Friday the 13th rant.......hehe

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So thankfully I got the day off for Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious but sure I felt better knowing that if any shit hit the fan work wise I was well out of the picture. So I woke up nice and early and feeling pretty good. No cataclysmic events had happened during my sleep so the world was still there and was not full of nuclear fallout or the walking dead.

In fact it was a smashing day! The sun shining, birds talking their normal crap and I hadn't slept till four in the afternoon. My mum was up minding my little god daughter down in the brothers house in Bray so I had arranged to go over and see the two of them as I don't get to see my mum as much as I would like. So I had a cup of wake up juice and headed over. It was a lovely drive with none of the normal bullshit involved. No traffic jams or diversions just a nice easy drive.

I arrived to Bray and the sun was still splitting the sky, so with a hop in my step I went in to say hello to mum.

"Your fathers just been in an accident."

EDIT: Mum just read the post.....She actually said "Hi" first. Sorry mum :).

Lovely. So I quickly lost the hop and smile and felt my chest constrict with fear. Sweat immediately beaded on my forehead and I felt a bit shaky on my feet. All in the space of about a second.

"He's ok. He just rang and said he was out of the car"

Hmmm. Ok, well he can talk and obviously move so he is not dead. That made me feel better. So I asked mum what had happened.

This is where the fear left and the anger hit in with such force that I was nearly compelled to drive to Carlow.

So it happened like this. My dad is a driving instructor, and a very good one at that. He has a very high pass rate and both myself, my little sister and even my little brother passed our tests first time ;) (hehe, sorry Al). Dad was parked on the hard shoulder, on a straight with a pupil. It is part of instructing where the pupil learns to drive on faster roads etc. Next of all some feckin gobsheen hits him from behind at about 100kph, on the hard shoulder, and spins my dads car 360 degrees. So the ambulance is called, the police arrive etc etc. Now thankfully my dad and his pupil were not hurt and for that I am obviously truly thankful. I believe the gobsheen is fine too, whatever.

So it is a pretty clear cut case. My dad was parked with hazards on and handbrake on, on the hard shoulder and a twat hits his car from behind. This is recorded by the police etc. The guy should be put off the road end of story.

Next thing I know its Monday and mum rings me.

"The guy is saying that your father was pulling out from the hard shoulder and that it is not his fault"

FUCK SAKE!!! The evidence is all there, from the garda report to where the damage is on the car, to the fact that the handbrake was on, to the pupil as a witness. The guy is chancing his fucking arm. What a dick, he fucked up and should just stand up and take his fucking medicine. So now of course assessors are needed etc etc. Thankfully dad is not going to let this lie and will go all the way to the courts if necessary. Good on you dad!!

Whats wrong with the world that people do not or will not take responsibility for their actions. Is there no such thing as common decency, honesty or integrity anymore?? It makes me feel ashamed to exist in this era of law suits, claims etc. Fraudulent fuckers everywhere. TV advertising is a major cause with all these stupid ads about "No win, No fee!!" Seriously the world is a hard enough place to live in. If people do not take responsibility for their actions we will end up in a world of chaos.

The picture is one I took while dangerous driving.........I was on the motorway and had the camera in my hand and hit the button. I reckoned the shaky effect was kind of apt for this post. I changed the levels quite a lot to make it look a bit more severe and cropped it to just show the dials. Other than that I did feck all. Dolly will probably comment on the fact that it is not in focus.......hmmmmmmm. So I promise I will not post another rant for a while. I just felt that this story deserved one.

Pre-engineered substations from Danfoss: Take heat generation to the next level!

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Pre-engineered substations from Danfoss:Take heat generation to the next level!
Danfoss has developed a new way of engineering large substations for district heating. With the introduction of the Advanced Compact Station (ACS) and Red Frame concepts, system planning and layout will be easier than ever and a perfect fit is ensured for any building.

The two new types of substations for district heating are designed to reduce the complexity involved in planning and building district heating systems for larger buildings.
The principle is simple: by combining carefully selected components, we have created the optimum pre-engineered solution, the ACS substation. Or you can choose the Red Frame, which allows application option flexibility. While still using Danfoss recommended components and controls, you will get a tailor-made solution that ensures high end-user satisfaction and supreme energy efficiency.
Both these solutions ensure that you only have to deal with one supplier for design, component selection and service. This ensures short delivery time, easy installation, low maintenance and efficient after-sales support, which in turn means that you will have plenty of time to attend to other aspects of your business.

