blog

By now you have probably given up on the weather as anything other than a topic of discussion. Planning an outdoor event is for the birds, and even they don't know what's coming next. You would still be inclined to thank your lucky stars that the most likely thing our weather will bring is rain, a bit of snow and the odd storm. Not so if you inhabit the US mid-west's most tornado battered state. Every year around this time, "Okies"  face a level of weather uncertainty we have never known and hopefully never will on this side of the world. Our sympathy goes to all  folks who have suffered loss of family,  friends,  property. A friend of mine whose father lives in Moore, Oklahoma , told me his father's house is one of three left standing in his neighbourhood.. Thankfully his father escaped injury and is currently so caught up in helping friends and neighbours who fared much worse, that he hasn't had time to assess his own misfortune. There does seem to be an unusually high level of neighbourliness and general caring in that particular part of the world.

Speaking of caring I have to mention the Petrogas / Applegreen  people who took off for higher ground in Snowdonia last weekend to do their bit for charity.  Led by the company directors this tireless group proved again that there ain't no mountain high enough when it comes to raising money for the Applegreen charity fund. In true Applegreen spirit they proved that there is room at the top if you try hard enough. Congratulations and hats off to all who took part.  I'm already in training for next year...

Huge congratulations to the Applegreen cyclists who braved the incredibly inclement weather last weekend to take part in the Annual Cycle to Galway (and back). The cycle organized by the Maynooth Students for Charity attracted  243 participants  and that on what must have been the worst weekend of the year weather-wise.
A large Petrogas / Applegreen contingent took part again this year and the excitement was palpable as cycle day approached. Petrogas man  Adrian Giffney has to be applauded for his tireless efforts to get his fellow workers on their bikes. If ever a man could be compared to that Flann O'Brien character, (I think it's in The Third Policeman or The Dalkey Archive, the policeman whose atoms interchange with the atoms of the bicycle making him a kind of half man, half bicycle) it has to be Adrian.
Just saying the word Charity out loud is enough to get him saddled up!
By all accounts the trip to Galway was gruelling enough but the trip back was even tougher. Anyway with Big Egg Hunts etc. going on at the same time I thought I thought it might be a good thing to give a shout out to all who took part, braving the elements for a great charity while lazy dudes like me stayed at home and followed it on Facebook.

The blooming Applegreen website logo is indicating that Spring has finally sprung. I can't wait.

Meanwhile here's the current post challenge, and it is deceptively easy sounding, so think before you agree. We shall proceed as usual but with the stipulation that we refrain completely from any silly egg puns. Simple as that.

Now you may think that's a piece of cake, but remember at the same time we must talk eggs.
They're everywhere at the moment. It's almost as if the egg is the new wheel. Eggs are being touted as the new beef. Eggs are being hailed on Dublin streets.

What about cholesterol ? Well I'm not a doctor but the NYT  had this to say recently for what it's worth.

There is no doubt about it the all encompassing egg has reinvented itself as an icon.
We've gone so to speak, back to the egg.

There you have it, now that's better. It's the Applegreen sponsored  John Rocha  designed egg well camouflaged in a very fine Dublin store, just waiting to be discovered.

Personally I have always professed to being an egg man. The art of egging has always been with me. Whether it's protest egging, schnitzel egging or the simple egging on of another human being, you are really never too far from an egg nowadays. It's generally at this point in the post that I reiterate that this general egging epidemic we are experiencing is all for the most worthy of causes and a  follow on twitter ensures up to the minute excitement.

Anyway, the boss decided to detour downtown on his way in to the office last week. I suspect he was attempting to beat everyone to the Applegreen egg. Just imagine his disappointment when he got there to find that he had been beaten to it by a very excited Tonge family. Certainly there is no denying the Tonge ladies delight, while the guys keep it cool. I wonder if they had a tip off?

The boss's humour improved when he realized he had been beaten by Applgreen's top marketeer and all agreed that the John Rocha designed egg  is indeed a wonder to behold. It also has more crystals than a hippy's bedroom and sparkles and glistens as one would expect an Applegreen sponsored egg to do. Can you guess from the pictures where it is located?

A happy Tonge family smile for the camera before the John Rocha designed Applegreen sponsored egg.

