MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Midleton Food Festival 10.09.11. Click on image to enlarge. Post to follow...

MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Had really been looking forward to this year’s Midleton Food Festival and neither the food on offer nor the people offering it let me down in any way. A stroll down (and up, and down and up again) the main street this Saturday morning was a foodie pleasure.

Enjoyed my chat with Claire of Amandine who make sweet temptations from the most gorgeous French style pastries to personalised birthday cakes. Two of her pastries, Pear & Almond and Lemon Meringue Tarts, have been shortlisted for the 2011 Irish Food Awards in Dingle and they were the two we bought.

One of the pleasures of these festivals, especially if you go early, is the opportunity to chat with the stallholders and we compared notes with Claire on Provence (where she is from and where we, and she, holidayed this year). Bonne chance in Dingle, Claire.

Also had a chat with Jon Ward and Kevin Aherne from the inventive Sage Restaurant  who played a big part in the festival with a few stands out on the street as well as one in the courtyard.

Also called to the regular Farmers Market which was also running and delighted here to meet up with Noreen and son Henry from Woodside Farm  and also the busy and ever inventive Deirdre Hilliard of Cobh’s Just Food .

Back to the food now. Let’s start with the bread, a lovely sourdough (already tested) from the Granary who have a pleasant permanent position just off the main street. Three lots of cheese came back to the city: two from the Old Irish Creamery  and one from Ardsallagh .

Isabelle Sheridan was manning the On the Pig’s Back stand and here we helped ourselves to some Chicken liver pate and to a slab of Venison Terrine. Also a box of Victoria plums from the Rose Cottage Fruit farm .

At the Farmers Market, we bought the veg from Ballycurraginny Farm (regulars at Mahon Point), got some Pork and Apple Burgers from Woodside and a Muesli and pot of Ratatouille from Just Food.

Madeline from Pure Sushi told me she was delighted with her award at the Mitchelstown Festival and we treated ourselves to a six pack for this evening. Some sweet stuff too. In addition to the cakes from Amandine (who have a permanent stand in the Mahon Shopping complex), we spoiled ourselves with a bag of gorgeous mixed chocolates from Benoit Lorge .

As you know, I regularly buy Irish, buy local. But it is not always easy. Lorge has quite a reputation in the chocolate field and many of you may have seen Eve Chocolates  from Dennehys Cross highlighted in the Evening Echo during the week.

Yet last week, at the English Market, two US travel agents told me they were disappointed to find only two Irish chocolate products on sale in an otherwise well stocked chocolate shop there.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA GEMS FROM MORAMBRO CREEK

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA GEMS FROM MORAMBRO CREEK

Brad Rey, Brand Manager at Morambro Creek, the home of Jip Jip Rocks and Mt Monster, was at Karwig Wines in Carrigaline last Wednesday and oversaw one of the most fascinating tastings I’ve ever been at.

And it wasn't just because of the wines, which included a few surprises for this punter and were all of outstanding quality, that I’ll remember Brad. It was mostly for his convictions about wine and his common sense.

The Canadian born and raised Brad brought a breath of fresh Rockies air to the proceedings.

 “Most of New World Chardonnay..is concocted crap.”

“Oak shouldn't be the dominant characteristic. Wine is made from grapes and should taste of the fruit.”

“The earth is like a tea bag. All that grows in the vicinity...elephant fennel, wild rosemary..eucalyptus..finds its way in.....and ends up in the glass.”

“Don't wash your wine glass with water (fluoride in Ireland!). Wash it with wine, maybe bottled water.”

There were three sparklers on the table. A Mt Monster brut, an easy drinker, something like an “Aussie Cremant” was the first. Then came the Jip Jip Cuvee from 2009. Very pleasant indeed and again easy drinking.

Brad maintains that Aussie sparklers are on the up and up. They were up too, many moons ago. They’ve been making them since 1890s and they were extremely popular in Oz in the early 1900s, then seemed to lose their way but are now on the firmly on the way back.

And the third sparkler seemed to confirm this. It was Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz, a medium bodied mouth friendly wine. A very pleasant surprise indeed and Brad recommended using it with pork or duck or “anything you’d use Pinot Noir with”. Must try that.

After knocking much of the New World Chardonnay, Brad opened his own bottle. “I try to let the fruit speak, let Mother Nature do the job.” And this unoaked bottle spoke the fruit. Gorgeous and refreshing with a little richness added through limited contact with the lees, perhaps another lesson from the Loire which Brad knows and likes.

