Loire Lesson #4

Loire Lesson #4

Harvest time at Gitton

Gitton Peer & Fils, Pouilly-Fumé 2008, Clos Joanne D’Orion, 12.5%, €23.75, Karwig Wines

The grape here is Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 is regarded as one of the better years. I’ve read, though where I can’t recall, that a good Pouilly-Fumé has a pungent smell often likened to gun flint, the extra smokiness coming from the local flinty soil known as silex.

Colour is straw with tints of green while the nose is aromatic, reminiscent of white fruits. It is quite a mouthful, quite a mouthfeel, smoothly viscous and full of intense flavour with good acidity; it is long lasting on the palate with a terrific long finish.

Class in a glass. No gun smoke, by the way. Very Highly Recommended.

Domaine du Haut Perron, Guy Allion, Touraine Sauvignon Vielle Vignes 2011, 12.5%, €17.40, Bubble Bros.

Touraine, around the city of Tours, is the largest AOC in the Loire area. Though not as well known as the smaller AOCs of Sancerre and Vouvray, it produces some excellent wines and can rival Sancerre for the quality of its Sauvignon.

This dry white, from the vineyard of Guy and Cédric Allion on the slopes of the Cher River, has a couple of extras going for it. It is made from the fruits of old vines and is left on its lees for a few months. The wine makers too are committed: “We do our best to respect nature every day”.

This one has intense flavours with a fresh tingly mouthfeel, excellent acidity and a lasting finish. This aromatic (white fruits) wine is well made and Highly Recommended.

* I am heading to the Loire later in the summer. Any tips on what to see, do, (even drink!) appreciated.

The Woodford. Excellent Lunch.

The Woodford

Perhaps it is not overly surprising that we have many good black (and white) pudding makers in the region. The surprise is more in the robust resurgence of this old food of the poor and its emergence on the tables of the local restaurants, including the Woodford Pub  in Paul Street where I enjoyed a recent lunch.

Clonakilty black pudding salad - €11
Caramelised apples crispy potato skins, bacon, honey & mustard dressing

Clonakilty Black Pudding was the first to make a widespread breakthrough and I got a pleasing reminder of why in this salad. Here it combined very well with the segments of sweet apple atop each mini cylinder of the rich black pudding with a loose and crumbly texture, its full flavour tinged with salt.

The flavour of the bacon cubes was a lingering sweet ambush, so pleasantly potent on the palate and certainly a worthy addition to the salad. Not so long ago, patrons would have passed on this. Now, the pudding is back in foodie fashion.

Bluebell Falls goats cheese crostini -   €10
With beetroot relish, walnuts, tomato chilli jam & honey dressing 

The warmed Bluebell Falls Goat Cheese was served on crostini. Beetroot has become a standard companion of the chèvre and, shredded here, one could easily taste why. Tomatoes and sweet crunchy caramelised walnuts also played their part in making it a very satisfactory salad indeed.

These two salads were well put together, not just casual collections on the plates.

We were initially somewhat disappointed to see the Specials Boards make an appearance about six or seven minutes after we had ordered (and some 35 minutes after lunch serving time had commenced). But that was wiped out by the two splendid salads that we enjoyed before finishing off with some decent Illy coffee. The friendly staff were on the ball here and the service was excellent.

On The Tapas Trail. Cork and Dublin.

On The Tapas Trail

Hit the Cork Tapas Trail with Rioja wine-maker Campo Viejo last Sunday and it was a good one. Four restaurants were visited over the course of a leisurely two and half hours, tapas galore were consumed and no shortage of their 2007 Reserva either!

This is the first year that the trails are being held in Cork. The Cornstore, Arthur Mayne, Oysters and Electric are the participating restaurants. Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons are the days and it is great value at twenty euro. The Cork trails run from now until June 5^th (with June 2^nd excluded) while the Dublin dates, again Wednesdays and Sundays, are from June 9^th until July 17^th.  More info here.

Paul

There were four groups on last Sunday's Cork trail. Ours started in the Cornstore with a glass of Campo Viejo Cava and a selection of gorgeous tapas with the Jack McCarthy Pudding and Queen Scallop my favourite though I got through them all including that luxurious flourless chocolate cake at the end. By the way, did you know that the Cornstore are now dry aging their own beef with Himalayan salt and that means their steaks are extra special at the moment.

