A Madregale Duo. Not the same as madrigal!

A Madregale Duo

Not the same as madrigal!

Having a bit of fun with a pun here. Below, we have a look at two examples of Madregale wines, one white, one red. The Madrigal is a musical work. Maybe after a glass or two of the wine, you and your drinking partners might move on to a Madrigal!

Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied but that is not the case with this example by Monterverdi .  The number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six.

Back to the wines - don't think I'm up to a madrigal - which come from the award-winning Cantina Tollo, “one of the biggest and best co-operative wineries in the Abruzzo region” of Italy. These two are excellent simple quaffable wines and good value to boot.

Madregale Bianco 2015, Terre di Chieti (IGP), 12%, €11.05 Le Caveau

Light gold is the colour with tints of green. The white fruit aromas are of moderate intensity. There is a tingle on the palate as the fruit flavours roll in with a citrus-y overlay. It is lively and fresh and dry, all combined in a lingering finish. This simple well-made wine, obtained from a blend of Trebbiano and Chardonnay grapes, is an excellent house wine; fine too for parties and weddings and for everyday quaffing. Recommended.

Madregale Rosso 2015, Terre di Chieti (IGP), 12.5%, €11.05 Le Caveau

Another easy-drinking Madregale, ideal as a summer quaffer or with uncomplicated Italian dishes such as pizza or tomato based pasta. It is a well balanced blend of traditional local grapes Montepulciano and Sangiovese (sometimes Merlot).

Colour is purple and there is jammy red fruit in the aromas. Fresh and fruity with typical Italian acidity (they make their wine to go with food). Easy-drinking too - good company on the summer patio or even in a warm winter room. Recommended.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Athula Peri Peri

You can't go wrong with Peri Peri, not with the spelling. It’s also spelt Piri Piri, even Pili Pili. Three chances of getting it right.

Whatever about the spelling, Athula has got it all right with his range of Peri Peri sauces, now available in local Supervalus and indeed in Mr Bell’s in the English Market. He does a mild version, a version with lemon and herb and also a hot one (it is just that - but used sparingly, it works well, especially with roast chicken). They come in handy 125g bottles and so you are less likely to have waste.

Chef Athula, from Sri Lanka, now in Cork, has “worked in 5 star restaurants across the world” and has put that experience to use with this range bringing “true restaurant quality to your kitchen”. 

I’m very happy with the Lemon and Herb and found it great with fish and chicken (after cooking). It can also be used as a dip and to liven up a salad. There are tips for this and the others on the bottles. Indeed, it livens up everything we’ve used it on so far and is Taste of the Week.

Athula Fusion Foods,

Unit 1&2, J Street, 

Carrigaline Industrial Estate, 

KilnaglKilnagearyeary Road, 

Carrigaline, Co. Cork

Tel: 087 136 7525

Web: http://athulafusionfoods.com

Portuguese Pair Show Quality and Value

Portuguese Pair Show Quality and Value

The inspiration for trying this Portuguese pair, well at least the red, came from Jancis Robinson’s The 24 Hour Wine Expert. She has a page of Obvious and Alternative wines. In one pairing the obvious is Bordeaux red, the alternative is red from Portugal’s Douro. 

Spotted this Esporão in Karwig’s and, though it’s not from the Douro exactly, thought that it would fit the bill. Then I saw the white and thought if they can make a good red, they should be able to make a good white. The white is good and the red is quite superb and would leave many from Bordeaux in its wake.

Esporão Reserva Red Alentejo DOC (Portugal) 2013, 14.5%, €26.65 Karwig Wines

First things first. This is a gem and Very Highly Recommended. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragones, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trincadeira.

It has a deep red colour. And there are concentrated aromas of ripe red fruits and that follows through to the palate. Here you find a dense concentration of flavours, spice too, firm tannins, along with a long satisfying finish.

Esporão Reserva White Alentejo DOC (Portugal) 2014, 14%, €20.90 Karwig Wines

This deft combination of fruit and acidity is based on a blend that includes Antao Vaz, Arinto, Rouheiro, and Semillon. The fruit is picked early in the morning and it has seen “partial ageing” for 6 months in French and US oak. They call it “a wine for special occasions” and it is indeed very good and Highly Recommended.

