Taste of the Week. From Malay Kitchen

Taste of the Week. 

From Malay Kitchen

A few weeks back, I bought a "kit" from the ladies behind the Malay Kitchen whose main outlet is in Kinsale and who also have one in Cork at the junction of South Main St and Liberty Street. That kit provides our Taste of the Week, and not just one taste!

The kit contains enough to feed four people twice. There are two types of curry paste in it: the delicious Thai Massaman and the rich, fragrant and mildly spicy Rendang. Add your choice of meat or tofu plus the supplied Coconut milk, and rice of course, and you're on your way to a very satisfying meal indeed, something that bit different. And with the Malay Kitchen kit, you're getting the real deal, original Malay & Southeast Asian flavours! The kit also includes a Sambal, a bright and spicy sauce. Use this sparingly as it is HOT!

Rendang

If you can't find the kit, be sure and visit their bases in Kinsale at Short Quay and in the city at 5 Paradise Place, South Main Street. More at Malay Kitchen.

Oliver Plunkett Meal Brightens Dull Day In Cork City

Oliver Plunkett Meal 

Brightens Dull Day In Cork City

It’s a dull evening in a dull summer as we enter the Oliver Plunkett in the Cork street of the same name. There are quite a few dining outside but inside there are many, the bar tables almost full already with diners. At 6.00pm, we are among the first in the ground floor restaurant but soon it is packed. Not bad going for a Tuesday evening, Obviously, a very popular place.

And I could see why as I got my teeth into my main course:. The Seared Steak Sandwich was worth every cent of the €18.95. Four generous slices of beef wrapped in Garlic Ciabatta, with a red onion and Smoky Bacon Jam, Pepper Jack Chips, Brandy Pepper Sauce and a Little Salad.

I wasn’t letting go of this, clinging on until the last bite. It was sensual, an enthralling mix of textures and flavours. The steak was ace,  cooked to perfection and so easy to slice. And then the enhancement, that garlic ciabatta, the onion and the bacon jam. The Brandy Pepper Sauce was another major player on the palate, deeply enticingly enhancing everything else. The salad too was perfect and somewhat more than little. And then those Pepper Jack Chips, cheesy, tasty, delicious. Ten out of ten for sure or, since the chef is French, dix sur dix.

Another fine dish: Middle Eastern Spiced Corse Minced Lamb

There’s a burger on the mains list, not just any old burger mind you. This is the Beef Marrow Fat Smash Burger. Perhaps you’d prefer the Roast Half Chicken on the Bone (for extra flavour). Maybe the Twist on Bacon and Cabbage. And then there’s the Posh Style Fish & Chips. Lots to explore here, including Fresh Rigatoni Pasta, the Warm Salad of Marinated Chicken Skewers seem popular. Then there’s the Homemade Falafel and also the Middle Eastern Spiced Corse Minced Lamb.

The list of starters is just as varied and as impressive. But I went for one of the “smaller” ones, the Chicken Wings, picking the BBQ version from a choice of three styles. Served with a thick Blue Cheese Sauce and celery sticks, the wings vanished very quickly indeed. A bit of a mess ensued but we had enough tissues and lemon scented hand-wipes on hand (they were already in a little jar on the table).

Wings

Oh, I almost forgot. The regular menu also has a selection of sides plus a bunch of specials - do keep an eye out for these as they can indeed be special as we found out in an earlier visit to this very popular spot. Details here.

With a drinking assignment ahead, we stuck with the water on this occasion. Of course, there is a full bar for beers and spirits and more but they do have a list of cocktails and regular wines for diners. The servers were really busy as the number of customers increased but our corner of the restaurant, also busy (especially so when a group of nine gents arrived), continued to operate as smoothly as it had at the start and our server even managed to take time out to check with us every now and then. Well done indeed.

