Shooting with Canon EOS R6 Stay Restless campaign

Sharon Cosgrove January 19, 2023

How far would you go? Pushing creativity to the limit

I have been a Canon shooter for as long as I can remember so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be asked by Canon to test out their new mirrorless EOS R6 in London!

Canon EOS R6 with a Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM

I stayed at the citizenM in Shoreditch. Such a trendy, bright and funky hotel. It has a control pad for your room where I was able to set the mood with lighting and temperature. The lounge area was laid back with lots of little nooks, comfy seating and things to look at. Food was awesome, I had a veggie curry bowl type thing (sorry, can’t remember the exact name) but it was really vibrating and tasty. I chilled here for a while while writing some notes for the next days shoot. Breakfast was good, staff were lovely and I set off for my day in the studio rested and ready for action!

We conducted the test shoot at ITCH studios on Hackney Road. My set for the day was a dark cloth background, a back light and side light along with a tank full of water and lots and lots of fruit. I dropped the fruit into the water while shooting rapidly with the R6 to capture the best splash from the fruit as it landed in the water.

Behind the scenes at ITCH studios

My set up for the day

This was a fantastic experience which I thoroughly enjoyed whilst meeting some amazing new people. The guys at ITCH were so professional, helping me with my set up and replacing the tanks of water rather frequently as the fruit tended to make a mess of it pretty quickly. I got to try out the R6 which is an incredible camera. Since this shoot the EOS R6 Mark II has arrived on the scene which I’m definitely keen to play with also. Think I’m due an upgrade….

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2020 Roundup

Sharon Cosgrove January 18, 2021

So, 2020…that was a year for better or for worse - if it were a marriage I’d be seeking counselling. However, there were some positives, YAY! Here’s a short rundown of why last year was potentially my most successful year in business so far.

Lights, camera, studio!

This is a biggie, I moved into my own studio! As a photographer and especially as a food and product photographer, having studio premises is something you not only dream of but actually need as you grow clients, equipment and in my case - countless, endless props! I acquired my very own studio space in March last year - slap bang in the middle of lockdown numero uno. Timing, eh?! Chomping at the bit, I finally got moved in - man I have a lot stuff! The space is great, one main shooting room with three large sash windows to let natural light flood in, two rooms solely dedicated to props and backgrounds and one room set behind the main studio that will be the kitchen and food prep area. It’s a great place for clients to come join in, hang out and watch their shoot happen. There’s an occasional dog or two floating about to assist in any clearing up of leftovers!

Awards.

2020 delivered well on the awards front with 4 in total spanning across the globe.

First off was Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year. I was shortlisted in the Food Blogger category with 3 images selected, 1 of which was ‘Elderberries’ highly commended.

Second to drop was Siena Creative Photo Awards with my image of ‘Honey Cake’ winning highly commended in the Food and Beverage category.

Third award of 2020 came from Production Paradise Spotlight Award and my image of ‘Ice Cream Cones’ which was shortlisted in the Food and Drink category.

Last but not least I was shortlisted in the Food and Drink category for the British Photography Awards with my image of ‘Pressed Flower Cake’.

I have already initiated my awards crusade for 2021, fingers crossed for more of the above!

Brands and new work.

I got to work with some amazing brands this past year, some of which I have worked with previously and some lovely new people! I enjoyed creating content for well known coffee experts Barista Bar, everyone’s favourite Fisherman’s Friend and not to mention up with the cows and dairy farmers at 5am for Dale Farm. I hope 2021 brings the same good people back for more along with some new faces!

Looking forward…

2021 is already shaping up to be a busy year. I have no less than 3 major projects brewing away for this year, one of which I’m extremely excited about but can’t disclose yet! I’m also looking forward to building a dedicated kitchen and prep area at the studio to assist in all things food photography related. Finally I have set myself the task of getting fancy letters after my name with The British Institute of Professional Photography (like being back at uni). These projects in turn will propel my own learning and creativity forward, helping you get what your business needs with awesome and original kickass pictures of FOOD! I’m excited and energised for this year, I feel it will be a knockout and I can’t wait to share it with all you wonderful people :)

See you soon!

Sharon x

What I learned about shooting ice cream

Sharon Cosgrove July 19, 2020

When I was asked to shoot for a local ice cream company I couldn’t wait to get started. I’d shot ice cream before but this time I was flying solo due to covid-19. That meant no food stylist, no art direction on set and just me (and my other half) left to eat it all at after! I had to buy an extra freezer just to house all the tubs but oh what a glorious sight - I’d never seen a more delicious looking freezer.

Ice cream is unforgiving, it’s unpredictable (apart from knowing it will melt to a puddle in no time) and it can be very difficult to work with. I had quite a few recipes to get through with this shoot so I knew I needed to be prepared.

I had already thought about pre scooping the ice cream and figured it would be a good idea. I’d watched a few styling tutorials before and it made sense to have a selection of scoops already frozen and ready to go on set. I’d read before about dry ice being a thing for styling ice cream so I looked into it. It can be bought in Northern Ireland in pellets or slabs but I didn’t have the room to house the 10kg minimum order (all my freezer storage was going to be occupied by litres of ice cream of course). So instead I bought a few extra baking sheets with the idea to freeze them to set the scoops on. I bought a glass Pyrex baking tray and an anodised baking tray. The glass one worked a treat, the anodised tray not so much. It froze well but as soon as the ice cream hit it it began to melt fairly quickly. The Pyrex glass held it’s temperature much better and froze the base of the scoops instantly.

Now it was down the utensils and the scoop. Any I had already were primarily for aesthetic purposes but now I needed a scoop that actually did a good job at scooping! I wanted beautifully round scoops with a perfect skirt (I also learned that’s what you call the ruffle of ice cream below). I settled on an OXO Good Grips ice cream scoop with a mechanism to release the scoop which came in extremely handy. Now I was all set.

This isn’t the OXO scoop but one I use a lot for aesthetic purposes

Knowing exactly what you are going to shoot and how you are going to shoot is vital with most food photography jobs but even more so when it comes to shooting ice cream. Ideally you want to build your scene with a stand in for the ice cream and have lighting, props and camera settings fixed before bringing out the real thing. There’s not much time for rearrangement once the ice cream hits room temperature!

Ice cream has a perfect scooping temperature, about -17 degrees Celsius or 0 degrees fahrenheit. My freezer was below this temp, I had to keep it more like a deep freeze as I was placing the scoops back in to re freeze them. Not ideal but I had to work with it - I let the tub sit out for about 5 minutes or so to soften very very slightly. With a bowl of boiling water to hand and a drying cloth, I heated my scoop before digging out the ice cream. After each scoop I dunked it into the water again and dried it off, this gave me a nice clean scoop each time. I set the tray full of scoops back into the freezer for about 2 hours or overnight while I planned everything else.

Chocolate ice cream bowl

For this shot I had multiple scoops ready to be layered into the bowl. I built up each one taking shots in between to make sure I was getting the angle right. The one downside about freezing scoops (especially darker ice cream like chocolate) is that when you bring it on set there is a layer of ice that forms over the scoop. It makes the scoop look very frozen - too frozen and not soft enough that you would want to eat it. The key to a good shot is that the ice cream looks ready to be eaten, you imagine digging in with your spoon and the texture being just right. I glanced over to my prop shelf, I saw a cooks blow torch and thought yeah that might work… So I gave the scoops a little blast of hot flame - it worked a treat! The ice cream melted very slightly, enough to give a nice specular highlight and the look I was hoping for.

Ice cream sundae

The whole fake ice cream and mashed potato thing is a method used by many photographers. Ive worked with fake ice cream before and it looked amazing, just like the real thing with all the time in the world to poke and prod it. That wasn’t an option here as it was the product itself we were showcasing and it had to be the real thing. For this sundae however I did fill the glass with Smash as I knew you wouldn’t see it through the glass anyway. I drizzled some chocolate sauce inside the sundae dish and swirled it around, popped in the Smash, filled in any gaps with more sauce and then began to assemble with a pre frozen scoop of vanilla that matched the colour of the Smash perfectly. This wouldn’t be an option all of the time, and one I’d prefer to not use as the potato close up does not resemble the exact same texture as ice cream. Only because I knew it would be hidden in the glass I used it - otherwise no way.

