A PORTER TO CARRY MY PORTER?

PORTER IN NORTH MAIN STREET

Never know what you’ll find when you visit Bradley’s in North Main Street. A bit of a sweeping statement so let’s adjust to something more like the truth: “I never know what I will leave with when I visit Bradley’s.”

Called at the weekend with a simple enough mission: to replenish my stock of Stonewell Cider and also to add the sweet PX to the Oloroso and Amontillado already bought from their brilliant Lustau sherry range.

That was easily accomplished, all in stock. But I also left with the 8 Degrees Brewing Company’s  Knockmealdown Porter and that was the first thing I tried out. It is the latest addition to the Mitchelstown based brewery’s range and follows two well received ales.

So this is the first porter. It is black (as you might expect!), rich with a chocolatley flavour and well balanced (some old world bitter hops were used). It leaves, all too soon, with a longish dry finish. I like this one, another reason to call to North Main Street. Will have to get a bigger stronger bag! Maybe a porter to carry my porter. Bottle size is 33cl and the ABV is 5%.

Had been traipsing round town looking for Port glasses, without success. Tried TKMax as a last resort. They didn't have them either but did have sets of two Riedel wine glasses at the knockdown price of €15.00. Bought a couple of sets and tried them out over the weekend with a couple of Spanish reservas. But that’s another post!

ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE

ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE

From sauerkraut to PX: the alpha and the omega of my meal at Electric last night. And there was quite a lot of good stuff in between as well.

The cathedral’s shadow in the near distance by the river, the lights twinkling in the trees outside and reflections galore as the Friday traffic rolled up and down the Mall were all part of the view from this comfortable upstairs room, a busy buzzy spot, where the welcome (we were met downstairs) and the service are friendly and efficient.

Nobody hanging around your table but they do keep an eye on things and, for instance, pop over with more water when they see you running down and put out a bowl of warm water if you are eating anything sticky.

And I was. My starter was Bodice & Cabbage: roast pork ribs with sauerkraut & chilli (€7.00). I’ve had this before so knew what to expect. It is just terrific: tasty meat with well made sauerkraut livened up by the chilli. If you haven’t tried this, I’d recommend it. HN enjoyed her Pan-fried brie with basil, Serrano ham, tomato and mint chutney (€ 8).

My main course was the Veal Bolognese with penne pasta & parmesan (€14). I rarely go Italian so was doing this for research! It was a very pleasant surprise indeed, the tiny minced pieces of the Bolognese (no shortage of them) perfectly complemented by the pasta. Very happy with this perfect combination.

HN and CL both went for the Ballea lamb shoulder & fillet with butternut squash, rosemary & gravy (19.50). Must admit I was a bit jealous when I saw the dishes but I was thrown a few samples of lamb and in any case the ladies were absolutely pleased with it, particularly the slow cooked shoulder. A tasty and substantial dish, the veg and sauce in perfect harmony with the meat.

Met Marambro Creek winemaker Brad Rey a weeks back when he visited Karwig Wines and so was delighted to see his Jip Jip Rocks Patdthaway 2009 Shiraz (€ 25) on the list. This lively Shiraz went down well with the lamb.

After the lamb and the pasta, we were all pretty full, so rounded off the evening in Electric, celebrating its first birthday this coming Thursday, with three glasses (between us!) of their Lustau PX (€4.50).

AMUSE BOUCHE

From
"Neither here nor there" by Bill Bryson


".....I was so hungry that I would have eaten almost anything, even a plate of my grandmother's famous creamed ham and diced carrots, the only dish in history to have been inspired by vomit."

THREE WINNING WINES

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005, Hunter Valley Australia, 12%, €10.00 Tesco, 4.5 stars
Colour: light gold, bright, micro bubbles
Nose: Citrus rind.
Palate: Full fruity tropical smooth waxy mouthfeel yet well balanced. The Hunter is famous for Semillon and this is a fantastic example where the patient aging in the bottle has paid off in a big way. No wonder that it comes with a bunch of gold medals! You may read much more about this prize-winning wine here. 

