Dine & Wine Club Cork

2012-01-16T00:55:00.000-08:00

This blog has now retired. It has run its course and it is time to start something new. Come and visit the new Blog Bia Sásta - you can also follow us on facebook - just search for Bia Sásta. Hope you will enjoy our articles

Carton House Braised Shoulder of Lamb

2011-12-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Recently I made the long way to the Food Festival in Kilkenny to join a food producer tour - which was cancelled (I didn't know). I wasn't much interested in anything else, so I took the time to walk the streets of Kilkenny (and giving it some strong thought of organising a food producer tour myself - watch this space). On my way, I saw a lovely bookshop (I can never resist to pop into one) and after some browsing found the cookbook of Carton House. Never been to Carton House but after reading this book, it is on my to-do-list for 2012.

Anyway, I can never leave a lonely cookbook behind, so I adopted it nicely and last Saturday I actually tried one of the recipes which I thought looked just amazing: Caraway Braised Shoulder of Lamb - Ok, I have to stop here a bit, I didn't find any caraway seeds in the area of Blarney and Blackpool, so I basically I made braised shoulder of lamb.

The 2 best butchers in Cork are O'Flynns in Marborough Street and Bresnans in the English Market - my first stop is always O'Flynns. I called them up at the start of the week and ordered the meat with the request to debone the beauty. Picked it up on Thursday and it was as I wanted it - Thank you Mr O'Flynn.

Came home and marinated the meat in some spices (cumin, coriander, ginger, cloves and olive oil) - recipe states to marinate it for 4 hours - I am a slowcook - so it stayed in overnight. Next day I put the meat into a baking tin and poured in hot chicken stock halfway up and cooked in a a low oven for 4.5 hours (covered). Took it out and put it on a plate - layered another plate on top and put a nice weight on it. The next day, it was cut in even portions and pan-fried in olive oil and butter. The smell was amazing and the meat was tender and falling apart (no one wondered about the missing caraway). I served it with steamed baby potatoes and green beans. As I love sauce, I made a mustardy gravy that went well with the spuds and the meat - no mint needed :-) ( the original recipe calls for aubergine puree and mint emulsion).

For the wine I went to Curious Wines (Turner's Cross, Cork) and asked Matt and Julian (former of Bubble Brothers) what they thought would go nicely with the dish (I was thinking of a Bordeaux and Matt agreed - phew). We decided in the end on Chateau Bauduc 2008 Clos des Quinze. There is nothing better than professional advice of people who have actually tasted the wine - not like your supermarket clerk (yeah, dat is grand).

Aged in oak it has a lovely acidity with spicy fruit. It held up nicely to the meat and the cheese after.

My next attempt from this book will be Stuffed Filet of Pork (as much as I follow recipes LOL)

Fenn's Quay: Chef du Jour

2011-11-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

Fenn's Quay is one of my favourite lunch places in Cork City with a very talented chef. The menu changes regularly and goes with the seasons and Kate is a big supporter of local producers.

Kate had the fabulous idea of inviting amateur cooks to her kitchen - and the first Chef Du Jour took place last night. I was very honoured being asked by Kate to be one of the judges on the first night. My fellow judges were Billy Lyons and Evin O'Keeffe. Chef of the night was Paul Callaghan, a foodie from Co. Clare. We learned that Paul is a plasterer by trade but believe me, you wouldn't have guessed from the menu.

The night was designed as a set menu, with a cocktail at arrival and a bottle of wine during the meal. The menu was a four-course meal solely created by Paul.

We started the evening off with an amouse bouche of stuffed cherry tomatoes with Ardsallagh Goats cheese, basil pesto and a sea salt cracker. The balance between the goats cheese and the pesto was just perfect and a pretty plate of food to set the mood for the following courses.

The starter was a plate of mussels cooked with bacon and Stonewell Cider. I am not the biggest fan of mussels (I like them baked rather than cooked) but the fragrant sauce made well up for it. He used cream for the sauce which divided the judges (I love cream sauces). The cider could have been a bit more present and I thought the bacon took a bit away from the delicate flavour of the sauce.

The main course was Rosscarbery pork belly with potato & horseradish puree, braised red cabbage with the mulled red wine jus. The crowning of this dish was the crackling. It was superb - as crackling should be. It was cut in small strips and placed on top of the meat. the meat itself was a bit too fatty for me but the meat underneath was juicy. The puree was more of a mash and a bit lumpy but that didn't take away from the perfect balance of potato and horseradish. The red cabbage was finely shredded (I never have the patience of being so precise) and he braised it just enough so that the texture and colour was still perfect. Red cabbage for me is always a Christmas thing and therefore would have liked more spice in it (I cook mine with redcurrant jelly and cinnamon) but his version showed the best of the cabbage. The red wine jus wasn't strained but the flavour was rich and went so well with the mash.

But the highlight was the trio of desserts - what a revelation. Professional chefs can take a page out of Paul's book. Desserts are really Paul's strong point and he deserved the full 5-Star rating for the white chocolate cheese cake alone. The crumbly base was buttery without being soaked in it. The filling was so smooth and creamy and well balanced with the cheese and the white chocolate - I was green with envy. No lumps, no cracking of the top - the best cheese cake I have eaten in a long time if not ever. The mixed berry crumble came in a little ramekin dish (mine was square which looked extremely pretty) wasn't too sweet or sour - a perfect autumn/winter dish. The crumble had toasted flaked almonds in it which gave the crumble a lovely texture. A dollop of dark chocolate on the bottom of the dish was a nice surprise. The tower of meringue was constructed by small strips of meringue. If you ever made meringue yourself, you know how hard it is to make biggish pieces - but these small pieces were soft and chewy - just as I like my meringue. It was topped with strawberries and vanilla cream. This plate of desserts left everyone smiling.

Billy, Evin and myself then took our time to discuss the entire menu (as I said, for this plate of dessert we would have given him 5 stars) and we agreed on 3.5 stars. Well deserved and I think we haven't seen the last of Paul - at least I hope we do see more.

Tonight is the second night of the Chef du Jour and Jeni Pim from Co. Waterford will be taking over the reign in the kitchen. Make sure to book a table - it is such an enjoyable evening.

Cheesemaking - a calling??

2011-11-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

I am attending a cheesemaking course in Fermoy at the moment - delivered by Teagasc in Moorepark. Eddie O'Neill (I worked with him at the first Grow-Bake-Cook award where he was one of the judges) is the lecturer and there is not much this man doesn't know about cheese, milk and the dairy business. The course goes over 3 days and it is very intense.

Today we learned all about milk types and composition, bacteria and microbiology and how to design your premises. In between we went to the kitchenette and learned how to make a Gouda type cheese. And that was just the first day. Intense indeed.

What makes the course so interesting is the discussions in between - 12 people are taking part in the course from all walks of life including 2 dairy farmers. And listening to them, I salute all farmers especially dairy farmers. It is one of the most regulated industries and it is crippling the farmer a lot. And then listening to the legal requirements of cheesemaking and selling, I take a bow to people who face this 'monster' of regulations and still go ahead to produce amazing cheeses - just for the love of it. I salute you all.

Anyway, I am still in love with cheese and can't wait to try my own hands on it but I have decided that my cheese emporium has to wait - I will simply just create cheese for my own pleasure (and that of friends of course - seeing great Christmas gifts coming up).

I will talk more about the course in the next few days - just wanted to show my appreciation for all those great cheesemakers out there.

Listowel Food Festival

2011-11-02T07:13:00.001-07:00

The Kilkenny Food Festival just over - we are being treated with another one. This time in Kerry, Listowel to be precise. Starting today with the judging of the best emerging food product award - it is worth a visit. As I still have to work for a living (I know, it's a nuisance sometimes), I will have to skip the Kerry Food Hero Award this afternoon as well as the National Farmhouse Cheese Competition tomorrow morning. If you can make it tomorrow evening, you will be able to watch Catherine Fulvio cooking up a storm.

On Saturday morning you would be able to join a Wild Food Walk (and I think I will be joining). Meeting at 10:30 at the Listowel Town Park carpark, the walk is €10. Saturday Live Kitchen will have local chefs cooking live. Admission here is also €10..... but here I am waffling - check the program out yourself by clicking here Hope to see you there

The Foreign Guinness

2011-10-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

The other day I came across bottled Guinness called 'Foreign Extra Stout' - never heard of it (I am not a lover of stout) but the name intrigued me so I took a bottle home. I always have a glass of Guinness on Arthur's Day and it still takes me ages to drink.

I was told that this stout was especially brewed for the African market in past years and that it was suppose to be a lot stronger than the 'normal' Guinness. I put the bottle in the fridge to reach a cooled but not ice cold temperature. Opened the bottle and poured a bit in a glass. Nipped a bit, drank a bit and left the rest. What was the taste like you ask??? Cold bitter coffee - and nope, I didn't like it at all.

Here is how Guinness describes the beer: 'Foreign Extra Stout is brewed with generous hops and roasted barley for a bittersweet balance & full-flavored, natural bite. Developed over 200 years ago for global export from Ireland, the addition of extra hops ensured this Stout would arrive to its destination in perfect condition. Today, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Pure beauty. Pure GUINNESS®.'

And this is what Wikipedia has to say about it: 7.5% ABV version sold in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the United States. The basis is an unfermented but hopped Guinness wort extract shipped from Dublin, which is added to local ingredients and fermented locally. The strength can vary, for example, it is sold at 5% ABV in China, 6.5% ABV in Jamaica and East Africa, 6.8% in Malaysia, 7.5% in the United States, and 8% ABV in Singapore.^[42]^[43] In Nigeria a proportion of sorghum is used. Foreign Extra Stout is blended with a small amount of intentionally soured beer.^[44] It was previously known as West Indies Porter, then Extra Stout and finally Foreign Extra Stout.^[13] It was first made available in the UK in 1990.^[13]

You will have to make up your own mind about this beer - let me know what you think. You can get it in SuperValu at the moment.

Masterchef in Fenn's Quay

2011-10-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

For the first time in Fenns Quay history they are opening up their kitchen to a few succesful cooks . They will get to work along side the Fenns Quay kitchen team whilst producing there own four course menu to the awaitning paying guest.
The guests will have a night of fine food, fun and tasting of fine wines and beers with guess the wine and rate your meal as well as meeting foodies and wine enthusiasts as well as the panel of judges !! Tables will be commuinal as so everyone gets to chat and have fun and enjoy the experience for food and wine total cost will be €50 per person

what do you have to do to enter ?
* the applicants must create a 4 course menu consisting of amuse bouche, starter, main and dessert .
* the menu per person should cost no more tan €22 per person
* a litte paragraph on why they should get this opertuinity .
* closing date for submissions is the thursday 3rd of November
* applicants must be over 17
* post your entries to No. 5 Fenns Quay, Restaurant, Sheares Street, Cork
or email to caitlawlor@hotmail.com

The "Chef de Jour @ Fenns Quay" final will be held 22nd 23rd & 24th of November and on the final night the winner will be announced !!!

Good Luck :-)

Curry Night and all about Leeks

2011-10-20T01:28:00.000-07:00

Nights are getting colder and darker. This is the time where you want hearty and warming dishes. Butternut Squash are dead cheap at the moment so I decided it was time for a lovely curry night last night. Came home and dug up some leeks (yes I was wearing my wellies :-). Peeled and chopped (not too small pieces) the Butternut Squash I bought during the day, tossed it in olive oil and roasted it in the oven for about 10 mins (you want it slightly done but still have some bite). Cleaned and sliced the leeks quite thickly and pan-fried it in a bit of butter and olive oil (use ghee if you happen to have it in your larder). Chopped some green chillies - depending how hot you want it - and added it to the leeks after about 5 mins. Cook it for a minute or so before adding some roasted cashew nuts, plain yogurt (make sure not to use set yogurt as it will split) and cream. Adding the roasted Butternut Squash, I put a lid on the pot and put the pot in the oven for about 30 mins. The sauce will thicken a bit. I served this curry with spiced rice and naan bread. This curry is loosely based on a recipe I saw in Denis Cotter's Season Cookbook.

The curry needs some 'green' so add some fresh coriander if you have it to hand - parsley will do as well. And if you want to push the boat out, serve some side dishes with it like a tomato salad etc.

The curry was tasty but needed some salt to bring it up - I didn't add the coriander as it is one of my pet hates. We had a Rioja with it but I think a Gewurztraminer would have been a better choice.

2011-10-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

GOLDIEFISH FILM FESTIVAL MARKET 2011

Goldiefish are delighted to be collaborating with the Cork Film Festival this year for two Sunday Markets!
The Markets will take place on the following dates:

SUNDAY THE 6TH OF NOVEMBER
AND
SUNDAY THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER

THE LOCATION WILL BE EMMET PLACE, CORK CITY ON EACH OCCASION.

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR (FEES ARE FOR A 3M X 3M PITCH PER DAY/NO TRAILERS):

6-7 FOOD TO GO STALLS (120 PER DAY)
1 COFFEE STALL (100 PER DAY)
15 FRESH PRODUCE STALL (70 PER DAY – this price is discounted because we would like to encourage more producers to the markets we run).
5 CRAFT STALLS (100 PER DAY)

LOCAL TRADERS WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY AT THIS EVENT!
ELECTRICITY WILL BE CHARGED AT AN EXTRA 15 EUROS PER DAY.
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM ATTACHED AND SEND IT BACK TO ROSE-ANNE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE PLEASE!

DEADLINE FOR ALL PAPERWORK IS THURSDAY THE 20TH OF OCTOBER AT THE VERY LATEST AS INSURANCE, FEES AND APPLICATION FORMS IS NEEDED BY THIS DATE.

PLEASE CONTACT ROSE-ANNE
roseanne@goldiefish.ie

Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer Weekend

2011-10-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer Weekend, 27th -31st October 2011

During the October Bank Holiday Weekend, Bord Bia aims to raise awareness of the breadth of Irish farmhouse cheeses and craft beers available to consumers by initiating the Irish Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer Weekend. At present, there are 50 farmhouse cheese makers in Ireland producing over 140 varieties of cheese and 15 craft brewers producing over 40 beers. Both crafts are not just about the flavour but also the people, personalities, places and stories behind them.

To celebrate this, Bord Bia asked producers and foodies to hold a tasting event, talk or demonstration in an effort to show that craft beer (not just wine!) is an excellent accompaniment to cheese. Events are being held nationwide in cheese-houses/farms, breweries, restaurants, pubs, gastropubs, off-licences, markets and other venues. A full listing of events is below. More events will be added to this in the run up to the October Bank Holiday Weekend. So keep an eye out for an event near you and be sure to pop along to find out all about your local craft brews and farmhouse cheeses.

Click here for event listings. In Cork, Midleton & Mahon Farmer's Markets will hold events as well.

For further information or to organise an event, please contact either Stephanie Moe or Eimear O’Donnell on Tel: 01 6685155 or email Stephanie.Moe@bordbia.ie / Eimear.odonnell@bordbia.ie

All about leeks

2011-10-13T01:38:00.001-07:00

Late Summer and early Autumn - a time of abundance. I just have worked up my beetroot (chutneys, pickled and the most amazing beetroot risotto) - now I am facing hundreds of leeks standing tall. Good thing so that I love leeks. Last year I made already a few different dishes with it - but mostly I love slicing them and sauteing it in butter with a bit of garlic and toss it through steaming pasta. But of course there are so many different options.

Pies are a great way of using up vegetables and it is a great lunch-treat. I panfried the leeks in olive oil and butter with some garlic. I added mixed herbs towards the end of the cooking.In a separate pan, I fried chopped mushrooms until they were coloured and added them to the leeks. Blindbaked short-crust pastry and filled the case with the leeks mixture and topped it with young goats' cheese. No egg and no cream - the leeks were moist enough and the cheese was melting nicely into the leeks. The result was a lovely tart and it didn't make it to lunch the next day as Terence demolished it the same night.

Another lovely idea of course is risotto. I have tried all kind of mixtures for risotto and have to admit that leeks (next to beetroot) is one of my favourite. I cook the risotto as normal and only add the panfried leeks towards the end as I want it to keep the fresh green colour. Lemon zest towards the end brings the risotto to new heights. May I say - yummy is not the correct word to describe this very simple but very satisfying dish.

What this space for more recipes coming up. And let me know if you have some more ideas on what to do with leeks - always looking for new ideas :-)

Mushroom Hunting - Success??

2011-10-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

Foraging came back into fashion at the start of the recession and it makes sense. I always wanted to do it but have no idea what is edible or not (so much easier in the shop). Longueville House are doing a mushroom hunt every year but to be honest, the price is a bit steep for me at €95 per person. So, last Saturday Terence and myself - armed with the mushroom book of River Cottage - went to the woods. It was a great day, warm and still a bit breezy. It was a great walk and we found loads of mushroom - and that's where the trouble started.

