In addition to helpful organization, the recipes are extremely well explained and even the complex ones are easy to follow. Considering who the author is, this isn't surprising. Darina Allen, the cookbook's author, runs the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, has been on numerous TV programs and won the ICAP's Cooking Teacher of the Year award in 2005, so she is more than well-versed in the art of teaching people how to cook. She intersperses the recipes with cooking tips and background on the ingredients, cooking techniques and history of dishes. Helpful to those new to Irish cooking is the "Irish Pantry" section of the book, where Allen goes through all the staples than Irish cooks might keep at home and how to go about making them.

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Irish Coffee is a hot coffee drink that bears a striking resemblance to a mug of freshly poured Guinness because of the way it layers whiskey-spiked coffee and cream. The drink was invented (as best anyone can say, anyway) by the head chef at Foynes, a now-defunct (replaced by Shannon Airport) in Western Ireland sometime in the 1940s. It was a hit with travelers and was eventually brought to the US by a travel writer working for the San Francisco Chronicle, who pushed it down the road to popularity by getting it on the menu at the Buena Vista bar.

The drink consists of lightly sweetened coffee with a head of whipped cream. The coffee must be sweetened with a bit of sugar to allow the cream to float neatly on top. It is traditionally served in a special Irish coffee mug, like the one pictured, but any glass that allows you to see the layering should do.

Read on for the recipe:

Continue reading Friday Happy Hour: Hot Irish Coffee

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ConAgra has now been dealing with their peanut butter problems, which extend back several years, for a few weeks, doing damage control and dealing with consumer complaints/concerns. Even after all that they've been through, the company has vowed that they will clean up the Georgia factory that produced the salmonella-contaminated spreads and will bring Peter Pan back, safely, to consumers.

But this begs the question of whether or not it is worth the effort on ConAgra's part to do so. The recall of tainted peanut butter stretches back to 2004 - is that long enough to have permanently shaken consumer confidence in the brand?

Peter Pan is the number three selling peanut butter brand in the US, after Skippy and Jif. Over the past four weeks, more than 400 people in 44 states reportedly became sick as a result of eating their peanut butter, although ConAgra itself has recorded over 1.4 million calls about the recall and from consumers who think that they might have become ill after eating it. The recall is estimated to cost $50-$60 million in the first four months of this year alone. Peter Pan brand peanut butter typically does about $150 million in annual sales.

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Wrap

The source of the problem, according to Wrap's chief executive, Jenny Price, is that people constantly want to have a choice and want to "make sure that there's plenty in the fridge" whenever possible. She also feels that people tend to not think about what it is they're throwing away. Once the food has been tossed into the bin, or sealed up in a garbage bag, the "out of sight, out of mind" maxim kicks in. Most people, according to the research, had no idea what they were throwing away; only 10% admitted that they probably disposed of quite a lot of food.

Proposed solutions include encouraging supermarkets and vendors not to up-sell people into buying more than they need and encouraging shoppers to keep lists - or at least check the cupboards - before heading out to shop. "People who go into stores with a shopping list usually stick to it, and you usually find they have less waste," said Price.

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Icebox pies, and icebox desserts in general, are ones that require no baking time. The filling for the pies might need some time cooking on the stove, but these types of recipes ultimately come together in the refrigerator or freezer. Icebox Pies is a collection of 70 of these easy, no-bake pies that are simple enough for even the most reluctant baker to master. The fillings include custards, mousses and ice creams to make pies like Black Bottom Butterscotch Pie, Banana Split Ice Cream Pie, Lime Cream and Strawberry Pie and Espresso Mousse Pie. In addition to the fillings, there are about 30 recipes for pie crusts and sauces/accompaniments. The crusts are all crumb crusts, made with different types of cookies and quickly cooked in the oven. While that would seem to take away from the "no bake" aspect, the crusts can (and should) be made well in advance, so you can have one or two on hand when you know you're going to want a pie. Alternatively, a store bought crust can easily be used to cut down even further on the prep time and the amount of cooking/mixing that needs to be done.