And so, on the Big Egg Hunt rolls, ( if you've ever tried to roll an egg you will know it's more of a wobbly swagger) to an exciting climax. Bidding is under-way as we speak and the Egg auction is just round the corner. Who'll give me twenty five.
Looks like we made it, pun-free, to the end. I'm drained. It wasn't easy.When you write about eggs, pun
opportunities just seem to pop up in every sentence. We were strong, we resisted.
We can be proud of ourselves. I will leave you with this as a reward.

So the egg sighting event I mentioned last week has started at a cracking pace, with Dublin landmarks playing host to just over eight dozen sizeable eggs. Each egg has been decorated by an artist, or would be artist celebrity, or should that read, would be celebrity artist, well never mind all that. Each of the hundred individuals chosen have stamped an egg (what a messy picture that brings to mind eh?) with their own personal brand, theme, message, vision, whatever, in a myriad of wonderful colours, materials and techniques.

A pity that it's not possible to see the eggs from all angles on the website but maybe soon!
I particularly like Paulo Tulio's  tiled piece. Unlike Rasher, who's egg is distinctly hard boiled and sliced, Paulo's mosaic manages to play with the perfect iconic oval shape without actually changing it. I am constantly drawn to the shape which appears slightly off kilter. Perhaps it's his use of neg(g)ative space.

Of course the really important thing is that it's all done to benefit the Jack and Jill  foundation one of our favourite charities. One hundred no less, of these unusual and beautiful eggs will be placed in different significant locations around Dublin. You can take part in the Big Egg Hunt and let us know how you get on.

Word has it that Applegreen have sponsored an egg. No-one but no-one will tell me which one or where it is, so any help in that direction would be greatly appreciated. Should you spot an egg with the words "low fuel prices always", "now that's better" or any other markings or indications that it might indeed be the Applegreen sponsored egg, don't hesitate to contact me.  For instance it may be posing as the best looking egg in town or even acting like it belongs to the coolest forecourt operators around. Eggs can get carried away you know and they do tend to dream,  probably about other eggs. Yes eggs dream!
It may be that my last post's recipe for Eggs Benedict had something to do with the Pope's decision to retire, but somehow I doubt it. Anyhow I have decided to feature another egg recipe which I hold in high esteem but is rather humble in origin, as this time I would prefer not to influence world events. This time it's a souffle, and as we say down on the chicken farm  it's a cracker. Try it

The Egg is the most humble and at once the most logical place to start, don't you think? After all, the very sight of an egg is enough to conjure up new beginnings.

But should you decide to eat one, wow, the myriad possibilities are enough to make your head spin.
Bread, buns, baked, boiled, dressings, fried, hard-boiled, ice cream, meringues, on toast, over easy, omelettes, poached,  pastry, pancakes, quiche, sandwiches, salads, scrambled, sunny side up, soft boiled, souffles, stuffed, The list is endless and mouthwateringly confusing. Eggs are a big deal.

In Bulgaria, Poland and Germany painting eggs is a big part of chidrens Easter fun as is hiding and hunting for them.  The UK and Ireland  love their egg games, egg and spoon race springs to mind. We also have an infatuation for an egg shaped football game and a soft spot for chocolate eggs as do our good friends in the US, where they also practice the European egg hunting and painting tradition.

I shouldn't forget to mention Faberge eggs which they say the Queen of England is rather partial to and of course the egg which has already declared  it's  nationality, the Scotch egg. The Pope even has the superb  Eggs Benedict! You can even surprise your loved one with a Valentines day egg.

Bastian our  food crazy Dutch chef/Cafe manager at the Applegreen Lusk south-bound motorway service area has offered his take on simply baked eggs. Lovingly known to his friends and colleagues as "The Frying Dutchman", Bas sent me in this pic with the following simple instruction.

The Frying Dutchman's option As you can see when it comes to eggs I have only just scratched the surface, so to speak. Over the next month and a half I will continue to peck away at this subject and not without good reason.  You may or may not be aware that one of our favourite charities the Jack and Jill  foundation are just about to launch what could very well be the biggest egg hunt in the history of the Irish state.

Considering their relationship with the infamous if unfortunate Humpty Dumpty who better than Jack and Jill to instigate The Big Egg Hunt which will launch on February 12, 2013, which is of course Pancake or Shrove Tuesday.
Applegreen will take part in the hunt and I will keep you posted . Meanwhile if you have any egg related stories, recipes, facts or even factoids, or if you intend to get involved in the Big Egg Hunt, share it with us by commenting or follow us on Twitter.

