Níl aon Mirco mar ár Mirco féin!

Níl aon Mirco mar ár Mirco féin!

While Omicron is still rampant, some of our restaurants are again taking the Takeaway or At Home route. Da Mirco in Bridge Street is one and one that you neglect at your peril as the North Italian Corkman's osteria is one of the best around.

By the way, I see that Omicron is the 15th letter of the ancient Greek alphabet. The good news that it is one of the shorter alphabets with its final letter, omega (a kind of “o fada), the 24th. So just 9 more variants to go?

Back to the food. He has quite a menu up for January, starters, mains and desserts, not to mention Italian wines and other treats. Our picks were Tagliere da Mirco (Da Mirco's Board with Italian Cured meats and his homemade favourites: focaccia bread, pickled vegetables and tomato jam) and a mains of Homemade Cannelloni with a filling of Braised Irish Venison Ragu. The board (€16.00) was for sharing and we ordered two lots of the Cannelloni (10.00).

That board was terrific, beautiful meats, a selection of cheeses and a whole load of accompaniments (including his own focaccia) to enhance the experience. It scored high on quality, a great mix of flavours and textures, and also on quantity as we had some cheese left that was nibbled away the following day.

I admit to being a lover of Cannelloni, the large pasta tubes served with a filling and covered by a sauce in Italian kitchens. But it is mostly those that come stuffed with spinach and ricotta that I’m familiar with. Not too sure that I ever had one in winter previously. Mirco’s generous serving came packed with minced Irish venison and was exquisite. As with all Cannelloni, they look innocent enough but they are very filling indeed!

We had an Italian red wine handy at home with suggested food pairings of cured meat, cheeses, red meat. Vincenzo’s Rosso (18.45 or so at Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman and 64 Wine both Dublin) was just the job.

The wine. Vincenzo makes a red and a white!

Imported by Le Caveau in Kilkenny, it is a dark ruby in the glass, a lighter red at the rim. This is quite aromatic: plum, blackberries, and black currant with a rustic background. Quite a depth of flavour and no shortage of spice either on the palate, lively and fresh, with ripe tannins towards the finish. The grapes used in the blend (from the northern part of the southern half of Italy) are Montepulciano (50%), Merlot (25%) & Cabernet Sauvignon (25%). 

Be sure and check out Mirco’s January Takeaway Menu here. Don’t forget to click on the @home tab as the restaurant menu is on the same page.

* Note for Mirco on the post heading; it means There’s no Mirco like our own Mirco.

An East Cork One-Two. Hard to Beat This Walk and Eat! Beaches and lunch at Castlemartyr Carewswood Café

An East Cork One-Two. Hard to Beat

This Walk and Eat!

Lime & Chilli Chicken Salad

Beaches and lunch at Castlemartyr Carewswood Café

Some great sunny days last week and on one of them we headed east to Ballinwilling beach, between Garryvoe and Redbarn. Plan was to have a long walk and then call for lunch to the Carewswood Garden Centre between Ladysbridge and Castlemartyr.

Ballinwilling. Redbarn is around the corner.

It didn’t quite to go plan but did work out very well. The tide was well in at Ballinwilling, leaving very little room for walkers unless you came equipped with wellies. We did a bit but soon retreated and drove the few minutes to Garryvoe. 

Garryvoe

Of course the tide was well in there too but we walked on the beachside path and after that, to the west, there was a long stretch of sand up and beyond the entrance to the next beach (Ardnahinch). The last of the cloud has vanished as well and we and the four-legged friend enjoyed the hour or so, taking in the fresh air, the views (out to the Ballycotton Lighthouse on its island) and the sounds of the birds and the sea.

Island in the sun.

The appetite was well warmed up by the time we got back to the car. A few minutes later we were in Ladysbridge and soon turning right to Carewswood which is just off the R632. Got a bit of a shock to see the large car park more than half full at 12.05pm or thereabouts. “I should have had booked,” I said. But no worries. They had plenty of space in the two room cafe, no problem with social distancing and they took the details.

Getting a deserved drink from his new water dispenser.

They were just changing over from the breakfast to the lunch menu and we opted for the latter and a table in the sunny outer room. Lots of openings to the fresh air here, including a couple of sets of doors. It was warm enough to dispense with the coats as we studied the menu, quite an extensive one as it turned out, featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and hot dishes plus a short wine list.

