CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFE de CUBA

CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFÉ de CUBA

“Good coffee needn’t be comprised by decaffeination.” That is the opening statement in a leaflet from Café de Cuba. And the accompanying pack proved it to me in uncertain fashion.

Their Decaf is not the most muscular of coffees you’ll come across but that may be its strength. It is very user friendly in the mouth as the palate is covered by the smooth, almost chocolate, liquid. But it is not overly sweet as the acidity helps provide a good balance and there is quite a pleasant lingering finish.

Hard to believe that this is a Decaf. By the way, I drank it without milk, without sugar, comme d’habitude.

The other pack in the sample was their Really Good Organic Coffee, all the way from small farms in Peru. This too is easy drinking, with hints of chocolate and vanilla, is smooth and well balanced and a welcome cuppa at any time of the day.

Aside from these two, Café de Cuba imports quite a range of coffees from Cuba itself, exotic names such as Montecristo and Serrano among them. Check out the fascinating site here and find out about the coffee plantation that is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Santiago blend that was launched in Harrods a few years back.

Café de Cuba are also the exclusive distributors of Cha Teas in the UL and Ireland and you can see our recent review of a selection of these here.

Chocolate Week

Newest chocolate recipes
		It’s Chocolate Week, no better time to try our newest choccy recipes from home cooks like you. grubdaily says his Choc raspberry brownies are ‘truly indulgent’, so what are you waiting for? Find more new recipes to the right, and our entire Chocolate collection for more inspiration! What’s your best chocolate recipe?

A GOOD EXAMPLE FROM CURIOUS WINES

WOODSTOCK MCLAREN VALE, SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC, 2010, 11%, €15.99, CURIOUS WINES


Following a well trodden path, the winemakers have done a good job here, balancing the fruity qualities of the Semillon (96%) with the refreshing traits of the Sauvignon Blanc. They are quite happy to put their names to this well rounded effort, quite a good example of the popular blend.

The names are Scott Collett and Ben Glaetzer and they are writ large on the label. And that would no doubt please Milos, a former Dordogne host of mine. I met the ex Guinness employee in his Sarlat home last year and the Serbian ex-pat maintained that it was more important to have the winemaker’s name on the label, even to the exclusion of the grape. “Sometimes we used eight or nine varietals around here. How would you fit all those on the label?”

This Woodstock  is a Pale Honey in colour with a moderately aromatic nose (white fruits prominent). On the palate, it has a smooth and fruity intro with a zesty citrus like follow-on. It boasts a nice balance of flavour and acidity and has a lingering finish. And it is pretty low in alcohol!

OCTOBER BEER FEST AT CORNSTONE

CUINNEOG CELEBRATE 21ST BIRTHDAY

TAOISEACH HELPS CUINNEOG CELEBRATE 21^ST BIRTHDAY

Taoiseach Enda Kenny led the congratulations for Cuinneog Ltd., Balla, Co. Mayo, who are celebrating twenty one years in business. The birthday party took place at Rua, Castlebar and included celebration of their two gold stars presented at the 2011 Great Taste Awards earlier this year. Cuinneog also launched their new branding and packaging which will make the butter and buttermilk more visible on supermarket shelves countrywide. Cuinneog’s award winning products are Cuinneog Irish Farmhouse Country Butter and Cuinneog Buttermilk.

The Taoiseach a particular fan of  Cuinneog Buttermilk and took the opportunity to toast the celebrations with a glass full of creamy buttermilk. He said, “It really is the taste that makes the difference. I was at the State Banquet for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in May and had the pleasure of seeing Cuinneog products there. You can’t get on a stage like that without having excellence as a hallmark”.

The Taoiseach also spoke about the importance of small business to the economy, saying, “Despite our economic difficulties, we must look at every new job we create as being a step in the right direction. It is SMEs and micro enterprises which are the areas of real growth for this country. That’s businesses like Cuinneog”.

Speaking at the event, Seamus Mulligan, Business Development Manager, Cuinneog said, “All of us at Cuinneog would like to thank our many thousands of customers for their loyal support as well as all the stores that stock our products. We are also very grateful to our skilled and dedicated staff and quality suppliers. We could not have reached this business milestone of 21 years without them.”

21 years in business

Tom and Sheila Butler set up Cuinneog Ltd. in 1990 in Shraheens, Balla. They drew on their family history of butter production, using traditional recipes and methods. Today, although the business has expanded and changed, they remain loyal to the traditional processes. The production cycle takes four days and Cuinneog is the only company producing fermented butter in Ireland. Cuinneog is a valuable employer in the Shraheens area.