And France was in his mind too when making the Jip Jip 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. Citrusy and soft, fresh and clean and well balanced, made that way because Brad doesn't like high acidity.

He was delighted with his Mt Monster Shiraz of 2008. “Good, the way I want to see it. Very minimal oak. May be served slightly chilled. It is light fruit, blueberries and raspberries and the tannins are fruit tannins. This is about balance and reminds me of the joven I used to make in Spain.”

Then we moved on to a more traditional Shiraz, the 2009 Jip Jip, a multi medal winner that has spent quite a while in 2, 3 and 4 year old French oak. But the oak doesn't dominate. “Drink it on its own; it is easy drinking.”

He was quite proud of the next one also as it has been his “first go” at Morambro Creek Shiraz. This 2008 had been in 20% US oak but from now on it will be 100% French barriques. The annual spend on oak is now massive, well over a million Australian dollars. Good wine, though!

The finish was a beautiful Mt Monster Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. No oak, lovely and bright, not heavy, tannins enough and easy drinking, according to Brad who admitted to being “chuffed by that”. Remember, Brad hasn’t seen most of these wines for a while as they are long gone from Morambro.

The fennel is in here, fresh mint, cassis, blue and red fruits, all in a rich texture with velvety tannins. It has been getting a great reaction.

Morambro is certainly a name (three names really) to watch out for and to make it easier, you can get all three at Karwig Wines.

TOP NOTCH SANTA RITA RESERVAS

FIRST CLASS SANTA RITA WINES

Carlos (right) and yours truly at Isaacs

Carlos Gatica, Chief Winemaker with Santa Rita, the second biggest wine producer in Chile, was in Cork yesterday and brought a strong line-up to the Gilbeys Wine Tasting Lunch at Isaacs.

Many of you will be familiar with the Chilean winery’s 120 series and Carlos referred to the story (with a strong Irish connection) behind the 120 and you may read more on that here.

Santa Rita’s current mission though is to “educate” their Irish sellers, including hotels and restaurants who were well represented here, in an effort to broaden the appreciation of the better Santa Rita wines and particularly their reservas.

The introductory handshake was a very pleasant concentrated white: the Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2010. This was accompanied by a selection of tempting tapas.

Could have happily stayed with those tasty bites but move on we did and Carlos then presented their 2009 Gran Reserva Medalla Real Chardonnay,

This has quite an intense bouquet and is a well balanced wine with silky texture and went down well with a warm salad of Marinated Chicken, smoked bacon and rustic potatoes.

Now it was on to the steak and the first of the reds. This was the superb Pehmén Carménère 2007 made with grapes from an old vineyard in the Apalta Valley. Aging is in 100% French oak barrels for 18 months. Really liked this flavoursome persistent wine.

The cheese made its appearance as it was time for the piece de résistance: a vertical tasting of the classic Casa Real. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon “seeks to obtain the maximum expression of the Alto Jaheul terroir”. New French oak barrels are used.

Many of you will know that vertical tasting means tasting the same wine from different years. The vintages at Isaacs were 2007, 2002 and 1999. The still young 2007, marginally higher in ABV @ 14.5%, was of excellent quality, the fruit concentrated after a good year, but was overshadowed by the other two.

The very elegant and concentrated 2002 (14.4%) was perhaps my favourite. Well balanced with ripe flavours and tannins, it has a full body and “a sleek finish”.

No vote was taken but the number one choice was the 1999 (4.3%), an “opulent” wine from an “opulent” year. The winemaker’s comments covered it all: "As a terroir concept, the 1999 vintage has been undoubtedly considered as the maximum expression of a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon to date.”

Maipo Valley

Interesting to note that Santa Rita has a presence in six wine areas of the country, allowing it to grow many different kinds of grape and expand its portfolio. Some of their areas are north of Santiago de Chile, some to the south (Carlos lives in Curicó), some are close to the coast, others in the foothills of the Andes. The valleys are Limari, Casablanca, Leyda, Rapel, Maipo and Apalto.

Credit to Gilbeys for putting on this excellent event “the first of many around the country”. Well done also to Carlos for his descriptions and humour and for bringing such a stunning selection to Isaacs.

KARWIG: TRYING TO KEEP THE SUMMER ALIVE

Domaine Houchart 2010, Cotes de Provence Rose, 13%, Karwig.

