Inviting Isaac’s

Inviting Isaac’s

It’s a cold crisp day in the city as we enter the warm buzz of Isaac's Restaurant in McCurtain Street. This place is one of the longest standing businesses in this city centre street and you get a hint of the reasons behind this relative longevity from the courtesy and warmth of the welcome. Indeed, the service overall for this lunch-time visit was friendly, chatty and efficient. And the food was excellent.

The restaurant was busy but they soon found us a table and the menus and the specials list were available without delay. So too was the water and some cracking brown bread. Quality is always good here and so too is the choice. The regular list is amply enhanced by the specials. These extras were available last Wednesday:

Celeriac and roast hazelnut soup €5.00

Pheasant and lentil soup €6.50

Smoked salmon with potato salad, mixed greens and horseradish cream €10.00

Crispy fried goat’s cheese with beetroot, roast red pepper & basil €9.50

Mild madras lamb curry with side dishes and poppadoms €15.00

Pan fried fillets of Cod with herb crust, buttered spinach and chive sauce €15.00

Prune and almond tart with fresh cream €6.00

It is, of course, the season for game so I decided to go for the Pheasant and Lentil Soup. The bowl was loaded with little bits of pheasant and it turned out to be a superb match with the lentils, and a body warming one as well, great flavour and texture.

The main course, that Mild Madras Curry, was something special. I got a dish of the loveliest lamb, well cooked and tender and no shortage of it. Three small dishes to dip into and a dish of rice were also served u,p along with a very tasty poppadum. Spent a good while at this, tried every combination of dip with the lamb, and enjoyed every bite.

Had my eye on that Prune and Almond Tart but, pleasantly full, decided that discretion was the better part of valour on this occasion. Very happy with what we'd had and had another chat on the way out as we settled up, €43.00 for two courses each. Very Highly Recommended!

Isaac’s Contact Details

Isaac’s Restaurant on McCurtain Street, has been a standard-bearer for good food in Cork for nearly 21 years. Established by Michael & Catherine Ryan & Canice Sharkey it has developed into a lively restaurant receiving great acclaim.

• 48 McCurtain Street
• Cork

  Phone	(021) 450 3805
  Email	isaacs@iol.ie
  Website	http://isaacsrestaurant.ie

  
  
  

Last Minute Wine Suggestions

Last Minute Wine Suggestions

 Top one goes with "a variety of meats" - ideal for Christmas!

Tim Adams, Bluey’s Block Single Vineyard Grenache, Clare Valley 2009, 14.5%, €16.99 Curious Wines 

Colour is a very light red and the aromatics are pretty if restrained. The magic is on the palate. Fruity for sure but very very refined and so well balanced. It has of course, the typical spice of the variety and, what you might not expect, an ABV of 14.5%. Must say it was love at first bite (well, first sip) with this mouth filling beauty, with its subtle tannins (supple, the label says) and its long fruity driven finish. Goes with a variety of meats and is Very Highly Recommended.

Viñedos Iberian, Yaso, Tinta de Toro 2010, 13.5%, stockists 

Familia Osborne (of Sherry fame) owns Viñedos Iberian and this Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo to most of us!) is a classy bottle. Yaso comes from a selection of old vineyards in the Zamora region of the Toro DO. They’ve been growing vines here for over 2000 years and this is named after the Greek goddess of healing.

Not sure I needed any healing when I opened this red the other day but I sure felt good as the initial sips came in and better as the silky liquid reached all areas.  It has an intense concentration of red fruits – you see it in the bright cherry colour and catch it in the aromas – and it is prominent again on the long finish. Highly Recommended.

Kerpen Riesling 2010 (Blauschiefer, Bernkastel, Mosel), €17.52, Karwig Wines

This estate bottled Riesling is a my favourite of mine, confirmed as recently as last Sunday. It is bright with straw green colours and modestly aromatic. Ripe fruits reach all areas before a long dry finish. Luscious apple-ly fruits yet really well balanced and with a great texture. Good with fish with light sauces or on its own as an aperitif. Highly recommended, not for the first time!.

The vineyards are on the slopes of the River Mosel, a tributary of the Rhine.

