Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting
Golds for Gleeson

Gleeson incorporating Gilbey’s, Ireland’s largest wine distributor, scooped a total of eight accolades at the recent National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) Awards for a variety of their wine brands. These awards include four gold medal awards, one silver medal award and three bronze medal awards.

Gleeson incorporating Gilbeys, who have a major base in Little Island,  had an outstanding night, winning  gold medal accolades in the following categories:

•         New World White under €8         Stony Cape Chenin Blanc, South Africa

•         New World Red under €10          Grant Burge ‘Benchmark’ Shiraz, Australia

•         Old World Red under €8            Canti Negroamaro/Zinfandel, Italy

•         Old World White under €10        B&G Original Sauvignon Blanc, France


They added one silver award and three bronze awards. All of the above listed wines are available in NOffLA’s 330+ independent off licences around the country

No wonder, Sally-Anne Cooney (right), General Manager of Gleeson incorporating Gilbeys, which distributes the above award-winning wines in Ireland, was happy: “This is a fantastic result and we are thrilled that a large variety of our wonderful wine brands have received such high honours at the National Off Licence Association Awards. All of the wines we represent are produced to exceptional quality and as you can see our gold medal winners are all €10 or less, meaning that in these economical times you can still splash out on a beautiful wine as one of life’s little pleasures.”

Hanleys and Jam Go Barmy for Charity this Halloween 
Hanleys of Cork (Garden Centre) and Jam Café are gearing up for another haunting Halloween with limited edition Halloween barmbracks in aid of the Children's Ward at Cork University Hospital.

The artisan barmbracks which will retail at €2.80 will see €1 from each sale going towards the children’s ward at CUH.Bracks will also contain in-baked exclusive prizes including a specially designed ring by Kenmare designer Paul Kelly worth over €500, vouchers to the value of more than €1,000 from Hanleys and a weekend break in the Brook Lane Hotel, Kenmare.

Speaking of the special Halloween barmbrack, James Mulchrone, Jam Café said, “The humble barmbrack is still one of the main Halloween treats that spring to mind around this time of year and is a uniquely Irish tradition. We are giving the old symbols found in the barmbrack a new twist so there will be no such thing as bad luck from a piece of cloth with our bracks. Instead, more than 200 will contain prizes and donate €1 from each brack to a great cause, making everyone a winner!"

Annual Wine Fair
We're really proud to announce that our forthcoming event "The 12th Cork Wine & Craft Beer Fair" will take place on Wednesday 21st November 2012 from 4-9pm in the Rochestown Park Hotel! It's going to be a great night of master classes, tastings and demonstrations and all in aid of Cork Simon Community! Tickets are available from all of our stores and are only €10! Stay tuned for more info...

Fresco Eaterie & Bistro
Brian and Kash (above) are rebels! So much so that they're organising a "Rebel fusion" taster menu in November in association with L'Atitude 51 Wine Bar. They're taking traditional Cork ingredients and turning them into dishes inspired by different countries. We'll let you know when tickets are on sale..we're only allowing 50 places! Should be a great night!

Shorts
Farrukh ‏@implausibleblog  2* Michelin Tasting Menu  video details

The Evolution of Tapas and Culture at El Tapeo by Chef Seamus Mullen and Chef Linton Hopkins on Spanish Ham without Borders. See it all here...

 YoughalOnline.com ‏@youghalonline Black Rabbit Market – Selling 100% Organic Products: The Black Rabbit Market is based outside the Links... http://dlvr.it/2JYzvN  #youghal

Risingtiderestaurant ‏@Risingtidebar “On Fri 2nd Nov, we'll be having our annual Halloween Fancy Dress Party. Champagne on arrival followed by 4-course dinner & live music €25pp We have just booked the band Souled Out for the party!! It'll be a fun night!!”

Chicken And Rabbit Paella

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting
Drinks

Chateau Bauduc at the Cornstore

Cork’s Cornstore is the place to be on Thursday 18th October when ace wine-maker Gavin Quinney of Chateau Bauduc presents some of his top wines. And it won’t be just the wine. The Cornstore have an accomplished team and they be keeping their end up with five fabulous courses. Five courses, five wines, all for €45.00.

Matt Kane, of Curious Wines who are also associated with the event, tells me Gavin’s wines need little introduction: “House white at the three Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for eleven consecutive years, special selection at Rick Stein's and regulars in our own top 10 sellers, Château Bauduc are the essence of modern Bordeaux. The best known are perhaps are the Bauduc Sauvignon Blanc and the red Clos des Quinze.”

Château Bauduc is just 25 kilometres south east of Bordeaux and has been run by the Quinneys since 1999. They have been wowing the critics since soon after.

Take this quote from Oz Clarke as an example: "Since the first vintage in 2000 the Quinneys have made Bauduc into a very smart operation, selling direct to consumers through mail order and the internet, and gaining regular listings with such star chefs as Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein. The wine deserves it. Red, pink and white, they are utterly drinkable, each possessing a classic, mouth-watering Bordeaux texture and easy going fruit."

Haven’t got the menu to hand yet but, knowing the Cornstore form in previous wine dinners, you can be sure it will be top class. A fantastic evening is on the cards.

Where: The Cornstore, 40A Cornmarket Street, Cork. Bookings: 021-4274777.
When: Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tickets from Curious Wines: €45, bookable online here  or by calling free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes five course dinner and matching wines.

Santa Rita Competition
Santa Rita, the leading Chilean wine range in Ireland, is offering wine connoisseurs the ultimate ‘money can’t buy’ prize, an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most renowned wine makers. If you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal and ask all those need to know questions then here is your chance!
To enter just create your personalised wine label and you could be in with a chance to win one of the fantastic prizes.

Prize 1: An exclusive evening with Santa Rita wine makers at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin on January 18th, 2013. Enjoy a unique wine tasting experience accompanied by gourmet food in the company of people who grew, nurtured and produced our outstanding wines.

“We've a pair of tickets to this event to win every week. A personalised case of delicious Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc wine that comes complete with your name on the label. We've got a case to give away every month."

To enter click here

Cheese and Wine Pairing
Recently L’Atitude 51 had a Cheese Wine Pairing evening.
First up was St. Tola Irish organic goat cheese log paired with Domaine de Chatelard Fleurie (Beaujolais Cru)
Smooth creamy textured cheese. Full flavoured, sweet with honey undertones that develop further as the cheese matures.
The low supple tannins of the Beaujolais complement the texture of the cheese. Its fruitiness works really well with the cheese’s naturally high acidity
A crisp dry white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling would work really well with this cheese also.
Read all about the other pairings here

Food
‎The annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival has another action packed schedule this year, starting on October 25th running through to Monday October 29th.
There are lots of new events, suitable for all the family, including 'The Mad Hatters Tea Party' & 'Savour Taste Buds' both in the Castle Yard as well as the Kids Agri tour at Cillin Hill.
In addition to the food market and celebrity chefs' cookery demonstrations on the Parade Plaza, there are foraging walks, food talks and many very appealing  dining events in restaurants and eateries throughout the city and county.
Full details on all events on Savour Kilkenny.

