Amuse Bouche

“Jefferson’s an American saint, because he wrote the words all men are created equal - words he clearly didn’t believe, because he allowed his own children to live in slavery. He was a rich wine snob who was sick of paying taxes to the Brits. So yeah, he wrote some lovely words and aroused the rabble and they went out and died for those words, while he sat back, and drank his wine, and f****d his slave girl.”

from The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs by Greil Marcus

The Atrium is the Plaza to be. Tapas in the Clarion

The Atrium is the Plaza to be

Tapas in the Clarion

Enjoying the Tapas with Alice (@fabfoodcork)

The well known Atrium in the Clarion is transformed into a Spanish Plaza. Spanish chef Maria is dishing up the Tapas of her homeland here every Tuesday to Friday (5.30pm to 8.00pm). And it is not just the food that shouts Viva Espana. A new range of Spanish wines, accompanies the tapas and intensifies that relaxing feeling of being on holiday right in the middle of the city. And, if the sun isn't shining, even if it is, take a look at the colourful new seating before you sink in.

I was in for the “official launch” last week and enjoyed the food, the wine and the company. And isn't that what Tapas are all about. There is quite a selection each evening and all are reasonably priced.

You may have Patatas Bravas (a standard in all Tapas menus in this part of the world) with a spicy Tomato Salsa. Simple but always a welcome dish. My favourite was another fairly common one: the Roasted Red Pepper and Confit Potato Frittata, full of real flavour, simply and honestly prepared.

Another that made my taste buds stand to attention was the Salted Cod Croquettes with a Lemon Aioli, sharp and satisfying. Other favourites at the table included Arancini (delicious crispy fried risotto balls), Mehico Meat Balls with a smoky Tomato Sauce, and Chorizo and Roast Squash salad with sun-dried Tomato.

Adrian introduced the new range of wines to accompany the Tapas. They are supplied by Findlaters and are a good match. All are available by the glass, of course, with prices ranging from €6.50 to €9.25.

In the reds, the general favourite at our table (I didn't take a vote) seemed to be Marques de Riscal Ardo Rioja, with all the flavours and aromas typical of the region. I took a punt on the Torres Atrium Merlot - I liked the name, for a start. By the end, I loved the wine, smooth and rich and a great drop, especially with the Tapas. Other reds were Torres Mas Rabell and Innurrita Norte.

I didn't get as much feedback on the whites but I do know and like the Riscal Rueda. This Verdejo is very versatile and obviously a good choice for Tapas. The Innurrita Sauvignon Blanc from Navara also came in for praise. The others, and I’m sure they were all fine, were Torres Mas Rabell and the Olvena Chardonnay.

It turned to be a very enjoyable evening and a big thanks you to Sonia and Donna and the staff of the Atrium, the inner courtyard of the Clarion (celebrating ten years in business), for looking after us so well. See you soon!

Teeling Single Malt. Dare to be different!

Teeling Single Malt

Dare to be different!
Teeling Whiskey Single Malt 46%

Teeling Whiskey, The Spirit of Dublin, say they “dare to be different”. And yet the first words that came to my mind when first tasting their Single Malt are “This is Whiskey!”.

The words are, of course, a compliment. For this smooth and beautifully crafted spirit is not just of Dublin but of Ireland, the character of hand selected casks bottled just for you. And me! And no doubt this flavoursome Irish spirit is a distinctive gem that will travel well and far.

There is a leather feel to the label but read it as well as feel it and you’ll see that the tradition and experience of the Teelings, which, at least in recent centuries, mirrors the Irish whiskey story (should that be stor-ey?) where quality is the consequence of skill and time and not just the rushed result of some accountant’s bottom line.

It is made from 100% Malted Barley and consists of a “vatting of five different wine casks (Sherry, Port Madeira, White Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon). It is bottled at 46% ABV with no chill filtration, allowing for all the natural flavours… to be retained.” No argument. Take just one sip and slip into agreement!

The nose is vibrant and inviting. The palate is an agreeable melange of fruit flavours and spices and the long finalé offers sweet harmony and a dry denouement as you deliciously slip from paradise promised to the realisation of whiskey heaven. The Spirit of Dublin indeed!

I've been talking this up to virtually everyone I meet. Someone asked: What would you match it with? I said, thinking of cool, Miles Davis.

Perhaps not my best one-liner. That, IMHO, came after a nosy tea-lady badgered two males (including me) as to who was wearing the expensive aftershave in the office. My buddy cracked under her persistence. “Which one?” she asked. “Joop” was the reply. She turned the heat to me. “Couldn't afford that,” I said. She kept at it, so I admitted to using a cheap copy. “What’s it called?”. “Duplicate,” I said.

Teeling Whiskey is fairly widely available, including at airports. Bradley's of Cork are selling it while Dublin's Celtic Whiskey Shop also have it.
See also: Teeling Whiskey Distillery Visit

Taste of the Week. Mr Tyner’s Patés

Taste of the Week

Mr Tyner’s Patés

Think I may have mentioned (more than once!) the marvellous patés that Barrie Tyner sells at his market stall, especially that palate pleasing one made with Hennessy and Garlic.

That was my first thought as we approached Barry at Mahon Farmers Market (he also operates in Midleton on Saturdays). But, as usual, Barry was dishing out generous samples. The Cognac one was again a delight but then so too was the Caramelized Onion and Mustard Seed offering.

I bought the latter and it is our Taste of the Week. Rich and creamy and just irresistible, a delight at lunch or as a pre-dinner treat. Very Highly Recommended and well worth checking out.

• By the way, out of all that, I have a random book recommendation for you. It is called The Weight of a Mustard Seed by Wendell Steavenson http://www.amazon.com/The-Weight-Mustard-Seed-Intimate/dp/0061721883 .

Keohane’s of Bantry. Their catch to your plate.

Keohane’s of Bantry
Their catch to your plate

Hake with oregano and garlic

When I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, Catholics abstained from meat on Fridays. Fish was the preferred alternative. Preferred is hardly the right word as the bony little white fish dished up religiously was regarded, not as food, but as a danger, a nuisance (all those bones) and a penance. Fish, wrongly, got a bad name in this island, a bad name from which it is now almost totally recovered.

Indeed, over much of the past week, the week after Seafest in Ringaskiddy, we’ve had fish just about everyday. And on some of those days, the fish has been supplied by Keohane’s of Bantry. It is a family business and dad Michael (The Cod Father) has been fishing the Atlantic waters for thirty years.

Son Michael runs the family fishmongers while daughter Anne Marie runs the Fish Kitchen Restaurant in Bantry, a highly recommended place to call, great fish dishes and lots of local craft beer. Check it out here

Keohane's process the fish at their Kinsale Road facility. I know we should all try to eat fresh fish from the market or the fishmonger but we are not always near them. You’ll find it hard to get fish in many rural areas and even in the cities large areas, Mayfield for instance, have no fishmonger. Then if you are working, you may not have time to go nor time to prepare.

Keohane’s can come to your rescue here. Their Microwavable fish comes in a vacuum pack (some for one person, some for two), usually with a garnish of herbs; take the container, pop it into the microwave and, in a few minutes, you have a tasty dish (with no strange additives in it ) in front of you.

I tried three of their offerings. First up was the Cod Fillet with Ginger, Chilli and Lime. Lovely inviting aromas as it came to the table and it tasted great as well. Next, not the same day, came Hake Fillet with Garlic and Herbs, another winner. Finally, there were Two Cod Fillets with a Green Pesto Sauce, another excellent dish. My favourite was the first one while the official blog cook plumped for the third.

Above: Quick lunch via the microwave -
Cod fillet with Ginger, Chilli and Lime.
From the pack below!

But all three were top notch and, don't worry, these three are just the tip of the iceberg. Keohane’s have quite a range, not just the microwavable, which also includes a tempting Mediterranean Seasoned Mackerel Fillets with cracked Black-pepper Butter. Virtually every fish you can think of is included in the Fresh Fillet range and then they have a seasonal range which currently includes Hot and Spicy Prawn Skewers!

So quite a bit of fishing to be done there. Their facility is on the Kinsale Road and the products are available in the on-site shop and also in Tesco.

Dillon’s of Timoleague. The 2015 Version

Dillon’s of Timoleague

The 2015 Version

Let me start with the desserts. Not with the changes at Dillon’s of Timoleague, not with the old abbey, not with the 18th century tsunami, not with the earthquake of 2013 (2.6 magnitude), not even with the earlier courses.

All was calm along the estuary and in the deserted village streets when I arrived in Dillon’s, where West Cork chef Richard Milnes now reigns, at the weekend. No tidal waves, no waves even, just lots of mud and flocks of birds feeding.

Maybe they got some tasty bits, I’m sure they did, but nothing as sweet as my Caramelised Almond Slice, quite a generous cut too. A delicious delight and indeed so too was our other sweet, a Tunisian Orange Cake, well matched with sour cream. Happy yes. But not one hundred per cent. I had a quick look at the dinner menu and spotted more temptation: Stewed Gooseberries with Elderflower Ice Cream. That could well draw me back one of these evenings!

The menus here, both lunch and dinner, are short but this is a small restaurant and better to have a short quality list than a long one in an attempt to please everyone. The incoming produce is mainly local and of a high standard and the Milnes kitchen magic does the rest. Craft beer and cider and a short wine list can help wash down the lovely food. Friendly staff there too.

And this is the smaller portion!

My mains was the Provençal Fish Soup (€15.00 - I could have had a smaller portion for eight). It was a winner, packed with chunks of monkfish and lots of flavours provided by red peppers, courgettes, herbs, all in a tomato base. And as well, there were two wee bowls on the side, one with shredded cheese and the other with a garlic aioli (that gave another little kick). Glad I got the big one.

CL meanwhile was tucking into her salad: Beetroot, Goats cheese and Almond. Again, quite tasty and well presented but I think I got the better deal this time! Oh, I almost forget to mention, we had been served with a little basket of their Focaccia bread, made on the premises that morning (and every morning, my server told me proudly!).

Excellent all round and I wasn't going to depart without a cup of tea. I had been studying the list through the meal; the list by the way gives eleven options, including some white ones, including Pai Mu Tan. My pick was the lovely Jasmine, fragrant, subtly sweet and delicately flavoured. Wide coffee choices too and CL had an excellent Cortado, a Spanish variation of the Italian Macchiato.

Amuse Bouche

They called James, the brother of Jesus, “James the Just”........ He himself owned nothing, not even the clothes he wore….. He drank no wine and ate no meat. He took no baths. No razor ever touched his face, nor did he smear himself with scented oils.

from Zealot (The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)  by Reza Aslan (p. 2013)

St Patrick's Distillery Launch

St Patrick's Distillery Launch

At Coughlan's (l to r): Andrew Desmond (Whazon), Cyril Walsh and
Barry Fitzgerald (both St Patrick's)

The team at St Patrick's Distillery in Douglas could hardly have picked a better venue for their recent launch than Coughlan's Bar in Douglas Street and will be hoping that some of the pub's longevity will rub off on their new venture. Coughlan's is close to 200 years old, a very lively 200 years as it is a recent winner of the IMRO Music Venue of the Year Award. Check it out here.

Lovely, lively old pub in Douglas Street

The St Patrick's Range.
It includes four gins including an Elderflower and also a Sloe and Honey. Indeed that Sloe and Honey featured in the most popular cocktail of the evening, the Sloe Heaven!

Lavelle’s in the Well

Lavelle’s in the Well

Lavelle’s is the new name in Sunday’s Well (Cork). The restaurant, with pub, long known as Annie’s, was taken over last January and the new name is just going up on the menus and sandwich board.

The huge blackboard, that used give me a crick in the neck, is also gone along with its very long menu. The replacement is the more usual paper menu, much shorter now but covering all the main bases as we found out on a recent visit.

 They do have specials. They are detailed on a small blackboard on the counter but the server informs you of them as well. My pick was the Skillet of mussels, served with Irish cider, chorizo and saffron. Excellent quality mussels and a different and delicious sauce. There was high praise from the other side of the table for the Salmon and Rice Cakes, with Mango Salsa and a Mixed Leaf Salad.

We enjoyed two excellent main courses as well, each well cooked and presented. One was the Confit of Duck with celeriac and parsnip purée, green lentils and pancetta. The other was Pan Roasted Monkfish, chorizo, cannellini beans, tomato and summer vegetable stew.

 On a roll now and, when our friendly server asked, we both said yes to dessert. I went for something different on the short list, the Mango and Lime Cheesecake, and hit the jackpot. On the other hand, the Apple and Summer berry crumble was also superb, great favours and a lovely crumble.

My drink on the night was a bottle of that classy Longueville Cider but they do have a good selection of craft beers here and a short wine list. The full bar has been retained in the middle of the split-level space, so you have a big choice of drinks at Lavelle's.

Travels with Tempranillo. Not just a Rioja resident

Travels with Tempranillo

Not just a Rioja resident

In La Rioja

For a long while, I associated Tempranillo primarily with La Rioja in Spain. But is also huge in neighbouring Ribero del Duero, a region that has come to prominence over the last 35 years or so. Indeed, Tempranillo (often blended) is grown across the north of Spain (with the exception of the Atlantic region of Riax Baixas). You’ll find it in Cigales, Navarra, Cariñena, and in Catalunya generally (including Penedes).

In some places in Spain, it is called Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais. It has at least two names in Portugal. Tinta Roriz is probably the most common and this is used as one of the grapes for Port in the Douro and in Alentejo it is called Aragonês (also its name in Brazil). Tinto Roriz crops up in a big way in Argentina where more than 15,000 acres are planted. By contrast, it has a miniscule presence in Chile.

No Rioja wines in the three below. The first is from Ribero, the second from Navarra and the third, a blend, from Valencia. An interesting trio!

Bodegas Felix Callejo Vina Pilar Crianza 2010, Ribero del Duero (DO), 14%, €19.75 Karwig Wines

Ribera del Duero has been called “the modern red wine miracle of northern Spain” by the World Atlas of Wine and it is very well represented here by this Very Highly Recommended wine.

Colour is an intense ruby, with long legs on the glass. Leather and pretty intense dark fruits on the nose. It is full bodied with flavours of fruit, spice, vanilla, with fairly fine tannins, excellent acidity and a long finish.

Pleno Tempranillo 2014, Navarra (DO), 13.5%, €8.99 O’Donovan’s Off Licence

This comes with quite a name already, having been voted the Gold Star Winner for Old World Red (Under €10.00) in the 2013/14 Irish Wine Show run annually by NOFFLA. Colour is purple tinged, and bright. Aromas bring a rush of red fruits, promising much. And that promise is delivered in the mouth with delicious flavours and some spice; it is a smooth medium bodied wine, tannins are fine and it is fresh with good acidity and decent length. A splendid introduction to Tempranillo, easy-drinking and very good value indeed. Highly Recommended.

Aculius Reserva 2006, Valencia, 13.5%, €18.55 Karwig Wines

A replica Roman coin hangs around the neck of this blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Syrah. It is fermented in new French oak and, in the same wood, aged for 12 months on its lees. 

Produced by La Casa de les Vides, it is rather intense, both on the nose and on the palate. It is rich, with an excellent mouthfeel, some spice and a persistent satisfying finish. Highly Recommended.

Summer Days in Dublin. Capital Food and Fun

Summer Days in Dublin

Capital Food and Fun

View of Dublin Castle and surrounds from rooftop garden of Chester Beatty Library

 Just back after a terrific trip to Dublin in the sunshine. And I enjoyed every minute (almost!)  of the three sunshine filled days. On the fourth day, it rained and we met our one and only grumpy taxi-driver of the break, but we were then starting on our way home. Before that, we had very courteous humorous taxi-drivers and the fares seemed reasonable throughout.

Our first trip though was by Luas and that took us close enough to our base, the Trinity Lodge. Didn’t know much about it when we booked a few months back. It is very convenient for the city centre, situated on Frederick Street (just off Nassau Street), next door to Dunne & Crescenzi.

Dublin Castle and State Apartments yard

It is spread over four Georgian houses. There was no lift in our building and the breakfast room was across the street. But everything was up to scratch. Very welcoming and helpful with city information (including maps and taxi calls), a good choice at breakfast (no buffet here - cooked from scratch), there is free Wi-Fi and security is excellent and an Air Coach stop is just 50 metres away.

That afternoon we headed for the Teeling Distillery (€14.00), a new operation in the heart of the Liberties where we had an excellent tour and tasting.

St Patrick's

Next stop was at the nearby St Patrick’s Cathedral. Admission here is five euro. The present building dates from 1220. The Cathedral is today the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland (a church of the Anglican communion) and also serves as a popular tourist attraction in Ireland.

No shortage of history here as you'd expect and there are busts of Douglas Hyde and Erskine Childers (both Irish presidents) and Jonathan Swift ( dean of the cathedral). There too you’ll see the Boyle monument, erected by Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, in 1632 in memory of his second wife.

Queue for Book of Kells

 Then the mood lightened as we reached Grafton Street and its entertainers. This became a daily stop such was the high standard on offer. All kinds of fun on the street including music, magic and acrobats. You know you're in a capital city when you have to slow down to stroll through the crowds. Later, that evening we had a capital meal, and a great welcome from Cork chef Ross Lewis, at Chapter One .

The sun continued to shine on day two. After a stroll around St Stephen’s Green, we entered Trinity College (€13.00) to see the Book of Kells . We took the general tour - you sign up just inside the main door. It costs just a few euro more than the Book of Kells admission and is well worth it. Our guide, Johnny, took us around the grounds, explaining the buildings, the place and its people (past and present) with no little humour.

