RAI: Connaught award winners announced

The county winners of the Connaught area were announced at the Restaurants Association of Ireland function in the House Hotel last night. The winners qualify for another big date on May 14^th in Dublin when the regional and national awards will be announced. 


Details here

Ballymaloe: May date for Riesling Masters

Click on image above to enlarge

Ballyvaughan resident John McDonnell (Wine Australia) with Tim Adams (left)

Food Fest in Blackrock

Food Fest in Blackrock

Quite a big turnout for the Scally SuperValu led Food Fest that took place on Wednesday night in the Blackrock GAA club premises. I arrived quite early but already the place was buzzing; many were sampling the food available at a string of stalls and others keen on getting the best seats for the cooking demonstrations.

Tom and Mary Scally were naturally delighted with the interest and the big turnout and the chance to meet their customers in a more relaxed situation. We were greeted, like everyone else, with a glass of wine and few nibbles on the way in and then headed for the stalls, well spread out around the hall and in another room nearby.

Quite a lot of interest in the handmade cookie dough by Gookie and also in the tasty products – enjoyed their salmon pate – by Kinsale’s Blue Haven.

Headed over then for a chat with Avril from Rosscarbery Recipes but just time to say hello as she was busy with the queues for her sausages and blackpudding and also for her “secret recipe” bread!

West Cork Meats had some tasty ham there and then there I stopped at the Old Creamery Cheese stall. Must say I like their stuff, especially that marble looking porter cheese and I notice they have now added a lovely blueberry cheddar.

Dunmanway based Insanely Good were there with their range of delicious sauces, including a Classic Pasta Sauce and a Fresh and Fruity Curry Sauce. Carrigtwohill based Fresh Farm Salads  make our favourite Coleslaw and also other 100% Irish salads.

Came across two cheese stalls next. Carrigaline  has always been a favourite here and, by the way, they do cheese biscuits as well. Have tasted the Horgan’s cheese previously also. Sampled the Brie this time and liked it.

"Fresh is best" aptly sums up the situation with food and it seems to me that Supervalu do better than many. I’ve been in a few of their stores over the past few months and was very impressed with the amount of local food available in outlets in Skibbereen, Riverstown (Glanmire) and Ticknock (Cobh).

The Scallys too underlined that trend with a very impressive selection of breads displayed in the hall. And they were also serving up some tempting samples of their cooked dishes, really loved the fish cakes in the photo. These are cooked every morning and ready for the customers (in bigger sizes than the samples photographed!).

I may have missed out on a few, certainly missed the sample chowder from the Good Fish company . Overall though it turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. Well done to the Scallys and to all the producers who put their best foot forward on the night.

Excellent Seafood at The Rising Tide

THE RISING TIDE

Drove down to Glounthaune and had a very pleasant midweek meal in The Rising Tide recently. It is right alongside my old schoolhouse where we used bring our own kindling to light the fires where our billycans, usually containing cocoa, were warmed up for the breaks.

In those days, in the middle of the previous century, the Rising Tide was a popular pub cum grocery shop and belonged to the Donnelly family. It is a different story nowadays; the shop no longer exists and a very comfortable restaurant, run by the Murphy family, now dominates the business.

TV3 The Apprentice star Sandra Murphy is the leading face for the estuary side restaurant – many of the village premises flooded in the bad old days. She was off duty – a girl has to have her time off – but we were well taken care by the staff that we met. Plenty of info on the menu and no shortage of chat and courtesy either.

We felt welcome and comfortable as we sat down by our reserved window-side seat and started to check the menu. The restaurant is the home of the Murphy’s Oyster Festival so seafood is always prominent here. I started with six oven baked garlic and herb oysters (€9.00) while CL went for the Mussels steamed in white wine and cream (8.50).

Both of us were quite happy with the starter and were absolutely delighted with the mains. Here we each choose the Pan Seared Hake, served with Crosshaven brown crab, fresh salsa and Cashel blue cheese.

