The Menu: Part 2 of Joe McNamee's seasonal hamper of foodie gifts
Some of the Menu's Christmas crackers
Especially in light of recent disturbing events, The Menu highlights two charitable endeavours bringing a little love and hope to those in Direct Provision, and an opportunity to show that ugly xenophobia is very far from what it means to be Irish for the overwhelming majority of people on this island.
Ellie Kisyombe’s Our Table, in Dublin, and Doras (Limerick-based national charity) both support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and provide vouchers, clothing, phone credit, and Christmas food and gifts in their respective localities.
- Our Table: gofund.me/f0d0a89e
- doras.org
The Irish Beef Book (Gill) by Pat Whelan, of Whelan’s Butchers renown, and Katy McGuinness, celebrates its 10th anniversary.
A fine cookbook in its own right, all proceeds from this special limited-edition reprint go to Cork Penny Dinners and Dublin’s Capuchin Day Centre.
A sterling year for Irish cookbooks, The Menu highly recommends:
- Butter Boy (Nine Bean Rows), by Paul Flynn
- Spice Box (Penguin), by Sunil Ghai
- Any of the Blasta Books series, especially Soup (By Blanca Valencia, Dee Laffan and Mei Chin), Tapas (By Vanessa Murphy and Anna Cabrera) and Masarap (By Richie Castillo and Alex O’Neill)
- Paradiso: Recipes and Reflections (Nine Bean Rows), by Denis Cotter.
- West Cork Coffee’s Festive Brew Box, 10 x 100g limited edition single origin premium roasts. A range of barista kit also available. westcorkcoffee.ie/shop/roast-brew-limited-edition
- Also knocking out primo coffee kit is Dublin’s Cloudpicker, and a special Costa Rican Christmas edition roast. cloudpicker.ie
- Also seek out: The Golden Bean (The Menu’s original favourite!), Red Strand, Stone Valley Roasters, Anam Coffee.
The Menu will crack open all manner of intriguing libations during his seasonal sojourn and with plenty of related reading material to hand.
, by Oisin Davis, a cracker for the neophyte domestic mixologist, a wealth of knowledge distilled (ahem!) into a very readable tome, while (Phaidon), by Amanda Schuster, is essential for cocktail connoisseurs of all stripes, both amateur and pro, gorgeous looking, entertaining and informative, with definitive recipes for classic cocktails.
The Menu adored (Workman), by Aaron Ayscough, a superb introduction to some of his most favourite wines and winemakers.
The micro-brewery/smokehouse restaurant’s cracking hamper includes spice rubs, Elbow Lane craft beers, stylish t-shirt. Restaurant vouchers and mini-kegs also available.
Cork-based Original 7 Beverage Co’s special limited edition premium extra stout, aged in Jameson Casks, only 1,000 750ml bottles of full-bodied stout (ABV 9.3%).
Excellent for food and deli items, Mannings’ Food Emporium specialises in great wines, sherries and ports.
White Port barrel-aged Atlantic Dry Mead, perfect for mulled spiced apple mead.
Lovely range of Cork-produced small batch cocktail mixers and mulled wine mix.
One of Ireland’s best ranges of craft beer along with premium spirits and wines. The Bradley’s Whiskey Refill Hip Flask is a hugely popular stocking filler.
A wonderful Irish take on gin’s bosom buddy, essential for gin cocktails and equally splendid on its own.
Stillgarden Distillery’s Christmas range includes a must-try Xmas Cake Gin and their Café O’Maro, created with Cloudpicker Coffee and chef Jordan Bailey for cosy fireside Christmas sipping.
Dingle Grianstad an Gheimhridh is a Single Malt Whiskey release especially for the winter solstice.
Nibble in comfort with YAWUW throw (100% recycled wool), Idaho Café handmade honeycomb and fudge, and Seymour's shortbread. Milbee beeswax candles, Badly Made Books handmade notebook, all in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.
Ireland’s finest chocolate shop, in the English Market, carries the superb Irish and imported chocolate, including premium single origin bars. Hampers made to order: all-Irish, Vegan, Gluten-free, Organic or all of the above!
Gorgeous ceramic homewares include espresso cups, cream/milk jug, sugar bowl, egg cups and aqua design butter dish, all handmade in Cork.
The Menu absolutely swears by his stylish and functional corkscrew from Oui Chef, retailers of premium professional kitchen equipment, can be engraved for personal touch.
The Menu’s loves the exquisite hand cut whiskey decanter with matching tumblers from Criostal na Rinne’s Cló Irish Crystal range, produced by master craftsman Eamonn Terry in West Waterford—a gift to last a lifetime!
