As you may be aware I usually write about food that I’ve eaten or discovered and from time to time the odd food related event that I have enjoyed. This time around I’m putting up some information on a very worthwhile event that you may be interested in attending yourself if you are visiting Taste of Dublin this June which runs from 14 to 17 June at the Iveagh Gardens.
What is it ?:
“this experiential dining event will see festival goers served an exclusive tasting plate by legally blind waiting staff whilst immersed in complete darkness.”
‘Kanchi Dine in the Dark’ will enable attendees to experience how, by removing one sense, others can be altered and heightened, encouraging them to value different abilities. Communication whilst in the dark is also fundamentally impacted which will see social interactions altered greatly from the typical dining experience. The aim of the event is to challenge perceptions of difference through unique experiences with a cutting edge and inventive food event.
Ross Lewis explains; “In working with Kanchi on Dine in the Dark event I will be seeking to create an experience that delivers a new concept of culinary theatre and presents an opportunity for guests to utilise their senses in a way that they never have before”.
Who’s Cooking?
The ten chefs confirmed to participate are: Oliver Dunne, Head Chef of Bon Appétit and the youngest Michelin Star Chef in Ireland; Malcolm Starmer, Head Chef of newly opened Bite in Dublin; Stuart O’Keeffe, Private Chef featured on The Food Network (USA) and Stuart’s Kitchen (TV3); Ed Cooney, Executive Chef, the five star Merrion Hotel; Ross Lewis, Head Chef at Michelin Award Winning Restaurant, Chapter One; Master Chef Ireland contestants, Bridin Carey, Conal Markey and Richard Speedie; Kevin Thornton, Thornton’s Restaurant and Ireland’s first Head Chef to win two Michelin Stars. Radio personality Tom Dunne will also appear as a Special Guest Chef in collaboration with his wife Audrey McDonald of Private Caterers.
When can I go/ Do I need to book & How much does it cost?
There will be several sittings each day for the duration of the festival for both lunch and dinner with 25 festival goers served per sitting. Guests will be seated on a first come first served basis. The cost of entry to the ‘Kanchi Dine in the Dark’ pop-up restaurant will be eight Florins, which is the Taste of Dublin currency that is available on site. This will include the tasting plate and a glass of wine/non-alcoholic alternative per person.
How long does it last?
Each sitting will last approximately 30 minutes, after which guests have the opportunity to meet with the award winning chef who prepared their food, and to discuss cooking techniques and the local produce they have sampled.
Who is Kanchi?
Kanchi is not-for-profit disability organisation, which was established in June 2000 by Caroline Casey, a visually impaired social entrepreneur. Kanchi works to change mindsets and behaviours around disability. They do this by creating initiatives that influence business and media leadership. Their work is grounded in the Disability Business Case which demonstrates the tangible business benefits of embracing people with disabilities as employees, customers and suppliers.
Til next time, Sheila.
Category: Events & Adventures in Food
Sunday Lunch at The Mill Restaurant Blarney
A lot has changed at The Mill Restaurant Blarney over the last 12 months. They’ve overseen a major redesign to create a bright and airy space that beams a huge welcome to all visitors. What was once and still is a resting spot for many a foreign tourist in search of an Aran jumper is now also a magnet to the weary worn native in search of a break from the norm. If you’ve been to Killarney you’ll know the holiday buzz feeling that a stroll down their streets gives off on a warm summer’s evening, well that is what The Mill Restaurant has bottled here too and it exudes a wonderfully relaxed vibe.
A large projector screen plays nostalgic black and white footage of Cork while upbeat but un-intrusive jazzy and modern music plays subtly in the background, the double height ceilings and some exposed brick walls working wonders for the acoustics.
I recently launched my book ‘Gimme the Recipe’ at The Mill Restaurant and it was a great success due in most part to the management and staff whose attention to detail and professionalism I could not speak more highly of.
It was while making arrangements for the launch that I saw the sign for the Sunday Family Meal and I made a mental note to return and give it the Kiely Family road test.
As you can imagine a large family like ours (8) rarely dines out and the primary reason is of course financial however another reason is the pressure that you can sometimes feel when you take children out to dine. 6 kids equals 12 elbows for jostling and 12 hands for spillages and then there’s the ‘when will our food be ready?’ questions followed by the squabbling if impatience gets half a chance to set in.
One of the strong pluses for family dining at The Mill Restaurant Blarney is that it is carvery style self-service where you queue up and food is served to you immediately and you gather your own cutlery and ice-water on the way back to your seat. Sometimes you will be given a number for your order if not immediately available and food will then be brought to your table so there is never a back-log in the queue.