* Once upon a time, this building housed the Palm Court dancehall. In the early 60s, the city had ballrooms for various interests; one (the Grafton?) was known for attracting nurses, another (The Rest) for students, another (The Cavern) for pioneer beat aficionados (your white shirt collar turning blue as the lights twirled around the floor) but the Palm Court was a little racier as patrons here were always (almost always) guaranteed a clinger. The self explanatory clingers was a pleasurable way to spend an hour or two. The advert below was on the money.

 

Favourite Beer of the Year. Contenders 2022. And Brewdog Cork opening.

2022

Favourite Beer of the Year 

(Brewdog's Cork opening less than 3 weeks away - see below)

Confirmed to date

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

June Short List

Wit: 

Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit
Pale Ale: 

Whitefield “Eastwood” 

Third Barrel Some Dance To Remember

Gose: 

Kinnegar Brewers at Play 23 Mango Gose

IPA: 

West Coast IPA: Lineman Green Light;
Stout:

Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout 4.3%
Session: 

Lough Gill Mo Chara Hazy Seisiún IPA 4.8%

May Short List

Barrel Aged: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Brettanomyces 11.9% 

Amber Lager: Hope Limited Edition 26 Born To Be Free. 

NZ IPA: Wicklow Wolf Far Far Away. 

Rye Lager: Whiplash Melted Roggenbier. 

DIPA: Rye River Dam Buster Double IPA 

American Pale Ale: Otterbank Middle Lane American Pale Ale 

Single Hop Pale Ale: O Brother You’ll Pay With Your Souls Single Hop (Simcoe) Pale Ale - 

Vienna Lager: Wide Street Vienna Lager

Pale Ale: Whiplash Got To Keep On 

IPA: Rye River Big Bangin’ IPA 

American Wheat: Rye River Backwaters American Wheat 

Brewdog's Cork opening, on Friday 22nd July, is less than 3 weeks away. "We’ll have Brewdog’s finest alongside of a selection Corks local craft." It will be interesting to see what Cork beers make to their list!

Harper's Island Wetlands

Harper's Island Wetlands

Pics taken 25.06.2022

The thorny Teasel

The Ringlet Butterfly. There were three or four together.
Saw another one the following day in Glen River Park.

In the middle ground, a flock of Med. Gulls take a rest

A "black" snail

Look closely and you'll see Sandmartin chicks waiting for a returning parent to
feed them,

Bird on the Briar. Not sure what this friendly bird is, anyone know?

The wetlands' northern boundary is the Cork-Midleton railway.
Here, a commuter train, having left Cobh Junction, heads east.

Annes Grove Gardens Are Now Open

Annes Grove Gardens Are Now Open

Since 2015, the Office of Public Works has carried out extensive works to the house, outbuildings and gardens and re-opened the site to the public in June 2022. There is still much work to be done but, even so, there is quite a lot to enjoy in your walks.
And more facilities will open up in the months and years ahead.

 

Close to Castletownroche (and Doneraile), Anne’s Grove is an historic estate, the home of the Annesley family from the 1600s until 2015 when it was gifted to the Irish state and entered the care of the OPW.

All pics taken 20.06.2022

The Woodlands Garden holds some of the earliest rhododendrons introduced to Ireland.

A work in progress.

In the walled garden.

Richard Arthur Grove Annesley inherited Anne’s Grove in 1892 and developed the landscape in the Robinsonian style in the early 1900s. 

The oldest part of the gardens is this Walled Garden,
originally laid out in the 18th century.

This is a country garden site featuring rough terrain, uneven surfaces, steep drops and open water. Appropriate footwear and clothing  required.

Annes Grove is a 190 acre historic estate with 30 acres of renowned gardens.
The Awbeg river flows through; work on the island has been completed
and that should lead to expanded access shortly. Much of the estate is situated above the river and glen, the landscape reminiscent of poet Edmund Spencer's The Fairie Queen which
was written nearby in Kilcolman Castle (OPW booklet)

The front of the house.

