Carton House Braised Shoulder of Lamb

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)

Curry Night and all about Leeks

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.

Wine Dinner in Ballymaloe House

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

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.

New Wine Appreciation Course

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

Good wine, food and friends...

... 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.

Portuguese Wine Tasting

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.

Bar Pintxo

Linda and myself took the train up to Dublin Sunday 14th and we decided that we needed some informal surroundings for our thirst of wine. A look through Menupages.ie told us that Bar Pintxo might be the right idea.....and yeap, it was.

Bar Pintxo looks quite small from the outside but is quite spacious inside. Tables on the wall side are quite narrow together but downstairs has an extra room (on the night it was used as a private dining room for a girly party). All tables were taken when we arrived so we decided to sit at the bar. The atmosphere is dark-cosy, the way I like my wine bars to be. The bar displayed some of the tapas just as it is tradition in Spain. Some of the waiters were actually Spanish and the kitchen was manned by a tiny girl and a very tall guy.

The menu showed the usual suspects with hot and cold tapas but what I really liked they actually offered deep fried whitebait....a staple in all Spanish tapas bars but hardly to get here. I opted for mushroom croquettes (they were suppose to come in a creamy sauce - which didn't find its way to my plate) and tomato bread (wasn't the best I have had - try the one in An Cruibin). Linda opted for deep-fried squid and also some tomato bread.

The wine list showed some nice wines but we opted for Torres San Valentin (since it was Valentine's Day) and it was actually very nice. The total price came to €38.70 (we asked for some nuts and got almonds with a bit of salt charged €3.25). We had a good time, the staff were friendly although at times quite slow.

If you are in Dublin, pay them a visit.....even if it is just to use their toilets.....need to be seen to believe ;-)

Wine at the Castle

Last night was the first meeting of the newest wine club in Cork. Bubble Brothers called and the masses followed. Malene and Ben joined me with around 50 people attending the first meeting and the atmosphere was buzzing. The theme of the night was Champagne - mostly because BB imported the lovely bubbles first to Ireland. And who better to talk about Champagne than Valerie who just happens to be from the Champagne Region. We were treated to a movie about Champagne and Valerie added her fast knowledge to it.

The big numbers of guests were great news for BB but hard to control......at times I was afraid Billy would smash the glass :-) - I think they don't need more members at this stage. Great success.

We then went into the Castle Restaurant and the bubbles started bubbling. We tried 6 different Champagnes - below are my humble notes on them.


Jean Claude Vallois, Assemblage Noble Brut (100% Chardonnay) €38


These grapes are manually pressed and only the first pressing of the juice is used to make the wine. Pale yellow, fresh fruit and slightly acid. Taste of pear, dry on the palate with a bit of fizz. This Champagne would go great with seafood. Price is great as well. Wouldn't be my favourite as it doesn't have the wow effect I love in Champagne.



Andre Clouet Silver Label Brut Zero (100% Pinot Noir) €41

This Champagne is made without any sugar added. Rich yellow colour. Smell reminded me of autumn with leaves and straw. This is a more mature and masculine wine. It has a long finish but I couldn't make up my mind at all. Malene loved this one tho.



J de Telmont Grande Reserve Brut (34% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier, 33% Chardonnay) €40

Straw yellow colour with a fresh crisp bouquet. Slightly fizzy, wonderful dry finish, soft on the palate. Shouldn't be stored for long. I liked this one.


Louis Roederer Brut Premier (40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier) €48.50
Quite pale colour considering that the majority of the grapes are red. Couldn't really pin down the smell of the wine but it was almost buttery (if this makes sense). Quite disappointing in taste. Short finish, dry enough tho. Apparently this is a famous Champagne maker and the wine is stored for 3 years (15 months is the regulation), 40 different vintages are used - still for me nothing to write home about.

Gallimard Pere et Fils Brut Rose (100% Pinot Noir) €40

In short - summer in a glass, fresh, amazing and girly....my type of Champagne....I can see myself in summer sunshine in the garden having al fresco dinner with my friends and just enjoying life.....yeah...this one is on the list.



