Chapel Steps top of the 2012 posts

Chapel Steps top of the 2012 posts

Home smoked duck at the Chapel Steps.

Popular chef Kevin O'Regan figured in no less than three of the top six blog posts this year....

In May, Electric chef Kevin O'Regan was dishing out gorgeous slices of freshly cut Iberico (top left pic), the top ham of Spain, perhaps of the world at the Murphy's Food Event in South Main Street. And then he took to the stage and delivered a delightful demonstration of how best to cook the humble pig’s trotter, perhaps better known as the crubeen.

In July, he was busy on the Electric stand at the Cork Food Fest in the Mardyke. By November, Kevin had made the big move to the newly upgraded Chapel Steps in Bandon. It was a miserable November evening when I walked it but the place was busy, a great ambience and great food on the table. The account of that meal went on to accumulate over two thousand hits and was my most popular post of 2012.

Bluegrass in Cobh

1 - Chapel Steps (November)

2 - Sun Shines on Cork Food Fest (July)

3 - Velvet Blue and American How-downers light up Cobh (July)

4 - New Cafe at Toons Bridge Dairy (September)

5 - Family Fun Day at Tramore Park (August)

6 - Electric go the Whole Hog (May) 

Amuse Bouche

Merry Christmas!
But not too merry.

Your eyes look like two cherries
In a glass of buttermilk!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR_A4Su-TrI

Château Lynch-Bages at Ballymaloe

Château Lynch-Bages at Ballymaloe

Jean-Charles Cazes, of  Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, is coming to Ballymaloe, Sunday 10th March 2013

Colm McCan of Ballymaloe has been in touch with great news for local wine lovers.

"Château Lynch-Bages, needs no introduction in Ireland – one of the best known, respected, collected and followed, of the ‘Irish Wine Geese’ Château of Bordeaux. We are delighted to be welcoming Jean Charles to Ballymaloe – and as part of The Gathering 2013, there will also be a series of other wine events, which are being planned for Cork City and County, throughout the year, with ‘Irish Wine Geese’ winemakers from all over the wine world, ‘flying home’.

Born in Bordeaux, Jean-Charles Cazes grew up in Pauillac in the heart of the family vineyards at Château Lynch Bages, and since 2006, taking over from his father, Jean-Michel Cazes, he has been in charge of all the family vineyards, in France and abroad.

Join Jean Charles at Ballymaloe, for one, or both, of the following events – a wine tasting & presentation in the Grain Store at Ballymaloe, followed by a wine dinner, with the wines of Château Lynch Bages and The Cazes Family Collection wines"

Wine tasting & presentation, by Jean Charles Cazes, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, 6.30pm, Sunday 10th March €18

Followed by a wine dinner, with Jean Charles Cazes, in the Yeats Room dining room, at Ballymaloe House 8.30pm €95

Special rates available for accommodation.

Advance booking advised.

Ballymaloe House,
Shanagarry,
Co. Cork,
Ireland

Tel:             00 353 (0)21 4652531    

Contact colm@ballymaloe.ie

Christmas Lunch in Bandon

Christmas Lunch at Chapel Steps in Bandon

Bandon (clockwise from top left): Hake, tempting window in butcher's shop,
aubergine and roast pepper parcels, warm salad of Butternut squash, Pavlova,
Chicken liver pate, swollen river, URRU, and
delicious warm chocolate cake!

Enjoyed a terrific Christmas lunch at the very busy Chapel Steps in Bandon yesterday. Very good value too at €20.00 for four courses with good choices. Well worth checking out in the few days left in the run-in to Christmas. Took a stroll around the town too and did a little shopping in the marvelous URRU shop and also at Matson's Wine Store, another busy spot.

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the Week
Always a bit suspicious when I see the blurbs on American products. “While the weather outside is frightful, Ben & Jerry’s Winter Berry Brownie tastes delightful” was spotted on   Ben & Jerry’s latest ice cream creation. “With fluffy fudge brownies and scrumptious raspberry-blackberry swirls that melt into Fairtrade vanilla ice cream. Flavour fans can cosy up on the couch while they sleigh their way through the indulgent flavours.”   Must say though that the ice-cream, especially the Brownie bits, hits the spot. Very enjoyable indeed, delightful even.