Cornstore: Baby Octopus (nearest)
and Black Pudding & Queen Scallop.

Our guide was Paul and he told us a few yarns about the city as we strolled between the various restaurants. Next call was to Arthur Mayne Chemist in Pembroke Street. Not now a chemist, though many interesting artefacts remain on view, but a wine bar cum cafe. 

Got some tasty stuff here too, including a meat and cheese platter and a lovely treat on the way out, a sinful mouthful of their Mint Aero Chocolate Mousse. Didn't realise they had such an extensive menu here. Must call again.

Then we got a big welcome from Donal and his crew in Oysters and a lovely selection of their food on a board. Highlight? Hard to pick one. The swordfish was superb but then so too was the Butternut, Squash and Sage Risotto, the Duck Parfait and the....  Much of this board also features on their €35.00 table de hote menu, available nightly until 7.00pm. And one that I can highly recommend!

 

Then it was up the Mall to Electric, our final stop on the trail. Here Jason filled us in on their short hectic history and on their most recent development, the lovely fish bar upstairs. Treats here included a Crab Mousse and a very special Polenta and Wild Garlic Mini-muffin (below). No shortage of the Campo Viejo red either as an interesting afternoon came to a pleasant end by the banks of the Lee.

Nash 19 goes French. With style!

Nash 19 goes French

Didn’t realise until almost too late that so many of the city’s restaurants were joining in the fun of the second Cork French Food and Wine Festival. Among them were Les Gourmandises who had a Roasted Duck Leg Confit from the Landes area; Cronin’s of Crosshaven were doing a Bouillabaisse; The Farmgate presented Blanquette de Veau while Star Anise might have had the inside track with Saddle of Rabbit from Lyons.

We ended our festival weekend on Saturday in Nash 19 who had also entered into the spirit and were indeed offering some good French wines at an attractive price (€4.50 per glass of a Sauvignon from Bordeaux).

By then, the Very Classic French Onion Soup had sold out but they did have a gorgeous Soupe de Poisson avec Croutons, a really flavoursome bowlful (a large one!), the fishy flavours mild, the texture smooth.

On then to the piece de résistance, the Salade Nicoise au Seared Tuna, dish of the Cotes d’Azur. I believe though that the citizens of Nice can hardly agree among themselves on the exact recipe for this traditional dish with some of the traditionalists saying you can’t have anchovies and tuna together. In England, the preference seems to be for canned tuna while here (and in the USA) we seem to relish the seared tuna.

All the arguments though, which probably apply in some shape or form to all traditional dishes, were far from our minds as we tucked into this splendid Nash 19 version which also featured the traditional hardboiled egg and one of the freshest and crispest salads you are likely to find. The tuna, by the way, was perfectly cooked, tender and moist, and polished off with some relish.

The French theme continued right to the end and dessert, a luscious Apple Tarte Tatin, was a superb example of the type. Apparently it was invented by a lady called Tatin by mistake. Jamie Oliver tells how: it was invented quite near where I was staying by the Tatin sisters. The story goes that one of them was making an apple tart but, for whatever reason, made a mistake and left it too long in the oven. However, she thought she could salvage it, so she ended up turning it upside down and her guests went mad for it.

Actually Jamie has a recipe for it here.  Don’t think that Nash 19’s Donna will need to look it up though. Her Tarte Tatin is perfect!

Master the art of Bread Baking

Master the art of Bread Baking with the Fabulous Master Baker, Fabrice Hergaux, of The Butler’s Pantry.

A Bread for Every Occasion with The Butler’s Pantry!

Master the art of bread baking with Fabrice Hergaux, Master Baker at The Butler's Pantry.  Fabrice will be letting guests in on some of his secrets that he has learned over a long and successful career. You will learn how to make brioche and how to transform it into different shapes such as mice and tortoises!  Fabrice will also be showing guests at the Miele Gallery how to make traditional flat bread with special attention on the French classic the ‘Savoyard’!  This is the very famous French bread that hails from the Mont Blanc region and uses unusual ingredients including potatoes, bacon lardons, Reblcohon cheese and cream. Lastly the demonstration will focus on Viennois bread - the 'plait', 'pain au lait' and 'plaisir au chocolat' a favourite for every breakfast table!