Shorts

Amicus Restaurant
“Our new restaurant, La Lavanda, is opening on today, Thur 11th October, where the old Amicus in Douglas used to be...the next few days will be crazy but we love it! “

Rising Tide "On Fri 2nd Nov our Fancy Dress Halloween Party will take place. 4-course meal with champagne on arrival for €25p.p."

West Cork Garlic ‏Seed garlic now available.

A great resource: Bord Bia Recipes 

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Buy Irish Biscuits
Christmas shopping will be starting soon and you’ll be tempted by large displays of imported shortbread biscuits. I saw some yesterday while waiting in line at TKMaxx! But think before you buy. Why not buy Irish this year and pick up a few packs of Seymour’s. They are top notch, a cut above most of the tinned imports, and made in Bandon!

One of the highlights of visiting local food festivals is meeting up with the producers and that certainly proved the case at last month’s Midleton Food Festival.

One of the “new" people I met was Philip O’Connor of Seymour Fine Foods  who are based in West Cork and are quite well known for their fabulous biscuits. I had sampled the biscuits previously at Irish Foodie in Blackpool.

But they are widely available around the country and you may see the full list of stockists here. And, it is not just Ireland, as Seymours are available in 42 stores in France! Check out their online shop as well.

More and more cheese, most of it local and Irish, is appearing on the Irish table and Seymours have a range of biscuits to match. They have quite a range overall and there are still a few that I am looking forward to trying, including Cranberry and Almond and also their Raspberry bites.

‎Midleton Farmers Market‎
“October Bank Holiday Weekend is fast approaching. Very excited to announce micro brewers and local cheese producers to attend Midleton Farmers Market again this year for free beer and cheese tasting event. It was a huge success last year. So put 27th October @ Midleton Farmers Market in your diary to kick off the Jazz weekend. See you there.”

Art and Food
Many of you spend time in Museums and Galleries nowadays, whether on holidays or here at home. You usually need some sustenance and we have a great example close to us in Cork where Fresco Bistro can fill that gap when you call to the Glucksman. Not just fill that gap, mind you. Fresco, run by Brian and Chef Kash, serves up interesting food of a very high standard.

 But it didn’t make a World Top Ten list recently published in the London Evening Standard (online version, at least).

A tiny garden café attached to the little known Garden Museum in London did make it. Just room for one in the kitchen apparently, two if you count the person doing the washing up. It is the only London museum restaurant on the list which also includes at number two, Nerua, the one star Michelin restaurant at the Guggenheim in Bilbao that I visited this year. Don’t know who drew up the list but, if anyone does, let them know about Fresco!

The Dingle Food Festival is this weekend’s big event and you may see the full  programme here.

Wine
Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines has been in touch: “We are delighted to announce that we are finally holding our first wine course. It will be a 5 week course commencing Thursday October 11th and will cost €75 person. It will run from 7.30pm to 9pm every Thursday for 5 weeks and take place in the warehouse unless numbers demand a bigger venue. More details here.

More Autumn Wine Events

Shorts

Lots of autumnal beef recipes via Bord Bia 

The making of Toons Bridge Mozzarella, a Dan Linehan video on You tube

Market Lane Christmas menu

Recipe for Kinvara Smoked Salmon and Crab Parcel

Food and Drink Spotting

Marc and Darra
of Golden Bean.
Ballymaloe pic.

Food and Drink Spotting

Coffee Delights
Must say I’m enjoying some great coffee these days.

Many of you will know from recent media coverage that Robert Roberts won a 3 Gold Star Award for their widely available Java Coffee Beans but the coffees that I have at the moment from the long established Dublin firm are from Central and South America.

The Cuban Altura, an earthy smooth flavoured cupful, is now almost used up. Most of Cuba’s coffee is grown for the local market and for some limited export markets. Glad that this came our way.

The September selection from Roberts is the Bolivian Nakhaki, smooth and regarded as “very sweet”. Didn’t really notice any great sweetness, the term is relative anyhow, but found it well balanced and creamy. Up until recently, the coca bean was the main crop in Bolivia but it is now recognised that they have the rich soil and ideal conditions for growing top class coffee. This is one of them!

And the top class standard continued with a recent purchase from the Golden Bean Roastery which is based at Ballymaloe House. I bought my pack at the Mahon Point Farmers Market.

The Yirga Cheffe comes from the highlands of Ethiopia. This is a lovely coffee, bright and crisp, fragrant, with a slightly chocolaty or nutty quality and a bit stronger than you might expect for its light to medium body. Maybe use just a little less coffee when brewing up your cup!

Glenisk partners with the Marie Keating Foundation and supports local communities
As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Glenisk has partnered with the Marie Keating Foundation, donating €25,000 to help the charity raise awareness of breast cancer, promote screening and prevention measures, and help those families who have been adversely affected by the illness. Glenisk has created a series of Limited Edition Pink Yogurt packs to highlight the partnership across the company’s Fat Free Organic yogurts, which are available in Natural (500g), Strawberry (4x125g) and Tropical Fruits (4x125g).

In addition, Glenisk has set up a small fund on their Facebook page, inviting visitors to apply for ten community support grants of €250 each. The funds are for events or fundraisers which help to make a difference in local communities around Ireland. Community organisers and charities can apply on Facebook. Further information on all Glenisk products, partnerships and organics is available at www.glenisk.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Drinks

L’Atitude 51
“In association with On The Pig's Back, we are delighted to announce a Cheese & Wine Masterclass taking place on Wednesday 3rd October @7pm upstairs in our Wine Workshop. A Tasting of 6 Cheeses & 6 Wines carefully selected for each cheese to teach you about cheese and wine pairing. You can experiment with the different combinations & find the best match for yourself."

Admission €15. Spaces are limited so booking is essential. Send them a message on FB, or call 021 2390219 or email info@latitude51.ie to book your spot.
 .
Good news for Magnol lovers
For a couple of years (vintages of 2008 and 2009), Mother Nature put a halt to the development of the Château Magnol production. Two hail storms in a row (unheard of by Bernard, their winemaker for 40 years) had drastically shortened the yields, forcing them to put their best customers on allocations for the past 3 years. Time for celebration now though as the 2010 vintage  produced 15,000 cases “of an extraordinary quality”. More info from Barton and Guestier here

Don’t forget  the 'Margaret River comes to East Cork' event at Ballymaloe, this Thursday 27th September. Well known winemaker, David Hohnen (formerly of Cloudy Bay, which he established, and Cape Mentelle) oversees a Margaret River wine presentation, followed by a 'Fire-cooking Harvest Supper' by Wildside's Ted Berner - more details here at this link.

Shorts

Dermie's Spanish Baked Eggs with Tomato & Gubbeen Chorizo ... 

Gary O’Hanlon, recent winner of the Celtic Cook-Off in Skibbereen, goes all French for RTE. Here he shows his class with Coq au Vin:

Congrats to St Tola who won two Awards this week at the Irish Cheese Awards! Their lovely Ash log won Silver in the New Cheese Category while their classic St Tola Log won Gold in its class!