We saw the mushrooms in our book and tried to compare to what we found - no luck really. We thought we had chanterelles (I am still not sure) and puff balls (which are easy to recognise). With the rest, we were a bit stunned. I love chanterelles and when I see them at the market, I normally by a few and make a nice dish and it is always a treat (they go really well with game). But if you are not sure what you just found - and no one there to tell and ensure you - ups.
They looked beautiful, they looked appetizing but no real indication if they were edible. Obviously, just because birds, snails and rodents eat them, doesn't mean that we can. The gills are not indication either as they all looked different.

I tried to find a few professional foragers but it seems that they don't really advertise. Darina Allen gave me 2 names and no luck there either. I would love to organise a day out with SlowFood (yes, I am still with them) with a professional forager and maybe end up having a BBQ/picnic with our finds. Please let me know if you know anyone suitable and who would be willing to take a handful of eager amateurs to the woods or even seashore (wouldn't mind to learn about seaweed either).

Anyhow, we still had a great day and a few boxes of mushrooms which we still try to identify - no haven't eaten them yet, apart from the puffball.

It might even be already too late to hunt for anything in the woods - at least the birds were already at it but surely, with the weather we have now, there should be still plenty available.

If you are interested in joining the Longueville House Mushroom hunt, they have 2 coming up (16th & 30th October) but as I said, €95 per person. Well worth it, I would say but we do have a recession on at the moment (by the way, it was €85 last year). You are being taken out into the woods and come back to the house where a lunch will be served. You will be able to ask all kind of questions and it is definitely an experience.

Please let me know if you recognise any of the mushrooms shown here (yes, I will trust you). I got the foraging bug now and really want to learn more about it. Have already some ideas bouncing around in my head. So watch this space for more to come.

Savour Kilkenny

2011-10-07T00:37:00.001-07:00

Savour Kilkenny is in its 5th year and will take place over the October Bank Holiday weekend - yeap the Halloween weekend. The festival went from strength to strength every year and this year is no exception. The program is packed to the rim and the only negative thought you might have about it that you can't clone yourself to attend all demonstrations, workshops and taste trails. I have the program in front of me and I am already torn between spending the day at a taste trail or spend the day in Kilkenny attending several smaller events.....decisions, decision, decisions...

To wet your appetite here are just some of the events that awaits you in Kilkenny:

Big Night Movie, A Feast of Chefs (€50), Food Camp, Food Industry Seminar, Cookery Demonstrations by Catherine Fulvio and Donal Skeehan, Forgotten Skills Demos, All About Pigs, Food Market, Pop-up Allotment, Foraging Walks, Kilkenny Masterchef Final, Wines Tastings, Meet the Brewer etc etc etc... click here for the full program

I will be there - hope to see you there

Andre Goichot Fleurie

2011-10-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

Since recession has hit home, I have a rule not to spend more than €10 on a bottle of wine and had therefore not spent much on wine - don't get me wrong, I had some good wines but nothing to write home about. That changed last night. Supervalu has special offers on at the moment on half price wines. Terence came home with a bottle of Andre Goichot Fleurie 2009, one of the best Beaujolais regions in France, reduced from €16.99 to €9.99.

The wine has a wonderful smooth feel to it, aroma of rich ripe berries and the taste of spices that reminds me of late autumn. A wonderful wine that I enjoyed in front of the fire last night just on its own. Keep your eyes out for this amazing wine as long as it is on offer in Supervalu.

Sourdough - finally

2011-10-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

As many people who love making their own bread, I have shied away from making my own sourdough - until now. I gave myself a push and asked myself 'what is the worst that can happen?'. So, now, finally, I am the proud parent of my very own sourdough starter. There are many recipes and procedures for sourdough and when you search the internet, you get overwhelmed with the amount of articles. Since I am a big fan of River Cottage - I went and got their bread book (already have the preserve & mushroom one). Not that I followed the recipe to the dot but it got me started.

And wow, was it worth the effort. Anyhow, I started the first day with flower to same amount of water, stirred it, covered it with a cloth and left it. The next day, I added the same amount of flour and water and stirred again - repeating for about a week. Some recipes tell you to throw half the starter out before adding more flour and water but I was too 'stingy' to do that.

On day 8 my starter was ready to be used. I mixed breadflour with water, salt and my wonderful young and pungent starter. Knead well and leave to rise for about 12 hours. After that, knead the bread dough on a floured surface for a few minutes and return it to the bowl and leave to rise again for a few hours (I normally have the first rise overnight and the second until I come home from work). Knead again until the dough is not sticky anymore (just like any other bread) and form it into a loaf (any shape you like) and place in the oven on medium heat.

When I visited Declan Ryan's bakery once, I saw that he sprayed a bit water into the oven when he baked sourdough bread - so I decided to become extremely professional and do the same - I repeated it about twice while the bread was baking. The result was a crusty bread with a soft inside. The smell of the bread was just amazing and there is no more satisfaction than you take a bite out of your very own sourdough bread - the taste was too wonderful to describe.

Yes, it is a lot of work for one loaf of bread - but my-oh-my - what a bread. Give it a try. Very good recipes can be found on www.sourdough.com and You Tube is full of how-t0-videos. Let me know how you got on.

Cheese Making in Dingle

2011-10-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

Ireland is famous for its Artisan Farmhouse Cheeses and as I love cheese, always wanted to know how to make cheese. I have made cottage cheese, cream cheese and Paneer but the 'proper' cheese was a mystery to me - until yesterday. Dingle had their annual Food & Wine Festival and The Little Cheese Shop in Dingle offered a cheese making workshop. Maya Binder - owner of the cheese shop and cheese maker - invited us to her farmhouse in Ballydavid and showed us how she makes cheese. Maya learned her trade in Germany and Switzerland and brought it to Dingle. Her cheeses are not available anywhere but in her cheese shop and some local farmer's markets. She makes Kilcummin (plain, with peppercorns or fenucreek), Dilliskus, Beenoskee, Mozzarella and Dingle Truffle Cheese. All cheeses are made with raw milk (hopefully the sale of raw milk will not be banned as planned by the current government) and are truly handmade and a labour of love.

She heats the milk and adds culture, the milk is than stirred (only if the has 'kettle' is full does she uses a mechanic stirrer, otherwise it is a manual whisk. The rennet is added at certain temperature and the milk is left to settle. After about 30 mins the rennet started to set the milk and the 'cutting' begins. Depending on the size of the 'nuggets' the texture of the cheese will be decided. Any flavouring will be added at this stage. You have to keep the cheese moving to avoid it 'growing' together. The whey is separated and can be removed. The cheese (that looks very much like cottage cheese at this stage) is then poured into the moulds. The whey can be used for different uses actually (the Swiss make drinks from it) and one of the ladies attending the workshop says you can even add it to soups. So nothing is thrown out.

After a few minutes in the moulds we started to turn the cheese and it has to be done several times. The next day the loaf of cheese is put into a salt bath for about an hour and then put on the shelf. Turned daily and brushed with the brine for the next few weeks.

This is a process that is almost relaxing and the result is your own homemade cheese. Searching the net now for suppliers of rennet and culture and my home kitchen will be transformed into a cheese making empire (ok, I will stick to the self-use quantities LOL).

I had a wonderful day, met great people and tasted amazing cheese. Next year, I will make sure that I stay the entire weekend in Dingle as I missed the Taste Trail (didn't have the time), the Blas na hEireann Food award, Martin Shanahan's cooking demo, the foraging walk and the chocolate making workshop with Benoit Lorge....so hope they are all coming back next year.

Congratulations to the organisers, a great event - just a small note, the farmer's market was wonderful but too squashed into a small space.

Dingle Food Festival

2011-09-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

This years festival will include series of cookery demonstrations, a food market, wine tastings, food related workshops , a foraging walk and much more!

A highlight of the festival include a taste trail in over 50 outlets, where festival goers can purchase taste tickets and sample local cuisine delights in locations that vary from pubs, and galleries to shop and restaurants.

A key part of the festival is an open conference on a food related topic. In previous years they have used this as a vehicle to explore and promote the greater use of local produce and to encourage local farmers to diversify into growing for the local tourist market. This year’s they want to extend that thinking to include the local fishing industry, see this as having considerable potential both for the tourism industry and as a means of securing and increasing employment in the indigenous fishing industry.

For more details click here

Beetroot - and the story goes on

2011-09-22T03:09:00.000-07:00

Last night was soup night and since I am still covered in beetroot, yes you guessed it, beetroot soup was on the menu. It is easy to make - just like any other soup - but the colour again was amazing. The taste was quite sweet and I thought it needed a lot more seasoning but Terence was quite happy with the pure beetroot taste of the soup.

I boiled a big beetroot (and I mean big) until tender. Chopped it into cubes. Sauteed onions, garlic and celery until translucent and added a cubed potato and the beetroot along with vegetable stock. Brought it to a boil and simmered until the potato almost broke down. Pureed it in a food processor and returned it to a clean pot. Added salt and herbs and served with a dollop of cream. Denis Cotter served his soup with cabbage and vodka (don't like cabbage apart from red and used all my vodka for my blackcurrants). The result was a sweet and earthy soup that was perfect for the windy and wet evening we had last night - sat in front of fire and slurped happily.

We still have some beetroot left, so will have to find some more ideas and recipes. Any ideas?? Let me know.

Foodie News

2011-09-22T01:09:00.000-07:00

September is always a great month for foodies. Harvest time is bringing along the most delicious foods from autumn vegetables to game. The latest Food & Wine has a great spread of game recipes. The following events are also taking place:

Young Chef Competition by Euro-Toque - started already but make sure to follow it on facebook. Wonderful talent can be discovered there.

The Chef-Factor has also started again (deadline is 26th November). Make sure to send in your entry if you want to be in for a chance to win a 3-month cookery course in Ballymaloe

Octoberfest in Dublin takes place from 22nd Sept. to 9th October in Dublin's IFSC. The event is free so well worth a visit (tables for 10 can be booked for €260). Check out the website for more details.

Galway City will come alive as thousands of people travel from the four corners of the world to enjoy the remarkable oyster festival , including the International Oyster Opening Championship from 23rd to 25th September.

Will post more details as soon as I come across them

Lemon Balm Pesto

2011-09-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I posted about my herb garden and the lemon balm that started taking over the whole space. I search a bit around for ideas on what to do with it and came across this easy recipe for lemon balm pesto. I thought it sounded just too good and with my love for pasta the perfect solution. So yesterday, as Wendy came over for dinner (she is one of my favourite Guinea pigs) I made the pesto and mixed it with ricotta cheese, more garlic, onions and some seasoning. The recipe called for 3 cups of the pesto but since it was just Wendy and myself I thought I get away with just one cup. So I picked the leaves of the stalks (which took longer than to actually cook the dish), whizzed it in my super food processor together with olive oil and garlic. I tasted it and it was awful. Simply awful as if I took a spoon full of grass. So more garlic and whizzed it more finely. Drained the ricotta and started mixing the pesto in - a spoon at a time (there was no way I was using the whole lot of it). I added very finely chopped onions (the recipe called for minced onions but I wanted some texture in it), more garlic and my herbal salt. After a few spoons full the ricotta started to taste quite nicely, so I added some grated Parmesan and et voila we had a mixture that I could use. Cooked pasta shells (there is a lovely little Italian shop in Ballincollig called Pane E Vino ) and filled them with the cheese mixture. Arranged them in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Bake it until the Parmesan crisped up a bit. It was lovely, light and fresh - next time I will add a tomato sauce to it and bake it with the sauce. I am not sure if the pesto on its on would be nice (like tossing it with spaghetti or covering fish with it) but in the ricotta mixture, it was lovely. And thanks to Wendy for being so brave and always trying my experiments

Beetroot and more beetroot

2011-09-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year - where you can reap the fruit of your hard labour in the garden. Only problem is that it all comes at once and you are left trying to figure out what to do with it all. Of course, you can freeze some of it but there are some vegetables that don't freeze that well (at least I don't like them when thawed again). Beetroot is one of them. I already made jars and jars of Beetroot Chutney. This is a yummy relish that goes so well with most types of cheese and it looks so pretty with its dark reddish colour. Prepare a cheeseboard and have the chutney in little dishes in the middle of it. It is easy to make, just chop raw beetroot and put it with a chopped red onion in a preserving pan (I also added chopped apples), add vinegar, sugar, salt and let it bubble away until it becomes syrupy and the beets are cooked and tender. Fill sterilised jars and let mature for about a month before you eat it. Stores for up to a year. Keep in fridge when opened. Another option is of course, pickled beetroot which is so much nice than the shop-brought stuff.

As all of my friends know, my favourite restaurant is Cafe Paradiso and I think Denis Cotter is one of the most talented self-taught chefs I have ever come across. Last year I went with a friend of mine and I ordered the beetroot risotto - amazing is a too small word to describe it. Anyhow - I remembered the risotto when I looked at the 'mountain' of beets I had and decided to give it a try. I cooked 2 medium beetroots until tender, peeled and chopped it into cubes. Tossed the cubes in olive oil and roasted it for about 15 mins. Took half the cubes out and pureed it in the food processor. The rest went back in the oven for a further 10-15 mins. The pureed beets went into hot stock and stirred together (keep it warm). Chop an onion, heat olive oil in a pot and fry until soft but not coloured. Add the risotto rice and toss until all grains are covered in the oil. Stir for a few minutes and add some red wine. Stir until the wine has vanished. Now continue as with 'normal' risotto using the beet-stock (that gives the risotto the amazing dark-pink colour). When the rice is cooked, add the left cubes of beetroot and mix it up. I topped it with young goats cheese. Denis Cotter had a recipe with broadbeans and lemon-fennel-oil. Next time I try the beetroot risotto I will make some lemon oil beforehand and will drizzle it over the risotto - think the lemon will lift the dish to a different level - but I have to say, it looked amazing, tasted fantastic and I was proud as Larry of it....

Tonight I will try a beetroot soup - watch this space

Herbal Connection

2011-09-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

My herbal garden is taking over at the moment and I was in urgent need to either cut it back and feed the compost or come up with some ideas on how to use a glut of herbs. Lemon balm and lemon verbena were the most dominant herbs and needed to be dealt with first.

Lemon balm is a lovely herb but - I think - limited to a few uses; tea comes to mind. But there is only so much tea you can drink. I tried to dry it but it loses a lot of its fragrance. As I was cooking dinner the other day, I thought of a dessert that includes lemon balm. The most quickest was lemon balm sorbet (Darina Allen has a lovely recipe). I left the raw egg white out as I didn't like the idea of it. Made a sugar syrup and infused it with the leaves of the lemon balm. Juice of 3 lemons went in as well and then off to the ice cream machine (no worry if you don't have one, you just needs to freeze it and take it out every hour or so and fork the sorbet up). The result was a very refreshing and soothing sorbet. Not bad at all. While searching for some ideas, I came across a recipe for lemon balm pesto which I will try next. So watch this space.

Lemon Verbena is one of my favourite herbs as the fragrance of it is so soothing, fresh, calming and is simply the essence of Summer. While my first verbena bush died a frosty death last year, this one is strong and growing as much as the lemon balm. You can eat the leaves uncooked as the taste is very bitter but infuse it in cream and you have the most aromatic smell going through your kitchen. It was my neighbours anniversary at the weekend and I wanted to give them some homemade chocolates. I had already finished a batch of cinnamon truffles but wanted to use the lemon verbena. So, brought some cream to the boil and added a handful of lemon verbena leaves. Left it to infuse for 15-20 mins, returned the cream to a boil and strained the cream into a bowl with white chocolate. Stirred until everything was combined and poured the cooled mixture in my prepared chocolate moulds. The result was a creamy fragrant truffle that - at least I thought so - was the essence of elegance. For more ideas and recipes - click here

My next herbal project is a variety of herbal oils and of course the lemon balm pesto.

100 ways with Courgettes

2011-09-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

In case you are growing courgettes in your garden, you might be overwhelmed with the glut of fruit one plant can produce. I am currently very overwhelmed as the courgettes grow faster than I can eat them and obviously, I don't want to give them all away. As I don't like freezing courgettes (my dad used to do that- I find they get all gluey afterwards). Anyhow, what else to do with them..... here are some ideas.

Chutney: I have come across a really nice recipe for spiced courgette chutney the other day and had to try it. Onions, courgettes, apples, cider vinegar and a spice bag of ginger, gloves gave the kitchen a wonderful smell. Cook for 2 hours or until darkened and thick and pour in sterilised jars. Leave for at least 3-4 weeks before eating it so that the aromas can develop nicely.

But since there is only so much chutney you can make and eat, I made stuffed courgettes last night. Cook mince with onions, carrots, mushroom, tomatoes (I also added some peas), add some tomato passata (seasoning and herbs to your liking), cook until done and the liquid of the meat has evaporated. Cut the courgette lengthwise and scoop out the seedy part (bigger courgettes are better suitable). Chop the scooped flesh and pan-fry until the liquid has evaporated. Add to the meat mixture and stuff the courgette halves. Place courgettes in an ovenproof dish and add some water (or stock - I always mix a bit of water with tomato passata). Cover with tin-foil and place in medium-hot oven for 30-40 mins (depends on the size of the courgettes). In the last 5 mins, take off the tin-foil and sprinkle some grated cheese over the courgettes and return to the oven until the cheese has melted. Et Voila - stuffed courgettes.