Waffle cone

This was a perfect scoop - it came out a great shape and fitted the cone perfectly. I wanted to shoot this scene as it was and not a composite so I had to lay the cone flat onto the actual ingredients. This posed a problem as when I lay the cone flat the ice cream fell out! Here’s what I did - I grabbed a strawberry that fitted tight into the bottom of the cone - this worked perfectly as its a similar shape and was firm enough for me to stick cocktail sticks into. I used three cocktail sticks and fixed them into place so the scoop of ice cream could be skewered on top and be locked into position. When I lay the cone flat now, everything stayed where it was meant to be. I poured the sauce onto the cone upright before laying it down again to give the sauce a chance to drip down the ice cream as it would naturally.

There you have it kids, my take on shooting ice cream. I feel a lot more comfortable with it now and with more experimentation I’m sure we’ll be best friends in the studio as well as the kitchen.

Take care and happy shooting!

Sharon

Siena International Photo Awards

Sharon Cosgrove June 20, 2020

This was my first year entering the Siena Awards so when I discovered my image had been shortlisted I was naturally delighted!

Siena International Photo Award is one of the photo contests with the highest international participation ever. 2019 edition has received nearly 48.000 images from amateur and professional photographers from 156 countries worldwide.

As a photographer and a creative it’s hard not to criticise your work and beat yourself up with doubt and inadequacy. It’s a constant battle but one I think you also need in order to progress and ‘up your game’.

Entering awards such as this and qualifying removes some of that doubt, at least for a short period of time anyhow. It validates you and your work in a way that others cannot. I think the fact that it’s judged by such revered figure heads in the industry, they demand a certain respect and to be honest I crave the approval. I know they are looking at my work and I know they have no idea who the hell I am but are judging this one image amongst thousands of other amazing images. For them to select that image, for it to be good enough to reach the next stage and then the next, wow.

Anyway - enough blabbering! Here’s the image ‘Honey Cake’ awarded Highly Commended in the Food & Beverage category.

The Festival

"Siena Awards" Festival represents an unmissable occasion for all the photography lovers who will arrive in Siena from all over the world. An entire month of Festival, during which many photography events will be organized: the “Imagine all the People Sharing all the World” exhibition with the most beautiful images presented at the contest Siena International Photo Awards, unique tours around Siena, post-production courses, workshops, conferences given by famous photographers and more exhibitions held by important international authors. An unforgettable experience realized and tailor-made for photography lovers, which will let you discover one of the most interesting places in the world, with wonderful events linked to photography. The Festival’s goal is to lace a cultural and international initiative to the name of Siena, a city of extraordinary inspiration for photographical research, beginning with the unique Festival which gives us the most intimate representation of the city: the Palio.

This year would have been the 6th edition of both the awards and the festival which has sadly been cancelled due to the pandemic.

I can’t wait to enter again next year and with any luck be making it to the awards festival!

Pink Lady Food Photography Awards 2020

Sharon Cosgrove April 30, 2020

This year so far has been a very strange one - for obvious reasons and a year so far of mixed emotion. To find out I had 3 images shortlisted for the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year awards was just such an amazing feeling. To then find out and 1 of those 3 was a FINALIST image - I just couldn’t stop smiling! Anyone that knows me knows I have coveted this accolade for some time now and this was my year to finally get through.

I was disappointed but not surprised to hear they wouldn’t be hosting their usual annual awards ceremony at Mall Galleries in London due to covid-19. They did however broadcast an online version of the awards for everyone to watch - not quite the glitz and glamour of London but we brought London to us that night! My husband put on a suit, I did my hair and make up (first time in weeks due to quarantine) and I donned a nice dress albeit with no shoes on lol. We cracked open a bottle of Prosecco, plonked ourselves on the sofa and tuned in. As my category came up I was nervous with excitement as the winners were announced.

Elderberries - Finalist image Highly CommendedCategory Food Bloggers — Elderberries - Finalist image Highly Commended
Category Food Bloggers

When my image (above) came up on screen with my name next to it and ‘HIGHLY COMMENDED’ it just meant the world to me! The recognition from such a prestigious photography competition in the world of food photography has been the highlight of my career so far.

Black Sesame Ice Cream - CommendedCategory Food Bloggers — Black Sesame Ice Cream - Commended
Category Food Bloggers

I want to thank Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year . This is a year that has so far been a very trying and testing one for many across the globe. For me this has made 2020 memorable for all the right reasons.

