Dear all I have moved blog address to http://atasteof-ireland.com
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 14, 2011
I have moved to A Taste of-Ireland.com
Posted in Restaurants
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 10, 2011
Durrus Cheese
Durrus cheese in all its wonderful forms.
Durrus Farmhouse Cheese is a raw milk cheese made using traditional methods in an upland valley on the Sheeps Head Peninsula in Co Cork Ireland. The cheese has been handmade by Jeffa Gill since 1979 and it is recognised as one of the finest modern Irish farmhouse cheeses made by traditional methods. Durrus Farmhouse Cheese has won numerous medals and awards around the world.
The cheese is a deep-flavoured semi-hard rind washed cheese made from the milk of local West Cork dairy herds. It has a creamy texture and a milky, fruity flavour. The older cheese has a more challenging flavour with seasonal flavours coming through on the palate.
It is possible to visit the farm during the week to view the cheese-making process and to buy some Durrus Farmhouse Cheese directly from the dairy.
Durrus on Toast yum
Posted in Irish Cheese
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 7, 2011
I have Launched a free App of my landscape Photography http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/884723-photogallery-ireland-tom-brewster
Free app for down load from Amazon from me
Dear all my brothers and I in conjunction with Fermanagh football legend Tom Brewster have just released a free downloadable App on the apple I-Store, it is a showcase of our most Iconic Landscape photography images, enjoy and please do tell all your friends who have an I-Phone.
The link to the store is as follows http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/884723-photogallery-ireland-tom-brewster
Posted in Free App from me
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 7, 2011
Ardrahan Cheese & Ummera Smoked Duck Salad
A simple but ohh so tasty lunch, straight from Midleton Market, smoked Ardsallagh goats cheese and Ummera smoked products incredible taste sensation, smoked duck breast. Local tasty food at it`s best.
Posted in My Cooking/Recipes
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 6, 2011
Ardrahan Cheese
Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese was founded in 1983 by Eugene and Mary Burns at their family farm in Kanturk, County Cork. Today the business is run by Mary and her son Gerald. Ardrahan cheese is a handmade semi-soft, washed rind cheese. It is made from pasteurised cow’s milk from the cows on the Ardrahan farm, vegetarian rennet and natural starter culture by traditional methods. Similar cheeses would be Swiss Appenzeller or Munster.
Following the success of Ardrahan Farmhouse cheese, Mary has now launched two further products, Duhallow Farmhouse cheese named after the locality and Lullaby milk.
I love this image of Mary as her personality shines through and after the shoot she gave me a slice of one of the nicest fruit meringues I have ever tasted.
Posted in Irish Cheese
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 6, 2011
Book Launch
Me and two Queens of Cheese, Veronica Steele (Milleens) & Jane Murphy (Ardsallagh)
The launch of the book was a big success in On the Pigs Back in Douglas, so much so we received two, two page spreads in the Evening Echo, Cork city’s evening Newspaper.
We enjoyed the launch so much we decided to do two more, launching in Mannings in Ballylickey and in Urru in Bandon as well.
A Recreation of the image in the book, including me this time at Mannings.
Myself and Andrew with Ruth Healy (Urru) and Diane Curtin (Food writer, chef).
Yeah, Yeah Sean we get the message, you love food, the fabulous characters you meet and you are passionate about local food......, hurry up so we can drink some free wine.
Posted in Restaurants
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 3, 2011
Nash 19
Nash 19 is simply stunning for its dedication to local produce with a mission statement such as ‘From the heart of the land, mouth of the sea and hand of the producer’ its easy to see why. It is the the creation of Claire Nash and it is the only restaurant I know that doesn`t open at the weekends (this tells its own story) and is celebrating it’s 19th year in business this year.
Not only does it have many talented chefs but the staff in Nash 19 are a class apart, in fact little did I know that the young lady serving my table the day I dined there, was none other that Irish Master Chef contestant Christine O’Sullivan. I had remarked on her wonderful friendliness, enthusiasm and welcome, little did I know how talented the lady was in the kitchen also.
What I went to experience at Nash 19 was its truly exceptional local producer Taster plate. Which includes a taste of
Ummera smoked salmon, Nash 19 organic pate, Cahersiveen crab cake , Ardrahan smoked Cheese, St tola goats cheese, Gubbeen chorizo , Jack McCarthys Sliabh Lucra beef, Nash 19 chowder taster served with oat cakes and brown nash Bread using organic Ballybrado flour
This plate is I believe a reason enough to visit Cork never mind Nash 19 at Princes Street, Cork
Claire’s passion for food was ignited at the age of 14 when the best of her summer months were spent under the wing of Myrtle Allen at Ballymaloe House. Claire worked and trained in both Ireland and Atlanta USA. She started in Cathal Brugha Street with a Higher Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a BSC Management Degree from Trinity College Dublin. In the States, she studied Business Management in Georgia State University.
