FORGOT THE STARTER?

HERE'S A TIP>>>

Staying in tonight? You have your main course and your dessert? But forgot the starter!

No bother.

Just pop in to your local Aldi – they have stores all over now. Get one of the bowls of Les Olives du Marché. They have a variety under the Crespo brand and the one I enjoyed lately consisted of pitted green olives with chilli and parsley. Top class and you get 110g, with cocktail sticks included, for just €1.79.

VIENNA WOODS -- RISING TIDE

Lunch Venues
Just a reminder that if you find yourself on the eastern side of the city at lunchtime, you have a choice. Two recent venues for me were the Vienna Woods (near Glanmire) and the Rising Tide (in Glounthaune). Both are in scenic locations, though the tide needs to be in at Glounthaune if you are to see it at its best. Both continue to do good lunches. I enjoyed my chicken at the Woods and the Lasagne (Irish style) at the Tide.

SCOOZI'S

QUEUESIES....

No problem finding parking downtown last Saturday night. The streets looked deserted. Where was everyone?

Quite a few in Market Lane – no table available for an hour, we were told. Up the street to Scoozi’s. Twenty minutes wait here. They usually overstate it. We waited and were at a table in less than five minutes.

Enjoyed my La Reine Pizza, the smaller one served with salad and chips. Two in the company took the lasagne. This was the usual Irish style dish, loads of meat. Very tasty. The fourth mains was chicken, called Pollo Alla Scoozi, breadcrumbed and stuffed with garlic cream cheese and chives.

No complaints about the food and none either about the house wine: a bottle of Merlot (18.75) and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (4.75). Total cost, including tips, for a very satisfactory meal was about €90.00.

Then onto the nearby Long Valley for an after dinner drink. This long narrow bar is of the traditional variety and none the worse for that. Quite a popular venue but with many calling for the just the one drink there is quite a turnover and you can usually get a seat, very important if you are of a certain age.

ASK ABOUT FOOD

www.askaboutfood.ie

John Maguire tells us that the site was created in order to provide a forum for the discussion of all things related to food (and drink) in Ireland.
"If there's something you'd like to know about food, have information to offer, or simply want to let Ireland (and the world) know about a food-related service that you provide or that you've tried, then AskAboutFood is the place to be.
The AskAboutFood community is growing fast and we're aiming to be the largest, most comprehensive Irish food information exchange site."

http://www.askaboutfood.ie/

WINE ON TAP

Harvest Feast 2008

The Harvest Feast, launched in conjunction with the Drumshanbo Flower Festival, will be based in Drumshanbo on the 13th and in the Organic Centre Rossinver on the 14th. For info, click below:.....

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddtdjkcd_178f6fdvsgd

NOT LIKE MOTHER'S!!

Not like mother used to make it!

That was my first thought as my Orange and Vanilla Bread and Butter Pudding arrived on table during a recent visit to Market Lane, a quite competitive restaurant at the lower end of Oliver Plunket Street.

This was a superb sweet, moist with a very negotiable crust on top and so so tasty. I had to fend off attacks from the other side of the table. I must admit a counterattack or two as well as the Raspberry Sorbet with Fresh Fruit was also a smashing dessert.

Main course was Hake with a Dill crust and Lime sauce, the most expensive on the keenly priced menu at €17.95. The fish, served with scallions and salsify which provided a welcome crunch element, was top class and the meal, which followed an introductory bowl of olives (€2.50), was excellent overall.

From my own point of view, my own taste, I thought the Dill crust was a little on the heavy handed side. Dill, as those of you who poured gripe water into the kids in the good old days will know, has quite a perfume and a heavy application of the curst tended to overshadow the fresh fish. Sundried tomatoes were also part of the dish and again I thought they were bit too much for the hake. On the other hand, the cherry tomatoes were absolutely spot on and very juicy and tasty.

These are small personal points and tie in with my own philosophy on food which is simply: keep it simple - good ingredients and not too many of them.

Wine was a medium dry Chenin Blanc, Cape Storm – South Africa. Pure fruit driven, zingy with a slight apple flavour.


http://www.marketlane.ie

EATING & DRINKING IN ITALY

Florentine steak
Bianco, with a little sparkle

Champagne arrival in Venice


Water stop at Spanish Steps, Rome


Dinner on banks of Arno, vantage point for fireworks later that evening

Olive Oil Press

Tuscan lunch venue

Ice cream champ

Burano Island (Venice)

Restaurant on the Venice Lagoon

Feeding time in another Venetian Square

Waiting for Lunch (St Mark's)

Musicians on St Mark's

Venice Hotel

Tastes better than it looks!

