Icing on the cake in Florida
If cake decorating is your thing, either creating beautiful edible art or just watching those mesmerising US TV shows devoted to the craft, you can join fellow devotees on a Topflight trip to The Americas Cake and Sugarcraft Fair in Orlando, Florida (September 18th-20th).
Dubliner Kevin O’Reilly left his family bakery after studying food science and moved to the US, were he established Satin Ice, a company making ready rolled fondant icing, which is backing the Orlando event.
An Irish team will do the fair's global cake challenge, with a prize-fund of $15,000 (€13,200). Karen Keaney of Roses and Bows and Paul Redmond of Purple Feather Cake Design are the competitors and Gráinne Mac Clancy, owner of A Cake For You School of Cake Decorating is the team manager. They'll have eight hours to create a masterpiece on the theme of "Homeland" in front of an audience.
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The seven-day package, at €1,395, includes flights, transfers, accommodation and admission to the fair, with it 75 classes and demonstrations. See cakefair.com and contact Deirdre Grant in Topflight on 01- 2401 788.
Making her bookmark
"I was watching an old Nigella programme and saw that her cookery books were full of Post-Its that were all bashed from taking them in and out of the bookcase."
It was a familiar sight to Orla Kerr, who decided there had to be a better way to mark out recipes in her own substantial cookery book collection. She came up with the idea for Book-ears, sturdy little cardboard sleeves that slide on to the corner of any sized book, have a magnet in place to stop them falling out, and space to write recipe comments or adjustments.
“I launched them at the London book fair in March,” says Kerr, who did the 12 week certificate courses at Ballymaloe 29 years ago. See book-ears.com, and amazon.co.uk
Medieval feast in Waterford
If you are a FitzGerald, the place to be on July 2nd to 5th is Villierstown in West Waterford, where there is a celebration of the clan's 800-year association with the area. Dromana House, the FitzGerald ancestral home, hosts a "medieval feast with a modern twist" on Saturday July 4th at which wild salmon caught on the estate will be served, along with a hog roast. Tickets, €45, also include dancing and story telling and guests are invited to come in costume.
Other houses on the Waterford Garden Trail are also taking part in the festivities, including Salterbridge House, Ballyin House and Tourin House where the Jameson sisters , Kristin, Tara and Andrea, will host dinner in the candle-lit dining room on Friday July 3rd.
Pre booking is essential for both events, see dromana800.com
Delivering food in style
Jette Virdi, who did the food styling and table settings for Clodagh McKenna's recent pop-up in Selfridges, is running a series of classes in Dublin, beginning on Saturday July 11th with a floral workshop. This will be followed by a salt workshop on August 15th and a herb workshop on September 19th. The classes, in The Mart gallery in Rathmines (10.30am-12.30) are hands-on and participants take home their creations. The fee of €40 (€35 for salt and herb classes) includes cocktails and nibbles. Classes are limited to 20 people. See jettevirdi.com
Nautical and nice
Afternoon Sea isn't a misprint, it's The Cliff Townhouse's unusual take on the traditional finger sandwich, scone and cake fest. Seafood savouries, including potted monkfish with sourdough, Irish smoked salmon, lobster with lemon mayonnaise, crab claws, mussels and Harty oysters, sit on three-tier cake stands, and instead of tea a cup of lobster bisque is served. It's available daily from noon to 2.30pm and costs €38 each. See theclifftownhouse.com