Plating Up - CommendedCategory Food Bloggers — Plating Up - Commended
Category Food Bloggers

Huge congratulations to all those who got through to the final and to the overall category winners - some amazing work from extraordinarily talented individuals.

Now to start filing away images for next year’s competition!

Stay safe, stay well.

Love Sharon

Sweets for My Sweet

Sharon Cosgrove February 3, 2020

February brings about increasingly brighter days, new ambitions and an air of romance as Valentine’s Day approaches. As we haul ourselves out of January and towards the light of Spring, you can’t help but feel like shaking off those winter blues and look upon the year ahead. February is a little breath of fresh air to gently wake the hibernating senses. It’s also the month for all things love related, so let there be love!

I find Valentine’s to be very much a foodie date in the calendar as far as celebrations go. Dinner, wine, chocolate, strawberries - bring it on, I’m in love with love!

So here are a few of my suggestions for getting your loved one loved up this Valentine’s Day….

Ingredients:

1 pack of Nyina vanilla sponge baking mix

3 large eggs

200g soft unsalted butter

2tbsp milk or water

12 hole muffin tin

600g icing sugar

300g soft unsalted butter

Dash of vanilla

Heart sprinkles

Method:

Preheat oven to 200c/180c for fan assisted ovens. Line the muffin tin with 12 paper cases. Place the cake mix, butter and eggs into a bowl. Beat together with an electric whisk for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape down the bowl then mix for a further 10 seconds. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 14-16 minutes until risen and lightly golden in colour. Cool out of the tin before decorating. Beat the butter and icing sugar together along with the vanilla. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with heart shaped decorations.

Pancake stack with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce

Ingredients:

240g flour (I use self raising as I like my pancakes big and fluffy!)

2 eggs

125ml milk

1 tsp vanilla

Butter to fry

Handful fresh strawberries

Chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)

Icing sugar to dust

Method:

Mix the eggs, vanilla and milk together in a bowl and then slowly incorporate the flour. Heat a pan to medium heat. Add a knob of butter and once melted dollop 2-3 tbsp of mixture into the centre (depending on how big or small you want your pancakes you may be able to get more into the pan at once). Once you start to see little bubbles appear on the surface the pancake is ready to flip. Fry for a further minute then transfer to a plate and keep warm. Slice the strawberries. I find the chocolate spread easier to work with if it is heated slightly so you might want to try this also. Start with one pancake, spread with chocolate and add a few sliced strawberries. Repeat using all the pancakes. Dust with icing sugar and finish with a further dollop of chocolate spread and serve to your love!

Mini pancake stack with lots of chocolate

Method:

Repeat the process to make the pancakes but after each pancake is ready, spread immediately with some chocolate spread and roll (they will not roll when cooled). Slice into pinwheels and set aside. Slice the strawberries in half lengthways. Skewer the pinwheel pancakes, alternating with the sliced strawberries.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Longbridge Drinks Raspberry and Rose

Prosecco or champagne (or 2.5 fluid oz per serving of other preferred clear spirit like vodka, rum or gin)

Handful of fresh raspberries

Ice (optional)

Method:

Divide the fresh raspberries between two glasses (add some ice if using gin, rum or vodka). Pour equal parts of the prosecco or champagne and the Raspberry and Rose mixer into the glasses. If using a spirit then pour a measure, top up with Raspberry and Rose drink. Stir and serve.

This recipe is taken from Pinch of Nom website

https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/chocolate-brownies/

100 grams Self Raising Flour
50 grams Reduced Fat Margarine Spread
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
4 medium Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
4 tsp Choc Shot
4 tbsp Granulated Sweetener
25 grams Dark Chocolate Chips
Low Calorie Cooking Spray

Method:

Note: I placed all of my mixture into the one skillet rather than a baking dish as I wanted this dessert to be served shared in one dish (with two spoons!)

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Spray a baking tin (approx 8x8 inches) with Low Calorie Cooking Spray and line the bottom with baking parchment.

Place the reduced fat margarine spread, granulated sweetener, baking powder, self raising flour, eggs, cocoa and choc shot into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour into the lined baking tin and sprinkle over the dark chocolate chips. Place in the oven for 17 minutes.