Burns Night Returns to West Cork

In an event to brighten up the winter days after Christmas and New Year, the spirit of Rabbie Burns kindles a flame in Skibbereen!

Following the success of the first West Cork Burns Supper in 2012, the West Cork Hotel and West Cork Food will host the event again on 25 January, 2013.  Last year the supper was completely sold out and guests enjoyed a seven course meal which married West Cork produce into a traditional Scottish meal including, of course, ‘a wee dram.’

The 2013 event will work on the same basis with the addition of a Scottish Ceilidh duo, which will perform and guide novice Scottish dancers in the famous Ceilidh dances, hopefully with the support of the attending Scots guests!

Not only did last year’s event celebrate Scotland and Robert Burns, it celebrated West Cork produce with a West Cork/Scottish fusion theme!  For details of next year’s Burns Supper please bookmark: www.westcorkhotel.com and www.westcorkfood.com. Bookings are already being taken by the Hotel at €40 per head and around one third of the tickets have sold in the first couple of weeks.


 Midleton Farmers Market
“Our Christmas market on Sat. 22nd Dec will be the last one of the year. So come early to do your last Market shopping before Christmas. There is a great buzz around the market especially for the children as they count the number of sleeps left for Santa to come. The music has been fantastic with several different carol singing groups singing over the last few weeks and this Saturday will be something special. Come along and enjoy the festivities. The Market returns Saturday 12th Jan.2013. Thank you all for your support throughout the year.”
Midleton Farmers Market opening hours:
Sat. Dec. 22nd 9am. - 1 pm.
Sat. Jan. 12th 9am - 1 pm.
The Market will be closed for 2 weeks for Christmas.

Fermoy Indoor Market
“There are still some tables available for the last of our 10 Fermoy Indoor Markets, Sunday the 23rdDecember. Due to public demand we are running a Baby Fair along with our regular market. If you have a few hours to spare and fancy a break why not do a clear out of all no longer used toys, books, baby/ kids clothes & accessories.It will be a fun day, kettle will be on, Xmas carols will be playing & you'll be making some extra money for the Holidays. Tempted- call me on 0863231010.”

Douglas Farmers Market
“We've been offered another location for the market next Saturday the 22nd of December. We will be holding a small market on the east plaza of the Douglas Village Shopping Centre (outside M&S) from 10-3. The stalls attending this market are Mealagulla Orchard Apples, Joys flame grilled goodness, Badger & Dodo coffee, the organic BBQ, Ned McCarthy Dairy, the Baking Emporium, Hamammi Kebab, Roly’s Fudge, Nibbles Emporium, Margaret Scannel veg, Healthy You Seaweeds and Barry's Nursery. The rest of our stallholders will be at Mahon Point from 10-2 on the same day.”

“We're sorry to have had to split up the market, but unfortunately it's our only option this year. We'll all be back as normal in Douglas Court on Saturday 12th January. Happy Christmas and sorry for the inconvenience.”

More Markets
English Market
Eoin O'Mahony ‏@guilderdbutcher has tweeted the English Market opening hours for Christmas #Cork pic.twitter.com/oCJijfyR

Fermoy Indoor Market
BABY FAIR – “In conjunction with Fermoy Indoor Market. Sunday the 23rd of December we will be running a Baby Fair for all new & pre-loved baby & toddler related items. A €15- charge will apply which includes the use of a 6ft table. Time is from 11am-4pm (set up at 10am). To reserve your spot or for more detail call Louise on 086-3231010.”

Cahir Farmers Market
Cornelius Traas ‏@theapplefarmer tells me that Cahir Farmers Market is open today 4-8 pm for a Christmas special, and also Saturday 9-1.

Nenagh
Tipp Green Business ‏@tpgbn have been in touch to say that the Christmas Market at St. Joseph's CBS, Nenagh, will be held on 23 Dec-proceeds go to Children's Hospital Crumlin & North Tipperary Hospice.

