Restaurant Reviews. Food. Markets. Wine. Beer. Cider. Whiskey. Gin. Producers. . Always on the look-out for tasty food and drink from quality producers! Buy local, fresh and fair. The more we pull together, the further we will go. Contact: cork.billy@gmail.com Follow on Twitter: @corkbilly Facebook: Billy Lyons
Friday, January 25, 2013
Skirt and Kidney Chow
Monday, April 23, 2012
Food and Drink Spotting
The King Oyster, Eryngii, made his debut at the Mahon Point Farmers Market on Thursday. “The crème de la crème of oyster mushrooms,” enthused Lucy, one of partners of market newcomers Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms.
Lucy and Mark have been making waves over the past few months, starting off with their range of mushrooms, including oysters and shiitakes. Gradually they have added to their products. They make a terrific mushroom soup and recently unveiled the sensational Marinated Oysters.
That has now been re-packaged and has been joined in the stall by the Marinated Shiitake. Both are winners and chefs have been ordering them up. No doubt the King Oyster will also be popular.
Wine
Seems to be the season for wine events. There is an Alsace Wine Dinner scheduled on May 16th for L’Ecrivain Restaurant, in conjunction with Tindal Wines. The evening of fine wines and culinary delights will be hosted by Severine Beydon-Schlumberger and will consist of a 7 course Tasting menu, expertly constructed by renowned chef Derry Clarke, and combined with the highly acclaimed wines of Domaine Schlumberger. The price for this wonderful evening is €100 per person (exclusive of service charge @12.5%). As places will be limited it is recommended to reserve A.S.A.P. (01) 6611919.
Also on the 16th, as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations for Star Anise, Sami Ghosn of the famous Lebanese winery Massaya will host a wine dinner. More details here.
On the following evening, the 17th, Ballymaloe will host the Riesling Revolution. Three of the top Riesling producers will be together on stage at the Grain Store. The protagonists are Tim Adams, Clare Valley, South Australia, Carl Ehrhard, Rheingau, Germany and, fresh from her Dublin date, Séverine Schlumberger, Domaine Schlumberger, Alsace, France and the event will be moderated by John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times. More details here.
Australia’s Chris Pfeiffer is in Ireland this week for a series of tastings. He’ll be showing his full range in Karwig Wines of Carrigaline next Saturday between 11.00am and 6.00pm and other venues include the Cliff House Hotel (Ardmore) on May 17th
Also in Waterford, the Tannery in Dungarvan are delighted to be holding another Rhône Wine Dinner on May 4th. There are still some limited places left; to enquire about availability please call the Tannery on 058 45420 and for more info click here. (Just heard from the Wine Store that " but unfortunately we're having to postpone the 4th..." .)
On May 16th O’Brien’s Chop House in Lismore are hosting a wine dinner with Domaine de la Sarabande and Simon Tyrrell of the Wine Store. You can call O’Brien’s on 058 53810 for more or have a look at their website here.
To see more details on the above plus read the Wine Store’s latest newsletter, click here
Before all that, California Wine returns to Jacobs on the Mall in Cork next Monday, the 30th. A trade show in the afternoon will be followed by public session, in association with Food and Wine Magazine, between 6.00 and 7.30pm.
Shorts
Don’t forget the cook-off for the Chef du Jour title takes place in Fenn’s Quay next Sunday evening. Check if they’ve a place left for you at 4279527.
Did you ever try Una Poynton’s Pickled Cucumber at the Mahon Point Farmers Market? It is a little sweeter than most of the others. Besides, she cuts it a little thicker meaning you can a real tasty crunch when you include it in salads and so on. Worth a try.
Truly Irish Country Foods, the farmer owned company that specialise in rashers and sausages, have brought out a new “funny” short video.
Tempting looking recipe here for Beef and Broccoli Sheila Kiely also has a similar recipe in her new book called Gimme the Recipe.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
The Cono Sur Chef Challenge 2016. Race to Paris is on!
Chefs are invited to simply upload their recipes with photos to
www.ConoSurChefChallenge.com to be in with a chance to win a first class trip for two to Paris for a gourmet weekend away.
Entries close on Friday 6th May.
Five semi-finalists will then be chosen for a “cook-off” on Wednesday 1st June at the Pallas Foods, Foods Solution Centre in Dublin, where a select panel of judges will choose the top three chefs to go through to the exciting finale held on Monday 13th June.
Then, judges at the final will be assisted by Cono Sur General Manager and Chief Winemaker Adolfo Hurtado, who will have the last word on which recipe is the best match for his beloved 20 Barrels range.
For more information visit www.ConoSurChefChallenge.com.
In 1996 Cono Sur decided to tackle the challenge of making their first ultra premium wine; the chosen variety was Pinot Noir and for its inaugural production they set apart 20 barrels of the best fruit the '96 vintage had provided.