More photos from this Italian trip at http://swissroll07.blogspot.com/
or click on Corkman on Tour link on the right hand column

EATING AND DRINKING
While on
TOUR IN ITALY JUNE 2008

Arrived late from Milan to Baveno and went to the Hotel bar for a drink. A large and a small beer was the order. €14.00 was the price! Welcome to Italy. And it wasn't even a pint and a glass as we know them but 400ml and 200ml respectively.

Things got better. Another night in the small town, on the shores of Lago Maggiore, saw us follow the noise, as advised by a friendly waiter in a local restaurant, to a small piazza where a crowd of about a hundred had gathered to see Italy play against France in a vital game in Euro 2008. Great noisy atmosphere as we watched the big screen and the levels rose when Italy took the lead. There was bar service and here the large beer cost just €3.50.

But you don't really go to Italy just to drink beer. One dinner at the Hotel Dino was included in the tour price but we ate the other two nights at a local restaurant La Posta. The first evening, the night of the match, was a very lively one and we enjoyed a fine meal which included great starters, main course of grilled sea bass for me and rabbit, a bottle of water, a bottle of excellent wine. With the usual cover charge, the bill came to €49.00.

We went over the top at the same venue on the next night. Starters, mains (veal and rabbit), plus a plate of three desserts each, yes each, water, wine and cover came to €72.00.

Baveno also had a good selection of pizzerias. Lunch was no problem. The first day in Stresa was at the Pizzeria Central, a modest establishment. Two huge salads, one with tuna, the other with crab, plus a 50cl carafe of a local white came to €19.30.

We got good lunchtime value the following day in Lugano (Switzerland) where two well filled rolls of local bread and a big glass of the excellent local apple juice (invariably good here and in Austria) failed to wipe out the €10.00 note. We still had more than four Swiss francs left which we used to buy 2 bars of excellent Villars chocolate.

The Hotel Dino breakfasts are generous, taken in a beautiful lakeside setting and you really don't need much for lunch. On the Wednesday visit to Como we bought a bag of cherries in the market and enjoyed them at mid-day. On the following day, in a market in Verona, we demolished a carton of the local strawberries.

Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant on the Lido of Venice where we are staying. There is a beautiful Risotto Cannelloni starter, a surprising main course of turkey and mushroom, a tiramisu dessert (it was apparently invented around here) and plenty of local Pinot Grigio at €15.00 a bottle. Later we enjoy a drink on St Mark’s Square, Prosecco or wine, and sit and watch the musicians play. This is usually very expensive but is included in the tour.

After a visit to the highlights round the square on the following day, our guide instructs us to get lost. We move well away from the square and end up in a restaurant situated on the Lagoon. Here we have a fine lunch. One has with a bountiful salad, one a plateful of Venetian sardines (served with currants and pine nuts). Two beers (€5.50 for the larger one), the cover charge (which includes a basket of bread), and water bring the total to €31.00.

Our Hotel, the Hungaria, has an unusually front (see photo). Just down the street is the Gran Viale restaurant, our venue for the dinner. Spaghetti alla carbonara is the starter. The mains are Scampi Busera (a local tomato based sauce). The sauce was absolutely beautiful but a lot of effort went into releasing the little bits of flesh. That led to messy hands.

The wine was a Ribollo Gialla, well worth the €18.00 charge. We were also charged for potatoes (which turned out to be chips) and water, and the bill was a stiff €84.50. Might have been worth it had the main course been more user friendly.

The next day we had quite a big lunch at the nearby Roxy Pizzxeria. Two Camparis, two pizzas, one water and one 50cl carafe of White wine (€6.00), plus a cover of €4.00 made up the €35.00 bill.

It is Saturday and the included dinner tonight is on the Fishermans Island of Burano. Not surprising, virtually all of the many course are fish but, surprisingly, most are done in batter. The restaurant is the Gato Nero (Black Cat) Trattoria. We get fish pate, the local St Peter fish, scampi, calamari etc and jugfuls of a decent local white wine before finishing off with Zambucco laced coffee.

Sunday we are on the road and heading for Florence. Included dinner is a multi course at a nearby restaurant. All the courses go down well, helped by a €20 bottle of the local Chianti.

Monday takes us on tour to nearby San Gimignano. We sample the World Champions ice-cream and relax with a cappuccino in a restaurant in the square. Both are excellent. Lunch back in Florence sees us stuffing ourselves at a sit down establishment with a €4.00 tramazzini (white bread sandwich, crustless), stuffed with salad, tomato and mozzarella.