The night will commence at 6.30pm with refreshments from The Butler’s Pantry on arrival followed by a night of learning the secrets of making the best bread and of course tasting all that Fabrice bakes!

Now just think of the next brunch you are planning at home and how impressed your guests will be!

Event Details

Event :            Bread Making with the Fabulous Fabrice, Master Baker at The Butler’s

            Pantry

Date :              Tuesday 14^th May 2013

Time :             6.30pm – 8.30 pm

Venue :           Miele Gallery, 2024 Bianconi Avenue, Citywest Business Campus,

Dublin 24

Miele in conjunction with The Butler’s Pantry run an amazing array of demonstrations throughout the year at their Miele Gallery in Citywest for full details visit https://www.miele.ie/domestic/miele-experience-2883.htm

Tickets : €25 for 1 person and €40 for 2 persons, spaces are limited, to purchase tickets tel : 01 461 0710 or email gallery@miele.ie

Amuse Bouche.Matthew Fort on Pizza.

The most basic pizza of all is pizza Bianca, which may be lubricated with olive oil and flavoured with garlic. Slightly more sophisticated and no less ancient, is pizza marinara, so called because sailors – marinai – could take the ingredients with them to sea. The ingredients for the topping were just tomato puree, garlic, olive oil and oregano. Had pizzaioli stuck to such inspired simplicity, all might have been fine, but they didn’t. In 1889 Queen Margherita of Savoy paid a visit to the city**, and the pizza  Margherita,  which combines tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves in imitation of the Italian flag, was invented in her honour and that has become the archetypal pizza, and the standard by which pizzas may be judged – and that is the problem.

** Naples

From Eating Up Italy by Matthew Fort

Douglas Tea Rooms

Douglas Tea Rooms

Pushing the envelope. It is one thing to push one envelope. But to push two is quite monumental. And it felt just like that as I worked my way through massive crêpes, filled with sweet banana and even further sweetened with caramel sauce. All this at the end of an excellent three course French style meal at the lovely Douglas Tea Rooms, part of their contribution to the Cork French Food and Wine Festival.

I was in the suburb to check out the festival goings on in and around the On the Pig’s Back. Five o’clock had been listed as the start time but not much was happening even by five thirty. Did manage to source a Loire wine from O’Donovan’s, bought some sardines from a French lady and had a chat with Timmy McCarthy (of Jack McCarthy’s in Kanturk) and also with Denis Cronin of Crosshaven.

So the Irish were there in some force but the French (who may of course have adopted our notorious time-keeping) weren’t. So we decided on a visit to the Tea Rooms and then a return to the Marché. But the retour never happened. Blame it on the crepes!

Serious credit though to the Douglas Tea Rooms forgetting into the spirit of the festival and added affordabilité to the liberté, egalité and fraternité. Their excellent three course meal cost under twenty two euro.

Coq au Vin

 Three starters were offered. CL enjoyed an onion packed French Onion Soup. I had to be a little more physical, cracking my way through some large tasty prawns with a delicious garlic and herb sauce.

Three mains also and I picked the delicious Sole Veronique, two fillets of exquisite freshness and delicacy and white as ivory. CL this time had the more robust dish, her Coq au Vin featured almost half a juicy succulent chicken enlivened by some spicy chorizo. Hardly classical but pretty damn good. Juts googled Coq au Vin and got some 432,000 references, so there’s bound to be some differences in the recipes!

Just a nod to EU solidarity with the wine, a new one to the Team Rooms. And a good one. Recently lauded in the Independent, the unoaked organic Spanish Chardonnay by Senorio de Ayud was fresh and vibrant.

Sole Veronique

Should have known the crêpes were going to be special when our friendly continental waitress rubbed her stomach enthusiastically and smiled broadly when we gave her the order.

Later, we rose, in slo-mo, and barely made it to the car. No thought then of the goodies over in the Woollen Mills. Je suis desole, Isabelle. C’est triste mais c’est le jeu. L’an prochaine,peut-etre?

