Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Susan’s Award-winning ‘Jewelled Christmas Cake’ Is A Festival Gem


Susan’s Award-winning
 ‘Jewelled Christmas Cake’ Is A Festival Gem


Great excitement for Susan Robbins Fehilly when her Christmas cake was declared the overall winner at the recent Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards. I could say it was the icing on the cake but there’s no icing on this champion, just a crown of preserved fruits and nuts. 

The “Jewelled Christmas Cake” is indeed a winner as I found out when I sampled it last weekend. I spoke to Susan who recalled the night of triumph: “What a fantastic night it was at the Irish Quality Food Awards 2019! Winning not only the Christmas cakes and pudding category, but also the overall Christmas Q award. Of course, not forgetting our Chocolate and Raspberry cake which won the Good Choice cakes and biscuit category!”  Wildberry is a regular award winner but this was something special.
And that cake is something special. Once I got it home, a small slice was extracted and I sat down in anticipation with an Americano at hand. It is absolutely delicious. The fruit cake itself is superb, wonderful textures and flavours and the fruit and nuts from the crown add an extra individual flavour as you take a nibble from the top of your slice every now and then. Easy to see why the judges went for this one, Wildberry’s first attempt at the Christmas Cake market.

The Wildberry bakery is located in the village of Ballineen, West Cork. It has both a Gluten Free & a Floury unit. Their complete focus is on taste and quality. All cakes are handmade to taste perfection using only the best ingredients. For instance, Clonakilty free range eggs and Bandon butter are used in the Christmas cake, no preservatives, no additives. Susan’s ethos is to create great flavours and textures, particularly in her Gluten Free Range. Her influences are French but her passion is for Irish ingredients and the excellence of Irish food.

It also looks stunning, with that necklace of preserved fruits and nuts on top instead of traditional icing. And a little tip. All you need here is a small slice, such is the concentration of flavour. It’s a bit like sipping a very fine wine as against a run of the mill bottle -  a little goes on long way. At an rrp of €15 for an 800g cake, this would be a welcome gift in any home, especially your own!

It is available in in the following Dunnes stores, at the ABC Bread concessions: Cornelscourt, Rathmines, Naas, Bishopscourt [ Bandon Rd ] Cork, Jetland [ Limerick].
The 800g [€15] and the 1600g [ €25] are also available at ABC in the English Market.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Food At Crawford Gallery Café. Well Sourced. Well Executed. Well Worth A Call.


Food At Crawford Gallery Café
Well Sourced. Well Executed. Well Worth A Call.

We are in high-ceilinged high-windowed room in the heart of the city, surrounded by art works on the walls. Indeed we are in the heart of the Cork’s best known art gallery. But don’t worry, this is an informal room, a very pleasant one, and the food you get here, in the Crawford Gallery Cafe (founded 1986) is not at all formal, not really art on a plate but the tasty culmination of artisan craft from the farm to the kitchen to your plate, neat and tidy and a superb lunch or brunch. 

And then there’s the counter ahead, more or less weighed down with so many good things, pastries and cakes to savour slowly with a well made tea or coffee. Quite a few other drinks available too, including a glass of well chosen wine.
Pancake

Everything is well-chosen here. Let them tell you about their leaves: “… our salads are so flavourful thanks to the natural farming methods of the growers at Horizon Farm in Kinsale. Colum and Liz O'Regan carefully work their beautiful farm and its soil, which is enriched by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, to produce leaves of unique and exceptional flavour. The food we serve you just wouldn't be the same without the talent and dedication of these local producers.”

This day (27th November 2019), we are here for lunch. Nothing Christmassy on the menu as yet, thankfully! The splendid old fireplace though is getting its seasonal makeover and camera phones are clicking as we study the menu.
Pears & Blue Cheese

There are some terrific choices here ranging from Soup of the Day to a Steak and Chips. And the choice is enhanced by the fact that you may have smaller or bigger portions of a few dishes including Devilled Kidneys on Sourdough.

