Diva Boutique Bakery & Cafe: May 2011

Strawberries!

Irish strawberries are in season...and at the cafe we have gone strawberry mad!! Strawberry lemonade, strawberry scones, strawberry short cake and tonight I just started making strawberry jam for my strawberry pop tarts..I think strawberry pie is on order as well...

We have also started using a local dairy farmers buttermilk and yogurt...they only have 2 more months to wait until they get their organic farm certification! The buttermilk is divine...I use it in the scones everyday..here are a few photos from this mornings scone making session....

fresh strawberries going into the dry scone mix...

The final product with a lemon glaze...they were super light and delicious!

A Cake for the Queen!!

As most of you know...the Queen of England had a visit to the Emerald Isle...A part of her trip included a visit to The English Market...Since Diva has expanded, I took the plunge and took over a vacant space across the street and down the road...will write more about the later, The bakery has been trying to expand its wholesale catering business, focusing on desserts to cafe's and coffee houses..one of our new clients is The Sandwich Stall in The English Market...I had been thinking about contacting them to see if we should do something amazing...like a tower of queen cakes..but since they are new clients I thought I would leave it...in the end, Rachel, one of the partners of The Sandwich Stall, rang me the day before the Queen was to arrive and said she had been thinking of ordering something special from us, as the Queen would be passing their stall! So I said..."Of course we will do something!"...but we had to get it to them in 5 hours! I quickly sprang into action...Taylor and Kasia were baking like mad...filling orders, baking for cafe and new bakery...so I quickly whipped up a red velvet..while trying to stay outta their way..into the oven it went..30 min later, we had it cooling ...then into the freezer for a quick chill...Kasia had cream cheese frosting made...Taylor then worked his magic by frosting the cake at maximum speed...a quick bit o decoration...and raced up to Cork before security took over the English Market..Rachel and Co. were happy with the cake...AND it was spotted on RTE..We are hopping that the Queen noticed it as she passed...

PS...if anyone is friends with the Queen...could they please ask her if she liked the cake?

let them eat cake

menu fit for the queens visit to ireland, tonight:

"Cured
salmon with Burren smoked salmon cream and lemon balm jelly, horseradish and
wild watercress, Kilkenny organic cold pressed rapeseed oil

Rib of
Slaney Valley Beef, ox cheek and tongue with smoked champ potato and fried
spring cabbage, new season broad beans and carrots with pickled and wild garlic
leaf

Carrageen
set West Cork cream with Meath strawberries,

fresh yoghurt mousse and soda bread sugar biscuits,

Irish apple balsamic vinegar meringue

Executive
Chef: Ross Lewis

Caterers: With Taste" - taken from:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0518/statedinner.html

i'd eat that!

the most intriuging part for me was, of course, dessert. mainly, the "irish apple balsamic vinegar meringue." i had a look and it seems that its made with the only balsamic vinegar made IN ireland, and is made entirely of apples (6kg per 1liter bottle!). i still dont know what the dessert looks like or how its compiled but i now have a new ingredient to seek out! much more local than the italian stuff!

heres a link to the actual product:

http://www.fruitandvine.com/llewellyn%60s_irish_balsamic_cider_vinegar-objectid-1061-recordid-39-z-product_details.htm

taylor

Almost THERE!

we know you all are wondering.... we ARE seriously, very very very very close to opening the new bakery space doors. it will only be a soft opening to start, with our grand opening looming over us on June 2nd. we will be stepping up our game to bring a full range of baked goods and deli items to you by the grand opening!