A Visit to Midleton Country Market

Midleton Country Market

Farmers Markets are the buzzword now but don't think that the original country market has gone away. There are still scores of them around the country, including eight in Cork alone. Get the details here.

I called to the one in Midleton last Friday. The venue is the old school on Church Lane right in the middle of the town and with parking nearby.

You might be under the impression that this type of market is all about baking and you'd be half right. Midleton has a table full of baked goodies, small cakes and big ones. I picked up a gorgeous Strawberry and Almond cake for a fiver. Great value.

But there is much more there besides the cakes. Lots of healthy looking vegetables were on offer, along with pots of jams, honey, and relishes, apple juice, goat cheese and goat yoghurts and more besides (sometimes including crafts, maybe books from time to time).

A word of advice though. Do get there early as the best things are all snatched up first and I missed out a few items last week, including a goat curry! Good quality here as well. For instance, the hard goat cheese, from Castlemary Farm, won bronze at the 2012 Blas Awards in Dingle.

There is a major difference between these and the Farmers Markets. Here, you don't necessarily deal with the individual seller. In fact you might not meet him or her at all but you will meet some lovely helpful people around the hall.You pick up your basket on the way in and collect what you want from the various tables. Then you settle up as you go out. The lady wrote down our list and totted it up. She didn't have a calculator but was as quick as any checkout operator and soon we were on our way.

CORK

Bandon	Weir Street	Fri/Sat	9.00am
Carrigaline	G.A.A. Hall	Friday	9.30am
Fermoy	Youth Centre	Friday	2.15pm
Mallow	St.James` Hall	Friday	1.30pm
Macroom	GAA Hall, Macroom	Tuesday	10.45am
Midleton	Old School Church Lane	Friday	9.30am
Riverstown	Glanmire GAA Hall	Friday	9.00am
Skibbereen	Abbeystrewry Hall	Friday	11.30pm

Cork Jazz Fest and Child of Prague

Jazz Fest and Child of Prague

Overheard: Saturday.

A man opening a new bar (the old Phoenix) on Union Quay was offered two Child of Prague statues, blonde and blue eyed of course.

“Why?” he asked.

“You can't open a bar without a Child of Prague,” was the answer.

“Why two?”

“In case the first one breaks.”

The bystander did not report the conclusion but I wonder if the person with the statutes also tried to off load one or two at 6IX (not sure whether that is pronounced Six or Six Nine), another new bar that opened this weekend on the premises previously known as Boqueria. The jazz weekend proved a good time to open for Electric (Happy Birthday Denis and Ernest) some three years ago and they haven't looked back since.

The reds line up at L'Atitude!

Heard the child of Prague story in L’Atitude to where we had retreated between beats on the streets. Haven't they got a magnificent collection of wines in there many of which come in 75ml, 150ml or 250ml (pichet) size servings.. As a guitarist played in the background we, who drink mainly European,  made something of a round the world trip on their reds: Australia for Cat Among the Pigeons Cabernet Sauvignon, California for Zinfandel, Lebanon for Massaya, and Argentina for Malbec. Favourite was perhaps the Massaya.

Moved on then to what we thought was a funeral, New Orleans style and starting outside the English Market at 5.30. We were there in good time but no sign of a corpse! Indeed no sign of life until the New York Brass Band turned up to inject massive fun into the proceedings. These guys are not from New York at all but from York in England. Why don't we twin with a town like that and guys like this?

They impressed on last year’s visit and were in top form on Saturday. They immediately commandeered any street furniture with a bit of height and soon had the crowd singing along, spilling out on to the parade and almost stopping the traffic. Great session guys and well done.

Beat 'n Blow

And this is all free. Have to say that the organisers put on a fantastic in-depth programme here in the city every year, anything from learning the ropes to impromptu stuff on the streets, to the extensive music trail around the pubs, to the fringe and to the serious (some not so serious) concerts.

Beat ‘n Blow were another band that I enjoyed last season. Saw the group from Berlin walking by the Opera House and followed them up to Paul Street where they put on a typically energetic engaging display in the plaza. They couldn't believe how the weather had changed from the morning rain and really enjoyed the sun and we all enjoyed their music. Great stuff folks.