Making the assumption that the roast would feed the average family of 4 we ordered two. 8 warm plates were supplied (this got much approval from The Gravy Man) and along came two plump, juicy and stuffed roast chickens on two platters with roast potatoes. With carving knife and fork provided we set about dishing up to the hungry who were helping themselves to the other vegetables : pea puree, carrot & coriander mash, buttered cabbage and mashed potato (and of course there was also gravy.)
Eight of us were more than adequately fed for an incredible 56 euro with many of us having second helpings and the leftovers making their way home in a doggy bag. I honestly have not experienced a venue quite like this that provides superb value, relaxed family dining that melds with other couples and diverse groups of travellers.
To the hob-bound and child-tethered I say a visit here for Sunday Lunch will leave you feeling human again. Go try it if you can and I’d love to hear what you think.
Til next time, Sheila.
NB: Please note that I was not asked to write this piece and it is honest, unsolicited opinion.
How does your garden grow?
Managing to keep some unidentified kind of rubber plant alive indoors for a few years now does not a gardener make. Beyond that, it’s been a struggling basil or parsley plant on the back kitchen window that usually doesn’t see the end of a week or two. When recently asked by Stop Food Waste to support their combined efforts with GIY to get people out there and growing their own I was happy to give it a whirl but this is a new departure for me, a little adventure or foray if you will and sure we’ll see how it goes.
First up was the assembly of a couple of raised beds in the garden. We put two adjoining beds in place, end to end, one for team kids & dad and the other for me. Now when I say ‘we’ that would be the royal ‘we’, meaning it was in fact ‘he’ who engaged a local joinery company to make up the required lengths of timber (teak) for the beds and he put them in place with the aid of some of his side-kicks while I contributed with some pointing and gesturing.
Compost from the large green bin that graces a corner of our back garden was finally put to use and was topped up with soil sourced for free – it’s probably a bit on the stoney side but sure what do I know! So far, so frugal.
I had received a packet of Butterhead (Marvel of 4 Seasons) Lettuce leaves courtesy of GIY and being a bit of a freak for following instructions I set about planting them into little seedling pots I had picked up for half nothing in Heatons. While I set about cultivating my seeds according to instructions, team kids & Dad took the fling the seeds at the soil approach.
(You can imagine what a flat-pack assembly is like chez-moi with me being OCD on starting at point No.1 Let’s just say screw-drivers should not be kept within reach.)
Team Dad had taken some advice from a wise person (everyone’s a gardener) who told them to alternate onions with the other crops to keep pests at bay but one pest we hadn’t considered however was ‘Kylie’ the family dog. With the Olympics approaching it seems she has plans for the hop, skip and jump event and it turns out that the raised beds is perfect for her training.
When I finally deemed it time to put my seedlings of leaves, strawberries etc out, I erected a flimsy but effective boundary of bamboo and string to keep Kylie the wonder-dog at bay and so far it’s working.
Tears almost spilled as I attempted to untangle various seedling roots and what entered the ground looked very weak and flimsy (spring onions, strawberries, carrots, lettuce). My beautiful lettuce seedlings just keeled over – first I thought they had died but now they’ve turned red and seem to be strengthening up somewhat so we shall see. I’ve been told by another wise person that it’s best to keep my chilli plants indoors.
I think it’s probably time I did a bit of reading up on thinning out etc. as the parsnips that I planted direct into the ground may need a bit more room if they are going to thrive. I am loath to pull out growing shoots in order to strengthen others and advice is definitely called for on what to do next.
The truth as always will be in the eating and I will report back anon when something worthy graces the table. For now I can observe that this growing lark is fun and worth the very little effort that I have given it to date and it’s amazing to see something growing in front of your eyes.
While all of this has been going on my eldest dried off some seeds from the inside of a shop bought tomato and has grown this beauty indoors – he has made gardening seem incredibly easy. Maybe some are just more natural at it than others.
Please comment with any hints, tips, advice etc. (you are also allowed to scoff and condescend if deemed necessary).
The adventure continues.
Til next time, Sheila.
Something for the weekend…
If you’ve come to these pages in search of a recipe let me direct you towards one that I published last year for Mother’s Day. An indulgent treat, a sublime concoction in the form of a chocolate orange mousse cake.
I do my cooking, baking, recipe experimentation and photography at the weekends but last weekend was different to most. It was time for a rest.
A break away to Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa could not have come at a better time for this particular food blogger. Overwhelmed with the release of my first book ‘Gimme the Recipe’ last Thursday, a sojourn to this tucked-away West Cork coastal jem provided the peace and time needed to unwind, adjust and re-energise.
This complimentary weekend (organised by Conway Communications & Inchdoney Lodge & Spa) brought together a number of Irish Food Bloggers and partners and from our arrival on Friday evening to departure at lunchtime on Sunday we got more than a taste of what’s on offer to the weary worn.