OGIO Primitivo IGP Puglia Italy 2010, 13%, €6 Tesco, 4 stars
Colour: Ruby red
Nose: Intense, mainly cherry
Palate: Rich and fruity, warm, hints of spice. With the tannins doing their job, it is an engaging mouthfeel plus it has a long lingering finish. Quite a hefty drink from the heel of Italy and recommended on Twitter by Tom Doorley.

Tagus Creek Shiraz and Trincadeira, Alentejano 2009, 14%, €8.69 Tesco, 4 stars 
Colour: Medium dark-red
Nose: Aromatic, ripe red/black fruits
Palate: Fruity and juicy, spicy and warm, yet pleasantly dry. It is supple with a comforting mouthfeel and finish.
Decanter recently awarded this its international trophy for a Red Blend at less than 10 UK pounds "Deliciously good value. Fantastic." They said. And the judges were also impressed by its freshness.
Tongue in cheek, I'm glad to say the judges agreed with me. Now, I'll get the tongue out of the way to make room for another mouthful of delicious Tagus Creek.

Icon of French winemaking coming to Ballymaloe

Colm McCan, sommelier at Ballymaloe, has been in touch to tell me they "are very much  looking forward to Samuel Guibert's first visit to Ballymaloe".

Icon of French winemaking coming to Ballymaloe

Legend of the Languedoc, young French winemaker, Samuel Guibert, of Mas de Daumas Gassac, will present the story of this great Wine Estate at a wine tasting at Ballymaloe on Friday 21^st October, 7pm, with a selection of their wonderful wines, from a Sparkling Rosé, several different White Wines, and several different Red Wines. As a finale, the informal tasting will include a vertical tasting of the Grand Cru Mas de Daumas Gassac red, a unique opportunity to taste multiple vintages of this iconic wine.

Described by Gault & Millau as “a Lafite in the Languedoc”, “the only Grand Cru of the Midi” by Hugh Johnson and “Exceptional” by Robert Parker, Mas de Daumas Gassac have been the benchmark for Languedoc wines for over 30 years.

Tutored wine tasting with Samuel Guibert, Friday 21^st October, 7pm, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe -  tickets €15, are available in advance, and on the night at the door, and advance booking is advised from either colm@ballymaloe.ie or The Grain Store at Ballymaloe 021 4651511, or 083 3631468

The tutored wine tasting will then be followed by a separate wine dinner, with Samuel Guibert, in Ballymaloe House, at 8.30pm, served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines including the Mas de Daumas Gassac red. Wine dinner €85, including dinner and wines; advance booking essential, telephone 021 4652531 or colm@ballymaloe.ie

In association with well known Munster wine merchants, Gary Gubbins of ‘Red Nose Wines’ and  Mike & Matt Kane of ‘Curious Wines’, who are co-hosting this special wine event with Ballymaloe

Ballymaloe House
Shanagarry
Co Cork

Tel: 00353 21 4652531

Fax:00353 (0)21 4652021

www.ballymaloe.ie

EAT YOUR WAY UP THE WEST COAST!

Click on image to enlarge

The Atlantic Way through its Food Pillar is promoting the richness and variety of artisan food in the Atlantic Way Region, all along the west coast.

This coming weekend, a series of events named "Féasta Bia" will include bespoke food trails, tasting sessions, enjoying local produce in restaurants and in local farmers' markets as well as food workshops for kids.

Some relevant links:

· Féasta Bia events at a glance

· Food Trails and maps online

· Participating restaurants to regional menus

· Féasta Bia Press Release 

· Féasta Bia photos on flickr

· Féasta Bia on facebook

TOO MANY RABBITS TO COUNT

Rabbit recipes, that is! Dylan McGrath's rabbit recipe grabbed the attention in a previous round of Masterchef on RTE. We've got easier ones here, possibly harder ones as well. Check for yourself.

Rabbit stifado “This easy recipe will be definitely used again time and again.” ~ CheffieMonster   All Rabbit recipes

COOKING WITH ELVIS

CORK ARTS THEATRE

The outstanding Bruiser Theatre Company have a sizzling treat for us.