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Sales of wine, spirits, cider and imported beers are all on the rise in Ireland, while sales of Guinness are declining. The popularity of wine in particular is growing by leaps and bounds, according to statistics from vendors and reports from bars and pubs. Wine now accounts for over 20% of all of the alcohol consumed in Ireland.

Despite its decline in Ireland, where sales have dropped over 7% in the last year, sales are thriving in North American and Africa, where "Guinness has a reputation, perhaps undeserved, for everything from helping prevent malaria to enhancing male sexual prowess." If only the company could get that rumor to spread to their other markets...

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Sick of the usual pizza toppings? The next time you are in New York, consider treating yourself to something that is more luxurious than the average pie. The restaurant Nino's Bellissima, in Manhattan, has put a $1,000 pizza on the menu. The 12-inch pizza is topped with creme fraiche, chives, eight ounces of four different kinds of Petrossian caviar, four ounces of thinly sliced Maine lobster tail, salmon roe, and a little bit of wasabi to complement all the fish. The thin-crust pizza is cut into eight, $125 slices for serving.

You can't just walk in off the street a pick up one of these specialty pies on your way home from work, though. The restaurant needs 24-hour advance notice to make one.

And who is the target audience, besides pizza lovers looking for an unusual experience? Owner Nino Selimaj (pictured, right) says "Definitely Wall Street guys will treat their girlfriends... and their wives, perhaps."

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If you're planning to be out and about this morning, or can get away from the office for a few minutes, don't forget to stop by the 2nd annual Coffee Break at your nearest Starbucks. All of the stores in the US and Canada, as well as a good number of international cafes, are giving away free coffee from 10am until noon today.

The giveaway only applies to 12-ounce (tall) cups of regular coffee, so you'll still have to pay for a latte or mocha if that's the drink you really want. To take advantage of the free coffee deal if you like flavored beverages, you can simply pay a few cents and have one of the many syrups that Starbucks offers added to your drink, like Caramel , Vanilla, Hazelnut or Cinnamon Dolce, for example. Those last three syrups are available in sugar-free versions as well.

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You've probably heard of the Great American Smokeout, an annual event that is supposed to help lend support to those who want to quit smoking. Next week, you can join in the Great American Meatout, which is a similar event that started over to raise support for the vegetarian movement and to help "kick the meat habit."

The 23rd annual Meatout is coming up on March 20th and various organizations will be joining in to encourage greater consumption of fruits and veggies. Check local papers for events coming up in your area, or just participate by having a meat-free day of your own.

You don't have to "kick the meat habit" for good if you're an omnivore with carnivorous leanings, but it is worth noting that eating vegetarian sometimes can potentially lower the risk of heart disease. Better yet, it is a good excuse to branch out from your normal cooking routine and try out some of the recipes on some of the great vegan food blogs out there!

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March 14th is Pi Day - at least, it is according to those of us who happen to like numbers, as the date 3/14 corresponds to the mathematical number pi. For us foodies, Pi Day can easily become Pie day, giving us an excuse to bake some great desserts to share with our friends and family. We guarantee that even if they don't like math and pushed the concept of pi out of their heads after high school, you'll be able to convince them of the merits ofcelebrating it once a year with one of these delicious pies:

• Anne's Food has Individual Apple Pies, although you can find a traditional, full-size recipe here.
• Cookie Madness's Vienna Chocolate Pie is fast and easy.
• Grasshopper Pie is a boozy favorite from Simply Recipes. Its green color makes it perfect for St. Patrick's Day, too!
• Key Lime Pie isn't green, as Tigers and Strawberries points out, but it is zesty and always a crowd-pleaser.
• Boston Cream Pie is not a pie at all, but a type of cake. But a batch of Banana Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes from Cupcake Bakeshop have "pie" in the name, and that's good enough for us!
• Ginger Pear Pie with Golden Raisins, from Je Mange La Ville, is perfect for this time of year.
• Vegan YumYum has a mouthwatering Cherry Lime Pie with a lattice crust.
• And if you like your pies on the savory side, try a Spinach and Egg Pie from Cook (almost) Anything at least once!