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Arun Kapil, Green Saffron Spices, Cork; Mary Beary, Taste Kerry; Ciara McGee, South Cork Enterprise Board; and Kathleen O'Connor, Sasta Sausages, Killorglin, Co Kerry; with Amber, Ardsallagh Goats Cheese; at the launch of the Inaugural Cork / Kerry Food Forum, which takes place at the Rochestown Park hotel on 1st Oct.

The Cork Kerry Food Forum
The Cork Kerry Food Forum 2012 is to be held at the Rochestown Park Hotel on October 1st. There will be workshops, exhibitions, a conference and one to one mentoring sessions. Get all the times and details here.

More than 200 people involved in the region’s burgeoning food sector will meet with Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney T.D., at the forum which is aimed at SME food producers, buyers, retailers and distributors who are keen to further their knowledge of the Irish food sector which is worth more than €20billion to the economy. Read more.


Waterford Festival to Host 'A Taste of Brittany Market'
Storytelling Southeast – September 26 - 30
Storytelling Southeast, a festival in Dungarvan which has been developing its Celtic connections with the French region of Brittany where Storytelling is a popular culture, will this year for the first time host a 'Taste of Brittany' artisan food market.
From Thursday, September 27 to Saturday, September 29 the 'Bretagne Excellence' producers will feature at Dungarvan Castle with some of Waterford finest food producers creating a Celtic market of the first artisan foods at 'Village Breton'.
A not to be missed highlight of the festival takes place on Friday evening when the renowned French singer, storyteller and poet Giles Servat will host an audience at the Town Hall Theatre. And the final day of the festival offers families and story lovers a variety of events. An afternoon of free family fun day at Walton Park followed by a free live gig with American band Jason Serious. For further details see here

Cafe Paradiso
Now you're all nicely settled back into school, ROMM is back with some homework for you. Learn to make this sublime custard. The rewards will be heavenly. Someone will love you for it. Recipe

Ballyvolane House
Despite the wettest summer in 40 years, the house has been buzzing, the glamping has been in full-swing, the gardens have been blooming and exploding with veg and the weddings have gone well. ITV has also been filming here with actor James Nesbitt. He is presenting a travel show about Ireland - due to be broadcast in March 2013.
Check the Autumn highlights here

Milleens Cheese
Irish farmstead cheese making is the story of a great comeback, one told in Culture's autumn issue by writer Maggie Armstrong. Here's a glimpse at Irish cheese maker Veronica Steele's early days of production, before Milleens became the lauded name it is today: Milleens: the Humble Irish Beginning 
Veronica will be sharing her life philosophy with us at the Bandon Arts Festival on Sat 29 Sept 5.30pm in Urru. Details.

Shorts

A Blueberry Mojito

October Beer Festival at Franciscan Well

Porcinis with a view!

Multi Colored Corn @ City of Falls Church Farmer's Market 

PICNIC PIZZA MUFFINS from Rozanne Stevens: This recipe is a real crowd pleaser with kids and adults alike loving to devour them. Picnic Pizza Muffins are the perfect picnic bag and lunch box filler, although they may be gobbled up before lunchtime! Get the recipe

Easy peasy Granola Recipe from Fernhill House Hotel Clonakilty 

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Pictured at the announcement were Bernadette Byrne, Bord Bia, Ross Lewis, Chef, Chapter One and Florent Suplisson, Director of Bocuse d’Or

Irish Beef

Irish beef has been selected as a key ingredient for Bocuse d’Or, the esteemed French and world renowned, culinary competition. The Bocuse d’Or held every two years in Lyon, France, is regarded as the most challenging and prestigious haute cuisine cooking competition. The selection of Irish beef, following a rigorous and lengthy process by the Bocuse d’Or International Organisation Committee, was based on its grass fed nature meaning the product is of a high quality in terms of tenderness, taste and texture. Securing this much sought after accolade is an invaluable endorsement and recognition of Irish beef.
 Referred to as the Olympics of the culinary world, the Bocuse d’Or was pioneered and named after a 3 Star Michelin Chef, Paul Bocuse, in order to broaden the public’s understanding of the extraordinary dedication, practice and precision required to execute the very finest cuisine. Securing a place as a chef in the Bocuse d’Or Finals is an honour in its own right and involves months of preparation and planning whilst beating off stiff competition in the World Series of qualifying rounds and heats.
Much more on the Bocuse d’Or and our Irish beef here

Milleens 
The Steele Family, founders of Milleens Cheese and pioneers of cheese making in Ireland, will be at Bandon’s URRU on September 29th for a special event.
The Art of Living – in conversation with the Steele Family will take place as part of the Bandon Arts Festival on Saturday, September 29th at 5.30pm in Urru Culinary Store, McSwiney Quay, Bandon.

The around-the-table conversation will be led by West Cork based food writer Dianne Curtin and active audience participation will be encouraged. Milleens cheese based canapés and refreshments will be served.There is no entry charge for the event however as space is limited to 30 people early arrival is recommended.

Greene’s feed the Palace
Well, maybe not that royal palace, but McCurtain Street restaurant Green’s are stepping up to the plate in a big way this weekend to help their neighbours, The Everyman Palace Theatre. The Palace has a double Tom Murphy bill on this Saturday, one show (A Whistle in the Dark) at 3.00pm and a second (Conversations on a Homecoming) at 8.00pm).

Greene’s will help feed the assembled troops and will open an hour earlier (5pm) Saturday, to feed those of you who'd like to dine between watching the Druid Murphy double bill! That’s the way to do it. The more we pull together, the further we will go.

20 Nations To Compete In World Oyster Opening Championship
The Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship will take place on Saturday 29th September in the festival marquee, 12pm-7pm. The 58th Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival and will see contestants from 20 countries around the globe battle it out to become the 2012 World Champion! Tickets are €70 and include admission, half a dozen oysters, 2 tastes at the Food Village, a complimentary beverage and non-stop entertainment from 12pm-7pm.

Books and Food
If you like books and food, then Kilkenny’s Graignamanagh is the place to be on Sunday 23rd according to Twitter’s ‏@TownOfBooksFest. They have an artisan food & craft market on on the Sun 23rd (11.00am to 5.00pm), featuring chef @EdwardHayden. The bookfest by the way starts on the Friday and you may see the full programme here.

Drinks
Ballymaloe’s Early Start

There is a 4.30pm start next Sunday for the New Zealand Wine Adventure at The Grain Store at Ballymaloe. The event features New Zealand winemakers Larry McKenna, Escarpment Wines, Martinborough & John Hancock, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawkes Bay. Meet the winemakers, listen to their story, and taste their wines over a tutored tasting. A great way to learn more about New Zealand and its wonderful wines. This Sunday, at 4.30pm. € 15 (includes wine presentation and wine tasting)

Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wine tells me he has finally given in to the pressure: “I have been asked about a wine course for many years and while I have given them to larger groups on request, we haven't yet run our own in house course. The planned one will be a 5 week course. More details to follow but the basics - It will start some time in October (date TBC) and will cost €75. It will be on from 7.30-9pm in the warehouse but at least one of evenings we want to move the class near a kitchen and match some wines to food. All details will be posted up soon on our Facebook page ( give us a Like ) as well as in the shop and on the next newsletter.”

