Design Pop design & food festival returns August 28-30

Design Pop design & food festival returns August 28-30

SAVE THE DATE: DESIGN POP

AUGUST 28-30, 2020

Cork City

Locations: Thompson House, Elizabeth Fort, Emmett Place and Blackrock Castle

Cork’s new food and design festival returns for its second year, resilient, it adapts and adheres to the covid-19 restrictions 

3 design teams X 3 food producers = 3 pop-up pavilions

PLUS a pop-up Irish Design Shop, exhibitions, and talks from special guests

Following its hugely successful debut in Cork in Spring 2019, Design POP, Cork’s new forward-thinking design and food festival is gearing up to return from August 28^th-30^th, 2020.

Speaking about re-launching the 2020 edition, Festival Director Amy McKeogh, a Qualified Architect with a Master’s Degree from University College Cork, says: "I am really delighted that Design POP will happen this year. After months of careful deliberations, it was really important that we found a way to make it happen, even in our strange new reality amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The intention of Design POP has always been to celebrate the incredible talent in Architecture, Design, and Food/Drink producers in Ireland. It is more important than ever to celebrate creativity, collaboration, and the power of Local. This year's theme for the festival is Resilience, this theme will be explored through the pavilions, talks, and conversations, happening over the weekend.

Design POP's overall festival structure has been rearranged to ensure that all social distancing requirements are met, without sacrificing any of the amazing events, experiences, and interactions shared. This year's festival intends to bring Creativity, fun, and connection into Cork City, but from a safe distance."

For the amended 2020 edition, Design POP will bring together three top Irish design teams to create three pop-up installation structures, which will go on display in various outdoor locations across Cork city. Each designer is paired with a Cork-based food or drink producer to create a bespoke space which the public are invited to explore and interact with.

The new pairings for the 2020 festival are:

1. Ciarán Meade and Mark Cronin from Bobo’s Cafe team up with  computational designer Mark Horgan to create a pavilion at Elizabeth Fort.

2. The Crawford Gallery Café join forces with a collective of young Architects and Designers for a pavilion at Emmett place.

3. Blackrock Castle and Observatory team up with Cork Architectural School for a pavilion at Blackrock Castle.

The festival also boasts an impressive programme of talks, panel discussions, workshops and exhibitions, which will take place at the festival HQ, Thompson House, MacCurtain Street, allowing architects, creatives, food stylists, producers, designers, and artists, to discuss and showcase their work processes. Special guests will be revealed soon!

Thompson House will also be home to a pop-up Irish Design Shop for the duration of the festival. Showcasing some of Ireland’s best handcrafted textiles, prints, artworks and much more. 

The weekend is truly a celebration of innovation, creativity and Cork. Save the date: August 28-30^th, 2020. www.designpop.ie

Watch highlights from the 2019 event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NhdIPHmRY

Design Pop is generously supported by Cork City Council and the Cork Local Enterprise Office.

https://www.designpop.ie/

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To Øl City - A Brewer's Paradise

To Øl City - A Brewer's Paradise

A pilsner worth waiting for.

To Øl started life in 2005 when founders Tore Gynther and Tobias Emil Jensen “pirated” their high school kitchen facilities during closing hours and began turning it into a brewing lab.

It wasn’t until 2010 when they released their first commercial beer. They quickly gained attention and were named in the Top 100 breweries in the world in 2012 and in 2014 To Øl was awarded the world’s 9th best brewery. For a decade they operated as gypsy brewers, brewing their beers in other breweries with spare capacity, but they have now set up their own brewery in Zealand, Denmark, called To Øl City.

Like to take the brewery tour? Just click here. And, if you're a brewer, you may well get a chance to use the facilities. After all, Tore and Tobias were gypsy brewers themselves. 

Pronunciation "rough" guide for To Øl: An bhfuil tú ullamh? 