In the meantime, the jazz goes on today and indeed you are sure to see the New York Brass Band and the Beat ‘n Blow on the streets and in the venues. And, as I write this, the sun is out. Let's go down town and blow up a storm!

Beat 'n Blow

Amuse Bouche

So I went to the Races with my family, Listowel was mobbed and everywhere was beautiful. Then we went up to the dancehall that night; you’d have to queue to get a meal in Listowel that time, there were only a few restaurants; women used not drink much that time, ‘twas all the men that went into the pubs; a woman was considered a bit of a gangster if she drank...

From Mary Keane in conversation with Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Cork Literary Review 2013.

Bunnyconnellan's Michael off to Amsterdam

Bunnyconnellan's Michael off to Amsterdam as Irish Star Serve champion

Blarney Castle Hotel, SoHo and Barry's also shine at Heineken event.

Michael O’Sullivan, winner of Heineken Star Serve Award 2013 pictured at the Heineken Star Serve Awards final in The Savoy Theatre, Cork. Michael will compete and represent Ireland in the Global Pint Pouring Championships next month alongside 22 other international markets in Amsterdam. Heineken Star Serve celebrates the perfectly poured pint of Heineken every time. 

Michael was elated with the news “I’m absolutely delighted. I take real pride in my job and put passion into giving good service so having that recognised by Heineken Star Serve is a true honour!” 

Representing his country on the global stage doesn’t faze the Cork man in the slightest - “I can’t wait! Being hosted in the home of Heineken and getting to pour the perfect pour in the place where it all began while representing my country is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m going to enjoy every minute.”

Michael wasn’t the only Cork hero however. Local Cork bars shone brightly on the night when The Blarney Castle Hotel and John O'Sullivan's Bar  picked up special awards for demonstrating Best Customer Service Experience in the industry while SoHo and Barry’s of Douglas Bar scooped the Best Star Serve Bar awards. Well done to all and best of luck to Michael!

Annam - From my kitchen to yours.

Annam - From my kitchen to yours.
(authentic taste of south India)

Ruth was in touch recently to tell me all about Annam - From my kitchen to yours.

“We are two friends (one Indian, one Irish) who have been running supper clubs and cookery classes in Cork for over six months now. We are attempting to introduce a really authentic taste of south Indian to the people of Ireland. There's no vindaloos or lamb baltis on our menus! We even encourage people to eat the Indian way - with their hands! If people are interested to find out about Idly, dosa, chicken chettanad, chutney and lots of different types of food and spices then we're here to help!

We run our supper club on the second Friday of every month and our cookery class on the fourth Friday of the month at the Cookery Cottage on the South Douglas road. So far we have had a huge response what we are doing. We have had people from all over Cork attend our evenings, which are very social, everyone eats together and are positively encouraged to bring a bottle of their fancy while cooking and eating.

We would like to say a huge thanks to you all for your support in getting Annam off the ground over the last 9 months! It has been so inspiring and encouraging to have you at our supper clubs and cookery classes and we've learnt tons. We've had great fun doing them and we really hope you've enjoyed attending. We hope that we offer something a little different with our experience in that it's a very social evening but you also get the chance to learn too!”

Here are the up and coming events for October, November and December.

Friday 25th October 7pm - Cookery Class - Cookery cottage

A south Indian theme this time. As usual a cocktail served with vegetable bhajis and coconut chutney. You will also be given a short demo followed by hands on workshop:

Tomato Rice

Olan

Chicken Chettinad

Crispy Potato fry

Green Beans Poriyal

We will have a sit down meal at the end so please bring a bottle of whatever you like!

Cost - €40 BYOB

Saturday 2nd November - Diwali celebration - Cork cricket club

Annam is running a street food stall in the Cork Cricket club as a part of the Diwali Lights installation by the Cork Community Art Link and Cork Indian Summer. Come for the fabulous food and the lights 2.30 to 5.30 pm. More information at  https://www.facebook.com/corkindiansummer.

Friday 15th November 7pm - Supper Club - At home with Annam

We will serve you a 3 course authentic Indian meal with a cocktail on arrival and tea or coffee to finish. Menu to follow. Due to very positive feedback we have decided to run the next few supper clubs from our chef Banu's home. We feel our supper club is more suited to an intimate, homely environment!