Andre Clouet Millesime 2003 (80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay) €51.50

2003 was the hottest summer and the grapes had to be harvest in August rather than as usual in September. This Champagne is the grown up one. Goldish yellow colour, good acidity, honey and cream come to mind, long dry finish, smooth but still rich. Only 30,000 - 50,000 bottles are made each year.....well worth the price




Billy's knowledge of the wine makers, procedures and wine industry is amazing and we learned a lot at the night (at least who ever listened :-). We also received a tasting booklet that helps finding the right wording for reviews and explains the flavours very well. A brochure of Champagne gave us a great overview of the region.

Next month's meeting will cover the Langedoque region.

The Blackrock Castle Wine Club

Hurrah, Bubble Brothers finally are launching a wine club in 2010. A new wine club for Cork, meeting 10 times a year at The Castle Bar & Trattoria at Blackrock Castle to enjoy good wine and good company (since I will be there :-) in very special surroundings. Write to club@bubblebrothers.com for more details. First meeting will take place Thursday 28th January 2010 at 7:30 - 9:30.

There are no details on the website, so you will have to email them. Haven't received any newsletter either - just saw it by accident when I paid Austin a visit. They might want to keep it small at the start....not sure. Will have to have a chat with good old Julian.

Haut Tropchaud, Pomerol - 2002

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

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

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

Wine Tasting at the AGA Shop

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

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

Anyway, enough dreaming, here are the wines:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wine Tasting at the AGA Shop

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

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

Book your ticket here

Hope to see you all there.

Finally - A Wine Fair in Cork

....I heard it through the grapevine a few weeks ago but was asked to keep a lid on it - which I did...but now Curious Wine has burst the bubble.......

So, the not-so big secret? A partnership with Cork’s 3 great independent wine merchants Bubble Brothers, Curious Wines and Karwig Wines, will host the first ever Good Wine Show, to be held Friday 13th and Saturday 14th November 2009, in the Clarion Hotel, Cork.

It’s the first time three independent wine importers have joined forces in Cork to show off their portfolios in a dedicated sample-and-buy event, and with the opportunity to taste over 100 different wines in one place and special discounts for the occasion, it’ll be the premier wine-buying show coming up to Christmas.

The sessions will run from 3pm to 8pm on Friday 13th, and 11am to 4pm on Saturday 14th, and tickets will cost €15. More details to follow in the coming weeks, including when and where to buy tickets.

I think I need to book into the hotel for the night :-)

Spanish Wines @ Bubble Brothers

Last night took us to Spain via the Marina, HQ of Bubble Brothers. Billy, managing director, Julian, Valerie & Chris offered a great selection of Spanish wines that was not only mouthwatering but inspiring as well. Julian, as always, was a fountain of information, knowledge & little stories. The numbers of tasters had actually doubled from the last wine tasting in the Aga shop. Bubble Brothers also had some special offers for us - 7 bottles of Champagne for the price of 6, Tamaral for €15.90 instead of €22.90 (six bottles are now nicely stuck away in my cupboard). With no further delay, below are the wines in the order we tasted them - again, the comments are mine and mine only and are not meant to be taken too seriously (was told more time than once that my tastebuds need an overhaul):

Mas Codina Cava, €21.00
A dry, crisp Catalan Cava with lovely bubbles that last and last with a light pale colour. A lovely alternative to Champagne for the fraction of the price - no one will notice unless you tell them. Will keep that one in mind.


Cuatro Rayas Sauvignon, €13.90
Probably the best white in the world???? Not sure, but then I am not the biggest fan of Sauvignon Blanc to begin with (too many bad one out there). Bouquet was quite perfumery for my liking with notes of vanilla and even a bit of pomegranate but the taste was completely different to what you expected after smelling it. Didn't stay on the palate for very long. For me - not the best. Won a Gold Medal.....hmmmmmm

Agro de Bazan Albarino, €17.50
From this vineyard I had already tried Rosado Mas de Bazan and Fish & Co (also an Albarino grape) and although I wasn't blown away, it was lovely wine nevertheless. Labelling for all the wines of Agro de Bazan is creative - this one being my favourite. Anyhow, the wine smelled sweet at first but when I stuck my nose in a second time, it had mellowed a lot. Fresh, dry and smooth with acidity that didn't disturb. Medium to long finish.



Mas Codina Rosat, €12.50
Dark colour, rich bouquet and a lovely dry finish. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, a perfect marriage that reminds me of summer with strawberry jelly and ice cream.