I love going to Avoca in Dublin. The display of food in their cellar cafe is amazing and always inspires me to try new things and to forget about pretty and neat. Rustic is the way to go for homely food. I tried that last night with a courgette tart. Blind-bake shortcrust pastry. Chop courgettes, onions, red pepper, garlic and pan-fry in olive oil. Layer in the baked pastry shell. Mix cream with a bit of pesto and whisk in an egg. Season to you liking and pour over the vegetables. Crumble goats cheese on top and bake until egg mixture is set. Looks lovely and rusty and is comfort-food at its best.

Another wonderful idea is courgette soup. Smaller courgettes go better here as the flavour is so much more intense yet delicate. Sweat some chopped onions in a pot, and the chopped courgette and stir around for a few mins. Add vegetable stock and cook until tender. Blend in a food processor until smooth (or chunky if you like that). Return to a clean pot and reheat. You can add crumbled goats cheese when serving. I like to add orange zest and juice before processing. Orange and courgette go so well together.

For more ideas for courgette recipes - click here

P.S. Courgettes, tomatoes, peas and onions all came from my kitchen garden

New posts coming soon

2011-08-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

I have to apologise for not having posted anything lately. I promise I will get better at it again. I have some plans for the coming months - of course foodie plans. Cheesemaking, wine & cider making, my own spiced beef etc..... so please watch this space

Puffball anyone???

2011-06-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

I am never sure which mushrooms are safe to pick and which aren't. A friend from Germany (an American living in Berlin) sends me dried wild mushrooms every year and I am really lucky that he knows his mushrooms (I save a lot of money as I never have to buy dried mushrooms).

One of the most recognisable mushrooms is the puffball mushroom. It really looks like a puffed up ball. It is white with a spongy but smooth surface. Cut open it looks like a sponge. You need a sharp knife to slice it as it tends to crumble a bit.

Terence found a puffball the other day and brought it over for breakfast. I cubed it and sauteed it in olive oil and butter. Scrambled eggs and freshly baked bread completed a great Saturday breakfast - just yummmmmmm

For more recipes, try Denis Cotter's cookbook 'Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me' as he covers the puffball nicely.

Elderflowers are out

2011-06-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Terence and myself were out hiking on Sunday near Galbally and some of the Elder trees were in full bloom - luckily for me I had a box in the car so we started collecting the flowers...and when coming home, I was lucky again as I had enough sugar, lemons and citric acid to make a batch of elderflower cordial.....the smell in the kitchen was amazing after I added the flowers to the sugar syrup....the next day I strained the mixture and bottled it nicely. Half a bottle is already gone - just love the taste of summer....and my Sunday breakfast is sorted now as well as I got a bottle of prosecco in the fridge.....what better way of starting a lazy Sunday but with elderflower prosecco

Denis Cotter - For the Love of Food

2011-05-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Denis Cotter's latest cookbook is finally available. It's called 'For the Love of Food' and the love here not only includes the food and cooking but also his new girlfriend. I personally believe that Denis Cotter is one of the most creative cooks and his book doesn't disappoint. His message that he is trying to bring across is 'Share the food with people you love'.

I can't wait to try some of the recipes - Lucy's breakfast sausages (Lucy is Ultan Walsh partner and an amazing cook in her own rights), cauliflower soup with hazelnut gougeres and beetroot risotto with lemon-fennel oil, goat's cheese and broad beans - so watch this space for updates on the recipes.

The book is divided into breakfast (or brunch), salads (as always very interesting), risotto (obviously my favourite chapter), soup (some strange combination here), mash (more interesting than you might think), all wrapped up (just one springroll here), bowls (nope, not only soups but one bowl meals), oven (a type of pizza called farinata and more) and sweetness (would have wished for more recipes in this chapter)....

His previous books have a different feel to it but nevertheless, it is Denis Cotter through and through....he was never really keen on desserts (not sure if he doesn't like cooking for eating desserts) but he has included a few and I think I am going to try Lavender set Custard with honey and berries.....watch this space...

happy cooking

The Kitchen Garden

2011-05-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

The weather had been very bad in the last few days with the rain just pouring down. The only ones who really love this type of weather are the weeds and the slugs...so having the first dry afternoon in ages yesterday, I went to work trying to win the battle....let's say it this way, the war is still going on with no winner at the moment.

The slugs haven't managed to eat all the beans but they have been busy. I don't like slugs pellets but they are needed in this instance. These little buggers even like potatoes. Anyhow, I am determent to win the war against the invaders ...watch this space.

The potatoes - despise the slugs - are coming on nicely and I am so looking forward to the first new spuds in my kitchen. Courgettes and pumpkins looking good so far as well, red & white cabbage are steadily growing, onions are standing proud and the leeks are getting stronger as well.

When my mum moved in with me in 2004/05, she planted strawberries and she used to wait for me in Summer when I came from work with a bowl of freshly picked strawberries and it was just us two chatting about the day we had....my mum passed away in 2008 and I hadn't had any strawberries from the garden since and I thought the plants died in the hard winter we had but to my big surprise and delight, they have survived, so I worked a whole day to free them from all weeds and grass and they look beautiful again...just have to keep the birds away. Sunny afternoons are awaiting me again and my mum would be proud seeing her strawberries in their pride and glory.

First Asparagus

2011-05-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

My asparagus showed up the other day in the garden and I couldn't wait to get them into the kitchen. I know I am a bit boring but the tender green stems invite themselves into a risotto and since I love risotto - guess what I made.....yeap: Risotto...I had peas in the freezer and goats' cheese in the fridge and let me tell you - it was a yummy meal.....

Yaya, I know, I could have done so many other dishes but look at them.....don't they look gorgeous in the risotto........

Pig Feast in Tower

2011-04-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

Irish Masterchef is coming

2011-04-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of BBC Masterchef - where amateur chefs are fighting for the title of Masterchef. John Torode and the most annoying Greg Wallace are the judges in this show - and their favourite quote is: 'Cooking doesn't get tougher than this'. The standard expected is very high - and I mean VERY high. Candidates have to create a meal from selected ingredients, have to work in a professional kitchen and have to create 2 courses they have designed themselves - and that is only to get through to the next round.

Anyhow, this is an amazing show as it gives people the chance to prove that they can cook for food critics, can survive the busy kitchen of a restaurant and cook for Michelin Star Chefs .... and it is coming to Ireland. RTE is looking for participants. If you are interested, log on to RTE and apply online - you can also download the application form. The Irish judges will be Dylan McGrath (he used to run the Mint restaurant in Dublin for which he received a Michelin star) and Nick Munier (best known as restaurant manager in Hell's Kitchen with Marco Pierre White and now owner of Pichet in Dublin).... can't wait to see the show and good luck to all candidates....

Dandelion Preserves

2011-04-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

The other night I was watching the River Cottage and that gave me an idea to make use of the vast amount of dandelions I have in my garden (yes, I know it is a weed and should be removed but the lawnmower broke down and I didn't have a chance to cut the grass - I swear). I collected the flowers (do it when the sun is out as they close the heads when the sun is gone) - leaving the blemished ones behind for the lawnmower. Soaked them in cold water for 24 hours.

The next day I rinsed them and put them in a pot with a few slices of lemons, poured boiling water over and kept it on the boil for about 15 mins. The water turned a lovely golden yellow colour. I drained the flowers, reserving the water. Poured the water back into the pan and added jam sugar, kept it boiling until the water turned a deep amber golden colour - made the setting test and poured it in sterilised jars. The colour is really amazing and the taste is sweet but summery..... I will never look at dandelions the same way..... Find more dandelion recipes here

Some things you might not have known about dandelions:

1. It is the official flower of the University of Rochester
2. Dandelions have a high level of potassium
3. Its taproot will add nitrogen to soil (important for gardeners)
4. The roasted, ground roots can be used as a caffeine-free dandelion coffee.
5. Dandelion leaves contain abundant amounts of vitamins especially Vitamins A, C and K

My Kitchen Garden

2011-04-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

The weather was quite gracious for a few days and Terence and myself were very busy continuing our kitchen garden. We are now the proud parents of 9 raised beds in which we have onions (red and white), beetroot, cabbages (red and white), peas, broccoli, carrots and lots more.....

Yellow courgettes are coming on nicely in their pots and also my little pumpkins are looking lovely. In a few days I am hoping to plant them out soon. In the greenhouse, we are trying to grow cucumbers, chillies and tomatoes (which are looking good at the moment). Leeks are taking longer than I thought but they are showing also promise... but the star of the garden at the moment is of course my herb garden - which includes at the moment rosemary, sage (green and purple), tarragon, mint and thyme..... I am still looking for lemon verbena (I lost my old one due to the bad weather over Christmas) and will extend the assortment over the next few weeks.....

By now we also have 5 rows of potatoes in.... planned are now to bring out beans and I am hoping to get broad beans this year.....

All in all it is looking good and I am eager for the weather to get warmer so that we can continue our kitchen garden adventure. Watch this space...

Food Festival in Dungarvan

2011-04-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend - in case you don't have already plans - why not head to Dungarvan. Their annual Waterford Festival of Food takes place from tomorrow, Thursday, 14th April until Sunday 17th April. Now in its 4th year, you can expect a BBQ at the sea, craft beer garden, chef demonstrations etc etc etc. Some of the events are free but some of them are ticketed. For a full program check their website

Celebrate Thai New Year in Skibbereen

2011-04-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

Elephant Island is a Thai restaurant recently opened in Skibbereen by Marc and Saifon Phonchot. They offer authentic Thai cuisine focused on using the best local ingredients.
They are celebrating the upcoming Thai New year by hosting a festival weekend from Friday 15th till Sunday 17th of April. In honour of the festival they have four new dishes on the menu using the best local produce and offering these new additions at half price for the duration of the weekend. Highlights include:

Crispy Quail egg dumplings using fresh Quail eggs from Brendan Ross in Dunmanway and
Seared Schull Scallops with glass noodles, ginger and corriander served Thai style.

You can make a reservation by calling the restaurant on (028) 23876. Will have to go soon.

Great British Menu - North East Heat

2011-04-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Last week was the North East heat at Great British Menu 2011 and I was excited to see a very innovative and creative chef in Stephanie Moon. I was really hoping that she was going through but it was her rival who took the heat home. When cooking for the judges, the voting was 2-1 in favour of Andrew Pern who will go through to the finals. The judges felt Andrew’s menu embraced the concept of sharing food better and was more visually appealing – however Stephanie was commended for her innovative cooking and presentation.

His menu was Salmagundi (a sharing plate of local produce), Sea Fish Soup, main course was a “deconstructed suckling pig” – a complex dish with consisting of miniature pork pies, black pudding scotch eggs, sticky ribs and a loin stuffed with lemon and herbs and dessert was a celebration of Yorkshire Rhubarb.

Nevertheless, if you haven't seen the dessert show - watch it below. Stephanie's Yorkshire Mess is delightful.

Black Pepper - A Rant

2011-04-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

I have to rant here a bit today as I don't understand the affection chefs have with crushed black pepper - they put it on everything these days. Scrambled eggs are lovely in themselves - please don't think it is Haute Cuisine just because you sprinkle black pepper on it. The other day I had Pollack with creamy leeks sauce - heaven for me but what did the - very talented chef I may add - do....yeap she sprinkled a whole lot of crushed black pepper on it and all I was able to taste was the overpowering fragrance of the pepper. Neither the fish nor the leeks stood a chance.

All I am asking my dear chefs - please do as the Italians - come to the table with your big peppermill and ask me if I want to cover very good food in little pieces of black stuff.

Black Pepper was believed to cure illness such as constipation, diarrhea, Limonene, Safrole, earache, gangrene, heart disease, hernia, hoarseness, indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, oral abscesses, sunburn, tooth decay, and toothaches. Black pepper either powdered or its decoction is widely used in traditional Indian medicine and as a home remedy for relief from sore throat, throat congestion, cough etc. And I think we should leave it at that, I don't suffer from any of the above - so no need to sprinkle it over my food.

Thank you for listening :-)

Sugarcraft Show in Little Island

2011-04-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Sugarcraft time in the Radisson in Little Island. The Sugarcraft Guild of Ireland has this wonderful Sugarcraft Show every year and it gets better and better. The talent showcased was second to none and I felt quite inadequate in front of these pieces of art. A handful of stalls selling all tools and equipment you need - of course I was spending a fortune. I am baking and decorating a cake for a 25th Anniversary in June for a friend - so lots of ideas came to mind...just will need to practise a lot before I can even think about attempting these standards... if you like more information on sugarcraft in Ireland got to their website but now just enjoy the photos

My Kitchen Garden

2011-04-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

My dad is an amazing gardener and as green-fingered as one person could and up to last year, I was very lucky to have him showing me the ropes of a good kitchen garden. He left Ireland in 2010 and my great kitchen garden laid bare until now. I was so used to my dad doing all the work and me just helping out at weekends but coming with my little basket and pick my vegetables straight from the ground - I missed that so much last year that I decided that I will give it a go. And lucky me - a wonderful man is helping me with it. Since I am quite lazy at heart, I asked Terence to build some raised bed and we started with 4 (more to come of course). So far we have set our potatoes (not in a raised bed tho - but 4 rows already), beetroot (have to give you a great recipe for beetroot chutney - yum), onions (white and red), peas, cauliflower, salad and cabbage. My courgettes are coming on nicely in the greenhouse as well as the pumpkins. We have different types of tomatoes as well as leeks..... more to come as the months progress. I am so excited about getting my kitchen garden back - watch this space for updates.

If you want to start your own kitchen garden - make sure you tune in Monday's at 8:30 on RTE1 where Kitty Scully is transforming a plot at Fota House into a kitchen garden. You can follow her blog here . Her garden will be completely focused on food - her partner in crime on the other hand will create a family garden with only a small bit of fruit and veg. Kitty is working with several experts who help her choosing the right varieties. Yesterday, she worked with Jim McNamara from Co Limerick V.E.C.s Organic College in Dromcollogher and planted some interesting types of potatoes in a lazy bed (didn't look that lazy to me). Kitty also explained the importance of crop rotating - therefore it's a good idea to have a layout plan of your garden so that you know what you planted where for next year's planning. You can watch some the videos on their website.

Great British Menu is back

2011-04-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

From now on for a few weeks I will be clued to the telly from 6:30 until 7:00 - no phone will be answered and not a bit of work will be done for these precious 30 minutes. This year's theme is 'Street Party' with ingredients having to be sourced as locally as possible.

Yesterday's show started with the North East region and chefs Andrew Pern, Stephanie Moon and Tim Bilton created their starter - potted venison with watercress and crisp fennel salad, 'Salmagundi' of North County produce and sticky pigeon breast, forager's relish, hedgerow and beetroot crisps. The Salmagundi (a plate of local produce with a homemade egg mayonnaise) looked like a painting, but I think it is the sticky pigeon breast that Stephanie Moon cooked is my favourite - although she cooked it very pink (don't know many people who would be brave enough to eat the meat like that).

I have had the plan a few years back to cook every year's winning menu - so far I have cooked one of them. Really need to get my skaters on to catch up.... but for the next few weeks - don't expect too much from me as I am watching some amazing chefs celebrating the best of local produce (although it's British - I love it that they celebrate their producers).

Tonight is Fish Night and I can hardly wait to see what these talented chefs are coming up with.

Electric at South Mall

2011-04-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I saw that a new restaurant/bar has opened in South Mall but only last week was when I was finally able to go. I met Linda for lunch at Electric on Thursday and was there before she came so grabbed a table and waited. A waiter came and asked me if I was ok (not sure if this is the new way of asking if I like to order something or if I looked lost). Before I was able to open my mouth to ask for tea, I was told that alcohol was available from the bar (again, not sure if I normally look like an alcoholic) and if I wanted water - that also was available from the bar - what do they do if you ask for an orange juice?????? I was finally able to ask for tea. Sugar was in sachets on the table but I had to go - yes, to the bar - to get the milk.

Linda came and we started queuing - if you haven't been there before it is a bit hard to see that you have to go behind a pillar to order your food. I opted for the Sambo - carrot/orange soup with half a baguette (I chose brie and sundried tomatoes) for €7. The soup lacked a bit of flavour and after getting salt & pepper - yeap, from the bar - it was ok. Nothing to write home about. The baguette was lovely, the brie plentiful and it went down a treat. Not a bad choice for lunch for €7 - water was free, so something for the smaller budget.

We fancied a dessert but didn't want to indulge too much - no fear of that as they only had a small selection of desserts. Lemon tart, scones and pastries. We opted for the lemon tart which was light and wobbly and came with a little tup of cream. For €3.50 - not bad at all.