To Øl 45 Days Organic Pilsner 4.7%, 44cl can, Bradley's Cork

Showers of bubbles race up through the pale gold (slight haze) of this pilsner. And what a pilsner. Superbly fresh and clean as promised, well-flavoured too and absolutely refreshing. The slower the fermentation, the better a pilsner tastes, they say, and the proof is on any palate lucky enough to be washed in this beauty. Not sure I’ve tasted anything better in this style. Crisp, complex and golden - do watch out for it!

Lager is always the slow-coach in the brewery but this one, the fourth product in their new Core Range, is an authentic German Pilsner, lagered for 45 days at -1 degree Celsius. It is also organic and the malts used are Organic Chit, Organic Golden Light and Organic Pilsner.

To Øl City Session IPA 4.5%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

This Danish Indian Pale Ale is a “New England style thirst quencher for the hop-heads” in disguise. It has a pale gold colour and is cloudy; white head vanishes quickly. Aromas are mild, slight citrus and floral notes in there. On the palate it is crisp, with juicy exotic fruit, before a quite dry and refreshing finish. Named after the new brewhouse To Øl City (Tool city, I think!), this is certainly easy-drinking and one (or two) for a session, in the city or elsewhere.

They say: “In the land of Denmark and small town of Svinninge, To Øl City is our new home. The vision is to brew the best beers in the world, and build a craft beverage hub of diverse and talented producers….the industrial rhythm of progress pulsating beneath our feet - as all the creative minds get together over the kettle once again to brew up something special.”

The hops are Mosaic while the hops line-up is Carahell, Flaked Oats, Golden Promise, Pilsner and Wheat.  A terrific combination and well worth looking out for.

To Øl City “House of Pale” Pale Ale 5.5%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

A step up in alcohol for the Pale Ale but the colour and the head is much the same as the Session. A little more hop in the aromas. More flavour and less crisp but as they say themselves come here to “get your full-bodied juicy fix”.  That smoothness shows a lot of malt but the hops is not shy either and that juicy stuff is a treat. Put this on your short list for sure.

They say: House Of Pale is one of the recipes we’ve taken from our beloved mad laboratory (brewpub!) in Copenhagen, BRUS. It’s seen many changes and tweaks over this year, experimenting with hop doses and overall ‘crispiness’ - and now we’re pretty sure we’ve got exactly what we’ve been looking for. 

Hops in the ale are Mosaic and Simcoe while the long line of malts consist of Chit Malt, Flaked Oats, Golden Naked Oats, Melanoidin, and Pilsner.

To Øl Whirl Domination IPA 6.2%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

To Øl are going for world domination with this IPA, the first to be brewed in their shiny new brewhouse. Colour is a lemon/yellow, with a thin white head that has more staying power than you’d expect. Aromas are hoppy and citrusy and there’s more of the same on the smooth palate. 

The word “extreme” is used as regards the amount of hops used in it yet the hops, while certainly evident, are moderately intense. Just to be clear, the hops come through, no mistaking the Simcoe, with its exotic citric fruitiness. Overall the IPA is quite exquisite, a very enjoyable drink indeed, right the way through to a lip-smacking finish. 

So much so that you can see how To Øl hope to make this one of their core beers. “We pushed the hops to the limit, packing in as much aroma as possible to this fresh beauty. Thus begins a new era of our hoppy world domination - drink it, and embrace the future.” The hops, by the way, are added not early on but at the “whirlpool” phase, hence the name.

CORK FAMILIES ASKED TO JOIN SEARCH FOR IRELAND’S BEST BANANA BREAD RECIPE

CORK FAMILIES ASKED TO JOIN SEARCH FOR IRELAND’S BEST BANANA BREAD RECIPE  

 

Donal Skehan's happy with this one!

With home baking one of the most popular activities enjoyed by families in recent times – and banana bread one of the most sought-after recipes – it is not surprising that a call would go out inviting mums, dads and children throughout Cork and beyond to join in a search to find Ireland’s best banana bread recipe.

Behind it is Ireland’s well-known television chef, Donal Skehan whose programmes are a favourite amongst viewers and wannabe cooks. Backed by Fyffes, the purpose is to discover some of the hidden ingredients and secrets that make baking banana bread so popular.