She returned to Cork in 1990 to open her business and is still as dedicated to quality and consistency as when she first opened. She was delighted to accept an honorary masters in business awarded to her by University College Cork in 2010. Claire is currently on the executive board of the Cork Business Association and a board member of the Cork Opera House
Phone: (021) 4270880
Fax: (021) 4278034
Open Monday – Friday
7.30am – 6pm
Posted in Restaurants
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 3, 2011
Frank Hederman
First to gain the spotlight is Frank Hederman. Frank is someone I have wanted to meet since the age of 15. I had seen him on a Rick Stein programme all those years ago in my mothers living room, the story Rick told of this man who smoked fish on an island in Cork intrigued me.
Frank Hederman’s smokehouse is no ordinary smokehouse, it is ‘the’ oldest traditional smokehouse in the country and Frank himself is artisanal food-producing royalty. In fact his smoked fish has been served to royalty, at the Queen of England’s birthday.
Tramping along the gravel to Frank’s smokehouse I wonder just how many famous celebrity chefs have smelled the same smoke-scented air? Frank does most of his business in London and many famous names such as Heston Blumenthal, Richard Corrigan and Rick Stein have championed his top quality produce.
Frank says his system of smoking his fish is the simplest in the world, however dig a little deeper and you will find that Frank uses beech wood chips,
which are specially made for him in the UK and is an indication of the attention to detail that over 25 years in the business has afforded him.
I remarked to Frank that my son is one of his biggest fans (wolfing down smoked salmon, usually found in some of London’s top restaurants, no sooner
than it has left his Midleton stall) and Frank concurred that children have an unusual fondness for his smoked salmon, in fact there is one little boy who
makes a regular trip to Frank’s stall at the Midleton market, as he would the playground. This only underlines the great taste and texture, as children with their desire to explore the world with their mouths, are certainly honest about what they like and don’t like.
Frank’s products include,
Smoked Organic Salmon, Smoked Silver Eels, Smoked Mackerel, Smoked Mussels and
Smoked Garlic.
Frank is showcased in my first book ‘A Taste of Cork’ and is available from Amazon at the following link
Sneak Preview video is available here
Posted in Food Producers
Posted by: A Taste of Ireland.com | November 3, 2011
A Taste of Cork
Welcome to my new food blog.
I intend to let all know about my travels in Ireland and the food producers, Restaurants that I meet, stories and great photography of course.
My first book A Taste of Cork is available from Amazon at the following link
Sneak Preview video is available here
Product Description
Wild and beautiful, “A Taste of Cork” takes
the reader on a voyage around a stunning county on the very edge of Europe.
Cork’s rich and diverse landscape is renowned, but in this book one of Ireland’s
top photographers, Sean Monaghan, presents it in a new light, combining the
spectacular vistas with the world of the artisan gourmet food producers who are
so much a part of the culture. Sean Monaghan describes the motivations and
method behind his photographs as well as recounting the anecdotes and individual
stories of the people, giving a unique flavour of the county from Kanturk Castle
and McCarthys artisanal butchers in the North, to Crookhaven and Durrus cheese
in the west. In the style of such books as “From High Places”, this wonderful
book shows you a side of Ireland in a new light, and gives a flavour of not just
the scenery but the life of a county, and how this can be experienced in a whole
new way.
the reader on a voyage around a stunning county on the very edge of Europe.
Cork’s rich and diverse landscape is renowned, but in this book one of Ireland’s
top photographers, Sean Monaghan, presents it in a new light, combining the
spectacular vistas with the world of the artisan gourmet food producers who are
so much a part of the culture. Sean Monaghan describes the motivations and
method behind his photographs as well as recounting the anecdotes and individual
stories of the people, giving a unique flavour of the county from Kanturk Castle
and McCarthys artisanal butchers in the North, to Crookhaven and Durrus cheese
in the west. In the style of such books as “From High Places”, this wonderful
book shows you a side of Ireland in a new light, and gives a flavour of not just
the scenery but the life of a county, and how this can be experienced in a whole
new way.
Posted in Books