Arnaldo Pomodoro's 'Sphere Within Sphere' at Trinity

We had to join a “five minute” queue tour for the book itself. And it was crowded inside as people squeezed in around the display. Might be better to come here in the off-season! The famous Long Room in the Old Library is also part of the tour. Here some 200,000 of the library’s oldest books are stored, the heaviest on the bottom shelves, and all are overseen by a great collection of busts that include Mr Swift again!

The afternoon was spent at the Chester Beatty Library (free). Here the emphasis is very much on the Middle East and Asia, the source of the world's main religions and, in the permanent displays, you'll see a massive collection of related books and other materials (including the “armour” of a Japanese warrior) illustrating the religions and the cultures of that part of the world.

Grafton Street

The current exhibition is Damsels for Dinner: Tale of Oeyama. The Chester Beatty’s mid-17th- century version of the story, produced in a set of three magnificently illustrated scrolls, is on display in the ‘Arts of the Book’ gallery until January 2016.  

Downstairs, you'll find the highly rated Silk Road Café which offers a range of mouth-watering menus from Afghanistan, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Morocco and Palestine, as well as Ireland. You will, of course, pay for your meal but there is no admission charge for the library itself.

Ely Dessert

That evening, on the way to the 3 Arena, we called to Ely at CHQ for their fabulous Early Bird. Great value too at €22.95 for two courses. The restaurant - they have another one in Ely Place, off Stephen’s Green - is noted for using local produce (much of it from the family farm in Clare)  and its fabulous wine list. Highlight was the main course of Braised Beef Cheek with a vegetable tagine and butter beans, tender and delicious. Very convenient for the arena, and other venues, but well worth a visit in its own right.

There was a great buzz there on that Friday evening, packed upstairs and downstairs. The vaults downstairs reminded me of the old bond in Cork. Wonder would Ely be interested in taking that over?

Diamond's forever

Off then to see Neil Diamond. Think I'd have been better off if I had booked dinner, rather than Early Bird in Ely. But I must also say that mine was very much a minority opinion. The place was packed with fans and he told them they loved him and they enthusiastically agreed. Good finish with Sweet Caroline but lots of the earlier songs, even those from his new album (one of which, Art of Love, took five years to write!), sounded old. Glad to get out in the fresh air.

Got a taxi up to the fantastic Botanic Gardens (free) on Saturday morning and had a great couple of hours there. Read the account here. You can walk through a gate from the gardens to the Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum. Here we saw the graves of many famous Irish men and women. We’ll call again as there is much to take in. Time was running out for us, otherwise we'd have taken a guided tour.

Tower marks grave of Daniel O'Connell

 After getting the bus back to the city and working our way through a protest march, we felt we deserved a beer. And we got a very good one from the micro-brewery in Sweetman’s Pub on Burgh Quay, just at the south side of O’Connell Bridge. They have seven of their own beers on offer but I settled for the outstanding Pale Ale. Great buzz there and very highly recommended. Oh, by the way, they do sell other craft beers and some ordinary beers as well!

Another call to Grafton Street and its entertainers on the way back to the Lodge before heading out that evening to a splendid finale at Restaurant Forty One where we absolutely enjoyed the meal and a little chat with chef Graham Neville. A great way to finish a fabulous few days in Ireland's capital city.

Glasnevin grave of O'Donovan Rossa

See also Teeling Distillery visit

Chapter One Restaurant
National Botanic Gardens

Taste of the Week from Woodside Farm

Taste of the Week

from Woodside Farm

Low and slow was the advice from Martin Conroy of Woodside Farm as we put our Shoulder of Pork into the bag at Mahon Point Farmers Market the other day. Have you tasted his super pork in a bun at the markets? This guy knows what he is talking about and so we took serious heed of the cooking hints.

The pork went into the oven around lunch-time on Sunday and was perfect when dinner-time rolled around. So too were the root vegetables that had been cooked with it. We were expecting something special but it went far beyond that.

The meat was so tender, so full of flavour, so absolutely tasty that nothing was left. Don't think the begging mutt got his usual scrap.

Woodside only sell meat from their own pigs and don't buy in any meat and pass it off as their own. When you buy their products you can be sure you are getting a Truly Free Range Product. They do not use antibiotics, growth promoters or copper nor do they feed their pigs commercial ration or pre-medicated feed. 

This is a Taste of the Week with a delicious difference. Highly Recommended and well worth a try! They also do the markets in Wilton, Midleton and Douglas.