Reward will go to the overall winner and best junior baker with recognition for originality in a number of other areas. Entries open from July 20th - 27th with results to be announced on July 31st. Details online at www.fyffes.com/news/article/fyffes-great-banana-bread-bake-off #FyffesGBBBO

Press release

press release

NEW IRISH WHISKEY ‘RED EARL’ LAUNCHED

The first in Kinsale Spirit Company’s ‘Battle of Kinsale’ series of Whiskeys

The men behind the Earl: Colin Ross, Tom O’Riordan, and Ernest Cantillon 

Following the fight for freedom from the Crown at The Battle of Kinsale, 1601, seeking aid from allies in Spain, Red Hugh O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, was murdered by an Anglo-Irish double agent and buried near Rioja. Red Earl Irish Whiskey, a tribute to his story, is first aged in bourbon, then sherry, and finally matured in Rioja casks. Triple-casking delivers roundness of flavour, lengthy finish, and an exceptional aroma.

Red Earl displays vibrant fruity notes on both the nose and palate. Aroma wise, expect subtle hints of cherry, strawberry, rose petal, and citrus, layered on top of marzipan, almond and oak notes. The taste delivers satisfying blends of caramel, vanilla and toasted almonds, complimented by delightful notes of cinnamon and clove, typical of spicy riojas.

This impeccable premium Irish whiskey has a medium-bodied mouthfeel that ends in a long, warm, and moreish finish. It’s distinctive in that it is one of the first Irish whiskeys to use Rioja casks in the maturing process, which gives the liquid a wonderful colour, reminiscent of a fine Rose wine, and its unique taste profile.

Vivacious and passionate, Red Earl is to be enjoyed and savoured with good Irish “craic”, on its own, or with ice, or perhaps as part of a spritzer.

Red Earl premium Irish Whiskey is launched by Cork’s Kinsale Spirit Company - co-founded by Ernest Cantillon, Colin Ross, and Tom O’Riordan - all current or ex-publicans who have spent their lifetimes serving drink and building extensive experience in the hospitality and beverage sectors.

Other drinks in their portfolio include the popular small batch, premium Kinsale Gin. Red Earl is the first of the company’s ‘Battle of Kinsale’ series of whiskeys. The company is currently building a new distillery in Kinsale, Co. Cork, due to open in 2021, so we can expect much more to come from this Cork company.

Speaking about his new venture, publican and entrepreneur Ernest Cantillon says: “We were nervous about launching a new product during such an uncertain period, but to be honest it has hit the ground running. Local support has been phenomenal, and we have our first export order, several thousand bottles, heading to China next week.”

Red Earl Whiskey is available to purchase at Bradleys, North Main Street, Cork, 1601 in Kinsale, Co. Cork, irishmalts.com, erinhampers.com, and via their own website www.kinsalespirit.com, with new outlets being added each day.

Delicious Duo From The Blaye Countryside By the Gironde Estuary

Fine Red And White Duo From Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Les Cousines” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2017, 12.5%, Mary Pawle Wines

Colour of this one hundred per cent Merlot is mid to dark ruby. Raspberry along with plum and black cherry are among the aromas (hint of clove too) and also appear in the mouth. Quite smooth and rounded and a fair bit of acidity too makes this a lively and flexible companion at the table. Soft tannins and a soft finish as well. This easy drinking wine, aromatic and fruity, is Very Highly Recommended. A great match with lamb dishes.

Blaye wines, as if they aren’t deemed good enough, are often forgotten about when discussing Bordeaux. It's all too easy to consign an area to the also-rans with a generalisation. Yet, as Clive Coates said in his Wines of Bordeaux (2004), “Generalisations..can be quickly exploded by samples”. And Les Cousines is both a sample and an excellent example of the very good in this particular area.