Will I go again - yeap but I will make sure that I get all I need straight from the bar :-)

The tables were quiet small - so hopefully the restaurant (which I assume is upstairs) is better furnished.

Want to start your own food business????

2011-04-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

Always wanted to start your own food business but don't know how and where to start? Dr Angela Sheehan might be the answer you need. UCC is starting 'Start your own Food Business' courses - the first one starting 19th April. Subjects covered are Food Legislation, How to produce food safely, How to market your food product and how to write your business plan. This course will also give you a great opportunity to network with like minded people. Dr Angela Sheehan also runs the very successful 'Food Production' Courses which has seen very successful people emerging from it. Please contact Angela on a.sheehan@ucc.ie for more information. The course costs €260 but some free places for the unemployed might be available.

Cork Sugar Craft Show

2011-03-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

Cork Sugarcraft Association is organising another Sugarcraft Show in the Radison in Little Island. It will run from 2nd of April to 3rd and includes suppliers, shows, competitions and workshops. Make sure you get in early as it fills up pretty quickly (I go every year and have to fight my way to the stalls). the workshops and demonstrations are worth going to and the displays are out of this world.

You will met specialists, experts and like minded sugarcrafters. You can gather new ideas and stock up on items and ingredients.

Pay their website a visit for more information - also, if you want to enter your masterpiece, you will have to download an entry form. Good advise - book the demonstrations ahead of the event - all possible via their website.

GIY Week

2011-03-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Interested in Growing your own Food this year?

Interested in growing your own food this year? GIY Week (March 12^th to 19^th) is the moment you have been waiting for! GIY is a not-for-profit organisation which started in Ireland, that aims to make home-grown food the norm – during GIY Week the organisation is trying to encourage people that have never grown anything at all to sow a seed for the first time. Whether you would like to be self-sufficient or just want to grow some herbs and salads on a windowsill, GIY wants you get growing!

GIY Week 2011 is timed to coincide with the start of the 2011 growing season - GIY groups around Ireland will be hosting events, demos and meitheals to provide would-be GIYers with the skills that they need to grow their own successfully. On Facebook, GIY plans to get over 100,000 people to take a pledge to grow something they can eat (www.facebook.com/giyireland).

To mark GIY Week, GIY patrons such as Clodagh McKenna, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger and Joy Larkcom are all hosting events. There will be expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website; a "meitheal Mor" in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin; yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin; new GIY group launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and Donegal (including the first off-shore GIY group at Árainn Mhór). GIY will also be at the Inish Food Event in Donegal (organised by the Irish Food Bloggers and Harry's Restaurant supremo Donal Doherty) and the Potato Day in The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Leitrim. There will also be visits to some of Ireland’s most inspiring vegetable gardens, including Mount Congrieve in Waterford and the OPW’s Victorian Walled Garden in the Phoenix Park. Local GIY groups will also be working with schools around Ireland to support them as part of the Incredible Edibles programme.

About GIY

GIY is a registered charity (CHY 18920) that inspires people to grow their own and gives them the skills they need to grow successfully. They do this by bringing GIYers together in the community and online so that they can learn from each other. There are now nearly 100 GIY groups around Ireland and approximately 7,000 people involved between the groups and our online network.

GIY group activities include monthly meetings, talks and demos; garden visits, seed and seedling swaps; produce bartering, mentor panels and grower’s meitheals. Meetings and membership are free of charge, and open to all – beginners and experts, young and old.

GIY Ireland was founded by author and journalist Michael Kelly. Patrons of the organisation include Diarmuid Gavin, Darina Allen, Duncan Stewart, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger, Clodagh McKenna and Joy Larkcom and the organisation is proudly supported by The Arthur Guinness Fund, Woodies DIY and Garden Centres, Ashoka and AIB. For more information visit www.giyireland.com. To take the GIY Pledge, visit www.facebook.com/giyireland.

GIY Week Activities:

Tie-in with Agriaware on the launch of Incredible Edibles Initiative in Schools – local GIY groups helping school-kids to grow their own
GIY Groups hosting events, talks, meetings during that week
Live GIY expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website
Guided Tour of the OPW Walled Garden in Phoenix Park
Butter-making demo with Ella McSweeney, Live Streaming to GIY site at 7pm on Wednesday
Meitheal Mor in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin
“Grow Your Own Vegetables” author Joy Larkcom talk in Cork
Yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin with Victoria Mary Clarke
“Grow your Own” talk with Klaus Laitenberger in Bray
“Grow it/Eat it” event with Clodagh McKenna and Klaus Laitenberger in Offaly
Inishfood Event in Donegal
Potato Day in Leitrim
New GIY Group Launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and the first off-shore GIY group in Arrain Mhor

For more information on GIY Week Events, visit www.giyireland.com/markets/events

New Garden Centre open in Cork

2011-03-09T00:40:00.000-08:00

It is close to the official first day of Spring - although it is hard to believe with the temperatures we have currently - and we all are thinking again of our kitchen garden. We have started to dig the ground again, started uncovering the strawberries (which I should have not done as the frost set in again after that, grrr) and the first seeds have been set in propagators. The greenhouse has been tidied up and the tools are out again.

And just on time, a new garden centre has opened nearby. Maria and Billy O'Connor have taken over the old Phelan's Restaurant and B&B and transformed it into a family friendly garden centre and restaurant. The garden centre includes a kid's corner where a big bronze gorilla is watching over the kids. The corner includes a pet zoo with chickens and rabbits - more pets to be added - and 2 big blackboards where kids can amuse themselves while mum and dad are discovering the centre itself.

Maria has created a beautiful gift shop which is in calm light colours and full of wonderful art and craft items. If you are on the lookout for a lovely gift for a special person - this shop is a must. Walking through the shop, you will come into the bar area with its open fire. The restaurant is located off the bar in the conservatory - with a fantastic view over the garden centre.

The menu is aimed at families as you have a good selection of dishes to suit all tastes. Starters include homemade soup of the day (€4.00), Seafood Chowder (€5.50) and Egg Mayonnaise Salad Plate (4.50). Main courses have a Roast of the day (€9.95), 6oz Steak Sandwich (€12.95) and Seafood Parcels (€9.95). The vegetarian options are not an afterthought but carefully put together. You can have Vegetable Curry (€9.95), Pasta in creamy Garlic Sauce (€9.95) and Vegetables Tarts (€9.95) - let me ensure you these are more options than you get in most restaurants. The Kid's menu includes Half Roast of the Day (€5.00) and the usual favourites of sausages, burgers and chicken goujons - all served with chips (€4.95). Desserts and cakes are homemade ( I tried the carrot cake - yum).

Billy himself has years of professional garden experience behind him and his selection of plants are based on season rather than beauty. He has already broad beans, peas, cauliflower and leafs ready for you to set out as soon as the frost is gone. Expert advise is also available from Aidan who is looking after the plants.

The whole atmosphere in the garden centre, bar and shop is relaxed, friendly and inviting - a great day out.

The centre is just off the Cork-Mallow Road. Coming from Cork, take the Blarney Exit and follow the signs. Coming from Mallow, take the Blarney exit and turn right at the corner.

Q & A with Joy Larkom

2011-03-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

Q & A
with
 Joy Larkcom - GIY patron and veteran vegetable grower
who has spent 40 years or so encouraging people to grow their own,
to be adventurous about what they grow
and not to be put off by having a tiny plot.

15th March 7pm, Crawford Art Gallery, Admission 5 Euro

Joy Larkcom is the author of Grow Your Own Vegetables, the Organic Salad
Gardener and Creative Vegetable Gardening

Joanna Blythman was in Town

2011-02-25T01:43:00.000-08:00

Joanna Blythman is a Scottish investigative food journalist, writer and commentator on food chain, covering subject as salmon farming, supermarkets, intensive pineapple production and the causes of obesity. She has won several awards for her books which highlight the power supermarkets have these days, what our children eat and how to avoid GM foods.

Cork Fre e Choice Consumer Group invited Joanna over to the Crawford Gallery to talk about 'What's in our Food' and if I wasn't already convinced that processed food is total rubbish - I would be now. I actually started to refuse processed food and ready-made meals because they taste simply horrendous and I do like my flavour. I never thought about the health side of things and what it can do to our body. Joanna read out some of the ingredients in processed food and most of them were first of all non-pronounceable and secondly I have never heard of. So that was a bit frightening especially because I consider myself a bit of a fountain of knowledge when it comes to food.

Anyhow, Joanna was a bit nervous when she gave her speech (mostly supported by her notes) but when it came to the Q&A's she was in her element, being able to answer them all. Obviously her knowledge is based on the UK laws and regulations but since they are not too different from ours, we were able to learn a lot more.

Darina Allen and her brother Rory were under the listeners and you could see by their approving nods that they totally agreed with Joanna's informative evening.

Kitty, from Nano Nagle Centre in Mallow was also attending and we had a lovely chat about her upcoming new TV show where people are shown how to create a vegetable garden. Kitty was on of the 'Helping Angels' of Richard Corrigan for his City Farm project in Blackpool a while back. So watch this space for further updates on this project.

If you want to learn more about the 'stuff' that is in our food, make sure you read one of Joanna's books (available on Amazon) or follow one of the links below:

http://www.food-info.net/uk/ingredientlist.htm
http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/enumeric.htm

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

2011-02-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

How often has it happened that you treated yourself to breakfast and ordered scrambled eggs (maybe with bacon, maybe with salmon) and you got served the worste eggs ever.....to all these chefs who can't make scrambled eggs..... please take a page out of Gordon's book

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group

2011-02-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group presents

What’s in our Food?

With Joanna Blythman

Distinguished British investigative journalist and broadcaster who is passionate about good quality foods.

Crawford Art Gallery Café

Thursday 24^th Feb at 7.30pm

Entrance 6 euro including tea & coffee

Beer Festival in the Franciscan Well

2011-02-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

Restaurant Awards

2011-02-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

There are a few restaurants and food awards available and Santa Rita/LIFE Magazine's award is now in its 3rd year. To nominate a restaurant/chef/food producer you will have to by the Sunday Independent to get the nomination form from the LIFE magazine (you also get a voucher for 20% off from participating restaurants). Only members of the restaurant association are able to vote online so you will have to buy the newspaper.

The nomination period for The Irish Restaurant Awards 2011 opened Sunday 6th February. You still have until the 25th February to get your nomination in. Don't miss your chance to nominate , the second week's nomination form will be published in the Sunday Independent on the 13th, 20th February 2011.

This year’s event will recognize achievement and excellence in the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry throughout the Island of Ireland in 22 categories. The awards celebrate all aspects of the Industry from Chefs and Restaurants to Food Producers, Local Food Heroes and Cookery Schools. It is a detailed and thorough process whereby nominated Restaurants face rigorous scrutiny from the Consumer, Regional Judges, a Mystery Guest Visitor and finally the National Awards Academy.

County winners are announced at a number of Regional Events in the run up to the Main Event on the 25th May in the Burlington Hotel Dublin. Guests at the main event are treated to a five course menu prepared by the winning Chefs in each of the five regions from the year before. Tockets for the events can be booked here

Puccino's in Paul Street

2011-02-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

I still love to head to town on a Saturday morning and have my breakfast...and since Farmgate was still closed for business due to renovation and the queue in Liberty Grill was out the door, we decided to give Puccino's a try. I am not too keen on Franchise Coffee Shops-Bars-Restaurants (call me a snob if you like) but Puccino's (at least the one in Paul Street) is actually quite nice.

The menu is simple but has something for everyone. The Full Irish, The Small Irish, The Veggie and French toast, scrambled egg and salmon were all there. The tea was lovely and the espresso strong as it should be.

I went for the Veggie Fry-up and wow...the portion was big (didn't eat until I came to Roy and Linda's for dinner that night) and very well cooked. Sauteed potatoes were 'al dente' as I like them and not mushy or greasy, mushrooms were pan-fried, eggs had a runny yolk, the beans were nice - simply nice.

Terence had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon - classic combination. Fine speckled dill over the salmon and perfectly cooked scrambled egg....we both had a smile on our face and were ready to do the shopping... only minus point for me.....no prosecco....I do love my prosecco on a Saturday morning.

FRENCH GOURMET FOOD: STOCK LIQUIDATION

2011-02-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

French Gourmet Food Ltd, Ireland’s specialists in fine French food, are relocating abroad. As a result, they are liquidating their Dublin-held stock of fine French gourmet products at massively reduced rates. Stock includes foie gras, terrines & patés, truffle products, flavoured oils, duck confit, cassoulet and other traditional French dishes, biscuits & crackers, fine French chocolates (Michel Cluizel) etc... Full details of stock including visuals, product descriptions, ingredient lists & recipes can be found on www.frenchgourmetfood.ie. The prices indicated on the website are discounted RRP’s.

All their stock items are reduced to clear below cost price! Purchase the entirety of the stock and receive 3kg of Breton Salted Butter Caramels for sampling, completely free!

Stock is immediately available and can be picked up from the Dublin 13 premises at no extra cost or they can arrange to get it delivered to you at an extra cost.

Please register your interest or forward your orders by email to: hello@frenchgourmetfood.ie, or contact them on 01 68 128 79.

Let me know what you purchased and what you were cooking with it ....

Galloping Gourmet meets his match

2011-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

2011-02-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Wine Dinner in Ballymaloe House

2011-02-04T00:46:00.000-08:00

Tom Portet of Penfolds will visit Ireland in February to host dinners in Dublin and Cork. He will introduce his wines while the chefs at the venues will create a menu that compliments the wines. Tom Portet has not yet announced the wines he is bringing but you can be assured that it is worth the wait.

The Dublin event takes place February, 23rd at Donnybrook Fair and costs €60 per person (or €100 per couple). Booking is essential and you can book via phone 01 6144849. Start is 7:45.

The Cork event will take in Ballymaloe House on Thursday, 24th February at 8pm. Cost per person is €75. Booking is definitely essential at this event. Book your place 021-4652531.

Happy wining and dining

Wine Appreciation Course at Curious Wines

2011-02-03T01:10:00.000-08:00

Curious Wines are offering a a Wine Appreciation Course run by Jack Barrett.

The course runs for six consecutive Tuesdays at the Curious warehouse and costs €195 for all classes and materials. Though the evenings are relaxed - there’s no exam! - Jack aims, while you sample a selection of bottles chosen to suit the theme of the week, to cover as many aspects of the study and enjoyment of wine as possible:

what the label tells you, and what to look out for in restaurants and shops when you don’t know the wines;
how to taste wine, including what to look, smell and taste for (including faults) and how to compare one wine with another; and
the principal wine regions, and the many factors that decide the character of each wine, from soil and weather to what happens in the cellar.

There’ll be ample opportunity to ask questions and compare notes, and over the course of six weeks you can look forward to a little history, geography, law, science and politics.

Reservations by telephone only on 021 432 0233.

Beginners’ course (Tuesday 01/03/2011 for six weeks) costs €195.

Slow Food Event

2011-02-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

Slow Food Cork City has a great event coming up. They are visiting Caroline Robinson's organic farm on February 20th at 2pm. You will learn all there is about grow your own vegetables in all type of spaces. If you think you don't have the space - think again.

Caroline Robinson is well known in Cork having established the Farmer's Market in Cork City (currently opposite the Opera House) on Saturdays. It has 'grown' over the years and is now a gathering spot for shoppers on a Saturday morning in Cork City.

Caroline will talk about seeding, planting, composting, polytunnels etc. Cakes, tea and coffee will make this more a social gathering than an educational afternoon. Costs for members are €15, non-members are €20 - all is included.

Directions to Caroline's farm are given at time of booking. Places are limited, so don't wait too long. Email Caz & Deirdre on corkcity@slowfoodireland.com to secure your place.

Cork Food Forum in Mallow

2011-02-01T00:59:00.000-08:00

The North Cork County & City Enterprise Board is holding a CORK FOOD FORUM offering an opportunity for the Cork food sector to network, exchange information and make contacts. In addition, a panel of distinguished speakers will cover a range of food topics of interest that will be of benefit to SME food companies during these challenging times.

The CORK FOOD FORUM is aimed at SME food companies, food distributors, food retailers, areas of operation in the Irish food industry. It will show what business opportunities are out there for smaller food producers. So, if you ever thought of entering the world of food production - this is the event for you.

The event takes place in the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow tomorrow, 2nd February at 7:30. Entry is free.

The NCEB website is unfortunately not updated (they still have Batt O'Keeffe as Minister for Trade and Enterprise listed) so I was not able to get much information.

Fenn's Quay

2011-01-31T03:54:00.000-08:00

We had plans for last Friday - Cinema, popcorn and back home as the big freeze is not really inviting to stay out too long. But destiny had other plans for us. We were too early (or too late) for the King's Speech, so we decided that a nice meal instead might be on the agenda.

