Comfort food from warmer climes

Allrecipes.co.uk  |  Find recipes	9th January 2012
Moroccan comfort food   Spice up January with comfort food from warmer climes. From lamb tagine tocouscous royale, our Moroccan recipes are sure to beat the winter blues! What’s your favourite comfort food?	More Moroccan ideas Slow cooker chicken tagine Moroccan harira Vegetable tagine All Tagines All Moroccan recipes

ONE CHATEAUNEUF’S NOT ENOUGH

WHEN ONE CHATEAUNEUF’S NOT ENOUGH

Old bottles in the museum in Chateauneuf

Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine Barville, Brotte, 2007, 14.5%, Nash Wines

Over the Christmas, I had the opportunity to sample not one but two Chateauneuf du Pape. I bought this one last June at the Domaine's outlet in the village itself, where they also run a very interesting wine museum, and it cost €28.00. Not sure that Nash Wines have this exact vintage but you may check their site .

The grapes are hand selected in the vineyard and there is further sorting in the winery . The blend is Grenache 80%, Syrah 15% and Mourvedre 5%. It is ruby red in colour with a fruity nose of red fruits and also spicy.

On the palate, I found a beautiful combination of fruit, spice and acidity. It is a smooth mouthfeel and succulent; tannins, yes, but no rough edges whatsoever, just well textured, an excellent example.

The shell of the Papal holiday palace remains after wartime bombing

Roger Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape, 2009, 14.5%, €14.99 (Dunne’s Stores)

Got this one as a present and must say it turned to be quite an enjoyable drink. It is a few years younger than the Brotte, has different characteristics and is good value.

It is a darker red with mainly red fruits in the aroma. The palate gives a red fruit and nice spice, light, not unlike a Pinot Noir, with silky tannins and a long finish. Not bad at all for a relative youngster.

The ruin dominates the village with the Rhone in the distance

The blend is of seven grapes but the main ones are much the same as the Brotte: Grenache (72 to 74 %) and also Syrah and Mourvedre included. The average age of the vines is 65 years. See more details here.

My import is the better wine now but there is excellent value in the Dunne’s offering. I must say, I really enjoyed my visit to the village of Chateauneuf du Pape and the time spent in the wine museum and, of course, the chat and the tastings. Hard to put a value on those things.

But somebody, from the east, is! Maybe we should all be stocking up on Rhone wines. Buy Rhone before they do is the early warning from Jancis Robinson here. 

If you’d like to see some more photos from last summer’s trip to Provence, click here 

The Sentinel - Corned Beef Sandwich with Gruyere | Foodspotting

The Sentinel - Corned Beef Sandwich with Gruyere | Foodspotting

Hey Cork chefs, take a look at this. Another use for corn beef!

ALE AND HEARTY AT THE WELL

HAPPENINGS AT THE FRANCISAN WELL

Craft Brewing has taken off in a big way this last 12 months but the pioneering Franciscan Well  on Cork’s North Mall still has a trick or two up its sleeve.

And indeed, the brewers there have produced two of the best beers of the year in my opinion: The Shandon Century Extra Stout and the formidable Bellringer, both limited editions.

The Shandon made its debut at the end of October. This was a fabulous stout and I was lucky enough to get a bottle or two from the 1,000 made, also enjoyed a couple of tastings, each with cheese.

And perhaps the best match-up came during the Jazz Weekend when Willie Healy of URRU matched it with a mature Hegarty’s Cheddar at the pub itself. Memorable stout – like to see it back again sometime soon!

The Bellringer, also a 1000 bottle run, came about a month later and only last Monday came the news from the brewery: “Bellringer is sold out. Next batch will be a bottle conditioned I.P.A. “ You might be lucky as, of yesterday, Bradley’s in North Main Street still had a few bottles left. I finished mine off last night and was delighted with it, perhaps the best Irish ale I’ve tasted. Like to see that come back as well but in the meantime I’m looking forward to the IPA.

And another Franciscan event to look forward to has just been announced: “Our annual Cask Ale Festival will take place on the 10th, 11th and 12th Feb. It’s going to be one of the best ones yet!” They usually keep to their word so mark this in your diary.

All goes to show there is life in the Old North Mall dog yet and those newbies, promising and all as they are, will have their work cut out to top the Cork star. We can only benefit from the brewing battles ahead!

CHRISTMAS WINE REVIEW


Glad to say most of the wines flagged in a last month’s A Festive Wine Mix came up trumps over the holiday period. The Hamilton Ewell Fortified Red Wine, available from Bubble Brothers for about €18.00, was an after dinner highlight and this port taste-alike went down well with the Green Saffron Christmas Pudding.

Not all alcohol

Much before all that, the Innocent Bystander, Victoria, 2010 Moscato, 5.5% (Bradley’s Off Licence), drew quite a lot of favourable comment as did the Mont Marcal Extremarium Cava from Curious Wines.