Shorts

@tastewestfest  - Join us for a bite at Taste of Westfest Sat 15 & Sun 16 Sept, Newcastle West, Co Limerick - part of the Knights of Westfest Music extravaganza 12-16 Sept.

Meet the Goat this Saturday, 15th September, at Castlemary Farm, Cloyne; see how cheese is made from milk fresh from the goats and enjoy some tastings and a mini BBQ. Elke of @biasats filled me in: “Olive is our host for this event and she is looking forward to meeting you all. Price per person is €15 which includes tastings & BBQ as well as information about goats farming. Children are welcome and go free but as this is a working farm, need to be supervised. Please email biasasta@hotmail.com to book your place.”

On Saturday 29th September 2012 - 8:00pm in the Temperance Hall, Emmet Street, Kinsale, go and see Betrayal,  A One Man Play By Bill Griffin, in support of Breakthrough Cancer Research. Not a food event, but a good cause.

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

One of the Fenns Quay Puntsavers.
One old punt or two euro!

Food Champs Wanted

Fáilte Ireland is seeking nominations for emerging food champions with a resounding passion and belief in Irish food, and a commitment and drive to actively influence and shape the future of Irish cuisine and food tourism in their region.

12 nominees will be selected, representing a mixed group of owner/managers of food service businesses and members of the wider food tourism community, who are committed to playing a role in developing Ireland’s food tourism proposition and reputation More here.

Midleton Food & Drink Festival

From 10 am on Saturday morning till 5pm The Midleton Food and Drink Festival will be on the Streets, with over 60 food stalls, craft maker demonstrations, Craft exhibition, The Farmers Market, children's entertainment in the Library and on the streets, Fashion shows. Come to Midleton for a great day out for all the family.

Slow Food Tours at Waterford Harvest Festival

Ireland’s biggest food festival – ‘Harvest’ which takes place in Waterford from September 10 to 16 has announced a series of Slow Food Tours to take place throughout the festival week.

The first Slow Food Tour of the Festival takes place on September 10 and will visit a prize winning dairy farm at milking time to view the process in action and will then meet John Flahavan at the sixth generation miller’s facility at Flahavan’s Porridge in Kilmacthomas.

The final stop is an opportunity to meet Grace Kiersey and take a tour of her vegetable garden also near Kilmacthomas, County Waterford. For the rest of the programme, click here

Cornstore Mussels!

The September Mussel Festival has just kicked off in both Limerick and Cork Restaurants! Details.

White Horse Food, Beer and Music Fest!

The annual White Horse festival kicks off next week. Thursday Sept 13th is Meet The Brewer In Assoc. with The Franciscan Well Brewery. It includes a welcome beer, a 3 course tasting menu with beer pairings, and a brewing talk from Fran, the Well Head Brewer. Tickets €15 from www.whitehorse.ie or from the bar.
Full programme


Fenn’s Quay Top Taster Offers

Fenn’s Quay Restaurant is pleased to present a new PuntSaver selection in addition to their lunch and dinner menus. Kate Lawlor, who is known as a chef with a passion for local ingredients, has created an array of new scrumptious items available for just €2 each.

Each day, she now offers several items on the €2 ‘PuntSaver’ taster menu based on what is available fresh from the local producers. Taster items include: Rosscarbery white pudding & shellfish de la mer scallops, Goatsbridge trout caviar, Ardsallagh goats cheese & crispy wild rock samphire, or Ballyhoura mushrooms with wild sea samphire.

Dee’s Quinoa Pots

Dee's is about to launch 3 New Food-to-Go Quinoa Pots. Quinoa? Dee tells me that quinoa is a fantastic, naturally gluten-free grain and is a complete protein so you get all the essential amino acids your body needs, not to mention packed full of vitamins and minerals. Read all about it and the new pots here

Drinks

Ballymaloe

Sunday 16th September, 4.30pm

‘A New Zealand Wine Adventure in Ballymaloe’

With New Zealand winemakers Larry McKenna, Escarpment Wines, Martinborough & John Hancock, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawkes Bay.

€15 (includes wine presentation and tasting)


The Restaurant at Donnybrook Fair  have their October Wine Dinner taking place on the 31st where they will welcome Dr John Forrest from Forrest winery in New Zealand as host..

Shorts

‏Dates for your diary. Sept 22nd and 23rd. Ciderfest (and apple fest) at The Apple Farm.

Cork newest restaurant. Check out the menu here

Bradley’s Off Licence's new website:

Friday fiver at Griffin’s Garden Restaurant in Dripsey! Where would you like to begin your weekend? Sitting outside looking at the meandering river and eating a full gourmet lunch for just five Euros. Well Griffins can guarantee that (except the sunshine but a high probability it will be sunny) Lunch will be served from 12:30 till 3:30.

Food & Drink Spotting Updates!

Extra night for the Tom Crean Dinner at Annie's

Emma from Annie's Gastro-Pub has been in touch to say that their multi-course Tom Crean Lager Dinner on the 22nd of this month has been practically sold out. As a result, they will also hold the event on the 21st.

We asked Emma about the start time of 18.35, (6.35pm). "This is due to the association with the Dingle Brewing Company and Tom Crean's lager to these numbers. Tom Crean undertook an 18 hour trek over 35 miles to save two of his companions during the Terra Nova expedition."

After the meal, Annie's will hosts the trad artists who are regular performers in the wonderful Corner House to perform for diners, "to add to the evening's experience". One of the musicians is Pat (Herring) Ahern, a very highly regarded guitarist, who happens to be father of Mark, one the chefs at Annie's! Should be a good one.

To book, ring Annie's at 021 4398384.

St Tola Cheese

Ballymaloe Wine Event 
We've also heard from Ballymaloe's Colm McCan: "We have our line-up of 'Clare' producers now fully confirmed for the upcoming event at Ballymaloe 'Its a long way from Clare to here - A taste of Clare, in East Cork', at Ballymaloe, Sunday 9th September, 6.00pm.

- winemaker, Dave Palmer, Skillogalee Wines, Clare Valley, South Australia,
- Birgitta Curtin, Burren Smokehouse
-Siobhán Ni Ghairbhith, St.Tola Goats Cheese."

€18 (includes wine presentation & tasting, and food presentation’s & tasting).

Further information, and bookings, please contact Ballymaloe House by e-mail colm@ballymaloe.ie or by telephone:             00 353 (0) 21 4652531    

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Ballymaloe Wine Events

Skillogalee

Ballymaloe’s Colm McCan tells me they have some interesting wine events coming up. “The next one is on Sunday 9th September - It’s a long way from Clare to here - with Dave Palmer, of Skillogalee, returning to Ballymaloe (we are just doing a tasting this time) and he will be joined by some Co. Clare food producers - a bit like what we did with the Trimbach/Gubbeen/Cashel Blue event - I am also hoping that the nice people from St Tola will also be able to join us, so that should be a good one. Starts at 6.00pm.”