Wildflowers too, of course, like these foxgloves

A tearooms has been mentioned but at the moment
there is a food truck called The Little Farm. Just as well 
as most of the local restaurants were closed on the
Monday we visited. We enjoyed a toasted sandwich (ham and cheese is
the only choice) and that came with an excellent relish and handfuls
of O'Donnell's Potato Crisps. They had a choice of three cakes
plus lots of hot and cold drinks, along with a selection of
Leahy's Farm ice cream. Plus these two cool and refreshing drinks.
No shortage of outdoor seating (unshaded).

The walled garden, not yet fully restored but open, is a highlight especially
this border.

Rear of the house.

Mayo Food and Drink Showcase is a fitting finale

Mayo Food and Drink Showcase is a fitting finale

 

Beer vobiscum. Killian O'Morain the Mescan Monk!

The hugely successful final event of the Mayo Food and Drink Programme, a Showcase and Meet the Buyer event, exceeded all expectations of both producers and buyers. Both were there to do business and it was clear from the outset that this event was exactly what was needed to make the vital connections between artisan producers and both distributors and retailers as well as agencies offering essential support. Enthusiastic networking was interspersed with relevant and interesting panel discussions and a keynote speech from Blás na hÉireann founder Artie Clifford. The event took place at Breaffy House Hotel on Thursday 23 June 2022 and was attended by 75 producers and buyers.

Artie Clifford Blas na hEireann

 

Programme Manager Oonagh Monahan acted as MC and first introduced Artie Clifford who had travelled from Dingle for the event. His engaging presentation covered his own chequered history as a small food producer, not hiding the pitfalls nor glossing over the challenges of the business. He wryly recalled falling into the trap of retail buyers early in his business life, embarrassed to admit he didn’t understand the terminology and accidently agreeing to impossible discounts. Perhaps because of this, his main message for fledgling producers is to have belief in themselves and their products. He urged artisans not to be afraid to admit when they don’t know acronyms or how the system works but to be confident enough to speak out. The Blás awards grew from his surprise that there was no formal awards system recognising quality in food and drink. He founded it 14 years ago and it has increased exponentially in both scope and size every year since.

 

Padraig Gannon Croagh Patrick Seafoods (left), Dean Diplock Exec Chef Breaffy Resort

“This is a fitting finale to a busy year of training and networking”, said Oonagh Monahan, “The Mayo Food and Drink Programme is all about helping producers to do business and it was rewarding to see that in action today. The feedback has been overwhelmingly good”.

 

Four lively and informative discussion panels consisted of chefs, distributors/wholesalers, retailers and food tourism representatives. The common thread carrying through every discussion was the importance of communicating clearly and regularly. Suppliers must talk to chefs, distributors and retailers keeping them informed of what’s happening and potential issues which arise. In this arena silence is most definitely not golden.

 

The Mayo Food and Drink Programme is a LEADER funded response to the challenges and opportunities identified in the Mayo Food & Drink Strategy 2025. It puts into action the specific priorities identified by producers and is totally food and drink focused. This was the final networking event but training continues for another month with some online classes and one-to-one specialised training and mentoring all of which is free of charge and available exclusively to Mayo food and drink businesses. Booking for these free courses is through the website www.mayofood.ie or Eventbrite and links on social media (@mayofoodanddrink).

The Mayo Food and Drink Networking and Training Programme is supported by South West Mayo Development Company and Local Enterprise Office Mayo. 

Two shining examples of Chenin Blanc, one from Saumur, the other from Swartland

Two shining examples of Chenin Blanc, 

one from Saumur, the other from Swartland

Metallic notes in Saumur

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Domaine de Sable Verts Saumur (AC) Blanc 2020, 13%, 

RRP €25.99 The Vintry Redmonds of Ranelagh wineonline.ie The 1601 Blackrock Cellar Baggot Street Wines Drink Store

Colour of this Chenin Blanc (from near the Loire city of Saumur) is a mid gold. It is fresh and floral, intensely so, with flavours of grapefruit, apricot and pear and a superb acidity, with a mineral touch. Quite a classic Chenin Blanc, fresh and fruity, it has a long dry finish with citrus notes. Highly Recommended.

