Taxing times, mistletoe and wine...

Thu, Dec 13, 2012

I think it is fair to say that the developing Irish wine market has hit something of a snag. Thanks to the unbalanced and, quite frankly, bizarre new tax on wine, all of our small retailers will have to increase the cost of wine in their shops at various stages between now and the New Year as their duty-paid stock runs out. This means that their customers will see various price increases per bottle, as many of the big supermarkets may very well hold their price, either by losing margin or by negotiating better deals with the big wholesalers. That some wine shops will close is certain, as the difference between what they can offer their customers and the below-cost selling of the supermarkets widens even further.

It is this below cost selling by the multiples that has been blamed as the cause of many of the social problems associated with alcohol. They unfairly use alcohol as a loss leader to build market share in the grocery sector. Yet the loophole still exists that when alcohol is sold below cost price, the retailer is entitled to a refund of the VAT differential, meaning in effect that the Government and taxpayers (that's you and me, folks) are subsidising any large retailers who can afford to sell alcohol below cost price. This is not by any means a fair or level playing field. In the absence of any coherent, balanced, national retail strategy, it is up to us as local people to buy from local businesses who wish to make an honest living by selling quality products to us.

Connemara Coast Hotel, Furbo announces new bilingual menu

Thu, Dec 13, 2012

An bhfuil ocras ort? Fancy something tasty for lunch like steig chaoldroma, or perhaps a trinsuir de bhia mara, fresh from Galway Bay?

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Dec 06, 2012

Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Independents €14.99)

On the Cookery Book Shelf …

Thu, Dec 06, 2012

Over the last number of years, Paula Wolfert has made a name for herself as an author with a penchant for Mediterranean cuisine and this publication will only enhance that growing reputation.

Clearly written with a modicum of fuss, The Food of Morocco (Bloomsbury, €35) is a lavish overview of a cuisine that’s becoming increasingly popular with lots of insightful tips and personal anecdotes. From the start Wolfert sets out her take on Morocco with the help of a map illustrating the essentials of Moroccan cooking before going on to lay out her views on tagines, preserved lemons, olives, argan oil and amlou, spices, herbs and aromatics, honey and fragrant waters and ten tips for preparing Moroccan food, among other basics. The other chapters are divided into those on salads, breads and pastries; eggs, butter, buttermilk and cheese; soups; couscous; fish; poultry; meats; bean and vegetable dishes; desserts; and drinks. The best of the recipes include those for fresh tomato and caper salad; orange and grated radish salad with orange-flower water; aubergine zaalouk; Marrakech flat bread stuffed with meat; bastila with seafood, spinach and noodles; Tangier street bread; goats’ cheese with honey filling; couscous with lamb, pumpkins; carrots chickpeas and raisins; tagra of fresh sardines with pepper oil charmoula; sautéed prawns casa pepe; chicken with caramelised quinces and toasted walnuts; lamb tagine with baby spinach with lemon and olives; tangia; potato pancakes; dessert couscous with pomegranates; and ‘the snake’ (M’Hanncha). Overall, this is a beautifully photographed big blockbuster of a cookery book with lots of ideas for entertaining anyone interested in North African cuisine in the run-up to Christmas, or as an antidote to turkey and ham in the weeks after the festivities.

Christmassy lunch

Thu, Dec 06, 2012

If you are looking for somewhere to have a Christmassy lunch with family or colleagues, there is a little place in Galway that I can recommend to you, Blazers Bar & Bistro. It is set apart from the hustle and bustle of the city, part of The Ardilaun hotel and yet but a stroll from either Salthill or the city centre. This tranquil setting, with beautifully landscaped gardens is a little a gem.

The Ardilaun is, understandably, renowned for great service which is probably a side effect of being a popular wedding choice. It is uniquely placed as a quiet, leafy, 'old fashioned' country hotel, but still no journey at all from the city. I lived on Taylors Hill for many years, before I moved to my present country pile, and had been in the Ardilaun for many functions but still had only a two minute walk back home. So, while I cannot tell you what the rooms are like, or the breakfast, or the leisure centre, I can tell you about lunch in the bistro.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

Hugel Gewurztraminer 2010 (Independents, €15.99)

on The Book Shelf...

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

Eat Like an Italian
Recipes for the Good Life

Celebrate Irish seafood and Spanish cava this month

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

Cava Spanish Restaurant on Dominick Street is among 10 restaurants around the country taking part in a nationwide initiative by the Spanish Embassy to promote November as the month for enjoying Irish seafood and Spanish cava.

