Head South For This Smashing Pair, One White, One Red. Or Just Head to O'Brien's

Head South For This Smashing Pair,

 One White, One Red.
Or Just Head to O'Brien's!

Domaine Begude “Etoile” Chardonnay Limoux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €18.95 (21.95)

Beautiful mid-gold colour. The aromatics are quite complex, regular fruit (such as apple and pear) along with the exotic (mango) in the mix. It is certainly more of the exotic on the rich palate, quite a rounded almost creamy mouthfeel, more complex than most French Chardonnays (not that there is such a thing as a typical Chardonnay as the chameleon grape makes itself at home wherever it finds itself), good acidity too though, so the long finish is harmonious.

This Highly Recommended wine should be fine with salmon and trout, with roast chicken (even roast turkey!). The winery also says it is “heavenly with Comté & other hard cheese”. Worth a try so with Hegarty’s Templegall though I know cheesemaker Jean-Baptise may prefer a Saint-Emilion.

This certified organic wine, full-bodied and smooth, is crafted from Chardonnay grapes high in the cool climate region (hot summer days and cool nights) of Limoux. Fertilised using only natural manures and cultivated with the utmost respect for the environment, this wine is vinified and matured in the very best French oak to bring you “our finest cuvée, Etoile”.

Chateau de Caraguilhes “Prestige” Corbieres (AOP) 2017, 14.5%, €14.95 (18.95)

Colour is a dark red. Intense nose of dark fruits, notes of spice, perhaps a hint of the garrigue, the scrub that thrives around here. I once stayed in a gite in Languedoc owned by a Madam Garrigue. Like the senior citizen Madame, this wine is amazingly smooth (the madame used tidy up the pool in her bikini every evening). Must say that gite was great value for money and I can indeed say the same about this Prestige, fresh, and full of fruit, enhanced by nine months in oak. No pesticides, no herbicides, just excellent value (more so with the current reduction). 

Garrigue, by the way, is a feminine noun. And since I’m on gender, the French language version of the label indicates that Syrah is feminine while Carignan and Mourvedre, the other two in this blend, are masculine!

O’Brien’s tell us that Caraguilhes is completely organic, “this estate was using organic techniques when it was virtually unheard of anywhere else”. The Prestige is their oak-aged Reserve wine and is a seriously stylish wine. 

As regards keeping the wine, the winery advices that while it has potential of 6 or 7 years, it can be drunk today. Decant one hour in advance and serve at around 15 degrees. Food pairings: Provencal lamb (if you don’t have Herbes de Provence, try thyme, sage and rosemary), roast grilled beef with olives, quail in truffle sauce. Enjoy.

A Little Night Magic in English Market. The Farmgate Supper Special

A Little Night Magic in English Market

 The Farmgate Supper Special

“If they were on every Friday night, I’d be here every Friday night,’ declared a delighted customer at the end of last Friday’s Farmgate Supper. And she was roundly applauded by the long table.

Even before the day softly and slowly turns to night, the Farmgate has much going for it, including an amazing wide-ranging larder from the market underneath, and the expertise of the kitchen. Then, when darkness shuffles into the corners of the city, the magic of the upstairs venue is enhanced, especially on the run-up to Christmas. Add in next the conviviality of the communal table and you have a winning hand of four aces. 

It’s a relaxed start; a glass or two of bubbles and an amuse bouche or two on the balcony. Soon we are being led into the famous restaurant, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. And indeed, this series of suppers is part celebration of the 25th. There are still three nights more to come, all with the winning formula. Take your pick from 29/11; 6/12; or 13/12. Just letting you know before the lady from the other evening and her friends book them all up!

We nibble on soda bread and butter as the staff fill all the drinks orders, everything from excellent European wines, Irish beers to their own Elderflower Cordial. The initial small plate of Organic Beetroot, Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Hazelnuts, a classic combination of local ingredients, gets this part evening underway as people introduce themselves across the table.

Frank Hederman, whose fish stall is downstairs, was among the company and so it was entirely appropriate that his smoked salmon (mussels too) was on the next plate. In 2000, the New York Times said of Frank (as well as labelling him “droll”): “Mr. Hederman smokes fish, which is a little like saying Steinway makes pianos.” Not much one can add to that except perhaps to say that Frank (like his now veteran smokehouse which is increasingly more than a passive player in the process), has improved in the 21st century. By the way, another refreshing taste of the sea, in the form of a dressed oyster, came with the fish plate.