Once cooked, turn out onto a wire rack and remove the baking parchment. Cut into 16 squares and serve warm or cold!

Ingredients:

125mls Baileys Irish cream or other cream liquor

2floz vodka

Espresso powder mixed with 60mls boiling water and cooled

Ice

Toasted marshmallow optional

Method:

Add the vodka and espresso mix to a cocktail shaker. Top up with 125mls Bailey’s Irish cream (add more or less depending on taste though) and a few ice cubes. Shake! Pour over a strainer into a glass and serve with a toasted marshmallow if desired.

The Edible Flower - Winter Solstice Supper Club

Sharon Cosgrove January 19, 2020

What better way to throw yourself into the Christmas spirit than an Edible Flower December supper club. The best part was there wasn’t a turkey or Brussels sprout in sight. I think we’re all in agreement that as wonderful as the traditional fayre at Christmas can be, with office parties, family gatherings and so on it can get a bit monotonous. Delivering divine flavours from South East Asia and South West China, guests sat under the twinkling lights and glittering baubles full of chat and Christmas cheer.

Courses were accompanied by Edible Flowers brews delightful craft beer and a brief introduction to each dish.

Expect Sichuan pepper and tamarind, crispy fritters and steamed dumplings, fragrant curries and fluffy rice, spiced pineapple and black sesame; it’s going to be an antidote to the dark nights and totally delicious!

In between courses was an interesting little piece of work - a coconut marble jelly. A refreshing palette cleanser so beautifully presented with its two tone layers and perfectly cut edges. This was just about the right amount of sweetness before dessert, a spiced pineapple cake with an amazing black sesame ice cream. I’m all about the pud and this did not disappoint. A little flame action gave it a beautiful caramelised crust. Cutting through that sweetness was the black sesame ice cream, a first for me and certainly not the last. It was so good I wanted to go back for more.

To finish, some green tea and biscotti for those who had room. Midwinter feasting never tasted so good.

This last supper club of the year was a welcome chance to just remind ourselves to stop, take a breath and listen to one another amidst the cacophony of Christmas. A chance to forget the shopping list, the to do list and just enjoy good food and good company and look forward to the holidays!

I can’t wait to see what this talented team have planned for 2020, my tastebuds eagerly await!

Elderberry Cordial

Sharon Cosgrove September 24, 2019

Autumn (Fall to all those across the pond) brings about a change in our menu and many, many delicious things to eat and cook with like apples, nuts and stone fruits. I walk my dogs regularly in Belvoir Forest Park in Belfast and I’m constantly noticing various berries growing all around the walkways. One in particular appealed to me so before I chose to pick it, I checked with an expert that it was indeed edible! Clare McQuillan is a foraging queen and knows the ins and outs of what you can pick and where you can pick it in and around Belfast. She said they were elderberries and they would make a beautiful cordial so that’s exactly what I did with them and I was delighted with the results!

Great British Chefs Elderberry cordial recipe

500g of elderberries

500g of water
350g of caster sugar
1/2 lemon, rind plus 1tbsp lemon juice

Method

Remove the berries from the stems using a fork then wash them, removing any bits of stalk or leaf

Drain the berries and place in a pan along with the lemon rind. Cover with the water and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes, until the berries have broken down. Skim away any scum that appears on the surface

Strain the juice through a colander lined with muslin cloth set over a bowl. Gently press the berries to extract as much juice as possible

Return the juice to the pan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Gently heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved

Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice to your taste

Decant into a sterilised bottle and seal

I topped up my elderberries with some blackberries which I think deepened the dark rich colour of the final product. This would taste great added to some gin or Prosecco to make a delicious cocktail.

I added mine to some sparkling water with a few pomegranate seeds and a sprig of mint (purely for decoration) but I will definitely be trying it with some prosecco come the weekend. I can’t believe I am only happening upon this foraging movement at this late stage of the game, I’m hooked already! The satisfaction from start to finish has inspired me to learn more about the art of foraging so watch out for future posts of this nature!

Kai background by Black Velvet Styling

The Edible Flower - Oktoberfest 2019

Sharon Cosgrove September 23, 2019

This month signalled a change in the seasons and the beginning of Autumn. It also meant I had the joy of returning to capture The Edible Flower’s latest supper club - Oktoberfest and true to form it did not disappoint.