Cost - €35 BYOB.

Friday 29th November 12.30-2.20pm- Charity lunch - Cookery cottage

Annam is hosting an Indian Lunch in aid of Pralayashema which is a small Charity operating in the East Coast of India in Tamil Nadu. Come and eat our fabulous food and donate to a good cause. Your money will go towards buying school supplies for some very underprivileged children who would not get to go to school if not for Charities like Parlayashema. Their members travel to these very rural areas to give the school supplies like uniforms, books, stationary etc to the families.

For more information please visit www.pralayashema.org

Friday 6th December 7pm - Cookery class - Cookery cottage

Fancy a Christmas party with a difference? Cook up a storm with your friends or colleagues at our Indian cookery class. Enjoy the labours of your hard work at the end with a few drinks! Menu to follow.

Cost - €40 BYOB

Places are limited so please get in touch as soon as possible to book your place. If you're at the cricket club for Diwali be sure to swing by and say hey!

• Cookery Cottage, Park Avenue, South Douglas Road
• Douglas, Cork Cork

Phone	087 685 6315
Email	annamcork@gmail.com
Website	http://www.annam.ie

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week


No rest for the inventive folks at Green Saffron. Arun and company have launched a range of Cook-in Sauces, all incorporating their wonderful blends of fresh spices. Was introduced to them at the launch of the Brown Thomas Food Emporium. 



They are also available at the Roughty Fruit King in the English Market and it was here that I picked up the jar of Tikka. Used it last evening for a four person meal and it went down a treat, thick and intense, and  so easy to use. Next we'll be gunning for the other flavours: the Jalfrezi and the Korma.

Bobas Bubble Tea. A New Kind of Cuppa!

Bobas Bubble Tea

Called into the Bobas Bubble Tea Cafe in McCurtain Street yesterday, not really knowing what to expect.

Had heard that the Bubble Tea trend had started in Taiwan back in the 1980s but we were to be treated to the up to date European experience by manager Louise McCormack who opened the Cork shop early in the summer. It is proving quite a hit, particularly with the students from the nearby schools.

What mix will you have?

And their parents can be pleased enough as the youngsters are showing good food sense here; the tea drinks are a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks. “They have less sugar and less calories than a smoothie, no caffeine and the green tea is packed with antioxidants.”

Not surprisingly the European style is more popular here but you can also get the Asian style which relies more on milk. Louise is working on a new menu at the moment and basically Bobas will be going with the tea (and Toppings) on its own or with Pizza (slice) or Pasta (pot). And they hope to add frozen yoghurts in the new year.

Well, what about the tea? We had a look at the menu and picked the Peach and Passionfruit. The base tea was Jasmine Green which was put through the “machine” where it picked up the bubbles. Then Louise added the toppings, Popping Balls of Mango and Passionfruit, and also some jelly and served the cool drink to us in its container.

Louise on duty at Bobas

It was absolutely gorgeous, a very pleasant experience indeed. And a bit of fun as well as the popping balls came through the relatively large straw! I reckon those students and young professionals who are trooping to the cafe know a thing or two about good taste!

Bobas have a special Chritsmas Tasting Night coming up but you’ll need to book soon. Check it out on their Facebook page

Cafe Details

Manager: Louise McCormack

087 213 2753

42b McCurtain Street, Cork

Opening Hours:

11am-7pm Mon-Sat and closed on Sunday.

Gold standard Brecciarolo.

Velenosi Rosso Piceno Superiore Brecciarolo Gold, 2010, 14%, €19.90 (before recent tax hike!) Karwigs.

Lots of Rosso Piceno in the Marche area (about mid-way on the eastern coast of Italy) but only a very limited zone is designated Superiore. Brecciarolo refers to broken stones, typical of soil in the area and the grapes are Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

The Montepulciano gives it the heart while the San Gio lifts it with aromatics. It is soft on the palate, well structured, well balanced and Very Highly Recommended.

Colour is deep purple and the aromas are of cherries certainly, violets also and more. It is lovely and fresh on the palate, no shortage of fruit flavours but all with a refreshing acidity and then a good spicy finish.