Back to Terra Firma and the next treat, from Chef Pam Kelly and her team in the kitchen, was Featherblade of Beef (from butcher Eoin O’Mahony downstairs) with Artichoke and Potato Dauphinoise. Featherblade has been a favourite around Cork over the last decade or so and this rendition, perfect in both quality and quantity, won’t have harmed its reputation in any way whatsoever.

Someone asked the following day if we had had music. We didn’t but the music of the animated conversations around the table was all that was needed. The next course was chocolate, a luscious Dark Chocolate Marquise, Brandy and Shortbread Biscuit. Actually that dessert did stop the conversation flow for a short spell. The finalé, a rather splendid (and local of course) one, soon followed: Milleens Cheese with fig compote.

Soon we were leaving in happy dribs and drabs. It’s cold outside, someone warned, but we were pretty well warmed at this point, happy too or happy out as we are inclined to say in these parts. In fact, we felt as if we were i gcorplár an tsamhraidh, the name of Cormac Mehegan’s 2012 painting reproduced on the cover of the menu card.

Inside the card, the producers and suppliers were acknowledged and here they are: Glenilen Farm, Kilbrack Farm, Ardsallagh Cheese, On the Pig’s Back, Hederman’s, O’Connell’s Fish, O’Mahony’s Butchers, Longueville House Apple Brandy, and Roughty Foodie.

Amuse Bouche

The Papaya Czar on Eighty-Sixth Street and Third Avenue is my kind of place - bright orange and yellow signs pasted on every available surface screaming, Papaya is God’s Greatest Gift to Man’s Health! Our Frankfurters are the working Man’s Filet Mignon! We’re polite New Yorkers, We support Mayor Giuliani! And so on. Papaya Czar’s walls are so layered with language that I find myself immediately calmed inside their doors, as though I’ve stepped into a model interior of my own skull.

from Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (1999). Very Highly Recommended.

A Sterling Trio From Europe. Red Wines to Enjoy.

Chateau Mayne-Vieil Fronsac (AOC) 2015, 14%, 
€19.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Fronsac doesn’t immediately spring to mind when you think of Bordeaux but this is a Grand Vin de Bordeaux.

Colour is a dark ruby. Rich aromas, mainly ripe plums, touch of spice, vanilla. Palate is supple and deep, packed with rich flavours, spice and oak again, a juicy acidity and smooth tannins bring it all to a long finish. Quite a bit of character to this one, drinking well now and Very Highly Recommended. Pair it with red meat, game, and cheeses.

Tried the chateau’s website but backed off when I got a warning about bad bugs. From what I can gather, the blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, though some years it may be all Merlot.

Fronsac red wines are based on Merlot, produced in an area in the east of the Bordeaux wine region. It is located close to the northern bank of the Dordogne river, just a few miles to the west of Libourne – the town that gives its name to the Libournais region. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol lie to the east of the town. And Fronsac (this bottle included) offers an affordable alternative to its better known neighbours.

Antica Enotria Puglia (IGT) 2017, 12.5%,  

€14.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

Suddenly, you realize that you can't keep exploiting, poisoning and pushing because whatever you do to the land, you do to yourself. The same fate. And you then you begin to respect. Respect for yourself and your land, for time and for life.

These are the words of winemaker Raffaele di Tuccio, echoing the experience of Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres: The more we care about the earth, the better our wine. Raffaele’s family winery Antica Enotria is in Puglia and is part of the Italian Organic Wine Route.

This red (rosso) blend is mainly Nero di Troia with the better known Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Colour is a mid ruby. Reasonably intense aromas show red fruit and floral notes. Very refreshing for a red from this hot region, no shortage of acidity, good fruit (dark berries) too and a little spice, almost smooth tannins. Lively and light with a soft texture, yet with a strong character, this Highly Recommended wine also finishes well.

Alfredo Maestro Viña Almate Vino de la Terra de Castilla y Leon 2018, 14.5%
€15.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Importers Le Caveau trumpet this as: ““A stellar addition to our portfolio.” 

It is 100% Tempranillo from 2018 and, in Spain, young wines such as this are generally called joven.  It has spent four months in neutral French oak, is unfined, unfiltered, and with very low S02. A great one to pair with grilled and roasted meats. No big amount of sediment here but decanting often helps a young wine express itself better.

This Very Highly Recommended dark red wine has rather intense aromas of dark plums and cherries. On the generous palate it has an engaging liveliness not to mention strong fresh flavours and a touch of spice enhances the engaging experience right through to the lengthy finish where you’ll notice the tannins drying your lips.  Another well-made wine from the man "known as the 'magician of the Duero’, a prominent exponent of the natural wine movement in Spain.

