Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange: Buenos Aires To Belfast

Smirnoff have announced the next step in their Nightlife Exchange Project. Carrying on from their last event, which saw the Wright Venue turned into an Argentinian party night, Smirnoff have decided to bring the flavour of Buenos Aires to Northern Ireland. The event will take place at Kellys Portrush on Saturday, 14th May 2011.

Resident DJ at Kellys Portrush, Col Hamilton, who will play alongside David De Valera on 14th May, said: “The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange continues to break new ground in nightlife experiences. As Northern Ireland’s biggest nightclub we are pleased to host the latest phase of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. Our customers can expect the very best of Kellys and Lush! club culture mixed with Argentinean nightlife. I will be delivering the finest UK and European dance music that Lush! fans have got to know and love and the headline act, David De Valera, who played in Buenos Aires last year will bring some Argentinean dance sounds to Lush! It’s going to go down in Kellys Portush history as a legendary night – it’s a must BE THERE event.”

As well as a fusion of great Argentinean and European dance music, the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange project will also bring the many vibrant sights and tastes of Argentinean nightlife to Kellys Portrush. Visitors to the nightclub can expect delicious drinks including an Argentinean take on the signature Smirnoff® Mule, the best food from South America and Argentinean inspired theatrical acts including tango dancers and Paka the fire breathing horse.

Carol McHugh, Smirnoff Brand Manager, Ireland said: “I’m delighted that the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange is going on tour for the first time. Last November more than 18,000 people from six continents across 10 time zones swapped nights. This May, the best of Argentina will come alive in Kellys Portrush for what will be a one of a kind nightlife experience.”

Tickets for the event cost £7 and can be purchased at www.kellysportrush.com. Visit www.facebook.com/smirnoffireland for further information on the Nightlife Exchange Project and for the chance to win tickets to the event at Kellys Portush in May as well as other Smirnoff goodies.

blablabLAB - Be Your Own Souvenir!

This is a very cool piece of gorilla marketing produced by BlablabLAB earlier this year in Barcelona using open Kinect in a pretty brilliant way. Basically by utilising open Kinect's motion and inferred track functionality coupled with a 3D copier they were able to create a really engaging installation.

The aim was to connect street users with arts & science, linking them to their under-laying spaces and their own realities through a technological ritual where the audience is released from established roles in a perspective exchange: spectator-performer, artist-tourist, observer-object. The user becomes the producer as well as the consumer through a system that invites him/her to perform as a human statue, with a free personal souvenir as a reward.

Irish Consumer's Digital Behaviour

A nice infographic video from the chaps at Cybercom:

Saba To Go - Real Thai Food

As anyone who knows me would probably tell you, I'm a huge fan of Asian cooking especially Thai food. I cook a lot of wok dishes and curries, usually leaning towards the pretty spicy as more than one guest has found out. It was a no brainer then when I was invited by the guys at Saba to visit Saba To Go for a personal cookery lesson that I jumped at the chance. So last Tuesday evening saw me standing in the Saba To Go kitchen with Saba Executive Chef is Tweesak Trakoolwattana (known as Tao) wearing an apron and preparing to learn about my favourite food from a native and professional (Tao was born and trained in Bangkok).

Tao began by bringing me through the different ingredients that are key to good Thai food. Perhaps unsurprisingly at the core of this was fresh vegetables and the best cuts of meat. Saba To Go use nothing but the freshest vegetables and ingredients, prepared each day. Tao stressed that it was beyond important to use nothing but freshly prepared ingredients. From here he took me through the different types of Thai Curry Pastes and ways in which different Soy Sauces, Fish Sauce and Oyster Sauce are used.

So with prep all covered and a good understanding of the basics, it was now time to cook. The three dishes I would be cooking were Chicken Thai Green Curry, Beef Phad Nam Prik Pao and Prawn Phad Prik Sod. Of course as I prefer the spicy each of these was going to have a little extra chilli.


Chicken Thai Green Curry
1. Add oil to the wok and turn up the heat (it needs to be hot!).
2. Put a large tablespoon of Green Curry Paste in the oil and sauté until fragrant, then reduce the heat and gradually add 1 cup of thick Coconut Milk and a 1/4 cup of water.
3. Add the chicken and Kaffir Lime Leaves, continue cooking for 3 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Season with 1/2 tablespoon Palm Sugar and 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce.
4. Add the vegetables (Aubergine, Chillies, Peppers, Bamboo Shoots, Green Beans and Onions) and cook for a further 2-3 minutes (you want the vegetables to still have a crunch).
5. Finally add Sweet Basil Leaves and turn off the heat.
6. Serve with Jasmine Rice.


Beef Phad Nam Prik Pao
1. Add oil, a large tablespoon of Chopped Garlic and a large tablespoon of Chopped Chillies to the wok and turn up the heat to high.
2. Put a large tablespoon of Red Chilli Paste in the oil and sauté until fragrant, then reduce the heat slightly.
3. Add the beef and continue cooking for 3 minutes (the beef can be cooked to your liking - rare to well).
4. Season with 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce, 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce and 1/2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce.
5. Add the vegetables (Chillies, Mushrooms, Peppers, Baby Sweetcorn and Spring Onions) and cook for a further 2 minutes (again, you want the vegetables to still have a crunch).
6. Serve with Jasmine rice.


Prawn Phad Prik Sod
1. Add oil and a large tablespoon of Chopped Garlic to the wok and turn up the heat to high.
2. Add the prawns and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
3. Season with 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce, 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce and 1/2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce.
4. Add the vegetables (Chillies, Woodear Mushrooms, Peppers and Onions) and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Finally add Sweet Basil Leaves and turn off the heat.
6. Serve with Jasmine rice.


Not only were each of these dishes easy to make but they were unbelievably tasty. I highly recommend trying them out yourself, and if you aren't eager to try out the cooking yourself then get on the phone to Saba To go and order some in. You won't be disappointed.

For more information on the cookery lessons that Tao does you can contact Fabulous Food Trails whom run the courses on Saba's behalf. Either call them on 01-4971245 or email info@fabfoodtrails.com. The lessons are run both for individuals and groups, and can be done onsite or in your own home.

My biggest thanks go out to Alan Cadden, Saba To Go's Owner, and Tao for the opportunity to do all of this. Much appreciated :)

Champion To Offer Facebook Deals

Well it looks like it's quite the day for Facebook Deals in Ireland. Just an hour ago I posted about Meteor's Facebook Deals and now I have a second bit of Deals news.

This afternoon Champion (Sport) announced that it is participating in Facebook Deals from today. Champion will be offering people special discounts when they check in to Champion stores across Ireland using Facebook Places.

To celebrate the launch of this new initiative by Champion, they will be offering the first 500 people to check into a Champion store through Facebook Places a top class football.

There are 23 Champion Sports stores around the country where people can check in and full details of the Facebook Deal are available on the Champion Facebook Page.

“Facebook is a great way for us to have conversations with our customers,” said Emily Barry of Champion. “So we are delighted to be participating in the launch of Facebook Deals, as it’s another opportunity for us to engage with our customers and give something back to them”