You notice the bright light gold colour with tints of green. Aromas are of soft white fruits, with peach and grapefruit flavours on the almost creamy palate. The oak is well integrated. Fruity and mineral-y and, though not exactly bone-dry, this is a well balanced wine with a long finish.

Iago for Dinner

Iago for Dinner

 Going to a dinner was the making of another.

Might have mangled that old saying a bit but all in the cause of truth.

While at the table during the midweek Green Saffron Spice Dinner at Isaac’s, I was talking to two Dublin visitors on my right and one of them was telling me all about a Dublin restaurant where the pasta is made fresh every day. On my left, simultaneously but out of my hearing range, CL was chatting to a local chef Mary who was telling her all about the fresh pasta (and more) she makes daily in Iago’s in Prince’s Street in Cork city.

And early on Saturday morning, I was wondering about dinner later on and I remembered what CL had told me. Could I, I said to myself, get not just the pasta but a full dinner in Iago? I knew they have a great cheese selection. I could start with that Mozzarella from Macroom’s Johnny Lynch, get some of that pasta and there had to be a dessert there.

Why not look up their website? So I searched and came across their Facebook page first and I could hardly believe it when I read a post that had been put up only a few minutes earlier. An instant dinner from Iago today…. was the headline and then a picture with details:

Fresh Focaccia

Roast Butternut Squash Ravioli, served with our Sage Butter

Torta de Santiago

 Less than an hour later, I was in 9 Prince’s Street, asking about the Facebook dinner. I drew a blank, if a smiling one! As it happened, Mary emerged from the kitchen and she put me and the staff right and soon the friendly staff were filling the bag, about 19 euros worth in all.

Fast forward to that evening and CL, delighted at having to spend so little time in the kitchen, was also delighted with the meal. We both were, each enjoying that fresh herb flavoured focaccia bread, made with yeast and olive oil; the delicious ravioli, topped with melting sage butter, and we also added a little grated Creeny, a marvellously pungent six month old sheep cheese produced by Corleggy in County Cavan. 

And then the lovely finalé with a generous slice each of the almond cake from Santiago. Had we bought the full tart, we would have seen the imprint (in sugar) of the Cross of Saint James (cruz de Santiago) which gives the pastry its name. This won't be the last time we’ll make the pilgrimage to Iago for dinner!

Ravioli and sage butter

 And that place in Dublin where you’ll get top notch fresh pasta? It is Romano’s in Capel Street.

And the correct version of the old saying is going to a wedding was the making of another.

Of course, you knew that. The line comes from a song called Old Maid in a Garret, lyrics here. 

Iago

9 Prince’s Street

Cork

Tel: (021) 427 7047

Email: iago2@eircom.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Iago-116253695123175/

Hours: 9.30-5.00 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu.

9.00-5.30 Fri.

9.00-5.00 Sat.

Amuse Bouche

My chickens are gone woeful fat. Eileen says I leave them in too much corn altogether. She doesn’t know that I also pick big caterpillars off the cabbages and feed them to the old fatsos. They see me coming and get into a right flap. They’re the fattest, happiest chickens in Ireland, I’d say. I’ve a daughter too, you know. I can’t bear talking to her any more. I used to think she was the bee’s knees, but now I’d rather feed caterpillars to chickens than talk to her.

from The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan (2012) Highly Recommended

Drinking Cider and Rosé

Drinking Cider and Rosé

Long Meadow Oak Aged Cider 6.0%, widely available including from Bradley’s North Main Street.

Was introduced to this lovely cider by the producers during the recent A Taste of Donegal Festival. The McKeever family of Portadown have been growing apples at their Long Meadow Farm in the Orchard County of Armagh (anyone remember Bridie Gallagher?) for three generations and produce a range of craft ciders, pure apple juice and cider vinegars, one hundred percent natural.

What makes this particular bottle that bit different is that it has been aged in oak “enabling apple and oak to infuse”. It also adds a little bit of extra colour and is quite smooth and dry with a good finish. Well worth a try.