This exquisite range’s name was coined after those 20 initial barrels. Pinot Noir was soon followed by other varieties, with Sauvignon Blanc joining the range in 2005.
Since then the wines have won numerous prestigious awards, such as:
Cono Sur 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc
- Gold, Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2014
- 90 points and #4 in Decanter's Top 50 2015
- 95 Points, Descorchados 2015 + Best from Casablanca
- 95 Points, Descorchados 2016 + Among the Best White Wines + Among the Best Wines from Casablanca
- 90 Points, Wine Advocate 2014
- Gold, Japan Wine Challenge 2014
Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir
- 91 Points, JamesSuckling.com 2015
- 91 Points, Descorchados 2015
- 91 Points, Wine Advocate 2014
- Double Gold, Sakura 2015
- Silver, Japan Wine Challenge 2014
The Cono Sur 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir retail at €24.99 and are available from premium independent off-licences nationwide.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Clonakilty Blackpudding’s Sparkling New Home
Chef Peter Clifford |
The new Veggie pudding in a salad with Serrano, pomegranate, and sherry dressing. |
Colette (left), Peter and Deirdre Clifford, with picture of the late Michael. Pic courtesy of A Taste of West Cork. |
The digitised butcher ready to chat |
The new Veggie Pudding, now in the shops |
More on Peter here
Western Road
Clonakilty
Co. Cork
|
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Black and White Pudding with an Oriental Touch
Friday, September 25, 2009
US SHOW
We're working on a really cool project this weekend. A major cable network and Parade Magazine are shooting a PILOT episode searching to find a unique, home grown recipe that deserves the title "America's Best Recipe."
http://www.gotcast.com/casting-calls/Americas-Best-Recipe/54938
It's free to sign up and submit to the casting call, so feel free to forward on my message.
Thanks!
Justin Moodley
jmoodley@gotcast.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Blogger Challenge! Paris is great. When Cono Sur are your hosts, it is even better!
CONO SUR INVITES IRELAND'S FOOD & LIFESTYLE BLOGGERS TO SUBMIT
AN ORIGINAL RECIPE TO WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO CHILE
RECIPES ARE TO PAIR UP WITH CONO SUR'S
SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC, PINOT NOIR or RIESLING
This year the competition is back and it's bigger than ever, with Canada, Chile, USA and Japan joining Ireland and Sweden in a battle for the best recipe to pair with Cono Sur's premium Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, or Single Vineyard Riesling.
The entrant with the most votes in Ireland will travel with a friend, compliments of Cono Sur, to compete in the Grand Finale held in Paris in November, with the overall winner winning a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to the Cono Sur vineyards and winery in Chile.
and bloggercompetition.conosur.com for further details.
For the two months between Thursday 4th June to Monday 4th August, Irish food & lifestyle bloggers across the country can log on to bloggercompetition.conosur.com and upload their original recipe that they feel pairs best with either the Cono Sur Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, or Single Vineyard Riesling.
Voting is then open to the public from 11th August to 15th September, when Cono Sur will select the top three recipes with the most votes from each country to go on to Round Two as semi-finalists.
For Round Two, renowned chef Christopher Carpentier will prepare each semi-finalist's dish and select one finalist from each participating country. Winners will be announced and officially notified on 2nd October.
For the third and final round, the winner from each country will be sent to Paris for 12th-14th November to participate in the Grand Finale. Each finalist will prepare their dish for a panel of judges, including Cono Sur's General Manager and Chief Winemaker, Adolfo Hurtado, as well as chef Christopher Carpentier.
The overall winner will be chosen and announced on the night, winning a fantastic trip for two to Chile.
- June 4th: Competition opens
- August 4th: End date for submissions
- August 11th: Public voting opens
- September 15th: Voting closes
- September 21st: Chef Christopher Carpentier begins cooking the top 3 entries from each country and chooses the best in conjunction with Cono Sur
- October 2nd: Finalists are notified and publicly announced
- November 13th: Grand finale in Paris
The Single Vineyard range of wines was born from the idea of embodying the ideal vineyard site for each grape variety by optimizing the altitude, soil and climate conditions of the vineyard where it is grown, making each wine completely unique.
From voluptuous reds to fresh and aromatic whites, this range pays homage to Chile´s diverse appellations. Each label contains a distinct block number, block name and valley in order to reflect the personality and uniqueness of the terroir where each was born.
Monday, May 30, 2022
Finalists in the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition 2022 presented by La Rousse Foods
After an exciting & rigorous skills test semi-final, seven young talents go through to the final of the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition 2022 presented by La Rousse Foods
This year the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition celebrates its 30th anniversary — a proud 30-year record of supporting and nurturing young talent in the kitchens of some of Ireland’s best restaurants, promoting young chefs who are themselves mentored by some of the country’s leading talents.
Continuing the competitive journey that began for these young chefs in January, the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2022, competition presented by principal partners La Rousse Foods today announced that seven chefs will continue on to the grand final in September.