In Roussillon in Provence, built from stone from nearby
ochre quarries,  I bought the beautiful rosé below left.

Fair play to Karwig Wines. They are trying hard to keep the summer alive and this rosé will bring you a little sunshine from the Midi even if it is dull outside.

They have a great selection on offer and I was tempted by the Bandol (over a fiver off) but, having tasted a string of Provencal beauties this summer, I picked the Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence. 

Marcus Gates was helping me make the choices and he says that the rosés have been flying this summer and the offer will continue for quite a while yet.

This vineyard is located in Puyloubic, a little village close to Aix-en-Provence, and has been producing “for more than 100 years famous rosé, red and white wines”. Not too sure about the fame of the village but rosés in Provence are generally good, even if not always famous.

This pale pink effort by Houchart doesn't disappoint. Nothing weak about this dry rosé as it roams the taste buds, exciting interest as it gently rolls. Nice sharpish flavours of white fruit that hit home. 

WELL FED AT BLAIRS INN

BLAIRS INN

All the hanging baskets and window boxes were catching the sun as I landed at Blairs Inn in Cloghroe yesterday for lunch.

Blairs bills itself as a traditional pub and restaurant and is popular with tourists and locals alike. It is regarded as one of the top gastro-pubs in the country and you’ll be well fed here.

Dishes in Blairs are quite substantial, so we skipped the starter and, while waiting for the mains, enjoyed a bottle of that splendid Stonewell cider (€5.50) from Nohoval. The Braised Shank of Lamb on a basil mash, served with a Redcurrant and Rosemary jus, arrived and looked good in the dish.

Then another dish arrived! With the vegetables: turnips, broccoli and carrots, all cooked to perfection. And that wasn't all as there was also some top notch baked potatoes (smooth roosters) there. Quantity for sure and quality also.

Took my time with that lot but there was zilch left on the main plate and that pleased our hosts no end. Service, with a  smile,  was excellent and courteous and no pressure to take dessert or coffee. Beyond me, in any case.

The bill, for two lamb and two cider, came to €46.90.

THE RETURN OF THE CHEF FACTOR

Chef Factor is back for 2011!

L-R: Sully, last year's winner Christine Crowley, Rachel Allen and Cully.

Colum O'Sullivan, of Cully & Sully, has been in touch with the news that the Chef Factor is to return this autumn.

"We’re proud to say that its return has been widely tipped as one of the hottest events in food to watch out for this year.  The prize is the same as last year- a place on January’s coveted 12 week Ballymaloe cookery course including accommodation, together worth over €12,000 euro and will include two weeks with myself and Cully to learn the ways of the food business. Lat year's winner Christine is doing really well now, running her own tearooms and everything!"

"Again we’re really trying to get across that Chef Factor is for anybody who wants to learn how to cook and develop their own career in food.  You don’t need to be a good cook to enter as the prize is professional training in one of the world’s leading cookery schools. We are simply looking for someone who really wants to win this once in a lifetime opportunity.  You can enter anything you like-from beans on toast  to a risotto, from steak to a cake!"

"We are also trying to remind entrants that Chef Factor is not all about online votes, as while three finalists will be determined by public vote, two wildcards will be handpicked by Cully and I to go through irrespective of votes and all finalists will be on an equal footing at the final. Everybody stands a great chance of winning the top prize!! Entrants are accepted from September 5th, 2011 and the winner is expected to be chosen in Ballymaloe on Saturday the 26th of November."

Entering is the same as last year- EASY PEASY!  All you have to do is upload a simple photo of a dish with the words “Cully & Sully” somewhere in the image and submit this to cheffactor.ie  along with a brief explanation of the dish and the reason why you deserve to win!

STAR ANISE

Sunshine last Friday. And sunshine on a plate at Star Anise. Just love the Mediterranean twist here that brightens up the lunchtime menu.

As usual, I went for the special, almost always do. My mains was Chicken, wrapped in pancetta and served with beautiful juicy tomatoes (red and yellow), tasty spuds and a crispy salad, all for €12.00. An empty plate went back.

The other mains, also a special, was Grilled Sea Bass on a bed of lentils, with similar veg and salad (€14.95). Not quite as colourful as mine but just as tasty. I had a taste of course and it reminded me of a similar plate in Portugal.