The included evening meal is at a hillside restaurant outside of the city and is one of the highlights. We are greeted with generous glasses of a Campari and gin mixture. This is followed by a Risotto demo and a magnificent multi-course meal. One generous fellow at the table orders a slab of Florentine steak. The Chianti was flowing...singing...dancing.. but, what happens on the bus stays on the bus!

Tuesday, after a visit to Pisa, we are taken to a Tuscan vineyard (Montecarlo) for a tour and lunch. Lunch goes on for a while as we sample the six different types of wine (3 red, 3 white), a dessert wine into which we dunk our dessert biscuits, and then a grand finish with Grappa! The meal is good too!

It is St John’s Night and the banks and bridges of the Arno are packed for the fireworks, We stop at a deli for a mozzarella, salad and tomato sandwich and join the crowds to watch the spectacle.

The next dinner is in Rome on Wednesday, in a side street a block or two back off the Piazza Navona. Two courses, one bottle of wine €10.00, and 2 bottles of water, cost us €32.00.

Next day, we are off to Pompeii. Lunch here at the entrance gates comes with a rather stiff price tag of about €25.00 for a plate of pork and sautéed potato. It is a long trip and we look forward to dinner which is taken near the Hotel on the Via Cavour. It is a bit more upmarket than the previous night.

The mains are spaghetti with meat sauce and Lasagne al Forna. They are top class as is the fruit dessert that follows. The lot, including a bottle of win (€12.00), water, coffee, cover charge and a service charge of 10 per cent, comes to €55.00.

The next morning is spent visiting the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s and the Coliseum and we are well up for it by the time the farewell dinner comes around. It is held in a restaurant near the Vatican.

The meal, while a bit touristy, you get photographed with a Roman soldier as you enter (€6.00) and there a two opera singers entertaining (and selling their CD), is excellent and we enjoy the meal, the music and the farewell evening.

The following day, it is back to Ireland and we have to make do with a €5.00 Aer Lingus Panini (ham and cheese) and a little bottle of white wine (also €5.00) as we journey home. All good things come to an end. C’est la vie!

More photos from this Italian trip at http://swissroll07.blogspot.com/or click on Corkman on Tour link on the right hand column

COOKERY SCHOOL

Caroline@Bibliocook said... said...
I thought you might be interested in this cookery school call-out for the Cork area. Cactus TV are looking for people who are interested in learning how to bake and who would like to participate in a new cookery series.

Cactus TV (home of Saturday Kitchen and Richard and Judy) are looking for people who are interested in learning how to bake and who would like to participate in a new cookery series. It all kicks off in June so they need volunteers in the Cork area ASAP. More info below.
- Do you love cooking but find the art of baking a bit of a mystery?
- Does your bread fail to rise?
- Do your cakes go soggy?
- Maybe you loved baking as a child but have since lost the skill?
Cactus TV are looking for people to learn to bake as part of a new cookery series – so if you’d like to pick up some top tips from a TV chef, are aged between 20-40, are available at weekends in June, and live in or around Cork, then email us with a photo ASAP at bake@cactustv.co.uk telling us your name, address, age, and why you’d love to be part of our baking school.

More on http://www.bibliocook.com/

VALUE FOR MONEY

SCOOZI’S

Scoozi’s is a Cork tradition, which seems to have been in existence a lot longer than 1993. They say their ethos is good food, inexpensive prices and happy staff with a determination to please. I was there at the weekend and have no argument with that. Food was good, staff friendly.

They don't take bookings so we had to queue for a few minutes. We had heard portions were big so skipped the starters. My main course was Flaming Chicken: Chicken breast skewered with sweet bell pepper mushrooms, red onions, aubergines and courgettes. Baked in the oven and served with spicy sauce. Three man size skewers, well done and a smashing dish for under €17.00.

The other main dish was also chicken, called Pollo Alla Scoozi: Succulent breast of chicken, breadcrumbed and stuffed with garlic cream cheese and chives. Again the price was under €17.00. It was well cooked, though a much “heavier” dish that the Flaming Chicken.

Both, like many Scoozi dishes, were served with a side dish of chips and a side dish of salad. Well worth it. The house wine, a Bougrier Touraine Sauvignon, at €18.75, was also good value. It was refreshing and dry and went well with the chicken and the spicy tastes.

Tiramisiu was the dessert chosen and it too was up to standard.