Chipotle Chicken Burger

I picked Chef Pawel’s daily special: Chipotle Chicken Bap, with smashed avocado and mixed leaves, served with rustic fries (€14.95). CL, also on a spicy kick, went for one of the salads: Lime and Chilli warm chicken salad, fire roasted peppers, smashed ago, vine tomato and jalapeño salsa, Blanco Nino tortilla, lettuce and yogurt (13.95).

The airy outer dining room

Both dishes were excellent and in each case, the main element, the chicken was of a really high standard and delicious. CL’s bowl looked huge but, aside from the fairly hard crisps, made short work of it. I also had quite a feed both in term of quality and quantity but the walks on the beaches had certainly tuned up the appetites and it was two well satisfied customers that walked out into the sunny afternoon. 

Ready for the coming season

Not too many customers around the garden centre itself at the moment but the staff are busily engaged in preparing for the season ahead. They have quite a reputation here and indeed that very evening I was chatting to a gardening enthusiast from Dublin who said: “Glad to hear Carewswood is doing so well, I really like it. Aside from the food, their plants are better than anyone else’s and the prices are reasonable.” So there you are, another reason to visit lovely East Cork! 

* They pride themselves on ‘honest food with no artificial colourings or preservatives and serve a range of delicious freshly baked goods and local artisan and organic foods’. Good to see local producers supported. The salmon is from Ballycotton while Gubbeen, Blanco Niño, and bakers Pana are among the producers mentioned. 

Looking well, as always. The Garryvoe Hotel.

The Cork International Hotel has launched a special Galentine’s Afternoon Tea for the month of February.

 The Cork International Hotel has launched a special Galentine’s Afternoon Tea for the month of February.

Guests will be treated to pink-themed sweets and savoury bites from Tuesday, February 1st until Monday, February 28th. Galentine’s Afternoon Tea will be served from 12.45pm to 4pm daily. Collection is also available for people who would like to enjoy the experience at home. 

General Manager at the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “Galentine’s is a celebration of female friendship which typically takes place on February 13th. However, we’ve decided to embrace the theme for the entire month. It is a lovely, fun celebration and is the perfect opportunity for small groups of friends and family to enjoy an afternoon together.”

On the menu is: 

Savoury: Avocado salsa topped with sunny side up quail egg on focaccia, Chicken Caesar ciabatta, Flaked Salmon with lemon cream cheese in a beetroot pinwheel, Pastrami shredded lettuce and Dijon mustard brioche bun

Middle: Freshly cooked mini–Fruit Scones with Butter, Cream & Strawberry Jam, Homemade chocolate and Raspberry brownie, Macaroons, Strawberry shortcake biscuits

Treat: White chocolate and raspberry puff, Red velvet cake cup cake, Strawberry cloud slice, Raspberry and lime posset,

The Galentine’s Afternoon Tea is €25 per adult. Pre-booking is essential for both dine-in and takeaway options. People can book by calling 021 4549800

press release

Taste of the Week. Wayward Spirits Hot Toddy.

Taste of the Week.

Wayward Spirits Hot Toddy. 

The cinnamon stick came from Mr Bells, who have an amazing range!

In 1840, the London Times accused Daniel O'Connell of enticing Englishmen into his den and drowning them in Whiskey Toddy. Today, our purpose is to warm up a cold January day with our Liberator Hot Toddy.

And here's the hot toddy recipe from Wayward Spirits Maurice O'Connell, a direct descendant of The Liberator Daniel O'Connell. 

30-50ml The Liberator Small Batch (by Wayward Spirits)

1 tablespoon of local honey

Fresh lemon juice (¼ of a lemon)

Top up with boiling water

Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick (from Mr Bells)

Put your feet up!

Seems like a lot of honey (Galtee in this case) and quite a bit of lemon juice too. And, yes, they each play a leading role as does the whiskey of course. But there's a terrific balance between sweet and sour and the cinnamon blends in neatly as well. All nice and smooth and a really different take on the hot toddy when you consider neither the traditional clove nor the demerara sugar (or brown sugar) is selected for this one, our warming Taste of the Week. Cheers!

* There is a claim that the drink may have been started in India, but 19th century Irish doctor Richard Bentley Todd is widely credited with inventing the prescription of a hot drink of brandy, white cinnamon, sugar syrup and water, which was called after him.

“STAY, PARK AND FLY” PACKAGE RELAUNCHED BY CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

press release

“STAY, PARK AND FLY” PACKAGE RELAUNCHED BY CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL 

 

The Cork International Hotel has relaunched the very popular package called ‘Stay, Park and Fly”. The package is intended to take the stress out of early morning or late evening traveling from Cork Airport. The package will also allow travellers to extend their holiday by an extra day or so by treating themselves to a hotel stay as part of their trip.  