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Le Blanc Bonhomme” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €24.90 Mary Pawle

I tend to like my Bordeaux whites better if there’s plenty of Semillon in the blend and that is the case here, fifty/fifty with Sauvignon Blanc. The classic Bordeaux white will contain at least 25 percent Sauvignon Blanc, to ensure a certain aromatic freshness. For a richer style, a higher proportion of Semillon is used. Muscadelle is the third possible grape in the blend but many Bordeaux whites do not include it.

Bright straw is the colour of this biodynamic wine. Modest aromatics with delicate floral notes. Nothing shy about the flavours though with a ripe citrus spearheading the rich progress on the palate, excellent mouthfeel too. Persistent fruity finish too, drier towards the finalé. Well made (it has been 40% barrel fermented), well balanced, delicious and Highly Recommended. 

Well done again to Guillaume Hubert and his team here. And, speaking of recommendations, the suggested food pairings are Foie gras ravioli, marinated trout, cooked cheeses.

If you’re among the many Irish that have holidayed in or near Royan, then you’ve probably come across the wines of Blaye on sale in markets and so on on that side of the Gironde estuary. Blaye has a gentle rolling pastoral landscape while neighbouring Bourg  is more hilly.

The vineyard has been biodynamic since 2000, pruning in double guyot, spontaneous winter grassing, tillage in spring. Treatments combining Bordeaux mixture in small quantities with herbal teas such as horsetail and nettle are used.

Amuse Bouche

There is also something between natural and commercial, and that is conventional wine making. Many wonderful wines are made this way, perhaps too controlled to be included in this book, more concerned about being “correct” than working within the parameters of natural, but please understand that not all “other” wines are industrial wines.

from Natural Wine for the People by Alice Feiring (2019). Very Highly Recommended.

Eggs are special at Good Day Deli which is itself rather special!

Eggs are special at Good Day Deli which is itself rather special!

Smoked Beetroot Benny

Lots of good things on the menu at Good Day Deli. Claire and Mak source the very best of organic and sustainable. One of the current highlights is the beetroot from Kilbrack Farm, another the raspberries (you all know about the strawberries) from Bushby’s in Rosscarbery. 

But it was one of the more regular daily items that made my taste buds sit up and take notice the other morning as we tucked in our breakfast (reservation required). The humble eggs. Okay, you might say, an egg is an egg. But please go and treat yourself to the eggs here. Organic of course and a decent size as well. But the flavour and texture take these to a different level entirely. These are up there with the very best*. Just goes to underline that while all organic eggs are free-range, not all free-range eggs are organic**. 

Smoked Salmon Benny

If you are in for breakfast or brunch, then you’ll have multiple opportunities to try the eggs. We had quite a choice last Wednesday and I picked GDD Smoked Beetroot Benny (14.75) and it consisted of Hayley’s Tea Smoked Organic Beetroot, sautéed organic kale, with two of those delicious organic poached eggs, plus Hollandaise on sourdough toast, topped with Hazelnut Dukkah.

Quite a plateful, full of colour and texture and deliciousness. That smoked beetroot had a trace of sweetness about it, the sourdough was perfectly toasted for those of us with teeth in the “veteran” stage while those magnificent eggs benefited from the scattering of Dukkah, all perfectly cooked and presented.

Enjoyed a bottle of the lovely Mealagulla apple juice with that and CL picked the same drink. Her choice was the Good Day Deli Smoked Salmon Benny (15.00). Again, GDD go for the best and that Hederman’s Irish Organic Smoked salmon was joined on the plate by a pair of those eggs, topped with Hollandaise, toasted seeds and leafy greens on sourdough toast. The outstanding salmon was in quite small bite sized pieces - no need to go cutting - and the whole plate was another harmonious offering.

Quite a few choices on the morning menu, actually an all day menu as it is available until 4.00pm. Next time, I’m going for the Island Bay Huevos Rancheros (lightly spiced organic beans topped with two organic fried egg on Blanco Nino corn tacos, with fresh tomato salsa, sour cream and leafy greens. Reckon that would keep me happy for the day!

