Champions In the Red Corner

Champions in the Red Corner

Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale, Australia, Shiraz 2010, 14%, €15.99 to 17.99, stockists  


A hand drawing of the Shiraz leaf distinguishes this bottle on the shelf. Its classy contents, full and fruity, distinguish it on the table. A must try for any Shiraz fan.

The nose of dark fruits, liquorice, and chocolate is spicy and warm while the complex fruits, superbly balanced, delight the palate. It is surprisingly smooth, with super length, and has second glass appeal for sure. Highly recommended.


Chateau Beaulieu, Comte de Tastes, Bordeaux Superieur 2009, 13.7%, €18.55 Karwig Wines 


This wine, made with 60% merlot, has dark fruits (cherry and blackberry, I detect) on the nose. It is medium bodied with an excellent texture, a good balance of fruit and acidity and good length on the finish.

It is well made and I found it an excellent match with steak. An excellent wine from a highly regarded producer and a very good example of the Superieur. Highly recommended.

Messias Grande Escolha 2010, Douro DOC, 13.5%, €13.45, Karwig Wines 

Going for the hat trick here and this, from Portugal, sure didn’t let us down.

It is fruity and dry, with slight spice; no extremes as it is well rounded, smooth for sure and with a long finish. This unfiltered wine is made from the following grapes: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. Another for the Highly Recommended category.

Great Taste Award for G’s Jams

Great Taste Award for G’s Jams

Helen Gee was thrilled with her recent good news. The founder and managing director of G’s Gourmet Jams, said: “We are a small artisan producer here in Abbeyleix and we have Great News, just received 3 Gold Stars for our Rhubarb & Ginger Jam in The Great Taste Awards and shortlisted to the top 50 producers in Britain & Ireland and nominated for the Golden Fork.”

“We are delighted with this award. Great Taste recognises the craft and dedication that goes into making superb food and drink. Our aim when producing our products is to keep it traditionally made with passion combining great taste and texture, using only 2 ingredients.”

Helen set up her now award winning jam company in 1998 as part of an alternative farm enterprise. The products are handmade, the old-fashioned way with just the saucepan and the wooden spoon and two key ingredients: top quality fruit and sugar.

Cyril (Helen’s Husband) grows fruit on the family farm, Sandra (Helen’s Daughter) having just completed her Diploma in Food Speciality works in Production and Clive (Helen’s Son) runs the sales and marketing side of the business. Even in these recessionary times, sales are constantly increasing month on month. G’s Gourmet Jams supply their products nationwide to supermarkets, speciality food shops, hotels, restaurants, delis, butchers etc.

The top 50 food and drink products were chosen from the 123 entries that had gained a coveted 3-star gold and each one has now been nominated for a Golden Fork Award, the highest accolade in fine food and drink which will be announced at the Awards’ dinner at London’s Royal Garden Hotel this September.

To achieve a 3-star grading involves at least 25 experts unanimously agreeing that the product tastes divine. But to be included in the Top 50 Foods in Britain and Ireland meant each one had to satisfy the discerning palates of a further 25 dedicated foodies. These products all deliver the most extraordinary taste.

See the video here

Like Tempranillo? You’ll love this

Like Tempranillo? You’ll love this.
Finca Museum, Crianza 2008, 100% Tinta Del Pais, Cigales (Spain), 13.5% abv, €15.35 (13.82 online) Karwig Wines

It’s quality all the way here. The fruits are hand harvested and then the best bunches are selected before it is aged in French and American oak. Tinta Del Pais, in case you don’t know, is another Spanish name for Tempranillo with which most of you are no doubt familiar. If you like the Temp, then you’ll love this.

It is quite a dark red with plum, cherry and subtle spice on the nose. It is fruity and juicy, no shyness here, and the palate will willingly take it all onboard. It arrives with a flourish and the lingering finish isn’t bad either. Similar in style to Rioja. Good value. Highly recommended.

Lunch Treat at O’Brien Chop House

Lunch Treat at O’Brien Chop House

 Having worked up an appetite during an amazing sunny morning on The Vee, we dropped down to Lismore and sought out O’Brien’s Chop House for lunch. Best decision of a very good day in the area! The lunch, in the garden, was top drawer. Local food - they get their meat from McGrath’s on the main street - served simply, as they say themselves. Simply superb!

