keep meaning to put this recipe up given that the elder flowers are in bloom. I adapted it from my "aunt" (second cousin really) Beryl Jennings in County Cork. If you leave out the elder flowers you have her simple but excellent lemonade recipe.
3 pints of water
3 lemons (juice and rind)
3 pounds of sugar
2oz citric acid (order from your local chemist)
lots of elder flowers (the more the better)
heat the water in a big pot, add the sugar, next the lemon juice and rind, next the citric acid. while you wait for the sugar to melt and the water to come to a simmer remove as many stalks from the elder flowers as you can. the more stalks the more "stalky" the cordial will taste but it will still be pretty damn good. Once the water is close to a boil add all the elder flowers and turn off the heat. stir a few times and leave to cool - preferably overnight and even better for 48 hours. strain into bottles and store in a cool place. once you open a bottle it is best to keep it in the fridge.
Dilute as you would miwadi - particularly good with sparkling water. also add to crappy white wine for an interesting cocktail or add to rhubarb crumble and other seasonal desserts.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Taste of Dublin Day 2
Day 2... first a word on the wine stalls. nothing that could be called exciting but you could while away an hour (and get pissed if you wanted) in the O'Briens Tent where you pay 10 euro to do a tour of about 20 of their suppliers. many of their winemakers are over so there are good conversations to be had - had a good chat with Mr. Ascheri about his fab hotel in Bra (where I stayed at the last slow food Salone). I like their nebbiola d'alba a lot and they are making a decent effort with their barolos at a fair price. their modern and v. cool hotel is above the winery and beside their agri tourismo restaurant so in theory you never have to leave. I digress. I confess that I havent done much of a survey of the wine stands as there are mostly commercial wines on show. there are a couple of no-name burgundy producer/negocients with stands and there are the usual promotional stands from wines of Bordeaux and wines of chile (and ourselves). berry bros have a couple of ok wines and Mitchells have some good producers but there are far too many crappy importers with big stands and no-name wines. Good beer is available from Premier beers (beside the wine australia stand) with a few trappists (chimay and la trappe) and others. Best to focus on the food.
so today i had a couple of Jaipur dishes (a fried chicken and a prawn dish) which were not earth shattering but suited the bottle of red chimay I blagged from premier beers on a swap for a couple of glasses of Lindemans sauvignon blanc.
Liked the lamb brochette from Venu a lot (v. similar to the dish served in the restaurant) - lamb was crispy on the outside and pink in the middle.
king scallop with black pudding and a pea foam (I think) from Bon Appetit was excellent. Black pudding and apple tart tatin on Lockes stand was far too sweet but I did eat it all up so I shouldnt complain too much.
Feta and spinach parcel from Silk Road Cafe was fine but no match for their falafal (see above).
Had some excellent murphys ice cream (from Dingle) and a good chat with the valrhona girls at the same stall - bad news is they are re-designing the Trinidad single estate Gran Couvo (my favourite chocolate) to bring it from the perfect 75g to 100g (presumably so they can charge more).
Scored some air dried connemara lamb from James McGeogh of Oughterard and some mossfield organic cheese from Ralph Haslam from Birr. both these products are amazing and should be sought out if you have never tried them. The air dried lamb is a world class product imo. Also the craft butchers today had excellent sausages and even better fresh blood pudding from Maguires of Ashbourne.
Should also say that the extra space really improves the event for the punters but there will be complaints from the stall holders as the extra space means less foot fall. Wouldn't like to be relying on selling enough to make a profit.
so today i had a couple of Jaipur dishes (a fried chicken and a prawn dish) which were not earth shattering but suited the bottle of red chimay I blagged from premier beers on a swap for a couple of glasses of Lindemans sauvignon blanc.
Liked the lamb brochette from Venu a lot (v. similar to the dish served in the restaurant) - lamb was crispy on the outside and pink in the middle.
king scallop with black pudding and a pea foam (I think) from Bon Appetit was excellent. Black pudding and apple tart tatin on Lockes stand was far too sweet but I did eat it all up so I shouldnt complain too much.
Feta and spinach parcel from Silk Road Cafe was fine but no match for their falafal (see above).
