"BUY YOUR OLIVE OIL LIKE WINE"

OLIVE OIL BATTLES

(NOT A POPEYE IN SIGHT)

Once in Tuscany, a wine and olive  oil producer told us the best way to make olive oil is to immediately cold press the just picked grapes. On his place, it was done in the cool of the night as the Olive Press (pictured) was too hot during the day, which it was. I tried it and you could hardly stand there for a minute.

He was scathing about the big companies who dragged in olives from all over the Med and were still able to claim that oil was on a par with his. The longer the olives are hanging around (or in transport) the more the acid is a factor. Some big producers filter out the acid but also much of the goodness.


We got some of his oil, packed in a special tin for travelling. But it didn't last forever and then you have to go out and buy here.

Choose the oil as you do wine.

That’s the advice from Saveur Magazine in a recent article on Olive Oil, which also lists some interesting figures on Italy production and consumption and exports.

Took them at their word and set up a tasting. Managed to mount a line-up of four at short notice.

One: an Italian, from Karwig Wines in Carrigaline; Farnese Oilo Extra Vergine di Oliva, organic, from the town of Casoli, in the province of Chieti (CH) in the Abruzzo region of Italy. I think this was about 11 euro for 500ml.

Two: a Greek Spray-on Job from KTMAX. Surprised? Me too. But they do have a foodie rack in the shop. This was Odysea Extra Virgin Olive Oil, approved by the vegetarian society. Reduced to €5.99 for 250ml.

Three: A purchase from Aldi. Under their Evoo brand, it is an Extra Virgin but no indication as to country of origin. Three or four euro for 750ml.

Four: A very recent buy from the Ballymaloe Shop (by the house).  This was Emile Noël’s organic Extra Virgin from Noël’s in Pont Saint Esprit in France. Cost €9.20 for 500ml.

It was close at the finish but I gave my casting vote to the Farnese with the French one a whisker behind. The Spray-on was a distant third while the Aldi was an even more distant and best forgotten revolting fourth.

I’m talking here about Olive oil for salads and breads and so on as ordinary Olive Oil will do for cooking in most cases.

To see the Saveur article go to http://bit.ly/9LCbuO

In 1951, Pont Saint Esprit was the scene of a mass poisoning, heavy stuff.  For that weird almost sci-fi story go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-Saint-Esprit

BARBECUED BANANAS

EASY DESSERT  

These barbeque days just last and last, fingers crossed!

Here’s my favourite dessert when out in the garden.

Put your bananas on the grill and allow them to almost blacken (about 15 minutes on ordinary charcoal).

When bananas close to ready, get your bowls and lay down some ice-cream. When bananas ready, slit them quickly, remove skins, and lay flesh on the ice-cream. Now, add in a table spoon or two, and one for the cook, of a nut liquor. And eat quickly.

No nut liquor? Then try Kirsch or a dark rum. But, if you do get the chance to get yourself some nut liquor, do so as it definitely gives the best results. Believe this veteran. I’ve been doing this for 17 years, since I first visited the Dordogne and bought myself a bottle of Sarlanoix.

The Butcher's Block in Cork

THE BUTCHER’S BLOCK (BLACKPOOL)

The Butcher’s Block has some nine shops nationwide and two in Cork, one in Douglas, the other, which I visited over the weekend, in the Blackpool Shopping Centre.

On the lookout for BBQ stuff and stocked up on the pork chops (five for a fiver) and the fat butcher’s sausages (six for 3 euro). Good value, good service (friendly, chatty) and, most important of all, the meat got the thumbs up in the back-garden.

Now what more would you want? How about some Bandol Rosé. Even the wasps agreed.

021 4932576
www.thebutchersblock.ie

Check out my review of The Butcher's Block - I am cork - on Qype

THE WEEKEND CATCH - YOUR WEEKLY CORK FOOD & DRINK UPDATE

THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant & Bar Scene in Cork

via Twitter & Facebook

No.5 Fenns Quay Restaurant new menu hit the right notes tonight (Thursday) great to be back up and running !!

Nautilus restaurant We have some organic sea trout and delicious scallops for specials this week :)

RaisingReds Redhead Convention August 21 Saturday in Cork, Ireland, in Crosshaven at Cronin’s Pub and Crosshaven Farmer’s Market from 11am to 10pm.