The Tempranillo grapes for this wine are grown in Peñafiel in Ribera del Duero but, according to Spanish Wine Lover, it has always been sold as VT Castilla y León. This is Alfredo’s flagship wine and Spanish Wine Lover rates it “as outstanding within its type and style”.

Eight Degrees Brewing Up A Black Christmas With Badger & Dodo

press release

Christmas 2019 with Eight Degrees Brewing

• Beer and coffee gift pack: Eight Degrees Brewing with Badger & Dodo
•  RACK 'EM UP Series: #8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels
  

GIFT PACK
For Christmas 2019, Eight Degrees Brewing have teamed up with local coffee roasters Badger & Dodo to release a limited edition beer and coffee pack. People who love great beer also love great coffee so we’re bringing two of our favourite things together for you in one gorgeous gift box.

The branded box contains  2 x 440ml cans of Eight Degrees beer from the RACK EM’ UP Series - #7 Maroon Ball Kveik IPA + #8 Black Ball Metric Stout - along with 1 x 250g bag of Badger & Dodo speciality coffee.
More information: https://www.eightdegrees.ie/eight-degrees-brewing-with-badger-dodo/

BLACK BALL METRIC STOUT

#8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels, is the culmination of our 2019 RACK ‘EM UP Series. This is a big bold stout. There’s a touch of sweet vanilla in there from the oak and lots of cocoa and dark chocolate to combine with smooth, spicy whiskey notes. Pair it with some funky goat cheese, Christmas pudding, or a box of your favourite chocolates. Deep, dark, rich and rewarding, celebrate sinking a Black Ball this winter. 

More information: https://www.eightdegrees.ie/black-ball-metric-stout/

From the gift pack box:

If you are holding this box we can say with confidence that you are one of two things: either keenly aware of the decadence that you are about to consume, or just about to find out.  

Chances are you will have tasted one, or both, of these iconic Irish brands in a café, a pub, or even at home. Badger & Dodo and Eight Degrees have had similar journeys over the past decade, blazing trails in two parallel movements in Ireland: speciality coffee and craft beer. By concentrating on quality and innovation, we have found ways to take small, everyday moments - an everyday cup of coffee, a simple glass of beer - and turn them into something exciting and memorable. 

We are all based in North Cork and are familiar with each other's products. So, when the opportunity came for us to collaborate, we jumped at the chance. The first release of this partnership was in early 2019. Beer #2 in Eight Degrees’ RACK 'EM UP series, which celebrates eight years in business, was a collaboration with Badger & Dodo, who had just celebrated 10 years of roasting coffee beans in Ireland. We couldn't resist taking it a step further.

Enough words. It’s time for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Brew. Sip. Repeat. 

About the beer:
Eight Degrees Brewing celebrated eight years of brewing with a series of exciting and innovative beers for the RACK EM’ UP Series. This pack features two of those beers: #7 Maroon Ball Kveik Double IPA and #8 Black Ball Metric Stout. 

RACK ‘EM UP Series: #7 Maroon Ball Kveik Double IPA with WHC Lab
There's nothing bigger or more modern than a double IPA with Kveik and Philip Woodnut from WHC Lab in Wicklow has been developing a new strain of Kveik called Valkyrie from an isolate that comes from Norway’s Ebbegarden region. This tropical fruit-forward ale has lots of tutti frutti flavours, which we've further accentuated by dry hopping with the dynamic Enigma. Kveik it out.

RACK 'EM UP Series: #8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels
The culmination of our RACK 'EM UP Series, this is a big bold stout. There's a touch of sweet vanilla in there from the oak and lots of cocoa and dark chocolate to combine with smooth, spicy whiskey notes. Deep, dark, rich and rewarding, celebrate sinking a Black Ball this winter.

About the coffee: Available in ground or wholebean.
Blackwater Blend: This is Badger & Dodo’s most popular national blend of Arabica coffees from Colombia, Brazil & Guatemala presenting Chocolate, Praline & Orange in the cup.
Jam Jar: Badger & Dodo’s premium sweet blend of Colombia, Brazil & Ethiopia. Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Butterscotch in the cup.
Guatemala Buena Suerte: Caturra, Catuai & Bourbon farm blend Arabica. Washed Process. Notes of Almond, Orange & Chocolate in the cup.
Peru El Palto: Caturra & Typica farm blend Arabicas. Washed Process. Notes of Apple, Honey, Lemon in the cup.
Brazil Yamava: Yellow Catuai single variety Arabica. Naturally processed. Cocoa Nibs, Red Apple & Hazelnut in the cup. 