Enjoyable overall, worth the little wait and worth going again. To find out more, go to http://www.scoozis.ie


About Scoozi’s (by Scoozi’s themselves)
Scoozi's first opened its doors on the 16th of June 1993. From its very beginning Scoozi's has been a very successful restaurant. It originally began in No 3-4 Wintrop Avenue but it is now 2-5 Wintrop Avenue. So we have expanded quite a bit.
We are a group of people who have been together for over 14 years. All our staff are trained and educated about the ethos of the restaurant which is good food, inexpensive prices and happy staff with a determination to please.
Work begins in Scoozi's at 6.00 in the morning when our team of pastry chefs begin baking preparations for the day. We open our doors at 9.00am and begin with coffee, scones, pastries, bagels and our delicious waffles. Around 10.00 breakfast gets into full swing - eggs, bacon, and toast any which way - all cooked to order. At 12 noon we change to our lunch menu plus our specials of the day. Lunch runs until 5.30 p.m. when we change to our evening menu and last orders are at 11.00 p.m.
Ours is a very busy day with chicken, pasta, salad, pizza and chargrilled burgers being our main fare. Our homemade desserts are hugely popular in Cork for all those with a sweet tooth. We have a modest but excellent wine list and also serve Cusquena Cerveza Premium (Peruvian) beer - the gold of the Incas!
We are a friendly family restaurant where kids are made very welcome. We have a Kiddies Menu and also hold a weekly colouring competition where kids have a chance to win a free lunch for themselves and two friends.
We look forward to seeing you....

BACK TO THE PALACE

HAPPY RETURN

Like Chinese? Like good value?

Then Ying’s Palace (in the Mayfield Shopping centre, 021 4559238) is the place for you.
Called last Thursday night and choose the Buffet Menu. Don’t worry – you won't have to leave your seat to get your grub – everything is served at the cloth covered candlelit table. The Buffet refers to the amount of choice on this four course set menu: nine starters, four soups, a dozen or more main courses and two desserts. All for €13.99 (Weekdays); there is a €2.00 surcharge at weekends.

I had the Shredded Japanese Chicken starter, the Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup, and the Aromatic Lamb. Desserts are not a strong point, either ice cream or jelly, I think. But all in all very good value at a comfortable venue with friendly service.

Possible extras: Coffee €1.80 a cup, House wine, very good too at €16.80 a bottle.

CLASSY CRAB TOASTIES

EASY TOASTIES

They don't call it a Deli but the Food Hall in Marks and Spencer (in Merchant’s Quay, Cork) is one, a place of delicacies and fine food.

I was in there the other day getting ingredients for tasty Crab Toasties. I picked up Orkney White Crab meat, ciabatta, along with some St Azur soft cheese and got to work.

Preheat Oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Check meat for tiny pieces of shell and remove. Soften the cream cheese in a bowl, and then mix in crab meat and mayonnaise. Add the breadcrumbs and soy sauce, then the cayenne pepper and seasoning to taste.

Spread the mix evenly on the bread slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes and then serve with a baby leaf and herb salad, dressed with vinaigrette.

Ingredients for Crab Toasties
(Serves 3 to 4 as a snack or light lunch)

100g white crab meat (you may use frozen)
100g cream cheese at room temperature
2 tbsp mayonnaise
15g dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp soy sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
1 small ciabatta or baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal.
Recipe from the Sunday Times, who in turn took it from the Jason Atherton book called Maze: The Cookbook.

B€ AWAR€

JACOBS ON THE MALL

Jacobs on the Mall is in the Cork “financial district” (a street, really). The area is well served with ATMs. Just as well, as the prices charged at this South Mall establishment are high.

But if you have no problem with that, you’ll have no problem with the food. It is, in my experience, always well cooked, well presented and served with a chat and a smile.
We called last Friday evening and the place was quite busy with about 80 customers in. While waiting, we were served some very nice breads indeed.

The main course was Baked Cod, with some anchovies and mashed olives alongside, served with a warm potato salad (a lovely cylindrical pile of potato and roasted peppers and little bits of ham). The smell on arrival at the table promised much and I wasn't let down. It was lovely dish even though the price was a hefty €28.00.

Desserts are usually good here. This time, I picked the apple brandy and hazelnut tart, served with a scoop of caramel ice-cream. Good, but not as good as my favourite here which is the date and butterscotch pudding. Cost €7.50.

From the extensive wine list, we choose the Paul Beaudet Macon-Lugny (€30.00). Not bad at all, though I must say I preferred the Macon-Lugny (“Les Genievres” Louis Latour) that I got in the Imperial across the road a few weeks back.

While the big aerial space has been broken up with greenery and the walls are hung with paintings, there is still a kind of hollow feeling to the restaurant. The lower level has two unbroken rows, one with tables for couples, the other with seating for four or more. A few screens here and a plant or a statue there might break it up and improve it and certainly lessen the class-roomy feel of the place.

One other thing, why not get rid of those awful “Formica” tables. I get classier tables in my local.