How’s your food knowledge
The Menu currently has top milliner Philip Treacy banged up in his garden shed with a bowler hat, a bucket of glue and a couple of airfix model boats. What, says you? Is The Menu preparing to eat his own hat? Not a bit of it — The Menu has in fact set his eyes on first prize for most original seafaring hat competition at the Cork Food Week Pirate Gourmet Trail on Aug 4, just one of the diverting sideshows at what promises to be a tremendous gastronomic voyage around Leeside, although a trifle landlocked for true mariners. Four venues host the fruits of 16 of Cork’s top chefs and restaurants, kicking off with a champagne reception at 11.30am (a little late for The Menu, but what the heck!), followed by a day of wining, dining and treasure hunting around the city before fetching up in The Bodega for an evening’s entertainment. www.corkfoodweek.com
On The Menu’s recent excursion abroad to the fine burgh of Kenmare, he encountered Kate O’Shea of NomNom Café who not only administered some fabulously tasty treats of a distinctly healthy nature but also catered for her sister’s Darina’s Yoga Picnic in the Park at the distinctly unhealthy hour of 9.30am the next day. The Menu has, however, resolved to return to Kenmare for their Fun Family Health Day, on Aug 11, which includes yoga classes (including a kids and parents session), nutrition workshops and a whole host of other kids activities, located as it is on Faungorth Activity Centre and Campsite just outside the town. All profits from the event go to Pieta House. www.nomnomcafe.com
The Menu is a great champion of the local food and producers’ champion, Bia Sasta, so will be writing ‘cogs’ all the way up his arm for their Food Quiz. So if you fancy you know your veloutés from your béchamels, then hot foot it along to Fenn’s Quay restaurant on Aug 3, 7pm, €15pp, including fingerfood and a wine/beer with a chance to win dinner for two at the restaurant. Places limited, booking essential: biasasta@hotmail.com
It is shameful to say it but The Menu had to leave the shores of one of the finest dairy producing countries in the world to have his first taste of proper yoghurt. Mind you, that was back somewhere around the dawn of time and it was initially slathered all over The Menu’s severely charred skin during a Greek heatwave ere a single morsel passed The Menu’s poor blistered lips. But all has changed in the intervening years and it was heartening indeed to taste the latest splendid arrival, Glenisk Organic Yoghurt. Alongside the ‘natural’ there are two fruit flavours, Blueberry and Mango, with absolutely no added sugar. Whether one’s sugar-addled progeny will fall for that trick is a moot point but The Menu is most partial to the creamy, tart Blueberry and, best of all, found the Mango flavour a truly magnificent 24-hour marinade for a neck of lamb with little else save spices and garlic.
