Fresco and the art of Food

Fresco and the art of Food

 Fresco, the Bistro attached to the Lewis Glucksman Art Gallery in UCC, officially launched yesterday evening with an event titled "What Does Art Taste Like?" Music, chat and, of course, food and wine, featured.

 This was the menu for the evening, a mixture of hot and cold tasters. Head Chef Prakash Sivakumar was a little nervous as the first of the guests arrived. But Kash had no need to worry as his tasters were brilliant and spectacularly presented. Hard to pick a favourite from the menu (above) but my tops were probably the Duck, the Tuna and the Sago Pudding.

Brian Casey, one of the principals at Fresco, told me that they have been open for over a year and that their Fresco Curry is the favourite main dish, never off the menu. That must be a good recommendation. I thought the favourite salad might be the stunning Nicoise Salad Grilled marinated fresh ahi tuna that we enjoyed there a few months back but Brian tells it is the Teriyaki of Salmon Salad, another excellent dish that I sampled at the recent food fest in Fitzerald's Park.

So well done to Brian, to Kash and to all the lovely and helpful staff at Fresco Bistro and best of luck for the future. Oh, by the way. What does Art Taste Like? Just brilliant is the answer!

Food and Drink Spotting. Fresh Irish Lager!

Food and Drink Spotting

Dinner with Tom Crean

No, not with the famous polar explorer from Kerry but with the lager named after him. Annie’s Gastropub  explain all: “We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting an Evening in conjunction with Dingle Brewing Company on Saturday, September 22nd at 6.35pm. A specially designed seven course menu has been created by our talented chefs Michael, Mark & Chris, using Tom Crean's Fresh Irish Lager.

“Tom Crean's Fresh Irish Lager will also be served on draught for the evening. Following the meal there will also be some trad music to entertain diners. Spaces are limited and bookings are already filling up, so please reserve a table early to avoid disappointment. Call 021 4398384 to make a reservation.”

Truly Irish an Award Winner

Truly Irish have been awarded a gold star in the prestigious Great Taste Awards for their ever popular Roasting Back Bacon Joint. The joint, with a 25% less salt content and 1 hour cooking time, proved every bit as successful as the rest of the Truly Irish product range.

This gold star now gives Truly Irish a total of 8 gold stars in the Great Taste Awards, along with bronze and silver in Blas na hEireann awards and three Grand Awards of Excellence in the European Championships (Fins Goustiers du Duché d'Alençon).

Jim McGrath, Chairman of Truly Irish added, “We’re delighted with yet another win at the Great Taste Awards giving Truly Irish the recognition for our high quality Irish products. The support from Irish Retails has been phenomenal and you will see more Truly Irish products on the shelves as we keep moving forward.”

Truly Irish will be present at this year’s National Ploughing Championships so make sure you visit their tent.

Sugar, Sugar

A recent report by the UK’s Which magazine had found very high sugar content in cereal bars. Surprise. Surprise!

“All but one of the bars we looked at were high in sugar, with 16 containing more than 30% sugar. While some of the sugar comes from fruit, which provides extra nutritional benefit, only the Nakd Apple Pie doesn't contain any added sugar.

Manufacturers don't make it easy for you to see how much sugar is added as they use several different guises of it in the same bar. Unless you know what to look for at a glance, the ingredients can appear much healthier than they are.”

In total, researchers found 18 different forms of sugar in the bars. See the full Which report here.


Drink

Wine? Of course.

Matt, of Curious Wines, has been singing the praises for their upcoming Wine Beginners Course. “It is the perfect introduction to life’s elixir, covering all aspects of wine from how to taste, understanding labels and how wine is made, through to the major grape varieties and the famous wine regions of the world.

Over six informal and fun evenings, you’ll taste while you learn, receiving tasting glasses and notes to keep, and hopefully making some like-minded new friends. Our new course starts on Wednesday 19th of September 2012, over six weeks, one evening per week.”

Where: Curious Wines, Kinsale Road Commercial Centre, Kinsale Road, Cork.

When: every Wednesday for six weeks, starting 19th September 2012, 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

Cost: €90 (€45 for Wine Club members).

To sign up, just call Curious Wines on 1800 99 18 44. But do hurry – you don’t want to be late for school!

