Dr Trouble Sauces Are Addictive! Enhances your food and doesn't overpower

Dr Trouble Sauces Are Addictive!

Complements your food and doesn't overpower.

Could your BBQ skills do with an upgrade? Fed up of the same old chicken wings? The same old nuts with your beer? Boring breakfasts? You need Dr Trouble. He’ll even give your Bloody Mary a lift.

Dr Trouble is a sauce, a hot one. So what? You might say. As I did, when I got two small sample bottles in the post. After all, I think I’m not the only one with old sauce bottles, half-empty ones, in the back of the cupboard.

But I gave them a try and can say, having tried it with two simple recipes from their Facebook page, that Dr. Trouble is like no other sauce in this very competitive market segment. It is rich, vibrant and packed with flavour. It is not screaming hot and when used in the cooking comes out very balanced indeed, adding a smooth kick without the pain! It enhances rather than overpowers!

Warm sun ripened, organic, fresh lemons give more juice... 4 juicy, organic lemons inside every small 250ml bottle 

It is a blend of 25% Bird’s eye chilli, mango masala and bursting with full-bodied flavour, delivering a clean lemon, smoke filled hit. I’ll let Dr Trouble tell you the details:

“We produce the only commercial chilli sauce on the market using 100% pure, freshly-squeezed lemon juice.

· 120 YEAR OLD RECIPE 

· EACH BOTTLE TAKES BETWEEN 60-90 DAYS TO CREATE 

· VEGAN

· NO VINEGAR

· 100% ORGANIC & NATURAL INGREDIENTS

· LOCALLY AND ETHICALLY SOURCED 

· FULLY & REGULARLY TESTED FOR ALLERGENS

· NO CONCENTRATES OR ARTIFICIAL COLOURS

· NO PRESERVATIVES” 

Don't forget to use the
discount code at bottom if ordering

This all happens on Chingoma Farm, near Guruve Zimbabwe. Here the mix is allowed stand in large bottles in the sun for between 60 to 90 days. This slow process allows full infusion of the flavours with the fresh lemon juice...creating the tangy unique taste of Dr Trouble sauces.

Albert (Albi) Oberholzer, who represents Dr Trouble in Ireland and the UK from his base in Belfast, told me the ingredients are natural spices, salt, lemon juice and chillies. The salt is sourced locally from the Kgalagadi salt pans in Botswana.

“The method involves preparing the ingredients and then leaving the mixture to ‘mature’ out in the sun in a glass bottle. The lemons and chillies are traded from the local tribes in the area - who were introduced to lemons by the missionaries for medical properties and cleaning applications.The tribes grow chilli bushes among their crops to deter wild animals - chillis were introduced by the neighbouring Portuguese through Mozambique who traded into Africa with Arabs for ivory and other such materials at the turn of the 18th century”.

“The father of Robert (Rob) Fletcher (Albi’s partner) found the recipe about 50 years ago among his grandfather’s belongings and they have been making the chilli sauce on the farm for the family, friends and neighbours. Rob commercialised the sauce over the last 7 years and we worked on it over the last 3 years to get it to UK & EU standard.”

“It’s perfect with, chicken, lamb, steak and often game meat as well as sides include anything from potato bakes to corn on the cob – we think it’s the most versatile sauce on the planet. Wherever you need a little acidity, heat, smoke and depth – Dr Trouble will lift your grilling game.”

Hot wings 

These didn't last too long!

The first recipe that we tried is a quick and ultra-tasty version of the hot wing! Chef Nyasha Mangwiro came up with the idea and it is fairly simple.

Pat dry your wings, sprinkle some sea salt on them and prepare the marinade.

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The marinade is Oregano, thyme, pepper and grated garlic, combine with your favourite Dr. Trouble sauce (either sauce is fine but I used the lemon). (By the way, this marinade is key, the ingredients so well chosen to pair with the sauce.)

Coat the wings in the sauce, then let them soak up the flavor in the fridge for 30 mins or best left overnight if you have the patience!

Then simply sprinkle with some oil and drop into a hot oven until crispy. If you’re outdoors, just add to the BBQ for an insanely tasty snack. 

Best beer nuts on the planet 

This second recipe is even easier.

Totally vegan, spicy, organic and all you need to snack on any time of the day.

They call them Trouble Nuts! I have to agree. The trouble is, you can't stop eating them!

1 -Spread your favourite nuts onto a baking sheet evenly.

2 -Just sprinkle your choice of Dr Trouble onto the nuts and stir.

3- Pre-heat the oven to 140-160 degrees, bake for 30 minutes until the sauce dries and coats the nuts. Then stir them up to bake the other side.

4- Sprinkle with flaked sea salt to your taste. Dust with Cayenne pepper if you’re feeling spicy!