A casual 3 course dining experience in The Dunes Pub & Bistro on Friday evening showcased the finest of local and Irish produce from seafood to meat platter to West Cork Cheese Slate.
Let me tease you with the following, billed as
‘A Little Taste of West Cork’:
West Cork Seafood Chowder flavoured with a Hint of Michael Collins Whiskey,
Smoked Salmon from Ummera Smokehouse Timoleague,
Homemade Skeaghanore Duck Liver Paté, with a Inchydoney Tomato and Chilli Jam,
Crisp Fried Atlantic Seafood Cake served with Homemade Tartar Sauce,
West Coast Crab Claws Tossed in Fresh Garlic, Ginger and Parsley Butter
and Fresh Bantry Bay Mussels.
That was the starter, yes, the starter! Just in case you think these are a list of choices, they were not, you got a more than substantial taste of each of them before pressing on to either a fish or meat platter and then the cheese slate.
Breakfast on Saturday was followed by a fishing expedition and we langoured on gently bobbing waves blessed with serenely calm waters while our casting and reeling was sporadically rewarded with yields of coalfish and pollock. Some too small to keep were eased back to the sea but one of my Pollock made its way to our lunch time bar-b-que later at the hotel. As well as fishing expeditions the hotel offers the opportunity to try out numerous outdoor pursuits including sea kayaking and seaweed foraging the virtues of which were extolled to us later that evening by Sally McKenna of Bridgestone Guides and Jim Kennedy of Atlantic Sea Kayaking.
A restful afternoon saw a walk on the beach and a trip to the Island Spa for a ‘Cleopatra Honey & Milk Bath.’
If I were to list the contents of our 7 course evening ‘A Taste of West Cork’ menu I would be pushing you over the edge, again I’ll just offer you a tiny tease.
Oysters and Pearls
Home-Smoked Giga Oysters
bound with Fresh Cod Roe
from Con Murphy of Shellfish de la Mer, Dinish Island
A number of the Inchydoney Island suppliers joined us for the meal and at our table in the Inchydoney Room we were in the company of Con Murphy of Shellfish de la Mer and Avril Allshire of Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd., & Rosscarbery Recipes. We sat down to eat soon after 8pm and continued until after midnight, this was a truly epic dining experience.
Quality and service were equally outstanding and with a full-house to cater to in the Gulfstream Restaurant as well as the Inchydoney room this was no easy task. Getting to meet the chefs was a lovely finishing touch that rounded off the evening.
We extended our weekend with a slight detour to take up the very kind invitation of Anthony Creswell of Ummera Smokehouse, Timoleague for a guided tour of his impressive smokehouse ably assisted by his son Conor who showed off some of their awards.
While we packed plenty in to our stay, nothing was hurried and time, particularly when out at sea, moved slowly. Go, rest and have fun. West Cork Awaits…..
Til next time, Sheila.
Totally Tipperary
“A celebration of local food and culture.” My trip to Cloughjordan last Saturday took me through Moneygall where American flags line the streets still saluting President Obama’s recent visit. Cloughjordan is a few twists and turns on the road further on and by 10am I was parking my car in a mucky field and bemoaning my choice of footwear. All crankiness soon abated as I was warmly greeted by fellow food blogger Nessa Robins before joining Kristin Jensen for a reviving coffee. Food bloggers were out in force for the Seomra Blog Bia cookery demonstrations which got underway with a demo by Sarah Baker who runs Sarah Baker Cookery School at Cloughjordan House.
The set-up for the demo was in a large tent with a spacious cooking area and overhead mirror that ensured everyone got to see what was going on.
As well as Sarah Baker there were demonstrations by Kristin Jensen, Nessa Robins, Joanna Schaffalitzky, Yvonne Carty and three french visiting chefs – Maurice Alexis, Didier Coupeau, Joel Reynaud.
Taking a wander every now and then to stretch my legs I visited the various stands from Tipperary Food Producers stocking up on a heap of preserves from the Crossogue Preserves stall where I chatted with Veronica Molloy and Dorota Nowicka pictured here.
This rather delicious looking cupcake begged to be photographed (& eaten) at the Sugar Moon Cookies & Cakes stand.
Stopping off at the Meat Tent it seemed like every man at the event had pulled up a chair as T.J. Crowe (of Crowe’s Farm) and Pat Whelan (of James Whelan Butchers) demonstrated the various cuts.
In the Farm/Milk Tent I came across Imen McDonnell (www.marriedanirishfarmer.com) giving a butter making demonstration and she invited us to shape the pats of butter.
I hit the road southbound sometime after 5pm as the sun was beginning to shine after a truly satisfying day, meeting lots of friendly faces and tasting wonderful food. T.J. Crowe’s pulled pork burger sustained me on my journey and I had learned something new – how to make butter and…this is what borage looks like (pretty & edible):
Til next time,
Sheila.