 

The package offers an overnight stay before or after a flight with parking included during the trip from Cork Airport. 

 

This Offer includes:

• An overnight stay before or after a flight

• Free shuttle bus to and from Cork Airport before and after a flight

• Parking included in a secure car park for the duration of a trip from two nights up to 21 days (depending on the package selected)

• This offer includes Grab and Go Breakfast from 4.30am-7am for earlier departures

 

General Manager at the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “Holidays are definitely on the minds of people right now and this package is perfect for anyone who would like to extend their trip a little bit. This offer has options to suit all travellers, from short weekend breaks to longer two-week holidays. This is the perfect package for guests with either an early flight from Cork and they can stay with us the night before or late-night flight return where they can rest up and stay with us before driving home.”

 

For more details:  https://www.corkinternationalairporthotel.com/offer/stay-park-fly/ 

James Whelan Butchers bring back their Beef Wellington - a special way to your loved one’s heart

press release

 Beef Wellington - a special way to your loved one’s heart

James Whelan Butchers reintroducing their signature Beef Wellington just in time for Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day just one month away, couples everywhere are wondering how best to celebrate this special day. For some, restaurants may be out of the question or too restrictive, and for others even the thought of cooking an elaborate meal from scratch at home is exhausting.  

James Whelan Butchers can solve this problem with a simple solution.  At Christmas, this award-winning artisan butcher introduced a handmade Beef Wellington as an alternative to the seasonal Turkey and Ham on Christmas Day. Exclusively introduced for Christmas, it proved so popular with customers that the team are reintroducing this signature dish, especially for Valentine’s Day.  

This limited edition Beef Wellington is hand prepared and comes oven-ready, needing the minimum of preparation time. Ideal for people who are time-poor, or who are culinary challenged, but who would like to create a wonderful restaurant-quality meal for their loved one in the comfort of their own home to celebrate their love on this special day.

The dish serves two people generously, made with prime-aged Irish beef fillet, wrapped in a mushroom duxelles, buttery puff pastry with fresh herbs and sea salt. The cooking instructions couldn’t be simpler - just pop it into a preheated oven at 200° C, for 25-35 minutes to achieve medium/rare - and rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

All that is left to do is to set the scene with some candles, soft chilling music and a table set for two.

Like all of the Dine at Home dishes, this signature dish is honest, simple, handmade from scratch using the freshest of ingredients, where you can taste the flavour and goodness that has gone into every single bite.

New Text

Available to order online (rather than through the store) from Tuesday 18th January through the Click and Collect Service and available for collection at any of the 12 James Whelan Butcher shops across the country.  For more details visit www.jameswhelanbutchers.com.

Available to order in store in any of the 12 James Whelan Butcher shops across the country.  For more details on shop locations visit www.jameswhelanbutchers.com.

A Quart of Ale± #86. On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Porterhouse, Treaty City and Journeyman

 A Quart of Ale± #86

On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Porterhouse, Treaty City and Journeyman

Hope Overnight Oats IPA 7.5%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

A bit late to the party here. This is the 5th anniversary brew for Dublin’s Hope Brewery and was launched in the middle of 2021.  

They say: It was our Limited Edition 16 and you voted for its return as our official birthday beer! We brewed it using Norwegian Kveik yeast, flaked Irish oats (creamy) and our own home-made oat milk to give the beer a smooth body and hazy appearance.

It comes in an amber colour,  hazy (but you can see a crowded bubble scene, all on the up) while the head fades away soon enough. The aromas are modest but nonetheless complex with hints of the hops apparent. And it is certainly tropical on the palate, a quality for which the Mosaic hop (used in the dry-hopping) is noted. For all that, the sweet malt has its chance to shine in a very satisfactory anniversary beer indeed. For me, better late than never!

Founded in June 2004, Hope is now a proud local brewery at Howth Junction and drew its customers into the birthday celebrations, asking what would the celebratory brew be. “After all the votes were counted, Limited Edition #16 Overnight Oats IPA was the clear winner." Brewed in 2019 for the fruit time, the customers appreciated, among other qualities, the body and smoothness thanks “to the flaked oats and oat milk”. 

That unique Norwegian Kveik yeast also contributes to that tropical flavour and complex aroma. American Ale Yeast and the British Brett may be tops of the tops in yeast but Kveik is coming up fast, another illustration that “brewers and beer drinkers owe everything to these single-celled fungi”, that quote from Craft Beer for the Geeks. Kveik is getting popular here: Eights Degrees, Metalman, and Wicklow Wolf have been among its users in recent months.