Had started with a lovely bowlful (a big one) of Mushroom and thyme soup (€5.50). Didn't feel like a full dessert but Star Anise had the answer: a mini-dessert.  They’ve got a selection that costs €2.20 each, including Crème Brûlée and Panacotta.

Taking a break from the shopping or otherwise don't have time for a full leisurely lunch? Then this convenient Bridge Street venue can help out. For a tenner, yes just a tenner, you may have Soup, Sandwich and a Coffee. 

Tea and scone for €2.50 in Crosshaven

CAFE AT FORT CAMDEN

A couple of weeks back, I paid €5.15 for a cuppa and a scone in the city. Last Saturday, a quaility cup of tea and a delicious scone cost me just €2.50, at the cafe in Fort Camden. The Fort is a  terrific attraction and the cafe has a selection of cakes and scones

The cafe, now on the parade ground, may well move to a more scenic position, with a great view out over the harbour, towards Cobh and Fort Carlisle, next season. For a full review of the visit click here.

KARWIG VISIT

KARWIG VISIT

Enjoyed yesterday’s visit to Karwig Wines. To the real shop in Carrigaline, that is.

If you visit the website, you’ll see that there is 20% off on an inviting selection of Rosés, a selection that includes tempters from the South of France, such as Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé . 


I was tempted by that (over a fiver off) but, having tasted a string of Provencal beauties this summer, I picked the Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence. Marcus Gates was helping me make the choices at this point and he says that the rosés have been flying this summer and the offer will continue for quite a while yet.

He is delighted with them and also with my next choice: Chateau Haut Mirambet Entre-Deux-Mers 2010. The first one on my list was Kerpen Riesling Blauschiefer 2010. I had really enjoyed the 2009 version of this and Marcus reckons the current one is every bit as good, maybe better.

Had a chat then with Emilie Moore who was very proud of their Sardinian selection and now I’m looking forward to trying the Cannonau di Sardegna 2008 and also the Riserva 2007. The wines are produced by Sella and Mosca and the grape is 100% Cannonau.

Sorry not to see Joe and Betty around the place today and we all hope to see them both back in full action soon.

The 12 Mile Menu at Sage

SAGE’S LOCAL MENU

Midleton’s Sage Restaurant is one of the first in the country to come up with a local menu. It is known as the 12 Mile Menu and is available at lunchtime everyday (closed Mon) from 12-3pm in conjunction with their regular lunch menu.

You may see their August suppliers on the board at the restaurant and also on their newly revamped website.  The nature of this menu means that it changes daily and Kevin Aherne is always on the lookout for new suppliers in the vicinity.

Here are a few examples o f what you might find:

Slow-braised beef with bacon lardons & peas;

Roast shoulder of pork with apples & white turnip;

Buttered cabbage leaves stuffed with ham hock;

Local leaf salad with grilled courgette, roast beetroot & goats cheese.

I had recently tried their evening menu and was delighted with it as you can see from the review.  So I was quite confident as I headed down to East Cork today to try the 12 Mile menu. I wasn't at all disappointed.

I had missed Kevin’s tweeted recommendations but, by pure coincidence, picked them: the Onion and Leek Soup and the Braised Pork Shoulder with apples, white turnip and red cabbage. The creamy soup still retained a delicious onion tang and we each thoroughly enjoyed a substantial bowlful.

I was fully confident that I was on a winner with the pork as it is supplied to Sage by Martin Conroy of  @Woodside_Farm  a regular at Farmers markets, such as Midleton and Mahon (where I often call to see him).

There have been some standout meat dishes coming my way in recent months such as Springfort’s Braised Feather Blade of Beef and more recently Market Lane’s Blasket Lamb. Now I can add Sage’s Braised Pork Shoulder to the list.

It was so well cooked, a pleasure to eat. And that pleasure was enhanced by the tastiest white turnips ever. Not to mention the baked potato, well made apple sauce and perfect gravy. I also enjoyed the different twist to the taste given by the red cabbage though there was a slight disagreement from the other side of the table (a bit too sweet!).

Never thought I’d get so enthusiastic about white turnip but this just underlines the value of local produce. Mainly, it is fresh and then the Sage chefs know what they are doing.  There is that little bit extra to savour in each bite and that is what made the turnip, and everything else on the plate, stand out and give the taste buds a very pleasurable workout indeed.