Neither of us likes blue cheese, or indeed goats’ cheese, with fish so we requested they leave that out. No problem. The dish, quite a substantial one (with a choice of fries and salad or potatoes and veg), was top notch. The brown crab was a natural accompaniment while the hake itself was cooked to perfection. Very nice. Very filling. No room for dessert!

Most of the food is sourced locally and you can see a list of the producers on the menu. Most of the wine too comes from small producers and we enjoyed two whites, each at 5.50 a glass: San Elias Sauvignon Blanc from Chile and Cave de Gallician Chardonnay from France.

Actually bought some wine in that Camargue town last June. Happy days. But, let me add, it was two happy customers that left the Rising Tide into the March darkness.

Lunchtime at L’Atitude

Lunchtime at L’Atitude

Enjoyed a light lunch with a difference at L’Atitude 51, the newish Wine Cafe opposite the City Hall (1, Union Quay). The choice, see photo of board, is not huge but the quality is excellent.

There is an even bigger board, much bigger, where you can see the huge wine list; must be over fifty choices. In many cases, you can buy by the small taster glass (75ml), a full glass (150ml) and also by the pichet (250ml).

While waiting, I decided to try one of the taster glasses and picked the 2008 Cat Amongst the Pigeons, Cabernet Sauvignon, from Australia’s McLaren Vale. Later, with the meal, I enjoyed the 2008 Massaya Classic (Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) from the Lebanon. Both come under the Fruity with Attitude heading on the list and each was excellent.

They also have a range of beers here, including some local craft brews. Indeed, you may try 8 Degrees Brewing HowlingGale here straight from the tap and it was great to meet up with Scott from the new Mitchelstown company who was making a call.

Coffee too comes from a local Cork company, Badger and Dodo. They know their stuff and so do the servers so you’ll enjoy the best here; I did, but before I got to that stage there was some eating to be done!

Emma Lagrande, who runs the wine cafe along with Beverly Matthews, recommended I try the Haddock Chowder. Very good and excellent value at €4.50. I had seen some of the sandwiches being served and they looked tempting but I opted for the Spiced Vegetable Pie, a tasty dish at a bargain price of €6.50 and served with a well dressed salad.

Service was friendly, low key and top notch, just the way I like it. My only regret was that I was I couldn't make it back for dinner that evening. Would have liked to have tried the Frogs’ Legs on the menu! Vive la différence.

Grow your own Greens this St Patrick’s Day

Grow your own Greens this St Patrick’s Day

To love them more and waste them less!

50% of Lettuce we buy ends up in the bin!

Don't sow the whole pack at the one time! Just a little bit every few weeks

T

The EPA’s Stop Food Waste programme has joined forces with Grow it Yourself inviting you to Grow your own Greens this St. Patrick’s Day to love them more and waste them less. As the weather warms up, and thoughts turn to the idea of healthy salads, Stop Food Waste reminds you that 50% of the lettuce we buy ends up in the bin. Stop Food Waste and GIY are encouraging you to grow your own lettuce and other green vegetables so that you just use what you need when you need it and avoid waste.

“Bags of salad leaves are expensive to buy in supermarkets and because they're washed and ready to eat, they have a short lifespan in the fridge,” says Odile Le Bolloch, spokesperson for Stop Food Waste at the EPA. “By growing your own, you can pick as much of it as you need for each meal. Most varieties of lettuce are easy to grow and can be sown anytime between spring and summer. Apart from traditional lettuces, such as 'Cos', 'Iceberg' and 'Butterhead', there are many others to try, including loose-leaf types and oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, rocket and endive. That way you can enjoy salads with a mix of colours and textures.”

“If you go to the trouble of growing your own greens, watch them grow and carefully tend to them you will naturally appreciate them much more when it comes to eating them” says Michael Kelly founder of GIY. “There is nothing like being able to enjoy the distinct flavour of fresh lettuce from your garden and knowing you'll always have an easy and healthy side dish at the ready!”

GIY advises you don’t need that much space to grow a few heads of lettuce, rocket or herbs, even a window box would do where space is limited. You can start the window box indoors and once the first few shoots start coming up you can put it outside on a sunny sill, making sure you keep them watered.