Some other craft cider producers throw their eyes up if you mention ice and cider in the same sentence. That's not the case with the McKeevers as they say this limited edition, indeed all their ciders, “can be enjoyed best over ice or straight from the fridge.” I enjoyed it straight from the fridge. You take your choice!

Domaine de Ménard Rosé 2015, Côtes de Gascogne (IGP), 11%, €12.25 Le Caveau

The last rose of summer? Maybe, but not the last of the year. I don't believe in confining rosé to the summer. It is generally a very acceptable aperitif at any time of the year and this Ménard is even more acceptable. Highly Recommended.

It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Tannat and the colour has more depth than your normal rosé but with a bright sheen. No shortage of lively red berry flavours. It is fresh (harvest takes place at night) and light yet somehow carries more aromas and flavour than many counterparts and has a good finish to boot.

Serve it very cold, they say, with Basque and Spanish cuisine.

Spice of Delight at Isaac's

Spice Night at Isaac's
Taste Tingling Tuesday

DIY!

‘Taste Cork’ week hit the high-spots in Isaac’s on Tuesday night when Arun Kapil, founder of award-winning spice company Green Saffron, Chef Patron Canice Sharkey along with restaurant co-owners Michael and Catherine Ryan, hosted an exclusive sold-out spice pop-up at the Cork city institution in McCurtain Street. 

First though, there was a bit of consternation when we were given a DIY task, to construct our own ‘Nibble’. That soon turned to fun as we tapped an opening into the Puri shell, filled it with chickpea and potato mix and seasoned it with either Spiced Vodka and Tamarind ‘water or chilli relish. Or both.

Salmon

 That fun element set the tone for the convivial occasion as we introduced ourselves to our fellow diners and the food, part of a terrific five course meal designed by Arun, began to arrive. First up was a very impressive Amuse Bouche: Irish Salmon Tataki, with smoked aubergine caviar, ginger,mint and coriander. Smooth, cool and delicious, a foretaste of what was to come.

The starter was another gorgeous dish: Spiced crab cakes with a cucumber and turmeric pickle. I really enjoyed a few bites of the crab cake without the pickle but the latter certainly added to the sensory sensations.

Crab

Next up was the mains, a celebration of Canice’s passion for the finest Irish ingredients livened with Arun’s unique take on flavours and inimitable use of fresh spice, sourced by his cousin and team Green Saffron from family farms in India.

The main event was Rajput ‘split and grilled’ red leg partridge, almond, asafoetida pilau, plum and fennel fruit ‘lunji’, with onion and parsnip Pakoras. Another super dish, a lovely combination of textures and flavours, the partridge enhanced no end by the lunji (chutney) and the pakoras, all washed down - at least mine was - by a Carl Ehrhard Rüdesheim Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2015, Rheingau (Germany).

Partridge

 Time then for a sweet finish: Chocolate ‘orange spice’ Mousse and crème fraiche. “I love desserts,” declared the ever enthusiastic Arun as he extended a big thank you to Rebecca of Taste Cork “who encouraged us” and as he led a big cheer for the kitchen team.

Earlier he told us how visiting Ireland, romance and a Ballymaloe cooking course, had set him on the spice route. His stunning spice blends, sauces and chutneys are from spices sourced by family members in Moradabad, India. That romance was with Olive, now his wife, and they started grinding those spices with coffee grinders which weren't quite up to the wear and tear. 

Chocolate

Then he started selling in local farmers markets and the rest is history. And more history to be made as this dynamic man plans to make Ireland the spice capital of the western world in the next decade. Watch this space but don’t miss the boat. Get your hands on his spices, now widely available, and liven up your food. Just don't overdo it as he and the Isaac’s team didn't overdo it on Tuesday night. One of the highlights of Taste Cork Week, one of the highlights of the year for me.

Check here for Green Saffron recipes

Taste of the Week. Kerala Buffalo Curry

Taste of the Week

Kerala Buffalo Curry

When staying in a French town, I found there were two essentials that had to be located immediately. One was the Tourist Office and the other was the local traiteur.