CuriousWines  Last opportunity to have your wine delivered for the weekend http://bit.ly/cz83ab (order before 3pm today for Friday delivery)

SoHo Bar & Restaurant Oh the weather outside is weather.... Ah Well, come in to SoHo for a cocktail, and forget about the weather. How about a 3 course meal for only €25?? Check out the Early week menu in the reastaurant!!

SlowFoodIreland Download an application for the Waterford Harvest Festival Artisan Food Producers' Award atwww.slowfoodireland.com

westcorkhotel posted 5 photos on Facebook in the album "Sunday's Dessert Buffet" http://fb.me/AmsWJpaK

Bibliocook Gregg's (Wallace) Favourite Puddings by @puddingface is a greatest hits of the pudding world. Open any page and dip into...http://fb.me/DYP5nbhn

Bordbia Something quick, tasty & wholesome for this evening folks http://bit.ly/donwfw

Catavino For Sherry fans - harvest 2010 is underway in a few places http://bit.ly/cPqGff  according to @mroconnell some might be a bit retarded! http://bit.ly/bkRrsV

Greenes Restaurant Cork Check out our Christmas menus on our website. Book groups of 10 or more before September 15th & get a pressie from Santa!!  www.greenesrestaurant.com

donalskehan Feasting on wild foods in Sweden! http://t.co/r5g8nJx

We search the net, via Twitter and Facebook, each Thursday evening and early Friday morning, for the latest from the Cork restaurant and bar scene. If you don't have either of the above, reach us at cork.billy@gmail.com. Deadline 10.00am Friday.

POT OF HONEY OR POT OF GOLD

HOW MUCH SHOULD A DECENT JAR OF HONEY COST? 

I need someone to educate me on honey. Why should I pay €6.95 for 340gm of the sweet stuff when I can get 454gms of it for €1.99?

I admit, the comparisons aren't exactly like with like. The dearer one, Deise Honey, is made on a farm in Co. Waterford.

The cheaper one was bought in Aldi and had the Irish tricolour marked on it and was called Kilcrea Gold. So, I thought it was Irish made, especially when I saw the County Cork address on the jar. There is a drawing of Kilcrea Abbey (Ovens) on the jar and the address is Cooleen Foods, Co.Cork.

The obvious difference, before tasting, was that the Kilcrea was much darker. On tasting, the difference, to me anyhow, is not that much though I would definitely prefer the Waterford product but at €6.95 it the most expensive I’ve come across in the last year or so.

Now, one other thing, rather annoying, about the Aldi jar. As I say, it had all the looks of a local product but, on closer inspection, I read, under the tricolour (where you normally expect to see “produced in Ireland”)  “packed in Ireland” and the product is a blend of EC and non EC honeys.

That, of course, doesn't rule out Irish honey and of course it is no crime if it is not. In addition to its well known Irish Organic range, Mileeven Honey in Kilkenny market a “ range of honeys from around the world”.

CAFE GUSTO - MORE THAN A CAFE

CAFE GUSTO

Cafe Gusto is more than just a cafe, more than just two cafes as it is found in both Washington Street and Lapps Quay.

What makes it different is its attitude, easily seen in its tweets and Facebook pages. “We are the glass half full type of people.” I like that in these recessionary times.

The post Celtic Tiger era has led to a whole load of gloom but you won't see that at Gusto or its sister restaurant the Liberty Grill (also in Washington Street), both of which by the way serve top class food and drink.

I was strolling up there the other day and called into Gusto for a cup of their excellent coffee and who should I meet, for the first time, but Marianne, my twitter mate.

And what was she doing? Helping out a visitor to the city. Marianne and partner Denis do this as a matter of course.

Speaking of twitter – Tuesday is tweet day at Gusto in Lapps Quay where the twitterati meet up and enjoy free wi-fi, battery charging and the second cup of coffee among friends free. Not bad.

Denis recently said to me that we have a great product in the city and county, lots to see and do “but it can be hard to find them if you are plonked down in the middle of it”.

And that’s where the friendly attitude of Denis and Marianne and their staff come in. They go out of their way to make visitors welcome and Gusto has a rack of informative booklets available.

They also use the internet to help out and are always willing to plug events that liven up the local scene as you’ll have seen with their efforts on the Lee Swim and Paddy Games to mention just two.