[image via neatorama]

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Last year, Häagen-Dazs invited consumers to submit their best ice cream flavor ideas for a chance to create the brand's next superstar flavor. The ultra-premium ice cream brand attracted submissions that were a far cry from chocolate and vanilla, and the finalists were featured on a Food Network special about the contest. Sticky Toffee Pudding was chosen as the winning flavor over Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle and Cannoli ice creams, even though the two runners up seemed to be more popular with the fans than the winning flavor was.

Clearly, however, Häagen-Dazs did pay attention to those interested in the other flavors because they have just released Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle as part of their new Reserve line. There is no mention of the fact that the flavor was an entry in their last contest - in spite of the fact that it was only a few months ago. Hopefully the woman who submitted the original flavor got some sort of recognition from the company for coming up with the idea...

[thanks, Sara!]

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Frank Bruni seems to have gotten tired of attending regular restaurants and, only weeks after reviewing steaks at a strip club, he flitted around town trying out room service at seven different New York hotels. Room service no longer means that a tray is left outside your door. At these places, the rooms are made to give diners a restaurant-like experience - often with food from a famous restaurant/chef to boot!

How can food be kept safe during preparation in commercial kitchens? Vinyl/latex gloves may not be the answer, as there is no real evidence that they keep the food clean. Soap and frequent hand-washing, as basic as they seem, may still be the best option.

Mandarin orange growers work hard to keep their fruits seed-free so that they can command 3-4 times as much at stores.

Make real Irish soda bread for St. Patricks. No raisins or caraway seeds needed!

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, makes squid.

Frank Bruni gives Nish two stars

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The high fat and calorie content puts many people off of eating too much peanut butter as adults, while those same people, as children, might have gulped the stuff down by the spoonful or eaten sandwich after sandwich without a second thought. Peanut butter, depending on the brand, has about 200 calories and 17 grams of fat per 2 tablespoon serving. By contrast, Better 'n Peanut Butter has 100 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per 2 tablespoon serving. But because it has "peanut butter" in the name and has fewer calories, can it replace the real thing?

Better 'n Peanut Butter is a low fat, all-natural peanut spread. It is made primarily of peanuts (as de-fatted peanut flour and natural peanut butter), tapioca syrup, water, dehydrated cane juice, rice syrup and various thickeners and flavorings. It is thick and spreadable, like regular peanut butter, but has a sight elasticity about it that the "real" stuff would never have. Taste-wise, no one would mistake it for regular peanut butter because it is very sweet. That being said, however, it does have a good consistency and a nice texture. The flavor isn't bad, and it is peanutty, but it just doesn't have that savory stickiness that makes peanut butter so addictive. So, Better 'n Peanut Butter isn't likely to step into peanut butter's shoes any time soon, but it isn't a bad product by any means and is a great option for dieters/weight-watchers who can't have regular peanut butter very often.

It is sold at Trader Joe's and other supermarkets around the US.

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Chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand own Chicago eateries Tru and Brasserie T, which represent entirely different types of eating experiences for the diner. Tru tends to be more cutting edge, more upscale, and Brasserie T is all about simple, classic and extremely well-done comfort-type foods. The restaurant is modeled after French brasseries, but as the food is an assortment of classic American and European dishes, it is natural that it could be described as an American brasserie. In American Brasserie, Tramonto has put together a collection of mouth watering dishes that are so simple, so accessible, that they are described as "rustic" even though the flavors are far from undeveloped. All were inspired by the cuisines of American, Italy and France, and many are straight from the menu at Brasserie T. From soups and salads to main courses, the recipes are all very appealing. Curried Pumpkin Soup with Apple and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Artichoke and Prosciutto Pizza, Cassoulet and Osso Buco are just a few of the dishes you'll find inside. The desserts are even better than the mains, with Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding, Double-Chocolate Mousse Mud Pie and Big Dried Cherry Peanut Butter Cookies. In addition to the recipes, the book spends a fair amount of time discussing the cheese course and how one should be put together. It also has notes about wines.