Check out the full 2013 list of recommendations here 

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Una's Pies are becoming widely available though it was from her regular Mahon Point Farmers Market stall that I bought this Chicken, Chorizo and pepper beauty, a real warmer-up on a cold winter's day and our Taste of the Week.

No wonder she has been picking up Blas na hEireann awards in Dingle for the past three years, including Artisan Producer of the Year in 2011. The pies are produced in Cork "with the finest Irish ingredients and using suppliers we know and trust". 

The chorizo in this one comes from Gubbeen and the pastry is absolutely gorgeous. A pie full of flavour and my current favourite. But that could change as Una has quite a list to choose from including Chicken,Leek and Cheese; Steak & Murphy's; Chicken Thai Green Curry; Chicken and Asparagus; Roast Veg and Goats Cheese; 4 Bean Chilli; and Chicken and Mushroom.

Do you like black on your plate?

Colour barrier on a plate
A wee jar of Squid Ink.

Getaria. The shop is on the right!

Black is not a colour I'd normally see on my plate unless of course it is black pudding! Indeed, it can be hard to get over the colour barrier that a dominant black presents in a dish. And so it was with some trepidation that I screwed the cap off a small jar I bought the summer before last in a small town, Getaria, on the beautiful coast of North West Spain.

The label said, Salsa de Chipiron, and the gooey contents were pure black. Translated the ingredients and it read: Onion, Olive Oil, Water, Tomato, Squid Ink, salt and spices. But what to do with it? Squid ink is widely used (though not in Ireland) with pasta, noodles, rice and also with the squid itself, with cuttlefish and scallops.

Before

But this was late on a Saturday afternoon and a bit late to be wandering down town. So, we had to make do with what was in the cupboard. No fish but we did have fresh chorizo from Gubbeen and some pasta, enough to make a starter. Enough to be going on with. Soon the pasta was cooking and then came the transformation when the contents of the jar were added.

Some cut tomatoes were thrown in and the moment of truth soon followed and it was fine, really fine. The chorizo soaked up the ink and were hardly visible among the general blackness but you knew for sure when you bit into one. Overall, the flavour was very pleasant indeed, not at all fishy, and the spicy explosions of the chorizo rings enhanced the whole thing.

During

So, if you ever find yourself on the Basque coast, in either Getaria or Hondarribia, be sure and call into the shop of the family owned cannery Salanort. They also sell anchovies, bobito, tuna, octopus, sardines, and indeed some very good examples of the local wine, the very dry Txakoli.

After. Chorizo (centre left) well coated

Had to have a bit of colour after that and it is provided by the classic bacon and cabbage. The loin of bacon came from the local Dunne’s Stores, a fine piece by Truly Irish. The cabbage and potato cakes (a mix of normal and sweet) added to the colour and the enjoyment.

Colours of Ireland

Stop at Cafe Serendipity

Stop at Cafe Serendipity!
Not merely Bread & Butter Pudding
but a step up to Croissant & Butter Pudding!

Bailey’s Croissant and Butter Pudding with Creme Anglaise

Having a restaurant on the number 208 bus route became a priority for us on a wet and miserable Friday night. It wasn't the only consideration of course but when Cafe Serendipity came to mind, it was an agreed yes. Soon we were stepping off the bus at the Western Road stop alongside the River Lee Hotel and crossing the road to the welcoming lights of the cafe.

Our reservation was confirmed (the place was busy and would soon be full) and, without delay, we were at our table and studying the menu. We had been in before earlier in the year and once again were glad to see that they do things a little differently here (e.g. soup is cauliflower and blue cheese) and spent some time checking the choices as the guitarist began to play.

We didn’t take the soup option but picked the Grilled Halloumi with red and green pesto and fennel coleslaw and also the Crab and Black Pudding with summer salsa and lime jelly as our starters. Getting used to Halloumi lately, thanks to the folks at Toonsbridge Dairies, and this was excellent, very tasty and the fennel was a new touch. The other starter was not quite as successful as we felt that the delicate crab was a bit overwhelmed but still it was a flavoursome dish overall and the lime jelly was a tasty touch.