FOLLÁIN: MO GRÁ MÓR

FOLLÁIN: MO GRÁ MÓR

August in a sunny field picking blackberries. Boys and girls all around. Loads of mature briars growing, lots of black berries. Bees and wasps whizzing. Jar in hands as we push into the briars. A big can standing on the margins, probably the same can that is used to bring the milk from the farmer every evening.

Just a little reverie. Brought on after tasting the magical Blackberry jam made by Folláin in West Cork. It is the real thing. Gorgeous. Just like homemade. The only problem is that it could lead to eating too much bread.

And then I move on to the Blackcurrant in the sample box. That reminded me of the fields of blackcurrants and the gangs of us picking them at Dring’s Farm. And also all the more exotic fruit  in the high walled garden.

Looking forward to eating more of the quality Folláin jams! Perhaps the strawberry will remind me of days at the Rathcooney Fruit Farm. The raspberry of visits to Carriganarra.

By the way, where have all the fruit farms gone? Are there any left in Cork? Well, at least we have Folláin and their marvellous range.

Folláin, the Irish for wholesome, was started close on thirty years ago by Peadar and Máirín O'Lionáird in Cuil Aodha. Didn't realise they have been around since 1983. But they have, and their products, widely available, have won many awards.

They have a smashing website at http://www.follain.ie. It is well worth a visit. It even contains a whole bunch of recipes with loads of ideas of how to use their jams, preserves and relishes.

FANTASTIC LAMB AT MARKET LANE

FANTASTIC LAMB AT MARKET LANE

Enjoyed some fantastic Blasket Lamb at Market Lane on Friday night. Our special: “Noisette of Blasket Lamb (on spinach) with feta and roast vegetable pie, chap potatoes and lamb jus.The lambs roam free, grazing on the diverse herbage of the sea soaked island. This diet of heather, herbs and grasses give the lamb its unique flavour.”

Free range is good but free range besides the sea is even better going by this experience. It was beautiful, tender and full of flavour.

It was probably the best lamb that I’ve tasted - ever. Much of credit here must go to the chefs at Market Lane. After all, you may have been give the best gem in the world but you unless you set it off well, the sparkle is wasted.

And what a setting on this plate. That feta and vegetable pie was gorgeous; the chap potatoes (which included some minced lamb) even more so. And the cost was a very reasonable €19.50.

I think you can be assured that whatever lamb this restaurant comes up with next – the Blasket is running out fast – will also be treated and served up well! And then there is so much more here on a very expansive menu. Something like 14 main courses, ranging from €12.96 to €24.49 (for fillet steak).

One that caught my eye for the lower amount was Slow cooked West Cork ham hock with creamy leeks, baked potato and broccoli. How about the Pan-fried hake fillet with broccoli, bok choi, bell peppers, sautéed potatoes and a walnut lime pesto for €16.28.

Enticing starters too. Sweet potato with Crozier blue cheese, spinach, dates and roasted pine nut oil for €7.63. I had started with a bowl of marinated olives and my dessert (all €6.00) was Layers of white and milk chocolate mousse with walnuts and Cointreau sponge. Wines range from €4.90 a glass to €29.50 a bottle and there is also a good selection of other drinks.

You could eat here for a month and not repeat yourself. And it is lovely lively place. The staff are all courteous and helpful and, on this occasion, all were very enthusiastic indeed about the lamb. And rightly so as it turned out. What a treat!

WEST CORK'S CARBERY WINS UK CHEESE GOLD

Dubliner Cheese wins GOLD at the prestigious

Bath and West Cheese Show

Award-winning Dubliner Cheese - The perfect ingredient for al fresco dining this summer

Dubliner cheese and baked potato

Dubliner Cheese, the delicious range of Irish cheese made by Carbery in West Cork to a traditional recipe, has beaten off stiff competition from bigger European cheese makers in countries such as Italy, Holland, Norway and Spain to win GOLD in the specialty hard cheese class at the prestigious Bath and West Cheese Show.

Niamh Lennon, Sales and Marketing Manager for Dubliner Cheese said:  “We are delighted that Dubliner Cheese has received such a prestigious award. This award recognises our dedication to producing some of the best tasting cheese available and demonstrates once again that consumers can choose the best quality, best tasting products from Irish producers. Dubliner cheese continues to maintain the gold stamp of approval!”

This most recent win further reinforces

THE SPINNING WHEEL AT GRIFFIN'S

GRIFFIN’S GARDEN CENTRE

Picture this. The sun shining on a terrasse. Dinners enjoying themselves at the tables. It overlooks the water. Here comes a motor boat with a water-skier going zigzag behind it.