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Lemon, smoke, spice and a little heat on cashews, so simple to create and did not last long! Perfect for the weekend or any beer night. Click on blue paragraph headings for more details on recipes.

Dr. Trouble sauce is not like any other, its rich, vibrant and packed with taste. They say it's like an 18 year old malt though it reminded me, at least though the aromas, of an aged Oloroso. And if you are cooking indoors, those aromas are gorgeous as they drift through the open doors!

Like to try these premium sauces? Dr Trouble are working on obtaining local stockists but you can order from the website  https://drtroublesauce.co.uk Be sure and use the discount code corkbilly when ordering!

New microbrewery in Cork + Wines Direct + SuperValu cheers #15

New microbrewery in Cork + Wines Direct + SuperValu, and more on wine, spirits and beer in Cheers #15 South of France! with Wines Direct

Do you love Bordeaux wines but not always the price? Look no further than the South of France. The combination of terroir and unique varieties result in wines rivalling those of Bordeaux — both in quality and price. The South West of France stretches from the southern edge of Bordeaux right down as far as the Pyrenees. It may not be the most recognized wine region, but it is an absolute treasure trove of hidden gems. The scenery is not bad either – vineyards and lush forest with winemaking as a way of life.  Check out the case (6 and 12 bottle) here.

SUPERVALU HALF PRICE Wine Sale*
13th to 26th August

*Selected Wines only

NOW €7.49

MONTEMAR RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

was €14.99 Save €7.50

NOW €8.49

EXCELLENCE SAINT CHINIAN 75cl

was €16.99 Save €8.50

NOW €8

BLOSSOM HILL SPARKLING ROSÉ

75cl was €18.99 Save €10.99

NOW €7.99 EACH was €15.99 Save €8

• WILLOW HILL CHARDONNAY 75cl
• SAN VALENTINO PINOT GRIGIO 75cl
• EDEN LODGE OLIPHANTS RIVER
• VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

NOW €8.99 EACH was €17.99 Save €9

• CASTILLO DE ALBAI CRIANZA 75cl
• LA CHÂSSE BLASON D’OR COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES 75cl
• PABLO OLD VINE GARNACHA 75cl
• REY DE COPAS GRAN RESERVA 75cl
• CUVEE LE JOUR ET LA NUIT CARIGNAN 75cl
• CEPAS PRIVADAS MALBEC 75cl

NOW €9.99

SAMMICHELI CHIANTI RESERVA 75cl

was €19.99 Save €10

NOW €12.99

GRAN TROYA CAVA BRUT 75cl

was €26 Save €13.01

Other great offers

€8

ARESTI BELLAVISTA CHARDONNAY 75cl

was €12.99 Save €4.99

€8

COMBEVAL IGP COTES DE GASCOGNE 75cl

was €11.99 Save €3.99

€8

BODEGA SAN TELMO SAUVIGNON BLANC 75cl

was €10.99 Save €2.99

€15

FINCA LABARCA GRAN RESERVA RIOJA 75cl

was €19.99 Save €4.99

€13

LANGHORNE CREEK ZINFANDEL 75cl

was €15.99 Save €2.99

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New Microbrewery and Restaurant Open in Cork

Thompsons Restaurant & Microbrewery in MacCurtain Street, Cork!! 😁 Have a sneak peek inside through the tallest chimney in Cork while we prepare to open our doors on Thursday 6th August! More details here!❤

Bookings are now open at thompsonscork.ie 🥳🥳

Mo

Did you know that McConnell’s Irish Whisky was the first ever recorded Irish Whisky Brand in Northern Ireland. From 1776 to today, it’s had its ups and downs, but who doesn’t love a good comeback story. More here.

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Bright, bold and full of personality, Shiraz is one of Australia’s most established and loved varieties. It is grown by 4 out of 5 wineries and represents nearly half of Australia’s red wine grape plantings. Read our Market Bulletin to discover the latest data and trends for Australian Shiraz. Read more here.

A Quart of Ale± #5. Moving on over to craft with lager.

A Quart of Ale± #5

Moving on over to craft. Via Lager

Lagers are a joy to drink but tough to brew. According to the Brewdog book, Craft Beer for the People, there are four sub-styles: Lager (like the four reviewed below), Kölsch, Vienna Lager, and Saison.

Perhaps the first lager, I ever drank was Carling Black Label.  If I remember rightly, in the early-mid 60s, you’d pay one shilling and four pence for a bottle, about the same price as a packet of ten cigarettes. You’d have a pretty good night out for one pound (apparently about 20 euro in today’s terms - looks like the 60s weren’t too bad after all).

Year by year, with TV advertising hitting increasingly strongly, with the likes of Carling’s Mabel and Harp’s Sally O’Brien, we were drinking mostly “big” beer, big bad beer such as horrible Harp and Tennents. There were various ales too, including Watneys and its dimpled pint glass. 