We could also have chosen the Smoked Chicken Salad or a Smoked Salmon Gratin. Service was excellent throughout, friendly and courteous and efficient, and we were not long in getting to grips with the main courses.

Mine was definitely the more eyecatching and it was the Confit of Duck Leg, chorizo croquette, baby carrots, asparagus, parsnip crisp and jus. Really enjoyed this one (above). The duck was perfect. so too were the vegetables, especially those little carrots, and the croquette was a flavoursome and slightly spicy treat.

Duck also featured on our other mains. Here it was shredded in a Duck and Pear Salad, served with mixed lettuce and Mediterranean vegetable. Duck and pear always go well together and the salad was excellent, well prepared. A fine combination that could also be served as a starter. Other choices included Sirloin, Smoked Chicken Risotto, Pan Fried Hake (with buckwheat), and a Provencal Goats Cheese Tart.

They had a short but tempting dessert list. They offered, not your common garden Bread and Butter Pudding, but a scrumptious step up in class to a Bailey’s Croissant and Butter Pudding with Creme Anglaise. Loved that!  

Duck and pear 

CL’s special was the Apple Crumble. But that belied its humble title and, with a gorgeous thin layer of crumble and a great depth of real apple, matched mine. Soon after, two happy customers departed Serendipity and even a walk (it had dried up) to the bus stop at back of the block didn't dampen the feeling. Indeed, it was enhanced when that sometimes elusive  number 208 turned up within seconds!

Quality at Cafe Serendipity is good and so too is the value, two courses for €23.00, three for €26.00. The wine list is rather short but most tastes are catered for with, for instance, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Rioja available to those who like reds.

Crumble

Cafe Serendipity

Western Road, Cork City

Mon: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm

Tue - Sat: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Phone	085 8645216 or 021 2410466
Email	serendipitycork@gmail.com
Website	http://www.serendipitycafe.ie

Amuse Bouche

This idiocy was not the end of my ambitions. I devised three fillets of different fish – say John Dory, monkfish and brill – cooked in three different ways: the John Dory sautéed in butter, the monkfish grilled over charcoal, the brill steamed. They were served with three different sauces: the John Dory with sautéed cucumber, the monkfish with a roasted red pepper dressing and the brill with a cream and sorrel sauce. All on the same plate.

When people ask me for a tip about seafood cookery, and I say ‘keep it simple’ it’s in the light of bitter experience.

from Under a Mackerel Sky by Rick Stein.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week, maybe taste of this season, this cream sherry, cask aged for 30 years, is something well  suited to go with many of the sweet things coming your way. Produced in very small quantities, Matusalem is made by the enrichment of a dry Oloroso sherry with Pedro Ximenez, followed by additional ageing in its own solera. It has a mahogony tone, is quite sweet but with a superb balance. It is elegant and intense; both nose and palate have notes of raisins, toffee, figs,spices. Christmas in a glass. Cheers.
Produced by Gonzalez Byassm it is available at Bradley's Off Licence, North Main Street. Make sure you have the correct bottle (37.5 cl) as there is a rum of the same name! 

The Red Zone of the Loire

The Red Zone of the Loire

Underground in Chinon.
Read more about my 3 weeks in the Loire Valley here

Let me take you to the red zone of the Loire Valley. Let us start in Chinon, just west of Tours. Chinon (population c.16,000) is a lovely old town, full of history (Jean d’Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Rabelais, etc…) and surrounded by vineyards, and is the heart of the appellation of the same name.

The appellation is situated mainly in the triangle formed as the Vienne and Loire rivers meet and also includes some communes to the south of the Vienne. And I’ve read in the latest Wine Atlas of the World (a terrific book) that some seven communes to the west of the Vienne are soon to be included.

Immediately north of the confluence of the two rivers you come to Bourgueil and appellations named after that town and its close neighbour St Nicolas. Wine is so important here that there is a huge wine bottle outside the church in St Nicolas and a huge bunch of grapes is a centrepoint on at least one roundabout..