New branding

To celebrate their 21 years in business, Cuinneog have launched new packaging. Both Cuinneog Butter and Cuinneog Buttermilk now come in attractive burnt orange packaging bearing the slogan ‘Cuinneog ... for the flavour’. The instantly recognisable Great Taste Award logo is also featured.

Cuinneog products came to the attention of the nation during Queen Elizabeth II’s visit last May when both Cuinneog Butter and Cuinneog Buttermilk were used during the State Banquet.

Both Cuinneog butter and buttermilk are widely used in the restaurant and catering trade. Cuinneog Buttermilk comes in a 4 litre catering pack and Cuinneog Butter is supplied in a convenient cylindrical form, suitable for slicing into portion sizes in restaurants and hotels.

Cuinneog products are available in all major retail groups including Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn/Musgraves, Supervalu, Costcutters, Euro Spar and independent stores. Artisan shops throughout the country carry Cuinneog products. Cuinneog products are also available in the UK.

ANNIE'S SPANISH WINE NIGHT

Annie’s Bar & Restaurant
021 – 4398384
Website: www.annies.ie
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AnniesBarRestaurant

Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/#!/anniescork

DIRTY DINING

Tease your taste buds 

& challenge your senses with a 

Dark Dining Feast in the Club House Hotel Kilkenny

Ian Brennan, General Manager of Kilkenny's Club House Hotel, gives us the lowdown on dining in the dark.

Sensory Dining was first introduced to Kilkenny last year by The Club House Hotel, on Patrick Street in the city, in conjunction with the 5th annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival. The event was such a success and feedback so good that the management and chefs at the Club House have set about designing another tantalising menu for this year’s event, which will take place on Saturday 29th October 2011 kicking off with a drinks reception from 7.30pm.

Throughout the evening guests will be blind folded and will have no prior knowledge of the beverages or dishes on the menu. This is a dining experience of a lifetime designed to heighten the diner’s awareness of the meals flavours, texture and smells by removing your sight- the sense we rely on most.
 
A journey of the senses will begin with a drinks reception outside of the dining room where the host for the evening will talk through the evening’s events, explaining the restaurant’s layout, set up and guidelines for the evening. After this the guests will be brought to their tables where a blind fold will await! And from this moment onwards the blindfolds will be worn for the entire meal.

“This is a truly unique dining experience like no other. When you eat without the use of your sight you rely on your other senses to smell and taste of the food. Even the simplest of dishes can take on a new culinary flair and you will be amazed the things you may not be able to recognise. The night is great fun and people need not be apprehensive of how and what they are going to eat, the dishes are all designed to be easy to eat and there is nothing too unusual on the menu.”

From the first taste the non-visual senses will take over, as you try to distinguish and identify the flavours that make up each carefully crafted course – a feat much more difficult than it sounds. Each course will be accompanied by a selection of drinks that have been selected to match the sensory dining menu.

The Sensory Dining event takes place on Saturday night the 29th of October in the unique setting of the Georgian Dining Room of the Club House Hotel. An evening of fun relaxation, excitement, and discovery will be enjoyed by all in the company of the Club House staff who are renowned for their fun relaxed style of service with a touch of professionalism. This is the perfect night out for a romantic dinner, a feast of fun with family and friends, or a perfect gift for a foodie.

GREENE’S BY THE WATERFALL

GREENE’S: THE GEM BY THE WATERFALL

Loved a classic Coq au Vin @Greenescork last night! And a glass of Jumilla Monastrell. French dish, Spanish wine, local ingredients, 5 stars.

That’s the way I summed up Wednesday’s meal in Greene’s Restaurant in McCurtain Street. But Twitter’s 140 characters may have been better used had I included their Paris born chef Frederic Desormeaux.

I had noticed his expertise and innovation during a stop at the restaurant during the Cork Gourmet Trail and had promised myself a return visit. I wasn't at all disappointed.

I am amazed that queues don't form outside Greene’s on a  regular basis such is the quality of the food, the ambiance of the place with it big glass window by the waterfall, it’s comfortable restful decor and its friendly, informative and efficient service team.

It wasn't the best of nights weatherwise yet still that waterfall added a certain je ne sais quoi to the occasion as we sat at our window table. There are two menus here, an Early Bird that has four courses (with choices) for €27.00 and the A La Carte.