 We got a lovely greeting from Richard Reeve and his friendly and efficient staff and were soon at our table, under the dappled shade of the garden trees. A really smashing facility and what a pity it hasn’t seen very much use this grey summer. Still, they have plenty of seats indoors and indeed many were taken up for lunch.


One of our starters was the Apple & celery salad with toasted hazelnuts, Cashel Blue and a yoghurt dressing (€7.90). It wasn't mine but I did get a few samples and it was gorgeous, a brilliant combination of textures and flavours, really well balanced. Very pleased too with my own choice: Ballyvolane saddleback pork terrine with pistachio and pickles (€8.90). Looked well and tasted well.

We both agreed on the main course: fillet of Hake with sea vegetables and a lemon/butter sauce (€21.90). The Hake was cooked to perfection and the sauce and vegetables were an apt accompaniment. The sea vegetables were brilliant, comfortably crunchy and with a robust taste. Oh and we also got some tasty spuds! Highly recommended, if you get the chance.

With the sun beating down, the rosé was always a likely wine choice. O’Brien’s have a gem: Artadi Artazuri Garnacha 2010  from Navarra, €7.25 per glass, also available in 150ml pitcher, 250ml pitcher and full bottle.

But the drinks highlight for us was the Elderflower Bellini (€7.95). The Prosecco provided bubbles galore and there are inviting scents and flavours via the Elderflowers. Well worth a try!


Saw the Badger and Dodo  logo in the bar on the way in, so guessed the coffee would be good. It sure was, sterling stuff. Excellent way to finish off an excellent meal.

You Can’t Beat a Beetroot!

You Can’t Beat a Beetroot!

You can;t beat a beetroot, says The Butler's Pantry Executive Chef Niall Hill who reckons he has cracked this beautiful purple gem. Luckily, Niall loves to share his recipes using traditional Irish ingredients that are in season and easily accessible; taking a classic ingredient and putting his own modern twist on it.

“I love experimenting with every new season’s ingredients, their different flavours, colour and textures.  In season this month we will start to see root vegetables such as celery, beetroot, carrots, parsnips and swede.  Beetroot is one of my favourites as there are so many ways to enjoy this purple jewel and awaken your taste senses”.

Root vegetables were very accessible as they were not difficult to grow and store. Beetroot evolved from wild seabeet, which is a native of coastlines from India to Britain.   As with a lot of traditional ingredients in Ireland throughout the last century, they have been influenced by what was accessible across the British Isles.

Nutritionally beetroot is famed for its ability to purify the blood and kick start the liver. Many people are averse to beetroot, familiar only with the pickled variety. Fresh beetroot has so much more to share in terms of flavour (sweet, slightly earthy), texture (smooth and velvety) and colour (dark red/purple).

In the kitchen, try it cooked, peeled and in a salad, roasted for Sunday lunch, as a refreshing consommé or create a delightful feast for the eyes in a delicious risotto.

Beetroot makes a great ketchup which goes fantastic with a rosemary grilled chicken, cold cuts and a cheese board – see Niall’s recipe below and he also has a smoked beetroot variety available in The Butler’s Pantry shops.

Niall’s Famous Beetroot Ketchup:
Cooked beetroot diced                     300g
Garlic                                                  1 tsp
Cider vinegar                                       200ml
Onions diced                                       1
Honey                                                  100ml

Method:
        • Place all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil
        • Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes
        • Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth
        • Season to taste, chill and serve cold.


The Butler’s Pantry have shops in Blackrock, Clontarf, Donnybrook, Greystones, Temple Hill Monkstown, Rathgar, Sandycove and Sandymount

Waterford Gears up for huge Harvest Festival!

BUMPER HARVEST FOOD FESTIVAL ON THE MENU 

At the launch: Alexandra Anton and
Dawn McGrath  – photo Patrick Browne

Waterford City is gearing up to host the country’s biggest food festival ‘Harvest’ from September 10th-16th which will feature a variety of Ireland and the UK’s top Celebrity Chefs at locations across the historic city centre.

Neven Maguire, Kevin Dundon, Darina Allen and Richard Corrigan will all be out en force to showcase their culinary skills in addition to BBC’s Martin Dorey, the presenter of the hit TV series ‘One Man and his Campervan’ and author of the Camper Van Cookbook.

