crepes from the French crepe stall, or trying something a little more fiery from the Jamaican food stall (the heat from those little pasties really sneak up on you!). There are also stalls selling filled sodas, tea, and coffee.
Having criticised the poor organisation of and motives behind the Belfast Christmas Continental Market and the Belfast Taste and Music Fest 2009 I think it’s only fair to say that Belfast City Council have really gotten this one right – St. George’s Market is something for Belfast to be proud of. Well done BCC!
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 8Image 9Image 10
Other information
Variety Market
Day: Friday
Opening hours: 6am – 1pm
Details: Stalls sell a variety of products including fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, antiques, books and clothes.
City Food and Garden market
Day: Saturday
Opening hours: 9am – 3pm
Details: The market offers a huge range of local, continental and specialty foods including meat and fish, cheese, coffee beans, tapas and organic products. There’s also entertainment and music on most Saturdays.
St. George’s Market
12-20 East Bridge Street,
Belfast
BT1 3NQ
T: 028 9032 0202
W: www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket
You can also see St. George’s Market on Google Maps.
Categories: Local Food Heroes > News > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom
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Healthy “eating”? You should just graze.com
Posted: 09 January '10 by Kelly
Graze.com - Nature Delivered
Now if your New Years’ resolution is anything like mine (to eat less!!), then listen up! With all the food and drink I consumed over the Christmas and New Year celebrations nothing now seems to fill me for long and I am constantly thinking about eating.
So when Niall told me about the ‘Graze box’ I was excited. Graze.com are a UK based company that deliver (by post) different boxes of food to your desk for as little as £2.99. You can choose what you want in your box, ranging from fresh fruit to nuts and Olives. Your food is then hand picked, boxed and sent to your home or your office with free (yes free!!) first class delivery – far better than picking up a curly pre-packed sandwich from a garage on the way into work.
It is also worth adding that ‘Graze’ boxes are from a sustainable forest, biodegradable and recyclable.
Niall’s mum is a big fan of grazing throughout the day, instead of eating three big meals a day she snacks regularly. Research shows that snacking on natural foods throughout the day can maintain and control blood sugar which helps to lose weight.
Graze were kind enough to send us a ‘nibble box’ to try and I absolutely loved it! When it came through the door it was like getting another present!! In my box of treats I got -
- Apple strudel – Dried Apple, naturally dried apricots and dried cranberries
- Macadamia nuts
- Yin and Yang - extra dark chocolate buttons with cherries and almonds
- Cajun seed mix
Now, I thought I would be able to eat them all in one go, but they are surprisingly filling. So I was able to snack throughout the week with them.
I have to say my favourite was the ying & yang, it was delicious. Meaning the unity of opposites – the dark chocolate is in perfect contrast to the blanched almonds and the sweet dried cherries to create a really tasty snack.
For the calorie-conscious it’s important to remember that even though it’s healthy the content still has calories. Nuts have a high fat content as well as dried fruit being high in sugars – even though it’s natural. The Yin & Yang pot, for instance, was 296 calories. Now this may seem slightly high for a snack but keep in mind you are getting some chocolate (which is extra dark so therefore has many health benefits), you are also getting lots of nuts and dried fruit. More importantly this will keep you sustained until your next meal and you wont feel tempted to snack again in between. If you thought that the 296 calories was too high then the apple strudel of Dried Apple, naturally dried apricots and dried cranberries could be the one for you. This only had 172 calories (but unfortunately no chocolate)!!
You can personalise your Graze box by choosing what goes into it, so you can have as many or as few calories in your box as you want. I will be ordering another box for sure, the only problem I am having is what to order?
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3
Our verdict:
I really loved the Graze nibble box – it’s a healthy way of snacking throughout the week. They never use any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives in their products and the boxes are environmentaly friendly. The box also provided me with a few of my ’5 a day’ which is a real bonus.
So get grazing!!
Other information
You can find out more by visiting www.graze.com
Chilli and Chocolate members:
Graze.com have been kind enough to give our members a discount: get your first box free and your second box at half price! Visit the Members’ Section for more details
Categories: England > Local Food Heroes > United Kingdom
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More tea vicar?