Had some excellent murphys ice cream (from Dingle) and a good chat with the valrhona girls at the same stall - bad news is they are re-designing the Trinidad single estate Gran Couvo (my favourite chocolate) to bring it from the perfect 75g to 100g (presumably so they can charge more).
Scored some air dried connemara lamb from James McGeogh of Oughterard and some mossfield organic cheese from Ralph Haslam from Birr. both these products are amazing and should be sought out if you have never tried them. The air dried lamb is a world class product imo. Also the craft butchers today had excellent sausages and even better fresh blood pudding from Maguires of Ashbourne.
Should also say that the extra space really improves the event for the punters but there will be complaints from the stall holders as the extra space means less foot fall. Wouldn't like to be relying on selling enough to make a profit.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Taste of Dublin 2008 first report
Taste of Dublin (see here) started today and it is bigger and mostly better than before. I was working at it today (Wine Australia stand) so here are some first impressions. No Thorntons this year but Chapter One will be there Sat. and Sun. and Bon Appetit are there all four days. Gordon Ramsey at Powerscourt makes his first appearance as do Lockes, Balzac, First Floor Harvey Nicks, Still at Dylan (hotel) and Alex (Conrad hotel).
This year the festival takes over the whole of the Iveagh Gardens giving lots of space and dispersing the crowds (unlike last year when everyone crowded into the small restaurant area leaving the other half empty). There seemed to be lots more wine and beer companies this year and the usual suspects at these events (boozeberries, hot irishman etc.).
So what can I recommend... Silk Road Cafe's Felafel in a wrap for six florins (1 florin = 1 euro), spicy tasty crispy felafal in a large wrap best taste of the day. Scampi at Venu is excellent, as is the slow cooked shoulder of lamb with beans at Bon Appetit. A little less successful was the Turkish Chicken at Silk Road Cafe - very lemony with rather dry rice and some lumps of tomato - not bad, just not as good as I thought it should be.
Disaster of the day has to be the 2 dishes I had at Gordon Ramsey at Powerscourt - foie gras yoghurt (just strange tasting) and awful scallop arancini (deep fried risotto balls) - dammned if I could find any trace of scallop other than perhaps a vague aroma. at least these last 2 were only 5 tokens each. Cellar Bar at the Merrion are back with their fish and chips and mushy peas (now an outrageous 8 florins but still a large queue given that they are quite tasty).
Weather was a little chilly today but there was a good atmosphere. Music is much improved from last year with wandering Classical quartets and Trios and good bands belting playing blues soul and Led Zeppelin covers.
Freebies to watch out for include bottles of tropicana, magnum ice creams, strawberries (from Superquinn I think), and one of my favourite tastes of the day - a large lump of roast duck with a generous amount of crispy skin from Silver Hill ducks. Also should mention the girls at barrys tea stand who gave me lots of peppermint tea. Avoid the starbucks coffee as usual (nasty nasty bitter and muddy - why cant they make decent cafetiere coffee - I learned to do this aged about 14??)
Caught some of Clodagh McKennas demo and she was charming and quite witty. She baked a whole gubbeen with rosemary and garlic (v. tasty) and rolled some aubergines around some St. Tola cheese. Gino D'Acampo (regular on ready steady cook apparantly) was also doing a demo and trying to charm the women with his italian accent (it sort of worked). food he cooked was so so.
Other points - Avoid the VIP tickets as apparantly all you get is a glass or two of champagne and a place to sit down away from all the restaurants and food outlets (why pay all that money to avoid the main reason for going there?).
This year the festival takes over the whole of the Iveagh Gardens giving lots of space and dispersing the crowds (unlike last year when everyone crowded into the small restaurant area leaving the other half empty). There seemed to be lots more wine and beer companies this year and the usual suspects at these events (boozeberries, hot irishman etc.).
So what can I recommend... Silk Road Cafe's Felafel in a wrap for six florins (1 florin = 1 euro), spicy tasty crispy felafal in a large wrap best taste of the day. Scampi at Venu is excellent, as is the slow cooked shoulder of lamb with beans at Bon Appetit. A little less successful was the Turkish Chicken at Silk Road Cafe - very lemony with rather dry rice and some lumps of tomato - not bad, just not as good as I thought it should be.