Cosecheros Tinto, Vine de Mesa, €9.95
Slight smokey bouquet, 100% Trempanillo with deep rich flavours but still light enough to be enjoyable on its own. Although I like Trempanillo, this wasn't one of my favourites - saying that, I wouldn't be too disappointed either if I get it as a gift (hint hint hint :-)



Edulis Rioja semicrianza, DOCa Rioja, €14.50
A great price for a very good wine. Dirty red colour, dry rich body with a smooth finish. Liked it a lot. Next time it is 'Me-Time' I will have this wine on the list.


Carramimbre Roble, DO Ribero del Duero, €15.90
Again, a great price for a very good wine. A Trempanillo with some Cabernet and Tinta del Pais thrown into for good measure. Lovely ruby colour, rich body but needs a lot longer to breathe than a normal Tempranillo. I think it has more to give than what we tasted last night.

Bodega Tamaral Crianza, €15.90 Special offer from €22.90
I had this wine on Austin's recommendation and loved it. I had it with lovely semi soft cheeses and homemade breads and it went perfectly with it. An explosion of taste in your mouth with a deep rich flavour and a long finish. This was a bargain I couldn't pass.


Otero Crianza, Vino de Calidad de los Valles de Benavente, €17.90
Almost black in colour, the smell doesn't give away the rich body of the wine. 14.5% makes this a wine to be taken serious. I liked it a lot - not sure if this is an easy wine to drink tho when you have guests.



Acustic, DO Montsant, €21.50
I wrote about this wine already some time ago on the blog and I don't have anything to add. The wine is hardly intervened with so you have the full flavour of the grape and nothing else. Loved it back then, love it now.


Verastegui PX, €10.95
This wine has an intense amber colour, honey tones that I can imagine goes well with blue cheese. Julian reckons it will go well with liver pate as well - and since I will be making my first ever liver pate I might actually offer this wine in case the pate turns out to be a disaster. The wine would make up for it :-) As far as dessert wines go, this is a bargain. The wine was served in special glasses......we were all begging for them but they are not on sale....hope they change that soon.

A great night, with great wines, lovely company and we were still in the 'winey' mood, so Wendy, Linda and myself decided to pay El Vino a visit where we bumped into Kevin & Paul and continued discussions about wines we had and loved.....a late night that sent me home with a silly smile on my face.

Next wine tasting will be in September - again in the Aga Shop. More about it later.

The Good, The Bad and The Turks

I had a lovely weekend with friends, food and wine. Friday morning Wendy and myself went all the way back to Kenmare via Kilkenny to stop at Avoca where we spent a 'little' money and had lovely cake (the poor lady behind the counter wasn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier and got seriously mixed up - she charged us €33 for a latte, tea, scone and piece of cake) and we enjoyed the view.

The rest of the day was spent in bliss as well - a cheese plate and a bottle of Costieres de Nimes helped a lot.

Saturday I was invited to Kate's housewarming party. We were supposed to paint the picket fence but we didn't want to disturb the natural beauty of the fence (if you need an excuse for anything, ask me.....I am pretty good in finding one :-). Kate's house is a lovely old farm house near Kilbrittain with a lovely view over the beach. It takes her and her two dogs, Wellington and Leopold, about 3 minutes walk to the beach. Am I jealous.....of course not.......grrrrr. She prepared a lovely BBQ with marinated salmon steaks, chicken and the old favourite - The Burger -. everyone tucked in and the wine and beer was flowing. The sun was shining and nothing really bugged us other than the bugs...(was eaten alive).

Sunday was Turkish Day as I invited a couple of friends around for dinner. I wanted to see if I can cook a 4-course dinner for under €30 (haven't calculated the costs yet so I am not sure if I have achieved the impossible). Anyhow, I decided to cook Turkish food. First of all, I used to live in Turkey when I was a spring chicken and loved it. I loved the food, the people and of course the sun. So I tried to keep the food as traditional as possible and as it is a habit of mine, made everything from scratch (just as I learned it when I lived in Izmir). The traditional meal in Turkey doesn't actually consists of several courses but of a loaded table. But being me.....I went the whole monty.

