OMG Black Forest

Tell me your mouth isn't drooling as you look at this photo. This is defo my next dinner party dessert! I know it's nothing new but revisiting the old is all the thang these days and I for one am not gonna object to revisiting Black Forest Gateau. from http://www.bbcgoodfood.co.uk/

• 175g salted butter , plus extra for greasing
• 200g bar dark chocolate
• 300g plain flour
• 375g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 medium eggs
• 200g buttermilk or natural yoghurt

• 425g can pitted cherries , 2 tbsp juice reserved, rest drained
• 100g morello cherry jam
• 4 tbsp kirsch (or more juice from a can if you want it to be non-alcoholic)
• 500ml tub double cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 small punnet fresh cherries

1. Oven 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line base of 3 x 20cm cake tins. Boil the kettle. Put butter and 75g chocolate in chunks in small pan and heat until melted.
2. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarb with a pinch of salt in bowl. Whisk eggs and buttermilk/yogurt together. Scrape melted chocolate mix and egg mix into dry ingredients, add 100ml boiling water and whisk until the cake batter is lump free.
3. Divide mixture between 3 tins and bake 25 mins(swapping tins round after 20 mins if on different shelves.)
4. Prick cakes a few times with a skewer. Mix reserved cherry juice and kirsch and drizzle over the cakes then cool.
5. Mix remaining drained cherries and jam. Tip 200ml of the cream into small pan and heat until just below simmering point. Chop remaining chocolate and put in a bowl, pour over hot cream and stir until melted. Set aside until spreadable.
6. When the cakes are cool whisk remaining cream and icing sugar together until softly whipped. Spread over two of the cakes, then spoon over the jammy cherries. Stack the cakes together. Spread the chocolate cream over the third cake and sit on top of the other cakes. Pile the fresh cherries in and around the cake and serve

Dame Lane

from http://www.broadsheet.ie/

Dali Painting stolen in New York

from http://uk.phaidon.com/
"1959 painting Cartel Des Don Juan Tenorio swiped from the recently opened venus Over Manhattan Gallery"

NEW FAITH LOVE SONG

This sounds so cool and if you are in Dublin this evening you can hear this performance between 9-9.25pm, (it is recommended that the listening location for the sound work is between the two cathedrals on Nicholas Street).

"NEW FAITH LOVE SONG by Garrett Phelan comprises an ambitious off-site live performance sound work which will culminate into an exhibition of sound, photography, drawing, sculpture and animation in the New Galleries at IMMA.

The live performance sound work involves the bell-ringers of both Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin city centre, which can be heard from 9.00 to 9.25pm on Thursday, 21 June. It is recommended that the listening location for the sound work is between the two cathedrals on Nicholas Street.

For the sound piece, Phelan will work with the bells of the cathedrals to create a live conversation between these two iconic religious monuments.  The bell-ringing dialogue will act as a declaration pronouncing the arrival of ‘New Faith’.  This proclamation of ‘New Faith’ is inspired by a loss of faith and the consequential intermediary period of faithlessness, leading to the reconstruction and manifestation of ‘New Faith’.  This new work symbolises the realisation of ‘New Faith’ and culminates in a ‘bell-ringing’ celebration that evokes the optimism that can stem from the inexplicable." http://www.imma.ie/

Failing attendance at that (me included) there is an exhibition accompanying
the event 22 June to 23 September 2012 Exhibition

Amelia Stein

The Big Sky and The Palm House

21 June 2012 - 27 July 2012 at Oliver Sears gallery,29 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2,

This exhibition looks lovely - I love photography.

The gallery site tells us; " The Big Sky images were made over recent months in the epic landscape of Co. Mayo. Here, visiting locations that have become increasingly familiar to her. Working with traditional film, the large format, hand held Mamaiya, translates truthfully the drama of light, weather and isolation that descends on this corner of Ireland. In each composition the sky envelopes the presence of man, a shed, a ruined cottage, a half-open gate. The narrative may seem familiar but the technique feels almost painterly. Amelia Stein speaks about waiting for the photograph to find her rather than chasing the elusive image. The fluency of the Big Sky images shows that her patience has been rewarded.

The Palm House photographs were made in 2001 in the Great Palm House in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin. It took two years to complete this series allowing time to record seasonal changes in the lives of the tropical planting , the unique pot and tub culture and all the nuances of light refract through the glass of this great Victorian building prior to its restoration . This year a publication entitled the Palm House was released by Lilliput Press with an introduction by John Banville and botanical text by Brendan Sayers. A limited edition copy with a single print included is also available.

Amelia Stein is a member of the RHA and of Aosdána. Her work can be found in private and public collections in Ireland and abroad" http://www.oliversearsgallery.com/

Stephen Morris Graham (2)

From http://www.lecool.com/

Stephen Morris Graham : "When I was in Dublin last weekend I noticed that the Liffey was called An Life in Irish and it gave me this strange image of literally living in the river, surrounded by furniture.  I had also popped into the National Gallery and saw a small show of artwork which was relating to James Joyce which in turn made me think on Ulysses and along with Bloomsday that weekend it gave rise to the Grecian cyclops figure steering her way through her belongings!"

Hummingbird cinnamon and raisin loaf

This is my final recipe from Cake Days. This recipe calls for raisins but I am leaving those out.
(image from asensibleheart)
190g/7oz softened unsalted butter
190g/7oz caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
190g/7oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
25ml/1fl oz soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven, 170c/160c fan/gas 3. Grease/line a 2lb loaf tin.

Cream butter and sugar until pale, beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift and fold in the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the soured cream and vanilla. Into a smaller bowl spoon in about 200g/7oz of the mixture, then you fold the cinnamon into this.
Using a tablespoon pour in the vanilla mixture first then the cinnamon and then you swirl it with a skewer.

Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once baked, take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes on a cooling rack, then remove from the tin and place on the rack again.