Food File: Nüdest pouches, Irish beef makes US menu and a Pichet treat

Neven’s new baby

Some cookbook writers pour everything into their first book – Nigella Lawson's How To Eat comes to mind – but Neven Maguire has waited until now to deliver his magnum opus. Neven Maguire's Complete Family Cookbook (Gill Books, €29.99) is a collection of 300 "life-saving recipes for super-busy parents", delivered as a massive tome running to almost 500 pages. There's a slightly random feel to the arrangement of the chapters – Bring On Breakfast follows after Lunch, and Supper opens the book – but open it at any page and it's like falling down a rabbit warren; you'll maybe not know what direction you're headed in, but you'll pick up lots of interesting recipe ideas along the way.

Power pouch

Protein balls are so last year . . . finger-on-the-pulse gym bunnies are stocking their post-workout snack bag with Nüdest instead. The pouches filled with fruit puree, Greek-style yoghurt and wholegrains can be found in chill cabinets in branches of Spar, EuroSpar, Londis, Gala and Mace, as well as some garage forecourts and independent food stores. They can also be ordered online at nudestfoods.com and cost €15 for six. The wholesome snack comes in two varieties: apple, pear, wheat and cinnamon, or banana, oats, honey and vanilla, and each 160g pouch contains under 160 calories. They can be stored for several months at ambient temperatures, but are best eaten chilled.

Beef up for the race

Irish fillet beef will be the hot ticket at the Breeders' Cup World Championships Taste of the World festival being staged at Warner Bros Studio in California on November 4th-6th, in conjunction with the big race meeting. Although Good Food Ireland has been involved in promoting Irish food at the event in the past, this is the first time Irish beef will be on the menu. Chefs Ed Cooney (The Merrion) and Martin Shanahan (Fishy Fishy) will help prepare 1,500 portions of grass-fed Irish fillet beef, and the event is supported by Bord Bia and Dawn Meats.

Pichet pitch

Mark Moriarty is the next chef to be given free rein in the kitchen at Pichet restaurant in Dublin, for one night only. He follows in the footsteps of London-based Irish chefs Andy McFadden (Pied à Terre) and Patrick Powell (Chiltern Firehouse) and will cook a menu of his own choice on Sunday, November 20th.