Sunday 16th September, 4.30pm
‘A New Zealand Wine Adventure in Ballymaloe’
With New Zealand winemakers Larry McKenna, Escarpment Wines, Martinborough & John Hancock, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawkes Bay.
€15 (includes wine presentation and tasting)

Thursday 27th September
‘A Margaret River wine region experience in East Cork’
Surfing on Shanagarry Strand, cricket experience on the lawn at Ballymaloe with the East Cork Cricket Club, followed by wine tasting with Australian winemaker, David Hohnen & Ted Berner’s Wildside ‘fire-cooking’ Harvest Supper, and music.€35 (includes surfing, and cricket experience, wine presentation & wine tasting, and Harvest Supper)

Thursday, 25th, October 7pm
Dry Sherry with Oscar Bayo, Bodegas Gonzalez Byass, Jerez, Spain
Matching food and different styles of Sherry. Re-discover Sherry, and enjoy a selection of Sherry with matching nibbles specially prepared by Chef Scott Walsh and Ted Berner €18 (includes presentation, tasting & matching nibbles)

Thursday 8th November, 7pm
An Italian evening - wines of Tuscany & New Season’s Olive Oil
‘New Seasons Tuscan Olive Oil’ launch, with the owners of some of Tuscany’s iconic Olive Oil & Wine Estates, including Bea Contini Bonacossi, from Capezzana, Carmignano; Federico Giuntini, Selvapiana, Rufina; Giovanni Manetti, Fontodi and David Gleave MW of Liberty Wines.€24 (includes new seasons Olive Oil presentation & tasting; Tuscan wine presentation & tasting and nibbles)
website http://www.ballymaloe.ie/things-to-do/wine-events

More wine

L’Atitude 51 have arranged four successive classes designed to learn about wine in a fun and lively way. Start Sept 22nd. Info on latitude51.ie Workshop / Course Detail.

Donnybrook Fair have announced details of their new 8 week Wine Appreciation Course starting on the 20th of September. This course will teach all about the different grape varieties, countries of origin and the process of wine making. This course is ideal for people who have a basic understanding of wine and who would like to expand their knowledge. Extra info.

Curious Wines tell me me they have a terrific evening this Friday. “We’re delighted to welcome Francesco Riccardi of Borgo Magredo for the first of our autumn schedule of events and tastings, as part of the newly launched Curious Wine Club.

Francesco will be presenting the Borgo Magredo range for sampling as part of an Italian night in the Bowery, Cork. The Bowery’s rooftop will be the venue from 5.00pm to 9.00pm; entry along with wine samples and nibbles is completely free.”

Food

Bord Bia have just announced that National Organic Week 2012 takes place from 10th-16th September and will celebrate and promote Ireland’s organic sector. Organic producers and retailers and farmers markets nationwide will host events including organic farm walks, cookery demonstrations, BBQs, harvest feasts, complimentary in store tastings and talks – keep an eye out here for further updates!

Amicus Restaurant are currently looking for staff for their town restaurant. “We need energetic, experienced (minimum 2 years), hard-working people to fill both Bar and Floor positions. Please email your CV to paulstreet@amicusrestaurant.ie or just drop it into the restaurant on Paul Street!”

Shorts

‏Cornstore’s Saturday Night Party series started last weekend. Details here

Cornstore is a busy place these days as they also have a charity event coming up on September 13th. It is titled Women, Wine and Shoes. Check it out here

.
Lunchbox wonders via Allrecipes UK Ireland 

Green Tea Kit Kat??

Chicken feet..noodle soup 

Food and Drink Spotting. Fresh Irish Lager!

Food and Drink Spotting

Dinner with Tom Crean

No, not with the famous polar explorer from Kerry but with the lager named after him. Annie’s Gastropub  explain all: “We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting an Evening in conjunction with Dingle Brewing Company on Saturday, September 22nd at 6.35pm. A specially designed seven course menu has been created by our talented chefs Michael, Mark & Chris, using Tom Crean's Fresh Irish Lager.

“Tom Crean's Fresh Irish Lager will also be served on draught for the evening. Following the meal there will also be some trad music to entertain diners. Spaces are limited and bookings are already filling up, so please reserve a table early to avoid disappointment. Call 021 4398384 to make a reservation.”

Truly Irish an Award Winner

Truly Irish have been awarded a gold star in the prestigious Great Taste Awards for their ever popular Roasting Back Bacon Joint. The joint, with a 25% less salt content and 1 hour cooking time, proved every bit as successful as the rest of the Truly Irish product range.

This gold star now gives Truly Irish a total of 8 gold stars in the Great Taste Awards, along with bronze and silver in Blas na hEireann awards and three Grand Awards of Excellence in the European Championships (Fins Goustiers du Duché d'Alençon).

Jim McGrath, Chairman of Truly Irish added, “We’re delighted with yet another win at the Great Taste Awards giving Truly Irish the recognition for our high quality Irish products. The support from Irish Retails has been phenomenal and you will see more Truly Irish products on the shelves as we keep moving forward.”

Truly Irish will be present at this year’s National Ploughing Championships so make sure you visit their tent.

Sugar, Sugar

A recent report by the UK’s Which magazine had found very high sugar content in cereal bars. Surprise. Surprise!

“All but one of the bars we looked at were high in sugar, with 16 containing more than 30% sugar. While some of the sugar comes from fruit, which provides extra nutritional benefit, only the Nakd Apple Pie doesn't contain any added sugar.

Manufacturers don't make it easy for you to see how much sugar is added as they use several different guises of it in the same bar. Unless you know what to look for at a glance, the ingredients can appear much healthier than they are.”

In total, researchers found 18 different forms of sugar in the bars. See the full Which report here.


Drink

Wine? Of course.

Matt, of Curious Wines, has been singing the praises for their upcoming Wine Beginners Course. “It is the perfect introduction to life’s elixir, covering all aspects of wine from how to taste, understanding labels and how wine is made, through to the major grape varieties and the famous wine regions of the world.

Over six informal and fun evenings, you’ll taste while you learn, receiving tasting glasses and notes to keep, and hopefully making some like-minded new friends. Our new course starts on Wednesday 19th of September 2012, over six weeks, one evening per week.”

Where: Curious Wines, Kinsale Road Commercial Centre, Kinsale Road, Cork.

When: every Wednesday for six weeks, starting 19th September 2012, 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

Cost: €90 (€45 for Wine Club members).

To sign up, just call Curious Wines on 1800 99 18 44. But do hurry – you don’t want to be late for school!

Shorts

‏FromVineyardsDirect ‏@FVDIE New tasting date - do come if you're free, we'd love to meet you. Details

Blackberry jams & preserves

Galway crafts and food

Shrimp With Duck Egg And Garlic at the Canton Seafood Restaurant (Honolulu)

Competitions and recipes and more in the latest Avonmore newsletter

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Barry’s Tea

Like my Pu-erh and Rooibos but used to stick my nose up at the mention of green tea. Not anymore. Came home from town on a recent muggy day, in need of a pick me up. Spotted a parcel from Barry’s Tea and inside were three packs of green tea!

Not used to Green Tea? The leaflet asked. “Then try our Green Tea and Lemon.” Not expecting much, but I tried it. Well, well, well. It certainly is refreshing, a pleasure for the nose and the palate and it must be all those antioxidants that gave me the boost.