Clare was happy too as she greeted us at the door: “Great to have people back in the restaurant.” And she was looking forward to seeing even more there at the weekend when their new 4-person gazebos will make their debut.

We are still in these Covid19 days so hands were sanitised at the door and then we were soon seated and the menu is accessible through the QR-code on the tabletop. Contactless payment is taken at the table and then you exit by the other door. All simple enough and plenty of space between the tables.  Clare and Kristin (“Mak) and staff are really on the ball here and we had a very comfortable experience overall. 

By the way, they intend to continue their lovely Kete Kai Box delivery service, especially for those who may not be able to visit in person for whatever reason.

Kete Kai Box, delivered to your door!

• Connolly Eggs - their hens must be on a great and varied diet - are listed among their July suppliers here https://www.gooddaydeli.ie/suppliers

** Check out this Examiner article on organic and free range eggs here https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/farming/oliver-moore-organic-eggs-better-than-free-range-793639.html

The Quart of Ale± #1. A magic Imperial Stout + Radler. Red. Sour.

A Quart of Ale± #1. A magic Imperial Stout + Radler. Red. Sour. 

Today sees the beginning of a new series on beer. I'll be doing the best I can to cover a broad range but, if I'm missing out on your brewery, just let me know. While the focus will be mainly on Irish craft beers (and ciders), I'll also dip into the best of imports. Today's selection roams over the range, from Lough Gill's stunning Imperial Stout to the fun summer-time Radler by Blacks. Yellow Belly make excellent sours while the Red Ale comes from Wicklow's Wolf brewery.

Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%, 440ml can, Bradley’s

Well, well, well. This is amazing, especially on the palate. Smooth and packed with chocolate and coffee flavours along with fruit and spice. And it just goes on and on, the finalé every bit as delicious as the initial encounter. It’s black, with an ephemeral coffee coloured head. Coffee in the rich aromas  also but quite a touch of herb and spice also. 

Can this is the dark Irish beer your mother didn’t tell you about? Dark Majik is an Irish beer that could give the high abv Belgians a run for their money. And it is craft brewed in their independent brewery in Sligo. 

Unlike the Belgians, Lough Gill do not suggest food pairings. I was thinking Sticky Toffee Pudding but none on hand when you need it! Instead, I raided the cupboard and found exactly what I was looking for, unsulphured dried apricots that I got from West Cork Olives via Neighbourfood, and they paired very well indeed.

They say: A true beer for royalty. Big bold chocolate coffee aromas, with a multitude of fruit and spices. A bold yet silky smooth texture with flavours ranging from chocolate and coffee to raisins and anise. With a hearty 11% abv this beer is sure to keep you warm from top to toe. 

It does all that but think it may be wasted on royalty. Pour it for the people. And for yourself, of course!

You’ll see the term Imperial used on most high alcohol beers, as is the case here. Imperial stouts, according to Craft Beer for the People, “have a typically high success rate when aged; their flavours become more relaxed and verge into sweeter milk chocolate, dried figs or other fruit, or a deeply roasted coffee.” They could well be talking about this one by James Ward and his Lough Gill team. 

Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%, 440ml can, Bradley’s

Yellow Belly like their sours, so be prepared!

Cloudy light amber is the colour. Not so much fruit in the aromas; yeast seems to be the main element. Once it reaches the palate though, the face puckers as promised and the Belgian malts, aided by the passionfruit sweetness, begin to calm it all down a bit. Just a little bit! This is after all a sour, and a pretty good one at that. Quite a thirst-quencher!

They say: The perfect sour. Our house Berliner Weisse recipe (soured with our, continuously evolving, barrel stored lactobacillus culture) conditioned on a small tropical islands worth of passionfruit. Expect a lovely fruity aroma, more fruit on the tongue, and even more fruit on the finish all rounded with a gentle acidity from the souring process. Brewed with only the finest Belgian malts and our House Lactobacillus Culture under the careful watch of our Head Brewer, Declan Nixon.

It is a Seasonal Beer – mostly found during the Summer months, but from time to time as a limited release. It is unfiltered and not pasteurised.