About Badger & Dodo
badgeranddodo.ie
Australian Brock Lewin is the Badger in Badger & Dodo, Broc being Irish for badger. Brock first pulled a shot of coffee in 1993 while at Uni in Sydney but really came to terms with speciality coffee while living in Melbourne from 2005-08. He relocated to Fermoy, Co Cork, with his wife Claire and they established their roastery Badger & Dodo on Claire’s parents’ farm in July 2008. Dodo is the father-in-law! 

About Eight Degrees Brewing
eightdegrees.ie
Eight Degrees is an award-winning Irish microbrewery renowned for its innovation and experimentation. It was established in 2010 at the foot of the majestic Galtee mountains by Kiwi Scott and Aussie Cam, who were lured to Ireland by two Irish cailíns. The crew at Eight Degrees Brewing are passionate about producing exciting and adventurous beers using only natural ingredients. Sláinte! 

More information: www.eightdegrees.ie

Get social: Twitter: 8degreesbrewing  ¦ Facebook: eightdegreesbrewing  ¦ Instagram: eightdegreesbrewing 

Taste of the Week. Galtee Honey Farm Honeycomb

Taste of the Week

Galtee Honey Farm Honeycomb 

No problem finding a subject this week. Quite a few good things to be found in the food emporium of the Ballymaloe Craft Fair last week. And I was delighted to find this honeycomb from Galtee Irish Honey, our current and delicious Taste of the Week. Local and seasonal. “That is more or less the last of them, they are running out,” Aoife Mac Giolla Coda told. Their honey is 100% fresh floral honey from the Galtees.

Aoife runs the the Galtee Honey Farm, just off the R639 north east of Mitchelstown along with her father and founder Micheál who was also on duty in Ballymaloe. Bothe are both certified lecturers in beekeeping. Micheál is also a qualified honey judge, having judged in honey competitions and shows both nationally and internationally. Their honey is 100% fresh floral honey from the Galtees.

The farm, established in 1970, has some 170 hives in the Galtee Vee Valley stretching across Tipperary, Limerick and Cork. The bees collect from a variety of  fauna including blackberry blossom and clover. By the way, no need to keep your honey in the fridge; room temperature is fine and, by the way, while honey has many health-giving benefits, please note that is not suitable for children under 12 months.

Aoife and Micheál plan to have farm tours up and running next year and we’ll update you on that as soon as details are available.

Galtee Irish Honey Farm 

Burncourt

Cahir

Co. Tipperary

Killavullen Farmers Market, Sustainable Packaging Initiative. Remaining 2019 Market Dates

Bring your own bottle

Killavullen Farmers Market, Sustainable Packaging Initiative

Killavullen Farmers Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in Ireland so it is fitting that it should be leading the way in environmental initiatives too. We are encouraging all market goers to bring along their own containers, bags and boxes for produce bought at the market.

Be that fresh breads or doughnuts from El Door, locally grown fruit and vegetables from Mossie Buckley or Noreen O Brien you can bring your own bags and containers to cut down on waste. Our suppliers ideally try to use no packaging at all or if they have to, use recycled and recyclable packaging wherever we can. Maura's kitchen offer refunds on their Cordial and Cider vinegar bottles and will gladly take empty jar returns for their homemade jams and chutneys.

No plastic. Bring a bag or box or carton

Killavullen Farmers Market also runs a very successful buyers group where members can bulk purchase ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products. The buyers group also has a stall selling products, many which are sold on a refill basis, including cleaning products.

The café only uses mugs, no disposable cups here! The second hand bookshop offers great value and every type of book, €1 each or 3 for €2. Our arts and crafters utilise sustainable and recovered material such as old natural wood for Arthur Cronin’s incredible wood turning, Martin's stained glass ornaments, Betty’s bags and cushions! The list goes on and on!

Markets for the rest of the year

There are only three more markets remaining this year all on Saturdays, in the grounds of Nano Nagle Centre Killavullen. From 10.30am to 1pm on 30^th November and 14^th December and then our special Winter Solstice Christmas Market from 3-7pm on Saturday 21^st December.

Visit our facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/killavullenfarmersmarket/ or call Ciarán on 0863761816 for more information. If you are interested in having a stall please contact us too!

An October Wander in Mayo and Galway

An October Wander in Mayo and Galway

Afternoon near Letterfrack

Dozio & Pears in TIA

So here I am in Mayo, in Louisburgh to be precise, enjoying a delicious Swiss-Irish cheese in a lovely friendly Portuguese-Irish cafe. The cheese is called Dozio ( pronounced dots-i-o) and the café is called TIA. It is the last Friday in October, it is dull and showery, but I’m nice and cozy and enjoying the grub and the  lunchtime buzz.