I sure was willing to experiment after that and, the next day, tried their Natural Green Tea. No lemon here but the zest remains, the antioxidants are still at work. It is not unlike the black teas but not as robust, being more delicate with a subtle flavour. Liked that too.

I next moved on to the Organic Green Tea – all three are part of Barry’s Well Being series. This too is “brimming with antioxidants” and I didn't find the taste much different from the previous tea. There are some minor differences in the standing time when making these teas. Keep an eye on those and you’ll have the perfect green cuppa. And please, I’ll have one also!

Rozanne Likes Lobster

Rozanne Stevens says lobster is traditionally considered a delicacy, pricey and reserved for posh restaurants and special occasions. “Surprisingly, in these economic times, lobster is becoming more and more sought after. Food trends and times are a changing with trendy eateries like Bite in Dublin making this gourmet ingredient accessible and contemporary for the consumer. Ditching the heavy old fashioned Lobster Thermidore and serving fresh, succulent lobster burgers or lobster salad rolls at a reasonable price. Read on and I’ll share their recipe!” 

Kudo’s Specials

Clarion Hotel Cork tell me that their Kudos have the following Dinner Specials until Tuesday 21st August.

Sizzling Crispy Honey and Chilli Glazed Duck, Asian Seasoned Ginger Vegetables, Sesame Rice €15.
Cajun Dusted Pork Loin, Sweet Onion Mash, Spiced Apple and Raisin Salsa, Balsamic Drizzle €14.
Grilled Marinated Lamb Cutlets, Roast Pepper Ratatouille, Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto Dressing €14.95

Fresco Eaterie & Bistro

Chef Kash is looking forward to the official launch of Fresco Eaterie and Bistro next Wednesday! To celebrate, Fresco are giving away ten invitations to what will be a great night! If you want one please send them a direct message (twitter address: https://twitter.com/frescobistro ) saying why you want to go.

Shorts

‏@BubbleBrothers €48 off this case of young, fruity whites http://bit.ly/RVy9OX. Rhône, L'doc, Valencia. Promo price good ‘til 5pm Sat, or ‘til stocks run out.

Allrecipes.co.uk ‏@AllrecipesUK Moreish Muffins.

Fish and chips  from @ Murphy's Bar & Grill (Honolulu)

Dermie's™ ‏@Gas_mark_seven Latest recipe on RTE Food: Dermie's Rosemary Lemonade 

Anyone for Broccoli Parmesan Fritters 

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the Week:
Glenisk Natural Yoghurt with fresh Raspberries.

Food and Drink Spotting
Coffee tasting session

They tell me it’s not all about wine at L’Atitude 51.



“We also love and serve great coffee. So, in association with Badger & Dodo, our gourmet coffee roaster, we are offering a coffee tasting, or ‘cupping’, session – the first of its kind to be held in Cork. The session will take place in our Wine Workshop where you’ll be able to sip and sniff your way across a number of beans and blends.

Cupping is similar to wine tasting where comparisons can be made between varieties, coffee sampled at different stages of the brewing process, and aromas and after-tastes analysed. This session will be a fun approach to cupping – an introductory lesson to let you know what happens to the coffee from crop to cup, how roasters assess their coffees ... and we’ll even let you have a go at tasting and assessing for yourself - you’ll taste some very real differences in coffees from different origins!

The event takes place on Wednesday 15th August @ 7.00pm in our Wine Workshop on the 1st Floor. Admission costs €8 - this includes a 250g bag of gourmet coffee to take away. As numbers are limited, booking is essential - so if you’re interested, email us info@latitude51.ie or call us on 021 2390219.
More Coffee
Congratulations to Gareth Scully, the Master Coffee Roaster, at long established Irish company Robert Roberts whose Java Beans were one of only 120 products out of 8,800 to win 3 stars in the Great Taste Awards in London.

Ard Bia Cookbook
A unique family-friendly cookbook, a source of inspiration for modern healthy living, a keepsake for the loyal fans of the restaurant, a memento for visitors to Galway, a celebration of the enduring energy of Ard Bia and all involved  in it. That is how the Ard Bia Cookbook, published by Cork University Print, is being described.

“Ard Bia is about expecting great local food with an unusual twist, the best of Irish produce served with a little exotic magic: seasoning Atlantic scallops with tangy sumac, indulging pomegranate cake with freshly whipped Irish cream, pairing produce from local artisan heroes such as butcher-turned-charcutier James McGeough with eclectic influences from the Middle East and beyond.

The book represents a day in the life of Ard Bia, with the first five chapters taking the reader through the various times of day, from morning through lunchtime, mid-afternoon snacks through evening supper or dinner, finishing with something extra, sweet or cheesey. The final chapter is an important element of the book. This pantry section can contain much of the overflow of information from other chapters, and will be a go-to for further explanation for novices.
More info on the €39.00 book here

Drinks
Over 300 specialist beers from across the globe will be showcased at the third annual ‘Deveney’s of Dundrum Lughnasa Beer Festival’ on Friday, 19th August, at the POD Complex on Dublin’s Harcourt Street. beerfestival.ie

In you’re in Dublin today, why not check out Ely where the wines of Germany & Austria, two of the most underappreciated wine making countries in Europe, are featured. Details here

Matt Kane of Curious Wines has been increasing his experience recently: In Argentina Jesus juice is the name given to red wine mixed with cola. In Spain it is known as calimocho, where the cocktail is said to have originated. I am ashamed to say, even as a reasonably well experienced wine drinker (although I know I’ll never stop learning), I have never mixed red wine and cola. Nor lemonade and white wine, which I believe is another popular mix. Read more 


 Shorts

Rozanne Stevens gets her teeth into Clonakilty Black Pudding.

For he who has everything! Boxer Gifts Stand Clear Man Cooking Apron

Bord Bia’s Fish Cakes with Chilli and Coriander sauce

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the week, at Manning's Emporium, Ballylickey.

Celtic Cook Off Short Break 11 to 13 September 

Taste of West Cork Food Festival offers three days of enjoyment based around the exhilarating Celtic Cook Off event.

“Join us in West Cork to:
• Meet our own award-winning Artisan Producers and taste their products
• Meet the internationally-acclaimed chefs participating in the Celtic Cook Off – Gary O’Hanlon for Ireland - Jack Stein for Cornwall - Shaun Hill for Wales - Stephane Delourme for Brittany – Butch Buttery for the Isle of Man – Tony Singh for Scotland
Plus Roy Brett from The Ondine Restaurant – Martin Shanahan from Fishy Fishy – Tim Anderson 2011 MasterChef Winner
• Come to the Celtic Cook Off Produce Market, where the competing chefs will choose their ingredients and then enjoy Celtic Food Fusion as they, and the producers, create lunch
• Enjoy the buzz as six top chefs compete in the Celtic Cook Off 2012
• Relish A Taste of Ondine as Roy Brett re-creates the menu of his famous Edinburgh restaurant here in West Cork
• Learn to smoke fish with a hands-on session with Sally Barnes at the award-winning Woodcock Smokery and get to take home your very own smoked fish
• Get afloat with champion kayaker Jim Kennedy and Sally McKenna of the Bridgestone Guides to learn how to forage for seaweed and make lunch on the beach
• Delight in an evening of cookery skills demonstrated by your own guest chef, food writer and blogger Mei Chin as she creates a West Cork Food dinner just for you – audience participation encouraged!
• Visit Glebe Gardens with its new restaurant and meet Madeline McKeever of Brown Envelope Seeds – No Food Without a Seed

We can accommodate six food enthusiasts only so please book now to avoid disappointment. Organise your own group of six and you’ll win a €50 voucher for food or wine from Ballinwillin House www.ballinwillinhouse.com”

Get all the details here


Drinks

Curious Wines seem to have found “relations” down under and you can see some of the Curious Kiwi wines on their site.  The label may be playful but they say this Pinot Noir is a serious red wine.