I’m seriously thinking about those kidneys but instead go for the Pear and Cashel Blue Cheese Bruschetta, also available in small or large. I’m a big fan of Cashel Blue but I have to say, the Conference pears that the Crawford served with it were also outstanding, thinly sliced, crisp and juicy with a melting consistency and the typical subtle sweet flavor. An amazing combination with the cheese and the sourdough and those Horizon Farm leaves of course. Not art but quite a masterpiece.

Our other main dish was The Crawford Spinach and Mushroom Pancake, with cucumber pickle, Horizon Farm Leaves and Hollandaise Sauce. Another super plateful, another layer of flavour added by the sauce to the already flavoursome creamy package inside the pancake. Delicious.

“Coffee?”, we asked one another. Why not? “Dessert?” One to share. You could close your eyes and stick a pin and still come up trumps on that counter. But we didn’t leave it to chance and our pick was the Plum and Pistachio Cake, a generous slice with cream. Sweet finalé. And the coffee was good too.

And then we got a bonus, the chance to sample the gorgeous nougat that Sinead is making here. She uses butter and I must say I loved it, both flavour and texture. Sinead:  "I’ll be making more for Christmas and selling it on the counter here at the cafe. I’ll package some and have some smaller bars on the counter to have with coffee." So there's a tasty tip for you!

Festive Welcome!

  • For all of you nice and early with your Christmas shopping, they have the lunch special to get you through the retail mayhem. Les Tartines are their Open Brown Bread sandwiches with Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese and Pickles, Bresnan’s bacon, relish and cucumber pickle, plus a cup of soup, tea or coffee, anytime between 12 noon and 3.00pm Monday to Saturday.

Crawford Art Gallery
Emmett Place
Cork
Tel: +353 (0)21 427 4415

Opening Hours
Monday–Saturday
8.30am – 4pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays
11am – 4pm
Café Christmas Times
Closed 25, 26, 27 December 2019
Closed 1,2 January 2020
Closed 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 January 2020

Chef Bryan McCarthy Plays Mr Sandman to set you Dreaming💤 of a Greenes🎄🎅🎄 Christmas

Chef Bryan McCarthy Plays Mr Sandman
to set you Dreaming💤 of a Greenes🎄🎅🎄 Christmas


Greenes Restaurant, with Executive head chef Bryan McCarthy leading the way, is showcasing a locally-inspired Christmas tasting menu this festive season as an alternative to traditional Christmas dining. 

Not everyday I can get a line-up of so many of my favourite producers in the one menu. But Bryan has waved his magic kitchen wand and Ballinwillin Venison from Mitchelstown, Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding from Kanturk, Twomey’s Pork from Macroom, Killahora Rare Apple Ice Wine from Glounthaune, and organic winter vegetables from Kilbrack Farm in Doneraile will all appear in starring roles. What a dream line-up. One to look forward to, for sure.

The ethos at Greenes in Cork’s Victorian Quarter celebrates the uniqueness and quality of the outstanding ingredients that are available in Ireland and the team work in tandem with the best Irish food producers year-round to create menus that are devoted to local, seasonal, foraged and organic ingredients.

Bryan said, “Promoting local ingredients is extremely important to us so we wanted to ensure that the fantastic winter produce we get from our suppliers locally were the real stars of our Christmas menus. The inspiration for each dish originated with the ingredient itself, rather than limiting ourselves to the traditional Christmas offering. We have a number of different festive dining options available so there is something for everyone. But all of our menus reflect the same food philosophy which is the celebration of high quality seasonal, local produce.” 

The festive dining experience will be enhanced by views of the iconic waterfall at Greenes, which was named Ireland’s Most Atmospheric Restaurant at this year’s Georgina Campbell Awards. 

The Christmas Tasting Menu (€75) is just one offering from Greenes Restaurant over the Christmas season. Diners can also choose from the Christmas Lunch Menu (€37.50), Christmas Early Bird Menu (€42.50), Christmas Set Menu (€65), as well as À La Carte options. 

Greenes Restaurant is part of a family of connected venues, together with Hotel Isaacs and Cask (Ireland’s most awarded cocktail bar), with beautiful period architecture, adjoining one another on MacCurtain Street in Cork city.

For information on menus and opening hours visit www.greenesrestaurant.com/christmas. Bookings can be made at www.greenesrestaurant.com or by phone at 021 455 2279.

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Greenes on Instagram and Twitter at @GreenesCork and on Facebook at @GreenesRestaurant . 

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Rhone. River of Wine.


The Rhone. River of Wine.
Do you find French wine labels confusing?

The Rhone is one of a few major French rivers, others are the Loire and Dordogne, inextricably linked with wine. The heart of the area is between Vienne to the north, Avignon to the south.  Wines labelled Côtes du Rhône can come from anywhere in the region, from north, south, east and west. Those labelled Côtes du Rhône Villages are in theory better than plain Côtes du Rhône and those with the label entitled to add the village name, eg  Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet should have an edge over the others, in theory.

Wines bearing the label Vacqueyras, just Vacqueyras, can come only from the village of that name.  It is regarded as a cru wine. Some other southern Rhone cru villages are Gigondas, most recently Cairanne and,  most famously, Chateauneuf du Pape. It can all get a little complicated for the outsider. 

While the various designations are much sought after, quite often it comes back to the winemaker. A good winemaker can make a Côtes du Rhône every bit as good as a cru whereas a poor winemaker will more than likely have a poor result even in a cru village. The two below are from opposite ends of the appellation "scale" yet, for me, it is very difficult to pick a clear "winner". 


Chateau de Bastet “Terram” Côtes du Rhône (AOP) 2017, 14%, €14.75 Mary Pawle Wine

Colour is ruby (mid to dark), the liquid attractively bright in the glass. Jammy red fruits (raspberries, strawberries) on the nose and then lively red fruit flavours on the palate, a nice light spice too, delicate tannins, fresh acidity but well balanced for sure. Very accessible and clean (no herbicides, no pesticides here). It is is both organic and biodynamic and the blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Very Highly Recommended.

Grenache qualities enhance fruitiness, warmth and body while Syrah can bring a hint of spice, as well as depth in colour and strength to the wine enabling it to age well.

Terram, Latin for land, is one of the four elements, so, not surprisingly, they also produce wines called Aeris, Aqua and Ignis (air, water, fire). Pairings recommended include appetisers, cold cuts, barbecued meat or small goat's cheeses and even more exotic dishes. This could be one of the LDR (light dry reds, now very popular). Recommended serving temperature is 14 degrees, so a slight chilling may be required.


Jérome Quiot Vacqueyras (AOC) 2015, 14.5%, €22.15 (Karwig, now closed)

Rhone wines by the Quiot family were a mainstay in Karwig for many years. This fruit was hand-picked from a single property located at the foot of the famous hills, the Dentelles de Montmirail. You can expect it to match with veal, game birds and cheeses.

Colour is crimson, legs clear slowly. Fairly intense aromas (dark berries, cherries, herbal notes too). Fruit and some spice on the palate, quite a juicy presence. Full bodied with good length on the finish that reflects the palate experience. Very Highly Recommended.

Vacqueyras is almost exclusively red wine country and grapes allowed include Grenache (at least 50%), Syrah  and Mourvedre (at least 20%).




Saturday, November 30, 2019

Amuse Bouche






Ronnie regularly cooked at home, whether it was a breakfast of slowly fried garlic, chopped parsley with fresh chillies finished with a fried egg, or a simple lunch of fresh whiting dusted in seasoned flour and cooked in the pan with real Irish butter and the best Spanish olive oil. He enjoyed cooking… and delivered some excellent dishes. Food was a defining element of the Drew household.

from Beautiful Affair by Mike Hanrahan (2019). Very Highly Recommended.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

SuperValu Christmas Wines. A few tips before you shop!


SuperValu Christmas Wines.
 A few tips before you shop!

Reckon I hit the jackpot with the Castellani Vermentino, my first pick from the current SuperValu Christmas Wine range. It’s a beauty as you may read below. Reductions on a large selection of wines, both red and white, and beyond, continue right up to closing time on Christmas Eve. This post, the first of two, takes a look at the whites (plus sparkling) and may help you with your choices.

Castellani Vermentino Toscana (IGT) 2017, 12.5%, 10.00 (16.99)

Vermentino may not be one of the better known white grapes but it is one of those Mediterranean whites that I like and this is one hundred per cent Vermentino. I like this one too and it is especially good value at the moment.

Colour is a very pale straw, very clear and bright liquid. Inviting aromas, with white fruit along with herbal and floral notes. Quite smooth on the palate, stone fruit flavours, long with a lively acidity which should help it with food. Soups, chicken salad, fish courses and appetizers are suggested by the producer.
Abellio Albarino Rias Baixas (DO), 12.5%, €10.00 (was 14.99).
I never say no to an Albarino and this zesty and well balanced Abellio is a favourite of mine. It is ideal with shellfish and fish and also recommended for lightly spiced Asian chicken dishes. The medium intense aromas are of white fruit. It has a smooth character on the palate, refreshing with intense fruit (pear, apple and peach).

For a few Euro more….

Goichot is the “maison” behind the Chablis on offer, at 15 euro. This, of course, is a Chardonnay, dry and fresh. If this is your first Chablis, you’ll probably find it much drier and fresher than the  non-Burgundian Chardonnays you've been drinking. It has the characteristic mineral aromas that hint of the dryness and freshness to come on the palate. It is quite a gorgeous mouthful, fruit and acidity in good balance and a super dry finalé.

Sauvignon Blanc Fans….
No doubt, there are a few Sauvignon Blanc fans out there and SuperValu have you well covered. The very classy Guy Saget Sancerre is out on its own. And you may also choose from a Brancott Estate, a Graham Norton edition, along with those from the reliable Chilean producers Santa Rita and Cono Sur. Over to you! Enjoy responsibly.

By the way, you can benefit again if you buy 6 bottles as that entitles you to another tenner off the total. In that case, a ten euro bottle actually costs you €8.33. Over to you! Enjoy responsibly.


Sparkling.....


Gran Troya Cava Brut NV 11.5%, €12.00 (down from 26)

Cava is a different distinctive under-rated sparkling wine, made in Spain using the same method as Champagne. If you haven’t tried it before, this is a terrific introduction.

Colour is a pale yellow and there is no shortage of tiny bubbles rising to the top and forming a ring around the perimeter of the glass. It is intense and fruity with a long dry finish. A classic Cava. The grapes used are the traditional Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada “from our own vineyards”. Try with olives, grilled almonds.


Pierre Darcys Champagne Brut NV €20 (29.99)
This pale lemon-yellow with is steady stream of small bubbles, its delicate aromas, certainly has got the usual characteristics; it is crisp and well balanced and runs out quickly! Try it with the smoked salmon!

Also on offer is the Graham Norton Prosecco Frizzante. Again there are lots of bubbles but this time they don’t hang around. This is a Frizzante (gently sparkling) not a Spumante (fully sparkling). You’ll also note a different closure on it - use your normal corkscrew to get started. While it is nowhere near as bubbly as the Cava, this calmer bottle is very very pleasant indeed.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Something Different at Dockland. A Delightful Diversity of Dishes


Something Different at Dockland 
A Delightful Diversity of Dishes
Thai Curry

The transition from Club Brasserie to Dockland had some punters worried. But it was more or less seamless and soon we realised that, while there were many small plates here, the choice was bigger than ever, the types of dishes more varied than before. You don’t need to be over adventurous to enjoy the flavoursome food here but plain eaters may have to study the menu in some detail.

Toulouse sausage
We arrived in early on a Friday, in good form having earlier attended the O’Donovan Wine Fair in the nearby Clayton. The form wasn’t entirely down to the wine - we spit much more than we swallowed. But the drops and the chats were enjoyable as was the warm welcome by Beth and her newly male reinforced Dockland team!

There are no sub headings on the menu, just one title: bites to bigger bites. Roughly you have a dozen bites (small plates) and, believe it or not, more or less the same number of bigger bites (main courses, if you will, not that the old terminology is entirely accurate here). You could perhaps have three bites, or one bite and one bigger, or even two bigger. Lots of scope to try different things and also to share.

And lots to drink also, including an increasing choice of non-alcoholic (they’re working on that!). A good list of white and red wines, an impressive collection of gins, and a full bar too. No shortage but in the circumstances we gave it a skip on the night.

It did take us a while to go through the menu. I started with the Toulouse Sausage Bruschetta, with tomato chilli jam, roasted red onions, mustard mayo and honey mustard dressing. With a crispy little salad, this was terrific, moist and full of texture and flavour, a terrific bite and I was on my way for six euro.
Roasted stuffed Aubergine

CL’s opener cost the same, actually 6.50. Her choice was the Roasted Stuffed Aubergine, with tomato fondue, roasted red onions, feta cheese, sumac and mint oil. Again, moist and delicious, a cracking combination of textures and flavours. Up and running.

Just to give you an idea of the variety here, I’ll detail two of the other “bites”. One is the Moroccan Lamb Koftas (ras al hanout, saffron aioli, harissa oil, and zataar), another the Macroom Halloumi cheese, courgette plus carrot fritters. With all the various combinations available here, you could eat at Dockland for weeks and not repeat yourself.

Big bites are just as varied. You could have Crispy Asian Duck confit plus a spiced noodle salad (with blood orange lime nam iiim chilli dressing, coriander, chillies, mint, toasted tomato seeds, sugarsnap, mixed peppers). I was seriously considering that before I made a different choice.  Also tempting was the Slow Roasted Crispy Belly of Pork with fennel seeds, served with Borlotti beans, rosemary, buttered cabbage, Clonakilty blackpudding and caramelised apple.

In the end, my pick was the Thai Green Chicken Curry, basmati rice, cucumber mint salad (18.00). At first glance, I thought this was a little on the small side but the bowls were packed, one with the curry (oh those crunchy peppers), the rice was perfectly cooked and that little bowl of cucumber sauce played a key role and I also enjoyed my poppadum. Took my time with that I can tell you and enjoyed every little bit - no room for dessert at the end!
Dhal

Our other dish was also from the east: Spiced Lentil and sweet potato dhal, spinach, basmati rice, poppadum crisps and yogurt (16.00). The result here was equally satisfying, a superb and generous counter to the cold outside. We were very happy with those two dishes, not the kind of plates you’d do at home (and that’s one of the reasons we venture out to Cork’s marvellous restaurants and cafes).

And that plain eater?  Perhaps the Chargrilled Ribeye steak along with the Dockland Dirty Fries would do the trick. Even there, expect a surprise or two like the roasted harissa oil with the chips! Plain or adventurous, you’ll be well looked after here. The welcome is warm and the service is efficient and friendly.








Spoil the ladies in your life this Christmas with Afternoon Tea in aid of cancer research

  Fashion stylist Grace Keane, broadcaster Deirdre O’Shaughnessy and beauty expert, Mary-Jane O’Regan, pictured at the launch of the Breakthrough Cancer Research Women’s Little Christmas Afternoon Tea glamour event which will take place on in Fota Island Resort on 5th January  2020. Tickets for this charity event can be purchased through www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie




Spoil the ladies in your life this Christmas with Afternoon Tea in aid of cancer research

Treat yourself and the ladies in your life to the perfect gift this Christmas, an afternoon of fashion, glamour and pampering at the Women’s Little Christmas Afternoon Tea in aid of Breakthrough Cancer Research. The event will take place on Sunday, 5th January 2020 in the luxurious surroundings of the Fota Island Resort.


Joining us this year as our glamourous MC is Deirdre O’Shaughnessy, Journalist and Broadcaster. Now in its 9th year, Breakthrough’s Women’s Little Christmas Afternoon Tea & Fashion Showcase promises to be bigger and better than ever, commencing with a refreshing Pink Gin reception on arrival (sponsored by Pernod Ricard), a craft exhibitor showcase, and pampering treatments from the Spa at Fota Island Resort.


Sumptuous Afternoon Tea will follow, during which guests will be entertained with a ‘how to’ makeup demo from Glamity Jane, renowned beauty expert from HiStyle, and wowed by a head-turning fashion segment hosted by Grace Keane of Silk Peaches and Serenity boutiques in Ballincollig. Throughout, guests will enjoy music from the Loungeman and attendees will also be in with a chance of winning the event’s best dressed lady competition, goody bags and more!


Orla Dolan, Director of Fundraising with Breakthrough Cancer Research said, “Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Little Christmas is a fabulous excuse to catch up with the ladies in your life after a hectic Christmas, and Breakthrough’s Women’s Little Christmas Afternoon Tea is a perfect excuse to have some well-deserved ‘Me’ time, for a great cause. All proceeds from the event go towards developing new treatments for poor prognosis cancers and those which currently respond poorly to conventional therapies.”


Breakthrough Cancer Research is leading the way with research into cancers with poor prognosis such as ovarian, pancreatic, lung and oesophageal. From its research centre in Cork, Breatkthrough has already progressed seven treatments from the laboratory to clinical trial. The organisation works closely with multiple hospitals to ensure its research is responding to the needs of patients with cancers that do not respond to conventional therapies.


Tickets for this very special event are priced at €50 and usually sell out fast, so book now to avoid disappointment. To purchase your ticket, call Breakthrough Cancer Research on 021 4226655, or go to our website www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie for a link to Eventbrite.


----

Press Release November 26th, 2019 

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Taste of the Week from Kilbrack Farm. Buy local, fresh and fair.

Taste of the Week
from Kilbrack Farm

I found my current Taste of the Week in the superb kale on sale at the Kilbrack Farm stall in the Coal Quay Farmers Market last Saturday. They have other amazing organic vegetables, as does Caroline Robinson a few stalls away. It doesn't have to be just at the Coal Quay. Midleton or Douglas Markets may be more convenient for you. I plan to go to Killavullen next Saturday morning. If Saturday doesn't suit, head to Mahon Point on Thursday. There's a couple of excellent farmers stalls there and don't tell me the markets are expensive. Last week, I got five or six superb carrots in Mahon for one euro!

After the Coal Quay last Saturday, I called to the English Market. Eoin O'Mahony had a lovely piece of porchetta* to go with the kale. There was bread from ABC and paté from On the Pig's Back. As you know, there's lots of other stalls in both markets so no shortage of choice. The point I'm making is support local, buy fresh and fair and you'll end up with a taste of the week that suits your tastes and your budget and, more than likely, your health. The longer my food's journey, the less I trust in it (anyone been watching Rotten on Netflix?). So buy local and from a trusted source. The more we pull together, the further we will go.

* Speaking of pork, we got a delicious shoulder from Woodside Farm at Mahon Thursday; cooked low and slow with seasonal root vegetables, it gave us a very satisfactory dinner on Sunday, as it regularly does.





Monday, November 25, 2019

Head South For This Smashing Pair, One White, One Red. Or Just Head to O'Brien's



Head South For This Smashing Pair,
 One White, One Red.
Or Just Head to O'Brien's!


Domaine Begude “Etoile” Chardonnay Limoux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €18.95 (21.95)

Beautiful mid-gold colour. The aromatics are quite complex, regular fruit (such as apple and pear) along with the exotic (mango) in the mix. It is certainly more of the exotic on the rich palate, quite a rounded almost creamy mouthfeel, more complex than most French Chardonnays (not that there is such a thing as a typical Chardonnay as the chameleon grape makes itself at home wherever it finds itself), good acidity too though, so the long finish is harmonious.

This Highly Recommended wine should be fine with salmon and trout, with roast chicken (even roast turkey!). The winery also says it is “heavenly with Comté & other hard cheese”. Worth a try so with Hegarty’s Templegall though I know cheesemaker Jean-Baptise may prefer a Saint-Emilion.

This certified organic wine, full-bodied and smooth, is crafted from Chardonnay grapes high in the cool climate region (hot summer days and cool nights) of Limoux. Fertilised using only natural manures and cultivated with the utmost respect for the environment, this wine is vinified and matured in the very best French oak to bring you “our finest cuvée, Etoile”.