Posted: 11 December '09 by Kelly
SUKI Tea
We were recently sent some tea to try from Oscar and Anne, owners of ‘Suki Tea’. To be completely honest I was a bit sceptical… what difference could there be?!
One thing that you should now before reading further.. I LOVE tea! It’s one of my favourite things, especially on a cold day to help you thaw out and relax. BUT to be honest, like most of us, I like my basic, shop-bought tea (with Nambarrie being my preferred choice!!). When I lived in England it was one of the things I missed most (apart from Niall obviously, haha!) so I used to get my mum and Niall to bring me my teabag supply whenever they were visiting. So it fell to me to give the final verdict in this tasting.
Suki Tea is a fairtrade, organic company based in Belfast, with ethical sourcing as their priority. They first started in 2005 at St George’s market in their quest to find the ‘perfect cuppa’. They now sell speciality teas, tisanes and hearbal infusions from around the world such as White Tea, Pu-erh, and Oolong Tea.
Niall and I tried quite a few of the teas over a few days and Niall’s favourite was the ‘China Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl’ or the ‘Earl Grey Blue Flower’. The ‘pearls’ were really unusual, the leaves being hand rolled into pearl shapes and then they unravel as they fuse the water. They can also be used up to three times.
My own favourite had to be the ‘Christmas tea’. It reminded me of mulled wine, it had that spiced citrus-y taste to it. You could add some brandy or honey to add a bit of a kick to the tea but to be honest it doesn’t need anything added to it, it is a beautiful tea. The Christmas tea is also a ‘black tea’ which is probably why I like it so much – I love my tea strong and black and often leave the tea bag in…
Suki Tea have so many different types of tea, all full of flavour and wonderful aromas, so treat yourself and get down to see Oscar or Anne at the Belfast Christmas market or St George’s market and try them.
Other information
You can visit SUKI Tea online at: www.suki-tea.com
Chilli and Chocolate members:
Suki Tea have been kind enough to give our members a discount on purchases from their website. Visit the Members’ Section for more details
Categories: Local Food Heroes
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Cupcake Heaven
Posted: 05 October '09 by Kelly
We decided to head off to the West Coast of Ireland at the weekend to celebrate our friend Orlaith turning 21 again:) As you all I’m sure would agree, no birthday celebration is the same without a nice cake. But if your like me and cant decide between chocolate, lemon, white chocolate, strawberry, plain, double chocolate… well you get my dilemma…. Then cupcakes are the perfect choice.
As both Niall and I were working all week we decided that instead of baking them ourselves we would order them. We found a company in Belfast called ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ that specialised in celebratory cupcakes for birthdays, weddings, christenings, or any other excuse you can find to eat cake… I have many.
I wanted all 14 I had ordered to be different flavours and thought this might prove difficult but Bernadette and Martine from ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ were extremely helpful even suggesting flavours they thought would be nice…. I particularly loved the alcohol infused cupcakes.
The cupcakes went down a treat at the party and everyone had their favourite flavour. Niall’s favourite was the Strawberry cupcake – it had strawberry jam mixed through the cupcake mixture which made it really moist and sweet. Ciara and Orlaith loved the Buttercream ones And I preferred the chocolate… no suprise there then :)
Everything that we tried from ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ was moist, fluffy and packed with flavour and I have already put my order in for Halloween. I’m looking forward to see how they are decorated – i’ll post the photos as soon as we get them.
Other Information
If you would like to order cupcakes or a cake from Bernadette and Martine you can contact them on 07879400177 or Email them at info@cupcakesandfairycakes.com.
Prices start from £1.00 per cupcake and they also do gorgeous gift-boxes if you are giving them as a gift.
Contact information
Cupcakes and Fairycakes
T: 07879400177 or 07968225732
E: info@cupcakesandfairycakes.com
W: www.cupcakesandfairycakes.com
Categories: Local Food Heroes > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom
