Puffball anyone???

I am never sure which mushrooms are safe to pick and which aren't. A friend from Germany (an American living in Berlin) sends me dried wild mushrooms every year and I am really lucky that he knows his mushrooms (I save a lot of money as I never have to buy dried mushrooms).

One of the most recognisable mushrooms is the puffball mushroom. It really looks like a puffed up ball. It is white with a spongy but smooth surface. Cut open it looks like a sponge. You need a sharp knife to slice it as it tends to crumble a bit.

Terence found a puffball the other day and brought it over for breakfast. I cubed it and sauteed it in olive oil and butter. Scrambled eggs and freshly baked bread completed a great Saturday breakfast - just yummmmmmm

For more recipes, try Denis Cotter's cookbook 'Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me' as he covers the puffball nicely.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

How often has it happened that you treated yourself to breakfast and ordered scrambled eggs (maybe with bacon, maybe with salmon) and you got served the worste eggs ever.....to all these chefs who can't make scrambled eggs..... please take a page out of Gordon's book

Puccino's in Paul Street

I still love to head to town on a Saturday morning and have my breakfast...and since Farmgate was still closed for business due to renovation and the queue in Liberty Grill was out the door, we decided to give Puccino's a try. I am not too keen on Franchise Coffee Shops-Bars-Restaurants (call me a snob if you like) but Puccino's (at least the one in Paul Street) is actually quite nice.

The menu is simple but has something for everyone. The Full Irish, The Small Irish, The Veggie and French toast, scrambled egg and salmon were all there. The tea was lovely and the espresso strong as it should be.

I went for the Veggie Fry-up and wow...the portion was big (didn't eat until I came to Roy and Linda's for dinner that night) and very well cooked. Sauteed potatoes were 'al dente' as I like them and not mushy or greasy, mushrooms were pan-fried, eggs had a runny yolk, the beans were nice - simply nice.

Terence had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon - classic combination. Fine speckled dill over the salmon and perfectly cooked scrambled egg....we both had a smile on our face and were ready to do the shopping... only minus point for me.....no prosecco....I do love my prosecco on a Saturday morning.