Colour is a dark red. Intense nose of dark fruits, notes of spice, perhaps a hint of the garrigue, the scrub that thrives around here. I once stayed in a gite in Languedoc owned by a Madam Garrigue. Like the senior citizen Madame, this wine is amazingly smooth (the madame used tidy up the pool in her bikini every evening). Must say that gite was great value for money and I can indeed say the same about this Prestige, fresh, and full of fruit, enhanced by nine months in oak. No pesticides, no herbicides, just excellent value (more so with the current reduction). 

Garrigue, by the way, is a feminine noun. And since I’m on gender, the French language version of the label indicates that Syrah is feminine while Carignan and Mourvedre, the other two in this blend, are masculine!

O’Brien’s tell us that Caraguilhes is completely organic, “this estate was using organic techniques when it was virtually unheard of anywhere else”. The Prestige is their oak-aged Reserve wine and is a seriously stylish wine. 

As regards keeping the wine, the winery advices that while it has potential of 6 or 7 years, it can be drunk today. Decant one hour in advance and serve at around 15 degrees. Food pairings: Provencal lamb (if you don’t have Herbes de Provence, try thyme, sage and rosemary), roast grilled beef with olives, quail in truffle sauce. Enjoy.


Sunday, November 24, 2019

A Little Night Magic in English Market. The Farmgate Supper Special

A Little Night Magic in English Market
 The Farmgate Supper Special


“If they were on every Friday night, I’d be here every Friday night,’ declared a delighted customer at the end of last Friday’s Farmgate Supper. And she was roundly applauded by the long table.

Even before the day softly and slowly turns to night, the Farmgate has much going for it, including an amazing wide-ranging larder from the market underneath, and the expertise of the kitchen. Then, when darkness shuffles into the corners of the city, the magic of the upstairs venue is enhanced, especially on the run-up to Christmas. Add in next the conviviality of the communal table and you have a winning hand of four aces. 

It’s a relaxed start; a glass or two of bubbles and an amuse bouche or two on the balcony. Soon we are being led into the famous restaurant, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. And indeed, this series of suppers is part celebration of the 25th. There are still three nights more to come, all with the winning formula. Take your pick from 29/11; 6/12; or 13/12. Just letting you know before the lady from the other evening and her friends book them all up!

We nibble on soda bread and butter as the staff fill all the drinks orders, everything from excellent European wines, Irish beers to their own Elderflower Cordial. The initial small plate of Organic Beetroot, Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Hazelnuts, a classic combination of local ingredients, gets this part evening underway as people introduce themselves across the table.

Frank Hederman, whose fish stall is downstairs, was among the company and so it was entirely appropriate that his smoked salmon (mussels too) was on the next plate. In 2000, the New York Times said of Frank (as well as labelling him “droll”): “Mr. Hederman smokes fish, which is a little like saying Steinway makes pianos.” Not much one can add to that except perhaps to say that Frank (like his now veteran smokehouse which is increasingly more than a passive player in the process), has improved in the 21st century. By the way, another refreshing taste of the sea, in the form of a dressed oyster, came with the fish plate.

Back to Terra Firma and the next treat, from Chef Pam Kelly and her team in the kitchen, was Featherblade of Beef (from butcher Eoin O’Mahony downstairs) with Artichoke and Potato Dauphinoise. Featherblade has been a favourite around Cork over the last decade or so and this rendition, perfect in both quality and quantity, won’t have harmed its reputation in any way whatsoever.

Someone asked the following day if we had had music. We didn’t but the music of the animated conversations around the table was all that was needed. The next course was chocolate, a luscious Dark Chocolate Marquise, Brandy and Shortbread Biscuit. Actually that dessert did stop the conversation flow for a short spell. The finalé, a rather splendid (and local of course) one, soon followed: Milleens Cheese with fig compote.