Obviously Denis and Marianne are not the only two in town with this pro-active attitude. But we need more of them. After all, the more we pull together, the further we will go.

And the payoff? Well, have a look at this from a globe trekking LA foodwriter

http://www.glassofwin.com/?p=2508

GREAT TASTE WINNER

The competition for the Great Taste hamper drew loads of entries from all over the country and the winner is:

Gerry McCarthy

from Co. Offaly

A hamper of teas and coffees from Robert Roberts, a long standing Irish company who, as all of you indicated in your answers, won 12 stars at the recent Great Taste Awards in London, is on its way to Gerry.

AN CRÚIBÍN in Cork

AN CRÚIBÍN
Enjoyed one of their famous Sexy Lunches at An Crúibín during the week. Enjoyed also meeting the guys behind the venture, Paul and Frank.
The menu was being chalked on the blackboard as I came in and, aside from the odd Spanish flourish, the words looked plain enough. Deceptively so. I choose the Spiced Carrot Soup and the Smoked Mackerel with New Potatoes.
The soup, as they say in this neck of the woods, had eating and drinking in it. It was bright orangey with a swirl of cream in the middle. The eating? Well, sunken circles of carrots and crunchy bits of other veg and just enough spice to warm you up. Just brilliant! Took a lingering look and then, as Frank, having a bowl himself, suggested, gave it a lash!
Well if the soup was Van Gogh, my mains was Miro. A bit dull maybe on the left where the potatoes and generous circle of mackerel was placed, the bright reds and yellows exploding in the salad to my right. Colours aside, this was really tasty and certainly filled the gap.
They had five or six other promising main courses (eg Hegarty’s Cheddar and Tomatoes) and all were priced between €7.50 and €8.50. Good value to be had here in the shadow of the City Hall.
One of my aims in going out to eat is to try something you don't normally do at home. This place doesn't disappoint on that score. Different class, as another Corkman is fond of saying.
You will see many words used to describe this pub and its Silk Purse Restaurant upstairs: funky, cool, edgy, surreal. I prefer the words they use themselves: low-key, relaxed.

http://themeatcentre.com/wordpress/
1 Union Quay, Cork City, Ireland
Telephone
+ 353 (0) 21 431 0071
Picture above from AN CRÚIBÍN

Check out my review of AN CRÚIBÍN - I am cork - on Qype

THE WEEKEND CATCH - YOUR WEEKLY CORK FOOD & DRINK UPDATE

THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant & Bar Scene in Cork

via Twitter & Facebook

Well done to Nash19Cork  - one of the finalists in the Food and Wine Magazine Award 2010, Good Cooking Catagory.

No. 5 Fenns Quay Restaurant the renovations are going really well the floors are being laid and we hope to back up and running by the middle of next week !!

Nautilus restaurant Various dishes, tempting pics

Glanmire’s cafebeva  for the rest of the week, we are selling the excellent TASTE A MEMORY READY MEALS @€4.00.

@florencehivert EmmanuelDelmas RT 73 portraits of winemakers (vignerons)...http://0z.fr/YxAnS http://fb.me/ECA54YcO

See the In Season Evening Specials for August at Liberty Grill

FreckledPast I'm sharing my 'Made from Scratch' recipe for Barbecue-style Sauce with Slow-cooked Beef Brisket http://bit.ly/bukGce

bordbia | New season potatoes as featured on RTE news. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVeYfo1fHwk

Food Safety Authority of Ireland Latest list of food premises that have been served with a Closure Order: http://short.ie/io855f

The Seaview Cafe & Market Seaview Market back today from 10am until 3pm.

Snapper Ger Mac’s video of English Market http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy9cvGiRCVg

DailySpud  Hint, it involves potatoes... RT @kickpleat: Let me introduce to you my new best friend: http://bit.ly/byhOuH 

rachelallen1 Hello everyone. I'll be doing a cookery demo in Singapore this Saturday at the Singapore Food Festival. If you...http://fb.me/F2xQn2pw

An Cruinin and Silk Purse.  See their OPENING HOURS FOR AUGUST http://themeatcentre.com/wordpress/?p=755

The Future? Robot Chefs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0GKIQdpscg

SlowFoodWCork RT @SlowFoodIreland: First national meeting of Slow Food members in Ireland. Saturday 11th September in Waterford

grapes_of_sloth New wine event http://pauljkiernan.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/tim_adams_tasting_cork_aug_2010/ 

Curious Wines: Ireland's Online Wine Store Indian Summer Chillin': September contest, just posted on the Curious Wines blog. Super snazzy picnic wine cooler up for grabs, only for Facebook followers

We search the net, via Twitter and Facebook, each Thursday evening and early Friday morning, for the latest from the Cork restaurant and bar scene. If you don't have either of the above, reach us at cork.billy@gmail.com. Deadline 10.00am Friday.