Cooking With Elvis Directed by Lisa May 

Cooking with Elvis is an explosively funny shock to the system and definitely not for the prudish! A tragic farce about domestic turmoil, sex, loss, regret...and cooking!  

First performed in 1999, winning accolades from audiences and critics alike at the Edinburgh Festival, writer Lee Hall (of Billy Elliot fame), gives the script a wicked, darkly comic feel, combining pathos and humour, making this thoughtful romp hotter than an Elvis hip swivel!  Perfect theatrical fare for dark autumn nights!

Cooking With Elvis  

Mon. 17th Oct

Tues. 18th Oct

Tickets €15/ €12 or 2 for €25

Bookings: 021 4505624

***************Strictly  over 18s only*************** 

CHEESE AND BEER FEST EVENTS

Great to report progress in the Bord Bia led Cheese and Beer Fest events for the end of the month. Quite a few events locally as you can see from the approved list below

Click on chart to enlarge

Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer

Pairing Advice

Sitting

Shandon Century Extra Stout

Franciscan Well

Just reminding everyone about next Thursday's launch of Shandon Century Extra Stout at 6pm in the brewery. We are also announcing details of the upcoming Octoberfest. All are welcome, so bring a friend and have a free glasses of Shandon Century Extra Stout on us as well as some nibbles and live music!

5 ·  ·  · Share · 18 minutes ago

CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFE de CUBA

CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFÉ de CUBA

“Good coffee needn’t be comprised by decaffeination.” That is the opening statement in a leaflet from Café de Cuba. And the accompanying pack proved it to me in uncertain fashion.

Their Decaf is not the most muscular of coffees you’ll come across but that may be its strength. It is very user friendly in the mouth as the palate is covered by the smooth, almost chocolate, liquid. But it is not overly sweet as the acidity helps provide a good balance and there is quite a pleasant lingering finish.

Hard to believe that this is a Decaf. By the way, I drank it without milk, without sugar, comme d’habitude.

The other pack in the sample was their Really Good Organic Coffee, all the way from small farms in Peru. This too is easy drinking, with hints of chocolate and vanilla, is smooth and well balanced and a welcome cuppa at any time of the day.

Aside from these two, Café de Cuba imports quite a range of coffees from Cuba itself, exotic names such as Montecristo and Serrano among them. Check out the fascinating site here and find out about the coffee plantation that is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Santiago blend that was launched in Harrods a few years back.

Café de Cuba are also the exclusive distributors of Cha Teas in the UL and Ireland and you can see our recent review of a selection of these here.

Chocolate Week

Newest chocolate recipes
		It’s Chocolate Week, no better time to try our newest choccy recipes from home cooks like you. grubdaily says his Choc raspberry brownies are ‘truly indulgent’, so what are you waiting for? Find more new recipes to the right, and our entire Chocolate collection for more inspiration! What’s your best chocolate recipe?

A GOOD EXAMPLE FROM CURIOUS WINES

WOODSTOCK MCLAREN VALE, SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC, 2010, 11%, €15.99, CURIOUS WINES


Following a well trodden path, the winemakers have done a good job here, balancing the fruity qualities of the Semillon (96%) with the refreshing traits of the Sauvignon Blanc. They are quite happy to put their names to this well rounded effort, quite a good example of the popular blend.

The names are Scott Collett and Ben Glaetzer and they are writ large on the label. And that would no doubt please Milos, a former Dordogne host of mine. I met the ex Guinness employee in his Sarlat home last year and the Serbian ex-pat maintained that it was more important to have the winemaker’s name on the label, even to the exclusion of the grape. “Sometimes we used eight or nine varietals around here. How would you fit all those on the label?”

This Woodstock  is a Pale Honey in colour with a moderately aromatic nose (white fruits prominent). On the palate, it has a smooth and fruity intro with a zesty citrus like follow-on. It boasts a nice balance of flavour and acidity and has a lingering finish. And it is pretty low in alcohol!