I started with a Meze Platter including stuffed vineleaves (totally out of practise rolling these little thingis), stuffed peppers, börek (filo pastry stuffed with Turkish cheese and herbs), olives, cacik (yogurt with cucumber and garlic) etc. The soup was a lentil soup - dead easy to make and on every menu in every restaurant that serves Turkish food. The main course was kadin budu köfte (ladies thighs - you have to love the poetic way the Turks name their dishes) served with couscous salad and green beans with tomatoes. With that I served yogurt. The dessert was an almond milk dessert sprinkled with pistachios. Jan didn't like the dessert and apparently I made the köfte too dry (should have used lamb instead of beef). But apart from that, I think the dinner was a success.

While interviewing Julian for this blog, we were chatting about new suppliers of Bubble Brothers and he was all excited about Domaine Du Haut Perron, Sonnemot 2008 - a rose that was full of flavour and promise of more to come which it fulfilled. Amazing wine and for €13.90 a bargain. This vineyard is also good for reds and whites...check out Bubble Brothers for more. But since I had only one bottle (yeah I know, very well thought through), I opened my last bottle of Costieres de Nimes and everyone loved the wine as much as I do. A medium bodied wine with a smooth finish. It was able to handle the garlic in the food quite well. But since this was my last bottle (I know I know...I am not getting better with the wine planning) I thought we try a wine that I got as a gift (I am not sure who gave me the wine) which was a bit of a mistake. First of all, it didn't have time to breathe and secondly it was a Cabernet Sauvignon - my pet hate. Ravendale Coonawarra 2005 needs a lot of time to develop - not that it improves the taste too much. It is a bitter wine from start to finish, very surprising for the Cabernet but that is the only way to describe the wine. So I offered the wine to my dad the day later and guess what.....he loves it but then, I am not sure if his tastebuds survived his last stew where he included 3 bulbs (yes, I am saying bulbs) of garlic and our homegrown chilli.

Music in the background was Sufi music (normally played for special occasions with the dervishes). Next dinner will be French (and no, I am not going to invite any French people.....;-). Watch this space for more tales from my kitchen.

Wine Tasting in the Marina

Bubble Brothers has heard my prayers and is hosting another wine tasting. Again, with only a cover fee of €10.....it will be an enjoyable evening.

Julian from Bubble Brothers will be introducing a selection of wines from Spain, starting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 19th August. The venue on this occasion is Bubble Brothers' own shop on the Centre Park Road, Cork, at the entrance to the Marina Commercial Park.

I have booked my ticket.....hope to see you all there :-)

Ups, I cheated

...Jan came over on Tuesday and I offered to cook a curry for us (was actually planned for Wednesday that he and Caz were coming). Anyhow, since I was short in time, I decided to use the two spice mixes I purchased from Green Saffron last Sunday at the Medieval Festival in Carrigtwohill. I never used the mixes before but used to give them away as gifts. Anyhow, this time I decided to use them myself.

I had the Chana Masala (chickpea curry) and Red Lentil Dhal (I loooovvvvveee Dhal) mixtures. Canned tomatoes and coconut milk are always in the cupboard. I even had the aged basmati Arun Karpil was so raving about - only the best for Caz and Jan (even without Caz).

The instructions were easy to follow (although in earlier versions of the mixes, the recipes were on the pack - this time I had to download them from their website) and it was really quick. The aroma flying through my kitchen were simply mouthwatering and the results were actually very good. I prefer my Chana Masala a bit less thick (the spices in this case were overpowering) but the Dhal was simply perfect.

I paid Austin of Bubble Brothers a visit in the English Market and asked for a wine that would go nicely with the meal and he recommended Meyer Pinot Blanc 2007, €17.50 from Alsace - organic and biodynamic. The wine was fresh and clean and cut very nicely through the spices. And since Jan and myself had to drive that evening we just left it at one glass each but I had no troubles finishing the wine last night even without food. And it was still very clean, apple fresh and simply one of the better whites from the Alsace.

And even with the food and wine, Jan and I were still able to talk about his upcoming wedding to Caz......getting so excited :-)

Wine Tasting with Bubble Brothers

As most of you - who read my blog regularly - know, my favourite wine merchant is Bubble Brothers. That is mostly down to the very good work of Austin in the English Market and Julian in the head office.

Anyhow, last night Julian invited to a wine tasting in the Aga Shop (Lapp's Quay, behind the Clarion) and he brought some truly amazing wines. The scheme was ,A virtual tour of the Languedoc'. His knowledge of the region is based on visits he did himself and of course of meeting with the producers in person.