Build your showroom

Design has been the key in developing the ACS and Red Frame substations. Whereas some district heating substations tend to be large and space consuming, taking up valuable space in buildings, these new types of substations have been designed to take up a minimum amount of space as well as having a nice visual appearance. This will give you the opportunity to build your new showroom and more available space for you to utilize.

Check out our campaign site!
For more information visit our campaign site by clicking the link below. Here, you can learn a lot more about the new substations from Danfoss and what they can do for you. You can also find our selection of ACS and Red Frame products or get in contact with one of our sales representatives.

View our Campaign Site and Learn More
Browse our District Heating Substations Range

DHP-AQ Master / Slave installation

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Damien Mullins from Heat Doc Ltd., an experienced Danfoss heat pump installer has just completed the first Master/Slave installation using the new Danfoss DHP-AQ air to water heat pumps. The installation in in Ballymore Co. Westmeath and is replacing an LPG heating system that had two 75kw boilers give a whopping 150kw... This would be typical in the era of "give them enough and then double it"...! There is a mixture of underfloor heating and smart rads in the house.



There were several system links in the house with a massive 18 circulating pumps...!! These pumps were costing €750.00 per year...!!
That has all changed now and there are no more system links and there is now only two speed controlled pumps.

With the installation of two 16kw Danfoss DHP-AQ's, set up in the master / slave docking opting we will deliver massive savings on the investment.

Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme

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GRANTS...!!!

Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is it all about?

The NI Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme is designed to help domestic householders afford alternative renewable technologies that can heat their home.  If you have read about the Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) you will already be aware that the Renewable Heat Premium Payment is the forerunner of the RHI but is specifically for domestic customers.

Who can apply?

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme is for all householders in Northern Ireland.  The scheme is also open to private and social landlords.

What are the conditions?

Technologies must be installed in primary places of residence, not second homes or holiday homes, and must have basic energy efficiency measures in place.  This means you must confirm you have loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation, where these measures are practical.
The renewable heat product you are installing must be listed under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or Solar Keymark and be installed by someone registered under the MCS scheme.  Please visit the MCS website Microgenerationcertification or Solar Keymark website Solarkeymark for more details.
If you have installed an eligible technology from 24 May 2012, without any other financial grant or support, you are also eligible to apply for a premium payment.

Eligibility

The property where the renewable heating system is being installed must have loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation where practical

You must have obtained suitable quotes in relation to the installation and have chosen the one which most suits your needs.

You must have obtained all necessary permissions for the installation including (where applicable) planning permission and consents from any (joint) owners of the property.

Your installation must not have been commissioned for the first time prior to 24 May 2012.

Your installation must not have received any other financial grant or support.

You must be the private owner or landlord of the property for which the application is being made or a tenant with permission from the owner of the property.

The property where the new renewable heating system is being installed is a permanent residential building which is occupied for the majority of the year.

How much are the grants worth?

Technology	Support per unit (£) in a dwelling
Air Source Heat Pump	1700
Biomass boiler	2500
Ground Source or Water Source Heat Pump	3500
Solar Thermal	320

How do I apply?

To apply please use the application form and accompanying documents provided below

Application Form

Information and Guidance

FAQ's

Terms and Conditions

Steal heat right out of the air – and cut your heating bill

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Steal heat right out of the air – and cut your heating bill

May 1, 2012

The Jensen’s in Denmark decided to go green by installing a Danfoss air source heat pump. Their annual heating bill has now been cut in half from 2,688 EUR to 1,300 EUR.

 

      Is an air source heat pump really a viable alternative to a gas boiler? The Jensen’s asked their heating technician this question, when he suggested a heat pump as an alternative to their 20-year-old gas boiler.

They asked because they were renovating their house and hoped to also become independent of fossil fuels and do something about their ever increasing heating bill. The technician’s answer? A clear ‘yes’. And today, the Jensen’s are grateful that they followed his advice.

“The heat pump was installed in May 2011, and until the end of the year, we used 2,257 kWh for utility water and heating of our 135 square meter house. Compared to our old gas boiler, we are saving half of the heating expenses on an annual basis,” says Ingrid Jensen.


Instant hot water and comfortable climate
The family chose a solution with a Danfoss DHP-AQ air source heat pump for outside installation and a Danfoss MAXI kit for the indoor installation. The solution produces heat, hot water, and cooling by absorbing energy from the outside air. And both the installation process and the indoor climate exceed the Jensen’s expectations.

“The heat pump installation caused no issues, not even with integration of the indoor and outdoor units of the heat pump. Hot water is supplied in an instant, the indoor climate is comfortable and it just feels good to use energy with a clear conscience – environmentally and economically,” states Ingrid Jensen.