What kinds of salad you grow depends on how much space you have and whether you like sharp, peppery leaves like rocket, or mild ones like Romaine or butterhead. Most seed companies offer mixed selections, so you can have a go at growing a little of several varieties. GIY suggests: “If you sow a few seeds every few weeks between now and August, you'll have a continuous supply right through until autumn”.

To avoid wasting lettuce, Stop Food Waste adds: “Don’t harvest the lettuce until you are ready to use it and don’t pull the whole lettuce out in one go – just cut the leaves you want to eat and more will grow back”.

Here are some types of salad greens you might consider growing:

Butterhead - This is the classic lettuce seen in kitchen gardens. It is a round lettuce with soft, loosely packed, green leaves and may not always have a heart. It is rather bland in flavour.

Iceberg - The dense heads of pale green leaves are used in mixed salads and side salads. It has less flavour than other types of lettuce but it requires little preparation and will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. It is commonly used in kitchens and has excellent texture qualities.

Lollo Rosso - leaves are frilled with a dark red edge, which makes it very attractive in salads.

Oakleaf - falls into the general category of salad bowl types. As the name suggests it has a leaf which is shaped like the leaf of an oak tree. It produces a large loose head of lettuce which does not have a great shelf life but is perfect for cutting what you need and leaving the rest to grow.

Cos/Romaine - It is a tall lettuce with crunchy leaves and a distinctive flavour, the star of Caesar salad.

Rocket - has a wonderful peppery flavour that is excellent in a mixed green salad. It has small, bright green, dandelion shaped leaves.

Stop Food Waste also suggests once

Amuse Bouche

“The Cathars were a twelfth century French sect who....reviled procreation with an unusually righteous passion. Forget about having sex; they couldn't even bring themselves to eat anything created by it, directly or indirectly. No meat, no eggs, no milk. Oddly enough, they didn't last long.”  From Spanish Steps, One Man and his Ass on the Pilgrim Way to Santiago, by Tim Moore.

The Week in Wine

THE WEEK IN WINE

Straccali Chianti Classico DOCG 2007, 13.5%, €13.95, Karwig

 

Colour: Ruby Red

Nose: Intense, of red fruit.

On the palate, it is fresh and fruity, slight spice, tannins relatively prominent. It is well balanced, medium bodied, lively and with a persistent finish. Unfortunately, I started this off on the cool side, can happen on the colder days here, and it took a while to win me over but it certainly grew on me as it warmed up! Recommended.

It turned out to be a good week on the wine front. On a visit to the L’Atitude Wine Cafe on Union Quay, I came across two outstanding reds on their extensive list. Both come under the Fruity with Attitude heading.

First up was the 2008 Cat Amongst the Pigeons, Cabernet Sauvignon, from Australia’s McLaren Vale and then I enjoyed the 2008 Massaya Classic (Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) from the Lebanon.

Not too bad on the home front either where I continued to work my way through the reds of Provence. The first, La Citadelle’s Les Artemes 2007 from the Luberon, is available in this country from the Wine Store.

I don’t think the second is; I bought it in the small town of Vauvert on the edge of the Camargue. It is Noble Gress 2005, Costieres de Nimes. I think there is value for Irish importers in the region.

It was a good week too for Enniskeane born Brother Kevin Crowley, founder of the Capuchin Day Centre in Bow Street in Dublin, who has been named the Santa Rita 120 Local Hero 2012  for his phenomenal work in helping homeless people.

The Santa Rita 120 Local Hero Award competition is run by the premium Chilean winemakers to find local heroes who make a real difference in their local community, such as hard working volunteers, individuals who work tirelessly to make their community a safer place and inspirational heroes who always seem to put others before themselves. 

As the Santa Rita 120 Local Hero 2012, Brother Kevin wins €10,000 for The Capuchin Day Centre as well as the trip of a lifetime for two to Chile, the home of Santa Rita wine.


And John McDonnell, the face of Australian wine in Ireland, also enjoyed a great week at Pro-Wein where Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago was given the Winemakers’ Winemaker Award by the Institute of Masters of Wine and the drinks business. 

Beware of Undercover Bacon

Truly Irish Country Foods 

Truly Irish have unveiled their latest marketing campaign with the addition of this clever billboard which is situated on the Dublin Road between Exit 14 and 15 close to Newbridge. 

Truly Irish were frustrated from all the mislabelling and confusing names on pork and bacon products as other brands were giving the impression they were Irish. As a result of this, a farmer co-op was formed with producers in every county coming together to make a stand. The Irish pig industry supports over 8,000 Irish jobs. 

The billboard was erected to highlight the importance of buying Irish and not what ‘appears’ to be Irish. The model is pictured pulling back her Irish flag to reveal she is in fact of Spanish and Dutch origin, something which occurs too often unknown to Irish consumers. 

“Choose Truly Irish, we guarantee you won’t get caught out” is the slogan used and which they stand by with 100% traceability on all Truly Irish products. Truly Irish will be one of the first companies in the world to offer DNA traceability continuing their fight against the mislabeling of pork and bacon products which is badly affecting the Irish pig industry. 

Truly Irish offers premium products which are 100% Irish, locally produced and traceable from the farm. Truly Irish are very thankful to all their retailers for their continued support to Irish farmers and The Truly Irish brand who have just announced the following new listings; Dunnes: Pork Goujons, Gammon steaks, Beechwood Smoked Back Bacon, Cocktail sausages and Gluten Free sausages and Tesco: Pork Goujons and Roasting Back Bacon Joint with 25% less salt. 

Truly Irish, the brand with its own quality mark, their logo, was featured on The Business Show with George Lee on RTE1 recently. George commended the brand for what was achieved in their three short years of business and announced their plans of entering the UK market.

The above is a press release from the Truly Irish Group http://www.trulyirish.ie . Just received the latest newsletter from Avril of Rosscarbery Recipes and Caherbeg Free Range Porkhttp://www.caherbegfreerangepork.ie/  and she too has much to say about labeling and also covers food events in West Cork.

Wine events at Ballymaloe

Not just a timely reminder about next Tuesday's Burgundy journey in Ballymaloe but also a diary aid for forthcoming events at the East Cork venue, most notably the May date that sees three of the top Riesling growers come together on the one stage!

Upcoming Wine events at Ballymaloe

…………………………..

'Burgundy 2009 - A journey through the Villages of Burgundy'

with a tutored tasting by Marinette Garnier, winemaker, Maison Jaffelin

Tuesday 13^th March, 2012. 7.30pm €10

…………………………..

The Three Winemakers Wine Tasting

– ‘Riesling - A journey to the heart of this great wine’

Thursday May 17^th, 2012, 7pm, €25

Wine presentation ‘Riesling’ - with 3 winemakers from some

of the great Riesling growing regions of the world:

Tim Adams, Clare Valley, South Australia

Carl Ehrhard, Rheingau, Germany

Séverine Schlumberger, Alsace, France

And chaired by John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times

…………………………..

A South African afternoon in Ballymaloe’ with Niels Verburg, of Luddite Wines, Bot River, Walker Bay, South Africa

a tutored tasting by Niels of several vintages of his award winning Shiraz, Chenin Blanc and also Luddite Olive Oil

Sunday 27^th May, 2012. 3.30pm €10

Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork,

Tel: 021 4652531       res@ballymaloe.ie        www.ballymaloe.ie

Get thee to a market

Click on image to enlarge.

Get on down to a Farmer's Market this weekend. Mahon is still on today while Saturday's biggies are Midleton, Douglas and Skibbereen. Lovely people to meet, lovely food to buy. Enjoyed my hour in Mahon Point this morning. The top row of photos (l to r): Una's Pies, O'Connaill bars and O'Connaill brownies. Middle row: Arbutus Bread, Ballyhoura Mushrooms and Gubbeen. Bottom row: Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Flynn's Kitchen and Una's Pies. So grab  your bags and go on down

Well Done Sarah

Well Done Sarah

Congrats to Sarah O’Riordan who qualified for the final of the Fenn’s Quay Chef du Jour competition with a top class display in the restaurant last evening. Her excellent cooking earned her 4.5 points, enough to give  her a head to head with Jeni Pim in the decider next month.

Sarah’s mains was  a terrific Confit of duck, with buttered carrots, carrot jelly, carrot mouse and nutmeg dauphinoise. The duck was cooked to perfection and the nutmeg/potato combination was also top notch.

Her starter too caught the eye. This was a Beetroot risotto with Ardsallagh goat’s cheese and a better root crisp. Again, this was done to perfection and the cheese and the one or two beetroot cubes provided a balancing tang.

Another highlight was her breads, including a cracking nutty brown. All in all, it looks like a thriller coming up in April (probably the last Sunday) between two well matched contestants! 

Brilliant New Mushroom Product

Brilliant New Mushroom Product

Do yourself a favour this weekend. Go to the markets (Mahon, Midleton or Douglas) and buy a jar of Marinated Irish Oyster Mushrooms from the Ballyhoura Mountain Mushroom stall. Buy it for the house or, if you are a chef, buy it for the restaurant.

Bought a jar a few weeks back and just opened it for lunch. They told me it would last for three days in the fridge after opening. Not around here. It is gone. They are absolutely gorgeous, a lovely well balanced product that Ballyhoura should be proud of.

I didn’t go to too much trouble, just a few leaves and some homemade brown bread. But I’m sure a good chef could work wonders with these. Beside, Mark or Lucey of Ballyhoura will give you plenty of tips as well.

You’ll get a big jar for a fiver. They are well worth it. But don’t just take my word for it. Get out to your local market. I’ll be first in the queue at Mahon tomorrow.

Marinated Iirsh Oyster Mushrooms.


Ongredients: Oysters, extra virgin olive oil, Ballyhoura Apple Cider vinegar, organic garlic, organic chilli, organic herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme).

Enjoying Great Coffees in 2012

MY BUSY CAFETIERE

It has been a bright start to 2012 on the coffee front with some brilliant stuff passing through the Cafetiere, including top cups from Sumatra, Guatemala and Ecuador.

The long established Dublin company Robert Roberts  are my regular supplier, via their Coffee Connoisseur Club, and I started the year with their Sumatra Wahana. The Wahana Estate sits between 1300 and 1500 metres above sea level, higher than Carrantuohill, and Roberts say it is ideal for this type of coffee.

You get a decent amount of technical info from Roberts including the fact that this is known as a “parchment” coffee. Part of the process is carried out with the green seed with the parchment shell attached. In any event, it is an excellent drink, bold and fruity. Gareth Scully recommended it with milk. I tried it but preferred it black, as always!

Fermoy roasters Badger and Dodo  have been making waves in the coffee world in recent months and you’ll find their products at some markets (including Douglas on Saturdays) and also in Curious Wines (Kinsale Road) and at Bradley’s in North Main Street,

I picked up a pack of their beans in Bradley’s and there was a tempting aroma in the kitchen as I ground down the Guatemala Finca La Perla. They source from quality single origin estates and the website is worth a visit, not just for the coffees but also for the equipment.

Must say, I was really impressed with the La Perla, a very clean cup with a delicate but satisfying mouthfeel. A tempting introduction to the range that I will explore further.

The high standard continued with the latest delivery from Robert Roberts: Ecuadorian Las Tolas, a light and sweet variety. Gareth Scully says that Ecuadorian coffees are not the most complex in the world “but they have that Central American classic cup taste profile – medium bodied with a hint of sweetness and a light floral background note”.

Must say I don’t pick of half the hints of this and notes of that that the coffee blenders talk about but I’ll also say that I am thoroughly enjoying this one. And looking forward to the next one.

Perhaps Badger and Dodo have a point that the equipment you use may help you appreciate more the finer points.

EPIC TWITTER FOODIE EVENT AT SPRINGFORT

 Reckon Bryan would prefer to be in the kitchen than on the mike. Insert top: last of the James Nicholson sponsored wines, the Quady - Elysium Black Muscat (California) and insert bottom: Course #4, the Raspberry Jam Sorbet.

.

 #1: Ardsallagh Goat's Cheese, pear & walnut

#2: Dunmore East Scallop, blanquette of beans

 #3: Jack McCarthy's Black Pudding and Glazed Springfort Pork Belly, celeriac, Apple and Longueville House Cider.

 #5: Twelve Hour Feather Blade of Hereford Beef, swede, wild 3-cornered leek, truffle & beetroot.

 #6: Clonmore and Ardrahan cheese, Tomato Chutney

#7: Lemon Posset, shortbread biscuit

 #8: Bitter Chocolate Tart, caramel and pecan.

 Bryan with Springfort's Margaret (@springfort) and, left, Elaine O'Shea (@_theBBQ_team

Congrats to chef Bryan McCarthy and to all at Springfort Hall who staged a magnicient event, the third in the series of #MunsterFoodieTweetup. The nine course foodie event was epic, thanks largely to the skill of Bryan and his team in the kitchen. The beef and the black pudding were perhaps the highlights but all dishes were excellent. Some excellent wines also from the James Nicholson portfolio and I really enjoyed the Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc and the Domaine du Grapillon d'Or Gigondas, not neglecting the Beaujolais nor indeed the Muscat (pictured). Great too to see the produce of local producers being put to such good use by Bryan. It was a long night in the popular north Cork venue but no tales to tell. What happened in the Baltydaniel Bar stays in the Baltydaniel Bar!

Excellent Burger and Chips

 GOURMET BURGER BISTRO


Called to the Gourmet Burger Bistro  in Bridge Street over the weekend and enjoyed quite a late lunch. The lunch menu here extends to 5.00pm. The restaurant has a pleasant bright and white space inside with comfortable bistro style seating. Service is friendly and first class and the locally (for the most part) sourced food is very good indeed.

My starter was Portobello Mushrooms with blue cheese, honey & balsamic reduction (€4.95). Enjoyed this; mushrooms were nicely done while the cheese and sweet reduction played well off one another. The other starter didn’t disappoint either and CL polished off Crushed Baby Potatoes with manchego cheese, chorizo and sweet chilli mayo (6.95). 

Crushed Baby Potatoes

Both of us went for the same main course: the Organic Lamb Burger chargrilled, with tzatziki. All burgers are normally served in a Fresh Bap with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Mayonnaise and Home Cut Fries. But you do have the option of swapping the bap for a salad or the chips for baby potatoes and CL took the salad.

Both of us were pleased. The meat is normally cooked to medium (they will of course cook to order) but medium suited us fine. The burgers came with a Greek flag, in honour of the tzatziki, I presume. This tangy cucumber dip flavoured with garlic added a fine piquancy to the meal; the bap was excellent also, much better than the buns you get elsewhere.

Organic Lamb Burger

They have a range of soft drinks, some beers on draught, more in bottle and a small selection of wines. Also the usual teas and coffees and, skipping dessert, we finished off with an Americano and a Macchiato at 2.40 each. No complaint at all. Indeed, quite the opposite and certainly a place to go for a change, maybe to bring the children. Or the grandchildren!

Gourmet Burger Bistro, 8 Bridge Street, Cork City

Opening hours

Tuesday to Saturday: 12pm to 10pm (last orders) & Sunday & Public Holidays - 2pm to 9pm (last orders) Now open Sundays!

Soup it up for GORTA

GORTA Soup for Life

Soup for Life encourages Irish cafes, restaurants and venues to get involved and use soup to help Gorta make hunger history. Taking place during National Soup Week (March 5 – 11), the idea is that participants donate €1 per bowl of soup sold to aGorta supported project in Uganda.

Speaking at the launch, Gorta CEO, Brian Hanratty said, “It is incredibly important that Irish people realize the impact that buying Irish has on this economy and it is with this in mind, that I welcome Love Irish Food and Gorta’s partnership on the Soup for Life campaign.”