Shorts

‏FromVineyardsDirect ‏@FVDIE New tasting date - do come if you're free, we'd love to meet you. Details

Blackberry jams & preserves

Galway crafts and food

Shrimp With Duck Egg And Garlic at the Canton Seafood Restaurant (Honolulu)

Competitions and recipes and more in the latest Avonmore newsletter

Sunshine Shopping in Kinsale Market

Sunshine Shopping in Kinsale Market

Good selection, clockwise from to left: Harissa at the Olive Stall, Crozier Blue at Mark's Cheese, Slice O' Pie, general view,  Finder's Inn, Milk Market, West Cork garlic.

Enjoyed my trip to Kinsale Farmers Market today, meeting regualars such as Ian Flynn (below) and relative newcomers like Axel and Marye Miret (above).

Did a little shopping in the town also including some fresh fish at Crafty Cod and a reviving cup of tasty Italian Coffee at the Milk Market Cafe (above).

Hamper to be won!

Competition is now closed - we have a winner: Michael Wall of Waterford.

Robert Roberts Hamper

We’ve got a terrific prize for you, thanks to long established Irish company Robert Roberts who are once again celebrating a success in the Great Taste Awards. The hamper contains some of their award winning teas, coffees and herbal teas as well as a cafetiere and tea pot.  Interested? Then email me at   corkbilly@ymail.com with Yes Please in the subject line. Easy.
The prize can be delivered to Republic of Ireland addresses only. Closing date is 12 noon on the 29th of August.

Isaac’s: 19 Years on a Roll

Isaac’s: 19 Years on a Roll

 Last Wednesday was the day the hurricane struck. Well, maybe not quite a hurricane but bad weather nonetheless.

Still, we headed down town for lunch, stopping at Isaac’s, and not just because it was the first one we came to. Thought it might be quiet but not a bit of it. By the time we left, close to two o’clock, the place was more or less fun. For 19 years now, this McCurtain Street venue has been a popular one and it seems that nothing has changed in that regard.

It is well situated, close enough the city centre, in a converted furniture removals warehouse. It is a Bistro type eatery, wooden floor rather than carpets. But it is spacious and the simple chairs have a good comfortable base and support at the back. Service is top notch and also friendly.

I picked my starter from the day’s specials: Lobster Bisque with croutons and rouille. An absolutely superb soup with a little extra added by the rouille (a sauce, often used for this very purpose in Provence).

We were both very happy with that €7.50 opener. I stayed with the specials for my mains: Crispy fried crumbed Castletownbere haddock with pea puree, tartare sauce and home cut fries (€15.00). Fish and chips basically. But quite a good one. The fresh fish was lightly crumbed, the purée and sauce spot-on.

CL also picked from the specials: Duck Confit with caramelised shallots and chive champ (€14.00). Again, hardly a major challenge for the chef but again a well done dish and yet another happy customer. Make that two happy customers.

Now, where’s that umbrella?

Tickets Now Available for Celtic Cook Off 2012

Tickets Now Available for Celtic Cook Off 2012

The Battle has already begun!

Tickets for the 2012 Celtic Cook Off are now on sale and enquiries have been coming in fast. There has even been interest from as far afield as Victoria, BC in Canada!

The Celtic Cook Off is held as part of the A Taste of West Cork Food Festival and has proved very popular with the paying public, the local food producers, Fáilte Ireland, the media and all the Chefs involved.

So much so that four of last year’s Chefs are returning to be involved in the Festival this year – Arty Williams of Cornwall, Roy Brett from Scotland, John Dixon from the Isle of Man and our own Martin Shanahan.

The basis of the Cook Off is to create a fun and informative Cooking Show that showcases the best of West Cork produce cooked simply yet with each Chef’s own interpretation and ideas.The 2012 event has attracted another galaxy of top chefs from the Celtic regions to take part in what is becoming one of the landmark culinary events of the year:

Scotland: Edinburgh born, Tony Singh has established himself as a leading force on the Scottish restaurant scene as co-founder of Oloroso, the highly acclaimed bar and restaurant in the heart of Scotland’s dynamic capital city.

Brittany: Stephane Delourme has worked at The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow for over a decade. He joined Rick and Jill Stein as head chef at their flagship establishment when he moved to Cornwall in 1998.