Porterhouse Sundown Session IPA 4.0%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

A light orange is the colour of this 4% Sundown Session from Porterhouse and it comes complete with a soft white head that hangs around for a spell. Not surprisingly, given that Citra, Mandarina and Simcoe are three of the hops involved, both the aromas and flavours feature citrus in a lead role. It is a little more complex than that though as you’ll also find no shortage of more exotic fruit plus a touch of pine at the finalé.

They tell us that it is refreshing and you can sense that yourself the second it hits the palate. So plenty of hops, flavour and refreshment all wrapped up in a 4% package. Not bad at all! May not satisfy the out and out hop heads though as there is little enough bitterness here - IBU is low at 10. Still, should be a popular session beer, which was the intention.

Geek Bits

Malts: Ale, Wheat, Oats and Crystal

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe

Treaty City Outcast Juicy IPA 3.8%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

Yellow, very pale, is the colour of this cloudy session IPA from Treaty City. It has a “massive” all-American hop line-up of Idaho 7, El Dorado, and Columbus (also known as CTZ), so expect pine, tropical (pineapple), citrus, dank, pepper and pungent in aromas and flavours. That is more or less what you get with quite a bit of fruit on the palate before a dry finish. And that US hop trio certainly lend it a hefty hit, no doubting its hoppy credentials. Overall, it is more than a satisfactory session beer though some would prefer a bit more malt input.

Malts by the way are: Pale Ale, Munich, Oats, Wheat

Journeyman Pale Ale 4.6%, 500ml bottle, Xmas gift

Amber/Gold is the colour of this Pale Ale from Dundalk; it’s got a soft white head with some stability. Hazy enough but not so much that you can’t see the shoals of bubbles rising. There’s a moderately intense scent, grapefruit and pine. And more of the same on the palate where the malted barley and wheat make their presence felt. Actually, it all comes together quite well. 

The producers of Journeyman, at the Pearse Lyons Brewery, say of this Cooper’s special batch: “You need a great barrel to make a great beer. Journeyman is steeped in the tradition and highly skilled craft of coopering, the process of making watertight barrels out of wooden staves.”

BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION COLLABORATION WITH THE DOUGH BROS

press release

BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION COLLABORATION WITH THE DOUGH BROS

The Dough Bros: Ronan and Eugene Greaney

Ballymaloe Foods has joined forces with The Dough Bros Wood Fired Pizza to launch a limited edition pizza kit. It is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Cork based company and Irish restaurants and producers. 

The Dough Bros is located in Galway and was started by brothers Eugene and Ronan Greaney in 2013. Last year, it was named the best pizza takeaway in Europe by 50 Top Pizza, which publishes guides to the best pizzerias across the world. It was also named Top Pizzeria in Ireland. 

The collaboration will see jars of Ballymaloe Original Relish or Ballymaloe Fiery Relish included in DIY home pizza kits which can be shipped nationwide. 

Donnacha Ryan is the Foodservice Business Development Manager at Ballymaloe Foods. He said, “We’re really excited about the collaboration with The Dough Bros because it’s two family-owned businesses working together. They share our passion about bringing delicious food to customers. It has been an extremely challenging two years for all businesses in the food service industry which is why it’s so important to support each other in whatever way we can.” 

Eugene Greaney from The Dough Bros added, "One of the best things since starting our DIY Pizza Kits has been the chance to work with some of the very best of Irish chefs, producers and brands. Ballymaloe Foods is a staple in every home in Ireland so it’s great to get the chance to work with them and use their incredible relishes on our wood fired pizzas. We can’t wait to ship them to people all over the country. We know they are going to love what we have come up with."

The pizza kits will be available to order from The Dough Bros website from the 17th to the 20th of January and will be shipped nationwide on the 21st of January. Customers can choose from a meatball pizza with Ballymaloe Fiery Relish or a four cheese pizza with Ballymaloe Original Relish, each box will include all the ingredients to make two pizzas. A Ballymaloe branded wooden spoon and two bottles of Kombucha made locally in Galway will also be included. The kits are priced at €36.99 and include free delivery. To order, visit www.thedoughbros.ie

A Simply Better Continental Cheese Selection.

Continental Cheese Selection

From Simply Better By Dunnes Stores

Gorgonzola Piccanta

A Christmas present of cheese put me thinking of a Swiss holiday and an excursion to the town of Gruyères, and aliens! There were fabulous views, a church, a chateau, and the famous cheese!