The Cow Byre dressed for the occasion by Shannon Bunting

I’m a massive fan of Autumn, like many it’s my favourite season (plus I’m an October baby) so I was excited to try all the autumnal flavours the girls had prepared for us. The weather was kind and we had a dry, warm evening that allowed outdoor refreshments as the guests arrived around 7pm. Ginger and coriander seed shandy greeted us accompanied by the most delicious pretzels I have ever tasted made by the master baker Clare McQuillan (my husband was obsessed with them). The mac and cheese croquettes held up their end of the bargain and delivered a crispy, creamy mouthful of tastiness neatly packaged in one little flavour bomb.

Clare and her amazing pretzels with mustard dip

Now that our tastebuds were adequately warmed up, it was time to move indoors to the cow byre where starters awaited. Spiced cheese butter spread and mushroom crostini with pickles and garden salad served with Edible Flower brews own OJAB Yarrow Dunkel. I’ve never tried Dunkel (or heard of it to be honest) but Jo spoke passionately about its German origins and her friend whom she named it after.

Moving onto mains and before we sat down to eat I had my duties outside where the barbecuing was taking place. Short of needing some safety goggles and breathing apparatus, I managed some shots of the sausages sizzling on the coals. You can see from the photos there was a looooot of smoke! Ossetian pies, goats cheese pancakes, courgette and avocado salad and an amazing beetroot and blackberry dish all married beautifully together on the plate. Another home brew from Jo to wash it down and at 6.5% ABV, this one will have you singing on your way home!

Courgette, avocado and lemon salad with poppyseeds

Roasted beetroot and shallots with pickled blackberries

Hellbent Boerwors sausages with rhubarb ketchup

Room for more? Were only half way through! A breather and a refresher of spiced plum sorbet with the faintest of hints of black pepper. Yes, black pepper on your ice cream. Only to be applied by a skilled professional in my opinion. It was delicious. Then came the pudding - an ode to the season itself with an apple and cinnamon Streusel cake with blackberry and bay ice cream. I’m all about the suite and this, well this was amazing. I’m pretty sure I could have managed another slice…

Apple and cinnamon streusel cake with blackberry and bay ice cream

The darkness surrounded us as we ate under the beautiful hops by Flowers By Mee in the cow byre. It made the candles glow more brightly and ascertained the arrival of the new season as it settled into itself and settled into us that evening.

All photos by Sharon Cosgrove Photography

Background papers by Black Velvet Styling

Nyina baking mixes launch party at Boden Park Coffee

Sharon Cosgrove September 1, 2019

Who doesn’t love cake? I bet you would be hard pushed to find anyone, seriously. For afternoon tea, coffee, visiting someone’s house, a treat when happy or sad, or simply just because; cake, cake, and yes more cake. It’s an institution! I recently made friends with a beautiful lady who also shares my enthusiasm for cake, Miss Chikumo Fiseko - soon to be known as the face of her exciting new baking venture Nyina.

Nyina’s aim to create the next generation of bakers from anywhere in the world, in the most sustainable way possible. Each baking mix can create a two-tier cake or approx. 14 cupcakes with the customers only needing to add eggs and finish off with buttercream. So, whether the bakers are people that want to learn basic baking/decorating skills or they want to enjoy baking with their families but don’t have the time, it will be simple enough for anyone to get real home-made cakes from a simple all in one mix, without compromising on quality or taste.

Nyina had it’s official launch on Saturday 17th August, hosted by the lovely Boden Park Coffee on the Ormeau Road. The cake mixes, lovingly prepared by Chikumo, were available to buy for any new and seasoned bakers to try for themselves. The results of my own efforts will be revealed as you keep reading! An abundance of tantalising cakes and muffins were also on display, showcasing just what can be done with these all in one mixes. Carrot cake, coffee cake, chocolate, white chocolate, raspberry, vanilla and red velvet - can any one person handle this much cake?! I was in cake heaven for want of a better description.

Nyina’s launch party was aimed also at helping the business receive donations through a crowd funding campaign ran by Ulster Bank NI Back her Business scheme. A product that makes baking easy, minimises dishes, clean up and mess with delicious results? I’m in! Of course not before sampling plenty of cake along the way…..

