Thursday, December 30, 2010

MARGARET RIVER GEM, plus dessert duel!

MARGARET RIVER GEM 
plus dessert duel!

Pat Whelan’s Brandy and Cream Sauce is delicious with a

THE WEEKEND CATCH

A bumper Weekend Catch, fresh from the Net. 
THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant Wine & Food Scene
via Twitter & Facebook
Control and click to follow the links and find out more.


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

THE LIFE OF IAIN

THE LIFE OF IAIN

Fed up of cooking and the kitchen? Let this man feed you for a while.

Iain Flynn is a national award winner and

Monday, December 27, 2010

FARM DELIGHTS

FARM DELIGHTS

Full up with pudding and all the other heavy Christmas sweets?

I have just the job for you. Or, more accurately, Drimoleague’s Glenilen Farm have, in the enticing shape of their Handmade Cheesecakes. They come in a range of gorgeous flavours, with absolutely no additives and the taste is just magnificent.

These are authentic farmhouse cheesecakes, handmade on Alan and Valerie Kingston’s family farm where they also make brilliant yoghurts (the very best, as far as I am concerned) and other dairy products such as butter, creams and cream cheese.

The cheesecake I bought was the Summerfruits one and I picked it up at the very impressive Ryan's Supervalu  in the Crestfield Shopping Centre in Riverstown. It was the

Thursday, December 23, 2010

THE WEEKEND CATCH

Don't forget the birds!

A bumper Weekend Catch, fresh from the Net  
THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant Wine & Food Scene
via Twitter & Facebook
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Nash19Cork Nash19 
Back in stock, Green Saffron Mulled wine spice blend. One packet and

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

UMMERA GOLD

UMMERA SMOKED PRODUCTS

If I had to make a short list of the top ten artisan foods, then Ummera’s Smoked  products would be up there, probably in the top five. Luckily I don’t have to make any such list which would also include the Sparkling Apple Juice of Tipperary’s Apple Farm, the Venison Burgers of Gubbeen, the Country Baguette made by Tom’s Bakery in Kinsale and the most recent arrival Iain Flynn’s Cannelloni Spinach and Ricotta.

Just wandering through the

Sunday, December 19, 2010

BALLYMALOE WINE EVENTS 2011

Can't get out and about to buy your presents. Don't worry. Here is one solution. Ballymaloe have gift vouchers for their 2011 wine events:

Upcoming wine events at Ballymaloe House
Gift vouchers available – the ideal gift for the wine lover
…………………………..

Winemaker Dinner with Tom Portet, from Penfolds Wines, Australia
Thursday 24th February 2011

Famous for its award-winning wines, Penfolds wines have won numerous national and international awards.  Join with winemaker, Tom Portet, as he leads us through a range of Penfolds wines, with a  matching dinner menu to his wines. Special Dinner, including specially chosen Penfolds wines. 8.00pm reception, followed by dinner with wines €75

…………………………..

Ballymaloe Wine Weekend Courses Introduction to Wine Appreciation with

Friday, December 17, 2010

THE WEEKEND CATCH

A bumper Weekend Catch, fresh from the Net.
THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant Wine & Food Scene
via Twitter & Facebook
Control and click to follow the links and find out more.

market1788 Paul @CorkBilly St. Lukes Choir in English Market @ 5.30 Saturday Spiced beef tastings for punters - proceeds Marymount Hospice

Nash19Cork Nash19 Back in

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

KARWIG FOR DESSERT WINES (even Olive Oil)

KARWIG FOR DESSERT

Looking for something to drink with your festival dessert? Then, I suggest you call down to Karwig Wines  in Carrigaline as they have quite a large selection, featuring wines from Germany, Hungary, France, Australia....

I was there for that very purpose this morning and got a warm welcome and advice, not to mention a tasting or two, from busy Emily and later met Joe Karwig himself and wife Betty, always in great form. Must say though the first friendly greeting was from the family dog!

My to-get list included a German Eiswein and that box was ticked with the purchase of a Dexheimer Sonnenberg Scheurebe Eiswein 2004, ABV 9.5%. The grape variety here is the Scheurebe and the wine has a golden colour, showing layers of apricot, pineapple and passion fruit. The sweetness and fruit is beautifully balanced by crisp acidity. An ideal companion for fine desserts and blue cheeses or simply on its own.

This Eiswein, much lower in alcohol, is nowhere near as heavy or as “sticky” as your Sauternes or Tokaji. It has its own admirable lighter qualities and indeed may be better with the dessert than some of the “stickies” which can sometimes overpower the dessert and are often best drunk on their own, maybe just after the pudding!

We did get to taste one of

MAHON POINT FARMERS MARKET

CHARITY TO BENEFIT AS MAHON POINT FARMERS MARKET LINKS ON LINE WITH LOCAL MARKETS.IE

Food connoisseurs of Cork now have access to Ireland's best Farmers Market 24 hours a day, 7 days a week thanks to www.localmarkets.ie.  


For foodies with a passion ­ the website even has links providing up to date information about the news and events taking place at the market. 

To mark the launch of the

Monday, December 13, 2010

SUPERB SOUP

  Colum O'Regan, Horizon Organic Farm, Supplier to Just Food

BLESSED BE THE SOUPMAKERS 

Three cheers for our artisan soupmakers. They make us full. They make us warm. Especially these cold days.

I’m thinking of three in particular: Just Food , Flynn's Kitchen and Cully & Sully. And they don't stop at soup. They also make other delicious products – just click on their sites to check it out.

I recently picked up a

BUYING IRISH

BUYING IRISH
NEED TO BE AWARE & AWAKE

Must admit I don't always have the green flag wrapped around me when I’m shopping, even for food. But If the Irish product has the quality and is price competitive, then I’ll

Sunday, December 12, 2010

FIRST SWEET STEPS

Never know what you'll see in an Austrian field!

FIRST SWEET STEPS    

Unless you can get yourself to a tasting, you’ll have to fund your first steps into sweet or dessert wine. And quite a few of these can be

Saturday, December 11, 2010

NASH 19

NASH 19

Always a pleasure to visit Nash 19 and yesterday’s lunch time date with two colleagues was no exception as a warm welcome was followed by some top notch food and service, including a drop or two of mulled wine.

Quite a few of you will have seen Tipperary’s Crowe's Farm  featured in RTE’s Ear to the Ground earlier in the week. And their bacon was the main feature of my lunch. It was served with, among other things, an apricot chutney, and the combination was first class.

Will be watching out for

Friday, December 10, 2010

KNOW YOUR PINEAU FROM YOUR FLOC

PINEAU DE CHARENTES 

Pineau de Charentes is a traditional regional drink, made from Cognac eau de vie and grape juice. It is usually about 17 per cent.

There are two types of Pineau des Charentes produced today, white and rosé (looks like a red). To be able to call the produce Pineau des Charentes, the cognac eau de vie and grape juice must come from the same property, and be aged in oak casks for a minimum period of 18 months.

The colour is amber with golden tints; it has a powerful aromatic palate, with subtle hints of ripe yellow fruits like apricot, honey and raisins. It is pleasantly sweet and refreshing.

Always served chilled, the Pineau is a wonderful aperitif, and you will see it in restaurants in the area, listed alongside the Kir and Campari. It is also excellent with meals and desserts and very good with cheese too.

In the