The times they are a changing....

It is the last day of August and time for a season change. Here are a couple of things to look forward to in September.

Emily's brother Anselme is on the brink of opening Le Bal Cafe near Place de Clichy in Paris, with his partner.   Check out their facebook page and 'Like' it.   I cannot wait to find a weekend to go over and check it out. I wish them best of luck in the coming weeks.

Slowfood Ireland are out in force the weekend after next down in Waterford.  They are holding a gathering of members from all over the country at the Waterford Harvest Festival.  If I could ignore the minor detail of working all weekend, I would be straight there.

However, I cannot really complain as Burrata here we come! The last week in September sees myself and Claire heading off to Italy. Based on tales from a recent trip by one of my staffers we are aiming for Puglia, right down the heel of Italy. Marine came back raving about the beaches, seafood, and blue blue sea and by the end of the conversation had me convinced it was the place for the next break. More on Puglian food post-holidays!

Apples in full growth

And, by the end of the month there should be Mum's apple cake, stewed apple with raisins (and cream), and apple tart with blackberries to look forward to. The apples will be courtesy of the orchard at home, which was looking very 'fruitful' over the summer. The local hedges will hopefully provide the blackberries. 

In search of Brunch in Dublin!

After Cathal's stag in Galway on Friday night and Sarah's birthday (21 again) back in Dublin on Saturday night, we re-grouped for brunch on Sunday afternoon in Kennedy's in Fairview.

I have been to Kennedy's Foodstore for lunch or coffee prior to Sunday's recovery session. Although parking nearby can prove a little difficult, it is a great stopping point en route to Dollymount strand or Howth for a decent sandwich or cake.

                                              Breakfast at Kennedy's

Brunch for me however is a real test of a venue. From food, atmosphere and on to service, brunch provides an altogether different challenge. Often the customer has just crawled out of bed, many with kids in tow, and chances are there are a few hangovers too. Most places either do not bother with taking on the challenge of 10 plates of eggs cooked in six different ways, or in contrast decide to offer brunch but forget that people are also in search of comfort and patience.

In fairness to Kennedy's they fairly near nailed it for us. We brought everything from the hangovers to the kids with us on Sunday and they did a fine job providing for us. The coffees were good, the breakfasts were perfectly brunch-like (scrambled, poached, Benedicted eggs), Bretzel toast, and a homemade brown bread that even our French guests were raving about! I would have preferred roast ham to parma in my eggs Benedict but that was a minor detail in an otherwise very pleasant and reasonably priced Sunday brunch.

Other brunch options - Carluccios, Odessa, Gruel, Plan B., and Eden. Let me know if there are any other places I should be trying.

Finding the new hiding in the old!

It has been a beautiful week here in Dublin.  With now 'fiancée-Claire' out of the country, I took the opportunity to catch up with some friends and family in some of the latest food offerings in Dublin and surrounds....like I needed an excuse.  Friday night Tom and I headed for the revamped Mulligans in Stoneybatter. Where I say revamped, I should really probably be saying....slight adjusted.  

The traditional bar holds true to itself in design but has added a great selection of beers - local and foreign.  The restaurant is at the back of the pub and has been kept low-key and unpretentious. We settled on O'Hara's Red Ale for the night and in fairness it did the job quenching Friday evening thirst.  The scotch egg and potted crab starters were both great.... the crab being good and lemony, although a touch cold.  The re-styled bacon and cabbage was flavourful and more than appropriate for the surroundings. Tom's lamb dish however, was a little lacking in support from perhaps some cous cous and needed longer stewing for the meat to loosen up.  Overall though Mulligans is worth a return visit for both pints and grub. 

Today, with sister and brother-in-law in tow, I went in search of an altogether different offering.  Irish foodie Clodagh McKeena has recently set up stall in Lyons Estate, just along the canal in Kildare.  Her very feminine take on food and design are strongly emphasised across the cafe, shop and cookery school. The shop is beautifully laid out but perhaps a little light on stock and heavy on design.  Is there a market for more? 

The cafe was light and airy with a well designed menu.  The Croque Madame - strangely minus the egg.....and surely making it a Croque Monsieur?... had great chunks of baked ham with Gruyère melted on top, was by all accounts very tasty and looked the part.  My baked lemon ricotta cake was very tasty, but unfortunately the cappuccino I had ordered was not up to scratch.  The replacement espresso did the job though.  I am pretty sure it's Ariosa coffee, as it was on sale in the shop too.  For a quick way to step out of the city for some peace and quiet, a stretch of the legs and some good food, it is a recommedable spot!

Tip - Ariosa Coffee is sold and served in Fallon and Byrne & Lilliput stores and is worth a detour for a caffeine hit.

