Compiled by MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBY

Web watch

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Jeanine and Jack live in Austin, Texas, and combine their work in design and video game programming with producing a beautifully shot recipe blog. You only have to open the recipe index page to see just how stylish their work is, and the recipes – mostly vegetarian – are interesting, too, like this roasted cauliflower pasta.

Fire up the josper

Smoked butter Béarnaise, home- made smoked ricotta, smoked creamy mash ... chef John O’Leary formerly of Pichet and now manning the (fancypants) Josper grill oven at the restaurant in the relaunched Morrison hotel, is enthusiastically embracing the smoking trend in his menu. It reads so well, you’ll want to try everything.

Of course there are great slabs of meat waiting to be tossed on the Josper, which cooks by a combined method of air, fire and charcoal, but it will also be giving its smokey finish to chicken, fish, and seasonal vegetables. O’Leary spent time in London and Spain training with the company that makes Josper, which is the oven used at London steak restaurant Hawksmoor, among others.

The Morrison bar, renamed Quay 14, will provide a supporting cast of bar food, as well as an original line-up of cocktails. See morrisonhotel.ie

Neven in action

Home Chef, Neven Maguire's latest series on RTÉ TV, broke food programming records at the station when 480,000 people tuned in to watch the first episode . Despite his filming commitments – and a restaurant that is booked out months in advance – Maguire is making time to do a cookery demo to raise funds for Our Lady's Hospice Care Services in the Ballsbridge Hotel (formerly Jury's), on Monday, February 25th at 7pm. The €25 ticket includes a wine reception, sponsored by O'Briens. You can book online at olh.ieor by phone at 1850-660606.

On a roll

Not everyone has the cold hands, or the patience, to make good pastry. Mairead Finnegan’s all-butter sweet and savoury shortcrust (375g/€4.50) can be stored in your freezer. She’s also working on a puff pastry, and uses only Irish butter in the Roll-It products she makes at home in Kells. You’ll find Roll-It in freezers at Avoca stores, Fallon Byrne, Morton’s, Nolan’s and Donnybrook Fair in Dublin, and some SuperValus in Co Meath.

The buzz: food tweets

@firehousebread: operationmainlandinvasion is underway. the firehouse bakery is coming to the mainland .. . the countdown is on.

@MichelinGuideCH: Tasting menus are like an arranged marriage: sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but you commit until the end.