You are not on the Med. Not dreaming. You are at lunch in the Spinning Wheel, the lovely restaurant attached to the stunning Griffin’s Garden Centre in Dripsey. I was there yesterday.

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When we arrived at the centre to see the newly installed display gardens, designed by Margaret Griffin, we were greeted with some free nibbles. Loved my piece of tart with Ardsallagh Cheese.

First mission though was to take in those new gardens. They are just fantastic, something for everyone here. Most are set to a fairly small scale, some smaller than others, and so will suit the majority of people. The ideas though will suit everyone interested in livening up their space. I loved the use of colour (eg the bright red lamp, the pink wall, the white flowered corner and also the artefacts such as mirrors).

Well worth a visit for the display gardens alone. And particularly so this coming Friday when Dermot O’Neill will be along to officially open them, starting at 11.00am. It is just over twenty minutes from the western side of town.

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I’m a regular (if infrequent) visitor here and usually call to the onsite Spinning Wheel restaurant which is right on the bank of the River Lee. This place is light and airy, loads of glass and lots of colour too, right down to the serving trays. It is open all day with lunch served from 12.30pm.

You can have light bites, tea and scones for examples, toasted sandwiches or something more substantial. Never shy at the table, I went for the award winning Jack McCarthy Black pudding, wrapped in bacon and served with a mix of summer berries and, of course, a side plate, this of carrots and haricots verts. A lovely meal in a lovely place for ten euro.

You may also but food items to take away here, such as cakes and scones and various preserves, including jams and relishes.

We got down to some serious business after lunch and grabbed a trolley, bought some plants, got some advice (the staff here are very friendly and helpful) and headed back to the car. But not before a look at the indoor shop, so well stocked you’d need a fair bit of time to browse through.

All in all, quite a visit on a sunny day. But don't worry too much about the weather. Quite a bit of the centre is under cover and you always have the shop and Spinning Wheel. If you can't make it on Friday, put it on your list of things to do.

THE MANY APPLES OF BARRYSCOURT

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THE ORCHARD OF BARRYSCOURT

Did you know that the Office of Public Works have an orchard at Barryscourt Castle, near Carrigtwohill. It is laid out to a plan typical of those in use in the 16th century. There are records of orchards there since the 13th century.

Now is a good time to visit and see the fruits of so many varieties: including Beauty of Bath, Eight Square, White Russet, Irish Peach, Summer John, Northern Green, Worcester Permaine and many more.

There are also plantings of pears and quinces here. There is a notice board with details of the plants found in and around the castle, including medicinal plants such as mullein and woundwort and herbs such as parsley, “found in a variety probably surviving from the Middle Ages”. Also present is butterbur, which was used to wrap butter for market.

In the bawn of the castle, there is an herb garden and also a knot (box hedge) garden. There is no entry fee to visit the garden (or the castle itself).

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To read my new post on BARRYSCOURT CASTLE please click here.

CORNSTORE CRACKER

THE CORNSTORE

The Cornstore is one well tuned outfit, slick and efficient. The excellent service comes with a chat and smile. And the food isn’t half bad either.

What a choice. Early Bird, July/August Fish Specials and an A La Carte selection about as big as a page of the Evening Echo with main dishes ranging from €14.35 to €32.95.

This is what I picked this weekend:
Cornstore Chicken Wings with Crozier blue cheese (€8.50);
Charred and carved duck breast with beetroot confit, sautéed spinach, mash potatoes and red wine jus (€21.65);
Wine: Bodegas Muriel Tempranillo Rioja Spain (5.95 gl, 16.95 50cl and 23.95 75cl).

Those chicken wings are hot babies (there is a whole flock of them in the dish) and you need and appreciate the dip to cool things down. A glass of water also helps. If there are two of you and you both like wings, then you can get a dish to share for €13.50.

With the wings out of the way and the hands cleaned, there was just a short wait for the main course, again a substantial dish. Really liked it, especially the combination of the medium cooked duck (they tell you in advance that that’s the way they do it!) and the spinach. The beetroot was a little on the sweet side (I found it fine) and provided another interesting taste combination with the meat.

There are huge choices of wine, up to 18 available by the glass, quite a few by carafe (50cl). The Tempranillo was spicy and fruity.

It was an excellent meal, Very enjoyable. And the Cornstore seem to be getting it right as the place was very very busy.