She adds that noise was a concern for them prior to installation because heat pumps have a reputation for being noisy.

“But ours is only barely audible even if you stand close to it in the garden. The indoor unit is completely silent.”

In September 2011, the Swedish Energy Agency tested the DHP-AQ and 10 other air/water heat pumps available on the market for efficiency. Danfoss’ solutions proved to have one of the highest annual efficiencies.

Facts
A family of four cuts approximately 30 percent off its annual CO₂ footprint by changing from a gas boiler to a heat pump.
    Pictured to the right: “The installer suggested that we camouflage the outdoor unit, but we liked the design and therefore made a flower bed around it to integrate it into the garden,” says Ingrid Jensen.

 

1982...The First Cork City Marathon

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The following article was written by John Walshe and appeared in the Evening Echo recently. It is re-published here with his kind permission...

1982 – FIRST CORK CITY MARATHON...By John Walshe (Originally published in the Evening Echo)

In a few weeks’ time, thousands of runners will take to the streets of Cork for what will be the sixth year of the present Cork City Marathon. The ‘marathon’ aspect of the day, as regards numbers participating, may now take second billing to the accompanying half-marathon and relay, but such was not the case 30 years ago when around 700 runners took part in what was the first ‘peoples’ marathon in the city on Easter Monday, April 12, 1982.

In October 1980 the inaugural Dublin City Marathon was held, followed in March 1981 by the London event. Cork did have a marathon that year of 1981, but it was nothing like what today’s runners are accustomed to. On a wet Sunday in June, the BLE National Marathon was held on the western side of the city. Starting near the County Hall, the 180 or so runners headed out the Carrigrohane Straight, through Ballincollig and on to Farnanes. Here, the competitors simply turned around a petrol pump before retracing their steps. The last two miles, with the County Hall like a mirage in the distance, weren’t the most appealing. However, it didn’t bother Dick Hooper from winning his third national marathon in a time if 2:15:37 while Carey May recorded a fine 2:42:39 to take the women’s title.

Six months later, a headline in the then-Cork Examiner read: “Cork marathon fever begins. Close on 10,000 runners could throng the streets of Cork next Easter Monday for the inaugural running of the adidas Cork City Marathon,” it continued. Reg Hayes, Chairman of the Cork BLE Board, said it would be the first of a series of such events in the city. He stated it would be a people’s marathon for the people of Cork and would depend largely on voluntary effort which money could not buy. Michael O’Connell, Manager of Three Stripe International, the sponsors, said invitations would go out to many countries though their various outlets. He also said that the thousands of runners rejected for the second London Marathon would receive an invitation. The Examiner and Evening Echo, along with RTE Cork Local Radio, were to promote the marathon. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Paud Black, said the event would be of tremendous benefit to the City of Cork.

Approx course of the 1982 Cork City Marathon
A number of possible courses were submitted to the Gardai for consideration. Jack O’Leary from St Finbarr’s AC, one of the country’s leading marathon runners of the 1960s and 70s and an engineer with Cork Co Council, measured the selected route. It started on the old Mallow Road and then came through Blackpool, MacCurtain Street, Penrose Quay, North Gate Bridge and down the Mardyke to the five mile mark. Out the Carrigrohane Straight, on to Rossa Avenue and Wilton before returning to the city centre and Patrick Street at 11 miles. The halfway mark was on the Marina, the route then went through Blackrock and Ballinlough and out the Douglas Road, returning to the Tramore Road and 20 miles in Togher. Another two miles brought the runners through Glasheen and then down Barrack Street to the finish on South Mall.

Easter Monday of April 12 finally arrived and in ideal conditions at 11am around 700 runners started out for what was for many a step into the unknown. The thousands originally hoped for hadn’t materialised, but it was still a good entry. Before a mile was covered, eight runners had already broken away. They included Michael Walsh (Leevale), John O’Toole (Tullamore), Willie Fitzgerald (Millstreet), Willie Hayes (Reenavanna), Seamus Cregan (Croom), Tom Jordan (Waterford) and John McNiff. The latter, visiting Cork on holiday from New York, set the early pace. At the eight mile mark near the Regional College (now CIT), Hayes and Fitzgerald were in front. But shortly after, Walsh and O’Toole started to take control and they went through ten miles together in 52:53.

