The Menu: Crème de la crème for Euro-Toques Ireland awards
She also established an Irish chapter, along with Declan Ryan (of Arbutus Lodge) and Gerry Galvin (Drimcong House) and inspired a whole generation of acolytes.
The 2015 awards from the Irish chapter of Euro-Toques are testament to the organisation’s continued vitality and relevance.
Nominated by the chef members themselves, they include some truly splendid Irish food producers such as old Menu favourite Shana Wilkie, the first in Ireland to produce bean-to-bar chocolate, exquisite with deeply complex flavours.
She is joined by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts for their Highbank Orchard Syrup; Siobhan Ní Ghairbhith for her St Tola Irish Goat Cheese; Sinead O’Brien for Mungo Murphy’s Seaweed, and Padraig and Anthony Farrelly for Farrelly’s Butchers and Abattoir.
Another haven for quality Irish food producers, this time from Cork and Kerry specifically will be Cork City Hall for the Cork-Kerry Food Forum, open to the public (June 28) with the entire hall and adjoining Millennium Hall stuffed to the rafters with some very fine food and several of the latest wave of local craft brewers, many of them longtime Menu favourites and all available for purchase so be sure to bring big shopping bags and an even bigger belly.
A family-friendly event, it also includes demos from chef Kevin Dundon and demos specifically targetting the kids. ( www.foodforum.ie ).
Idaho Café have put together a pop-up ice cream bar (takeaway only) serving soft-serve ice cream with homemade toppings including honeycomb, praline, dark chocolate sauce and maple candied bacon along with 99s, Avalanches, Coke, Ginger Beer and Waffles which all sounds like pretty much, word for word like The Menu’s perfect final meal. ( www.idahocafe.ie ).
A recent skite to Kinsale saw The Menu poke his nose into the delightful tearooms of Perryville House. With no time to dine, he nonetheless picked up a very good and very reasonably priced Valpolicella Ripasso (Albino Armani), scoped out some excellent deli produce to takeaway and was highly impressed by a menu that should see him return in the very near future ( www.perryvillehouse.com ).
Finally, The Menu is delighted to report that the first crop from Ireland’s specialist garlic growers are finally harvested and ready for market ( www.westcorkgarlic.com ).
While The Menu has been swept up in recent times by the great Irish coffee revolution, he has never lost his grá for the old cup of cha.
And it’s never been so good for the Irish tea drinker with a number of small independent blenders turning out gorgeous brews, none more so than The Menu’s latest discovery, Kingfisher Tea, with a portfolio of over 40 loose-leaf blends and a further 60 single origin teas.
Their Moroccan Mint Green Tea is a stunning blend but The Menu’s daily starter is currently their Irish Breakfast Tea, an elegant creation with a noble structure. Sure, it has a comforting malty sweetness and a hint of smoke but none of the cheap brassiness of some tea-bagged builders’ brews.
http://kingfishertea.com
— Leslie Williams
Galway Hooker 60 Knots IPA 6.5% ABV; 330ml — €2.89
Stockists: Bradleys, O’Briens, 1601 Kinsale, O’Donovans, The Castle, Tralee, Macs, Limerick, Martins, McHughs, Molloys
Galway Hooker was one of the first widely available Irish craft beers so it is easy to forget how good these guys are; especially as more choice appears (there are now approximately 100 Irish Craft beer brands).
This is a full-on citrus and cinnamon spiced, India Pale Ale with an IBU (International Bittering Units) of 60, lots of hop character, and lingering freshness and acidity.
Balanced and well-made, this will work well with barbecued seafood and also roast Pork. I should resist the urge to say ‘get some Galway Hookers in for Father’s Day tomorrow’.
