The Menu: Culinary education on the menu
A wonderful three-day cookery course given by two of his favourite Irish chefs, two of Waterford’s most beloved sons, Michael Quinn (formerly, award-winning Head Chef, Waterford Castle) and The Tannery’s Paul Flynn, ticks all the right boxes, offering a splendid opportunity for the more competent cook, maybe someone even considering embarking on a professional venture, to truly hone their craft on this intensive course (www.tannery.ie) and speaking of the ubiquitous Flynn, he also crops up as chief mentor in RTÉ’s new programme, The Taste of Success, offering budding food producers the chance to earn some serious wedge — €50k in cash, €25k in marketing and R&D and up to €25k in sales — so apply before June 11. (www.rte.ie/food)
As the boffins turn to braising and the chefs get out the chemistry sets, the ongoing interface between food science and professional cooking continues apace, and following an intriguing Molecular Gastronomy workshop last year, UCC’s Food Industry Training Unit hold another one-day workshop (June 18), focussing on potential integration between industry and the wider food sector, international research and education models and current and prospective innovation in the field along with panel discussions, including chefs Ross Lewis, Darina Allen and Martin Shanahan; (further info, email: m.mccarthybuckley@ucc.ie). The Agricultural History Society of Ireland, comprising academics from various national institutions come together for their latest conference (June 14), in Birr, Co Offaly, examining the relationship between food and farming, this time placing a heavy emphasis on beef. If this all sounds like the very best Irish beef, dry and even aged, rest assured, The Menu reckons any professing a serious interest in the cultural and historical dimensions of Irish food could well be pleasantly surprised. www.ahsi.ie
The Irish food experience is an all-encompassing church but there is no denying Taste of Dublin (June 12-15) is aimed directly at those urban sophisticates whose preferred mouthwash is heavy on the bubbles and served in a flute glass and no finer place to be up to those sort of antics than Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens, with a stellar line-up of restaurants, chefs and producers, including the much-esteemed, Michel Roux Jr himself! www.tasteofdublin.ie
The Menu has yet to be converted entirely to the merits of the Nespresso coffee experience, finding it all a touch too homogenised for one who demands a fair sprinkling of the unexpected with all he ingests. But there’s no denying, at times, the merits of consistency and a relatively decent espresso is not to be spurned, so he was quite impressed with the Irish alternative, Robert Roberts Coffee Capsules, in particular, the No 7’s nice acidity, lovely crema and pleasing bitter almond notes. www.robert-roberts.ie
Stockists: Deveneys Dundrum, Carryout Group, O’Briens, Molloys, Bradleys, Matsons, Galvins, nationwide.
Described as a California Pale Ale this brew got impish Scottish brewers into some trouble with the Portman Group, the UK’s Responsible Drinking organisation over some of their advertising (eg, “drink fast, live fast, sleep late..”. Brew Dog’s hilarious and cutting response is worth checking out online.
Golden in colour with fresh citrus and clean honeyed aromas, intensely crisp and clean tasting with a strong hop kick and a lovely bright fresh flavour. This is perfect summer drinking. Also available in bottles.
— Leslie Williams
