Local Food Production Day in Ballydehob

Haut Tropchaud, Pomerol - 2002

Went to The Wine Buff last night for a wine tasting - organised by Slow Food. Barry invited us along to taste 6 wonderful wines but the one I fell in love with was the Haut Tropchaud Pomerol. Wow what a wine....Barry started this wine himself earlier and was kind enough to share it with us. The pricetag is a bit steep with normally €60 but it is on special offer at the moment for €40 (nope, still haven't won the jackpot....but I am hooked).

The deep red colour promises rich flavour which it delivers. Velvet was running down my throat and created a smile on my face that stayed long after we all left. Ripe blackberries with a dark hint of blackcurrant...tannin not overpowering but adding to the smooth finish which stayed on the palate for a long long time.

With this pricetag you wouldn't bring it along to a potluck party - but just imagine yourself in front of a fire, some lovely mature, strong French cheese, iced grapes, in the background Miles Davis playing Blue Moods....that is paradise (I know I am easy to please :-)

Wine Tasting at the AGA Shop

I finally get a minute to sit down to write about Wednesday's wine tasting in the AGA Shop. This time Bubble Brothers took us along to a tour along the South coast of Australia. Aaron Drummond (Global Brand Manager) & Ryan Morgan (Export Sales UK & Ireland) of the Rathbone Wine Group joined Billy, Julian and Chris of Bubble Brothers.

12 wines were on the list and we worked our way through them - slowly but surely. Both, Aaron and Ryan knew their wines very well and had a lot to say about them - spiked with anecdotes and lots of little stories. The evening was informative, relaxed and I am still in hope that one of you guys out there will buy me one of the lovely AGA's soon :-)

Anyway, enough dreaming, here are the wines:

1. Next of Kin Sauvignon/Semillon (Margarete River) 2009, €12.95
Typical bouquet of Sauvignon, clean cut finish. Had better ones, but also worst ones....nothing to write home about. Saying that, it had a long finish
2. Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Pinot Grigio 2008, €13.95
Somethings should be left to the experts, and Italy definitely is the better master of Pinot Grigio. Almost metallic (and I mean metallic - not minerals) aroma, slight pear comes through to the end. Although I like a good Pinot Grigio, this one will not find its way into my wine shelf.
3. Mount Langi Ghiran Edge Riesling, 2007, €18.50
Clean pale colour, bouquet was quite flat, dry crisp finish. Very good Riesling although I think, Riesling is a wine best made by Germany and Austria (and I am not the greatest fan of German and Austrian wines). According to Ryan, Germans make a sweet Riesling...can't agree. Riesling is a dry wine and shouldn't be mingled with

4. Little Yering Chardonnay (Yarra Valley) 2008, €12.95
This wine was the first ever planted in the Yarra Valley in 1838......and that fact is the most interesting about the wine. A chardonnay as a million others....nothing to write home about. When I mentioned to Aaron that I 'hate' Chardonnay, he found the word a bit harsh....so I re-phrased....I dislike it immensely (Chardonnay that is).
5. Next of Kin Chardonnay (Margaret river) 2008, € 12.95
And another Chardonnay...and a much better one. 15% alcohol might have helped this wine along a bit. Lovely fruit flavour without being sweet, more body than the wine before. Wouldn't be too upset if someone brings a bottle along
6. Xanadu Estate Chardonnay (Margaret River) 2008, €18.50
And of course, another Chardonnay (it really was an Australian night). If you like Chardonnay, you will love this wine. It's the big brother of the wine before - all grown up. Lovely colour, clean, fresh finish....good wine..

7. Little Yering Pinot Noir (Yarra Valley) 2008, € 12.95
Colour could confuse you as a dark rose rather than a bold red. Ripe berries but with a slight bitter aftertaste. Might need a bit more time to get to its full potential.

8. Yering Station Pinot Noir 2005, €18.50
This wine was released only last year. Dirty red colour, deep rich bouquet, more savoury and all grown up compared to the Little Yering we had before. One of the better Pinots.

9. Next of Kin Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 2007, € 12.95
Dark ruby rich colour (if we gave a prize for the colour, this wine would win hands-up), bouquet reminds me of Cherry Brandy (memories from my youth came crushing down on me). Needs a long time to develop - so better open it 2-3 hours before drinking
10. Yering Station Shiraz/Viognier (Yarra Valley) 2006, € 18.50
Released last year, the wine has a smokey red colour and an elegant and smooth - almost sweetish finish.

11. Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz (Grampians) 2005, € 13.95
Warm red colour, bouquet transfers you to late summer nights, slight spicy, long dry finish, silky and smooth

12. Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz (Grampians) 2004, € 18.50
Almost blackish red colour, dry blueberry aroma with a lot of character. Stored in new French oak and old American oak, this wine is a delight to drink and that's why I ordered a case :-)

Bubble Brothers offered on the night 20% off if you ordered 1 case (12 bottles) and the real treat was, we could mix & match.....which I did....happily :-)

All grapes of these wineries are hand-picked and they go for quality rather than quantity (I am not mentioning any other Australian vineyards :-) and I understand why Bubble Brothers are happily promoting Rathbone Wines....

Wine Tasting at the AGA Shop

Tomorrow, Bubble Brothers are inviting to an Australian wine tasting in the AGA shop.

Bubble Brothers will be introducing a new range of wines from Australia, starting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 23rd September, in the company of winemaker Gordon Gebbie and Ryan Morgan of Rathbone Wine Group. Tey will be offering wines from Yering Station in Victoria's Yarra Valley; from Mount Langi Ghiran in Western Victoria's Grampians region; and from Xanadu in the Margaret River, representing Western Australia.

Book your ticket here

Hope to see you all there.

Caz & Jan

Congratulations to Caz & Jan who got married on Friday. It was one of the nicest weddings I have been to (and I am not saying that because I am mad about the two of them). Both are amazing people and they made sure that everyone had a good time at their wedding. Caz looked simply beautiful and guess, Jan was the envy of every man in that church :-)

The ceremony was performed in St. Patrick's Church, Lower Glanmire Road and the reception afterwards was held at Fleming's Restaurant in Tivoli. Both are foodies so it was important that the food was exceptional - and it was. Caz & Jan are both very laid back people and they didn't want the seating plan and formal dinner - so they arranged for a BBQ at Flemings. And Michael Fleming did not disappoint. The food was amazing - I was lucky to grab a bit of the lobster - with all tastes catered for.

I was very honoured when Caz & Jan asked me to create the wedding cake for them. Let me tell you, I didn't sleep for about a week - I was so worried that they might not like it. True in their style, they didn't want a traditional wedding cake but 3 layers combining a chocolate biscuit layer cake, a Dutch spiced apple cake and the smallest one a fruit cake but no icing.....both don't like sugarpaste.....I am not the best in getting chocolate very smooth but I tried my best. Testing all kind of ganaches I came finally up with a lovely mixture that worked. Eve St Leger of Eve's Chocolate was a big help as she tried and tested some mixtures for me as well. Her chocolates are just amazing and there is nothing this woman doesn't know about chocolate.

Anyhow, Caz' favourite colour is purple and her favourite flowers are orchids, so it became clear very quickly that I am using these 2 components. Thankfully, they loved the cake and I was a very happy woman.

I also made the invitations, printed the boxes for her favours and made chocolates for the favours. I was happy to add to the sparkle of the wedding - 2 of my best friends had a marvellous day and I wish them all the best for the future :-)....by the way, I can also be hired as wedding planner :-)

Church Restaurant in Skibbereen

Last night was Banquet Night in the Church Restaurant in Skibbereen as part of the food festival. The Church Restaurant was destroyed a few years back by an arsonist but beautifully restored. The stained windows are simply amazing, the original features maintained and/or restored. Dark wood give the white walls a lift and the big chandeliers give the whole place a feel of Belle Epoche.

The food was outstanding. Chefs from several restaurants in Skib came together and created a great menu.

* Medley of West Cork Seafood with seasonal leaves or
* Crispy Skeaghanore Duck Spring Rolls with Asian dipping sauce

* Cream of Cauliflower with a smoked Gubbeen Cheese Croute or
* Basil Sorbet

* Roasted West Cork Lamb on celeriac mash with red wine & rosemary jus or
* Pan seared hake on Risotto with sundried tomato pesto

* Assiette of Desserts

I ordered the seafood - which was just sensational. I normally don't like mackerel but the pate of smoked mackerel was just out of this world. Gravax Salmon was lovely as well and the crabmeat timbale was fresh and not too 'fishy'.

The basil sorbet sounded weird - so of course I had to order it. Refreshing, sharp and absolutely yummy....great stuff. I kept spooning from Dianne's soup and have to say, it was creamy, peppery and not 'cabbagy' at all. Lovely soup.

I love hake and it is a fish that is easy to prepare. Pan-frying is the easiest and safest method - and it was a lovely fish. The risotto was nothing to write home about and I left it behind (slightly undercooked and greasy for some reason). I would have liked a bit more of the pesto as the fish on its own was a bit on the dry side.....

....but the desserts made more than up for it. It was a big plate of different elements of which the cake was the best part. Sponge layers with vanilla creme and chocolate ganache....a poem on a plate. I dropped Dianne off in Bandon on the way home and fell into my bed at 2am with a big smile on my face...

Cooking Lessons

Yeap, I actually gave a cooking lesson last night as a project. Wendy, Linda, Eileen, Linda and Derval came and watched me, trying to impress them with my food knowledge and cooking skills. The challenge was to cook 3 dishes within 30 mins and have the girls eat it in 30 mins......

... to make it short, I failed miserably to cook within 30 mins - even with everything peeled, chopped, measured etc. But made up in time when the girls started to eat. The final course was served and eaten within the limit of the hour.

Starter: Courgette and Orange Soup
Main Course: Chicken Stir-fry with broccoli and walnuts
Dessert: Greek yogurt with homemade granola and blueberries.

Anyhow, I made up questionnaires and asked the girls for feedback on the 'class' and I have to say, no friendship will be ending as yet :-) Feedback was honest and I know where to improve if I ever wanted to work as a cooking demonstrator or teacher.

Will hold another 'class' soon :-)