RED NOSE WINE

RED NOSE WINE

My call to Gary Gubbins at his Red Nose Wine premises in Clonmel last week began with a lovely cup of Pónaire coffee made not far away in Annacotty. Pónaire, by the way, is the Irish for bean and Gary also sells this prize winning coffee here but, of course, his main business is selling wines.

The company motto is: Life is much too short to drink bad wine. Gary works hard at ensuring his Tipperary customers, along with his on-line fans, get that little something extra.

It would be easy to go for their big producers and the well known brands but small producers around the world put a great deal of hard work and time into their wines and often come up with gems. Gary spends quite a deal of his time searching out these good wines for his discerning customers whose opinions are sought and respected.

I agree with Gary here. I have spent extended holidays in France over the last three summers and have seen the hard work and care that goes into producing wine on these usually small family run farms. It is good to be able support them and their counterparts in other countries. Important too, if wine is not to go the bland way of mass produced beer.

Gary’s shop customers can taste before they buy: “Tasting is a large part of our communication mechanism and we have a wine tasting area open every day in our retail wine warehouse, with between three and five wines to sample on any given day.”

Needless to say, I sampled a few and I’ll be letting you know about some of them in the near future. In the meantime, why not call to the shop or have a look at the website.

There are bargains to be had, particularly among his new Australia wines, all subject to a 20% cut for the month of August. I like the look of the Bleasedale Range from Langhorne Creek but famous wines areas such as the Barossa and McLaren Vale are also represented in Clonmel.

If you have a special occasion coming, Gary can cater for that too. He has champagne and Prosecco and don't forget the connoisseur’s corner. So why not call in to the Business Park in Clonmel and sample that coffee before or after a tasting.

Clonakilty Waterfront Festival 2011

Clonakilty Waterfront Festival 2011

Avril, of Rosscarbery Recipes (who make award winning black and white pudding) plus fabulous rashers and sausages), has been in touch to tell me that the Clonakilty Waterfront festival starts this coming Thursday. Music, craic and good food will feature strongly from Thursday right through to a monster Farmers Market on Sunday.

The festival kicks off on Thursday July 28th to the rousing sounds of the Roaring Forties; sure to have everyone on their feet, with Cafe Orchestra also providing further entertainment on the opening night, while guests are treated to every local delicacy imaginable in the signature opening event “Flavours of West Cork”, sponsored by Carbery. This spectacular event features suppliers and restaurateurs from around West Cork providing festival goers with the opportunity to taste their culinary delights before they enjoy Ireland’s premier Swing Band.

Avril says it was great last year: “I’ll be there again, alongside the Celtic Ross stand. It should be good again. All sorts of great food. Hope to see you all there.” And do call to the Rosscarbery stand. In addition to the top black and white pudding, you may also get a taste of their fabulous rashers and sausages, all from their free range pigs.

You’ll find all the festival details here.

GOOD DEAL AT BUBBLE BROTHERS

STILL AND BUBBLING

Temperature controlled tasting machine

Didn't realise Bubble Brothers, who started off as Champagne importers in the 1990s, were so strong in Sicilian Wines until I made call to their Centrepark Road Headquarters last week. 

It turned out to be a very pleasant interlude indeed as I enjoyed the chat and the help in picking out a few whites.

I did some homework on my search on their website which, in fairness, is easy  to navigate. There are quite a few headings for searching wines (country, colour, grape and so on) and they also do some non-wine products such as beer and coffee.

As I said, I was on the prowl for white and, armed with one of these Living Social Deals (€15.00 bought me a 30 euro voucher), I called to the well laid out shop.  The first thing that caught my eye was their Taste before you Buy facility, made possible by their state of the art temperature controlled tasting machine where some 16 bottles can be open at any one time. Very impressive indeed.

My shortlist contained just three. I had seen the 2010 Picpoul de Pinet  (12.00) recommended. I wanted to see how their Costieres de Nimes 2010  (€13.00) compares with some of my recent bottles in Provence. They themselves highly recommend their 2010 Sicilian Montoni Catarrato  (€15.50) and that was my third choice. All three were in stock and I’ll be sampling them soon. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Another advantage of calling to Centrepark Road, aside from the tasting facility, is that you can buy by the case and, if you do, you get two bottles free. If you can’t get down the Marina, don't forget they have a stall in the English Market and, of course, you may also order online.