Going into Blackrock and the 15-mile mark, the 23-year-old O’Toole made the move that mattered. He was now in unknown territory, never having raced beyond this distance before. But he kept his composure and running the final 11 miles on his own crossed the finish line outside the Imperial Hotel to a tumultuous reception.
His time was 2:20:40, while Walsh - brother of Donie who had ran the 1972 Olympic marathon – was closing again on the Tullamore man towards the finish but had to settle for the runner-up spot 2:21:03. He was well pleased, considering it was only his second marathon. The late Tom Jordan finished strongly to take third in 2:24:16. Willie Hayes, the early leader and now a regular masters prize-winner with St Finbarr’s, held on to sixth in 2:27:47.

The women’s race also saw a change of fortune over the final ten miles. Marie Buckley was better known as a cross-country runner and was making her marathon debut. She passed Dublin-based Cork native Catherine Sutton around 15 miles to win decisively in 3:08:17. “I do have some memories about that marathon,” recalled the now Marie Geary a few years ago. “It was a perfect day for such a race. I was a bit nervous setting out but when the gun went I really enjoyed every stride, chatting away with other runners and getting loads of support at every turn. It didn’t knock a thing out of me and I went back to work as usual the next day.”

An extraordinary feat from that first marathon was the accomplishment of Donal Burke from Whitechurch. A seasoned campaigner on the road, Donal had decided to run the inaugural Galway Marathon on Easter Sunday, followed by Cork next day. He also wanted to break the three hours in both. With a sub-2:35 best to his credit, he held back in Galway on the Sunday to finish in 2:52:16. After travelling to Tuam for physiotherapy that evening, he journeyed back to Cork. Monday morning saw him lining up on the Mallow road and despite some early stiffness he ran another consistent race to clock a remarkable 2:49:18 for 37th position overall.

The Cork City Marathon had arrived and there would be many more exciting and dramatic stories over the next four years before its demise in 1986, to be followed by a 21-year hiatus before returning once again in 2007.


1982 CORK CITY MARATHON RESULTS

Men
1 John O’Toole 2:20:40, 2 Michael Walsh 2:21:03, 3 Thomas Jordan 2:22:41, 4 Seamus Cregan 2:24:16, 5 John McNiff 2:26:15, 6 Willie Hayes 2:27:47, 7 Roddy Burke 2:29:43, 8 Michael Culligan 2:32:17, 9 Pat Kerrigan 2:32:30, 10 Willie Fitzgerald 2:33:37

Women
1 Marie Buckley 3:08:17, 2 Catherine Sutton 3:19:08, 3 Teresa Dwane 3:31:27, 4 Noreen O’Brien 3:38:53, 5 Lucia O’Sullivan 3:43:25, 6 Carmel Lyons 3:45:24

Full results HERE

SOME OTHER WELL-KNOWN FINISHERS:

* Liam O’Leary of the Cork Fire Brigade (18th, 2:41:51) – “That was my fastest marathon. I ran the first mile, which passed Blackpool Fire Station, in 5:10 as all my colleagues were out cheering!”
* One place behind was Michael Joyce (St Finbarr’s) in 2:41:59, while Jack O’Leary finished first veteran in 2:45:32
* Army-man Willie O’Riordan, still a regular prize-winner in Cork BHAA races, ran 2:48:44
* The ever-consistent Batt Kearney (Leevale) finished just outside three hours (3:00:34)
* Two well-known East Cork GAA personalities with good times were John Motherway (3:12:42) and Charlie McAllister (3:15:10)
* John Holland from Mallow, another regular marathoner nowadays, had a time of 3:17:20
* Popular BHAA official John Mohally finished in 3:16:35 while his good friend Alex Crowley recorded 3:20:34
* Eamonn McEvoy, now one of the leading masters’ runners in the country. finished three second behind James Veale (Dungarvan) in 3:25:15

Voting time again.........*Yawn*

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Ok first things first. You may notice the lack of a picture with this post and there is a reason for this.

There are about a million pictures and posters plastered all over the feckin place at the moment and I have had enough of them.

So its election time again and we get to look at our local candidates smiling down at us where ever we go. Will you ever feck off. Out they come looking for our votes all these faces who nobody knows. From one end of the year to the next we hear nothing, see nothing about these people unless they happen to have shagged some prostitute or been given some Bertie envelopes under the table. How dare they.

Successive Irish governments have fucked us over and they think smiley pictures will get them the vote. "We promise to do...." that's what we are hearing now, and always these empty promises end up on a piece of paper littering the Taoiseachs floor. So what the hell do I do??

