Monday, March 7, 2011

NASH19 GO FLIPPIN' MAD!


Mairead O'Brien of Nash 19 has been in touch to tell us the Prince's Street restaurant and shop is getting enthusiastic about Pancake Tuesday!

Pancake Tuesday the 8th of March 2011

Pancakes, Pancakes why just one day a year.


At Nash 19 Restaurant and Food Shop we have them all.

Buttermilk        Made with Belgooley Organic Buttermilk.

Spelt                 Not bad if you have to have it……..

Gluten Free      AMAZING…….

Pouring Batter ready to go in the fridge in the Food shop from Friday am.

Only €3.85 makes 10.


In the Restaurant you can eat them all day Tuesday every which way.

Flipping MAD……
If you want to try your hand at making your own then there are loads of recipes here

Sunday, March 6, 2011

AN CRÚIBÍN HEADS TO CHINA!



AN CRÚIBÍN crew get a taste of things to come with a visit to the chefs at Panda Mama
Yesterday morning, a contingent from AN CRÚIBÍN set off for China to spend ten days on a cultural exchange. Over the next few days, while cooking in their own style and experiencing the best of what the Chinese chefs will have to offer, different parts of the east coast will be visited before ending up in Shanghai.  To celebrate this venture, Paul and Frank joined the Lord Mayor and many others  last Wednesday night at Mr Wang’s Panda Mama to indulge in a nine course meal of exceptional Chinese cuisine. It was a great night that gave the lads a taste of how good Chinese food really can be. We look forward to their returning from the East with some fantastical tales and many culinary surprises!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

NORTH MAIN STREET SPARKLER

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Mara Oro DOCG Extra Dry, 11.%, (Bradley’s North Main Street)  ****
Arriving in Venice
A few years back, I arrived in Venice with a group of about forty. As we waited to board our gondolas, I spotted a few wooden huts nearby, filled from top to bottom with bottles of Prosecco, stored with no respect.
On board, the gondolier handed out a bottle to one of our Australian companions. He shared it out among six of us and, with the sun shining and the excitement of the trip high, we toasted one another without a thought given to the quality.
For a while now, Prosecco has been seen as the cheaper alternative to Champagne and, in some cases as a serious rival. That has led to an explosion in production and in some cases a lack of quality. And non-Italian copycats are also a problem.
In the past two years or so, the Italian producers in this area have moved to enhance the status of the wine and protect it from local and international competitions by acquiring the DOCG status. This means that true Prosecco can come only from the designated area. The wines from outside this area will be called “Gerla,” after an old name for the grape Prosecco. http://www.enowinerooms.com/blog/italian-wine-tasting-and-seminars
Bradley’s bottle comes from the hills between the villages Conegliano and Valdobbiadene which is the birthplace of Prosecco as we know it today. Hugh Johnson in his 2011 Pocket Wine Book comments on it: "Now DOCG status light sparkler consumed as aperitif in all bars in Venice and throughout Italy".
Bradley’s offering is a very good example of the type: rich, round and aromatic and a smashing celebration pour for sure. It is full bodied and well structured with an appealing acidity and, with the soft peachiness typical of the grape, is quite an aperitif. And like all Prosecco is meant to be drunk young.
Compared to Champagne, Prosecco generally offers good value for its quality, so consumers are flocking to the Italian equivalent. 

THE WEEKEND CATCH

A bumper Weekend Catch, fresh from the Net.
THE WEEKEND CATCH
Restaurant Wine & Food Scene
via Twitter & Facebook
Control and click to follow the links and find out more.








WdFoodFestival Waterford Food Fest 
Application forms now available to download from our website for our festival Farmer's Market on Sunday 17th April http://bit.ly/eUpDnh

Celebrate the Wisdom
On Saturday 16th April Slow Food convivia all around Ireland, will celebrate the third annual Grandmothers’ Day. Slow Food Ireland's network will celebrate a day dedicated to remembering and recording lost skills, and the precious inherited wisdom of previous generations.