There was a split decision when the Jip Jip Rocks Sparkling Shiraz from Karwig Wines was introduced and I must admit I didn’t get too many converts. But another red from the Carrigaline outlet went down a treat and that was the Monte Veho 2010 Vinho Regional Alentejano (€13.85). Made from a selection of regional grapes, this was well balanced, nicely rounded, soft and easy drinking.

And another Portuguese red, the Fontanario de Pegoes Palmela DO Reserva 2007 (Portugal), 14%, (€16.99), also got a big welcome. This is imported by Wine Alliance and widely available as is one of their brilliant whites: Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc Limited Edition 2009, New Zealand, 13.5%, €15.99, another Christmas star.

Back to Karwig’s for another white that found wide acceptance: Rebenfeld Gruner Veltliner 2006 from South Austria (€11.00). This crisp fruity dry wine, from Austria’s flagship white grape, has good balance and a good finish and is very good value indeed. Perhaps the top Karwig white that found its way onto the holiday table was the Martin Codax Albarino 2010 (€13.85). A lovely wine: aromatic, crisp and dry.

I also had the pleasure of a couple of doubles from the Southern Rhone, a pair of Chateauneuf du Pape, and also a pair of good ones from La Citadelle, one of the top producers in the Luberon. I’ll fill you in on these later.

It wasn’t all alcohol of course. The Innocent Bystander drew favourable comment partly because of its low alcohol and I also had my favourite non alcoholic beverage available, the Tipperary Sparkling Apple Juice by Con Traas.

Con also does a gorgeous still apple juice from his Carmine apples and, at Midleton Farmers Market on Christmas Eve morning, I found a worthy rival in the still juice by the Little Irish Apple Company from Kilkenny. It is made from Bramley and Seasonal Dessert varieties and is refreshing and natural and lovely when chilled, a different taste that also found favour around here this holiday.

FOODSPOTTING.COM

FOODSPOTTING FUN

Kay Harte and yours truly talking
 to Foodspotting in The Farmgate
(Pic by Chris Connolly)

A visual guide to good food

and where to find it.

Just recently, I’ve joined the ranks of Foodspotting.com.

What is Foodspotting.com? In their own words: “Foodspotting is the easiest way to find and share the foods you love: instead of reviewing restaurants, you can recommend your favourite dishes and see what others have recommended wherever you go.” Much more here.

The big point about Foodspotting is that it puts you in touch with your favourite dish, not necessarily in your favourite restaurant. And, say, if you want to compare the Rome version of chicken cacciatore with the Cork version or indeed the New York version, it makes it easy.

Again, when you arrive somewhere new, you may wish to try what is local and seasonal. You’ve just arrived in Cork, for instance. You know it is the game season and you’d like to try pheasant. Just click into the app on your Smartphone, search for pheasant and you’ll see that Blair’s Inn have the very dish you want. And, in addition, you have a map alongside and also the contact numbers. Easy.

The site came to my attention when I was asked to meet two of the key Foodspotting players at The Farmgate Cafe in Cork recently: Amy Cao (above right) from New York and Chris Connolly (above left) from San Francisco. It turned out to be a long lunch as you may read in this account.

The duo, on a packed visit sponsored by Failte Ireland, fascinated both myself and the Farmgate’s Kay Harte with their high tech site while Kay had the visitors spellbound with her knowledge of and passion for Irish food.

The two also visited food places in Galway, Waterford and Dublin and by the end of their stay were happy to proclaim that there was much more to Irish food than bacon and cabbage. This is their summary of the flying visit.

I am enjoying contributing to Foodspotting and obviously hope to benefit from it when I travel both within and outside Ireland. You too can join in the food fun and build up the data base of enjoyable dishes in Irish restaurants.

Just head over to http://www.foodspotting.com and have your camera ready! You don’t need to do any reviews, though a line on the dish is welcome. Just put up the food and picture you like and spread the good food word!
You may see my initial contributions here

Allrecipes.co.uk  |  Find recipes	2nd January 2012
Healthy winter meals Even after a festive season full of indulgence, we still need a warming winter meal to come home to. But what’s healthy may surprise you! This healthy biryani is quickly made from scratch and lighter than most, and we have plenty more Healthy meals where that came from! What’s your go−to healthy recipe?	More healthy ideas Vegetarian chilli Butternut and barley risotto Baked fish and chips Black bean burgers All Healthy meal

BUSY BUZZ IN MARKET LANE

MARKET LANE

Walking into Oliver Plunkett Street’s Market Lane restaurant is like walking into a hive: busy, buzzing. And, yes, some sweet things but let us start at the beginning. This is a no reservation restaurant (unless you have a party of six or more) but we two were in early and, without delay, we were seated by the window.

My starter was Ham Hock Terrine and spiced apple relish with handmade linseed crackers and gherkins (€7.70). A pretty substantial plateful and really tasty. See my grainy Foodspotting shot here

Got away from the meat on the main course and picked the Spinach and ricotta ravioli with wild mushrooms, semi-sundried tomatoes, cream and parmesan (€13.95). There is a big choice of main courses but I was very happy with this. Very satisfying on all fronts, quality and quantity, loved the whole combination.