Do I use my given right to try and select a good candidate for my constituency? Do I read through all the crap that's coming in through my letter box? Do I go out in the middle of the night and deface all the posters on my street?

Well for this election I have decided to abstain from voting because frankly I could not give a shit anymore. Whoever comes into power will ultimately fuck us all up anyway so I might as well save myself an afternoon.

If I do happen to go out to vote I will be voting for the following...

Victor, my drunken Lithuanian housemate. He would soon sort out the bullshit in Irish politics.

Being a lazy fecker....

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So firstly I must apologise for not putting anything up here for a couple of weeks. It was not an intentional thing I was just a lazy fecker.

Now in fairness the reason I have been a lazy fecker where the Internet is concerned is because I have been very sociable lately. I am not sure what has happened but since making my move in job and home things have been going great for me. Lots of partying and meeting new people etc etc.

Now this however is no excuse to stop or get lax in doing something that I enjoy so I am going to try to be more demanding of myself when it comes to my blogging.

Something to highlight my laziness in the area of blogging is the photograph above. I was holding my camera and accidentally took a shot of my hand. This annoyed me and I could not think of anything to shoot so I used it.

Now the rant part......

I love going out and having a few drinks with friends as do a huge number of people in the world. The thing that really pisses me off is the morning after.....

I am not talking about a binge session where there is vodka and redbull coming out of your arsehole because it has burned through every organ in your body. I am talking about the four or five pints in the pub and home in bed by 1am. It doesn't matter what I try. From a banana before I sleep (For the potassium) or drinking three pints of water before sleep. You are still never at 100% capability in work the next day. Now I have, until recently, used the old not drinking before working the next day thing but that was affecting my social life badly and I was becoming a recluse. So with all the technology about today why cant our scientists work on a way to get people pissed and for it to have no ill effect the next day......

Now I don't want people commenting about those stupid remedies in the chemists, they are a load of bollox. I am talking about an ingredient in beer that will stop dehydration and still give the same effect as before. Imagine how much better our lives would be!!! Fair enough we may all have liver problems but sure who wants to live till they don't know whats going on anyway.

On another note, I would be grateful if anyone reading this could check out my brothers site and in particular his piece about Madeleine Mc Cann. It is a truly frightening story and one where we can all help create a happy ending.

A Mans Home is his Castle...... or so they say.

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Men everywhere have different ideas of what would or should be the ideal mans home. Now I have my own personal opinion that I will share with you.

The phrase in my title is one that has stayed with me since I was very young and first started reading fantasy novels. They are a passion of mine and a fantastic means of removing yourself from the humdrum of everyday life and immersing yourself in another world.

I would love to live in a castle. Yes, that's right folks I take that phrase quite literally.

It would be a modest affair in this day and age due to the exorbitant costs involved but still its nice to dream...

A large driveway would meander up to a large oak door surrounded by large grey brickwork. To your left you would spy a tower that rose about 10 feet higher than the surrounding walls. The walls would be crenelated and have a small walkway so that you can walk the walls in the evenings. All of the windows would be arched and bound in iron. Once through the door you would be into a small square yard with out buildings to the right and the main building to the left.

The main building would have a similar door to the one on the main wall. Once through this you would be into a large hall with stone floors and a central staircase leading upstairs. Six bedrooms are upstairs 4 to right and 2 to the left. Also a door leading onto a winding staircase that brings you to a small room atop the tower. Downstairs is the norm with a large kitchen, dining room, sitting room, study and storeroom. The walls are adorned with tapestries and wall sconces for torches and the standard castle decorations of suits of armour and swords.

At the back of the castle would be a large garden area with an archery area at the back and plenty of room for growing your own vegetables etc....

Ahhhhh a dream for sure. I guess its time to explain the picture above...

I am currently living with two fantastic guys from Lithuania. They are both as gay as Christmas and while this poses no problems for me I return to the title of this post.

I came home today and went for a cigarette in the garden. The garden is a nice one with a well kept lawn and a couple of random bushes around the place. So a mans home is his castle. Mine now has four pink butterfly lights poking out of the ground for all to see.

The picture is one I am happy with. I used the macro on the camera. Yes I don't call it the flower button anymore!! I also used it more correctly than I have before. So the main butterfly is in focus and the others out of focus. I played with the levels and used an overlay to sharpen the image. Yes I am getting very posh when it comes to using photoshop. I am really excited about what Dolly will comment here!! She has been mean to me in the past so check her site out and leave some nasty comments :)

The Bottle Bank

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My name is Idiot and by the looks of this picture I am an alcoholic.