Keep in touch with the Douglas Tea Rooms, who support local producers (including Jack McCarthy), here. By the way, that menu is on today!

Meanwhile, back at the market.....

Update on "Bringing the Wine Geese Home" at Fleming's

Susan Boyle.

Reservations can be made with O’Donovans Off Licence Head Office only and are €100 per person.  Tickets are limited to 4 per booking and must be pre-paid.  

Contact Deirdre or Rose on 021-4296060 for details.  

Please note that the event is no longer a Black Tie occasion

Irish Foodie Coffee Shop. And more!

Irish Foodie Coffee Shop. And more!

Called into the Irish Foodie Coffee Shop in Blackpool the other day. It is very convenient, so close to the shopping centre and just next door to South Doc on the Commons Road side. You get a warm welcome here from Theresa and her daughter Caroline. You also get great value. For instance, a regular tea or coffee and a scone (with butter, jam and cream) costs just three euro!

They have had their problems. Only last June, their original café, just around the corner, was the victim of those awful floods and knocked them out for a while. But they bounced back and, since November, have been operating out of this building, bright on the outside and bright and spacious inside.

And it is really colourful inside as one part of the premises is where they operate their long standing flower business. They have flowers for all occasions. And even a selection of chocolates to go with the flowers if that occasion is romantic.

After a chat with Theresa, we were taken care by Caroline who prepared my toasted Panini and CL’s Wrap. We had lots of choices as to what was to go into them, all nicely laid out and easy to see. Lots of sweet stuff too in another glass cabinet alongside. We enjoyed our lunch along with a terrific pot of Barry’s Tea.

 And while you are there, why not take a look at Theresa’s collection of Tea pots and accessories from the good old days, or at least the part of it that is on display here. If you don't like the old stuff, then there is free Wi-Fi!

Location: Millfield Business Park (Sunbeam), Blackpool, Cork

Hours: Mon - Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sat: 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Phone:            (021) 439 7870

Email: info@irishfoodie.ie

Website:         http://www.irishfoodie.ie

The Ballymaloe LitFest - not the book, just a few posts.

Welcome to the Big Shed

The Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine 
- May 2013 - not the book, just a few posts, all in the one place. 


The First Full Day of the Festival.
Neven Maguire at Ballymaloe
Sunday in the Big Shed
The Ballymaloe LitFest Pictorial
Tastings in the Big Shed
Going Natural - New Trends in Wine

French touch at Nash 19!

Mairead of Nash 19 tells they are supporting the Cork French Food and Wine Festival with a special menu from today to the weekend. Worth a try, mes amis!

Nash 19 Restaurant and Food Shop Supporting French Food Trial Lunch Menu

Special French Wine by the Glass €4.50 to celebrate Cork French Food and Wine Festival

Soupe de Poisson avec Croutons                                                                    

Creamy Mushroom and Fennell Soup                                    

V. Classic French Onion Soup                                                                          

V. Warm Salad of St. Tola de Chevre Chaud with Polenta Crumb, Roast Peppers & Candied Pecans   

Fresh Oysters by the Dozen from the Market (10 Mins)                                 

Nash 19 Showcase Producers Platter                                                             

                                   

Salade Nicoise au Seared Tuna (Cotes d’Azur)                                                   

From the Market O Connell’s Roast Hake on Risotto topped with Cress                                                                                                                                        

Crowe’s Tenderloin of Pork Fillet with Cherry and Juniper Cream  

Chicken Korma Curry (Green Saffron Spices) , Lime infused Basmati Rice

                                                                                                                             

Durcan’s Sirloin of Beef, Roast Shallots                                                                 

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Waterfall Greens                    

Roast Red Onion and Fresh Thyme Tarte topped with Ardsallagh Goat Cheese

                                                                                                                                   

Crowes Smoked Ham and Local Cheddar Toasted Sandwich With a Cup of Soup    

                                                                                                  

Sides;-Salad of the Day / Seasonal Vegetables/ Hand cut Chunky Chips in Sea Salt    €3.00

Restaurant Opening Hours; Monday to Friday 7.30am to5pm.  Shop till 6pm

Open Every Saturday 8.30am to 4pm

Food and Drink Spotting. Smoker Bill Casey.

