The Menu: Celtic Cook-Off
The Menu returns as a judge for the annual Celtic Cook-Off (Sept 10), in the West Cork Hotel, as part of the illustrious Taste of West Cork Food Festival. Representative chefs from each of the six Celtic ‘nations’ (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittanny, Isle of Man and Cornwall) cook a meal heavy on fine local West Cork produce with one ‘secret ingredient’ allowed from their own personal larder and then serve it up to the judges (including last year’s winner, Donegal man Gary O’Hanlon and Irish cheese legend Veronica Steele) in front of a packed hall of local food fans. The theme of this year’s Cook-Off is “getting people into the business” so young trainee chefs will be heavily involved over the course of the day and maintaining the festival’s primary commitment to West Cork produce, it will also be used as a vehicle for establishing a ‘Celtic Food Network’. The Menu is hard pressed to recall when he had as much fun as last year’s event occasioned and with superb tasters of world class West Cork produce, bubbly and canapés made to the recipes of the competing chefs, it appears this year’s will be bigger and better than ever. www.westcorkhotel.com & www.westcorkfood.com