We picked the latter on this occasion and made our order. Our wait was shortened by the appearance of an amuse bouche: a little round fishcake on a beautiful sauce. We also had a bowl of tasty breads.

Wines were ordered: a glass of Rioja Tempranillo and one of Jumilla Monastrell, each around the six euro mark. They have a wide ranging wine list and quite a few are available by the glass, some by the half bottle.

CL chose the Gratinated Mussels with Garlic & Lemon Butter, Parsley Crust (€9.00) as her starter. Excellent and very tasty, a great change from the more usual Moules Marinieres in one version or the other.

Mine was perhaps a bit more substantial but also very very tasty, quite a mix of flavours (the tomatoes were absolutely top class) and all in all a terrific starter: Grilled Buffalo Mozzarella wrapped in Serrano Ham on Grilled Asparagus, with caramelised Cherry Tomatoes on Mini Pizza Pastry, Rocket Pesto (€10.50).

We’ve had a quite few Coq au Vin over the years, most notably in the Dordogne the summer before last, and I can honestly say that the Greene’s version is the best yet. In France, you tend to get the tougher bits of older chicken. But in Greene’s they use local free range chicken in the most fantastic sauce. Had a few doubts about the mashed potato but it proved a perfect partner, helping take up the sauce. We had a spoon as well – you didn't want to leave any of it behind!

The menu description: Classic Coq au Vin - Free Range Breast of Irish Chicken Cooked in Red Wine, Smoked Lardons, Baby Onions, Girolle Mushrooms served with Creamy Scallion Mash (€21.00).

GOOD IRISH FOOD AND FINE WINE AT TESCO

GOOD IRISH FOOD AND FINE WINE AT TESCO

All the supermarkets are basking in reflected glory after the recent announcement of the Blás Na hÉireann Awards in Dingle. Dunne’s Store, Lidl, Aldi, Supervalu and even Superquinn had winners on sale across the board. Tesco’s own brands won a silver for their Irish Yogurt (Finest Madagascan Vanilla Yogurt for Tesco).

But Tesco also have other Blas winners on their shelves as I found out when I visited their Mahon store yesterday, on a quest for good Irish food and fine wines. The award winners I spotted – there could well have been more – were Folláins jams and Butlers chocolates.

It is a tough market out there for Irish produce and these awards sure help lift the profile. The fight to win shelf space is ongoing, particularly for our chocalatiers, and I have seen, both in the English Market and on the Tesco shelves yesterday, how hard it is for them.

Butler’s, in fairness, have a good presence but it is difficult to spot other Irish produce in the inviting display. So I was glad to see the capital Á, in a Gaelic type script. Checked it out and sure enough the Áine choc bars came from Cavan, from the multi-award winning Áine’s Chocolate in Stradone Village www.chocolates.ie

Treated myself to two bars, in the cause of research of course, at 2.50 each. Only one has been tested so far and that is Áine Or. This 33% milk chocolate 100 gram bar is set to make friends everywhere. It has a smooth creamy almost caramel like centre but it is all chocolate, all gorgeous, and indulgent. Looking forward to sampling the other one, a Lime Zest in 70% Dark Chocolate.

Glenilen Yoghurts didn't feature in the Dingle prizes but they are still my favourite and we picked up a big pot of the Raspberry one from €2.25. Lots of soups and readymade meals from Irish makers including Cully & Sully and Taste a Memory. Delighted too to see the Just Food range there and popped their Minestrone Soup and Spicy Lentil Soup into the trolley.

Hunter Valley

Then I turned my attention to the wine area where Wine Festival banners were hung and many reductions trumpeted. I had a shortlist and got the four I was after, some at a reduced price.

The List:

1-    Tagus Creek, Shiraz and Trincadeira, Alentejano, Portugal 2010, €8.69;

2-    Tingleup Vineyard Riesling, Great Southern, Western Australia 2010, €11.99;

3-    McWilliams Mt Pleasant Cellar Release, Elizabeth, Semillon, Hunter Valley, NSW 2006, €10.00;

4-    Coteaux du Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet 2010, €7.00.

Their Ogio Primitivo had been recommended by Tom Doorley on Twitter and I bought a bottle for 6 euro and then there was an impulse buy (isn’t there always) a Vinea Reserva Tempranillo, Cigales 2005, reduced to €8.00.