Food and Drink Spotting

Bill Casey.

Shanagarry Smoked Salmon

Lots of big names at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine last weekend but also some "smaller" names, very important to the local scene. One such is Bill Casey, the man behind Casey’s Fish Products and in particularly the Shanagarry Oak Smoked Organic Irish Salmon.

Came across this quality product a few months back at Pat Short’s Pub in nearby Castlemartyr and took the opportunity to revisit it on a slice of brown bread at Bill’s stall in the Big Shed in Ballymaloe.

The company is a family run business, is based in Shanagarry, and supplies the hotel, restaurant and export markets. The Smoked Salmon is produced using the highest grade Irish organic Salmon, reared in the Atlantic Ocean off the West Coast.

For smoking Bill uses a mixture of oak and beech chippings. “Great attention to detail is paid in the process from salting, washing and smoking, to ensure a uniform and consistent product.”

And, you’ll be glad to know that all pin bones are removed before packing. Apart from salt and smoke, no additives are used in the process.

Contact details

Address: Shanagarry, Midleton, Co. Cork.

Phone: 021-4646955 and 086-6611468.

Email: smokiecasey@gmail.com.

Cronin’s Pub May-hem!

Put the 26th May in your diary for a Soul & Seafood Experience: three chefs, outdoor seafood dining and all while listening to the sounds of "Soul Driven" a seven piece soul band from Cork.

Denis Cronin, the pub’s in house cooking guru, will be whipping up his famous Mad Fish Stew. Alongside will be Ted Berner and Ivan Whelan of Wild Side Catering. Expect oysters, mussels, periwinkles and a whole lot more fabulous fishy treats, for you to enjoy.

More info here

From  3 - 7pm, Sunday, 26th May.

Shorts

Nevin's Cheese Cake at BallymaloeLitFest gets international praise!

Come celebrate this Thursday 9th May, Richy's 11th anniversary. For one night only house wine for 11 Euro per bottle. Call 023 8821852. Bookings only at the Clonakilty restaurant.

Douglas Tea Room are joining the fun of the French Dining Weekend from this Thursday (9th) to Sunday (12th). Check out the menu!

Tweet from: Jacobs On The Mall ‏@JacobsOnTheMall GREAT NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT! Starting this Thursday 9 May we are opening for lunch each Thurs & Fri from 12-3. Sample menu here! http://jacobsonthemall2010.arobis40.com/sample-lunch-menu …

Goat cheese and Serrano ham, an unusual combination.

Don’t forget the 2nd French Food and Wine Festival (mainly in On the Pig’s Back in Douglas) starts this Thursday evening and continues until late Saturday. Details here.

Glenisk launches new pop-up store in Dublin

Glenisk launches a new pop-up store in Dublin

 

Banana Caramel

Dark Chocolate and Orange

Glenisk has launched a new pop-up store in Dublin. Situated at the corner of Dawson  Street and Duke Street, the store is called Glenisk Upfront & Personal, playing on the theme of pop up and shop front, and celebrating the opportunity to meet customers in person. The store, which will open for 10 weeks, aims to demonstrate the versatility of its organic yogurt, through a series of creative flavour combinations of the sweet and savoury variety.

 Glenisk’s Upfront & Personal is being managed by Christine Jordan, who has spent three months devising recipes for the store. The recipes feature many leading Irish food producers, like Goatsbridge Smoked Trout and Burren Smokehouse Organic Salmon, while also embracing global food themes. As well as smoked fish, savoury options include Carrot, Beetroot & Apple Salad with Orange Harissa Dressing; Greek Salad; and Mexican Bean & Avocado combinations. Each savoury dish is served with delicious Rosemary & Olive Oil Crostini, baked especially for Glenisk at Moore Street’s renowned Paris Bakery.

 Sweet treats include Greek Style Natural Yogurt with Dark Chocolate, Orange, Pistachio & Honey; Turkish Figs in Spiced Syrup with Toasted Almonds; Fresh Fruit, Granola & Honey; and Banana, Caramel & Milk Chocolate. The store will also offer a wide selection of delicious Cheesecakes and Smoothies, prepared with Glenisk Organic Yogurt and Crème Fraiche. Read more.