At the launch: Maria, John and

Jessica Halley – photo Patrick Browne

Slow food tours, wine and whiskey tasting, giant street markets, an artisan beer festival, cookery demonstrations, restaurant trails, a family fun day and lots of music and entertainment have been lined up to satisfy all appetites throughout the weeklong festival.

The 2012 GIY Gathering will take place in the city during the Harvest festival and sees BBC’s Alys Fowler and Mark Diacono of River Cottage join a host of Irish stars on September 15th & 16th.  The GIY Gathering will also include guest speaker Roger Doiron from the US, the inspiration behind Michelle Obama's White House vegetable garden and founder of Kitchen Gardeners International.

Commenting on the programme launch for Harvest today in Waterford, Festival Chairperson, Anne Marie Caulfield said,

“We are delighted to announce details for the fifth year of the Harvest Festival. Last year over 50,000 attendees came to the city during the Festival and we are confident that this year’s diverse & exciting programme will attract many more. Harvest Waterford is always a celebration of great Irish food and we’re particularly proud to showcase the culinary range & expertise of the region which makes this Ireland’s largest food festival’.

Festival-goers of all ages can also enjoy a traditional harvest celebration.  We have everything from a ‘Revival of Forgotten Skills’ workshop to a Tea-dance, a Threshing display and a real Farm which will be positioned in the centre of our ancient city”.

Festival highlights include the Festival opening on Monday, September 10 with  cookery demonstrations in the City Centre and a Curry war! Other highlights will include the National Young Butcher Competition, a Good Food Ireland Showcase,  Artisan Beer Festival & BBQ and ‘Sunday Best’ - the largest open-air food market in Ireland which will see Waterford’s South Quays and John Robert’s Square transformed into a giant market place.

The annual GIY Gathering which will take place during Harvest brings together some of the world's leading experts and advocates on home-grown and local food from Ireland, the UK, US and New Zealand.  The event will bring together up to 400 people from around Ireland for a two-day festival of learning about growing your own food in Ireland’s oldest city.

According to its founder Michael Kelly “It will appeal to novice and expert growers alike and includes approximately 30 talks, debates, demos, workshops, forages, Q&A sessions and much more.”

Commenting at the launch Gary Breen, Failte Ireland said, "We are delighted to support the Harvest Festival in Waterford, Ireland's biggest food festival. Food plays an invaluable role in driving tourism in Ireland, we are a nation abound with the highest quality fresh produce and festivals like the Harvest festival carry this ethos. Last year the Harvest attracted no less than 50,000 visitors and judging by the wide and varied programme unveiled today, we are sure it will be an even greater success this year."

The city will be in festival mode from September 10 to 16 with events on offer for all the family. For a full programme of events see waterfordharvestfestival.ie

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the Week:
Glenisk Natural Yoghurt with fresh Raspberries.

Food and Drink Spotting
Coffee tasting session

They tell me it’s not all about wine at L’Atitude 51.



“We also love and serve great coffee. So, in association with Badger & Dodo, our gourmet coffee roaster, we are offering a coffee tasting, or ‘cupping’, session – the first of its kind to be held in Cork. The session will take place in our Wine Workshop where you’ll be able to sip and sniff your way across a number of beans and blends.

Cupping is similar to wine tasting where comparisons can be made between varieties, coffee sampled at different stages of the brewing process, and aromas and after-tastes analysed. This session will be a fun approach to cupping – an introductory lesson to let you know what happens to the coffee from crop to cup, how roasters assess their coffees ... and we’ll even let you have a go at tasting and assessing for yourself - you’ll taste some very real differences in coffees from different origins!

The event takes place on Wednesday 15th August @ 7.00pm in our Wine Workshop on the 1st Floor. Admission costs €8 - this includes a 250g bag of gourmet coffee to take away. As numbers are limited, booking is essential - so if you’re interested, email us info@latitude51.ie or call us on 021 2390219.
More Coffee
Congratulations to Gareth Scully, the Master Coffee Roaster, at long established Irish company Robert Roberts whose Java Beans were one of only 120 products out of 8,800 to win 3 stars in the Great Taste Awards in London.