Saw some old favourites on the dessert menu (all 6 euro) but also spotted a newcomer (to me). That was Vanilla and Gingerbread Cheesecake with a Blueberry Compote. This was a beautiful dessert, layered in a large enough glass. It had a crunchy gingerbread topping; the vanilla was in the middle and then a substantial bed of delicious juicy berries. Looked well and tasted well. What more would you want?

Service was of the usual high standard, friendly and efficient. And wine? Well, not a bottle this time but I did enjoy a glass of their lovely Muriel Rioja Crianza 2007 (€6.50). Indeed, their drinks list is quite extensive here. There is a bar on the premises so you may have draught beer and bottles of course, cocktails, a choice of about twenty wines along with the teas and coffees.

MY TOP LOCAL RESTAURANTS

MY THIRTY ONE

Sticking to a list of 31 favourite restaurants again this year. Early on, thought I might well reach the next prime number up but there were a couple of disappointments and then a few favourites, including Nautilus and the Silk Purse, who shut their doors.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom: the 2010 baby Electric has gone from strength to strength and La Dolce Vita has taken up the vacancy in Proby’s Quay. And in addition, L’Atitude has just given us our first wine café.

I have been to all 31 (and others) over the past 12 months and have been happy enough with the results. Huge differences, of course, in styles and comfort over the range but I'd have no problem in going back to any of them. The list below, while roughly alphabetical, is in no particular order. Just be aware also that there are some really good ones that I haven't been to in 2011. You may see reviews for all of the 31 in this blog.

Made a bit of a resolution to get out into the county more often for 2011 and included Kinsale, Midleton and Clonakilty as targets. Got to Midleton a bit (enjoyed Sage) and Clonakilty too, not forgetting Timoleague (and Dillon’s). Still haven’t explored Kinsale to any great degree and, for 2012, now must include it and must also look north, to Mallow and Fermoy for example.

MY 31

(In no particular order)

1 Augustine’s

2 Annie’s

3 Blair’s Inn

4 Ballymaloe

5 Bramley Lodge

6 Cornstore

7 Costello’s Malthouse

8 Dillon’s

9 Electric

10 Fenn’s Quay

11 Fota Island Resort

12 Greene’s

13 Hayfield Manor

14 Isaac’s

15 Jacque’s

16 Jacobs on the Mall

17 La Dolce Vita

18 Les Gourmandises

19 Liberty Grill

20 Market Lane

21 Mabel Crawford’s

22 Nash 19

23 Richy’s Bistro

24 Rising Tide

25 Sage

26 Star Anise

27 The Farmgate

28 The Spinning Wheel

29 The Bosun

30 The Castle

31 The Pantry

Amuse Bouche

“Years ago, I spent a week reporting from the European parliament in Strasbourg. One evening, a group of MEPs asked if I would join them for dinner….. The meal exquisite – one superlative dish followed another – though I could scarcely enjoy it, since I knew that my paper…would be deeply unhappy about refunding the monstrous bill I could expect. Finally it arrived and I started to search for a credit card. This was greeted by looks of incredulous astonishment, as if I had stumbled into a Bateman cartoon – ‘the man who thought he had to buy his own dinner in Strasbourg’. ‘My dear fellow,’ said one of the MEPs, ‘you are a guest of the European Socialist group!’”. From Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Wine by Simon Hoggart.

Midleton Farmers Market

Midleton Market this morning.
Happy Christmas to all the stallholders at Midleton, Mahon and elsewhere.
It has been a pleasure meeting you over the past 12 months - see you all again in 2012.
Click on image to enlarge

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOLKS!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOLKS! DON'T BURN ALLTHE ALCOHOL!

You can check out the recipe here

Thanks to Stumbleupon

NASH 19 CHRISTMAS CRACKER

NASH 19 CHRISTMAS CRACKER

Nash 19 was buzzing when I arrived at lunch-time yesterday. Staff were flying but still had time for their usual friendliness, courtesy and top notch service.

My main course was also top drawer: Crowe’s Fillet of Pork Stroganoff with Wild Rice (above). The Pork and mushrooms, in a gorgeous sauce, were magnificent, served in their own bowl. A well dressed salad, including a lively pickled cucumber, was on the plate along with a generous cone of white and black rice, all in all a great match with the Pork. All for €14.50.

While waiting for the main dish, we were served with some breads and their well known olive oil. Both plates were cleaned. And then followed a wee cup of soup: Parsnip, Apple and Chorizo (right). Quite a surprise and a very tasty one indeed.

If you are in Nash 19 at Christmas you just have to try the house Christmas pudding and mince pie. We did and both are excellent, especially the pudding made from an old Nash family recipe. Superb.

Had a glass of Albarino, the Terras Guada O Rosal. Complex and seductive (not too sure about the latter on a winter day’s midday, maybe later!), it went down well. Quite a classy drink at any time of the day.

So two happy customers stepped out into Princes Street and, before I go further, may I wish Happy Christmas to all the folks in Nash 19 and indeed to all the Cork restaurants who have fed us some great dishes these last 12 months. Keep cooking up a storm in 2012!