EATING IN

CHEZ MOI

Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.

With so many top class food producers now operating in the area, plus the English Market on our doorstep, eating in can often be every bit as good as dining out.

Take last night for example. We have some brilliant soup makers locally, including Just Food in Cobh. Just a few miles over the road, we have Cully and Sully and it was their White Winter Vegetable Soup that we picked up in Dunne’s Stores. This winner of the Global Sial D’Or, for the World’s best new product, is made largely from potato, onion, celeriac, parsnip, leek and cauliflower and the Ballymaloe traditional essentials butter and cream.

The outside of the 400g pack, by the way, is packed with info and even a recipe and all for €2.49. Just pop it in the micro-wave for a few minutes and you have a gorgeous starter.

The main course, Mediterranean Fish, took a bit longer. Got some lovely hake from Ballycotton Seafood in the Market. The recipe came from the packed November edition of Easy Food, which cost just €3.00 and is well worth it. The other easily obtained ingredients were: cherry tomatoes, red onion, olive oil and basil pesto. This was satisfying dish and simple to make. Compliments to the chef and to Easy Food, not to mention the hunter gatherer!

We normally drink white wine with fish and we tried out a bottle of Adria Pinot Grigio 2009 (one of the new range being imported by Wine Alliance and available in quite a few outlets, including Bradley’s in North Main Street, for €9.49). It is an excellent example of this Italian wine and a great match for the hake.