Not fond of Guinness? Does the thought of green beer turn you, well, green? With St. Paddy’s Day coming up, why not celebrate by pulling the cork on a bottle of Bordeaux? Bordeaux may be viewed as quintessentially French, but there’s a bit o’the Irish in Bordeaux: fourteen chateaux, ten streets, two villages and one monument all bear Irish names. http://debramasterofwine.com/more-than-a-drop-of-irish-blood/

DeesWholefoods Deirdre Collins 
Springtime is here! Busy-Busy in Dee's HQ -http://eepurl.com/cOWsg see our current offers and news

ElectricCork Electric 
New dessert this week, Coffee & Doughnuts. : Espresso mousse, latte frappé & cinnamon sugar doughnuts http://twitpic.com/45d9os

metalmanbrewing Metalman Brewing 
Three casks of Pale Ale filled! Now on to kegging. And brewing.#brewday http://yfrog.com/h835igqj

umnumnum_cork Margaret Smith 
Never has there been an easier chocolate cake so delicious and straightforward to make!... http://fb.me/LnLlcd03

 by GoodFoodIreland
RT @WexfordChamber: Foodies mark your diaries! Wexford Food Fest 20-22 May, food market, cookery demos, Viking BBQ, Jazz breakfast, more

It's competition time again. Tapatastic, and more free wine up for grabs.
We’re going all Spanish this month as part of our 20% off promotion and we’ve a tapatastic goodie box to give away in March’s contest.

Menu latest Electric 41 South Mall Cork twitter facebook current new dinner lunch brunch restaurant

Cobh Edition encourages support of local business
cobhedition.com
Located in one of the attractive squares in the centre of the historic town of Cobh and nestling under the famous St. Colman’s Cathedral it offers the unique opportunity to sample a delicious meal and then retire to the luxurious accommodation just above the restaurant. Gilbert’s is the newest resta...

Pat_Whelan Pat Whelan 
Just got a delivery of local rapeseed oil,Second Nature beautiful nutty flavour http://twitpic.com/4371w1

Any thirst for a Twitter-Facebook joint blind tasting? You buy a mystery wine (at a great discount), we then all taste it together over Twitter & Facebook and try to guess what it is. There could also be prizes for the winner(s).

BlairsInn Blairs Inn Pub 
How about this for value for money? Three delicious courses for 25 euros on our new Market Menu ... Every Monday & Tuesday from 6 pm.
Top of Form

GoodFoodIreland Good Food Ireland Try Fish & Chips like you've never tasted before! Check out this delicious recipe from GFI Member Ballycotton Seafood http://bit.ly/i6p2x3

donalskehan Donal Skehan 
I'm the ambassador for Temple Street's 'The Great Irish Bake' Campaign 2011! Ooh Ambassador! :) Details on the blog :)http://ow.ly/3XKhp

WdFoodFestival Waterford Food Fest 
 by BeanALeanna
3 chefs night @TanneryDungarva with @kajuiter @paulflynnchefand @obrienchophouse on Thurs 14th April...

BurrenSalmon Birgitta Curtin 
 by anygivenfood
The Burren Smokehouse Ecotourism Experience achieves a Gold Award from Failte Ireland/ Ecotourism Ireland! Launch on Thursday 3rd March.

cobhedition.com
Join us for a fun, four week culinary journey as the warm flavours of the Mediterranean meet the vibrantly fresh ingredients of the Irish coasts and farms. This is home cooking at its best: Antipastos, Spreads and Dips, Pastas, Soups, Roasts: a Cornucopia of easy, crowd pleasing menus to spice up th...


We search the net, via Twitter and Facebook, each Thursday evening and early Friday morning, for the latest from the Cork restaurant and bar scene. If you don't have either of the above, reach us at cork.billy@gmail.com. Deadline 9.00am Friday.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

BRADLEY’S BARGAIN VIA BROWN BROTHERS

BRADLEY’S BARGAIN VIA BROWN BROTHERS
Brown Brothers Sangiovese Heathcote 2005 14.5% - Bradley’s (€5.99) ****
From the ancient soil of the Heathcote comes a bargain for the recession and a tasty one at that. This Sangiovese beauty from Australia has been marked down from €13.99 to 5.99.
It is an inviting medium red colour and draws you in further with a black cherry nose, with hints of liquorice. This medium bodied wine tastes of the black fruit. No real feel of tannins in the mouth but they are there and playing their role in a well balanced easy drinking wine, made from the same grape as Italy’s Chianti. Don't let the medium body take you in: it packs a 14.5 per cent punch.
Take your time with the wine but hurry up if you want to get it as stocks of this special bin end are limited and it is proving very popular indeed.

