The Menu: Coffee Mojo
It is often assumed the phrase ‘to hell or to Connacht’ is some class of Hobson’s Choice, no real choice at all betwixt twin evils, but The Menu has long held the West to be a class of paradise on Earth and, of late, a paradise where the fruit is in glorious abundance and, furthermore, not remotely forbidden. Indeed, the West is currently the epicentre of Ireland’s ongoing culinary revolution, with Aniar’s recent Michelin star just the latest indication of something very special afoot. Another indicator, the second annual Foodie Forum at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (Feb 5) could well become one of Ireland’s premier food events. While it has excellent demos (Enda McEvoy/Conor Cockram, Aniar; Bryan McCarthy, Springfort Hall; and Martijn Kajuiter, Cliff House Hotel, amongst them) and plenty to keep the belly sated (Street Food Fair, Craft Beer Bar, multiple wine/food events), its midweek timeslot puts the focus quite firmly on the business, networking and all-round inspirational possibilities as opposed to more traditional festival capers, including some serious-sounding debates on GM foods and local food stories. www.thefoodieforum.net
Other than milling into whatever fine fare The Menu puts before her, his Dearly Beloved generally finds the kitchen a rather baffling place, best avoided. No bother to me as I enjoy having it to myself and I’m eternally grateful I will NEVER have to contemplate submitting to any class of shared culinary shenanigans along the lines of upcoming TV show, My Kitchen Rules. Without doubt, a culinary pairing of myself and my Dearly Beloved would have even the cockroaches and rats gnawing frantically on the cyanide capsules. Boundless Productions, makers of The Apprentice, are looking for amateur cooks from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales for a new Sky series, My Kitchen Rules, based on the highly successful Aussie TV series of the same name. All classes of couple are welcome: friends, family members, work colleagues or even actual couples; as long as there’s some history and a shared passion for cooking good food. Those selected will be expected to show what they can do before some of the top pro chefs in the business. So, should you wish to flambée a once glorious friendship or render down a fine romance, contact Fiona 44 207 8618202 or fiona.wilson@boundlessproductions.tv
Wicklow-based Coffee Mojo is the latest in a growing band of excellent Irish coffee roasters. Like so many of the new breed, Coffee Mojo lays heavy emphasis on single origin coffees, meaning all the beans come from single farm, estate or co-op. This offers the coffee aficionado the chance to sample some truly unique variations on the traditional cuppa joe and my recent sampling of Coffee Mojo’s honey-processed El Majahual (for espresso and filter) from El Salvador yielded a delightfully light and bright liquid hit: some parts cherry, other parts, deep rich chocolate but all parts utterly exquisite. www.coffeemojo.ie