A 'happy meal' in gorgeous Gort

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

Have you ever really thought about what goes into the plate of food that is brought to your table in a restaurant? If you think about it, a large proportion of it comes down to the chef. It all starts at the back door of the restaurant, where products are unloaded every morning. Depending on the time of the year, chefs experiment, create, and make menus that are fresh, exciting, and appealing to customers all year round. Strawberries and fresh salad greens have come and gone, game and autumnal fruits are featuring now. If you do not have a good chef, then you do not have a good restaurant.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Tim Adams Shiraz Clare Valley 2009 (Tesco, €16.95)

Christmas décor at the Kilkenny store

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Transform your home into a winter wonderland this Christmas with a little help from the Kilkenny store, home to Ireland’s largest collection of Irish designers. With a vast range of exquisite decorations available in Kilkenny stores nationwide and from Kilkenny’s convenient online store, www.kilkennyshop.com, bringing the festive spirit to your home could not be easier.

Savour the Festive Food Feast at the g for Console

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

As the festive season approaches it is time to eat, drink, and be merry. That is exactly what the five star g Hotel has planned for its inaugural Foodie Feast, taking place on Sunday November 18 in aid of Console, a dedicated suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention service, set up in 2002 by Paul Kelly after losing his sister Sharon to suicide.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Domini Kemp, who writes a regular column in The Irish Times, has now produced this her third cookery book, following Real Food Real Fast and It’s a Cookbook. This particular offering provides recipes from the off on such eclectic subjects as ‘fancy casual’, ‘getting it into them – family favourites’, ‘salads, sides, soups and starters’, ‘vegetarian’, ‘main courses: suppers, dinners, lunches’ and ‘sweet treats’. The best of the recipes include: gourmet fancy pants burgers, ultimate oven fries, spicy tomato and horseradish ketchup; posh chicken Kiev; lime, chilli and ginger prawns; roast pork with prune, pine nut, and spinach stuffing; trout and leek pies; fried aubergine with mint and vinegar; lazy veg lasagne; black bean tortillas; ‘cheffy’ shepherd’s pie; chickpea soup with curry prawns; courgette fritters with tzatziki; caramelised garlic tart with goat’s cheese; puy lentils with sundried tomatoes and Cashel blue cheese; winter egg supper; pork schnitzel; banana puddings with toffee sauce; key lime pie; and chocolate, hazelnut and muscovado tart. Overall, an attractive cookery book that is easy to follow with Kemp providing a short personal back-story to go with most recipes.

The breakfast roll gets a modern makeover

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Whether you love to cook, or just love to eat, there are plenty of great foodies on Twitter that you can follow. From celebrity types you would recognise from the television to professional chefs, bloggers, and restaurant critics, many food lovers are tapping into Twitter’s real-time network to offer up recipes, promote products, and recommend restaurants or otherwise. You can get an inside look at life in the kitchen, or just feast your eyes on other people’s lunches. Most of the food community in Ireland have embraced Twitter also. And yes, I myself engage in the occasional tweet (I know you are not supposed to talk to strangers on the internet, but this is different. Honest!) as do a lot of other Irish food bloggers — there are about 600 of us, believe it or not

Enjoy Sunday brunch at Maxwells

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

The term ‘brunch’ is of course a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch and is thought to have originated in England in the late 19th century as a student slang term. It became popular in the late 1930s because movie stars and celebrities and the wealthy taking transcontinental train rides in America stopped off in Chicago for a late morning meal.

More recently it is a favourite of those who may have partied on Saturday night, like to sleep in on a Sunday morning, read the newspapers, and take a walk to a local restaurant for some casual food.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

Errázuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay Casablanca Valley 2009 (Independents €19.99)

On the cookery book shelf

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals
Jamie Oliver

Galway wine news

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

Cases Wine Warehouse’s sixth annual winter wine fair has been confirmed for Thursday November 15. At the fair will be wines the company imports directly from the likes of Cava, Castilla (organic and biodynamic) Rioja, Sicily, and Burgundy. Also included are Pinot Noir from the Central and Leyda valleys; Malbec, Syrah, and Carmenere from Colchagua, plus a wide selection of wines from other great Irish importers such as Celtic Whiskey, Taserra, Mitchells, Karwigs, and Liberty Wines.

A very tasty diversion

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

In the village of Oranmore, Péarla na Mara is well worth a detour off the main road. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it has a Mediterranean style menu with a heavy Irish influence and there is a warm welcome from one half of the husband and wife owners, Justyna, at the front of house.

Warm up your appetite with Artisan Restaurant’s new winter menu

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

Artisan Restaurant, winner of the ‘Best Restaurant in Connacht’ at the Irish Restaurant Awards earlier this year, has just launched its delectable new winter menu. Comprising a host of mouth watering seafood, steak, and vegetarian options, the award winning restaurant has truly exceeded its own impeccable standards with a new set of dishes, which can only be described as a delicious infusion of carefully selected ingredients and mouth watering flavour.

E-paper

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