Só Sligo Food Festival Competition

Orla Casey has been in touch today to bring us news from the Só Sligo Food Festival 16th – 20th March.  

"We are just announcing a bloggers competition that we wish to share with you ...  and invite you to enter.

The theme of the competition links in with our search for a new signature dish for Ireland.  This dish should be a true celebration of Irish food, the talent of our people and the glorious ingredients that are natural to us.

The aim of this competition is to create a new Irish national dish, suitable for service in the regions deluxe restaurants. This prestigious competition is open to all chefs and cooks – professional and amateur.  

As a thank you to the food blogging community who are so kind to share information on our festival (www.sosligo.com), we are delighted to offer you the chance to win a fantastic food filled visit to the festival with a food & fun edge.

WINNER  WILL ENJOY:-
· A two night stay in The Glasshouse hotel for two people including breakfast
·         Be part of the judging panel for the Fáilte Ireland New Irish National Dish.
o     
· Entry to two events of your choice – perhaps you could enjoy a Catch and Cook event or our WINE DINE AND DEMO-   the Best of Sligo’s Seafood Shellfish and  Meat Dishes  - check out what is available on our website – www.sosligo.com

TO ENTER, we are inviting bloggers to send us a paragraph on what, in their view, should encompass Ireland’s new national dish and share details of their entry on their blog.. entries should be emailed to  info@sosligo.com by 11th March. 

A SOUTHERN RHONE STAR

A SOUTHERN RHONE STAR
Domaine de la Citadelle, Cotes du Luberon 2004 (Gouverneur Saint Auban) 14.5% (The Wine Store) *****

Heading down to Provence this summer and needed to do a bit of research. And that groundwork started this weekend when I sampled a bottle of Côtes du Luberon red from Mrs. Tyrrell at the Wine Store. It arrived on Valentine’s Day and, yes, I am loving it, and looking forward to visiting Domaine de la Citadelle, which is just over about an hour away from proposed base in Fontvieille.
Looking forward also to visiting lots of other Rhone and Provence wine areas in the vicinity and would be glad to hear of any tips from any of you familiar with the area and its vineyards. Already, I have a great source via Mary Dowey and her site http://www.provencefoodandwine.com
In 1989 Yves Rousset-Rouard purchased an ancient provençale mas (farmhouse) with 8 hectares of vines and decided to throw all his passion and efforts into creating Domaine de la Citadelle and sculpting a "grand vin" that reflects the quality and typicity of the Côtes du Luberon appellation, the youngest of the great names of the Rhône Valley. Now he is one of the top producers of the Luberon, listed as such by Hugh Johnson.
Before that, the bold Rousset-Rouard was a producer of a different kind entirely as he was the man behind the early Emmanuelle films, a mildy erotic (very mild indeed when they got past our censor) series that went on and on for many years. No shortage of spice in his wines either which generally include Syrah and Grenache
But back to the bottle in hand. The colour is garnet and it has inviting fruit aromas, well ripened black fruits and hints of spice. In the mouth it is intense, well structured and velvety, no shortage of fruit and a good matching of tannins, elegant and velvety and perfectly balanced. It has a great body and mouth feel and was a fine accompaniment to Durcan’s rack of lamb cooked according to the recipe in Pat Whelan’s An Irish Butcher Ship. It was opened a couple of hours before serving and decanted.
This Gouverneur Saint Auban is a limited edition and is predominantly Syrah, with a little Grenache. A great excuse to head to the Midi.

MONSOON MALABAR

MONSOON MALABAR

Last summer, I saw some old tobacco sheds in the Dordogne, sheds where they can open the sides to allow in the sun and the drying wind. But, on the south west coast of India, they have sheds that are opened during the monsoon to allow the moist winds circulate around the coffee beans laid out on the floor.

The process, which includes raking and turning, goes on for 3 or 4 months and ,at the end ,the beans have swollen to twice their original size and have turned a pale golden colour. This is the coffee that Gareth Scully, Master Blender at long standing award winning Irish company Robert Roberts, has chosen for us, the members of their Coffee Connoisseur Club, for the month of February.

“To achieve the strong strength we felt would best suit the Monsoon Malabar, the beans were roasted for 11 minutes at 205 degrees, and  released one minute after the second crack is heard.”

As a result, the coffee is strong with a full body, a good deal stronger than the Bruzzi (the January choice). It is full of flavour, not really sweet but not too acidic either.

Important here, and indeed with most coffees, is to use water that has just gone off the boil. If you use boiling water, you’ll end up with a bitter taste. Patience, like that used by the Indian producers and the Dublin roasters, is required! To find out more, click here 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

KINSALE FARMER'S MARKET

Drove down to Kinsale in the sunshine today to visit the local Farmer's Market. Highlights included getting some St Bridget's Cheese from Mark's Cheese, his trademark Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni from Iain of Flynn's Kitchen and a delicious Spelt and Honey loaf from the Baker's Oven. Double click on collage to enlarge.

BORDEAUX at DONNYBROOK FAIR

Click on image to enlarge

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Émigré 2002, Barossa Valley, Australia, 15.5%, *****

ÉMIGRÉ 


Recently, I enjoyed my first bottle of the Colonial Estate (Australia) Émigré 2002. This was the very first vintage here, by St-Emilion and Napa winemaker Jonathan Maltus, and immediately gained cult status, thanks in no small measure to 95 points from Parker's The Wine Advocate.

Here is the Wine Advocate entry: The dense purple-coloured 2002 Émigré offers a sweet nose of blackberries, camphor, and smoke. Full-bodied, opulent, elegant, and seamless, it is a big, well-balanced red with wonderful ripeness, nicely-integrated wood, and a long, concentrated mouth feel. Drink it over the next 8-10 years.

Émigré is sourced from the Colonial-owned vineyards in the Barossa and is made up of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Muscadelle, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour is dark, closer to black than red and there is an aroma of black fruit and liquorice.

In the mouth, it is fruity, with hints of spice and liquorice. Waves of deep flavour rise to a crescendo and fade only slowly as the big finish lingers. This is truly something else, rich and well balanced. Elegant and concentrated, it is smooth and velvety and, at 15.5% ABV, it has almost the power of fortified wines and is regularly recommended as a match for Stilton.

This is an outstanding wine and more than a match for Pat Whelan’s Steaks with Brandy Cream Sauce. The winemaker is “re-assuringly expensive” Jonathan Maltus, one of French garagistes in the 90s, something of a rebel, an outsider born in Africa and with strong ideas of his own on wine and the French distribution system, still excluded socially “from a  number of things”. Very interesting Grape Radio interview with him here 

Émigré  2002, Barossa Valley, Australia, 15.5%, *****

Monday, February 28, 2011

CAFÉ ANRAITH

CAFÉ ANRAITH 

Fresh, handmade and local. That is the motto for Café Anraith  in Cork’s English Market.

The Market itself was buzzing this Saturday morning, particularly busy at On the Pig’s Back and also upstairs in the Farmgate Cafe.

Needing a coffee boost, we headed for this comfortable little spot that uses the Irish language a good deal, at least in its literature. Anraith by the way means soup or broth.

We were after coffee and scones and it cost us a reasonable €6.60 for a pair of each. The Gaggia coffee was fine as were the scones and so too was the service. So it was a couple of refreshed and pleased customers that left after a nice sos beag (little break). 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

SMOKED SALMON, MATURE CHEDDAR, POTATO and LEEK SOUP

FOOD SHORTS

Kinvara Smoked Salmon:
You’ll never be stuck for food ideas once you have a keyboard and access to social media. Recipes abound here. And we were glad of the service on a recent Saturday night when a planned starter wasn't working out.

Tapped my way to Kinvara Smoked Salmon. I knew they have a smashing little recipe brochure and spotted it on the home page. Clicked my way down and found just what was required:  Kinvara Smoked Salmon Potato Salad.  A beautiful starter indeed.


Killowen Vintage Cheddar
Killowen Vintage Cheddar is a product of Newmarket Creameries and is sold in a distinctive 200 gram box.  It is “typically matured for at least two years”, is creamy and full flavoured and very enjoyable and ideal for people who may find some of the other mature cheddars a bit on the dry side.

FLYNN’S KITCHEN
I usually come across Iain of Riverstick based Flynn’s Kitchen at the Farmers Market in Mahon Point. Less than two weeks back, I picked up his newest soup: Potato, Leek and Thyme Soup. Many potato and leek soups can be bland enough but Iain’s judicious use of Thyme and seasoning has certainly given the old formula a new life and at €3.00 a pot (or two for a fiver) is well worth a try as indeed are all his other soups and good things.