Looking forward to trying out that lot.

TOP AWARD FOR BARBER DALY

BLAS NA hÉIREANN SUPREME CHAMPION IS ANNOUNCED AT

THE DINGLE PENINSULA FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

Barber Daly a Cork tea blending company has been awarded the prestigious title of Supreme Champion at the Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food and Drink Awards.

This, the fourth year of the awards has proved an outstanding success.

There were 1,300 entries, which was twice as many as last year.

Barber Daly was set up in 1975 in Cork City by Brendan Daly and Bob Barber. In 1994 the company moved to a purpose built factory in Forge Hill in Cork.

Their winning award is for their Reserve Fairtrade tea they sell to SuperValu.

Well known food hero Peter Ward announced the awards in Benners Hotel in Dingle on Saturday evening. Gold, silver and bronze awards were presented to winners in 30 categories.

Bursaries up to the value of €20,000 were presented to the top winners.

The Business Diversification Award, sponsored by AIB, went to The Limerick Strand Hotel for ‘The Secret Ingredient Range of Products’.

Susan Steel Development and Innovations Officer with BIM presented the Seafood Innovation Award to Cork company Keohanes for their Microwaveable Salmon with Butter.

“This is a great evening to celebrate food and Irishness. An event like this shows how we are changing the way we look at fish.

“Over 86 per cent of the fish caught in Irish waters leaves this country in lorries with no added value to it. That needs to be changed,” she pointed out.

The Cloudberry Bakery in Keel Castlemaine Kerry won the Best New Emerging Food Producer from Kerry. The award was presented by Thomas Hayes on behalf of Kerry Enterprise.

“Food is vital to Kerry and an event such as this is the jewel in the crown. But there is need for changes to be made in regulation. There is need to ease regulation in such a way that it is not so difficult for people entering the market,” Mr Hayes said.

O’Connors Bakery from Ennis in Co Clare won the New Best Product Award sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. They won the award for their Christmas mince meat. Gareth Dee from Enterprise Ireland pointed out that Ireland’s food industry is exporting €10 billion worth of produce this year.

The Rogha na Gaeltachta award, sponsored by Udarás, was presented by local man Seamus Cosai MacGearailt to Kerry’s Blurini Blasta Beo based in Lispole.

And the Best Artisan Producer Award was won by Cork company, Una’s Pies, which was sponsored by Bord Bia



Arte Clifford, Chairman of Blás na hÉireann Irish Food Awards said, “Every quality food producer is a winner. The event is going from strength to strength every year and this year has proved a phenomenal success. To see joint gold prizes being shared between large and small companies is a real proof of how the smallest of producers can flourish in the food business”.

 All of the category winners will be on the website - - very shortly and here is a link to the picture gallery.

TIME FOR A CUP OF CHA

TIME FOR A CUP OF CHA

Cha teas, handpicked and sourced from single estates at the foothills of the Himalayas, are being introduced to Ireland and the UK by Dublin based Cafe de Cuba. I’ve been sampling the newcomers, which are all organic.

I like my blacks so I started with the Pure Black. This is a fine strong smooth cup of tea to start the day with. The addition of a little milk didn't spoil the flavour (I prefer it black but someone else doesn’t!).

The classic Earl Grey was next up. This is indeed very pleasant and I loved both the gorgeous aroma (bergamot and vanilla) and that terrific taste.

Then I began to get to the ones that I thought I mightn’t like, starting with the Golden Mango. But I needn’t have worried. It doesn’t have quite the same heft as the first two but is nonetheless a very pleasant drink. They say it can be enjoyed hot or cold. I had it hot but must try it cold sometime.

 

In the 80s when Jack Charlton brought the Republic of Ireland to play Munster in a warm-up game in hot conditions, tea was supplied to the internationals to cool them down in the old dressing rooms at Turner’s Cross.

Don't think they had the Cha Spring Mint in which is a cooling blend and may be enjoyed hot or cold. Again I had it hot and found it pleasantly aromatic with a moderately strong flavour (the mint is not at all overpowering) but it is one that I will try cold.

Then on to Pure Green. No big aroma and a moderate , rather dry taste with no bitter after taste found in some other green teas. Perhaps it is what goes on in the background is the important thing to note as it is rich in anti-oxidants, relaxing and calming.

There is another tea in the range that I didn't get to try and that is the Very Berry, “a green tea with naturally extracted flavours of strawberry, raspberry and cherry. Very refreshing tea that can be enjoyed either hot or cold”.