The latter was a source of top notch prepared or semi-prepared dishes. And so I was delighted to see a notice in O’Mahony’s Butchers in the English Market quietly proclaiming that they had Kerala Buffalo Curry on offer.

And not alone that. Eoin O’Mahony himself was on hand to offer all the info needed on how to handle the dish at home. Add onions, a can of tomatoes and coconut milk (available a few yards away at Mr Bells). The buffalo meat, from Macroom, looked good and, with the additions and some slow cooking, proved to be a real treat and our Taste of the Week.

Well worth a try. And lets hope that Eoin comes up with a few more.

O’Mahony Butchers

Unit 37 Grand Parade side

English Market

Cork

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omahonysbutchers/?fref=ts

Twitter: @guilderdbutcher

Tel: 021 4270254

Dingle Diary. Blas and the Festival

Dingle Diary. Blas and the Festival

The Supreme Champion

Massive crowds attended the Dingle Food Festival (1st and 2nd ofOctober) but it was much quieter in the town when I arrived on the previous Thursday morning, just one of the dozens of judges gathering in the Skellig Dingle for the Blas 2016 judging. A record 2,500 products were entered and these had been whittled down to manageable numbers. 

Still there was a lot of tasting to do - from about 11.30 until around 8.30 pm in my case. We finished up in Dick Mack’s pub in Green Street for the alcohol tastings. The pub is well worth a visit in its own right, just to see the huge whiskey selection alone!

One of Dingle's little cafes

Then it was down to O’Flaherty’s Pub for a proper drink and a proper bite. There was a great buzz here, particularly when the music started. Dingle Gin and Tom Crean lager was flying but I delayed turning to those until myself and my new buddy Johnny had cleaned out the Beal Bán from the West Kerry Brewery!

On the Taste Trail

The next day, Friday, was more or less at leisure and we did a trip around the peninsula (post to follow). That evening though, the Blas judges assembled in the Oceanworld Aquarium where candles lit the scene as the various fish, the shark and the turtle swam around and we gathered for more Dingle Gin and more Tom Crean and, yes, fish and chips!

A Gold winner. For a full list of winners,
please click here

And then Blas chairman and founder Artie Clifford introduced local adventurer Mike O’Shea who gave us an illustrated talk on his life, concentrating mainly on last year’s trip to South Georgia to retrace part of Tom Crean’s footsteps. Very interesting indeed, even the penguins behind seemed to stay still, though there were some strange noises off stage! Check out more of Mike’s amazing adventures here.  

Saturday was the first full day of the Dingle Food Festival and the town was transformed as thousands of visitors arrived, sauntering through the closed streets to sample the food and drink on offer at every step. A huge market covered a few of the streets and then there was the Taste Trail with close to 80 offerings, some very inventive bites indeed.  Besides there were craft workshops, demonstrations by top chefs, a farmers forum, special lunches and dinners and so much more, even a visit to the distillery for us.

Pesto winners: Gold (left) and Bronze

Time too for the Blas judges to visit the producers and see the products (now in their packaging). It was an anxious time for the Blas entrants as the awards were announced throughout the day. I had a lot of sympathy for the entrants in Spirits and Liqueurs, Beers, Ales, Lagers, Stouts and Cider as these were last on the list, scheduled for 5.00pm. A long wait!

At least they could relax on the Sunday as Blas had been put to bed for another year and the sun shone as the Food Festival, again mightily well supported, continued for another day. Well done Dingle! Again.

Lots of talk about this Gold winner!

For the full list of award winners, click here

Sampling at the street market

See also: Visit to the Dingle Distillery
Driving the Dingle peninsula

Amuse Bouche

She improvised bandages and covered the wound with a makeshift compress. Then she poured the coffee and handed him a sandwich.

“I’m not really hungry,” he said.

“I don’t give a damn if you’re hungry. Just eat,” Salander commanded, taking a big bite of her own cheese sandwich.

Blomkvist closed his eyes for a moment, then he sat up and took a bite. His throat hurt so much he could barely swallow.

 from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (2005). Very Highly Recommended

If Any Beer Can, Franciscan Well Can!

