The Menu: Westport festival
The Menu is already out the gap atop his beloved Neidin and, chances are, he’ll hardly be seen ‘til the clocks go back with festival season really in full swing; next stop, beautiful Westport, Co Mayo for the family-friendly Festival of Music & Food (Jun 29-30). There’s all manner of Pop’n’Roll (Elvis Costello, Christy Moore, Imelda May, etc) on at the gorgeous 400-acre Westport House, but The Menu is equally taken with the culinary line-up, including Derry Clarke, Ross Lewis, Oliver Dunne, Kevin Dundon, Dylan McGrath, along with Westport native and head chef at the splendid Knockranny House Hotel and Seamus Commons, whose cooking is exceptionally fine. The Menu shall be wielding his air skillet, cheering on each star chef as he attempts a perfect dish to pair with a favourite musical inspiration amongst their rock’n’roll counterparts who also sit in judgement. There are excellent food producers and vendors aplenty, but do take a turn around Westport and pop in to Frankie Mallon’s An Port Mor and say hello.! www.westportfestival.com
While The Menu’s planned culinary pilgrimage to Waterford Castle to visit his most excellent friend, award-winning head chef Michael Quinn, appears eternally postponed with Quinn departing after 17 years, a new venture promises a swift end to imminent tummy-rumbling as the Waterford-man and his talented sous chef Daithí Larkin launch their new catering enterprise, Quinn & Larkin. They will be available for specialist food events and occasions, consulting and teaching and a whole host of other exciting activities which The Menu promises to unveil over coming months. Enquiries: quinnlarkinfood@gmail.com or twitter: @chefmickquinn or @daithil13
Neidin will have hardly swallowed the last of his caffeinated oats in some salubrious Westport stableyard before The Menu has him on the road once more and, as he wends his way slowly south, literary diversion shall be the splendid new Loving Food, Loving Kenmare (Kenmare Food Carnival Cookbook) from the multi-talented festival organisers, Kenmare Foodies Karen Coakley and Derick McMahon. Featuring a lovely selection of recipes from many fine chefs in that neck of the woods, it makes for a tasty amuse bouche before The Menu commences gorging himself on the main course, the Carnival in July! kenmarefoodcarnival.com
The Menu adores the peach but rarely if ever eats the flavourless supermarket bruisers, preferring to gorge himself on the real thing abroad in sunnier climes — much the same way as his Spanish cousin, El Menú, spurns the pale imitations of his native land, only eating world-class strawberries when visiting the Oul Sod. The Menu has been pairing various dairy-related ‘dancing partners’ with Rose Cottage’s delectable, luscious strawberries, but berries this good — sweet, clean, succulent mouthfuls of ecstasy — are best devoured as nature intended, unaccompanied, in all their naked, juicy glory. www.rosecottagefruitfarm.ie