TIA tiles

TIA, according to Google, means aunt in Portuguese and there is a family feel about the place, lots of school kids in either with a parent (maybe an auntie) or without and a fair bit of banter between the customers and the staff. And the food is local as exemplified by the board that says the lamb chops are PJ’s. They appear on the list of more substantial meals (more like your dinner).

We study the other board and order a couple of delicious salads. There is a Sourdough toast, honey roasted ham, Barr Rua cheese (also from Dozio), relish, salad and TIA crips. The potato, chorizo, kale and fried egg combination looks attractive, well priced at €8.50. All the dishes seem well-priced and all the food is sourced locally.

Achill Island

This section also details a Chicken, Mozzarella and Ciabatta salad; another salad of Sausage rasher, fried egg with Blaa; and a Vegetarian Burger with Sautéed potatoes, salads and pickles.

I go for the Warm Roast Pear Salad, Dozio Cheese and excellent homemade brown bread (12.00). Danilo Dozio and Helen Grady are making cheese in Mayo, using ancient recipes from Canton Ticino in the South of Switzerland. They make a few different varieties including the soft Zing (with apricot) that I so enjoyed with my salad. Meanwhile CL was loving the Warm Chicken salad, pickles, wedges and a Chilli Mayo (10.90). And it was two happy customers that left the Halloween decorated café to continue our journey to Clifden in the heart of Connemara.

The Breaffy House Hotel, our base for the middle night.

Our trip had started two days earlier near Ballina with a visit to relatives. Later that evening, we dined in the quirky Gallery Wine Bar in Westport, details at end. The following day, on the Thursday, we took up an invite to visit the Foxford Woollen Mills and its gorgeous revamped café. Terrific food here also from Chef Kathleen Flavin and you may read about the mill and the meal here…

The morning hadn’t been great but the sun was out and about as we left the mills and so we decided to head for Achill (a change of plan as we had been thinking of visiting the nearby National Museum featuring country living, our rainy day option). And quite a few stops were made and many photos taken as we made our way around the nearer loop (we didn’t go as far as Keem Bay), taking in the sights including the Grace O’Malley castle.

Superb burger, with local beef and bacon and topped with Dubliner cheese, at Oxtail in Balla.

That evening, we headed out to Balla for an excellent evening meal at the Oxtail Kitchen (you’ll find it above the Shebeen Pub on the main street). Here, Balla born Patrick McEllin and French lady Rebecca Miton, support local farmers and producers through the ever changing menu, a menu Patrick describes as classical with a modern twist. We certainly enjoyed our visit. Details also at end.

The following morning we met up with a friend of ours in Westport and enjoyed a chat and the coffee in Leafy Greens before heading west along the road to Louisburgh. First though, we stopped to see the impressive famine memorial in Newport and the horrors of the famine would again be in our minds as we headed to Leenane via the beautiful Doolough valley, haunting and maybe haunted by the happenings there during the famine, and now commemorated by a plain stone memorial as you go through the Doolough Pass. A yearly walk is held along this route in memory of the Doolough dead  of 1847 and to highlight the starvation of the world’s poor today. Otherwise though it is a lovely drive and a terrific cycle route (I’m told!).

Detail from the famine ship memorial in Muirisk

On then through some spectacular roads, including the final Sky Road, to Clifden. That night we would dine in the Marconi Restaurant in Foyle’s Hotel in a room whose decor recalls the exploits here of Marconi and also the story of Alcock and Browne. A good meal was followed (indeed accompanied) by pints of Bridewell, the local brew. Some excellent music in Mullarkey’s Bar meant a pleasant extension to the evening.

The famine memorial in the lovely Doo Lough Valley

Napoleon was all over the
place, even in the bathroom!

We spent the night in the Napoleon room of the quirky and hospitable, if expensive, Quay House, an 8-minute stroll from the town centre. The Quay, which closes up for the winter, has one of the brightest and well appointed breakfast rooms in the country, a conservatory room indeed and a breakfast to match.

Thus fortified, we started up the trusty Toyota and headed south, enjoying the benefit of the newly extended motorway, at least to Limerick. After that we drove through a lot of bends and a whole lot of broken promises by politicians before our home city came into sight.

 

Anyone for breakfast? The gorgeous conservatory at Clifden's Quay House.

Also on this visit:
Dinner and wine at Westport's Gallery
Foxford Woollen Mills: Visit and Lunch