Amuse Bouche

....... Hers was the best apple-tart

in Ireland, you said, made with rough,

sour apples, lashings of beet sugar

from the factory in Mallow, and Bird’s

instant custard from the tin –

from Mary Noonan’s poem Goodnight, Vienna (the Cork Literary Review 2013)

Jack McCarthy Butchers. An Afternoon in Kanturk.

Jack McCarthy Butchers. An Afternoon in Kanturk.

Jack. A true Normand (poor pun).

Afternoon in Kanturk

From Button Accordion to Boudin Noir;

Olympic Medals to Normandy Ór;

From Duhallow field to Fade Street Social;

All kinds of balls, not least the oval.

The RIC and the royal Queen’s Pudding;

Animals reared on pastures green and lush.

Wheeling and dealing, fair to fair,

Paring prices, bobs here, pence there.

In the North Cork town, two rivers meet,

Allow and Dallow. The butcher tweets.

From the shop on Main Street's door

Tim broadcasts on Radio Four;

Loma, Coppa and Pastrami,

Outdoing the Italians at Salami.

Five generations in the ancient store.

Heritage, music, meats galore.

Kanturk, past, present and future,

with Jack McCarthy,master butcher.

The magic cooking bag!

Since 1892, McCarthy Butchers have been trading in Kanturk. And they won't be stopping anytime soon. The enthusiasm is as strong as ever and so too is the spirit of innovation.

When I called there last Friday afternoon, Jack told me enthusiastically about a new cooking bag they had introduced while, in the back, son Timmy was hard at work making a Biroldo.

Different strokes for different folks!
More like a terrine.

The bag, made of high density plastic, is proving very popular. “It keeps the flavours and you can boil or roast or…. People who have used it keep returning,” said Jack. Well, we tried it out that very night. We bought one from Jack filled with strips of steak and vegetables and a red wine sauce. Cooked at a very low temperature it was perfect and gorgeous. No wonder the customers keep coming back for more.

Smoked pudding. Loved it!

Soon we got a taste of their Sliabh Luachra, an air dried beef for which they were named Nationality Speciality Champions. You may remember that Kate O’Toole featured it as a starter (served with fresh figs and Desmond cheese) in The Restaurant on RTE.

We moved slowly, lingering on the sample bites,  through their other cured meats: the coppa (traditional Italian cold cured, and smoked here), loma (dry cured, made from pork tenderloin), North Cork lard (great for cooking shrimps!), and then we came to a real treasure: the non smoked Pastrami. Special peppers have been used here but the whole thing is something special. This Pastrami is at a different level for sure.

Biroldo base

Irish charcuterie has arrived! Obviously, there are quite a few other people working in this area and many are coming up with some terrific results, partly because they are working on great produce. But do give yourself a treat soon and try this magnificent Pastrami!

Jack’s son Timmy has been learning the tricks of the trade in courses in Italy and that is where he got the idea for the Biroldo he was working on. The main ingredients are the meat from the cooked pig's head, shredded of course, blood, spices and herbs. The mix is then poured into an appendix (not kidding!) and slowly cooked again. Looking forward to a sample soon. Should be very very tasty!

Timmy filling an appendix.

Jack McCarthy have won quite a few honours in recent years and really grabbed the attention back in 2010 when he was awarded a gold medal by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goute Boudin and indeed the Black pudding overseers from Normandy made Jack a Chevalier. McCarthy’s most recent success on that front came earlier this year when their Pig’s Head Black Pudding with Rum and Raisin won gold, for International Creativity, in Normandy.

That contest was featured by BBC 4 Food and you may listen to a podcast here.

Now that is where I came in. Innovation, Creativity. This a proud Duhallow family. They use the local Castle and Ceann Turc (the Irish version of Kanturk, meaning head of the boar; how appropriate!) on their packaging.

Always looking ahead. But never forgetting the past either. Jack showed me some of their precious ledgers from the early days. Some entries going right back to 1891. The one photographed is from 1900 and you can see they had a thriving trade going on then in skins, hides and pelts. Every bit of the animal was used and it is much the same now.