Soon we were leaving in happy dribs and drabs. It’s cold outside, someone warned, but we were pretty well warmed at this point, happy too or happy out as we are inclined to say in these parts. In fact, we felt as if we were i gcorplár an tsamhraidh, the name of Cormac Mehegan’s 2012 painting reproduced on the cover of the menu card.

Inside the card, the producers and suppliers were acknowledged and here they are: Glenilen Farm, Kilbrack Farm, Ardsallagh Cheese, On the Pig’s Back, Hederman’s, O’Connell’s Fish, O’Mahony’s Butchers, Longueville House Apple Brandy, and Roughty Foodie.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Amuse Bouche


The Papaya Czar on Eighty-Sixth Street and Third Avenue is my kind of place - bright orange and yellow signs pasted on every available surface screaming, Papaya is God’s Greatest Gift to Man’s Health! Our Frankfurters are the working Man’s Filet Mignon! We’re polite New Yorkers, We support Mayor Giuliani! And so on. Papaya Czar’s walls are so layered with language that I find myself immediately calmed inside their doors, as though I’ve stepped into a model interior of my own skull.
from Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (1999). Very Highly Recommended.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A Sterling Trio From Europe. Red Wines to Enjoy.

Chateau Mayne-Vieil Fronsac (AOC) 2015, 14%, 
€19.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Fronsac doesn’t immediately spring to mind when you think of Bordeaux but this is a Grand Vin de Bordeaux.

Colour is a dark ruby. Rich aromas, mainly ripe plums, touch of spice, vanilla. Palate is supple and deep, packed with rich flavours, spice and oak again, a juicy acidity and smooth tannins bring it all to a long finish. Quite a bit of character to this one, drinking well now and Very Highly Recommended. Pair it with red meat, game, and cheeses.

Tried the chateau’s website but backed off when I got a warning about bad bugs. From what I can gather, the blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, though some years it may be all Merlot.

Fronsac red wines are based on Merlot, produced in an area in the east of the Bordeaux wine region. It is located close to the northern bank of the Dordogne river, just a few miles to the west of Libourne – the town that gives its name to the Libournais region. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol lie to the east of the town. And Fronsac (this bottle included) offers an affordable alternative to its better known neighbours.


Antica Enotria Puglia (IGT) 2017, 12.5%,  
Suddenly, you realize that you can't keep exploiting, poisoning and pushing because whatever you do to the land, you do to yourself. The same fate. And you then you begin to respect. Respect for yourself and your land, for time and for life.
These are the words of winemaker Raffaele di Tuccio, echoing the experience of Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres: The more we care about the earth, the better our wine. Raffaele’s family winery Antica Enotria is in Puglia and is part of the Italian Organic Wine Route.
This red (rosso) blend is mainly Nero di Troia with the better known Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Colour is a mid ruby. Reasonably intense aromas show red fruit and floral notes. Very refreshing for a red from this hot region, no shortage of acidity, good fruit (dark berries) too and a little spice, almost smooth tannins. Lively and light with a soft texture, yet with a strong character, this Highly Recommended wine also finishes well.


Alfredo Maestro Viña Almate Vino de la Terra de Castilla y Leon 2018, 14.5%
€15.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Importers Le Caveau trumpet this as: ““A stellar addition to our portfolio.” 

It is 100% Tempranillo from 2018 and, in Spain, young wines such as this are generally called joven.  It has spent four months in neutral French oak, is unfined, unfiltered, and with very low S02. A great one to pair with grilled and roasted meats. No big amount of sediment here but decanting often helps a young wine express itself better.

This Very Highly Recommended dark red wine has rather intense aromas of dark plums and cherries. On the generous palate it has an engaging liveliness not to mention strong fresh flavours and a touch of spice enhances the engaging experience right through to the lengthy finish where you’ll notice the tannins drying your lips.  Another well-made wine from the man "known as the 'magician of the Duero’, a prominent exponent of the natural wine movement in Spain.

The Tempranillo grapes for this wine are grown in Peñafiel in Ribera del Duero but, according to Spanish Wine Lover, it has always been sold as VT Castilla y León. This is Alfredo’s flagship wine and Spanish Wine Lover rates it “as outstanding within its type and style”.