Quite a choice and you can take it that my favourites are the black and the grey but I’d have no problem whatsoever with sipping a cup of any of the others at any time.

Cafe de Cuba, as you might expect, also sell coffees and I’ll be taking a look at their range soon. If you can’t wait, why not check out the site.

DEE’S REAL MEALS

Dee Collins

 DEE’S REAL MEALS




Just finished one of Dee’s Real Meals and I feel real good. The Thai Butternut Squash, Potato and Lentil meal was excellent, really well balanced, creamy (coconut milk) and a little crunchy (the lentils). Very tasty indeed and also very healthy.

Each of these award winning (Great Taste Gold) 400g carton meals contains 3 of your daily 5. The ingredients are 100 per cent wholefood; there are no artificial additives.

One carton makes a meal for one person but you may use it as a side for two people, maybe add it to rice or pasta or whatever you fancy. There has to be many combinations for these tasty treats.

The meal came as part of a goodie bag handed out to those attending last Saturday’s VegFest in Electric. The bag also included one of her burgers (add a bun and you have a massive meal) but the burgers are so famous now I decided to go for the other one first!

The weather wasn't the best on Saturday but Dee was pleased: “Thanks to everyone that made it to the first VegFest Cork, hope you all enjoyed the food and your goodie bags. John Conway from The Hollies gave a fascinating talk and for those of you that might have missed it, they are having an open day on the 16th October.”

“ We are also really looking forward to The Evening Echo coverage in their Social Diary this week for those of you that got snapped, keep an eye on this week’s paper!”

“We were so happy with the feedback we got from our new range of meals - they are available to purchase in Tesco stores below from Monday - (note-the packaging on the outer sleeves will be a little stronger in two weeks time if any of them got bashed about a bit!)”

“We are trialling the use of QR codes on the base of the sleeves, if you have a Smartphone - you can download a QR code scanner with an application called ScanLife. Using the application, a photo of the code is taken and it should link you to a special V.I.P Club sign up page. For those of you that can do this we will send you some €1.00 off coupons in the post to say thanks. For those of you that do not have a Smartphone - maybe a son/daughter/friend could scan the code for you.”

“Thanks for the support, we finished a little earlier than expected but next year we will have it bigger and better with music and lots of stalls.”

John Conway of The Hollies

As Dee said, John Conway’s talk was fascinating, all about an alternative way of gardening. The attractive things about it are firstly that you treat the earth as it would treat itself, everything possible is recycled, and secondly that it is a non dig method of cultivation (except when you’re lifting your spuds, of course!). Check out the website or try and make it to the open day.

Electric were busy upstairs and downstairs on Saturday but they still took time to treat us to some of their veggie taster plates and very nice they were too. As the event drew to a close we lingered with a cup of coffee and some of the gorgeous cupcakes supplied by D’s Delights .

You will find Dee’s Real Meals at selected Tesco Stores, Dunnes Stores, Supervalu and independent stores nationwide. Recently added Tesco outlets: Greystones, Baggot St Upper, Rathfarnham, Sandymount, Bloomfields, Ballybrack, Galway, Stillorgan, Merrion, Rathmines, Clarehall Extra, Dundrum Town, Ardkeen, Maynooth Extra, Douglas Extra and Naas Extra.

STAR OF THE ROAD

KANGARILLA ROAD, McLaren Vale (Australia), Shiraz 2009, 14% ABV, €16-18, list of stockists, 4 stars



Importers Wine Alliance has just released the 2009 version of this Shiraz onto the Irish market and it tastes like a winner all the way. I certainly think it is one of the better ones.

And Maurice O’Mahony of Wine Alliance reckons it is a step up on the 2008 release but he would say that! You don’t have to take my word (or his) for it, as Oz wine guru James Halliday has rated it at 91 points.

The colour is quite a dark one with a fruity nose (mainly of plum) and underlying herbal notes. It makes an excellent first impression in the mouth, warm and elegant, with lively and juicy fruits and well balanced, with a lasting finish.

Helen and Kevin O’Brien established this winery in 1997 and have built up quite a reputation for themselves. I’ve been reading the recently published Awards Special of Decanter Magazine and the O’Briens feature.


Their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon won a bronze in the Reds and this Shiraz picked up a Commended, as did their 2010 Chardonnay in the Whites. Combine that with the Halliday score and you see they have pretty good form.