Ard Bia Cookbook
A unique family-friendly cookbook, a source of inspiration for modern healthy living, a keepsake for the loyal fans of the restaurant, a memento for visitors to Galway, a celebration of the enduring energy of Ard Bia and all involved  in it. That is how the Ard Bia Cookbook, published by Cork University Print, is being described.

“Ard Bia is about expecting great local food with an unusual twist, the best of Irish produce served with a little exotic magic: seasoning Atlantic scallops with tangy sumac, indulging pomegranate cake with freshly whipped Irish cream, pairing produce from local artisan heroes such as butcher-turned-charcutier James McGeough with eclectic influences from the Middle East and beyond.

The book represents a day in the life of Ard Bia, with the first five chapters taking the reader through the various times of day, from morning through lunchtime, mid-afternoon snacks through evening supper or dinner, finishing with something extra, sweet or cheesey. The final chapter is an important element of the book. This pantry section can contain much of the overflow of information from other chapters, and will be a go-to for further explanation for novices.
More info on the €39.00 book here

Drinks
Over 300 specialist beers from across the globe will be showcased at the third annual ‘Deveney’s of Dundrum Lughnasa Beer Festival’ on Friday, 19th August, at the POD Complex on Dublin’s Harcourt Street. beerfestival.ie

In you’re in Dublin today, why not check out Ely where the wines of Germany & Austria, two of the most underappreciated wine making countries in Europe, are featured. Details here

Matt Kane of Curious Wines has been increasing his experience recently: In Argentina Jesus juice is the name given to red wine mixed with cola. In Spain it is known as calimocho, where the cocktail is said to have originated. I am ashamed to say, even as a reasonably well experienced wine drinker (although I know I’ll never stop learning), I have never mixed red wine and cola. Nor lemonade and white wine, which I believe is another popular mix. Read more 


 Shorts

Rozanne Stevens gets her teeth into Clonakilty Black Pudding.

For he who has everything! Boxer Gifts Stand Clear Man Cooking Apron

Bord Bia’s Fish Cakes with Chilli and Coriander sauce

You'll have Time for a Quart?

Have You Time for a Quart?


West Kerry Brewery’s Carraig Dubh Traditional Porter, 5.5% abv, €3.99 at Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork.

This hand crafted porter from the West Kerry Gaeltacht is sold in 50cl bottles. It is bottle conditioned and made from malted barley, hops, yeast and spring water “from our own spring”. Not very much information on the website. The email address is brewery@tigbhric.ie.

Colour, you’ve guessed it, is black (dubh) with a fragile creamy coloured head. Nothing fragile about the rest of it. The introduction to the palate is smooth, seductive, chocolate-ly and there is no letting go as the lingering finish is along the same lines. One to sip and savour, arís is arís.



Franciscan Well’s Rebel Red Irish Craft Ale, 4.3% abv, part of 4 for €10.00 deal at Bradley’s, North Main Street.

An award winner back as far as 2001 but only recently available in bottle (50cl). Ingredients are water, malted barley, English hops and ale yeast. The back label is crowded but has very little info on the ale itself. You can go to the brewery site for more details.

There is a mild hoppy aroma on the nose and an inviting creamy head on an amber/red body. Engaging mouthfeel, full flavoured with a lip licking malty sensation before a good dry finish. Well balanced. Go on. Have a cut, as we say around here.

Granny Griffin Knows Best

Thai Green Curry

Granny Griffin Knows Best

Granny Griffin’s famous Apple Pie was on the menu last Friday when we visited the Garden Restaurant at Griffin’s Garden Centre in Dripsey. 

It wasn't the only highlight as it was Fiver Friday, meaning that some main courses were available at a fiver. Indeed, the prices are always reasonable here as you can see from the bill, everything a fiver or under! 

But don't worry. Prices may be keen but the quality is there, certainly in that delicious Apple Pie. It went down a treat. So too did the expertly produced Pavlova, the real thing. 

It was quite a dull day but this comfortable restaurant is bright  thanks to acres of glass and looks out on to the colourful shrubs and flowers in the Garden Centre, a lovely room and also quite a busy one at lunchtime. On a better day, you have the option of eating outside where the tables overlook the river.

Quite a few people, most in fact, opted for the self service option and that moved along smoothly. We were served at the table, with friendly efficiency and courtesy. We all went for the Vegetable Soup as a starter and this was well up to scratch as was the brown bread.