Nyina baking mixes - chocolate sponge cake

Anyone who bakes or has ever attempted baking knows the pain and angst of all the measuring, all the bowls, all the washing up and the gripping disappointment of a flat sponge that deserves nothing less than to be hurtled 50 feet out the window. Nyina baking mixes remove every inch of this, trust me. I’m not a novice to baking but I’ve had my fair share of disasters, mainly because I’ve been careless at measuring my ingredients according to a recipe. This, my friends, is the answer to your prayers. Eggs and butter. Thats all you need to add to the mixes to make the most soft and moist sponge you will have ever made in your life. Pru Leith may watch herself, with these mixes you’ll be applying for the next Bake Off quicker than you scoffed that cake you just made. To finish all you need is a good slather of buttercream ( I made mine from the BBC Good Food website) or if you want to continue the minimal effort theme, shop bought icing is pretty nifty also. Get creative with your toppings - chocolates, sweets, edible glitter or if you’re like me you’ll want to justify your cake intake by throwing some fruit at it and claiming it as your ‘5 a Day’. So…….what are you waiting for? Ready, set, bake….!!!

Buy Nyina mixes

The Edible Flower

Sharon Cosgrove July 5, 2019

I don’t know how I’ve managed this long without experiencing the wonder that is The Edible Flower but I recently had the pleasure and all I can say is WOW! Well that’s not all, or this would be a very short blog post. These guys know food and they know it well. Their flavour combo’s are a knock out and their passion for food is inspirational. They are sensational hosts to boot!

Jo working her magic on some flatbread dough

The evening was warm and balmy, the sun was low and golden and the air was filled with the scent of buttery, garlic flatbreads cooking in the wood fired pizza oven. Amongst the rolling fields and hills of County Down, people gathered for a Midsummer’s Feast to share food, wine and laughter with new friends.

Erin delights guests with flatbreads and honeysuckle punch on arrival

On arrival we sipped honeysuckle punch and enjoyed flatbreads topped with summery yellow courgettes and wild earthy mushrooms all while lingering through the kitchen gardens of Erin and Jo’s beautiful country cottage. Starters were then served in what was once a cow shed with the trough for the cows still present along the sides of the barn! There were no cows but plenty of feeding going on as we chowed down on our Vietnamese noodle salad and home brewed ale which was a delightful accompaniment. The flavours were light and fresh but with plenty of depth given in the Nuoc Cham dressing. As a foodie crossed with being a food photographer I was torn between just wanting to devour my meal or shoot it to within an inch of its life. I did both, and enjoyed every minute!

The rest of the courses followed suit, amazing flavours meticulously paired and with plenty of seconds if you had room. The pork was raised by Erin and Jo who added that if they were going to continue to enjoy eating meat they felt they should be comfortable with rearing their own animals for slaughter. My friend nearly fell into her plate crying when she heard this, realising that what we were about to eat had been somewhat of a pet in it’s previous life. It’s a sensitive subject but one that should be considered as a meat eater. I didn’t dwell on it at that particular moment however and enjoyed the glorious food before me.

The evening drew to a close around the fire pit, swilling chai tea and cramming buttery crumbly shortbread into the last little pockets of space left in my stomach. The embers sparked and flitted as everyone basked in the heat from the fire and the warmth we felt from having enjoyed such a wonderful evening of beautiful food and great company. Bliss!

Echlinville Distillery Tour

Sharon Cosgrove March 17, 2019

My most recent food and drink adventure was Echlinville distillery, nestled just off the shores of Strangford lough. Only forty five minutes from Belfast, you too could be swillin’ a wee dram between your fingers and thumb! Fortified with the knowledge as to how it got in your glass by taking the Echlinville distillery tour . You will learn how Dunville’s Whiskey and Jawbox Gin are made and also their Ban Poitín, all available to sample at the bar after the tour. I cried off from any Poitín tasting but maybe next time!

The drive to the distillery itself is beautiful. You will pass Mount Stewart and go through beautiful quaint Greyabbey then continue along the shoreline and to Kircubbin where you will find the Echlinville estate and still house. Go to https://echlinville.com/story/ to read all about their story and the history of the estate.