There was also a strange museum – based on the film Alien. The HG Giger Museum is based on the work of the graphic artist of the same name, who did the special effects for the film and others (such as Poltergeist 11).

This way for cheese!

A similarly themed bar is adjacent and it was here that we had coffee and minuscule meringues made with Gruyère. Then a short drive downhill to an “industrial” cheese manufacturer where a robot is usefully employed turning, watering and replacing big wheels of cheese in the racks.

Gruyère was included in Continental Cheese Selection by Simply Better Dunnes Stores at Christmas and it was quite a pleasant and tasty surprise, not least because some were “new” to me, as the vast majority of the cheese eaten here in this house over the past few years has been Irish. 

Babies in the bar.
G'us a drink, now!

So it was nice to see and taste what is going on the continent. And there was a good bit of variety in the selection. There were two fairly familiar cheeses, the Gruyère and the Gorgonzola. The other two were completely new to me, the soft rind Langres from Champagne and the L’Edel de Cleron from Franche-Comte. Also included was a little jar of Fig and Macadamia Nut Chutney from Girona in Spain; the nuts from Australia the all-spice from Jamaica.

One day last week, we made a fruitless run to try out the Cork Marina Market again but the large car park was full and lots of pedestrians coming in as well, plenty of  families around with schools still on hols. Quite a gang already eating out on benches under the full sun. We had to beat a retreat. 

What now for lunch? I thought of this selection and we opened the L’Edel de Cleron produced by Jean Perrin. I was reading about it and saw that Perrin makes it with milk from Jura Mountain Montbéliarde cows, the same milk used for Mont D’Or (both are wrapped in spruce bark). 

In the belly of the beast! Inside the pub in Gruyeres

So we heated up the cheese in its little round box and, when warm and soft, scooped it out with fingers of toast. Very delicious indeed, lusciously creamy and it vanished very quickly. Just the job though for lunch and I drizzled some of local honey (Leamlara) onto the last few scoops and that added to the pleasure.

Langres Cathedral

Langres is named after a little town in Champagne and is distinguished by a wee hollow on top of its small drum shape designed to hold a tiny pool of brine while maturing. Our producer, Fromagier Schertonleib,  went a spirited step beyond and this is matured with Marc de Champagne!  A touch of class.

It is a cows milk cheese with an edible orange coloured rind. It is creamy and smooth and melts on the palate. There is a delicate pungent aroma while the flavour is light, though the intensity of aroma and flavour can change as it matures. It is excellent on its own or when used in cooking.

By the way, we did use the multi-national chutney with all the cheeses (plus some Hegarty’s Cheddar that we had in the fridge) and it was excellent. The versatile Spiced Plum and Port Jam (by The Big Red Kitchen) also saw plenty of use and really starred with the Gorgonzola, as did the lovely Toro Albalá Marqués de Poley Oloroso (from O'Briens Wine).

Gorgonzola (via Pixabay)

Speaking of Gorgonzola, this Piccante Gorgonzola (AOP) was produced by the Arrigoni family in Lombardy, a region where nowadays the famous blue is made mostly in commercial plants. It traditionally has a white moist paste with green/blue veining and a sharp lactic smell.

The chateau at Gruyeres

Our Piccante has a beautiful smooth texture and a rich spicy flavour - so little bits are best! The rind is inedible. There are two types of this cheese, Piccante (savoury) and Dolce (sweet), with the latter (less blue-veined with a more delicate taste) representing some 90% of the production (ref: The Oxford Companion to Cheese).

French Onion soup with Gruyère (at Market Lane)

And the Gruyère? Characteristics of this famous Swiss cheese are its dry, firm and chewy texture and a moderately tangy flavour and with a nutty sweet finish - no need for any chutney here. A good one for the cheeseboard and a superb cooking cheese. The rind by the way is inedible.

Ours, a 15-month cave aged cheese, is made in traditional copper vats by the Margot family in the heart of the Jura Mountains and it is slowly matured in caves. The texture is firm and smooth and the flavour is rich and intense. 

Hegarty's copper vat

Gruyère is made mainly from Holstein milk and its long-time cross-mountain rival Comté (or Gruyère de Comté) from Montbeliarde. Just a few miles north of my house in Cork lies Whitechurch where Hegarty’s make a superb Templegall that can rival the Swiss and French; they use milk from their Freisians and, yes, they make it in a beautiful copper vat (over 60 years old).