Now what kind of mains would you get for a fiver? How about a beef stew? Griffin’s support local producers and the beef came from Aghabullogue; you can’t get more local that that.

It was excellent, a lovely stew. The other fiver special on offer was a Thai Green Curry and that too was top notch; Chicken was well cooked and those bowls for both the beef and curry were quite substantial. Still, there was room for dessert including that famous pie.

Next time, I’ll have to get a photo with Granny and will even wear a hairnet if necessary!

Kissing Time Again

Kissing Time Again

Beso de Vino, Seleccion 2010, Cariñena (Spain), 13.5%, €9-11, stockists.

Many of you will be glad to hear that Beso de Vino have released the 2010 Seleccion, a delicious blend of 85% Syrah (15 year old vines) and 15% Garnacha (40 year old vines). Antonio, the little bull, has declared besos otra vez (Kissin’ time again).

And why not. The Beso de Vino bottles have been very popular since introduced by Wine Alliance a couple of years back and their Maurice O’Mahony reckons they just keep getting better.

Colour is red, bordering on black, while the nose speaks of Cherry and Blackberry. Flavour flows from the first sip; it is moderately spicy, soft and dry with a decent finish.

Besides it has a stunning quality/price ratio. It may not be a very complex wine but it is very good. Highly recommended.

For those of you not familiar with the Beso de Vino bottles (the words mean Kiss of Wine), you will have the pleasure of meeting Antonio, the small but perfectly formed cartoon bull on the labels. He is a friendly fellow, not adverse to a kiss himself. Now that last sentence is a bit of toro (tarbh)!

Step up to a Dining Room with a View

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder  is the harbour front restaurant of the Water’s Edge Hotel in Cobh. The views out over Cork Harbour are excellent – indeed you may well see a cruise liner float by between courses – and the food is not half bad either.

It is a bright room with comfortable seating.  Service during our recent lunch call was friendly and efficient. By the way, not all the windows have a view of the harbour.There are a few that overlook the neighbours who are The Quays, another waterside restaurant. 

The lunch, with some friends from the town, was unplanned but none the worse for that. Nobody though wanted to go the whole hog. Just one starter and that was a very tasty Bruschetta of Brie (with roasted peppers, summer squash and onion jam).

One of the party was happy with his Watersedge Toastie. The filling was honey ham, cheddar and red onion.

The most popular main course was the day’s special: Warm Chicken, Serrano Ham and Potato Salad with Chive Dressing. Must say I enjoyed mine even though I thought the ham was rather overwhelmed by the rest of the dish, an opinion not shared by a fellow diner. 

Prices were reasonable enough. For instance, the Toasted Sandwich cost €7.95 while the Warm Chicken salad came to €11.95. The house wine (both red and white) was €5.25 per glass (perhaps not the greatest value you’ll get).

We had been in the town for the Food and Heritage Day  and were royally entertained for a few hours. Really enjoyed the day and the lunch. 

Amuse Bouche

At least to start with, the table fairly groaned with food – ‘a rude kind of plenty’, one source called it – even if the fare was hardly up to the standard Bengal society was used to. ‘Ill-concocted soups, queer-looking ragouts and jelly the colour of salt water,’ sniffed one lady. The hold contained 40 tons of salted meat, including beef, pork, bacon and tongue, 15 tons of potatoes, 6 tons of flour, 2 tons of cheese, 4 tons of groceries, five barrels of herring, and six chests of oranges and lemons.
From the Caliban Shore by Stephen Taylor.

Exquisite Rosado from La Rioja

Marques de Caceres, Rosado, Rioja 2011, 13.5%.

Vibrant summer fruits on the nose while the colour is a really strong pink. In the mouth, the fruit is delicious; the wine has a charming mouthfeel and a decent dry finish. This blend of Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha hits the right rosé spot. Exquisite but not at all delicate. Highly recommended.

This type of wine is associated with sunshine and higher temperatures and indeed I got it out Sunday evening when the big yellow ball made one of its rare appearances this summer. But I wouldn’t follow the guideline too seriously as there are many occasions when a rosé is suitable.

I bought this bottle, and a few companions, while on a recent trip to Spain but you should be able to find it in places like Nash Wines, TheWineshop.ie, and Wines Made Easy.