If Any Beer Can, Franciscan Well Can!

Ireland’s favourite craft beer now available in can

During last weekend’s Dingle Food Festival, I called into the craft beer tent, at the back of Geaney's Bar in Main Street, last Saturday afternoon and was immediately at home as the first stall was that of the Franciscan Well. They were showing their new cans, three of my favourite beers all wrapped up and looking good and shiny.

But I delayed testing the cans as they also had the beers on tap and we enjoyed a Rebel Red (by now a veteran, a veteran that has stood the test of time!) and Chieftain IPA. By the way, I noted the Rebel Red was very popular in Dick Mack's pub during the previous evening. The Rebel and the Chieftain are now available in cans along with the Friar Weisse. The cans will be sold in retailers and off-licences across Ireland, with selected bars also stocking the products.

The announcement marks the first time Franciscan Well, which is brewed in Cork, has canned any of its beers and also the first time that Friar Weisse or Chieftain IPA will be available for purchase in off-licenses.

Acknowledging the rising consumer demand for delicious, flavoursome craft beer in a canned format, founder of Franciscan Well, Shane Long, has spear-headed the move which demonstrates the progressive and innovative thinking which has underlined the success of the Cork-based brewery over the past 18 years.

Commenting on the launch, Shanesaid: “This is a very exciting development for Franciscan Well. Taste and quality are among our core beliefs and we always prioritise ways to ensure that these core traits are present in the beer we create. The decision to move to a canned format reflects the growing trend internationally, whereby more and more craft beers are sold in 330ml can format. This is something that has been prevalent in the U.S. and has proven extremely popular. We are confident this will be the case as we roll out craft in a can for beer-lovers here in Ireland, making our award-winning range of beers even more accessible and readily available.”

All brewing and canning will take place at Franciscan Well’s new brewery in Cork City. The brewery opened last year, allowing for operational growth and further expansion for Ireland’s leading craft beer brand, while staying true to Franciscan Well’s proud history and identity as one of Ireland and Cork’s favourite craft beers. The nearby North Mall brew-pub and home of Franciscan Well will be used an innovation centre, while remaining a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

This decision from the award-winning Cork Brewery is in keeping with internationally recognized best practice for freshness and taste, with cans providing superior product packaging quality and recyclability.

Yes. We can.

The introduction of the Franciscan Well can range also highlights Franciscan Well’s commitment to offering fans a more accessible and convenient means to enjoy the award-winning range in the comfort of their own homes. They protect and preserve the taste of the beer, which is considered a telling feature by the Franciscan Well brewers. They are also lightweight and portable, meaning they are easier for consumers to enjoy in more places and for bars and off licences to display. The new cans also chill quickly and are recyclable.

“We are very excited about this latest innovation for Franciscan Well, coming as it does less than a year after the opening of our new brewery in Cork,” said Shane Long. “Since its introduction, craft beer in a can has proven extremely popular with consumers. It is a very handy, portable way of consuming the beer and one that preserves the taste better than any other. We are delighted to be able to offer consumers the chance to enjoy our award winning beers in an increasingly popular format in the comfort of their own home.”

In addition to the launch of its all new canned beer offering, Franciscan Well has also introduced a newly redesigned brand logo.

Shane continued: “The new logo more clearly reflects the provenance of the brand and its roots in Cork. The new identity and logo retains the strength of the previous logo, while emphasizing that this is very firmly an Irish beer which was established in Cork and which is still brewed there. We believe that the heritage of Franciscan Well is extremely important and it is something we are very proud of.

“The new brand logo positions Franciscan Well as an authentic Craft brewery from Cork, Ireland. The archway is a new devise that has been created to highlight a strong sense of place, that is welcoming and which captures the unrivalled heritage associated with the brewery founding site along with the welcoming aspect of our range of beers.”

*AC Nielsen ROI On-Trade MAT to end August 2016

Post based on press release

The Whiskeys of Ireland by Peter Mulryan.

Review: The Whiskeys of Ireland

by Peter Mulryan

Midleton

“Whiskey. Irish for droplets of pure pleasure.” WB Yeats.