In January, 12 young chefs were selected for the semi-finals which took place yesterday, on Sunday May 29th in the professional kitchens of Dublin Cookery School, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Guest judges Richard Corrigan of The Corrigan Collection, Shauna Froydenlund formerly chef patron of Marcus at The Berkeley, Kieran Glennon of Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud and Euro-Toques Commissioner General Gareth Mullins of The Marker Hotel chose the seven young talents following their skills test semi-final yesterday.
The seven chefs selected to go through to the final round of Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2022 are David Condon - The Shelbourne Hotel, Calum Falls - Aimsir, Victor Franca - Nua Asador, Attila Galambos - Aniar Restaurant, Leticia Miranda - Mae Restaurant, Shauna Murphy – The Oak Room, Adare Manor and Eoghan O'Flynn - Liss Ard Estate.
During the course of today’s semi-final, the 12 participating young chefs were set two separate tasks — the first a skills test of following a recipe and the second of creating a dish based on a mystery basket of produce selected by the judging committee. Their tasks were to make a classic crème Anglaise with a recipe and method to be followed precisely, for which they were allocated a half hour, followed by a 90-minute task of producing a dish using mystery ingredients.
Focusing on local ingredients and the idea of reconnecting with friends and family, the semi-finalists were requested to create a family-style dish using mackerel and a surprise basket of ingredients, while also having access to other elements they selected themselves from the Pantry by La Rousse Foods, a selection that includes many award-winning Irish producers.
With Domini Kemp and Conor Halpenny running the kitchen, the young chefs worked hard to fulfil these two challenges, a test of all the skills essential in a kitchen including knife skills, palate, creativity, ability to plate, cooking, seasoning, technique, understanding of raw ingredients and ability to read a recipe. Then the 12 young hopefuls were marked on their execution and work practice, the taste and flavour of their various dishes, and presentation, with the skills set counting for 25% of the total and the mystery basket test for 75% of the total score.
The seven selected finalists in the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition, will have the opportunity to experience a series of educational events over the summer months before the grand final in September, including a stay at Ballymaloe, a masterclass with Michelin-starred chef, Mark Froydenlund, a lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant and more.
The Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition presented by La Rousse Foods is Ireland’s premier culinary competition celebrating Ireland’s best emerging culinary talent. Open to professional chefs under the age of 28, the competition has a proven track record in discovering the finest young talent with former winners including Mark Moriarty who progressed to win the World San Pellegrino Young Chef Competition in 2015. Former 2017 winner Conor Halpenny is currently entering the 2022 World San Pellegrino Young Chef Competition. The young chef finalists in this year’s Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2022 are currently working in some of the country’s most exciting and sophisticated kitchens and being mentored by individual chefs with unique skill sets and talents. For all the young chefs taking part this contest is a unique experience that will provide recognition throughout Ireland and beyond, and act as a prestigious stepping-stone in their culinary career.
Full list with mentors
David Condon |The Shelbourne Hotel |Mentor: Andy Sommefeldt
Calum Falls |Aimsir | Mentor: Jordan Bailey
Victor Franca |Nua Asador| Mentor: Ross Lewis
Attila Galambos |Aniar restaurant | Mentor: JP MacMahon
Leticia Miranda |Mae Restaurant | Mentor: Gráinne O’Keefe
Shauna Murphy |The Oak Room Adare Manor| Mentor: Killian Bowen
Eoghan O'Flynn |Liss Ard Estate| Mentor: Alex Petit
Monday, November 13, 2017
Master the art of great soup from six simple broths. Broth to Bowl by Drew Smith.
Ingredients I gathered for vegetable tea and vegetable broth |
Vegetable tea, the basis.. |
... for the broth |
My chunky vegetable broth |
- Drew Smith is the author of Oyster: A Gastronomic History with Recipes and translator of La Mère Brazier. The former editor of The Good Food Guide, he has been a restaurant writer for the Guardian and has won the Glenfiddich award three times.
This is a sequence. It starts out as a light tea, becomes a soup and then transforms itself
again and again. You can drink this first-stage broth as an alternative to tea and coffee.
Once you get the hang of it, vary the spices, vegetables and herbs with the seasons.
Put 4 litres of water on to boil in a deep pot or saucepan while you deal with the vegetables. Peel and trim the carrots and cut into thirds. Peel and quarter the onions. Dice the leek. Quarter the potatoes – you can leave the skin on. As the water comes to the boil, drop the vegetables in and add the spices. Trim the top leaves off the parsley, save for arnish, and throw the stalks in the mix. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain and discard the vegetables, keeping only the liquid. Warm through, garnish with a few leaves of parsley and add a slurp of olive oil if you like. Serve in a mug or glass or take a thermos to work.
COOK’S TIP: There’s nothing wrong with the leftover vegetables. You can have them for dinner, dressed with a little meat broth. Or take out the potato and carrot, dice and mix with mayonnaise for a cold salad.