No this is not a picture taken at a bottle bank, but a picture taken in my back garden. My two house mates and I have been lazy feckers when it comes to recycling. Now in fairness we keep everything separated and all it will take is a quick trip to the recycling centre to get rid of this mess.

However it does bring up a question. Are we as a nation spending more time drinking at home than in the pub? Personally I believe we are and from talking to a few people I think my thoughts are mirrored.

One example is one I heard from a guy outside a pub during one of the smoke breaks I take on any given night out. His friend is a pub owner and at one time he had 4 dedicated full time staff in his pub and a couple of part-timers for the off license. Now he has one full timer in the pub and two full timers for his off license section.

So what does this mean?

Well it means we are drinking at home more, which in turn means we can drink till we drop instead of having time constraints put on us. We can buy more drink as it is cheaper in the off licenses so we drink more, we can smoke at home.

So the smoking ban has made us more unhealthy than we were in the first place.

Is there anything we could have done differently?? Well I believe that we could have created some smoking and some non smoking pubs and each would have done as well as the other. Proper air filtering systems in pubs?? hmmmm maybe not. I would like to praise a few pub owners on the efforts they have made to create smoking areas in their pubs that do not take you away from the pub environment. The best so far is Uncle Toms Cabin in Dundrum. They have a section out the back which is basically added to the pub, with lovely comfy seats, heating, a roof and table service. It is a place where you can go in a mixed group of smokers and non smokers and sit as you would have done before the ban, chatting, smoking drinking. No interruptions of leaving the table for a smoke etc.

Here's another question.. Why do we as a nation put so much emphasis on drinking? And we do you know. Conversations invariably end up about some session or other, if you are going to meet someone it is generally in a pub, if you are giving directions it is normally through the use of pubs as your location markers. We seem to have become so used to the expectation of being a drinking nation that we now really are.

I enjoy a drink as much as the next man but am a little worried about the way it is being used and abused in our society today. Its no wonder we have stag and hen parties galore every weekend in Dublin. It is what people expect when they come to Ireland. Our cultural centre in Dublin is a piss up haven called Temple Bar! There is an ambulance parked in the square there on a number of nights as they know they will get a call... That's kind off sad.

Pursuing New Paths

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It's been a little quiet on There's a Newf in My Soup, but I can assure you we are eating well and are gearing up for another fantastic summer of themed picnics for Coronado Concerts in the Park.

Exciting opportunities have come our way in the past few months. We continue to photograph for local restaurants and food and wine events, and we recently joined Wine & Dine San Diego as reporters/photographers. Published articles include reviews of the newly opened Urban Eats, the San Diego filming of The Greatest American Chefs Tour at House of Blues, and this year's Chef Celebration Dinner Series.  This week, we're wrapping up our whirlwind tour of Coronado Island Happy Hours for another Wine & Dine feature. With all of this wining and dining around San Diego, and inspiration along the way, I hope to occasionally prepare and share recipes by San Diego chefs on the blog.

To bring you up to date, here are some excerpts from our published Wine & Dine San Diego articles (links above will take you to full articles), and a few photos from recent food and wine events and photo shoots...

...After lunch, we were treated to a sampling of the sweet endings - a decadent and gooeyurban brownie ($5) adorned with candied walnuts and drizzled with salted caramel, and freshly baked, still warm from the oven, urban cookies ($4).  Urban Eats: Big City Fare, Small Town Prices 

Sweet Endings at Urban Eats, San Diego

...Matt Gordon, founding partner and executive chef of North Park's Urban Solace and Solace & the Moonlight Lounge in downtown Encinitas, has achieved his 5-year goal of using only organic and all-natural ingredients. He feels good about the products served in his restaurants, right down to organic vegan Worcestershire sauce and handcrafted maraschino cherries. Known for his New American Comfort Food, Gordon prepared a dish of lobster and grits using Maine lobsters, organic yellow grits, and local farm vegetables supplied by Specialty Produce.  The Greatest American Chefs Tour Readies Itself to Hit the Road

Chef Matt Gordon and Devin Alexander during filming of The Greatest American Chefs Tour

...The first course, and one of the most vibrant, was Chad White’s live spot prawn. The sweet shrimp tail meat was placed alongside the critter's head and surrounded by escabeche, a Spanish marinade interpreted by White as a tangy salad of baby carrots, beets, pearl onions, serrano peppers, celery and scallions. This dish impressively showcased San Diego’s finest seafood and produce.  Dining for Dollars: 2012 Chef Celebration Dinners Fund Culinary Scholarships 

Chef Celebration Dinner at Terra American Bistro

...The fifth course posed a choice between Sinsay’s local sea bass or Rossman’s lager-braised pork belly. Many couples ordered one of each to share, naturally (who wouldn't?), and there seemed general agreement that the succulent pork belly was the winning plate of the evening. Garnishes were tender and flavorful strawberry-beet gnocchi, frisee lettuce and sautéed kale from Suzie’s Farm.  