Operating in this new global marketplace throws up some interesting challenges to brands crossing over into new markets. Mac Donald's are on the horns of a dilemma as they continue to expand into the massive Indian fast food market. You have to admit that a vegetarian burger is certainly better than empty buns, but does it cut the mustard? Obviously it depends on religion, taste, fundamental views, when you are operating in the sensitive Indian market. Where "sacred cows" are indeed just that, it's clearly a case of "Hold the Beef".

Western brands are targeting India, China and Africa in an attempt to grow markets and profits worldwide. Starbucks are another major brand moving into India's traditionally tea drinking beverage market. The largest home grown Indian coffee brand is Cafe Coffee Day with almost 1400 outlets. When you consider India has 1.2 billion people but only covers 2.4 % of the world surface area of 135.79 million sq km., yet supports and sustains a whopping 16.7 per cent of the world population thats not exactly blanket coverage. No wonder Starbucks want to get in on the action. Starbucks dilemma on the other hand is to do with price.

Then there's Dunkin' Donuts, who really bent over backwards to suit local tastes when they entered the Asian market by introducing a shredded pork and seaweed donut. For those of us who normally associate a coffee and donut as a guilty sweet treat this particular combination kind of takes the biscuit.
I do think they are on to something with the seaweed though. Cheap, sustainable and tasty when treated properly it's a real contender for future food hero status.

At Applegreen we haven't  been so radical, we only want to play our role in keeping the European union together. Enda has been talking to Frau Merkel and Monsieur Hollande. We thought about introducing French Onion Soup, Sauerkraut even Foie Gras to our Delis just to show our support.
We settled for a really good Bockwurst which resembles a giant Hot Dog and a giant Bratwurst which is a traditional "wurst" found all over Germany in slightly different flavour variations. Coming soon to an Applegreen station near you, this is nothing like the great traditional Irish breakfast sausage you grew up with and love. As my granny used to say "it's a white horse of a different colour". Never before has a "wurst" promised political harmony, monetary stabilization and a huge eat into the bargain. It's our way of saying thanks to Angela for treating us as a special case. Grab one soon, the offer lasts only as long as it looks like we are getting a deal on the bank debt, if the deal falls through, we'll pull the dog.
(Offer available in selected stores only - Keep an eye on the blog for details and launch dates)

You may have noticed that my days as a sports blogger are definitely over. I had hoped to turn my life around by simply watching and writing about sports, meanwhile hoping to somehow awaken the latent sportsman in me, but I'm afraid it wasn't to be. In the boss's words " Mr. Crab " he said, (drawing himself up to his full height) the idea of you writing about sport is, well something akin to a goose with a fatty liver writing about slimming." 

Funny he should mention slimming actually. One of the biggest benefits of my brief foray into the world of sixpacks, gold medals, world records, synchronised diving, shooting, shooting?..was that while I was watching, thinking and writing about them,  I did in fact lose 4 kilos. Two kilos of that I lost during the John Joe Nevin fight. Weaving, bobbing, ducking, jabbing and shouting instructions can really wear you out.

Mostly however I think I lost the weight worrying about what the boss was going to do to me when he found out I hadn't written anything about the new gourmet Ice Cream offer in the acafes in Mt. Merrion and at our Motorway Service Areas.
The problem is to keep the weight off while writing about Ice Cream.  Then I remembered a present a good friend had given me many years ago.

It was a photocopied version of a book written by an Italian nobleman called Luigi Cornaro in the 1500's called "The Temperate Life". If you translate the title directly it actually reads "The Sober Life" but I figure in this neck of the woods that title might not exactly inspire people to rush out and grab a copy. Anyway it's well worth a gander, which brings me back to the boss's comments about the goose with the fatty liver (soon to be foie gras).
According to Luigi Cornaro moderation in everything promotes a long and happy life. So there you have it. One cool scoop of ice cream  every day is surely in order you would think, and no cows are ill treated in the making of it either. And if the truth were known, it's a moderate scoop of ice cream a day we should have been treating ourselves to for the past 10 years, for 'tis far from fois gras we were reared. .


Ah go on, have a few scoops!