We tasted 9 wines covering most of the Languedoc area and ranged from white over rose to red and of course, don't forget the dessert wine.

17 people attended the tasting and it was big enough to make it worth doing but small enough to be not too intimidating. Wendy, Sue and Linda joined me (and seriously girls, you have to take these tastings a bit more serious :-)

Okay, here we go. These are the wines we tasted (the comments are mine and mine only and should not be taken as cast in stone - what do I know about wine?)

Vinitrio, Vine de Pays d'Oc (Viognier) €11.50

A screwcap bottle with a slim green label. Very pale colour, apple fresh bouquet, slight zing to it but a short finish. Very light - ideal for weddings.

Domaine Reine Juliette, Terres Rouges (Picpoul de Pinet) €12.90

Picpoul means lipstingler and the high acidity proves the name right. I couldn't really find words to describe the smell - a bit strange for me. Again, pale colour. Warm on the palate with a long finish. Perfect with any seafood.



Mas des Bressades, Tradition Blanc, €13.90

This vineyard produces white, rose and reds and I have tried the rose a few months back and wasn't massively impressed and this white - a mixture of Grenache Blanc and Rousanne - didn't do it for me either. This wine was unoaked and very young and in my humble opinion lacked character. A perfumery bouquet was - at least for me - offputting but the flavour reminded me of late summers. Julian described it as fullbodied.....I couldn't make up my mind. 13% alcohol but it tasted a lot stronger.

Mas des Bressades, Tradtion Rose, €13.90

Again, this wine was very young and failed to rock my chair but I am sure it would be a hit at weddings. Linda loved the wine but it wouldn't be my favourite. Light pink colour, ripe strawberries coming through. Dry finish. I wouldn't know what to match it with foodwise.



Chateau Bertrand, Corbieres Rouge, €12.90

A dark, almost 'dirty' red colour with a rich berry bouquet. Redcurrents coming through quite strong. A slight bitter finish but long lasting. This wine is a winner with any game dish you want to serve (that reminds me that I still have to cook that rabbit stew I am planning for so long).



Chateau Jouclary, Cuvee Tradition, €13.50

One of the wines I buy when I am in the mood of treating myself. Me, the wine, the cheese and the book with Ludovico Einaudi in the background - a perfect evening. Anyhow, this wine is good on its own but goes really well with French half soft cheeses - wouldn't match it with too mature cheese tho. It has a rich dark red colour, a quite sweet ripe berry bouquet (no worries it is not a sweet wine at all), it got a bold structure with a warm finish that lasts.


Chateau la Villatade, AOC Minervois, €15.90

This was the first time I tried this wine and I know now why Austin has not recommended it to me (he knows my taste too well by now). This wine has an almost black red colour which is amazing actually. I can only describe the smell as 'musty' with a hint of perfum. High tannin made it not one of my favourites.


Domaine Rimbert, Les Mas au Schiste, €19.90

I was lucky enough to meet this guy a few years ago at the Bubble Brothers Winefair and was almost falling in love with him. I tried one of his wines and he could see that I wasn't impressed so he let me try his 'favourite' wine and I am still happy that I did. This wine is one of my alltime favourites and I have to admit that I am quite stingy with it. I had it at one of my own wine tastings and the crowd wasn't overly impressed - just proves that there is no formula for taste.

Ripe fruit comes through, giving it a bold structure with delicate notes. It has a long finish and I can say that it goes nicely with my favourite cheese - The Munster - without having to hide behind the strong flavour of the cheese.

Mas Amiel, AOC Maury, €19.90

A red sweet dessert wine. I used it for marinating strawberries for the dessert of my Great British Menu challenge and have to admit that it went so well with the berries and the creme brulee. A nice change to the whites you get served. This should also be very nice with blue cheese and honey drizzled over it....the new bottle looks more like a beer bottle to be honest and I really hope that they still manufacture the elegant longneck bottles.

I also met Kevin, owner and chef of Fenn's Quay. Linda and myself actually love going there for lunch. It is bigger inside than it looks from the outside. The food is simple but very good with a regular changing menu. The portions for lunchtime are perfect. The staff knows their stuff as well and you feel welcome the minute to step a foot in. Kevin and his lovely cousin Kate and I had such a lovely chat that we completely forgot the time.