Isle of Man: Butch Buttery, one-time owner of Tanroagan now has a business installing restaurant kitchens; he also cooks for exhibitions and private functions as well as being chef and recipe consultant for the Manx Organic Network and Island Seafoods.

Ireland: Gary O’Hanlon set up VM @ Viewmount House in Co. Longford in 2008. A beautiful Georgian Manor house once owned by Lord Longford with the Restaurant in the converted stables. Awards since then include Georgina Campbell’s "Sunday Lunch of the Year" 2012

Wales: Ian Bennett of The Welcome to Town Restaurant on the rugged and beautiful Gower Peninsula.  Ian gathers in a cornucopia of local produce from seafood to salt marsh lamb to pork & beef executing his dishes simply with a contemporary touch!

Cornwall: Jack Stein of The Seafood Restaurant, one-time sous chef at the restaurant now has a tournant role across the whole company and is currently the Head of Development, leading the introduction of a development kitchen for the business, where new recipes and ingredients will be tested.

Tickets for 2012 Celtic Cook Off available from The West Cork Hotel, call:             +353 28 21277    

€15 each including glass of wine at the end to toast the winner, but please note, tickets from 10 September will be €20.

Seating limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Barry’s Tea

Like my Pu-erh and Rooibos but used to stick my nose up at the mention of green tea. Not anymore. Came home from town on a recent muggy day, in need of a pick me up. Spotted a parcel from Barry’s Tea and inside were three packs of green tea!

Not used to Green Tea? The leaflet asked. “Then try our Green Tea and Lemon.” Not expecting much, but I tried it. Well, well, well. It certainly is refreshing, a pleasure for the nose and the palate and it must be all those antioxidants that gave me the boost.

I sure was willing to experiment after that and, the next day, tried their Natural Green Tea. No lemon here but the zest remains, the antioxidants are still at work. It is not unlike the black teas but not as robust, being more delicate with a subtle flavour. Liked that too.

I next moved on to the Organic Green Tea – all three are part of Barry’s Well Being series. This too is “brimming with antioxidants” and I didn't find the taste much different from the previous tea. There are some minor differences in the standing time when making these teas. Keep an eye on those and you’ll have the perfect green cuppa. And please, I’ll have one also!

Rozanne Likes Lobster

Rozanne Stevens says lobster is traditionally considered a delicacy, pricey and reserved for posh restaurants and special occasions. “Surprisingly, in these economic times, lobster is becoming more and more sought after. Food trends and times are a changing with trendy eateries like Bite in Dublin making this gourmet ingredient accessible and contemporary for the consumer. Ditching the heavy old fashioned Lobster Thermidore and serving fresh, succulent lobster burgers or lobster salad rolls at a reasonable price. Read on and I’ll share their recipe!” 

Kudo’s Specials

Clarion Hotel Cork tell me that their Kudos have the following Dinner Specials until Tuesday 21st August.

Sizzling Crispy Honey and Chilli Glazed Duck, Asian Seasoned Ginger Vegetables, Sesame Rice €15.
Cajun Dusted Pork Loin, Sweet Onion Mash, Spiced Apple and Raisin Salsa, Balsamic Drizzle €14.
Grilled Marinated Lamb Cutlets, Roast Pepper Ratatouille, Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto Dressing €14.95

Fresco Eaterie & Bistro

Chef Kash is looking forward to the official launch of Fresco Eaterie and Bistro next Wednesday! To celebrate, Fresco are giving away ten invitations to what will be a great night! If you want one please send them a direct message (twitter address: https://twitter.com/frescobistro ) saying why you want to go.

Shorts

‏@BubbleBrothers €48 off this case of young, fruity whites http://bit.ly/RVy9OX. Rhône, L'doc, Valencia. Promo price good ‘til 5pm Sat, or ‘til stocks run out.

Allrecipes.co.uk ‏@AllrecipesUK Moreish Muffins.

Fish and chips  from @ Murphy's Bar & Grill (Honolulu)

Dermie's™ ‏@Gas_mark_seven Latest recipe on RTE Food: Dermie's Rosemary Lemonade 

Anyone for Broccoli Parmesan Fritters 

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