As I had read on Facebook that Fenn's Quay has introduced a new menu, we decided to try it out. And it was the best decision of the night. Warm and inviting as always, Kevin came to greet us (always nice to be recognised and welcomed). We went into the back part of the restaurant and were given the menu....and the debate started....what to order. So many nice, yummy things on the menu made it really hard to choose. I had my heart set on the platter of dips. Fiery tomato-pepper dip, watercress pesto, houmus and garlic marinated olives were waiting to be smothered over lovely toasted bread. I was already in heaven. Terence went for the cauliflower soup with Cashel Blue cheese and the conversation at the table stopped apart from 'hmm', 'yum', 'ohm' etc. As Terence was torn between the soup and the scallops, Kevin suggested to have the scallops as a main which put a smile on his face. I had to make the difficult choice between Potato Rotondo and Baked Cod with Spinach sauce and Champ. The fish was flaky, white and cooked perfectly until I came to the end of the fish (trying to keep the fillet of fish in one thickness makes sure that both ends are cooked evenly). The end was a bit dry - but the taste and combination of the dish was excellent. The scallops came with prawns and a warm puy lentil salad. The scallops still had the coral attached (I always think it is a waste to discard them) and the prawns looked lovely juicy and pink. I wasn't able to snatch any of the lentil salad but the empty plate was evidence enough that they were indeed very tasty.

We were both quite happy to just finish the bottle of El Coto 2006 Rioja (I more than Terence as he was the poor fellow who had to drive us back home, so it was just one glass for him and the rest of the bottle for me - tough life I have I know). The wine had a good balance - silky, velvety with a good aromatic intensity. It didn't matter that I had fish with the wine.

As I had seen on Facebook, Fenn's Quay were offering an Apple Clafouti. I had Cherry Clafouti in France (it is the old classic) but apples go actually quite nice with the lovely dough. A cinnamon mousse was the perfect partner. Hmmm.....happy

Congrats to Kate and Kevin for getting it right - and I am sure that the Michelin Inspector was equally happy when he came to see you.

You can follow Fenn's Quay on Facebook - and make sure you pay them a visit either for a lovely lunch or an even better evening meal

Free Cork Choice Event

2011-01-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

MICHAEL KELLY

Best-selling author and broadcaster,

Social Entrepreneur Ireland Award 2009

Arthur Guinness Award 2010

Founder of the

'GROW IT YOURSELF' movement

He will speak on self sufficiency, sustainability and how to get good food from the back garden.

Crawford Art Gallery Café

Thursday 27^th Jan at 7.30pm

Entrance 6 euro including tea & coffee

Denis Cotter's new book

2011-01-19T03:44:00.000-08:00

Apologies to all my faithful readers (I'd say I dropped a few) for not updating this blog as regularly as I should. I promise, I am still in full swing when it comes to cooking and food and I also promise that I will be getting better at it again.

Just received my latest newsletter from Cafe Paradiso (most of you will know that this is my fav restaurant in the whole wide world) and guess what - Denis Cotter is publishing a new book (flipping time as well). Please see the announcement below:

This is more pre-announcement than news but I'd better mention it now in case I forget to broadcast again closer to the date. I've got a new book coming out in April that I'm really excited about. It's called 'for the love of food' and is really just a simple book of nice things to make for dinner if you like making dinner more than watching tv, and it even has some damn fine recipes for those nights when you actually want to watch tv while eating dinner. Leaving the preaching to others, this one is all about the pleasure and love of food.

Can't wait to get my hands on this and see what he has come up with this time.

New Wine Appreciation Course

2010-12-10T03:03:00.000-08:00

Emma Legrand is offering Wine Appreciation courses in Cork. The venue is a comfortable conference room that can easily handle a group of 10 persons in the Acorn Business Centre, Mahon Industrial Estate, Blackrock, Cork (close to the Golf Club). This business centre has ample free parking facilities at the front of the building and is very easily accessible by car, bus or bikes.

Next start date will be Tuesday 18 of January 2011. For other start dates please contact Emma.
To check availability please phone her on 087 –218 7269 or
email: emmawineuncorked@gmail.com

About Emmanuelle Legrand: She is very motivated to share her passion and knowledge about wines and food with all wines lovers. After working for a long time in the IT industry she decided on a career move into an industry for which she has a real passion. She went back to France to work in a winery in order to understand the wine making processes involved when making different wines. She then returned to Ireland to obtain the diploma in Wines and Spirits (WEST
dip) from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She also worked in the wine industry here in Cork at a wine Merchant importer as a commercial assistant.

The workshop will run for 8 consecutive weeks. Meeting once a week for 2 hours from 18.30 till
20.30. Some sessions may run a little bit longer depending on how interactive the class will be.
Each evening, you will taste approximately 6 different wines with an Irish retail price ranging from €5 to €40, the average being €12 to €15 per bottle. Wines will be sourced from different
recognised Irish retailers, wine merchants and sometimes directly from the wine producers.
You will receive a set of 6 ISO tasting glasses, which are yours to keep. It will be your responsibility to bring them for all sessions.

So don't wait, contact Emma on 087 –218 7269 or email: emmawineuncorked@gmail.com

2010-12-08T01:09:00.001-08:00

Food & Wine Christmas Food Show

2010-11-30T00:40:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was the last day of the 3 day long Christmas Show put together by Food & Wine Magazine at the RDS so I thought this is the last chance and off into the car (thanks God for a lovely gentleman who drove all the way through that bad weather).

Anyway, we made it in one piece although slightly delayed which resulted in a lesser entrance fee :-). The Show took place in the main hall of the RDS and some of the stalls had absolutely nothing to do with food, cooking or anything (Redman Designs, Minty Cards, Venture Photography to name only a few) but that of course didn't stop me to enjoy myself nevertheless.

I fell in love with a cooker at the show....oh my God....Drumms had a cooker on display that took my breath away. I was even brave enough to ask for the price (only€10K) and let me tell you, I had dreams about this cooker ever since.

Anyhow, lets talk about some of the things that were new to me.....the Dungarvan Brewing Company had a stall at the show and although I don't really like beer that much - there was this amazing beer called Copper Coast Red Ale - wow...is the only way to describe it. It was fresh and earthy at the same time - these guys know how to make seriously good beer. Check their website for stockists - The Abbot Ale House, Bradley in Northmain Street in Cork have it.

Of course, wine wasn't missing at the show either... a couple of wine merchants had their best on display so I went with my little glass and tasted my way around. One wine stood out a mile....'Club Privado Baron de Ley', a Rioja with rich vanilla flavour combined with a bit of ripe fruit. A smooth finish that lasts quite a bit. You can buy the wine from enowine (€11.50 or €124 for 12).

Another stand tickled my fancy - French Gourmet Food Ltd. had a lovely range of French food like truffles (preserved in a jar), Truffle infused olive oil (not the cheap stuff), goose fat etc etc etc. They don't have a shop but do online service only.

Jamie Oliver wasn't missing (at least his stall wasn't)... If you are a fan of Jamie Oliver - why not throw a Jamie Oliver Party????? Nope, he willnot come and say pukka but you can have a Jamie at Home Party like the good old Tupperware parties... The rep for Ireland is Elaine Noble and parties can be held anywhere in Ireland. You can contact her jahireland@gmail.com

Most interesting and completely new to me was Caveman Super Foods - who producing high protein beef snacks. The meat is gradually dehydrated and sold in bags of 100g up to 1kg. I forced Terence to try it (I am a veggie as you all know) and he actually liked it (to be honest, it looks a bit like dog treats). But it is supposed to be a very good high protein snack suitable for athletes.

Marks & Spencer and Harvey Nichols had big stalls as well with their Christmas ware....if you like a bit of luxury, pay them a visit, you won't be disappointed but make sure your credit card is handy....

There were of course loads more to see and taste but too much to write it all down. Was I impressed???? No. Was I entertained??? Definitely. Did I learn new things??? Not really. Will I go again???? Yeap cause I love it :-)

Happy Birthday...

2010-11-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

...to On the Pigs Back.... the Douglas Cafe is 1 year old and Isabelle Sheridan celebrated in style and invited her faithful customers and friends to join her and she combined her celebration with the launch of a new exhibition of the artist Valerie Walsh Jolley.

True to her style, Isabelle offered an amazing buffet and wonderful wine. I was too busy chatting away to John Grey and his beautiful wife Ellen - whom I haven't seen in 5 years so I didn't pay the attention to the food it actually deserved.

For the Christmas season, On the Pigs Back is offering a selection of hampers starting from €20. A luxury Gourmet hamper can be purchased for €120 - inn case you want to spoil that special someone.

But it doesn't end here - for the whole month of December, Isabelle is offering Late Friday's. So if you are doing your late night shopping why not pop in to the cafe and have a glass of wine or two. You will get served finger food and tapas with purchase of wine and bubbles.

December 7th, will see Timmy - The Brit McCarthy returning with his fantastic set dancing classes. The class costs only €8 per person.

December 8th - Cheese & Wine Tasting with Gary O'Donovan, €10 per person

December 14th - Timmy's Set Dancing followed by a Christmas Party for the dancers, €20

December 15th - Pig's Back Santa is coming to give foodie presents t the children, introduce healthy and fun food to kids for Christmas. Tickets €20, includes a gift given by Santa and tasting plates for kids and adults

Contact the team for bookings or more information on 021 - 461 78 32

On the Pigs Back, Unit 26, St. Patrick's Woollen Mills, Douglas, Cork

New Restaurant in Cork

2010-11-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

Electric is opening today in South Mall (the former bank building - forgot which bank)... not sure what type of food they are serving, but I am going to find out soon. So watch this space.... or let me know if you have been there and what you thought of it....

You can follow them on facebook.

Good Food Ireland Gift Voucher

2010-10-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Press release

27.10.10

Good Food Ireland Launches Christmas Gift Vouchers – The Perfect Gift for Food Lovers!

Good Food Ireland, Ireland’s only All-Ireland food tourism group, are delighted to announce the launch of their Christmas gift vouchers. These unique vouchers can be used at over 260 Good Food Ireland members throughout Ireland for accommodation, cookery courses or meals out in one of the many Good Food Ireland recommended places around the country.

Select from the fabulous range of Good Food Ireland 5 star hotels, restaurants, cookery schools, cafes, pubs and shops this festive season and experience the very best in Irish cuisine and hospitality.

Whether you are looking for a relaxing spa weekend, or dinner in a famous Irish eatery, a Good Food Ireland gift voucher is the perfect gift this Christmas. Spoil the one you love or simply say thank you with a thoughtful treat or break away this season.

A gift voucher from Good Food Ireland is the ideal gift for anyone who simply loves good Irish food!

Gift vouchers are available from 50 euro +. These vouchers will be available for purchase on the Good Food Ireland website and also by contacting the main head office. Log onto www.goodfoodireland.ie for further information.

Food Festivals

2010-10-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

October is a great month, not only because I have the nice excuse to light the fire again and get cosy at home, but the cooking style also changes to more hearty dishes. Right now, I am watching the Ireland-Russian match (not looking good for the guys in green) and the smell of a stew is waving through the house.

I am also looking forward to this weekend as the Kinsale Food Festival is on - actually it started today. Tomorrow takes the much anticipated Mad Hatter's Taste of Kinsale place. A guided tour to some of the 12 members of the Good Food Circle. The event kicks off with a reception in Acton's Hotel after which the tour to 4 tasting venues starts. Participants can sample gourmet food with selected wines. A condition to take part is to wear a mad hat (why else would they call it the Mad Hatter's tour). The tour will end with a party at the White Lady. Tickets 90 Euro.

In case you are heading to Kilkenny for the October Bank Holiday weekend make sure you pay a visit to Kilkenny Castle and the new Parade Plaza where the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival will take place. A tented village will include foodie stalls where you can buy the best that Kilkenny has to offer. Cooking demonstrations by Kevin Dundon and Catherine Fulvio will definitely draw a crowd. Tasting plates can be purchased and kids will have fun at the cupcake decoration competition. Planned events include 18th Century Dining in Mount Juliet Hotel in Thomastown, Sensory dining in the Club House Hotel, a 'Hurler in the kitchen' in Cafe Sol and much more. Most restaurants will offer special menus. For more details go to www.savourkilkenny.com

1st French Food & Wine Festival

2010-09-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

Last night was the launch of Cork's first French Food & Wine Festival at the 'On the Pig's back' Cafe in Douglas, Patrick's Woolen Mills. It was the perfect timing of launching the festival as the 'Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goute Bouding' (The Black Pudding Fraternity of Lovers of Good Food) was touring Ireland to congratulate Irish Black Pudding at its best. The Fraternity awarded 3 medals to Irish Black Pudding producers. Bronze went to Sean Kelly of Newport, silver to Willie & Avril Allshire of Rosscabery and the gold medal went to Mcarthy's of Kanturk. Congratulations to all.

Isabelle welcomed the winners and the Fraternity in her beautiful cafe with one of the most impressive buffets I have seen in a long time. Salads, cheeses, breads, meats, a wonderful ham baked in a big bread (of course prepared and baked by Declan Ryan of Arbutus) and of course the amazing black puddings - even a black pudding tart was on display.

Jim Daly, County Mayor, opened the Festival with a short speech. He had a reception for the Fraternity prior to them joining the launch. Darina Allen & Myrtle Allen joined us as well and Darina - true to herself - opened the buffet with a speech that she just threw together, celebrating the quality of Irish Food. She congratulated all winners and gave special mentioning to the Allshires of being the first ever to receive the medal a few years prior.

The French Delegation was impressed by the quality and variety of Irish Food and I think it was not the last time we have seen them in Cork. As AirFrance is on strike, the return trip today was in question but no one seemed to be particularly bothered to have to stay a day longer.

make sure you pay Douglas a visit as the program is impressive. Friday and Saturday will be a market held with music, dance, competitions etc. Don't miss it. All events take place in the area around the cafe in the Patrick Woolen Mills. Hope to see you there.

Coolanowle Food Fayre

2010-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Coolanowle is the place to be this weekend. Coolanowle Organic Farm Food Fayre takes place 11th -12th September 2010, , to kick start National Organic Week.

SATURDAY EVENING 11th SEPTEMBER 7.30pm
The Coolanowle Food Fayre will begin with a Long Table Supper on Saturday evening. Enjoy a two course informal supper, served in a marquee in the lovely ground of Coolanowle House.

SUNDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 11.00am - 6.00pm
Come and enjoy a real family day on the farm to kick start National Organic Week. Browse the extensive farmer’s market of local producers and stallholders set up in the grounds of the house. In the afternoon, celebrate the launch of the new farm shop and production unit now on site at Coolanowle House. Lots of activities for children too.
SUNDAY FOOD FAYRE AND LAUNCH OF FARM SHOP ‐ The Food Fayre on Sunday is a family day for all visitors.
Workshops are free.

Grab a delicious lunch from Coolanowle’s mobile butcher’s shop. Choose from a menu of Coolanowle home reared and hand made Coolanowle Organic Burgers and Sausages with salads, plus a vegetarian option.

Call 059 8625176 for more information and to book your place on the long table dinner - an event not to be missed.

Grow - Bake - Cook Award is back....

2010-09-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

GROW BAKE COOK AWARD BACK FOR SECOND YEAR!

Calling all amateur artisans! The exciting GROW BAKE COOK enterprise initiative to seek out a new food producer from the ranks of skilled amateurs is back for a second year. Following last year’s success, the competition is all set to go ahead again, this time backed by Failte Ireland and the new enterprise team at Cork City Council.

The award will run as part of the huge and exciting programme for the eatCORK! Food festival, which takes place from 23^rd-26^th September 2010. This festival celebrates the city’s lively food heritage at grassroots level – and as part of that, Grow Bake Cook will headline the competition element of the festival weekend. This award was devised last year by food enthusiast Elke O’Mahony, and food writer Dianne Curtin, and born of the need to create new career prospects in a time of recession. This year, we hope the initiative will once again unearth a new artisan, who will win the chance to be helped on the ladder to becoming a successful food producer. A prize of mentoring support from Failte Ireland Southwest is a huge boost for this year’s winner, offering practical help to branch into food production as a full time career. Failte Ireland Southwest run a successful hospitality industry training centre in Albert Road Cork, managed by Oliver Sullivan. The centre trains a large number of students in the hotel and catering industry, and offers valuable business mentoring too.

The Grow Bake Cook winner this year will have support from the mentoring team at Failte Ireland Southwest, in order to be able to turn their amateur enthusiasm for food into a real career in the future. Guidelines for entry are strict – entrants must not be earning more than 20% of their income from producing foods at present. This competition is open to all forms of food production – growing, cooking or baking, as the name suggests. Certain categories apply within this, and these are attached. Successful entries will be shortlisted, then invited for judging on Thursday 23^rd September, prior to the launch of the festival. Applicants MUST be available to attend the judging at The Farmgate Café, English Market.