The communes to the west of the Chinon appellation come under the general Touraine label and I’m sure that the seven mentioned in the Wine Atlas would jump at the chance to join up. Hopefully, Chateau du Petit Thouars will be included as they make some great wines from their Cabernet Franc, the red grape for both neighbouring Chinon and Bourgueil.

Domaine du Raifault, Clos du Villy, Chinon 2009, 12.5%, €7.60 at Caves de Montplaisir

Okay, let’s start at the heart of it, in Chinon itself. Along the bank of the Vienne on the road to the west, you’ll find the unusual wine cellar called Caves de Montplaisir.  The cellar, “unique in the Loire Valley, is a former underground quarry of over 2,500 square metres”. The tufa (a type of limestone) extracted was used to build many castles and manor houses in the region.

It is a pretty cool place in more senses than one! Indeed, there was one area where you need a brolly as the water drips through from the top of the town, many metres above. They were busy at reception when we arrived so we had our own little tour among the damp and mould inducing  “chambers”, passing much wine in storage including some 1977 Chinon and small lots dating back to 1947, 1921 and 1893.

But when it came to tasting and buying (they represent three growers), we came much more up to date and included this 2009 in our lot. It has excellent fruit flavours (with an almost silky mouthfeel) and well matched by a refreshing acidity, then a good long finish and overall is pretty typical of the Chinon reds. I've really gotten to like this grape and what they do with it where the Vienne and Loire meet.

Chateau du Petit Thouars, Selection 2009, Touraine, 12.5%, €5.00 at Chateau

This vineyard, situated in the area of St Germain sur Vienne, is outside the Chinon and Bourgueil appellations. It is owned by Sebastien du Petit Thouars - his winemaker is the experienced Michael Pinard - and is regularly regarded as a top producer (see High Johnson handbook 2014 for example).

This 2009 is quite aromatic, notes of red fruit evident. It has a lively refreshing palate with soft tannins and shows the ripe Cabernet Franc (in another good year here) at its best. And, at its best, it is a memorable glass indeed.

Domaine Thibault, Bourgueil 2005, 12%, €6.80 at Syndicat des Vins de Bourgueil.

After one of the quickest ever tasting sessions (about three minutes flat for six wines), we bought this Thibault at the local syndicate. From a good year, it is really smooth and velvety on the palate. Colour is light red and the nose is fruity with some spice. 

The domaine is certified biologique since the early 90s but organics have been in practice here since 1974. There are two types of soil in the area, one tuffeau (rocky), the other graviers (gravelly). This one comes from the rocky area but sometimes even locals find it hard to spot the difference in a blind tasting.

Domaine de la Closerie, Vielles Vignes, Bourgueil 2005, 13%, €8.00 at Syndicat des Vins de Bourgueil.
This was another purchase from the syndicat and another where the grapes were grown on the tuffeau. Another excellent buy, even if I say so myself! It is a "traditional wine of the estate, this is a very nice open nose and palate with aromas of red fruits". All that and more, underlining again the quality available in Bourgueil and neighbouring St Nicolas.

Not sure you’ll be able to find these exact wines in Ireland but Loire wines are widely available, more whites than reds admittedly. Still, my recent check revealed that Curious Wines, Karwig Wines, and Ballymaloe (at Brown Thomas), sell Chinon red.

* Read more about my 3 weeks in the Loire Valley here

Dining in style at Pier 26

Dock for Dinner at Pier 26

Enjoyed a lovely late lunch last Sunday at Pier 26, the just opened harbourside restaurant in Ballycotton and, then as a bonus, there was a magnificent sunset over the nearby cliffs and ocean. As we sat down for the meal, we had a terrific view over the harbour and the island with its lighthouse. Quite a spectacular setting and quite a stunning lunch.

Received a warm welcome, service was friendly and helpful throughout, and we were soon seated, the water and menus quickly delivered to the table. We had been at this table before, a few years back, when the restaurant was called Nautilus. The restaurant was very good then and is very good now.

Pork Belly

Value is pretty good here too with three courses for twenty five euro. You'll have plenty of choice as the regular menu is supplemented by a packed blackboard. Main courses featured pork, steak, salmon and free range chicken on the regular list and, from the board, you could pick from sirloin of beef, cod, scallops, and prawn scampi.