Supporting the West

If I find a new supplier or purveyor of fine foods that I like, I would normally just add them to my list (on the right-hand side of the page).  However, I thought I would give a little shout out to some recent discoveries of food developments west of the Shannon river.   I have been travelling to Mayo since I was one foot tall and although we have picked our mussels, bartered for crabs claws and spun for fish, good quality accoutrements for cooking...spices, herbs, sauces, wine....were always hard to come by!  They had to be transported from well east of the Shannon.

On advice from the parents, I pit-stopped in Cafe Rua in Castlebar for a simple but very effective mozzarella/parma panini.  We were slightly ragged from a day and night last week at the Galway Races and needed some serious grub en route to  Belmullet.  The panini did the trick but it was the rhubarb crumble that I bought for dessert that blew me away later that night.... and then for breakfast the next day...and dessert again. It was fantastic! Note that there are two Rua cafes run by the same people - aim for the one just off the main square for great take-away foods.

Temptation in the Gourmet Tart Company

Galway has Sheridans Cheesemongers & Wine Bar and the Gourmet Tart Company. The latter has a wonderful array of pastries and tarts at dangerously reasonable prices - I don't really need two chocolate & almond croissants in one morning but it is hard not to. Further north in Sligo town is Kates Kitchen.  It is a great little haven of artisan product from Ireland and abroad.  

The search continues for more out of Connaught.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

It is a Tondo Chiaro di Nizza 

I spun down home again yesterday morning, between the torrents of rain, to see if I could poach anything fresh from the garden.  This week the courgettes were ready...and some!  One was heading for marrow status and is sitting in my fridge waiting for me (or a passing family member) to figure out what to do with it - probably a nice ratatouille.  We have a new courgette this year, picture above which I need recipe ideas for too. 

A quirky little addition to the borders of the veg. patch was this little pairing of mushrooms.  I thought they were really stunning but decided to best leave well alone without a little prior research.  I have Mum working on an answer to that!

Guest Contribution - Mum's Blackcurrant Fool

"When we started our garden we discovered that blackcurrants were very easy to grow and were very prolific. We had mountains of fruit that kept us supplied with delicious jam with plenty left to put in the freezer. Michael’s mother used to tantalise us with stories of the black and redcurrants she used to eat as a child, with lashings of cream from their farm.  As a result Blackcurrant Fool became part of our Summer repertoire. It is an easy and luscious dessert that never fails to get the taste buds tingling!"

How to make Blackcurrant fool

• First, pick your blackcurrants.
• Make a sugar syrup by dissolving 450g of sugar in 600ml of water. Bring this solution to the boil for 2 minutes, and allow to cool.
• Put 3 cups of blackcurrants into a saucepan and just cover them with the syrup solution.
• Cook them on a gentle heat until the fruit bursts. Now allow it to cool.
• Purée with a blender or a processor and sieve the mixture with a nylon sieve. 
• Add it to an equal quantity of softly whipped cream.
• Pour it into a deep bowl. I use an old cut glass bowl that I inherited from my Godmother.
• Decorate with a few whole blackcurrants and /or some blackcurrant leaves if you have them.

Spooning the Fool!

Cooks notes:

This recipe works just as well with gooseberries.

For a healthier option, use half cream and half good quality Greek yogurt..or Crème Fraiche.

The fool also looks good in individual glasses.

The syrup will keep for a week or two in the fridge.

Rory's tip:

The sugar syrup is also very useful for any number of cocktails!

Raiding the Vegetable Patch!

I took time out last weekend to spin down home and raid the vegetable patch.  I didn't want to see all those fresh fruit and veg. going to waste while the parents were away. Dad has always worked hard at maintaining a good supply of the best potatoes, onions, lettuce, runner beans, gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and courgettes, to name but a few. For as long as I remember we have been treated summer after summer by Dad to the freshest garden produce, with the support of a key ingredient - quality local manure!

The lettuce is always crunchier and more flavourful than anything I have ever bought.  The courgettes will range from baby to full-on marrows. And I will always make a particular effort to seek out the new potatoes.  At the age of 10 or so I remember being incredibly impressed by the combination of boiled new potatoes, real butter and little pinch of salt.  Prior to this I had no appreciation of salt's importance to bringing out the best in food.  It is still a summer favourite!   

The berries are put to good use too, with jams and fools making a particular mark at family gatherings and events.  Gooseberry fool is an essential addition to weekend desserts, and credit goes to the gooseberries as much as the lashings of cream.  The blackcurrant jam is likely to feature in sponge cakes or bakewell tarts throughout the rest of the year.