Breakthrough Cancer Research
If you are in Cork City and in need of a quick cup of coffee why not call to the Breakthrough Cancer Research Pop-Up Market. Here you’ll be greeted by Eoghan O'Sullivan and while sipping your cuppa you can browse and maybe pick up a gift for someone. Maybe something for yourself. Eoghan: “Our pop up shop for 12 days of Christmas is open in Cornmarket Shopping Centre Cork (under KT Maxx) until 1pm on the 24th. Please visit.”

Food Fight: Derry Clarke v Clodagh McKenna!

Two Celebrity Chefs will fight it out

 on RTE1

Food Fight Sees Derry Clarke and Clodagh McKenna ‘fight’ it Out in Two Gorey Restaurants

Food Fight takes the ever popular food/restaurant format and adds a competitive edge to the proceedings, by pitting two celebrity chefs against one another.

 A one-off special, where two well-known chefs, Derry Clarke and Clodagh McKenna, are given the task of designing the ultimate Christmas themed restaurant.  They are transported to a small Irish town location where two similarly sized eating establishments have agreed to allow them to take over for four days.

With Food Fight, viewers will watch Derry Clarke and Clodagh McKenna go to Gorey, where they will each take over a restaurant.  Each Chef will have just TWO days to revamp their restaurant, meet their staff, devise and cook menus which will ultimately win over the locals when they open for business ready or not, and over the next two nights try to win over the locals.  The locals will judge both of the newly run establishments with their wallets, as the diners will compare and criticize both venues etc and leave comment cards telling the chefs what they really thought of their night out.

Derry and Clodagh’s task to create the ultimate Christmas eating experience.  Working to the same budget they must revamp, and restyle their establishment, as well as design a menu, source and cook the food for the two nights they are open. Each Chef must train their staff and bring both the kitchen staff and the front of house staff up to speed on their ways.  Finally, they must each advertise their restaurant to get to ensure they get full houses and maximum profits.

The Chef with the most profits will be crowned victor with profits from both restaurants going to SVP, Gorey. Food Fight is produced by Another Avenue and will air Thursday 27th  December, 6.30pm on RTE 1. Read more here

Rico’s new Italian restaurant in Cork City Centre

Rico’s new Italian restaurant opens in Cork City Centre

This weekend Rico Valleballa launched his new Italian Restaurant ‘Rico’s’ in The Mardyke Entertainment Complex, Sheares Street, Cork! People queued for over an hour before doors opened at 5.30pm last Sunday when Rico himself welcomed the guests and showcased his new Italian menu.

Guests were very impressed with the new eatery, the delicious food and friendly atmosphere: “Outstanding food at great prices” ...“The Italian’s really know good food”...“A great place for all the family”.

Rico’s menu shows he takes great pride in carrying on the tradition of recipes handed down from his grandmother to his Mother and to the Vallebella Peccerillo family. The family love a celebration and any occasion is the cause for a long meal and a noisy gathering over favourite plates like gnocchetti sardi, ditali piselli or calamari e patate.

Riccardo began trading at Farmers Markets with signature dishes Parmigano and ‘arranchini’ filled rice balls, and within a few years had opened The Castle Bar and Trattoria at Blackrock Castle and Baile Bella, a pizzeria at Blackrock Village.

Riccardo Vallebella’s new Italian venture in Cork is Rico’s at the Mardyke Entertainment Complex and assures you’ll find a familiar mix of fresh fast real food at good prices. Family favourite pasta and pizza dishes will feature along with daily specials from Mama’s recipe book. Start with antipasta and finish with ammazza caffé (to kill the coffee) and eat like the Italians!

Adjoining Rico’s is the new Mardyke Ping Pong bar, the first of its kind in Ireland. So you can enjoy delicious Italian food followed by a few drinks and some Ping Pong – Now there’s a night with a difference!

English brought Riccardo Vallebella to Ireland from Rome in 1996 but the Irish kept him here once the young Italian broke free of Dublin’s Little Italy.

It took coming to Cork for the Jazz in 1999 for Rico to learn the English language and the ways of the Irish and it was to a backdrop of a lively Cork scene that this took place. Rico started working in Cork’s social hot spots at the time including the Bodega, Rumplestiltskins and the Yumi Yuki Club at Triskel. His ease with the customer and skill behind a service counter soon brought him to management attention but it was his love for the kitchen that raised the bar.

