The Menu: Ballinspittle's Diva Boutique's bake sale in aid of Gazan translator Mohammed and family
Diva Boutique
The ever-wonderful Diva Boutique Bakery, in Ballinspittle, hosts a bake sale (March 21) with proceeds going to a GoFundMe campaign organised by writer Molly Crabapple and photographer Ed Godsell in aid of Mohammed Rajab and his family, whose lives are at risk from the Israeli invasion of Gaza.Â
Mohammed, a translator, worked with Crabapple when she reported from Gaza in 2015 and fundraisers are attempting to raise $70,000 to pay for him, his wife, his four sons, his parents, his sisters, and their children to be allowed into Egypt.
âMohammed also works tirelessly as a translator for international medical organisations,â says Molly.
Also rocking up to Diva will be The Fishbasket Longstrand, Clonakiltyâs Pike Deli, Kinsaleâs Seeds Bakery, Rebeccaâs Kitchen, and The Pie Guys.Â
- If unable to attend, you can also donate at: gofundme.com/f/evacuate-the-rajab-family-from-gaza.
Undoubtedly one of The Menuâs most favourite places on the planet in which to fill a glass, LâAtitude 51 combine St Patrickâs Day festivities with splendid wines in one of their always entertaining Guerilla Tasting evenings with Spuds ânâ Wine (March 20) which sees five wines paired with some of the L51 kitchen teamâs favourite potato-based snacks, and with no set time for kick-off you can hop on board anytime between 5.50pm and 8pm to start your sipping and snacking.
Walk-ins are always welcome but this sounds like an event that might be best guaranteed by booking.
- Email: info@latitude51.ie to book.
As The Menu seems to be on a roll this week when it comes to glugging back the grape juice, another promising evening of dining and wining presents itself at the salubrious River Lee Hotel, with An Evening with Iñigo EchĂĄvarri of BarĂłn de Ley, Rioja (March 26) which sees the bould Iñigo sharing his experience in the world of wine when he first began working at BarĂłn de Ley aged 16.Â
Diners will be treated to a fine menu of Leeside fare paired with some very excellent wines in the glass, beginning with Cork cheese gougerés, almonds and olives paired with Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, before the fine Spanish wines arrive for the main courses, cheese, and dessert.
- Limited tickets available: sevn.ly/xmxFOnNt
The Menu has been hearing increasingly good things about Cahernane House Hotel, just outside Killarney and overlooking the glorious lakes, in other words, a tailor-made location for a photography retreat (March 19-21) for amateur snappers of all levels of ability, with a full day of expert guidance and tuition from photographers Keith and Evelyn Woodard, covering all the finest features of Killarney National Park, including Muckross House and Torc Waterfall, over the course of a two-night stay with full Irish breakfast each morning and dinner on both evenings as well as welcome drinks with the photographers on arrival.
Though he may have once begun his coffee journey from a similar starting point, The Menuâs own personal taste preferences have probably skewed over the years in a rather different direction, favouring as he does the lighter, fruitier roasts over the more traditional longer, deeper roast favoured by the mainstream coffee purveyors but nonetheless, Watermark Coffeeâs Green Ocean Coffee, Kish, is a very decent blend of Brazilian and Colombian Arabica beans sourced directly from producers and yielding a light, bright, and nutty sweet brew.
But what especially appeals to The Menu is Watermark Coffeeâs environmental initiative, an Oyster Reseeding Project in Dublin Bay, at Dun Laoghaire, Poolbeg, and Malahide marinas. A nature-based solution, it is designed to enhance water quality, boost marine biodiversity, sequester carbon, and provide crucial storm surge protection to vulnerable coastal areas, by creating new oyster and seagrass beds to lock away oceanic and atmospheric carbon up to 35 times faster than the rainforest, and each bag of coffee purchased restores one square metre of oyster and seagrass bed on the ocean floor.