“Exotic and exciting aromas typical of Pinot Noir, with its velvety texture and firm red fruit. This is delightfully soft and juicy, with plum, cherry and cinnamon flavours. An elegant background of oak brings softness and balance without smothering the vibrant yet focused fruit.”  Worth a check as there are some good Pinot Noirs coming from the Marlborough area.

Fans of Beso de Vino will be glad to know that the Seleccion 2010, a blend of Syrah and Garnacha, is now released and available here. Maurice O’Mahony of importers Wine Alliance tells me it keeps getter better and better. This warm spicy red is available at around the €10.00 mark. Very good value indeed.

Wine Diary: Sunday 16th September, 4.30pm
 ‘A New Zealand Wine Adventure in Ballymaloe’, at The Grain Store at Ballymaloe
With New Zealand winemakers Larry McKenna, Escarpment Wines, Martinborough & John Hancock, Trinity Hill Wines, Hawkes Bay.

Peter Handzus ‏@PeterHandzus
Thinking about Good Bed and Breakfasts in French #wine regions http://bit.ly/OmkfD4 via @WineTravel #winelover

BeerBloggersUK ‏@BeerBloggersUK
New content: World Ipa Day: I am sure all you beer monsters know that Thursday 2nd August heralds the 2nd ... http://bit.ly/R6Nyvl #beer

Matt Simpson ‏@BeerSommelier
Craft beer leads uptake in NZ breweries: The number of New Zealand breweries almost doubled over the past ... http://tinyurl.com/cux8dc6 #beer

Shorts


Rozanne Stevens proposes   Summer Entertaining with Sumac Spices

Blarney Woollen Mills introduce Fish Fridays at The Mill Restaurant!  BlarneyWoollenMills ‏@BWMHotel

A Taste of Spain ‏@atasteofspain
Beach bars in Spain  vía @guardian #food#travel #Spain

Brigit Strawbridge ‏@BeeStrawbridge
Wonderful....an entire site dedicated to Edible Flowers! #food #remember_to_leave_some_for_the_bees

Food ‏@Food
Chicken with Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Pan Sauce: Recipe from Bon Appétit ht#Food

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the Week! So refreshing.

Food and Drink Spotting  
Bantry Festival of Food
As Bantry’s Atlantic Challenge contest draws to a close, and after the pirates have had their revelry on the 28th, it will be high time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life.
On Sunday 29th July, the Bantry Festival of Food, sponsored by Bord Bia, is bringing together foodies, chefs and food producers on the shores of Bantry Bay to enjoy the best of the great food West Cork has to offer.
As you watch the curraghs, windsurfers and wooden boats in Bantry Bay, you’ll get to pick up tips from local chefs, and sample your way through stalls that showcase the best of Irish food.

Fenn’s Quay. Busy Week
Fenn’s Quay have announced a series of events for next week as part of Cork Food Week.
On Monday, you may join Head chef Kate at the table and taste a special menu – designed only for this one night. Be the one who chats with the chef while eating dinner. Kate will introduce and explain each course and will answer any question you have about the food. Price pp: €30 incl. 3-course menu & wine. Monday 30th July - 7:30pm.

On Wednesday, there is a food Blind tasting menu, also €30 (incl. 7-course tasting menu & glass of wine). And on Friday, a Food Quiz will be held. Price pp: €15 incl. finger food & glass of wine/bottle of beer. Please note that places are limited and booking is essential. Email biasasta@hotmail.com to reserve a place or for more information.

12 mile menu winner
Great to see Midleton’s Sage Restaurant rewarded for their innovation with the prize for top dish (12 Mile)  at last week’s enjoyable Cork Food Fest. Springfort’s feather blade beef once again caught the eye or should that be taste buds. Must say I thought the dishes overall – starters and mains in particular (didn’t try too many desserts!) – were top notch.
For my own part, I’d like to have seen more recognition for the excellent menus of near neighbours Hayfield Manor and Fresco. Didn’t get a chance to try all the food but another dish that I thought was fantastic was the Thai Chicken Noodle Soup by Isaac’s.
And, moving to glasses, wasn’t that a fantastic Sherry exhibition and tasting by Colm McCan of Ballymaloe!

Shorts
Interesting view on Irish pubs here thanks Irish Fireside Corey ‏@IrishFireside
Q & A: Irish Pubs and Etiquette

Irish Food Bloggers ‏@IrishFoodies
Good morning! Have you entered our latest competition yet for a master class and dinner at the Carton House Hotel?

Avonmore Launch New Fresh Dessert Cream 

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Cork Food Festival
The Irish Examiner Cork Food Festival starts this evening (5.30pm) in Fitzgerald Park and it promises to be much much better than last year, much more affordable. Ticket prices have been cut in half and the unpopular “Corkers” currency has been ditched.

More room is available so that means more producers and more seating areas. Loads of restaurants will be showing samples of their best dishes and you’ll also be able to get a drink or two.

No shortage of top class chef demonstrations on view and big food names such as Rachel Allen, Paulo Tullio, Darina Allen and Andrew Rudd are attending. The Dublin Gospel Choir are among the entertainers.

It starts this evening and will run Friday (afternoon and evening), Saturday (afternoon and evening) and Sunday (afternoon). For exact times and all the information, check the official site here.

Goodall’s Scone Show
Goodall’s of Ireland’s search for the country's Best Scone has resulted in the shortlist of 12 cafes and bakeries around the country. They are battling it out for the €1,000 prize fund, but more importantly the coveted title of ‘Best Scone of Ireland’!

Scones may not have been an Irish invention, but they are certainly an Irish institution. The twelve finalists were chosen from Dublin, Greater Leinster, The West and The South, and the public can vote for the winner on www.goodalls.ie until Sunday 22nd July.

The winning eatery will get the prestigious honour of being the creator of the best scone in Ireland 2012 and will receive a specially commissioned, ‘Best Scone of Ireland 2012’ plaque plus there will be €1000 and a hamper of Goodall’s products. There will also be €500 for each of the four regional winners. Goodall’s will also publish all of the winner’s top tips on scone making on their website.

Top Fruit
You may have seen my post earlier this week on The Apple Farm  (on the Cahir-Clonmel Road) but I’d like to return to the subject here and recommend you go and get your hands on some of the fabulous fruit there. It is really top class and the cherries (grown under cover) are the biggest and juiciest I have ever come across.