On and on it went but bit by bit, I wanted something else (I was happy enough with the stouts available), and just gradually got fed up of one lager after another, hopping back to the first one for a few weeks, then onto another one and so on..

At some point, I stumbled across some German and Czech beers, mostly in bottle but do remember getting Staropramen on draught in the Woodford (Cork) or maybe the Paul Street bar was called something else then. Staropramen and other Czechs such as the Bud below were creeping in here and there and you could eventually get a selection in bottle and on draught in the Bierhaus.

And around the same time along came Franciscan Well and the new wave of craft beers. Lager was no longer a priority as we were eased into a whole new world of flavour via Blarney Blonde and Rebel Red, a brave new world and, eventually, new modern lagers as well. 

We’ll get to the newer ones soon but, for old times’ sake, we’ll start with a Czech and a German that helped me on my way.

Budejovicky Budvar Original Czech Lager 5.0%, 50cl bottle, Bradley’s of Cork

Budejovicky Budvar is the last of the state-owned breweries in the Czech Republic. Budvar is a beer for light beer lovers. High quality top-quality Saaz hops, pure clean natural water from 300-metre deep artesian wells and carefully selected grains of a unique cultivar of Moravian barley “make the premium lager a drink for real beer experts”.

It’s a pale amber colour in the glass with constant fountains of bubbles rising to the top. Head is soft and white and retention is decent enough and the aromas are mildly hoppy. 

Very refreshing drink with some mild bitterness and, for many, a big step away from mass-produced lagers. Another Czech lager I’d have been trying at the time was Staropramen (now owned by Moulton Coors). 

Budejovicky is quite a superb lager, the original Bud, and there’s been many a court case about the name between the small Czech and huge US brewery. Interestingly, the German name of the Czech town of Budějovice is Budweiser. 

What you need to know and probably do is that the American version is a copy of the Czech beer and a dumbed down copy at that according to this article. You can check it out for yourself in a head to head. For me though, my order would be two pints of Budějovice and none of the other. Score: 2-0. At least!

Weihenstephaner Original Helles 5.1%, 0.5l bottle, Bradley’s of Cork

A light amber, even lighter than the Bud, and less bubbles also. White head doesn’t hang about. Delicate aromas but strong and clean on the palate. Another refreshing drink from the oldest still existing brewery in the world. The IBU figure, not given on all beers, is a modest 21. They also do a non-alcoholic version.

Again, like many of the continental beers, the brewery comes up with a food pairing. Here they recommended Rump steak with marinade and give you the recipe as well. Check it out here.

Almost a thousand years ago the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan was the monastery brewery of the Benedictine monks. Then, the Royal Bavarian State Brewery stepped in and it is now operating as a state directed enterprise under the control of the Bavarian Government.

The White Hag RÓC Helles Style Lager, 4.5%, 440ml can, Bradleys of Cork

Enjoyed this one, a lager of the modern kind, a few weeks ago. Light gold, slightly hazy, is the colour, a host of bubbles rising. The big fluffy head is rather short-lived. Aromas are restrained, just a subtle hint of the hops. Very pleasant in the mouth, easy drinking and well balanced to the lip-smacking finish. Light and refreshing they say. Light and refreshing it is. A flavoursome thirst-quencher indeed. IBU is 22.

The Helles style originated in Bavaria (Germany) apparently and this characterful example is one of the best Irish efforts that I’ve tasted. You’ll also see beers designated as Munich lagers, more or less the same thing as Munich is the capital of Bavaria.

Elbow Lane “Elbow” Lager, 4.4%, 500ml bottle, Bradleys of Cork

Once Covid19 struck, we had to go into the “cocoon”. So who would deliver food to us? Along came Neighbourfood, much to our relief and to that of many small producers and market traders who supplied it. My first order included a few beers from local Cork brewer Elbow Lane and very impressive they were, particularly the Pale Ale and the IPA.

And now to the lager, probably closer to the Czech and German versions than any of the others. The micro-brewery, in a small space above the Elbow Lane Smokehouse, brews according to the principles of German purity and “we formulated the beers specifically to work with the food we (the Market Lane group) offer in our five restaurants.”

All the beers are named after medieval lanes in the city, the lager after Elbow Lane itself. It is a mid-gold colour with a modest head, a head that has more staying power than most. The very modest aromas reveal little. There is a surprising tartness as it hits the palate - remember they are gearing this towards dining in their restaurants - and you can see that this lager, quite a distinctive drink, will score well with lighter dishes, including Asian. We certainly enjoyed it, on draught, with Pan Fried Monkfish on a pre-Covid visit to Goldies.

They say: This continental style lager is particularly refreshing and owes its flavour to Pilsner and Munich malts and Noble hop varieties imported from Germany and the Czech republic.

Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper

Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Offering a taste of Tipperary to the nation of Ireland, The Tipperary Food Producers, a network of Tipperary’s artisan food and beverage producers has launched a new “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper in conjunction with Hampers & Co, Ireland’s leading luxury hamper company which was founded in Tipperary in 1993. 

The luxury hamper features products from ten Tipperary producers, with many award-winning products among the selection. 

Creating a Tipperary Hamper offering has been a goal of the Tipperary Food Producers said Con Traas, Chairman of the network which was established in 2008. Commenting, Con said, “We are delighted to launch our first ‘Taste of Tipperary’ hamper and to share some of the fantastic food and beverage products produced here in Tipperary. As a network, we have discussed on many occasions about creating a Tipperary hamper offering, available year-round. I guess you could say that the recent lockdown has given us that extra “push” to get this initiative up and running and we are thrilled to be working with Hampers & Co on this Tipperary collaboration. We are very proud of our homegrown produce here in Tipperary and we hope that everyone can enjoy a taste of Tipperary no matter where they are in the country.”

With something for everyone to enjoy in the hamper, products include; The Apple Farm – Con’s Apple Cider; 3 Men in a Trailer - Artisan Ketchup; Cooleeney Farmhouse Cheese; Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers - Cashel Blue Cheese; Crossogue Preserves Chutney; Vera Miklas Freeze Dried Strawberries; Rivesci’s Cashew Chilli Crush; Irish Hedgerow, Elderflower Refresher drink; Galtee Honey Farm, Wildflower Honey and Ayle Farm’s homemade granola. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Thurles native Emer Purcell and founder of Hampers & Co said, “I am very proud to partner with the Tipperary Food Producers to create this wonderful Hamper. Since I established Hampers & Co over 27 years ago, I have featured many products from Tipperary’s food producers in our hampers and they have always been much loved by everyone. When the opportunity came around to collaborate with the Tipperary Food Producers to create ‘A Taste of Tipperary’, I jumped at the chance. It’s great to reconnect with my home county and to celebrate Tipperary’s wealth of artisan food and beverage producers.”

The “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper is €70 and for more information and to purchase visit www.tipperaryfoodproducers.ie or hampersandco.com

Ellen’s Kitchen. A firm favourite with Cobh locals and visitors.

Ellen’s Kitchen. A firm favourite

 with Cobh locals and visitors.

It was a miserable wet day when we called to Ellen’s Kitchen in Cobh last week. Normally it’s sunny and you see the colourful café on the way in to the attractive town and you spot the customers through the large glass windows.

Looks like a friendly place from the outside. And it is; a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Lots of chatting going on and I’m reminded of the song from Cheers: Where Everybody Knows Your Name. And sure enough, within minutes, we know our server’s name and she knows ours!

Ellen's is a trained chef with over 20 years culinary experience. Breakfast, lunch, and Weekend Brunch menus with an array of freshly made savouries, salads and home-baking daily are on offer here. And there’s always callers for their takeout service as well.

Lunch starts around the 12.30pm mark and the big blackboard menu was going up as we arrived. We had quite a choice including Homemade Beef-burger with Ballymaloe Relish; Pan-fried Tiger Prawns and chorizo salad; Sweet Chilli Chicken Goujons Wrap with Mozzarella; plus freshly made sambos and wraps; quiche, sausage rolls, more; and a big selection of cakes!

CL picked the Piri Piri chicken flatbread with Sriracha Mayo, Roasted peppers, rocket salad and a bunch of chunky fries. Quite a plateful, neatly presented, for 11 euro.

Meanwhile I was happily making my tasty way through The Ballycotton Smoked Salmon Frittata with two homemade salads, quite an enjoyable plateful, again priced at 11 euro. And I did give herself a hand by sharing her fries! 

Anyone for chocolate?

Nothing cutting edge here but you get dependable tasty food, and plenty of it, at a good price. Indeed we were pretty well close to full after those two platefuls and decided to share the dessert. Just as well as the Coffee Cake slice was quite a large one, quite a delicious one as well and went down nicely with large cups of the excellent Maher’s coffee.

Ellen’s has a large collection of cakes, many for takeout. And you can get more of these tasty treats via the NeighbourFood weekly service at nearby Cuskinny. And, as if she is isn’t busy enough, Ellen is also available for outside catering!

• I’ve often passed Ellen’s on the way in to Cobh and wondered about parking as you are not allowed park on that main road. Here’s the tip: drive past the cafe and take the next left, then take the next left again (on a one-way road) and soon you’ll be able to join the line at the “back” of Ellen’s and do take the first space available, otherwise you might find yourself circling again!

Ellen’s Kitchen 

Wharton's Corner, Rushbrooke, Cobh, Co. Cork, Ireland P24 R997

Tel: 085 718 8469