eggstraordinaryBord Bia and the Irish Heart Foundation are alerting people to the fact that eggs aren't bad for them.
We can eat up to seven a week as part of a balanced diet, and researchers at Trinity College in Dublin have found no link between moderate consumption of eggs and raised cholesterol. If you'd like a free cookery booklet, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Bord Bia Egg Recipe Booklet, Clanwilliam Court, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
silver liningIf you want to give your Christmas cake a sophisticated finish, check out the mini chocolate buttons coated in shiny silver or gold sugar, from www.chocolatebuttons.co.uk. This super-efficient website stocks all manner of confectionery, from penny chews to gourmet chocolates, and delivers orders worldwide. A kilo of silver buttons costs €35.95 for delivery in Ireland; you'll pay a bit more for the gold ones. You'll also find foil-wrapped edible tree decorations on this website, and you can have your gift boxes or bars personalised. See www.chocolatebuttons.co.uk.
ham it upIt takes a good ham to bring out the best in a turkey, and Prue Rudd of Prue and Simon's (Simon is her son and business partner; another son, Andrew, sources epicurean foods worldwide) knows better than most where to find one and how to cook it. The family set up Rudd's bacon, and, although they are no longer involved with the company, they held on to their contacts and know-how. This week they opened Rudd Brothers, in the main house at Blackrock market, Co Dublin; it's open Wednesdays to Fridays (1-7pm) and weekends (11am-5.30pm) until Christmas, selling their own and others' artisan food, including those hams. Marie-Claire Digby