You’ll find tour guides in the many new Irish distilleries telling you that whiskey is a corruption of the Gaelic Uisce Beatha (water of life). No need to believe those novices! Yeats got it right and his interpretation is quoted on the back cover of the Whiskeys of Ireland by Peter Mulryan. 

Whenever I get my hands on a new Irish food or drink book, I usually flick through the opening pages to see where it was printed and am invariably disappointed. This, printed in the Czech Republic, is no exception. If we are expected to support the Irish food and drinks industry, then our food and drink writers should do all they can to support Irish printers. But that's about the only gripe  (one more - there is no index), I have against this excellent book.

The new Connacht Distillery in Ballina

Because, for a long time, there were spirits galore but no definition of whiskey, Mulryan says it is difficult to trace its evolution. But distilling was alive and well, if not up to FSAI standards, in the 15th century and the Crown passed a law in 1556, in vain, to put a stop to it. Eventually, after the collapse of the Gaelic order, a licensing system was imposed.

The first Irish patent was granted in 1608 but cronyism and corruption led to the collapse of the system. Taxation reared its head in 1661 and that reinforced the illegal side of the trade. And the same happened when a stiff tax regime was imposed in 1779. The underground operators sold their poitín and that became “the drink of the people”.

A more benign tax regime led to a booming whiskey industry in the 1820s and onwards. But that led to widespread alcohol problems and in stepped Fr Matthew. Distilleries closed by the dozen. 

On display in Teelings, Newmarket, Dublin

The respectable side of the business examined the newly invented Aeneas Coffey column still and he had some initial success here before turning to a warmer welcome in Scotland. Ireland, pants down in Mulryan’s phrase, missed the revolution and would pay dearly.

Close to the end of the century though, the big players in Irish whiskey, including Allman’s in Bandon, were flying high again. Phylloxera dealt the French distillers a hammer blow and that too helped the Irish in what Mulryan terms “the Golden Years”.

Scotland too was on the rise but the bubble would burst as the century turned, fraudulent trading, recession, wars, and increased taxes all contributing.

With the author (left) in his Blackwater Distillery

Ireland now had its own problems: wars and then partition. We were behind internationally and now the domestic market collapsed. And, in the US, prohibition was looming. Closure followed closure.

There were back doors to the US market. The Scots didn't hesitate, the Irish did. Then we Irish had the “Economic War” with England and next came WW2. After they were over, in the US, the Scots were in and, except for Irish Coffee, the Irish were out.

It was a long tailspin, halted only in 1966 when the three (yes, 3!) remaining distilleries amalgamated. Eventually a new outlook led to a new distillery in Midleton (1975). John Jameson was the brand that led to the current revival, the brand that eventual and current owners Pernod Ricard used as a wedge to once more open the international market to Irish Whiskey.

Cyril (left) and Barry of St Patrick's in Cork

Meanwhile, Mulryan relates that an opportunity was spotted by John Teeling at Cooley and, thanks to the eagle-eyed entrepreneur, the Irish industry acquired a new and vibrant arm, an arm that is still reaching out. Now virtually every county has a distillery, many of them micro. The consumer, home and abroad, has never had it so good. Cheers to John Jameson (5 million cases in 2015) and the French marketeers.

Those marketeers include a salesman selling Jameson in a Vendeé supermarket sometime in the 90s. He was an insistent guy and I bought a bottle (the price was good too!) and I still have the free cassette tapes that came with it!

Mulryan's fascinating book covers the history, the rises and the falls and the stunning re-birth, in a lively manner, great for the experienced and novice alike. It is well worth seeking out for the history alone. But he also casts his keen and experienced eye (he founded and runs the Blackwater Distillery) over the current scene (sending out a warning to mid-sized operators).

Whiskey by Hyde's

The closing chapters take us, in plain and engaging English, through the making and blending and, most importantly, the tasting of our beloved Uisce Beatha, sorry droplets of pure pleasure. Slainte!

The Whiskeys of Ireland is published by the O’Brien Press and is widely available. I spotted it in Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork  selling for €19.95.

Hands on research in Dingle recently