Next time I visit we might concentrate more on the main meats but then again you never know what this pair have in the pipeline and they could well have some tasty new variation to show us in the near future. Watch this space.

The brilliant Pastrami

Oh, and don't forget to check out their website. Here you’ll find a great selection of beef, free range pork, lamb and chicken and more. If you have a special occasion coming up, then why not check out their Spit Roast Service. And, if you are a young butcher anxious to learn, well they even have a course for you called Practical Pig in a Day Course.

Jack (left) and note the McCarthy
castle in the background.

Superb line-up of Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheeses

Superb line-up of Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheeses

The Original: from the local limestone

“I love the smoked cheese”, declared Padraig O’Farrell during our visit to Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese today (Thursday). “It is indigenous to Carrigaline. The milk is local, and the wood, old beech, is local. And we smoke it out the back.” We all loved the award-winning Smoked.

And it, and indeed all the lovely Carrigaline cheeses, underline a point made on the Discover FarmhouseCheese website : Farmhouse Cheeses are some of the most bespoke, hand-made foods in the entire world! Buy a farmhouse cheese and you get the rarest of things – each cheese has a narrative, each one is telling the story of the cheese maker and of the farm where it was made. The cheeses speak quietly about the good things, about pure food, about fine milk, and content animals, about sharing and hospitality, and the creativity of a determined individual on a small farm, stamping every cheese with the signature of their personality.

In the brine

The Carrigaline narrative began over twenty five years ago when Ann and Pat, Padraig’s parents, first produced their semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from their own herd, after Pat had undertaken a six month cheese course at UCC. Now the family process six varieties of cheese “based on our own unique recipe for both the national and international market. All of our cheese is handmade and available all year round”.

The O’Farrells no longer have their own herd but they get a consistent supply of great milk from neighbour Flor O’Riordan.

The local Supervalu is a great supporter of the cheeses and you‘ll find it in all the majors and in many fine food stores. Padraig likes to see the reaction of customers at first hand and sets up many tasting sessions. He enjoyed the recent trip to Kinsale where the Dillisk was the star and also to last Wednesday’s food fair at the County Hall where the natural cheese emerged as the favourite.

The operation, on the farm, right next to the house, is all done by hand, including the packaging. The cheeses are held for 4-8 weeks aging before being released to the shops. Five full time staff are employed and others on a part time basis according to the demands of the season.

The waxing begins...

Our tour took us through the delivery of the milk, then to the pasteurisation process, to the separation of the whey from the curds, to the brining and ripening room and then to the waxing and packaging. The different types of cheese are coated with a different coloured wax; for instance, the yellow wax is used for the original (Natural) cheese and the green for the Garlic and Herb.

Co-founder Pat O'Farrell (left) talking to a
well-dressed visitor!

The magnificent six:

Natural: this is the original cheese, semi-hard. Creamy with an incredibly satisfying piquant finish.

Garlic and Herbs: The garlic, not overbearing, brings a savoury twist.

Beech Smoked:  This, tinged “with a baconesque flavour”, has won many international awards over the years.

Dillisk Seaweed: The Dillisk from the Atlantic combines with the milk from the limestone soil to give the cheese a “must taste” combination, and gained many new friends at the recent Kinsale Gourmet Festival.

Cranberry Cheese: A modest percentage of cranberries is used and the interaction changes the cheese. “The result is a far more sophisticated cheese than one may expect.” It is well worth a try and highly recommended as indeed are all the cheeses. 

Blueberry Cheese: This really delivers “an explosion of brilliant Blueberry flavours to the palate!”. If you enjoy fruit with your cheese, then this power-packed combination is for you. And you’ll also enjoy the blueberry aromas. Again the percentage of berries is small and nicely judged!

Padraig, who has no shortage of restaurant and wine experience from his days in the US, enjoys matching his cheeses with various wines. Wine making is not (yet!) possible in Carrigaline but he also spotted a demand for a cheese biscuit. So now Carrigaline offer you three varieties of handmade Irish Oat Cheese Biscuits: Natural, Garlic and Herb and Chilli and Cheese. 

No excuse now, so off you go and try some of the magnificent six. You are sure to find a few that you like!