Ballymaloe House and satellites in Shanagarry

BALLYMALOE HOUSE

(and satellite operations)  

Ballymaloe House and its satellites are some operation and well worth a visit, or two. Basically, you find the main entrance to Ballymaloe House on a right angled bend as you come from the Cloyne direction. A mile or so further on, in the village of Shanagarry, more or less opposite the church, you find the left turn that will take you to the Ballymaloe Cookery School and its gardens.

We start the tour at Ballymaloe House today. Go through the sturdy pillars and drive the narrow tarmac track towards the old ivy covered house. Just a couple of things to remember as you approach the car parks. This is a working farm – watch out for tractors and so on. It is also an area of leisure – watch out for stray golf balls as the course is very near the house.

So, you want to eat. Why else would you be coming? Then, you have a choice. You may have lunch in the house which will cost you 40 euro or in the cafe where it will cost about half that, prices are more or less normal, but the cafe is small. If you want to book dinner at the house, the tariff is 70 euro.

Maybe you just want to shop. You are in the right place. The Ballymaloe ShopBallymaloe Shop, in a cottage type building, has loads of Irish crafts, a well stocked kitchen room and also a food section where you may buy their own products and those of others.

Interested in the arts? Then stroll over to the Grain Store. There may well be an exhibition going on here. Maybe it’s the conference you have come for? Will you be here this evening? For the concert? If you do stay overnight, then there is a range of accommodation for you.

Okay, so I’ve lost some passengers. But we have enough to carry on. Back to the entrance and we head for the village of Shanagarry, take the sharp turn left and then we turn off the road to the right and arrive at the world famous Cookery School.

Costa Coffee in Cork City

COSTA COFFEE  

Got myself a punchy Italian coffee at Costa’s in Emmett Place this morning, one of the best in a while. Really enjoyed it, especially with a flaky croissant. The regular size coffee cost €2.95 while the croissant was €1.80.

Service at the bar was excellent, everyone courteously combining to make sure I got exactly what I wanted. No shortage of seating, both indoors and outdoors.

Check out my review of Costa Coffee - I am cork - on Qype

Crinnaghtaun Juice Co in Cappoquinn

CRINNAGHTAUN APPLE JUICE

The producers say their Bramley and Cox Apple Juice is slightly dry. But my verdict this sunny morning is that it is dry, quite tarty. It is that bit different but none the worse for that. I enjoyed my glass today and will be on the lookout for the widely available juice again along with its sweeter Cox companion.

Apples from the Blackwater Valley are farm pressed and pasteurised by traditional methods to make this Natural Healthy Drink, high in vitamin C (added to stop oxidisation). It is available in 25cl and 75cl bottles and the 75cl cost me €2.99 in Castlemartyr.

e-mail: sales@irishjuiceco.com,
telephone: + 353 (0)58 54258
http://www.irishapplejuice.com/
Crinnaghtaun Juice Co
Tivoli,
Cappoquin,
Co.Waterford.
Ireland

Check out my review of Crinnaghtaun Juice Co - I am cork - on Qype

It's the money, Honey

DEISE HONEY

Getting confused with honey, the stuff that comes in a jar.

Tasted quite a few this past year or more and really can’t taste that much of a difference. And yet the prices vary widely. My most recent purchase was a 340gm of Deise Honey which cost €6.95. It had a fine taste but so do had the others, such as John Martin’s and Molaga, so why the huge price tag, the most expensive I’ve come across.

Is there any good reason? I’d like to know. Maybe we should have a tasting, like we do in wine. Just don't ask me to fund it!

Deise Irish Honey is produced in County Waterford in the family run apiary of P. Deasy, Rose Cottage, Dunloughtane, Youghal, Co. Waterford 024 20910.

Check out my review of Deise Honey - I am cork - on Qype