Rico and his late brother Maurizio (who followed his trail from Rome to Cork) had grown up with a natural affinity to food and cooking that was second nature.

The family home was the hub for the Vallebella Peccerillo clan and Amalia their mother the centre of this clatter her four sons enjoyed. Rico’s father Antonello comes from Porto Torres, Sardinia, and Amalia from Casserta, Naples, and the Roman kitchen became the expression of these food cultures. Sunday lunch for thirty plus is a regular occurrence there and the travelling sons brought this knowledge of food and function to Cork where it was widely welcomed.

It made sense then that this familiarity with food would translate into business and Riccardo and Maurizio opened Buon Appetitto followed by Casanova at Triskel Arts Centre in 2001.

The style was ‘agriturismo’ where a short set menu described the season’s dishes and staples like bruschetta and antipasta plates allowed the seasonal toppings like aubergine, artichoke or baby roma tomatoes to feature on the toasted pane casareccio bread or board.

The main courses of ‘Primi’ (usually a pasta, polenta or rice dish) and ‘Secundi’ (featuring the daily special of meat, fish or vegetable) followed this tradition of allowing the harvest food to take centre stage.

€10,000 Christmas gift at Examiner Coffee Morning

Ten thousand euro donation highlight of

Irish Examiner Christmas Coffee Morning

Clockwise from top left: Catriona Anderson, Michelle Darmody (Examiner),
Darina Allen, UCC singers, dancing shoes!,  Irish Examiner editor
Tim Vaughan, cheque in hand, announces €10000 donation.

Irish Examiner editor Tim Vaughan admitted he wasn’t too happy with his public speaking role at the start of yesterday's festive coffee morning at the paper’s HQ. But he had no bother in rushing back to centre stage halfway through to announce that he had just been handed a €10,000 donation for St Vincent de Paul.

That really was the icing on the cake (forgive the pun) on a very enjoyable morning. And yes there was no shortage of cake. The reception area had been magically transformed into a “cafe” by Mary Terry and her crew and we were all enjoying a drink and a cake as the UCC Choir got the morning, arranged in aid of St Vincent de Paul, off on the right note.

The Examiner’s Michelle Darmody and Darina Allen were the cake experts to speak and they freely gave some terrific advice on Christmas cooking in general and on cakes in particular. Darina also sounded a serious note, reminding us to think of the charities after Christmas as well.

The main event though was the announcement of the Irish Examiner Christmas Cake competition. Finally, the tension was broken for the 12 finalists when Cobh's Catriona Anderson was named as the overall winner.

So well done to Catriona and to the other brave contestants, to the Examiner staff who put on a great show (and organised many prizes for the raffle) and to that anonymous donor! Happy Christmas everyone.

Yellow Pearl & an Irish Vineyard

Wohlmuth Gelber Muskateller Steinriegel (Austria) 2011, 12.5%, €14.72 Karwig Wines

Yellow is the colour of my true love’s hair

In the morning when we rise..

Yellow (Gelber) is also the colour of this gorgeous aromatic Austria wine, the grapes for which are hard won from very steep slopes (up to 78%). The soil is a red slate in this vineyard which has been referred to, for centuries, as the best in Styria. The Muskateller is an ancient variety and the fruit is harvested very late and is handpicked.

It is more light gold than yellow and you’ll see hints of green. The aromas are quite fragrant. It has a gorgeous mouthfeel, no shortage of fruit. Indeed it is excellent from the intro to the long dry finish. Quite a gem by one of the area’s top producers and highly recommended.

The Irish Vineyard – No Kidding!

Many of you, especially the Cork contingent, will be familiar with the Blarney Blonde, an ale by the Franciscan Well. But how many of you about the Blarney Red, the Blarney White, the Kilkenny Red and the Kilkenny White not to mention Pog mo Thoin.

Not beers but wines and they are produced in California by Irish Vineyards www.IrishVineyards.com. Could hardly believe it when I stumbled on the site. Apparently it, the vineyard, was set up by the Murphy boys in 1849. Nowadays it is owned by Russell and Joan Irish and you’ll find them in Vallecito, California!

Santa's Tea Winners

Barry's Tea Winners
The winners in our recent Santa's Tea competition are:


1 Donal Riordan  Ballyvolane Cork City.
2 Sean Browne, Mallow,Co. Cork
3 Ian Healy, Ballincollig Co Cork
4 James Casey,  Rylane, Co.Cork
5 Seamus Ring, Blarney  Cork
6  Sean Hegarty Blackrock, Cork.
7 Martin Conlon,  Blarney Street, Cork
8 Ann Bevan,  Commons Road, Cork.
9 Adrian O’Flynn Bandon Co Cork
10 Kathleen O'Driscoll, Knocknaheeny , Cork City
11 Cian o Mahony , Millstreet, Co Cork
12 Brian Murphy,Valentia Island Co. Kerry
13 Carol Harpur  Glounthaune Co Cork
14 Timmy Kelleher The Glen, Cork City
15 Will Knott Dublin 8
16 James O’Donoghue Cobh County Cork
17 Neil O Sullivan Rathcooney Road Co Cork
19 Stephen Barr Ovens Co Cork
20 Denise Purcell   Newbridge Co Kildare
21 Robert o Sullivan  Donoughmore  Co Cork
22 Gwen Hollingsworth St Stephens Green Dublin 2
23 Dermot O' Sullivan Ballygarvan, Co. Cork
24 Michael Crowley  Douglas, Co. Cork
25 Jonathan Tighe South Douglas Road, Cork

Roz comes up with a top mince pie!

Roz comes up with a top mince pie!

The Irish Examiner's Roz Crowley complied her list of top mince pies about ten days ago and there were no less than three joint winners: Diva Ballinspittle, Heaven’s Cakes and Noreen’s Home Produce. Each scored nine out of ten.

Roz herself though has come up with a terrific Mince Pie and I reckon it would give any of the winners a run. Ace Examiner photographer Dan Linehan caught it all on video and you can see it here, along with the details of the competition winners.

I retweeted the video and soon Roz issued a challenge to me to make them! Well, it took a while but, with a with a little (considerable!) help from the Chef de Cuisine here, the job was done. And the mix of puff pastry, mince and feta cheese proved irresistible. A great taste with the feta adding a nice piquancy to the overall experience.

So why don't you take up the Crowley challenge?

Amuse Bouche

Isabel Allende on eating testicles in her book Aphrodite: “Women don’t eat them. Men do, but it gives them the shivers when they relate what’s on the plate with their own anatomy. …  In Asia, they prefer monkey testicles, in America, the bull’s, in other parts of the world, those of sheep and rams. In the United States, animal testes are called Rocky Mountain Oysters. Chopped and cooked, they don’t look like what they are, but even so, don’t give it away until your guests are through gorging on them.”

Meet The Producers At Midleton Farmers Market

Meet The Producers At Midleton Farmers Market

Midleton is the original farmers market and is still well worth a visit every Saturday. Perhaps even more so now with Christmas on the horizon as festival extras are on tempting display.

No shortage of music and fun last Saturday as I made a fairly quick visit that started with a cheery mulled wine from the Green Saffron stall and finished with a relaxing high quality coffee in Sage Restaurant, just a few yards from the busy market.

There was an amazing amount of tempting smoked delicacies on the Frank Hederman stand. Lots of mackerel here with different flavourings and I picked the piri-piri and the chive. Spotted a very good deal in apple juice with the Little Irish Apple Company selling five big bottles for a tenner. Heavy going but worth it!

Jane Hegarty was on duty as always at her Ardsallagh cheese stall. The hard goat cheese caught my eye and I bought a chunk of the mature one. She also had goat cheddar and cow cheddar for sale.

Noreen Conroy, looking forward to the Christmas break, was busy at the Woodside Farm stall while husband Martin was on duty in Douglas. The Woodside hams are flying these days though, on this occasion, we settled for a chat and their tasty sausages and rashers.

The question of dinner had been settled in favour of a Green Saffron meal deal and here we got a pot of Chicken Korma, top notch basmati rice and naan bread for just €8.50. We were already well stocked with bread so gave Arbutus a skip on this occasion and the same applied to a few others. Besides, the three bags were fairly full and weighing me down. Time for that coffee and the short trip back to the city!

List of stalls here