Judges this year are Ruth Healy, successful marketing guru, Ballymaloe Cookery School graduate, and owner of Urru Culinary Store Bandon. Ruth’s valuable advice on food packaging, quality, and prospective saleability of product is second to none. She is joined on the judging panel by Oliver Sullivan, from Failte Ireland’s training centre in Albert Road. Oliver has many years experience in training students in all aspects of hospitality industry. Our third judge is Iain Flynn, of Flynn’s Kitchen. This highly respected artisan producer on the Cork scene made the hugely successful transition from working full time as a chef, to starting his own business producing an own label range of ready meals, sauces, preserves and chutneys, now sold at various outlets and through Cork’s farmer’s market network. Entrants can avail of the huge expertise and valuable advice of all three judges on the judging day.

So if you fancy getting a foot on the ladder to food producing success, we now invite prospective entrants to apply in writing to the email below, with details of their products, list of ingredients and methods of making, and as much detail as possible to back up the application. We are really looking for the wow! Factor here – so if you think you and your food product has it – please apply! Applicants from last year can apply again this year – hopefully with some new and exciting developments to their range.

Please contact Elke O’Mahony on email grow.bake.cook@gmail.com

Slow Food and Mystery Dining

2010-07-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Slow Food is offering a mystery dining tour on Tuesday, 13th with some of Corks best restaurants. The evening will kick off with a glass of bubbly in Interior Living in McCurtain Street. From there you will be walking to your first location for starter....then to the mains......and then to desserts .... read more here

How to open a bottle of wine with no opener

2010-07-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ever been in a situation, out for a picnic, everything is nicely organised, the food looks mouthwatering and you chose the perfect bottle of wine to go with it - and then...disaster strikes - no bottle opener...watch the video below and you will see the perfect solution. Haven't tried it myself yet but so far I never forgot the opener ;-)

How to brew your own beer

2010-05-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Fransciscan Well and the Irish Craft Brewer's Association have joined forces to bring the art of homebrewing to the masses. A free event for all you need to know about making your own brew is taking place this Saturday and kicks off at 2pm. Don't miss it

My Foodie Weekend Part 3

2010-05-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

We finished the evening on Friday night with a few pints in the pub below the restaurant 'Sky and the Ground' which had a heated beer garden. Here we met some lovely locals and ended the night with a dance off in a night club.

Saturday morning started off nicely with a hearty breakfast at our B & B and we took our time to get into the mood for hitting the shops. Di found some amazing boots and I stop right here with the description of our shopping finds as this is a food blog and not a fashion one.

Shopping does make hungry and by 2pm our breakfast has vanished into distance memory. Walking down the Main Street we found a lovely little cafe called Stable Diet. They had some tables outside and as the sun was shining, we decided that it was time for a cup of tea. Walking into the cafe, we were greeted by a buzzing atmosphere that reminded of cafes in Paris. The display unit showed some lovely handmade pastries and bakes. The floor was checkered and the furniture was dark wood.

As we planned to go our for dinner later on, we decided to have just something small. I opted for the apple crumble tart while Di had a giant scone. My tart was served with jam in the bottom, caramelised apples and a lovely musli crumble topping. It was warmed but not hot which made it perfect to eat. Di's scone was fluffy, light and also warmed. It came with butter, cream and jam.

It was a wonderful afternoon and it took us all strengths to get up again and to return to the B & B where we chilled out. Around 7ish we got peckish again and headed out to explore the part of Wexford that laid left from the B & B. We had the choice of 3 restaurants nearby, Taste, La Dolce Vita and Jaques Wine Bistro in the Greenacres Building. I kinda fancied a bit of Italian food and since La Dolce Vita displayed a lot of plaques, eg. Good Food Ireland, Food & Wine and Euro Toques. As it is dead easy these days to impress me, I thought Euro Toques must be a must to try so we headed into La Dolce Vita. It seems that this restaurant is focused on lunch service rather than dinner service. The premises looked more like a day cafe than an evening restaurant. No candles or deco on the tables. It was 7:30 and a girl was swiping a brush around the tables while some people were actually already eating (call me picky but I really don't like dust in my food). We were seated next to the wine shelve (which needs some dusting if you seat people next to it) and I took the opportunity to have a look through the wines. Impressive selection, all wines were from Italy and had a Barolo, Nebolio. Pinot Grigio and Nero had La Dolce Vita's own label on it which was a lovely touch. The cafe also offered Italian goodies like black pasta, 00 flour and proper truffle oil. The chilling unit displayed buffalo mozzarella, Italian cheeses and several salads.

We were handed our menus and I was impressed that they had proper Italian courses on offer. Risotto of the day as a first course and meat and fish dishes as second course is the proper way of eating Italian food. No pizza or lasagna in sight. Fresh ciabiatta with olives and a small bowl of olive oil was served straight away. The wine list was impressive and had very good value.

So the first impression was not too bad but then it started to go a bit downhill. The girl who served us, didn't know anything about the specials which where Gnocchis with spinach and ricotta cheese and stuffed peppers. When I asked her how the peppers were stuffed, she shrugged the shoulders but after looking at us made the effort to ask in the kitchen. Didn't really understand her when she came back. Anyway, I ordered the gnocchis which were homemade, the spinach and ricotta worked into the dough and they rolled big gnoochis out. A passata was the base of the sauce and the dish was drizzled with pesto. It was a lovely dish, rich and delicious. Di's stuffed pepper came with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and chopped garlic. The side dish of salad was nothing to write home about.

The mains for me provided a problem as it only consisted of meat or fish of which I could only choose the sole (I know - boring as I just had it the night before) as I don't like tuna. There was nothing wrong with the dish but nothing really right either. The potatoes were boiled and crushed and had no taste whatsoever. The fish fell flat in all regards other than it was cooked. The vegetables came served in a bowl and were swimming in olive oil. Carrots had a nice bite to them but the courgettes were cut in different sizes and were not cooked evenly as some of the pieces were simply soggy. Di had Calf liver which she ordered pink and came well done although tender. Same spuds and veggies. The dish should have come with caramelised onions but were kinda just cooked and too plenty. We both didn't finish our meal. As dessert I ordered orange and lemon tart which was lovely, zingy and fresh. Di had a panna cotta which was wobbly but was holding its shape. The dish could have benefited from some decor on it.

The staff was the most detached people I have ever experienced. They couldn't have been less bothered if they tried. The time between the courses was quite long and it took them ages to bother asking if we wanted the dessert menu.

It was a weird experience really, the chef has potential (the first courses showed that) but the food lacks consistency. The staff really needs to put it up a notch if they want to help the restaurant to succeed. I would go there for lunch tho but it is not an evening destination. Saying all that, I was impressed by the wine list, the goodies and the attempt to provide proper Italian food. I hope they can bring it to the next level as I really think the talent is there.

We ended the night in Maggie May's pub with a few pints in front of a roaring fire and the evening finished on a high note.

My Foodie Weekend Part 2

2010-05-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

After lunch in Waterford's Geoff we continued our trip to Wexford where we booked ourselves into a lovely B&B. After resting and freshening up, we went out to find Le Tire Bouchon (The Cork Screw) which received outstanding reviews from Paolo Tullio recently. Located above the pub 'Sky and the Ground', it is int he shopping centre of Wexford, South Main Street. You have to go into the pub and up the stairs to enter the restaurant. The noise from downstairs does not make its way upstairs and you enter a complete different world. While the pub is dark, aged and typically 'pubbish', the restaurant welcomes you with calm colours. A waiter greeted us and showed us to our table (we had booked in advance). The napkins were folded into a large, long cone (starched as it stood by itself), white linen and white china dressed the table nicely with the glasses sparkling in the candle light.

The menu has a strong focus on French dishes but Irish influences are visible. The restaurant is a joint venture of Arnaud Clement as Maitre d' and Kevin Carley as Executive Chef. Kevin has been trained in Dunbrody House Hotel and the quality in his food proves that he did pay attention.

We were served an amouse bouche which was served in a mini kilner jar and consisted of smoked chicken and mustard mousse on top of a chilled tomato and sprinkled with chives. The effect was amazing. Friend enjoyed the two jars (damn I really wish I could eat meat). Anyway, I ordered Dublin Bay Prawns in a filo basket which came with a wonderful fresh leaf salad and an amazing proper vinaigrette. Cherry tomatoes were upside down placed on the plate and when turning them around revealed a lovely stuffing of goats cheese and tapenade (proper tapenade). The prawns were perfectly cooked and buttery. Friend had pork rillettes with fig jam (jam was served in a little urn) on toast and leaf salad. She liked it but would have preferred more texture and seasoning. My main was dover sole which was advertised as cooked on the bone (I am too girlie to deal with bones) and I asked if I could get it served off the bone - not a problem. The French waitress came to the table when serving the fish and de-boned it at the table very professionally. The fish was so tender, it melted on my tongue. It came served with an almond butter (served in a mini gravy boat) which complimented the dish perfectly. Side dishes were baked baby potatoes and crunchy roasted mixed veggies. Friend ordered Halibut with fennel fondue and mash potatoes. The kitchen was out of fennel fondue and she was served an extra portion of fish. I would have liked to be asked if I wanted an alternative but Friend was okay with the solution but said later that the fennel was missing to give the dish a lift. She also would have liked more seasoning but I have to say that I didn't season any of my dishes.

All dishes on the menu come with their own wine recommendation and each wine was available by the glass. Even the dessert menu had its own wine and coffee recommendation (yeap, they have an extra menu for coffee and tea). French favourites like Crepe Suzette were on offer but also old-fashioned dishes like Baked Alaska. The friend ordered the crepe suzette which were prepared with great skill at the table (Cynthia really is an experienced and well trained waitress - and that is a great compliment from me. The title waitress does not give her justice tho). A bit more orange flavour would have made this dish simply perfect. I opted for the Rhubarb and Vanilla Souffle. It was prepared fresh and took about 15 minutes (which was announced when I ordered it). It came out perfectly risen, fluffy and light with a slight hint of rhubarb going through the dish. Vanilla ice cream gave it a nice balance.

The staff is attentive, very well trained - everyone was able to give us advise on the wine and we ordered a bottle of Cote de Gascogne which was floral without being sweet and was a perfect match to our fish dishes. It had a long finish and hit your palate after a few seconds and ran smoothly down your throat. The bouquet promised a delight and the taste did not disappoint.

Will I be back - definitely. Well worth a visit and the pub downstairs is a great way of finishing the evening with a lovely pint.

My Foodie Weekend Part 1

2010-05-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend is solely devoted to food - yeah, I know nothing new here. Anyhow, Di and I went off to Waterford on Friday to arrive around lunch time. We had a nice stroll in the city centre (girls, lovely shops out there) and went finally into Geoff's in John's Street. Voted best Gastro Pub in Waterford, we thought, we can't go wrong.

Walking in, I was set back to my student days where I sat long nights discussing world peace. The floor is worn down planks of dark wood, the tables, chairs and benches are a mix and match (or mis-match) collection of left over furniture from my past. The place was buzzing, people from all walks of life were coming and going. We found a free table in the middle of the front room (the whole pub is bigger than it seems from the outside) and looked around to see if we had to order from the bar or if there was table service. Hungry as we were (window shopping is exhausting), we grabbed a menu from the bar. The menu was divided into lunch and evening menu. Soup of the day was Courgette & Fennel Soup, served with homemade bread. Other dishes included salads (mostly with chicken), mains are beef stir fry, spiced chicken, pasta, cottage pie, Goujons of haddock, king prawns in filo pastry. Bruschetta, sandwiches and paninis rounded the lunch menu up. The evening menu included most of the lunch menu except the breadbased dishes. Dessert options are limited to 3, chocolate biscuit cake, eton mess with mixed berries and crumble of the day.

We both opted for the soup of the day, which had a lovely consistency and had a few bits in it. The bread was homebaked brown seedy bread. Di then was torn between the cottage pie and the goujons of haddock. Since I believe that everyone can make a decent cottage pie, I persuaded her to go for the haddock. Ok, they weren't goujons but end of tail filets in breadcrumbs. The tartare sauce was more like a mayonnaise, the leaf salad was a bit tired but the shoestring potatoes were lovely. The plate was too small for the amount of food (or too much food for the size of the plate) and most of it landed on the table. My bruschetta was a bit weirdly served. The menu stated that it was a goats cheese, tapenade and sun-dried tomato pesto topping - but what I got were 2 slices of pan-fried (and therefore slightly greasy) bread with 3 separate pots on the plate where an pinky-orangy coloured goats cheese, a very bitter tapenade and red pesto was simply too much to put on only 2 slices of bread (slices weren't big at all). Here also, the leaf salad had seen better days. As the place was very busy, we were mostly ignored but were finally able to order our dessert. It has been ages since I had a proper eton mess - and it will be another while before I will have one. The dessert wasn't bad but nothing to write home about either. We ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio delle Venezie each but have to admit that I have my doubts that I actually got a Pinot but wouldn't swear to it.

The pub is a great place to on a Saturday night for a pint or five but I would not say it is the best gastro food I have ever eaten. Saying that, they are trying to order as much as possible from local producers and I think if they can bring the food up a notch, they are on the right way - they really could be Waterfords or maybe even Ireland's best Gastro Pub. I would also recommend that they make it more obvious how to order (as we couldn't figure it out ourselves - even the staff asked shrugged the shoulders as if what ever way you want to order is okay) and have a better board for the dish of the day. But again, the locals don't seem to bother and know the procedure very well.

Hope they keep improving as I really miss a good Gastro Pub.

Homegrown Asparagus

2010-05-14T02:12:00.001-07:00

Will you believe it, I actually was able to harvest our first homegrown asparagus this year. Very small but light and tender. There I was with my handful of green beauties and was wondering what to do with them. After about 3 seconds deep soul searching I decided that risotto is just the best base to let the asparagus shine. Just prepared the risotto as usual and steamed the asparagus for a few minutes, chopped off the bits that weren't too nice and added them to the risotto, a few slivers of lemon zest perfected this simple but amazing spring dinner. A glass of rose rounded the whole lot up to a perfect Sunday afternoon and I was simply amazed how easy it is to make me happy ;-)

Kenmare - Foodie Town Part 2

2010-05-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the night in Davitts B&B (I would call it a boutique hotel) and woke up after a great night sleep and still with a silly smile on our faces from the food we had the night before. I actually wanted to dismantle the bed and take it home with me. It was wonderfully comfy. Anyway, we headed down for breakfast, which was good (just the chef must have been in love as the scrambled eggs and mushroom were oversalted).

At the cafe opening the night before we met one of the women who volunteered at the Bridge Street Co-op Whole Food shop. So we decided to pay the shop a visit. It is a paradise for bakers and cooks alike. The usual suspects of organic and vegan stuff was there (could never warm to the vegan style) but what makes this shop so special is that they have loose flour - unbleached strong flour, self raising, plain, spelt, rye. Rice is loose, pulses, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices and dried fruit. I will definitely pay them a visit when I start my Christmas baking again. They are a non-profit organisation and can offer low prices. A great shop well worth a visit when you are in Kenmare.

And it was again time for lunch - it is amazing how time flies when you have fun. We planned to pay the Kenmare Park Hotel a visit. A jewel in the middle of town. When you enter the hotel and look across the gardens you can forget that you are in a town. Kenmare Park Hotel is member of the Blue Book Ireland and rightfully so. You feel that you left all behind and that time stands still (actually we completely forgot time). We were greeted by the Manager, Rory (completely missed his surname) who remembered Dianne from a previous visit and lead us to the lounge where we ordered our 3 course lunch and I went into heaven again. The food, the service and the surroundings were simply amazing. Bar Manager John Moriarty (who works at the hotel for the last 24 years - wow) looked after us and we enjoyed his attention. He knows the menu in and out, he is very knowledgeable about the history of the building and he is well travelled and had lots of little stories.

You are asking about the food????? Let the photos speak for themselves:

Kenmare - Foodie Town Part 1

2010-05-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

I can call myself quite lucky that I have foodie friends and that they are always up for some good foodie destinations. So Dianne and myself headed off to Kenmare last week and spent 2 wonderful days there. The main reason for the trip was that Manuela Goeb has opened her new bakery/cafe called the Breadcrumb Cafe in New Road in Kenmare. She operated her bakery shop since 2004 but was brave (or mad) enough to expand into a cafe. The colours of the cafe are fresh and vibrant. If you meet Manuela, you will see that the colours match her personality perfectly. Originally from Germany, she started her career as a nurse before learning the proper craft of bakery. Her focus is on the German way of baking - and let me tell you that German breads (next to French of course) are the best in the world. She also offers patisserie and cakes as well as light vegetarian lunches with no processed food in sight. Everything is made fresh on the premises. Her ware can also be bought at the farmers markets in Milltown and Dingle. I wish her all the success she deserves. When I am in Kenmare next time I will make sure to pay her a visit again.