Liberty, the importers, tell us that Caroline Meurée & Hervé Malinge are a young winemaking couple who met while studying in Bordeaux. “Despite neither of them being from the Loire Valley, in 2019 they bought Domaine des Sables Verts in the heart of Saumur Champigny and embarked on their first vintage.” 

Just one hectare from their 15 is planted with Chenin Blanc (the rest with Cabernet Franc). Their Chenin grapes for this wine come from three separate parcels. The final blend is assembled and bottled in January. Characterised by layers of fresh citrus notes and ripe apricot, the wine is beautifully textured with a backbone of lively acidity. 

The potential of their forty-year-old vines persuaded Caroline and Hervé to produce a single-vineyard wine. Vinified and aged in new four hectolitre French oak barrels, the wine is kept on fine lees for 12 months to add both richness and texture.

Food and wine pairings from Caroline suggest: “…from land to sea! From a veal blanquette to a grilled sea bass, via an asparagus risotto…”

Hervé has the serving tips: serve at 10-12°C, don’t hesitate to decant it!

Caroline and  Hervé are vignerons at Varrains which is about 30 minutes west of Chinon ( an excellent base for visiting the vineyards and chateau of the Loire Valley). On your way to Varrains, visit the amazing  Fontevraud-l’Abbaye on the way. 

Quite a lot of Chenin Blanc is grown in Northern France (from Vouvray to Saumur) but South Africa (in Stellenbosch and Paarl) grows more than any other country with the French second and the USA third.

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Spice Route Chenin Blanc Swartland (South Africa) 2020, 14.0%, 

RRP €26.99 Fresh – Stepaside wineonline.ie Fresh – IFSC/Smithfield/Grand Canal Hen And Hog

This South African Chenin Blanc has a light gold colour. Aromas are mostly fruit, peach and tropical. On the palate, it is quite complex, quite concentrated, the fruit flavours well balanced by a very lively acidity.  Highly Recommended.

Quite an outstanding balance actually and deliberately induced. The Chenin Blanc for this wine was picked at different maturity levels. The first picking was done slightly earlier to retain freshness and acidity, the second lot was picked in mid-February, with some slightly raisined grapes in the bunches bringing more richness to the blend. The lots were vinified separately. 

Don’t want to get to technical here but worth continuing I think as we can learn how the techniques employed shaped the final product. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently destemmed and pressed. After 48 hours settling, the portion that was picked earlier was fermented in stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness and elegance before then being matured in matured in clay pots known as Qvevries (also amphora) for eight weeks. The late-picked portion was fermented and matured in old French oak barrels for 10 months, before the two components were blended and bottled.

The Swartland is 65kms north of Cape Town. The climate is hot and dry. Viticulture here it is not straightforward, according to Fairview and Spice Route owner Charles Back. “You have to be very careful to select good moisture retaining soil in the first place, soil that can trap the moisture and slowly release it later when needed.”

Winemaker Charl du Plessis told us about another “surprise” development here, their importation of 20 qvevris from Georgia. A qvevri is huge earthenware amphora (800 to 1200 lts) sunk into the ground and used for wine fermentation and storage. The hand-made terracotta pots have been fired and coated inside with beeswax. He did a vintage in Georgia in 2018.

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Chenin Blanc is South Africa's most widely planted grape - and the resulting wine is in demand around the world. Last year, South Africa exported 53 million litres of white wine, mainly to Germany, the United Kingdom, and America.  

With Chenin Blanc, Fresh wines are mostly made in stainless steel tanks which accentuates fruit flavours and acidity. And then you have the more complex Fruity Styles along with Rich Styles (more dominant presence of oak).

This leads to such a diversity of wines that shoppers can be confused especially when purchasing bottles from supermarket shelves. 

The local Chenin Blanc Association in association with Stellenbosch's South African Grape and Wine Research Institute have come up with a style indicator (similar to wine wheels) to help. More on this Business Insider story here.