Chef Rossman's Pork Belly with Strawberry-Beet Gnocchi

...Take a trip back in time to the roaring 1920s at Prohibition: Wine & Dine.  Join guys and dolls at San Diego's hottest new joint for the year's most talked about event.  Shimmy to the sounds of the 20s on the non-stop dance floor, indulge in tastings from premium wine and food purveyors and bid on items at the exciting silent auction.  Learn the secret "password" and gain access into the local speakeasy, where you can enjoy specially handcrafted prohibition era cocktails and try out your luck on the casino game floor - Wine & Dine Prohibition 

Wine & Dine Prohibition at the Westin Gaslamp

Craps Table at Wine & Dine Prohibition

Chef Daniel Barron's Carnitas Mac & Cheese

Nobu's famed Miso Black Cod, in lettuce cups

...A few of the most interesting and tasty bites so far in the Coronado Happy Hour Tour

Candelas Tacos de Ribeye (with chile poblano, corn, cheese and frijoles charro style

Leroy's Kitchen Blistered Padron Peppers

Primavera Ristorante's Crostini Florentina (goat cheese, filet mignon, spinach, porcini mushrooms)

Charcuterie (especially the Duck and Pork Pate with Pistachios) at Hotel Del Coronado's ENO Wine Bar

...and finally, Fish Tacos from a recent photo shoot for Coronado Brewing Company




I'll be back in the kitchen soon, but it's going to be hard topping the food we've been enjoying lately!

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Full Disclosure: We were guests of Urban Eats, The Greatest American Chefs Tour, Chef Celebration, and the Coronado restaurants featured for Happy Hour. We donated our photography services for the Wine & Dine Prohibition Party, and were hired by Coronado Brewing Company.

French Fridays with Dorie: Back in the Game with Almond Sole Meunière

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I'm sure the French Fridays with Dorie gals have given up on me by now (are there ANY men in this group?), but I forewarned them I wouldn't be around for the Sardine Rillettes or Coconut Friands. I contemplated the Navarin Printanier for Easter, but slowly braised lamb stew just didn't meld with my mood that day. I'm back with gusto for the first FFwD recipe of the month, thankful I had the day off yesterday to slip back into my relaxation mode while cooking and photographing.

This week's Almond Flounder Meunière is a mingling of two classic dishes: sole amandine and sole meunière. Sole meunière is a classic French dish consisting of sole, whole or fillet, that is dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter sauce and lemon. Sole amandine is finished with sautéed sliced almonds (amandine is a culinary term indicating a garnish of almonds). Dorie suggests using baby flounder if you cannot find sole, but I was pleased to see fresh Pacific Dover sole at our local market. This is not the same species as true Dover sole found in European waters, but it has a similar light, moist and mild flavor.

Almond Sole Meunière

Only one side of each fillet is brushed with egg yolk and then pressed into a mixture of ground almonds, lemon zest, a touch of flour, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Only one side? Maybe because the fillets are so delicate and thin, a double coating would overpower the dish?

Ground almonds, lemon zest, flour

Whisk together, season with salt and pepper

Toast sliced almonds for the garnish

Fresh parsley, toasted almonds, nut mixture ready to go

Sole fillets with almond mixture on one side only

Chopped parsley is fine for the garnish, but I'm currently in love with fried parsley leaves after making Thomas Keller's Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad. I think the bright green, crispy leaves make a prettier garnish.

Fried Parsley leaves

Dinner at home, for a change

For our side dish, I quickly sautéed broccoli florets in olive oil, smashed garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. It was nice enjoying dinner at home for the first time in a few weeks!

Broccoli Strascinati

Broccoli Strascinati (Broccoli with Garlic and Hot Pepper)
From Saveur
Serves 2-4

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound), stemmed and cut into florets
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1⁄2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and sauté,  turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water, and garlic, and saute a few more minutes. Add red chile flakes and saute another few minutes. Season with salt and serve.

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French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!



*Full Disclosure: I am a member of Amazon Affiliates and receive an extremely small commission if you link to Amazon from There's a Newf in My Soup and purchase this fabulous cookbook.