When we said goodbye to Manuela, we decided to pay Packies a visit. Whenever I was in Kenmare before it was only during the day and this restaurant only opens in the evening. So this time there was no excuse. What a great decision. The menu had its focus on fresh fish and lamb and chicken. There was no red meat on the menu. It was hard to decide on the food as we wanted to try everything - but although the waitresses were very very patient with us, it was time to make up our mind. Dianne ordered the lobster salad with citrus salad. The lobster was perfectly cooked and came easily out of the shell, the leaves of the salad were crisp and fresh. The dish was served with homemade mayonnaise which will put Hellman's out of business. I went for the three cheese tartlet which was served with a lovely organic leaf salad. The pastry of the tart was a tiny bit overcooked and burned on the edges but the mixture of cheeses was just mind blowing. For mains I had the Dover Sole with baby prawns and brandy sauce - I proposed to the chef then and there (problem was that I said it to one of the waitresses who is engaged to the chef - ups). The best - and I mean the BEST - Dover Sole I have ever eaten. I asked it to be filleted and the chef done a great job. The fish was cooked on the bone, filleted and put back together with the prawns as a filling. The sauce was not overpowering but matched the fish perfectly. Dianne opted for Fillet of Cod with chili and rosemary olive oil. The fish was flaky, perfectly cooked and the oil was again not overpowering. We both stopped talking for a long while. The Pinot Grigio 2009 Garganega Venezie (€19.50) was a great partner for this amazing food. Champ and honey roasted vegetables perfected the meal.

For dessert we had Creme Brulee and Iced Coffee Parfait - Any French chef would have sold it in any Michelin starred restaurant. A nice glass of Prosecco ended an evening that we actually didn't want to end at all. We had a nice chat with chef Martin Hallissey who is not only a great chef but a nice fella as well. The food showed that here is a chef that shows respect for the produce he is using and lets the ingredients do the talking rather than changing its structure and naturally beauty.

Good wine, food and friends...

2010-04-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

... what more does one need. Since living on my own I haven't cooked much (it is really boring to cook for oneself) so I was worried that I have lost my cooking mojo (I had Andrea and Anita over recently and made a boondoogle of the food) so I decided to grab the bull by its horns and give it another try. So I invited Caz, Jan, Anita and Andrea over last Monday. I wanted to keep it low key as it was the start of the week and I didn't want my friends to be overstuffed. I greeted my friends with a lovely Prosecco Colli Trevigiani from Treviso, light fresh and just the right tipple to get us started.

For a starter I made marinated goats' cheese (marinated in oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme) on a leaf salad with pears and walnuts. Plates were cleaned spotless (I could have put them back in the cupboard). For a main I opted for chicken thighs as I wanted to slow cook the chicken and was worried if I used breast that it might dry out (and it save me a buck as well). I pan fried the chicken until browned and put them into a slow cooker (trust me, it is an investment well worth), made a gravy out of the juices with flour and white wine and poured it over the chicken. Added pan fried button mushroom and slow roasted baby onions. Put the lot on high for about 1 hour and then turned it down to slow and left it in the cooker for around 5 hours. Just before serving I poured in double cream and let the sauce thicken a bit. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and garlicky carrots. For dessert I made individual white chocolate cheese cakes with mixed berry coulis. It was a very rich dessert and I might have to tone it down if I want to make it again.

Since I had quite neutral food, I decided to stick to white wine and served La Chasse du Pape Cotes du Rhone 2008. A well balanced wine, slightly floral (but not overpowering) with a fresh medium long finish. This bottle was emptied quite quickly and since I had an Italian at the table (and I know Anita loves her Pinot Grigio) I opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio which went down nicely as well. A bit less impressive than the Cotes du Rhones but still going well with the rest of the meal.....

Thanks God, I haven't lost my mojo just yet. Apologies for the poor quality of the photos (seems my little camera is giving up on me now) and for the lack of the main course and the dessert.

Innishannon House Hotel

2010-04-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

The other day while I was in Kinsale meeting Piluca and her newborn littl boy, Dianne called me if I wanted to catch up with her. As we were both kind of middle away from Innishannon, we decided to give Innishannon House Hotel a try. They have recently launched the new bar menu and it was a wonderful day to see the gardens as well.

The hotel calls itself the most romantic hotel in Ireland - depends really but I have to admit it got an old-fashioned charm to it. The bar lounge (and the rest of the hotel) has a kind of shabby chic to it. I loved sitting in the lounge waiting for Dianne and her lovely daughter. The reception is small and the restaurant to the left of the reception was busy with a party that might even have been a wedding (the kiddies running around were nicely dressed).

A recent addition is the new back bar which is kind of a miss rather than a hit as it is completely different from the rest of the hotel. It might have worked with a designer who actually considered the old fashioned charm of the rest of the hotel. It looks more like a sports bar in Dublin than a lovely hotel bar of the 'most romantic' hotel.

Anyhow, Dianne and her daughter came and we sat down in the 'old' bar lounge for the bar menu (as far as I understood, they don't use the restaurant for formal dining anymore but only for weddings etc).

The veggie options of the menu were as boring as they always are in hotels (what is wrong with chefs - we are people you know) so I opted for oven baked cod with mash, grilled cherry tomatoes and watercress pesto (€14). The pesto was lovely - not too peppery, the fish cooked nicely and the cherry tomatoes were not over-grilled but nice and juicy. The mash was solala - nothing to write home about.

Dianne had the slow roasted belly of pork (€12.50) which came with mash, whiskey sauce and very sad looking selection of vegetables. The belly was quite fatty and dried (not really evenly cooked) but the sauce was lovely.

The girl (and I am so sorry I don't know how to spell her name - she is just a lovely girl) ordered the burger which came with caramelised onions, chips (not fresh cut chips but from the variety of the freezer) and a fresh leaf salad (€13.50). The poor girl was starving and it didn't help that the service was very slow.

For desserts I had a apple tart tatin which was oversweet and came with a ready-made fruit coulis. The 'girl' opted for a chocolate roulade which looked quite dry and judging from the face - nothing to write home about either. Desserts were at €6.50 each. An Irish farmhouse cheese plate was on the menu but when we asked what cheeses were included we were told that this has been taken off the menu ages ago. Also, the website has outdated menus.

The food knowledge of the staff was quite limited - when we asked if the pork belly was nice, we were told 'Yes'. The menu itself is basic but I think it caters for a different clientele than me and Dianne. It would be a place where I would bring my nan to have a nice Sunday afternoon.

What really makes this hotel special are the gardens and the lake. Just enjoy the photos. We spent more time than we wanted because the day was lovely, the view amazing and the company was just perfect.

Dinner for One

2010-04-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

An old tradition for me while living in Germany was watching Dinner for One on New Years Eve before going out. It is Miss Sofie's 90th birthday and is having a party for her dearest friends. The problem is that all her friends have already passed on but she still insists that they are having a party. So her butler James has to play all the characters for her ..... it is hilarious and funny and it never gets tired. Enjoy

Foodie News

2010-03-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

There are some interesting events coming up....

04 April

As part of the Easter Racing Weekend, Mallow is hosting a Food and Craft Fair from 10am - 1.30pm: entertainment including Stilt Walkers/Clowns, Lungi the Travelling Puppeteer, The Hakuna Matata Aerobic Performers and the fabulous Mobile Farm. Contact Claire Ryan on
022 53257 or Roisin Lucey on 087 0554382 for more info.

16 - 18 April

Dungarvan is the place to be when the famous Waterford Food Festival is showing the best of local produce. Chefs like Neven Maguire, Derry Clarke and Paul Flynn show their talent and there is lots of fun to get through. Only problem is....what to do first ;-)

22 April

Something for your senses - head to Dublins Westin Hotel to experience a new way of eating. Blind Food Tasting is the new highlight at the Westin. Throughout the evening diners are blindfolded and have no prior knowledge of the dishes or beverages on the menu. Your host will guide you through the courses giving a small hint of what's soon to hit your palette. Book your place here - tickets costs €60.

Now I have to decide where to go - the hardship of choice

Girlie Weekend in Kells

2010-03-29T10:31:00.001-07:00

Wow, I am still in Kells Mood. Dorothy invited Caz, Angela and myself to her cottage in Kells and we had a ball. It was the most relaxing weekend I had in a long time. Everything was chilled out and we took it all in with a big smile on our faces.

We headed out on Friday evening and Dorothy was the designated driver for the weekend - not that anyone objected. We arrived at the cottage in the dark but when Dor lit the lights, it was as if we arrived in paradise. We could hear the sea although not seeing it. But just to know that it was there was enough. I had prepared some pizza bases and brought along tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta, mozzarella and salami. So my job was to prepare the pizzas and we settled in with some nice wine and enjoyed that reality was left behind.

The next morning was greeted by some sunshine and a fresh sea breeze. Caz and Angie were still in slumber land so Dorothy and myself headed out for a nice walk on the beach which was exactly 2 minutes down the road - why did we return to Cork again????

After Dorothy managed to get the sleepy heads out of bed, we had some nice breakfast of toast, boiled eggs and homemade granola and yogurt. After cleaning up, we headed out for a drive along the really beautiful countryside. We stopped in Cahersiveen as Dor had just received her iPhone and wanted to get some advise from Vodafone.....and since we were 4 girls - we headed to the shops (very successful by the way as I got 2 pair of shoes while Angie got some amazing boots and a jacket - perfect for the festival season. Caz got the most adorable outfit for her little niece). Anyhow, the evening came too soon and we were starving. Dorothy - knowing the area like the back of her hand - took us to The Bridge Bar which has a restaurant 'The Moorings' attached to it. A lovely country pub with a pub menu as well as the a la carte menu of the restaurant. The interior is nautical with fishing nets hanging from the ceiling and ship models being displayed. The choice of both menus was so varied that it took us ages to decide. I opted for deep fried brie with homemade cranberry sauce (€5.95) for starter and fish cakes for main in starter size (7.95). The brie was gooey in the middle with a crunchy crust. The cranberry sauce was sticky and sweet. The fishcakes were made of salmon, mackerel and crabmeat and tasted great. I wasn't too keen on the tatare sauce and asked for garlic mayonnaise instead. Angela went for the homemade garlic bread and deep fried Lemon Sole. The portions were huge and she wasn't able to finish her meal at all. Dorothy and Caz ordered the King Prawns wrapped in filo pastry which were served with garlic mayo and sweet chilli sauce. Both stopped talking while eating - always a good sign ;-). For main Caz opted also for the fish cakes while Dorothy decided on the fish special which was Grilled Plaice served with lemon butter. It looked great and looking at her face it was delicious. The staff was friendly, attentive and made sure that all my questions were answered. A lovely evening.

After heading back to the house, we tried to have some wine, but to be honest, we were sooooo relaxed that we completely tuned out and just enjoyed each others company.

The morning came to quick and it was time again to come back to reality. Girls, we have to do that soon again. Thanks for a great weekend and your company.

Grow your own with Aldi

2010-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Aldi becomes more and more a location I am visiting these days and I always take a leaflet to show my dad. This weeks leaflet (starting today) offers a few items you might find interesting if you are planning to join the Grow Your Own movement.

Fruit Plants like raspberries, blackcurrents, blackberries, gooseberries, kiwis or blueberry are available for €3.99

Strawberry plants smile at you for €4.99 for a six-pack

Different vegetable Plug pack will cost you €3.49 each and a 3 plant growing bag is available at €1.79 (saves you digging).

So there is no excuse anymore not to give it a try ;-)

Slow Food in the Butter Museum

2010-03-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ever fancied to learn how to make your own butter???? Then join Slow Food on Tuesday 30th March at the Butter Museum. Enjoy a tour through the museum, watch a live butter making procedure and tuck into some yummy homemade scones and jam while learning about the history of the butter in Cork.

The event will start at 6.30pm

Please book your place by replying to corkcity@slowfoodireland.com

Looking forward to seeing you all. Places are limited so book early!

Cost is €10 members and €15 non members.

Hope to see you all there. It will be an afternoon of fun

Bramley Lodge near Fota

2010-03-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sofie and I were meeting the other day in Bramley Lodge to catch up as I haven't seen her in ages and since Fota is almost midway, we chose to meet there. I have driven by this restaurant a few times and always thought, I should stop and try it out.

The restaurant is located just off the Cork-Waterford Road when you turn off to go to Fota. It is a building that looks older than it is with a lot of character. It has a conservatory and outside seating. The attached car park fills up quickly as lunchers are coming from all sides.

A little shop and bakery is attached which offers all a food lovers could want. Dishes from the menu are available from the shop as well as Arbutus bread and homemade chutneys and sauces.

The atmosphere is busy enough at lunch time but still relaxed. The staff is friendly although not the fastest. Bramley Lodge opens at 7 for breakfast and goes into lunch with closing time around 5ish. The breakfast menu includes the 'Bramley Full' for €9.95 which might be considered a bit steep but the portions are biggish enough. Pancakes are served with cream, maple syrup and wild berry compote which sets you back €4.95.

Lunch includes the 'Soup of the day' for €5.50, sandwiches from €6.50 (€10.50 for the open seafood sandwich), Steak Sandwich sets you back €12.95.

I opted for the Ardsallagh Crostini (€6.96) which was a bit of a disappointment. Simply a slice of rye bread cut in half with a bit of goats' cheese (although it said it would be baguette) with wild berry compote and a hint of garlic. The compote was too liquid and had no 'kick' to it. A bit of vanilla or star anise would have lifted this compote to higher grounds. The 'hint' of garlic disappeared by the time it arrived at the table.

Sofie had the seafood chowder (€6.95) and she enjoyed it very much. It came served with brown bread and butter.

Will I go again....yes, if I am in the area.

Portuguese Wine Tasting

2010-03-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

My lovely friend Clarisse from Portugal always tries to bring me something Portuguese - normally wine or she cooks something really nice. So I thought it was time to try some lovely wines from this wonderful country. Finding wine wasn't as easy as I thought (Dunnes, Tesco and BB had none) but I got lucky with Barry from the Wine Buff in Washington Street and O'Donovan's in Oliver Plunket Street. Below is the list of wines we tried:

JP Azeitao, O'Donovan's Off License (€7.99 - or 2 for €15) Score 77/100
Light, with a bit of a spritz, pale colour

Quinta da Aveleda 2008 O'Donovan's Off License (€11.99) Score 80/100
Ever heard of green wine?? Doesn't look green at all but just like water in the bottle but a lovely wine, easy to drink and made for an al fresco summer evening.

Mateus, O'Donovan's Off License (€10.95) also in Tesco & Dunnes, Score 59/100
The most known exported Portuguese wine didn't seem to have many fans on the night

JP Azeitao (red), O'Donovan's Off License (€7.99 - or 2 for €15) Score 67/100
The white brother of this wine had a higher score. It was dry, had a short finish and nobody will write home about it.

Kopke 2006, Unknown where it came from, Score 87/100
This wine from the Douro region found its way into my wine selection and for some reason, I can't remember who gave me the bottle. Thought it was Clarisse but she denied it. Anyhow, we enjoyed this wine with the highest score of the night. This is a wine that will go well with game and mature cheese.

Pomares 2007, The Wine Buff (€14.99) Score 82/100
Barry had only one bottle left from this lovely wine but I hope he will be able to re-stock it soon. Lovely and smooth, this wine will go well with food as well as without...

I had to decide between Port, Madeira and a sweet wine I got from Clarisse (this time it really came from her), so I chose the sweet wine which was a big mistake on the night as it was suddenly cloudy and Clarisse wasn't sure if we should drink it at all. So to be on the safe side, we skipped this one. A pity really.

Clarisse also gave a wonderful presentation on PowerPoint which gave a great overview of the wine regions in Portugal as well as the history of wine making in Portugal.

Thank you Clarisse for the hard work you put into the presentation. We all enjoyed it surely.

I asked all attendees to bring a bottle of Bulgarian wine as I wanted to try this country for the next time but no one got lucky in sourcing any. Which means, I have to go back to the drawing board for the next wine tasting.

A Foodie Friday

2010-03-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today was just a lovely day, weather was great, I met lovely people and have lots to write about.

First of all I went to the new venture of On the Pig's Back by Isabelle Sheridan in Douglas and it was a treat. When I heard she opened her new cafe at the premises of Patrick's Woollen Mills I was a bit surprised as it is very industrial with garages and wooden flooring places around. But when I arrived I was still surprised but it was a pleasant one. High ceilings, whitewashed walls with art works hanging (which you can purchase by the way), tall timber shelving packed to the brim with yummy goodies with a great focus on French and local produce (they had even Irish music in the background). Light timber flooring and handmade wooden large tables and chairs invite you to sit down with friends and family for a delicious lunch.

The menu is short but varied. Soup of the day was carrot with basil which was oozing with freshness. Silky texture and a perfect consistency (€5.50), Quiche & Salad (€6.50) doesn't really say much but they had 5 different quiches on offer (Dianne ordered the spinach & pine nut) and the salad served with the quiche was almost bigger than the plate. I ordered Tartine which is a toasted slice of rye bread topped with melted cheese and tomatoes which was served with a lovely pesto and red onion jam. The leaf salad was organic and fresh. We then shared a slice of rhubarb pie which was just lovely and not sour at all but thanks God not too sweet either.