It was much the same with the starters, though we picked ours from the regular menu. CL choose the Spring onion and potato cake with Bill Casey’s organic smoked salmon, lemon and dill aioli. The quality of Casey’s salmon is well known in the area and it was certainly enhanced by the Pier 26 kitchen.

Smoked salmon

My starter was another beauty: Crispy pork belly with East Ferry apples, sage and Madden’s Cider Jus, a superb blend of flavours and textures. We were up and running!

Now for the main event!  CL went for the salmon but salmon with a light and lively twist. Her Seared fillet came with wok–fried noodles, Asian slaw, lime and honey dressing. A very compatible mix of ingredients here, all well handled, and a lovely dish as a result.

I hooked my mains from the Specials Board: Grilled fillet of cod, scallion mash, asparagus tips, prawn bisque cream sauce. The fish was as fresh as could be, the asparagus was cooked to a T, possible the best I've eaten out, while the sauce was well made and used with a judicious restraint, just enough to enhance the fish and not smother the flavours. Another winning mix.

Salmon

No stopping us now and desserts were ordered. Lemon and Almond Cake, with sugared strawberries and vanilla Madagascar ice cream was my choice. Very nice, the comparative dryness of the flavoursome cake enhanced by the fruit and the ice cream. Apple crumble, Crѐme Anglaise, rum and raisin ice cream was our other choice. Might have preferred the more traditional type crumble rather than the biscuity one employed here but still a pleasant ending to a very classy meal indeed.

Highly recommended. And do watch out for the setting sun! And give yourself time for a stroll around, maybe the pier or the nearby cliff walk, depending on what takes your fancy! Maybe a pint in the adjoining pub?

Cod

Contact Holly and Colin at Pier 26, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.

Details:

• Thu: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
• Fri - Sat: 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
• Sun: 12:30 pm - 7:00 pm

• Phone	(021) 206 1449
  Email	pier26restaurant@yahoo.com

Pizza Kits for Kids (and Adults)

Pizza Kits for Kids (and Adults)

Want to get your kids into the kitchen? Well, why not try the new DIY Pizza Kits from O’Keeffe’s Bakery. Two of the kits contain Dough, Sauce and Cheese, and instructions on how to make your very own Margherita.

And it is easy to do. And fun too. For the kids. Even for the adults. The ingredients have to be thawed out but that will take just a few minutes if you use the micro-wave option. Then roll out the dough, add the sauce, the cheese, any toppings you have handy (check the fridge for leftovers), rest it, bake and enjoy. It is that easy.

Most of the queue at the Supermarket seemed to think that these are for kids. But not necessarily so. The dough is really good and doesn’t get hard at all and the sauce is flavoursome and, of course, you may add your toppings, such as chorizo or mushrooms and so on and make it into a serious dish.

One of the kits makes two 7” pizzas, another makes a 10” while the third makes a 10” garlic bread.

O'Keeffe's Bakery in Cork invested close to €1 million in research and development in order to create a process that succeeds in freezing dough without losing the viability or the baking performance of the active yeast ingredient.  I’m told that this is quite a major breakthrough and could lead to new frozen dough-based consumer products and to extra jobs at the Ballincollig based firm.

The kits contains no artificial additives, colouring or preservatives and are available nationwide from selected Tesco, Dunnes and Musgrave Stores. For all the latest on the kits, check the facebook page.

Amuse Bouche

When Mutti filled a big mug with warm goat’s milk and honey and handed it to her, Christine pulled the sleeves of the blue sweater over her wrists and took the steaming cup with her left hand, keeping her tattooed arm in her lap.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled the warm vapours, surprised that she could smell the goat’s diet of sweet grass, and the flower pollen used by the honey bees. She took a long sip and held it in her mouth before swallowing, every sweet, buttery nuance of milk and honey-combed sugar like silk on her tongue. The creamy liquid soothed her raw irritated throat.

“Now that the war is over,” Mutti said, “when your father comes home, I’ll use the last can of plums for a Pflaumenkucken to celebrate your safe return.”

from The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman