Ice and Healthy Ice cream eating tops many people's summer activity list but if you're thinking of buying a few choice pieces from Elizabeth Hurley's new beachwear range, it's probably best not to overdo the 99s.

The good news is that you don't have to completely deny yourself frozen treats in order to get sun holiday-fit this year. HB has brought out a new range called Frusi, which is made with frozen yoghurt, real fruit pieces and wholegrain cereal. Each pot contains 105 kcals (Fruits of the Forest flavour) or 114 kcals (Mango and Raspberry), 3g of fat and up to 50 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C. It lives up to its health claims by being free from artificial preservatives, colours, sweeteners and flavours as well, but most importantly, unlike many of the so-called 'guilt free' foods on the market, this one tastes good.

Nutty Nutrition If you've been following food trends, you'll know that molecular gastronomy is where it's at. This marriage of science and cooking challenges every perception you've ever had about food, promising the most mind-blowing combinations of taste, texture and aroma. At El Bulli, the world famous restaurant in Madrid, you might eat almond ice cream with balsamic and garlic, and Spanish omelette, served in a martini glass and topped with potato froth. At The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal's establishment in Bray, England, the tasting menu will take you from snail porridge to smoked bacon and egg ice cream. Sampling the food might be problematic because there are long, long waiting lists for these restaurants. Until that day arrives, dip into McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopaedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture. It's a fascinating exploration of the science of cooking and Blumenthal has admitted to being heavily influenced by it.

Park Life Easter Sunday lunch is an all-out affair, so take the rest of the bank holiday weekend easy and make meal times more about 'assembly' and less about actual cooking. You'll pick up the ingredients for a very fine feast at the Food Market at Farmleigh, which is open from 10am to 5.30pm today. Here, you'll find fruits, cheeses, homemade breads, cakes, pastries, chutneys, pestos and different kinds of smoked fish, including Aran Salmon and Corry Lane. The market is part of a family orientated events programme at the Phoenix Park this Easter. Newborn lambs, chicks, hamsters, ducklings and bunnies are available for hugs in the Courtyard Stables and Bosco is making a long-awaited comeback, with shows in the Ballroom at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm today and tomorrow. All events are free. Visit www. farmleigh. ie for more details.

Heart of Darkness Lily O'Brien's has carved a niche for itself in the chocolate market with its interesting and moreish creations . . . the creme brulee, a chocolate with a layer of sticky toffee pudding and a layer of vanilla souffle is especially memorable. Now, in response to a growing demand for dark chocolate, they're launching their Single Origin Costa Rican 64% Dark Collection.

It's the culmination of several months of research and development and the final selection of the Trinitario Cocoa Beans from Costa Rica was made because of their smoky and woody bouquet. Look out for it in shops from May, price NUMBER_STRING9.99.

The Italian Job People don't tend to get too excited about Italian food, which is a real pity considering that pasta-in-asauce and pizza is as far as many of them will have ventured. Yet recent books such as Jamie's Italy and the reprint of 1950's bible, The Silver Spoon show that there is much left to discover. If you'd like to brush up on your Italian, pay a visit to La Bottega Deli, located in the Northside's Quartier Bloom, which offers everyday products as well as more exotic fare. When you've sampled the freshly cut salami and proper buffalo mozzarella, you'll realise the disservice that poor, supermarket imitations do to them. Coffee lover's favourite, Illy cafe is stocked here, as well as a wide range of pastas, sauces, biscuits, jams, oils and other store cupboard essentials. Our favourite purchase was the Pocket Coffee . . . a liquid espresso centre in a chocolate shell.

Thrills and Grills It's not that Ireland doesn't have an indigenous cuisine . . . we do and it's wonderful . . . but equally we've assimilated the food cultures of other nations with great enthusiasm. We love sushi, tapas, American diner and French bistro varieties but it's our penchant for barbecuing that is most interesting. Despite the haphazard nature of Irish weather, the smell of grilled meat is guaranteed to pervade the air over the coming months. Whereas once a disposable grill might have sufficed, punters are now demanding luxury models with which they can demonstrate their grilling prowess. It doesn't come much more professional than the Electrolux EGL3000X. Its endless list of features range from solid stainless steel cooking grids; a double layered cooker hood and door, infra red burner to sear red meat, and multiple burners for perfect cooking results.

Click for Cuisine Although lacking the glossy appeal of cookbooks, the internet has much to offer the inquisitive foodie, where a million and one recipes, resources and heated food-related discussions are only a Google search away.

Epicurious (www. epicurious. com) is one of the brightest and the best food sites, with recipes, menu ideas, food news, restaurant reviews and chef profiles. A CondeNet creation (the online branch of publishing giant Conde Naste), it's a mix of material from the Bon Appetit, Gourmet and Selfmagazines, as well as original content, including the supremely useful food and wine dictionaries.

Because it's American, you will have to convert the recipe measurements but the choice is so vast and interesting, it's a small effort to make for such culinary inspiration.