Disaster of the day has to be the 2 dishes I had at Gordon Ramsey at Powerscourt - foie gras yoghurt (just strange tasting) and awful scallop arancini (deep fried risotto balls) - dammned if I could find any trace of scallop other than perhaps a vague aroma. at least these last 2 were only 5 tokens each. Cellar Bar at the Merrion are back with their fish and chips and mushy peas (now an outrageous 8 florins but still a large queue given that they are quite tasty).
Weather was a little chilly today but there was a good atmosphere. Music is much improved from last year with wandering Classical quartets and Trios and good bands belting playing blues soul and Led Zeppelin covers.
Freebies to watch out for include bottles of tropicana, magnum ice creams, strawberries (from Superquinn I think), and one of my favourite tastes of the day - a large lump of roast duck with a generous amount of crispy skin from Silver Hill ducks. Also should mention the girls at barrys tea stand who gave me lots of peppermint tea. Avoid the starbucks coffee as usual (nasty nasty bitter and muddy - why cant they make decent cafetiere coffee - I learned to do this aged about 14??)
Caught some of Clodagh McKennas demo and she was charming and quite witty. She baked a whole gubbeen with rosemary and garlic (v. tasty) and rolled some aubergines around some St. Tola cheese. Gino D'Acampo (regular on ready steady cook apparantly) was also doing a demo and trying to charm the women with his italian accent (it sort of worked). food he cooked was so so.
Other points - Avoid the VIP tickets as apparantly all you get is a glass or two of champagne and a place to sit down away from all the restaurants and food outlets (why pay all that money to avoid the main reason for going there?).
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sichuan Food
As you have noticed by now this is an occasional blog - apologies for the long gap between occasions I actually write it!
The sad news of the earthquake in Sichuan led me to re-read one of the finest food writers around - Fuschia Dunlop. Duunlop lived in Sichuan province and even studied at the main cookery school in Chengdu. Dunlop's two fine cook books on the food of Sichuan and Hunan provinces are a must for anyone with an interest in food but you should also read her wonderful evocative memoir "Sharks Fin and Sichuan Pepper - a Sweet Sour Memoir of Eating in China" (just search for her on Amazon or Google).
The book is not for the vegetarians among us given that she learns to eat like a native and take as much joy in eating civet cats as post pub rabbit heads (their equivalent of the doner kebab). The sadly departed chef David Gumbleton used to say that if you kill an animal for food you only pay that animal true respect if you eat every tiny bit of it. To simply take out the fillet and the back legs and leave the rest for the pigs is to miss the point entirely. Dave once (only half jokingly) admonished me for not using the ears of the rabbits my neighbour had shot for me!
What was interesting for me was that such sentiments would never even occur to the Chinese - they simply love eating everything and relish the grisly bits, the crunchy bits (like the cartilage between the joints of the chicken feet), and the slippery bits (such as fish maw and goose intestines). While we talk about animals and differentiate between pigs and pork, cows and beef, the Chinese simply talk about moving things - if it moves you can eat it!
So buy the book to learn about China and to pick up some tips. If you only cook one thing try the Dan Dan noodles recipe which is simply outstanding and utterly unrecognisable to anyone that has only eaten from their local chinese takeaway. Seek out preserved vegetables, changking vinegar and most of all Sichuan Pepper. Asia Market should supply what you need or try the chinese shop on rathmines road (opposite the Rathmines Inn).
Friday, March 7, 2008
Porterhouse Stout Festival 7th-24th March.
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The Porterhouse's annual stout festival runs from March 7th – 24th March with the usual favourites back on the menu. Most welcome is the return of the "world's first ever Chocolate Truffle Stout" plus of course the Oyster, Wrassler 4X and Plain Porter. The festival includes free stout tastings, live music and the usual cheery atmosphere.
The Chocolate Truffle Stout is a little stronger than a normal stout at 5% with the chocolate flavour coming from chocolate and chocolate truffle flavours added during the brewing process. It has a rich chocolate aroma and definite chocolate truffle flavour on the front palate, milder stout flavours coming through on the middle and a clean mild finish. This is sweeter than most stout drinkers are used to but is a very satisfying drink.