Commenting on the announcement, Kieran Rumney of Love Irish Food said “We are absolutely thrilled to be part of this exciting campaign, which is supporting and celebrating Irish businesses and Irish brands. The food industry in Ireland, while in a challenging time, has always been at the top of its game and it is campaigns such as Soup for Life which reallybrings it to life.”

Hanratty concluded, “Ireland has a much acclaimed reputation when it comes to agri and food business and it is a model that can be replicated in many parts of Africa to encourage job creation and trade. Our work is primarily based on ensuring food security in some of Africa’s poorest communities and it is a great boost to have an organisation such as Love Irish Food behind us.”

The programme in Uganda which the campaign is supporting aims to alleviate hunger, especially among women and children. All money raised will go towards providing seeds and seedlings, rooster hens and training and planning on all aspects of nutrition and food security.

Over 200 restaurants have already signed up.  Check out http://www.soupforlife.ie/eat-out/

4-Star Axford Show at Fenn's Quay

Axford’s 4-Point Display At Fenn’s Quay

Amateur chef, and avid Rugby League fan (Leeds Rhinos), Paul Axford played a stormer in the Fenn’s Quay Chef du Jour Competition and his four star display puts him in a strong position against direct semi-final rival Sarah O’Riordan who gets her game-time in the Sheare’s Street venue next Wednesday (8.00pm). The winner will face Jeni Pim in the April final.

Axford got off to a flying start with his Amuse Bouche, a perfectly executed and tasty Beef Carpaccio in a horse radish bilini. Can we have more please was the response.

I was also more than pleased with the starter: Smoked Salmon and prawn crepe, fennel salad with oyster crème. An excellent combination, well balanced, well presented and well cooked. So far, so very good.

The main course was a pretty tough assignment; maybe not for a small group but certainly if you’re cooking for a large bunch of mainly strangers. It was Toulouse and pistachio stuffed chicken with pommes Boulanger and seasonal vegetables.

Some reservations were expressed about the chicken being on the dry side, not enough sauce, but I thought the cabbage provided the necessary moisture and polished it off.

The dessert, individual dishes of Raspberry Baked Alaska, was another winner. Melt in the mouth stuff! Lucie Axford was at my table and, though she had been “force fed “f our of these earlier in the week, had no bother polishing this one off. Neither did I.

Then I retired with fellow judges Margaret Smith and Evin O’Keeffe and we soon agreed on four stars. Head Chef Kate Lawlor made the presentation and now we all await another big night next Wednesday!

Amuse Bouche

Next he went for the buttered crab. With a long thin spoon, Shah scooped the baked flesh from the salted and peppered exoskeleton of the crab; when all the easy meat had been carved from the chest and eaten, he tore the limbs apart, and chewed on them, one a time, biting into the shell and chewing 'til it cracked open, before sucking at the warm white flesh. The waiters were prepared to carve out the flesh and bring it on a small plate, but Dharmen Shah did not want it that way. He wanted to feel he was eating a thing that had been breathing just an hour ago: wanted to feel, once again, the extraordinary good fortune of being one of those still alive. – Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga.

Brilliance of Burgundy at Ballymaloe

Brilliance of Burgundy at Ballymaloe

'Burgundy 2009 - A journey through the Villages of Burgundy' with a tutored tasting by Marinette Garnier, winemaker, Maison Jaffelin, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, Tuesday 13th March, 7.30pm €10

Marinette Garnier, born in the heart of Burgundy and, already at 25 years old, has a lot of experience working alongside some of the most famous names in Burgundy, including Domaine Comtes Lafon, Domaine Méo-Camuzet, and on completion of her diploma, at Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils. Marinette is now winemaker at Maison Jaffelin.

Wines for the tasting:

2009 Chablis
2009 Chablis 1er Cru
2009 Bourgogne Blanc
2009 Meursault

2009 Fleurie
2009 Bourgogne Rouge
2009 Pommard
2009 Nuit-St-George
2009 Gevrey-Chambertin