What's big for food in the week ahead?

I adore homemade ice creams, sorbets and granitas, the latter is a granular version of a sorbet or water ice, so no cream and the ice is whisked while freezing or grated when frozen to produce a more granular texture.

The summer festival season is already under way with more of the big guns readying themselves in the weeks ahead.

With 2015 behind us, I thought it might be fun and interesting to have a look at food trends for 2016.

Richard Fitzpatrick selects the biggest reads of 2015 across the various genres

Macroom Flower & Garden Club will host a Floral Art Demonstration by Orla McGrane (AOIFA Vice-Chairperson), on Thursday September 10 at 8.00pm, at Coolcower House. 

There is activity in abundance in the sunny south-east, beginning with the Waterford Harvest Festival (Sept 11-13, www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie ). 

Terra Nova Gardens, Dromin, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, are having their last open day of 2015 on Sunday, August 30, from 2pm to 6pm.

Ladysbridge and District Flower and Garden Club will have a stand at this weekend’s Ballymaloe Garden Festival, 9.30am-5.30pm, Saturday and Sunday, August 22/23.

Joanna Blythman, Alys Fowler, Mark Diacono and other top names in the food and gardening world are lined up for GIY Grow Fest in Waterford, from September 11 to 13.

A READER struggling to decipher labels at supermarkets writes to me: “How on earth do I find food I can trust nowadays?”

 Joanna Blythman has taken a look at what we eat and how the food industry is often so misleading. Her conclusions killed Richard Fitzpatrick’s appetite    

AFTER months of build up and careful planning by Rory O’Connell, Rebecca Cronin, Colm McCan and the Litfest team the second event came and went in a whirlwind of exciting workshops, debates, lectures, tastings, demos.

THE excitement is really mounting, it’s just a week to this year’s Lit Fest at Ballymaloe, May 16-18.

A MONTH after the Literary Festival of Food and Wine at Ballymaloe we’re still getting excited feedback and thank you cards in response to the event, from both participants and those who came along over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Vintage rally to launch new cider

Barack Obama’s pastry chef and the co-founder of the world’s best restaurant are among a galaxy of global culinary giants on the menu for a major national festival next month.

AN IRISH cheese company was presented with a top food award in England last night.

SOME new books not to miss: