RESTAURANTS AND FOOD

Friday, March 11, 2011

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.

libertygrill Liberty Grill

This month evening "In Season" specials http://www.facebook.com/LibertyGrill

libertyireland Liberty Wines IE

This week 15 Liberty wines arrived at @bradleys_offlic. Next week more will arrive at another great wine retailer in Cork. More later...

When Irish Wines Are Smiling

Here's a great little piece on Ireland's culinary history from Epicurious.

Eating in Ireland at Epicurious.com

www.epicurious.com

Read Eating in Ireland - The culinary history of the Emerald Isle, five contemporary recipes from chef Paul Flynn, and a glossary of classic Irish dishes and other Cuisines articles about Cuisine Guides at Epicurious.com

Beal Organic Cheese

Lots of feedback about the mature cheddar- we are delighted. Hope you are experimenting lots with the cheddars in your cooking ;)

macconraoi Martin Conroy

Mahon Point Farmers Market is running on St. Patricks Day. Great Food ,Good Music and loads for Kiddies to do

ElectricCork Electric

Freshly Baked Pastries and Scones (Fruit, Brown or Plain) available from 10 every morning and only €2!!! http://fb.me/UQccnkwz

gimmetherecipe gimmetherecipe

..Food Historian Regina Sexton 'Festive Irish Foods & Cork's Specialities' 18th Mar, Free Fri. event 11.30am Cork City Library#irishfoodies

Ummera's heading back into the UK -As a lead up to St Patrick's Day , we are delighted to be back with Chandos Deli in Bristol taking part in tastings in the Chandos shops from tomorrow , Thursday to Saturday More at http://www.ummera.com

Read about the James Whelan Butchers Box Scheme at http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School: Bord Bia

www.smurfitschool.ie

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, in partnership with Bord Bia, is delighted to announce a third intake of this innovative programme, offering 25 of Ireland’s sharpest minds an exciting opportunity; the Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship.

mariannegusto Marianne Delaney

National food survey unveils Ireland’s favourite dishhttp://jrnl.ie/100080 #fb

Bibliocook Caroline@Bibliocook @

Looks amazing RT @gubbeen www.ucc.ie/fitu. The first Summer School to invite you to come and experience the Irish Artisan Movement in Cork

libertygrill Liberty Grill

California Style Chicken Supreme One of this month's specials @libertygrill yfrog.com/gzaecgjj

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.

http://www.slowfoodireland.com/index.php/food/features/41-grandmothers-day.html

VibrantIreland Susan

by GoodFoodIreland

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

Curious Wines: Ireland's Online Wine Store

It's competition time again. Tapatastic, and more free wine up for grabs.

Curious: The Curious Wines Wine Blog » Blog Archive » March contest: Tapatastic

www.curiouswines.ie

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.

The Corkscrew Wine Merchants

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.

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 10, 2011

HUGE BROWN CHESNUTS AT MAHON

MAHON POINT FARMERS MARKET

The Thursday Farmers Market in Mahon Point moved indoors today to get out of the strong wind and there was quite a buzz when I arrived (the buzz wasn't for me, by the way) at about 10.15am.

Had a tip from the horse’s mouth about the new Artichoke and Roast Garlic Sausages by Gubbeen, so I headed there to meet Megan. Bought the sausages and also some Mature Un-smoked Gubbeen Cheese.

Haven’t tried the sausages yet but the cheese was used at lunch-time with that fantastic Sourdough Bread from Arbutus Breads. It is one of my favourite breads, perhaps the favourite. Two other good ones (both from Kinsale) that come to mind are Tom’s Country Baguette and the Spelt and Honey loaf by the Baker’s Oven.

Speaking of Kinsale, met up again with Iain of Flynn's Kitchens. This time I bought some soup from him, including his new Leek and Potato with Thyme soup. I had tried that recently and was amazed at the difference the thyme made, so I mentioned that and he said that, thanks to fellow stall-holder Declan Ryan, he got the flavour packed thyme in from Provence!

Reckon I’ll see some strange vegetables in Provence when I visit in the summer but saw one at least as I bought a few bits and pieces at the well stocked Organic Republic. Puzzled by those large brown chestnuts (see photo). Hadn’t seen them before. What do you do with them? Should have asked at the stall but it got busy.

Martin Conroy of Woodside Farm told me the winter’s mud is almost all gone and that the place is looking good in the spring sunshine. The meat from his pigs was also looking good in Mahon today and we ended up with a nice piece of pork loin. No shortage of veg around here and we got some nice earthy ones from Ballycurraginny Farm.

WINE ALLIANCE MAKE SOLID DEBUT

Free 12 bottle competition at bottom of post. CLOSED TODAY FRIDAY MARCH 11th at 2.00pm. WINNER IS HELEN KELLY - congrats!!

WINE ALLIANCE

Maurice O’Mahony, director of Wine Alliance, is known for his sweet tooth so it was appropriate that we met up at a local Glanmire cafe called The Cream for a look back at the first six months trading for the wine import and distribution company.

Was he and Galway partner Frank worried as the launch of the company approached last August? Would Wine Alliance even move in the recession doldrums?

“Yeah, some people said we were mad. But we always wanted our own company and we are passionate about wine. Frank, who had set up the company, was looking for a partner. It was still a big thing for me but after two years in Karwig Wines where I got great experience and left as a good friend, we knew what we were getting ourselves into and besides we had sourced some wines that we were confident would punch above their weight.”

“The first six months have been kind to us. We love what we do and growth has been good. Now we have 25 to 30 outlets, spread all over the country, predominantly in the Off Trade and Wine Shops and also in restaurants.”

What kind for reception did you get in the market-place?

“Well, aside from the few asking if we had taken leave of our senses, and some of those were joking, we have been hugely encouraged by our reception. Other people in the trade, Karwig for example, have been extraordinarily generous with their time and advice. Customers keep coming up with good tips and help. The wine trade is as competitive as any but still people in it take the time to be helpful and we appreciate the time and advice that they give.”

Your entry levels wines opened the door for you?

“Well yes, but we do have wines that deliver at every price point, from our Portuguese entry levels at €6.99 right up to our Kangarilla Road bottles. Packaging is attractive and helps our wines stand out but, yes, the entry levels did open the door for us, established us as reliable and made it easier to sell the more expensive wines.”

Anything exciting in the pipeline?

“Yeah, the pipeline is positively buzzing. We have new Italians and New Zealand on the way, followed by some superb stuff from the Barossa, a lovely new Prosecco and some good wines from the Rhone Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon. Now, we are even being approached by producers to take on their wines but we are lethally rigorous in our selections and will remain so.”

What are your own stand-out wines from the range?

“I must say that the Kangarilla Road Devil’s Whiskers blew me away. I have a soft spot for the Stellas as they opened more accounts for us than anything else and it is a great wine for the price. When we introduced Stella, we had just eight wines in our portfolio. Now we have 40 and expect to have between 50 and 60 at year’s end.

You have some good news for our readers?

“Yes indeed. We are putting up 12 tasty French bottles,six red and six white, and all you have to do to be included in the draw is go to our Facebook page here. ..and like us. Simple as that. But you must be over 18 and remember that we can deliver only to Republic of Ireland addresses. Good luck!”

Spanish Kiss

SPANISH KISS

Cariñena Beso de Vino Macabeo 2009 2009 12.5% €9.99

stockists

From the ancient kingdom of Aragon in Spain, comes a white wine that offers you a fresh and fruity kiss (Beso). This bullish little number is out to impress and I like it! Chances are you will too.

Colour: Pale yellow, with greenish hues.

Nose: White fruits

Palate: Fruity and fresh, mainly melon and citrus. Very smooth and pleasant with a good balance and a decent long finish.

These are my amateur notes above, now for the professional view.

These are Jay Miller’s Tasting notes: "There is one white wine, the 2009 Beso de Vino Macabeo, aged in stainless steel. It gives up aromas of mineral and citrus, particularly fresh lime. This is followed by an intense, savory, and balanced offering that will provide pleasure over the next 12-18 months. Grandes Vinos y Vinedos' collection is replete with stunning values".

Miller was tasting it for THE WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER and he awarded it 88 points. Great value at €9.99!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

ANNIE'S

ANNIE’S BAR & RESTAURANT

They have a big blackboard in Annie’s Gastro-pub in Sunday’s Well. They need it. The menu, which changes daily and is drawn from Munster, the Midi and the Maghreb, is extensive, inviting and imaginative.

But it takes time to take in all the dishes. There are about 12 each of starters, mains and dessert, plus close to ten red wines and ten whites sold by the glass or bottle. As it happened, our table overlooked the main blackboard but I would really prefer a typed, even photo-copied, menu at the table, just to linger a little longer in anticipation of the fruits of the work of Head Chef Zico Ali, who has a French-Moroccan background.

The venue is on two levels, one slightly higher than the other, has an oval bar in the middle and is comfortable. Service is friendly, considerate and efficient.

Some delicious breads and oil were delivered to the table while we waited. My starter was:

Chargrilled squid marinated in Lime and Chilli, served with Chargrilled vegetables and slow roast tomato €8.00. A very promising start indeed and a clean plate went back.

The promise continued to be fulfilled in the mains: Pan Roast Snapper served with Celeriac and Fennell and a saffron sauce €22.00. The Snapper was done to perfection, the veg were perfectly tasty (not too hard, not too soft) and the sauce was probably one of the best I’ve ever come across. Fantastic stuff.

The desserts are squeezed onto the board. I spotted the Blueberry Cheesecake and dispatched a generous slice with pleasure. Wine was Heart of Stone Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand, €5.50 a glass, €22.00 bottle, tangly and fresh and worth the money.

Highly recommended.

89 Sunday’s Well, Cork.

021 4398384

http://www.annies.ie/Annies_Gastropub/Welcome.html

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

FANTASTIC PRIZE FROM GOOD FOOD IRELAND

Good Food Ireland Competition

Good Food Ireland, the only all island industry organization that brings together under one umbrella good food places all over the island of Ireland that are committed to using local food is offering two lucky people the chance to win a fabulous Good Food Ireland culinary weekend.

Find Good Food Ireland on Facebook to locate the answer to the question below and be in with the chance of winning this fantastic prize courtesy of Good Food Ireland. The perfect weekend for all food lovers!

Day 1:

· Arrive in Dublin and check into ...read more..

MADIRAN (and a health advisory!)

Old vineyard tractor

2005 Jacque Maumus (Vigneron Independant) Cuvé de l’Ange Madiran 13%, bought in France. ***

Colour: Dense purple- red.

Nose: Black fruits

Palate: Distinctive; dry for sure but not as dry as might be expected with all that Tannat but it is well balanced with earthy black fruit, plum mainly, echoes of mint and sour cherry. Smooth and full bodied and well structured, with a long finish, it matched quite well with Lamb Liver Stroganoff.

Madiran, made with at least 40% Tannat (I’ve read somewhere that this is good for your blood pressure!) , is produced in the south west of France in an area facing the Pyrénées .

This 2005 is one of the vintages recommended locally and the wine they say goes well with local dishes like Cassoulet, Roasted duck, Duck or goose confit and local cheeses such as Roquefort, Bleu d'Auvergne, Ossau Iraty and Chaumes.

Monday, March 7, 2011

IRISH FOOD WINE MATCHES

THE WINE STORE

Just browsing through the March newsletter from the Wine Store. It is an issue of celebration: a big thumbs up for the fact that a high quality French travel mag has confirmed that Irish restaurant chefs are as good as any in the world and a heads up for the festive days ahead including St Patrick’s Day.

One thing that did strike me is that, by subscribing to the newsletter, there is 10% off, and there is no minimum order. Delivery for orders over €60.00 is free while under that and you pay a very reasonable €5.00. They do stress however: “As always this offer is not available through the site, to avail please email or call us using the contact details at the end of the newsletter.” To subscribe click here

But back to the wine! The newsletter has some excellent suggestions for matching with Irish food:

Spring Lamb – a Tempranillo

Bacon and Cabbage - a Pinot Noir

Mackerel – Bergarac Sec

Irish Cheeses – Coteaux du Layon

The newsletter also contains details of forthcoming wine events, including one in the Tannery in Dungarvan on April 29^th (though that clashes with a wedding I have to go to!)

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 8^th 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

http://www.slowfoodireland.com/index.php/food/features/41-grandmothers-day.html

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

VibrantIreland Susan

by GoodFoodIreland

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

Curious Wines: Ireland's Online Wine Store

It's competition time again. Tapatastic, and more free wine up for grabs.

Curious: The Curious Wines Wine Blog » Blog Archive » March contest: Tapatastic

www.curiouswines.ie

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.

Latest Menus - E L E C T R I C

www.electriccork.com

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

Cobh Edition

Cobh Edition encourages support of local business

Gilbert’s Restaurant and Townhouse | COBH EDITION BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

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

The Corkscrew Wine Merchants

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.

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.

31 minutes ago Fav

MEDITERRANEAN MEETS THE ISLAND | Cobh Edition

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...

Pancakes Inspiration: http://allrecipes.co.uk/guide/pancake_day.aspx