Drinks
Paul Kiernan of Bubble Brothers has been in touch. “We've absolutely slashed the prices of all our mixed cases! With the latest discounts ranging from 9-15% on 6-bottle cases to 17-25% on 12-bottle cases, the time to buy truly is now. In addition, we've lowered the bar for free delivery from €100 to €80! Check it out here.“

Laurent Perrier is pleased to announce that they are  offering a glass of their elegant champagne to each person who dines at the Chef’s Table in Chapter One, Dublin. Creating unique and elegant champagnes for over 200 years, Laurent Perrier is the perfect partner to complement the Michelin starred fine cuisine.


The Chef’s Table is a fabulous experience for four to six people to really see what goes on in an award-winning restaurant. Made from volcanic rock, the Chef’s Table is set right in the hub of this prestigious restaurant and it is truly a piece of culinary theatre to dine there.

The Chef’s Table is available at €85.00 per head Tuesday to Saturday and bookings can be made by contacting Chapter One directly on  01-8732266  or email info@chapteronerestaurant.com

Shorts
The next Ballymaloe Wine Date is a biggie, a Long Table Dinner in the glasshouse in the Cookery School, with Mme Veronique Guibert, owner of Mas de Daumas Gassac, and the Grand Cru wines of the estate.

Spotted on twitter: Manning’s Emporium ‏@emporiummanning
Thai BBQ this Saturday at Manning's Emporium, Henry Hegarty of Wokabout will be fanning the flames. The fun starts at 6pm, all welcome.

Called into Maher’s on Oliver Plunkett Street this week and picked up a pack of their traditional Number Six blend. An excellent coffee, really good in the morning. And it comes at a very good price, just a fiver for 200 grams. Well worth a try!

If you have time and strawberries to spare you may be interested in these Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries 

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Visiting Ummera Smokehouse

Ummera have always welcomed visitors to the smokehouse but, as it is tucked away up the Argideen Valley, hidden by trees and bushes, not too many people find them! Now there's a challenge!

Owner Anthony Cresswell: “But when you do find us, and we are actually here (please call ahead if you can to make sure), then we will happily give you a simple tour and tell you something about how we smoke our organic salmon and other smoked products.

We do try to make it as easy as possible to find us with maps and directions on our website, but asking the way in the village is still the best!

And while you are visiting our area, do look out for the Bandon Food Trail members. Details and a map are on their Facebook  page.”
Check on all the other things that Ummera are up to by reading the newsletter.


Gary takes up West Cork Cook-Off Challenge


Paul Flynn had agreed to represent Ireland in this year’s event, but force of circumstance has meant that he has had to withdraw. Gary O’Hanlon of the VM Restaurant in Co. Longford has gallantly stepped in to take Paul’s place.

Gary O’Hanlon hails from Ramelton in Co. Donegal. Gary's career began in The Rosapenna Hotel in Downings at the tender age of 15 and from there Gary moved on to the famous Tourism College Killybegs before working his way around Ireland from Dublin at La Cave to Belfast's Stormont Hotel and then on to Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent 6 years opening and establishing Devlin’s Restaurant.

At the age of 23, he was named Best Chef in Boston. Check out all the details of this accomplished chef here.

Slow Food Ireland
East Cork Convivium - Tuesday 17 July - at 6.30pm - Farm Walk at Dan Ahern's Born Free Organic Poultry Farm, Ballysimon, Midleton, Co Cork. Bring appropriate weatherproof clothing and footwear.  Light Refreshments.  Donations to support the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project.
Contact: Dan for directions 086 1659 258    
Keep in touch with Slow Food Ireland here

Hotels


Guests at Macroom’s Caste Hotel regularly praise the food available there and Chef Pat Ryan’s delights will be on show when the popular venue holds a Wedding Afternoon on July 22nd.

And another highlight will be award winning tenor and contestant on ‘The Voice Of Ireland’, Dan Twomey (right), one of many wedding suppliers who will be showcasing their talents on the day.

More info on the hotel and the big day event here while Dan’s contact details are available here.

Barbecues, Restaurant offers, Roof Top Dining, are among the offerings available at Limerick’s award winning Strand Hotel this summer. Details here.

Shorts


To apply for National Organic Week funding, complete the Online Organic Week 2012 Form by Monday, 16th July.  Thanks to ‏@Bordbia on Twitter.

Hasn’t been quite the weather for dining al Fresco but I’m sure many of you have sheltered corners where it is all possible. In that case, and besides there is quite a lot of the summer to come, you’ll be interested in a host of summer recipes provided by All Recipes UK and Ireland here.

Help save the sandwich! The tuna in your sandwich needs help. The World Wild Life Fund is working with the industry to get more sustainable seafood in your sandwich.  Check it out here.

Food and Drink Spotting. Tony Singh, Ballymaloe...

Food and Drink Spotting

Like a Farm Walk in Ballymloe? See below.

Tony Singh to Represent Scotland in 2012 Celtic Cook Off in West Cork

Edinburgh born Tony Singh has established himself as a leading force on the Scottish restaurant scene as co-founder of Oloroso, the highly acclaimed bar and restaurant in the heart of Scotland’s dynamic capital city.

For over 20 years, Tony has pushed the boundaries of culinary innovation, combining his Sikh upbringing with his love of Scottish produce.  He first dabbled with cooking on a Youth Training Scheme at Scottish & Newcastle, which led him to Telford College in Edinburgh and the completion of an OND in Hotel Management.  His distinctive style soon developed and made him hot property in restaurant circles, leading to positions with The Royal Yacht Britannia, The Balmoral Hotel, Greywalls, Royal Scotsman Train, and Gravetye Manor.

The Cook Off takes place next September. Event details here.

 Take a Farm Walk at the Ballymaloe Cookery School this summer. Maybe take a course. All the info in their SummerNewsletter.

@BiaSasta is planning a pig feast @biasasta is planning a Pig Feast (on May 25^th, not June).  All the details and more here.

Drinks

Save the 30th of May in your diary! There is an evening of New Zealand wine-tasting in Annie's Gastropub. “We will have a vineyard representative from Forrest Estate Wines, along with Conor O' Brien from James Nicholson Wines with us on the night to discuss the wines on offer. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page & Twitter for further details! Or call us on 021-4398384”.

Kate Lawlor of Fenns Quay ‏ @FennsQuay tells me that on the 31st of May, in association with @ggunnigan of Liberty Wines, they will be hosting a food & wine night to launch their new wine list.

Before all that there is an Australian Wine Tasting in L’Atitude 51 on May 23^rd. Keep an eye on the Facebook page,  though I don’t see up there at the moment.

Shorts

Cooking with Avonmore: barbecue treats, competitions, recipes and more  http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ce473bdf3da9ce653bd8fd7c6&id=1a1e7a1b62&e=7696a2956d

Cheese map of UK & Ireland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/10/map_of_the_week_cheese.html. Thanks to @TasteaMemory

Pork Slap Pale Ale:   http://www.foodspotting.com/reviews/1724864

Chocolate-cupcakes-with-flaming strawberries:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2QWcqg/:1kv!!4.jG:8ItUlZZi/www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/01/chocolate-cupcakes-with-flaming.html/