The Oyster stout is brewed with fresh oysters which adds a hint of the sea along and a refreshing tang of salt giving a clean fresh finish that begs to be drunk with a side order of gigas, natives or a plate of mussels. The Wrasslers 4X comes from a 1900 west Cork recipe and is a searing bitter and fresh beer that is not for the faint of heart. The Plain Porter has perhaps the simplest flavour but is none the worse for that - medium bodied, clean, and very refreshing.
We cant make wine in this country so its good to see the Porterhouse celebrating and promoting a beverage we are very good at making. The festival runs until the 24th of this month in all 5 Porterhouse pubs in Dublin and London. http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/
Pictured above are the charming Laura and Grainne from Today FM who I met at the launch.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants
Finally got around to writing again... long story but apologies to anyone that logged on. Quick word about Michael Pollan's new book "In Defense of Food"(click to view it on Amazon) which I finished this week. Pollan's previous book "The Omnivore's Dilemma " was a fascinating and bang up to date account of the dilemmas faced by those of us surrounded by the western diet - particularly those unfortunate enough to be poor and living in the US. While OD was concerned mostly with the way we eat and where the food comes from, the latest book is more of an idiots guide and probably more use to a US audience. The book is a counter argument to the nutritionist and food processors argument that nutrients are all we need not foods (handy for the industry as they can keep coming up with new products to match the latest fashionable nutrient (fibre is out, omega 3 is in).
US and European Health Authorities, nutritionists and dietitians are often far more concerned with what Pollan calls "nutritionism" than with food - a reductive focus on the chemicals and nutrients in a food at the expense of the actual whole food. Pollan demonstrates how study after to study shows that it is always healthier to eat actual food rather than processed "food-like substances", (no matter how many vitamins they have been engineered to contain).
The first two thirds of the book are a heart warming (to me) evisceration of the food industry and their willing allies the USFDA who have systematically destroyed the way we eat by demonising innocent traditional foods such as butter and potatoes (imagine Ireland without these two staples - doesn't bear thinking about!) while promoting pseudo-foods such as margerine - which apart from being vile tasting is over 2 times worse for you heart than butter (thanks to the trans fats).
The last part of the book which distills the current thinking on what is best to eat (actual foods, not too much, mostly plants) rather than what nutritionists tell us, was a little disappointing for me as it seemed so obvious - but then it is my business to know most of this stuff already. For example: that a glass of wine with a meal seems to help (tee-totalers die younger), small quantities of high quality food is far better for you even if that food is theoretically high in fat (as the French do), dont snack, eat at a table in company, dont buy any processed food no matter how fortified with vitamins it is (in fact the healthier the packet claims to be, the more suspicious of it you should be), eat more green plants (lettuce etc.) and less seeds (white rice, bread etc.).
Certainly buy this book but buy the Omnivore's Dilemma first.
P.S. - "In Defense of Food" is an expansion of a new york times article Pollan wrote a while ago and can be viewed on the new york times website here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ex=1327640400&en=a18a7f35515014c7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
US and European Health Authorities, nutritionists and dietitians are often far more concerned with what Pollan calls "nutritionism" than with food - a reductive focus on the chemicals and nutrients in a food at the expense of the actual whole food. Pollan demonstrates how study after to study shows that it is always healthier to eat actual food rather than processed "food-like substances", (no matter how many vitamins they have been engineered to contain).
The first two thirds of the book are a heart warming (to me) evisceration of the food industry and their willing allies the USFDA who have systematically destroyed the way we eat by demonising innocent traditional foods such as butter and potatoes (imagine Ireland without these two staples - doesn't bear thinking about!) while promoting pseudo-foods such as margerine - which apart from being vile tasting is over 2 times worse for you heart than butter (thanks to the trans fats).
The last part of the book which distills the current thinking on what is best to eat (actual foods, not too much, mostly plants) rather than what nutritionists tell us, was a little disappointing for me as it seemed so obvious - but then it is my business to know most of this stuff already. For example: that a glass of wine with a meal seems to help (tee-totalers die younger), small quantities of high quality food is far better for you even if that food is theoretically high in fat (as the French do), dont snack, eat at a table in company, dont buy any processed food no matter how fortified with vitamins it is (in fact the healthier the packet claims to be, the more suspicious of it you should be), eat more green plants (lettuce etc.) and less seeds (white rice, bread etc.).