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According to the American Personal & Private Chefs Association, there are over 9,000 personal chefs working in the US (probably more who want to be personal chefs or are working in other capacities at the moment, too) and over 70,000 clients who use their services on a regular basis. The chefs don't necessarily come in every day and cook dinner for their clients, but instead try to use their time more efficiently so that they can handle multiple clients. Some will spend a day a week in a different home, preparing several meals while they are there and refrigerating or freezing them. Others rent commercial space and prepare all of their clients' meals in advance, then deliver them directly. Prices average about $200-400 per day, but keep in mind that that price includes the ingredients and cooking time for 3-5 meals for four (or more people), which comes out to an average of $18 per entree.

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Peeps are soft, fluffy little mounds of sugary goodness that are absolutely the best around Easter, although Just Born is continuously expanding their line in an effort to include all major holidays. Usually, this expansion manifests itself in the form of new colors, like the bright green Peeps that are popping into stores for St. Patrick's Day, but sometimes they try to do something a little different, as they did when they release the cocoa-flavored bunny peeps a few weeks ago. Their latest release, however, omits what has traditionally been the most important part of the Peep: the sugar. Sugar-Free Peeps are the newest Just Born product. They are made with Splenda and come in packages of three yellow chicks.

Despite the plethora of Peeps in the candy aisles these days, I have yet to encounter the sugar-free version in person. Call me a traditionalist, but I have a hard time believing that the Splenda version could be anywhere near as good as the regular ones - especially when you consider that sugar, corn syrup and gelatin make up 98% of a regular Peep!

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Rachael Ray doesn't do too many vegetarian dishes on her show, 30-Minute Meals, and if she does do them, they're usually a side dish and not the main course. There are a few scattered here an there, however, and when you compile them all (along with a few that were not shown on TV, or were show in different variations) into one volume, it suddenly looks like there are a lot! In Veggie Meals: Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals, Rachael applies the same quick-fix, casual-measuring techniques that helped push her into stardom to vegetable-centric dishes. These recipes are a great place to start if you're looking for a very accessible resource to help you incorporate more veggies in your diet because all of the dishes are interesting enough to make you want to serve them again and again, but not so exotic that a picky eater (i.e. a veggie-phobe) will be turned off. Recipes include vegetarian Chili, Eggplant Parmesan, Quesadillas with Pico de Gallo salsa and Chunky Guacamole, and Chick Pea and Cannelloni Minestrone.

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The meat was all provided by Collins Cattle ranch in Frederick, Oklahoma and was nearly identical in every way, same look, same cuts. The taste of both the hamburger meat and the porterhouse was identical, as well. Along with the reassurances of animal geneticist Alison Van Eenennaam, from UC Davis, that the meat was entirely safe to eat, the diners seemed satisfied that cloned meat was not necessarily a bad idea when it came to flavor. Even so, that won't be enough to sway public opinion in favor of cloned meat by the time it (probably) hits the market later this year.

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LandShark Lager

Increasingly, Anheuser-Busch and other large companies are trying to hide their involvement with some of their products, hoping that consumers who ordinarily might be put off by a big brewing company's involvement will be tempted into buying the brews. Anheuser-Busch sells organic Wild Hop Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale labeled as the "product of Green Valley Brewing Co." Coors has a craft beer called Blue Moon in its lineup, though you wouldn't know it to look at its packaging, either.

"I see it as smart marketing for them," said one restaurant owner, whose grill does a brisk trader of LandShark. "There's kind of a reverse snobbism that says if a big company makes it, it can't be good. If it was called Budweiser LandShark Lager, it probably wouldn't be selling as well."

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