The staff at Echlinville are amazing, super friendly and leave you feeling like you just visited an old friend for a few drinks and a catchup. The tour was light, funny and informative with just enough detail about the process of making whisky without giving away all their secrets. For that they’d have to kill you, most likely with the WWII tank they have parked up outside (not kidding).

We were shown the old courtyard with which they have big plans for in the future, the still house where all the magic happens and the maturation warehouse where the casks are kept. It’s here the whiskey matures and develops it’s depth and charatcer drawn from the distinctive properties of the barrel it’s stored in. All the terms you hear like ‘barrel aged’ and ‘single malt’ will start to make sense plus you’ll learn a whole host more!

After the tour we kicked back and enjoyed our drinks vouchers with which you get to try two drinks from the selection on offer. I sampled the Dunville’s Three Crowns Whiskey, Jawbox Rhubarb and Ginger gin and Echlinville Irish pot still gin. You are made to feel so welcome it’s honestly hard to leave but I am a complete lightweight when it comes to booze so three was enough or I would have been staying the night!

Great tour, friendly staff and you leave wanting more. I’ll return to Echlinville with friends and family on tow as this is a fabulous way to spend the afternoon for both visitors and locals alike.

Cheers!

Belfast Cookery School - Irish Bread Making

Sharon Cosgrove March 12, 2019

There’s nothing quite like the smell of bread baking, it stirs a multitude of emotions. Nostalgia, familiarity, a sense of home and hunger! I know hunger isn’t exactly an emotion but it leads to an emotional outburst of hangry if I don’t eat within the hour (who am I kidding, within 10 minutes!). No need to get hangry at the Belfast Cookery School baking class, we were well fed (and watered) by the team, lead by chef Ian Hunter.

I had no idea of what the class entailed, had no clue about the format or the bread we would be baking or indeed what I had to bring! I need not have feared for all that was required were ourselves, an appetite and an excuse to have a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon. It was SO much fun. I attended with Mother Duffin - she’s well accustomed to the oven, a rolling pin and the big baking bowl. We were both still a little apprehensive…

What if everyone knows more about baking than us?

Even though my mum is plenty familiar. It’s not like that at all, there were folks there with no baking experience, to a vague knowledge of it to those that bake on the regular and just fancied a wee turn at something different.

It’s not Bake Off but it’s fun to treat it so! Three challenges - Irish Stout Wheaten Bread, Soda Bread and Scallion Potato Bread. Let’s do this! After arriving we were sat down and offered tea, coffee or something a bit stronger in an assortment of beers, wine, whiskey or gin. We were too polite to begin with and had coffee. One recipe in and we were on the wine. We perused the recipes for the day which were neatly attached to our own individual clipboards - handy as I needed to refer to mine about 256 times throughout the course of the afternoon. Chef Ian demonstrated each recipe to the class prior to us attempting anything ourselves. He showed us the skills and traditional techniques used to authentically bake these wonderful Irish breads that we all know and love. Then it was our turn. We all had a station (per couple) and we baked the breads together. Well, Mother baked the bread. I scurried around taking photos of every drip, stir, bubble, spoon fold, sprinkle - you name it and I had my camera shoved in it. What can I say, I can’t help it! So she baked and I photographed. All the ingredients were perfectly portioned into little cups and bowls ready to be decanted into the mix as we read through each recipe. Half the time spent baking from home is dedicated to this task so to have it already done for us was sheer joy! . All the measuring and weighing and spooning into random dishes then running out of random dishes then spilling sugar all over the floor and the dog licking around your feet like a crazed, starved beast - all taken care of! Apart from the dog, you’ll have to go home for that. Here’s another little nugget of information to sweeten the deal, the washing up is taken care of too! Amazing! Mum enjoyed this immensely as did I, it meant we could really focus on the baking and enjoy the process all the more. Three demo’s later from chef Ian and three recipes tried and tested, we were done. The results were in, my granny would have been proud!

I loved this whole experience as baking is something my Mum and I have shared for a long time and I really felt like we both got so much more out of it than just the lovely soda farls, wheaten and fadge (potato bread) we got to take home at the end of the day. I can’t wait to return, perhaps the pasta class next! Stay tuned….