Certainly buy this book but buy the Omnivore's Dilemma first.
P.S. - "In Defense of Food" is an expansion of a new york times article Pollan wrote a while ago and can be viewed on the new york times website here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ex=1327640400&en=a18a7f35515014c7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Michelin Awards Mint and ex Mint stars
Good coup for Mint in Ranelagh where former chef Oliver Dunne (now at Bon Appetit, Malahide) was awarded a star and where current chef Dylan Mcgrath was also awarded his first michelin star. McGrath's food is sophisticated, creative and stylish food but not for the unadventurous. You need to just go with what he is doing and accept that not everything will work every time. cities need restaurants like this that push boundaries and create excitement. Lunch is the best (and cheapest) way to experience the food. No need to recommend specific things as everything is worth trying.
Dunne's food is more classical in nature but also exciting and creative. God knows that side of the city needs a decent restaurant and finally they have it. The bistro downstairs is also worth trying. I am actually almost more pleased by this award as it was not predicted by the usual pundits and I suspect he could do with the boost given that the denizens of Malahide would generally rather go to the utterly abysmal Cruzzos to eat thick rashers and frozen tuna in in the hope they will spot ronan keating. Cruzzos is in a marina and filled with nautical paraphernalia as decoration, is only a mile or two from the biggest fishing port on the east coast (howth) yet the last time I was there the only fish on the menu were frozen and farmed (salmon, tuna and swordfish)... beggars belief. To be fair I took a gander at their current menu on their site just now and they have added sea bass (how innovative) and turbot to the a la carte. still wont encourage me to go back after my last meal there however.
A bib gourmand (good food at less expensive prices) was also awarded to Sha Roe Bistro in Clonegal in Carlow (of which I know nothing other than that the award is said to be deserved) and to the Winding Stair on the Quays in dublin which is definitely deserved.
Our other starred restaurants by the way are Guilbauds (2), Thorntons, L'Ecrivain and Chapter 1 (one each). The other bib gourmands are a mixed bunch with the Lime Tree in Kenmare, Fishy Fishy in Kinsale and Bang on Merrion Row being the best known. Oddly Maison des Gourmets gets into this list and while it is good I can think of others I would replace it with (Lockes and Alexis for example). If you want to see the full list the press release can be downloaded here:
http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/front/act_affich.jsp?news_id=22014&lang=EN&codeRubrique=43
Dunne's food is more classical in nature but also exciting and creative. God knows that side of the city needs a decent restaurant and finally they have it. The bistro downstairs is also worth trying. I am actually almost more pleased by this award as it was not predicted by the usual pundits and I suspect he could do with the boost given that the denizens of Malahide would generally rather go to the utterly abysmal Cruzzos to eat thick rashers and frozen tuna in in the hope they will spot ronan keating. Cruzzos is in a marina and filled with nautical paraphernalia as decoration, is only a mile or two from the biggest fishing port on the east coast (howth) yet the last time I was there the only fish on the menu were frozen and farmed (salmon, tuna and swordfish)... beggars belief. To be fair I took a gander at their current menu on their site just now and they have added sea bass (how innovative) and turbot to the a la carte. still wont encourage me to go back after my last meal there however.
A bib gourmand (good food at less expensive prices) was also awarded to Sha Roe Bistro in Clonegal in Carlow (of which I know nothing other than that the award is said to be deserved) and to the Winding Stair on the Quays in dublin which is definitely deserved.
Our other starred restaurants by the way are Guilbauds (2), Thorntons, L'Ecrivain and Chapter 1 (one each). The other bib gourmands are a mixed bunch with the Lime Tree in Kenmare, Fishy Fishy in Kinsale and Bang on Merrion Row being the best known. Oddly Maison des Gourmets gets into this list and while it is good I can think of others I would replace it with (Lockes and Alexis for example). If you want to see the full list the press release can be downloaded here:
http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/front/act_affich.jsp?news_id=22014&lang=EN&codeRubrique=43
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