Farm to Table Roasted Beet Salad with Lavender Honey Goat Cheese, Tangerines and Marcona Almond Brittle

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With all the dining out we've been doing lately, reporting on restaurants and events for Wine & Dine San Diego, along with food photography for some local restaurants, I can't help but be inspired by the chefs we've met along the way. Many obtain fresh produce from local farms, and many of those same farms sell to the public at the farmers' markets. 

Leroy's Kitchen + Lounge Beet Salad

We made it to Little Italy Mercato this past Saturday, hoping to find a few things for Mother's Day dinner. We came home with artichokes, basil, tangerines, Suzie's Farm beets and Nicolau Farms' lavender honey goat cheese. You've heard the saying that people sometimes look like their pets? Well, the guy selling goat cheese looked like a billy goat! I'm going to have to go back and take a picture of him, it was classic!

Inspired by Leroy's Kitchen Local Beets Salad, made with Bûcheron (a goat's milk cheese native to the Loire Valley in France), spicy almond brittle, and watercress, drizzled with lavender vinaigrette, I was able to recreate a similar salad at home (although I didn't have the pretty pink and deep ruby colored beets). I roasted and peeled the beets, cut them into wedges, and paired them with creamy goat cheese, sweet tangerine supremes, crunchy Marcona almond brittle, baby basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.


Following our farm to table beet salad (which I could eat every day for the rest of my life), we enjoyed grilled salmon, and grilled artichokes with basil green goddess dressing for dipping the tender and smoky leaves (the green goddess dressing also tasted wonderful with the salmon). The grilled artichokes were inspired by Peohe's Island Grilled Artichokes, discovered during our recent Wine & Dine San Diego assignment to sample and feature Coronado's best happy hours. You can read the article and see all of the photos here: Happy Hour Bites and Sips Abound in Coronado.

Peohe's Island Grilled Artichokes

I don't have a "recipe" for the Farm to Table Roasted Beet Salad, but you should plan on 1-1 1/2 medium beets/person. Roast the beets and prepare the almond brittle according the directions below. I then supremed a couple tangerines, and made a balsamic vinaigrette (3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic, seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper, whisked together). To plate the salad, I arranged the beets on salad plates, followed by a few tangerine supremes, crumbled goat cheese, pieces of almond brittle, baby basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Roasted Beets:

Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Rinse the beets and trim off any leafy tops. Wrap completely in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel using a paring knife or by pushing the skin with your fingers. Cut into wedges and arrange on salad plates.

Marcona Almond Brittle:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup Marcona almonds

Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray, or line with a silpat, and set aside. Combine the sugar and water in a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until a dark amber color. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds . Carefully pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and let harden at room temperature. Coarsely chop, and store in an airtight container.

French Fridays with Dorie: Double Chocolate Nutella Banana Tart

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This week's decadent Double Chocolate Banana Tart provided the ultimate sweet finale to the Mother's Day dinner I prepared for mom. Of course, I could not resist the bonne idée - slathering a layer of Nutella over the chocolaty, crumbly shortbread crust before adding the caramelized bananas and generous layer of dark chocolate ganache. And, since both Nutella and chocolate pair so well with bananas, I followed Dorie's advice and finished the top of the tart with a layer of sliced bananas brushed with warm apricot jam.


Next time, I will omit the top layer of bananas and spoon in a thicker layer of caramelized bananas to snuggle under the blanket of heavenly ganache, more along the lines of this Warm Chocolate & Banana Tart over at Zen Can Cook.  Read closely and you'll notice that Pierre Hermé, master Parisian pastry chef, leaves out Nutella, but slips slivers of habanero chile and rum macerated raisins in with the caramelized bananas. A touch of heat, a few boozy raisins, and the best French chocolate you can find...I can assure you I won't be missing that top layer of bananas.

Valrhona chocolate is among the best French chocolate you can find

Valrhona + Heavy Cream + Butter = Silky gananche

Layer of caramelized bananas

Finished Tart

So much for the healthy dinner served earlier

After scraping the bananas off the leftover wedge of tart, I've returned to the refrigerator several times, cutting off just a tiny wedge to satisfy the slightest chocolate craving.  I tried to be discreet, but that residual film of chocolate left on the corner of my mouth always gave it away - similar to Trapper's failed attempt to hide the evidence.

What?

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!



*Full Disclosure: I am a member of Amazon Affiliates and receive an extremely small commission if you link to Amazon from There's a Newf in My Soup and purchase this fabulous cookbook.