So, what is a sour? It is perhaps the style of beer most likely to put someone off with a single sip. But, according to Craft Beer for the People, “they are hugely rewarding for those who can get past the initial shock.” Think of lemons, sauerkraut, pickles and Citrus Pressé (the French non-alcoholic thirst quencher) as that essential first step. “Once you gain a taste for them (sours)…. there’s no going back!”

All the artwork you see across our Tap Badges and Cans features our fictional hero ‘YellowBelly’. He’s the “Dr. Who” of Beer; travelling through time and space to find new recipes, discover ingredients and to fight the bad guys trying to destroy good beer. Our Creative Director, Paul Reck, creates all the artwork and is the mastermind behind our ‘YellowBelly Tales’ Comic Book Series, which can read for free on the site.

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Black’s Brewery Ready Up! Radler 3.8%, 440 can, Bradley’s 

So many of you will want to know what is a Radler? It is German for “cyclist") and the style has a long history in German-speaking regions. It commonly consists of a 50:50 mixture of beer and sparkling lemonade. Here the lemonade is replaced by pink grapefruit soda; I’m not too sure about the 50:50 though!

Radler is quite similar to our shandy. Its origin in Germany goes back about 100 years when a long bicycle trail from Munich ended up at a tavern in the woods. On one exceptionally busy day, the landlord was afraid he wouldn’t have enough beer so he “stretched” his stock by blending it with lemon soda and found he had a hit on his hands!

Black’s Radler is bright amber, lots of bubbles rising up to the rapidly thinning white head. The grapefruit introduces itself in the aromas.  The beer is light and crisp on the palate, and also reminds me of the many juicy sweets (Quenchers? Opal Fruits?) I enjoyed years ago. Quite a lip-smacking dry finish from this handy summer-time thirst quencher.

They say: Just in time for summer, this traditional German style is a refreshing blend of lager and pink grapefruit soda. Crisp, light and fruity with a lower abv for those long summer days at home.

Wicklow Wolf “Wildfire” Hoppy Red Ale 4.6%,  440ml can, O'Briens Wine

Dark amber’s the colour here, with an off white head doesn’t last too long. Malty and coffee in the aromas. More malty in the mouth, with the “tasty” hop blend of Sorachi and Sabro also getting in their say, a rather mild one to be honest.

Touted as a modern red ale, I’m quite pleased with it and would love to to try it in a direct joust with other reds like Roaring Ruby (from West Cork Brewing), Kinnegar’s Devil’s Backbone, Copper Coast (from Dungarvan Brewing), White Gypsy’s Ruby Red, Sunburnt Irish (8 Degrees), Costello’s Red Ale and more (including the newish Velvet Red by the Cotton Ball). Could be a long session. And I’d need food as well!

Taste of the Week. Coolea Irish Farmhouse Cheese

Taste of the Week

Coolea Irish Farmhouse Cheese

In 1979, Helena Willems, longing for the cheese she'd known at home in Holland as she couldn't find anything like it here at their new home in Ireland, took out a little pot and began experimenting in the kitchen.

Encouraged, she took it a bit further and now Coolea cheese is a big name and much of the output is sold at the famous Neal's Yard in London while in Ireland Sheridan’s are the major customer.

The cheese was to be called Milleens after the local townland but that was knocked on the head as the Steeles, further west on the Beara peninsula and living in a townland of the same name, had just started making a cheese called Milleens. And so the Coolea brand was born.

It is firm and smooth, a pressed uncooked Gouda style cheese. Early on the flavours are caramel, nutty and floral but they become more robust as time goes on, sweeter if anything and still carrying traces of its delicate youth. A gorgeous cheese and well worth watching out for. Very suitable for cooking and indeed is ideal for melting

I am enjoying a wedge of Coolea at the moment. This is matured, is sweeter than in its young mild and creamy phase, and it is Taste of the Week. Was part of my order to Margo Ann in the English Market's Roughty Foodie and delivered to the door with a lot of other great Irish produce.