The place was buzzing, so my concerns about the location was completely unfounded. Isabelle has a great business head on her shoulders and I wish her great success.

Dianne and myself then headed back towards city centre as Colman Andrew launched his latest book 'The Country Cooking of Ireland' in the Farmgate restaurant. Colman is an American with a love for Irish Food. The book is quite extensive, the photographs are amazing (by Christopher Hirsheimer) and very well researched. I love especially the chapter of Irish Wine with a photograph of a pint of Guinness next to it. He talked about how it came that he wrote about Irish food and how interesting he finds it. He is a great advertiser in the States for Irish Food (not that many people seem to believe him).

While listening to Colman and enjoying the canapes of mushroom frittata, we also met a lovely girl Evin who is from California but moved to Ireland 2 years ago. A fellow food blogger, we had of course a lot to talk about. Have a look at her blog . I bet you will love the photographs as much as the recipes. I invited Evin to join us for our next wine tasting on Portuguese wine next Saturday. Hope she can make it.

So, I think that was enough excitement for one day - sitting now in front of a blazing fire, got some crackers with goat's cheese and O'Flynns mixed berry jam and a glass of Sherry and let my brain roar wild with some buzzing ideas for events. Watch this space

Shebeen @ Vineyard

2010-03-11T14:56:00.001-08:00

I got the latest Whazzup the other day and I always check first if there were new restaurant listings...and surprise surprise...Shebeen is the latest addition to the restaurant world of Cork. Seamus O'Connell is the brain and chef behind this new venture and when you enter the Vineyard you will know that it can only be Seamus' new child.

The bar itself has nice features but they are not put in the right light. The little stools were homemade upholstered where the fabric doesn't fit properly. Comfy red leather sofas invite to snuggle in. The kitchen is open to the bar and Seamus just pops his head out and asked you what you like to order.

The best thing I encountered was the menu. It was actually a Marvel comic of superheros. I had the Ultimate X-Men. The menu was stuck into the middle of the comic (a pity really as I wasn't able to finish the story).

Shebeen has a great offer on at the moment: 2 course lunch for €10 incl. tea/coffee or dinner for €15. If you have ever eaten in The Ivory Tower you will know that Seamus' reputation as a chef is excellent (apart from being eclectic and chaotic at times - and I mean that with the greatest admiration) and the menu of Shebeen is a good sample of his talent.

He keeps the menu simple and short. Soup of the day was cannelloni bean or Moroccan Lamb Soup, pigs trotters with pickled cauliflower was taking the lead on the starter page closely followed by duck terrine and oysters with elderflower vinegar, pot of mussels in cider and the much loved Umera House smoked salmon.

Ever heard of Boxty???? It is a potato cake (I know it as a giant rosti) stuffed with different fillings like black pudding & apple, smoked mackerel & seaweed, Gubeen ham & aged cheddar, Irish cheeseboard & tomato.

The mains offer Irish old fashioned favourites like lamb shanks, Irish Stew, bacon & cabbage but he also offers ox cheeks (I made them once and my guests licked the plate) and Guinea fowl....desserts included iced Tiramisu, lemon & passionfruit tartlet, hot chocolate fondant, hot apple tart, hot spiced cake, selection of homemade ice cream and a market Irish cheeseboard.

I persuaded Linda to have our weekly lunch meeting in Shebeen and I think she loved the food although the service was quite slow and she returned to the office late (hope her boss didn't give her any grief). We both ordered soup (me of course the veggie one) and the soups were chunky, flavoursome and came served in an old fashioned soup bowl and a slice of bread on the side (the bread was so fresh that it crumbled when I tried to get butter in it.

We both wanted to try the Boxty and Linda asked for the black pudding filling while I asked for the cheesy version. The blue cheese used as filling was unfortunately overpowering everything else on the plate (next time I will ask him to leave the blue cheese out). We both wanted to try a dessert as well and Linda asked for the lemon tart which was advertised to come with raspberry sorbet but as he was out of the sorbet offered alternative ice cream. Linda opted for cinnamon. I asked for the selection of homemade ice cream and I asked for Bergamon, Praline and Cinnamon flavour. I love and adore homemade ice cream (ok ok ice cream in general) and the Bergamon (used in earl grey tea) was my favourite while the Cinnamon had a grainy texture but the flavour was great.

Will I go back??? Yeap - just hope they don't get too busy as the service was really slow. But quality-price margin was worth the time spent.

Early Birds

2010-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

The other day I went with Caz to Cafe Paradiso at around 5:45 which I thought was quite early for dinner. I wanted to go as I wanted to see how the restaurant was made up again after the floods earlier this year.

Putting the interior aside (it looks still lovely), I was more enticed by the early bird offer. 2 courses for €24 or 3 for €30. Considering that a normal main course is already €24 on its own, I was deadly impressed. The portions were the same as the late dinner and of course all tasted yummy. Had the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup and Beetroot Risotto.

Anyhow this got me thinking (first of all, still with no job I am always looking for bargains) which other restaurants are out there who offer such a great deal......and will you believe it, I found a website called earlybirds.ie . At the moment it only covers Dublin and Cork (but since I live in Cork, I am not really bothered) and it is not complete but it gives you the price, number of courses and the opening hours. Thanks for the guys who put in the work to publish this great site.

Deirdre in Dragon's Den

2010-03-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Deirdre Collins, founder of Dee's Eat Well Be Happy, managed to do the do what many before her didn't. She convinced not only 1 Dragon but 3 to make her an offer for her veggie burger business. She appeared last week on Dragon's Den and she was a knockout. Not only did she look the part but she was the best prepared contestant I have seen in a long time on any Dragon's Den show. She was not only smart and clever but also a tough cookie when it came to negotiating a best deal for her. She accepted Niall O'Farrell's offer after she 'handled' him down to 22.5% share of her business. She is planning to extend the number of sales but also add new products to her line. Way to go Deirdre.

When Deirdre Collins spotted a gap in the fast food market, she came up with a plan to Stores outlets around the country. The burgers, which contained oats, millet, seeds and a variety of herbs and spices, proved a huge hit with the health-conscious women in her office where she worked as a legal secretary, so Collins decided to try them out at a farmers’ market in fill it by giving people the choice to take the healthy option. A native of Co Clare, Collins had a long-standing interest in food and went on to study food science at University College Cork. It was a move that paid off for the 32-year-old former legal secretary, who has just secured a contract to sell her product in 40 DunnesSkibbereen.

The veggie burgers were proving very popular with mothers of children with dairy and wheat allergies, who were at their wits’ end trying to find products in the shops that were dairy or wheat-free while also nutritious and tasty to eat.

Initially, when she went to look for support in starting up her business, she was asked, “Who would eat a burger without meat?” Luckily, she says, her local Enterprise Board was convinced it was a fantastic idea and gave her the help she needed.

Through the board, Collins did an advanced food development programme and learned all about branding, marketing, how to price your product and, importantly, financial planning. Last year, she was granted 50 per cent funding from the South Cork Enterprise Board for capital equipment and she rented a dedicated food unit through Cork County Council’s economic development section.

In March 2008, Collins left her job as a conveyancing legal secretary to devote all of her time to her fledgling business. At this stage, she was selling her burgers at farmers’ markets, agricultural shows and music festivals around the country, but every cent she made was being ploughed back into her overheads. So she set up a catering stall, selling healthy fast food cooked on the spot, which helped bring in cash to drive things forward.

At a retail exposition in the RDS Dublin in 2007, she had compiled a list of about 20 local stores that indicated that they would be willing to take an order once she was ready to go.

Her Dee’s Omega Burger contains a blend of wholegrains, fresh Irish vegetables and super seeds and is 100 per cent organic, vegetarian and gluten-free. She has also developed a spicy bean burger made with aduki beans for her customers who like their food with a bit of a kick.

She got her product into Supervalu through the approved local supplier route, which strengthened her position with the banks and bigger distributors.

In October, she made her first delivery to Dunnes Stores, which was a huge coup for her, and she is also working on the recipe for an organic pinto bean and mushroom burger for the Eddie Rocket’s restaurant chain.

How to Become a Food Stylist

2010-03-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

My good friend Dianne is a first class food stylist (you can see her work in Easy Food) and I was wondering, how does one become a food stylist...... easy, you need to know how.

Food stylists are often the unsung heroes of the culinary world. They're the ones who make the dishes look irresistible in menus and on television. A good stylist can turn a single scoop of ice cream into a brilliant work of art. You don't need a degree. Most stylists are trained chef who prefer a career in the TV or media business.

Know your way around the kitchen. If you want to become a food stylist, you don't need a formal degree, but it certainly doesn't hurt if you do. Many people who graduate from culinary school choose food styling as a career. Some culinary schools offer styling classes to get you prepared for real-life situations. A love of baking and cooking is a major plus in this field.
Step 2

Learn from the best. Most people who become food stylists start off assisting other stylists. This is a great way to get a feel for the industry and to learn invaluable tricks of the trade. A few years of assistant work can open all sorts of doors for you down the road.
Step 3

Be a team player. A food stylist often has to be the go-between for several key individuals. Photographers, prop guys, directors and actors may all give you directions at the same time, so you need to know how to prioritize.
Step 4

Be flexible. It often takes time to break into the market and become a food stylist, so it's important to be as flexible as possible. Do whatever work comes your way, and be willing to go where the work is.

Here are some links with more information:

Mondial des Artes Sucres

2010-03-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

Paris will be centre stage for the 2010 Patiserie Festival starting this weekend. Top pastry chefs are battling it out for the title. Lisa O’Brien, the sous chef responsible for pastry at the Bayview Hotel in Ballycotton, and 47-year- old Anthony Kelly, chef-proprietor of Riverside Restaurant and Guesthouse in Charlestown Co Mayo, will form the Irish team. They will showcase their pastry work against competitors from 11 other countries over three pressurised days. Ireland will have two judges at the event, Mary Reid, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and Fergus Moloney, Pallas Foods’ pastry specialist. Pallas also sponsors the Irish Team.

Good luck to Lisa & Anthony

Irish Bog Awards

2010-03-03T01:39:00.000-08:00

The judging for the Irish Blog Awards is well on its way with the ceremony taking place in Galway on 27th March 2010. The awards has several categories - the most interesting of course being the Food Blog Award. This year a lot of blogs have been nominated - with Bibliocook, Bubble Brothers, Grapes of Sloth and Beer Nut being my favourite. Below is the list of this years nominees:

Other categories include pop culture, fashion & beauty, music, photo, technology and lots more. You can attend the award event in Galway - ticket price is €15.

Congratulations to all nominees - may the best blog win...

Upcoming Food Fairs

2010-03-02T01:16:00.000-08:00

Done a bit of research and found the following food fairs...

04 - 05 March 2010

Ducketts Grove Easter Craft & Food Fair

Enjoy the magic and fun of Easter in the unique setting of Duckett's Grove Historic House, Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds. Experience a food and craft market showcasing the best of Carlow while musical entertainment will be on offer throughout the day.The first phase of the revival of two old walled gardens has now been completed, the old paths revealed and the beds and borders reinstated.

Telephone:+353 (0)59 913 1554 - Email: info@carlowtourism.com

23 - 25 March 2010

IFEX Exhibition Food, Drink, Hospitality & Retail

Renowned for supplying locally-sourced produce to the foodservice market across

Ireland

, Crossgar Foodservice has recently announced that it will be showcasing its exquisite new ‘Provenance Collection’ at IFEX 2010. IFEX is Ireland’s largest International Food, Drink, Hospitality and Retail Exhibition, and will be running from 23–25 March 2010, at the King’s Hall, Belfast.

19 June 2010

Shandon Street Festival & Food Fair

Sample tasty snacks from the Food Fair, with anything from sizzling sausages, to crepes to chocolate. Sit back and enjoy performances from local schools and community groups, with historical re-enactments of local characters and stories. You might even tell your own story.

Telephone:+353 (0)83 346 2490

Email: marketing@cathedralcu.ie

10 - 12 September 2010

Clarenbridge Oyster Festival

The Clarenbridge Oyster Festival has for many years been established as a premier event of top-class international entertainment accompanied by fine culinary delights.With visitors coming from all corners of the globe, it is true what they say - "The world is your oyster and Clarenbridge is its home".

Telephone:+353 (0)91 79 6766 - Email: info@clarenbridge.com

08 - 10 October 2010

Kinsale Food Festival

The "Kinsale Gourmet Festival" is held in October of each year and is a celebration of all the fine things that Kinsale has to offer. It is worth a visit. Make sure you book early as events are normally booked out very quickly. As far as I know you can already book tickets for events. So click here

There are lots more fairs out there. Let me know if you came across some fairs I have not listed here and I put them up.

03 - 05 December 2010

Chocolate Festival Temple Bar

From chocolate workshops to their very own Winter Wonderland, outdoor Movies on the Square to Christmas in the Old City, Temple Bar will be literally choc a-bloc with exciting festive experiences for all the family!

Marmatiece in Bandon

2010-03-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

Back in January (Women's little Christmas to be precise), I went with Dianne Curtin to the Marmatiece in Bandon. Dianne writes for Food & Wine and she wanted to review that restaurant to highlight the damage done by the floods.

It was freezing cold and I promised to meet the female in-laws in Blarney but I wanted to see what the restaurant had to offer. I have been to Bandon a couple of times, firstly because this is where Dianne lives, secondly Urru is there (since Mallow has closed it's the only one left) and I do love the farmer's market. I passed Marmatiece a couple of times but never went inside. I liked the way it looked from the outside tho. So, when Dianne asked me along, I didn't hesitate.

We arrived quite early and only one other table was occupied (that changed by the time we left). We were greeted like old friends (and I assume Dianne is well known in Bandon) by Brendan McCormack and handed a glass of mulled wine which was simply delicious.

The menu was not overly long but had offers for all tastes from fish to veggies. The winelist included old world wines as well as new world. The house wine is either Tantehue Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon (safe enough grapes) which was priced €5.50 per glass or €18.95 per bottle. The most expensive wine was Ken Forrester Merlot from South Africa with €33).

I had my tastebuds dancing when I saw the menu. Normally restaurants are not very creative when it comes to vegetarian food, something I have painfully experienced myself but Marmatiece is a great exception from that rule. I ordered Leek, goat's cheese and almond tart - might not sound too adventurous but the pastry was light, crips and thin and the filling was just divine. For my main I chose Sweet Potato Roulade - wow, I was in love. Ligth, fluffy potato mixture (with a crunch) was revealing a onion and herb stuffing. Wilted spinach was the side which I didn't eat as I am not so keen on wilted spinach. I skipped dessert as I was running out of time (Blarney was calling).

Dianne had a lovely winterwarmer soup - Celeriac, potato and thyme soup with celeriac crisps (I knicked one and it was lovely). Prefectly smooth and creamy - the perfect soup. Her main was slow cooked lamb which came with champ mixed in with a bit of Stilton. This was one of the occassions where I wish I could eat meat. The meat was falling of the bone and the champ put a big smile on my face (friends have to get used to the fact that I pick of their plates ;-). Pour Dianne would have loved to try some of the desserts (especially as a sample dessert plate was on offer) but I had to head back to Blarney. But this will not be the last time I paid them a visit.

The restaurant is owned by two sisters, Michelle and Bernadette, who work in the kitchen. Michelle has learned her craft in Ballymaloe (not sure about Bernadette) and it seems she paid attention. The restaurant is located at MacSwiney Quay, Bandon. Tel. 023 8842715 and is open 10am - 5pm Mon to Fri, brunch 10am - 12pm Sat, dinner 6pm - 10pm Thu - Sat. Closed onn Sundays.

Last Week

2010-02-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

The start of last week was very quiet, didn't do much other than tomato chutney. Thursday I was suppose to go to Bubble Brother's wine tasting in the castle but decided instead to pay Cork Free Choice Consumer Group a visit in the Crawford Gallery. Ann Crowley who spent years in the Middle East introduced vegetarian food from Lebanon, Egypt etc. She shared some of her early memories on how food played an important part of everyday life. She was joined by Zico Ali (from Annie's Gastro Pub) who cooked up some amazing dishes and Samah (didn't catch the last name) who told us a bit about Egyptian Christians. There were too many dishes to list them all but I hope that Zico will publish a cook book soon..... (my wishful thinking anyway).

Lorraine invited me to her first wine night in Blarney and it was a great success. We were 6 girls (and all giggly) and each one brought a bottle of white wine. And as always, tastes are different and it was amazing to see how we rated the wines. Forgot to get the overall rating from Lorraine. Anyhow, the food was amazing, the wine kept coming and the company was outstanding....had a great time (only problem was, I had to get up early on Saturday to go to college)

Carol came over last night and we had a lovely bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and had a girly heart to heart. Today is going to be a bit easy. Have to do some studying and meeting some friends later in Mahon....and we are ready for the new week ahead.

Hope ye all had a great weekend as well - keep dining and wining...