The Menu: The Cake Café Cookbook
Once again, Santa failed to bring The Menu a Babelfish, Douglas Adams’ piscine literary creation from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that, when popped into the ear, yields an instant translation of any language in the universe. So, nothing for it but to head to the Big Smoke for the Cookbook Club’s Language & Supper Clubs, three professionally-taught courses (French, Spanish & Italian, beginning Feb 4) in the private dining room at Dublin’s Odessa Club/Restaurant. And while you chatter and learn, you also chow down, eating an authentic dish from the traditional cuisine native to whichever language you have chosen to study — ’tis a far cry from the hedge school of The Menu’s youth, indeed! www.thecookbookclub.com
With we’re still deriving great pleasure from The Cake Café Cookbook, the work of proprietor Michelle Darmody, one of the Rebel County’s finest ever culinary ambassadors to the Big Smoke, he now brings news of a reprise of her most excellent pop-up restaurant of last year, featuring the cooking of Giles Clark, this time for a series of intimate suppers (Feb 13-16) in the Cake Café itself. Last year, the much-travelled Clark wowed a select set of lucky diners with a special menu featuring the very best of local produce so expect more of same during a very special four-course meal. www.thecakecafe.ie
Comings and goings a-plenty in the January culinary transfer window with Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms, growers, foragers and purveyors of the finest Irish-grown exotic fungi, taking up residence in Cork’s Coal Quay Farmers’ Market each Saturday. Also, Fred Desormeaux has left Greene’s but Cork city’s loss is North Cork’s gain as he is establishing a gastropub kitchen in Charlie Macs pub in Fermoy. Finally, a one-night-only guest chef appearance at On The Pig’s Back in Douglas, from Zania Mamou (Restaurant Yvetot, Normandie, France) who shall be cooking up a traditional couscous from her native Algeria — not just any couscous, either, but a Couscous Royal along with dessert and mint tea. Limited places, booking essential, tel: 021-4617832.
Many query whether Albert Einstein really did say something along the lines of the demise of the bee would lead to the demise of man. In fact, what the boffin’s boffin actually said was “the demise of the honey bee would lead to woejus and most heinous sufferation for The Menu” as it is well-known to one and all that honey and myself are a longtime item. Which is why we swoon at each spoonful of Robert Anthony’s Youghal Honey: pure, unblended, unadulterated by sugar or other additives, gently pasteurised so those life-giving enzymes remain intact and, most marvellous of all, a sweet viscous syrup that miraculously rises from rich, caramel depths to a high, clean, floral finish. It’s available from farmers’ markets and selected retailers.
