Corinna Dunne

I was surprised to hear that the dinner menu in Mint had gone up to €65, and even more surprised to learn that they now offer a tasting menu for €95. But more than that has changed. Oliver Dunne has left (now in Bon Appetit in Malahide), and Dylan McGrath (previously with Tom Aikens in London for 3 years) has taken over as Head Chef. A three course lunch (including coffee) for €31.50 sounds like a good deal, but the “earlybird” menu has been dropped, and there will be just one sitting for dinner. The word is that El Bulli style cuisine will figure significantly, so it will be interesting to see if this agrees with the deep legal pockets of the locals, who will be decamping to Italy or France for the month of August. The site is "under construction", so obviously being updated.

Did you click on each of the items? I just did and it worked ... ← It must be something to do with my computer. I just tried clicking on the articles again, and no joy. Just a strange "cluck" sound!

I don't know if there's an actual name for it but such photos illustrate what is called "depth of field [of focus]" where one part of the picture is in focus and another part is out of focus. Ansel Adams was extremely good at the complete opposite style where everything is in focus, from the moon in the sky to the grass in the foreground. It's not easily achieved and he was a master at it. ← Yes, this approach is generally referred to as a "shallow depth of field". Chiaroscuro refers more to contrast between light and dark; Caravaggio's paintings are a good example. I agree, I absolutely hate when text is reversed out of a dark background in white or any light colour. It is often used to break up the page, or highlight a particular section, but it is so much more difficult to read. David Ogilvy, a legend in the advertising world was totally against it for this reason.

I can't seem to access the articles, recipes etc. Is it just my computer or am I missing a trick?

More recently (on a BBC travel documentary), Ferran Adria said that there were about a million requests for this season.

Thanks for the detailed report Schneier. It is interesting to see how different your menu was from ours (it was our first time too), and how some of the dishes have evolved, in particular the foam, soup and wanton dish. We too thought that this was outstanding. I wasn’t surprised to get some of the dishes from previous years (in fact, I thought that this was customary for a first visit), and I would have been very disappointed if the gelatinous sphere dishes (olives and melon caviar), had not been included in our menu. From where we were sitting, it looked like everyone in the room got the melon caviar too. It will be interesting to see if it is included in Pedro's menu. One of the other spheres we got was a Marchand du Vin globule, served with bone marrow, and I thought it was wonderful. I really love the sensation of juices, essences and sauces bursting out of a capsule in my mouth. It's part of the fun and excitement of the "ride". If our menu was heavy on one technique, it would certainly be foam, which came with the majority of the savoury courses after the snacks. We too were sitting near a table for 8 and I though it was fascinating to see how unobtrusively and competently the table was served. Quite a challenge. You mention that you don’t rate El Bulli as highly as some of the other “experimental” restaurants you’ve visited. I’d be interested to hear a bit more, if you have a chance.

What way were your mussels served? Were they in the salt water jelly and served in bacon and potato broth? Despite the fact that I found this dish a bit intense, I though it was very clever and it fascinated me. Initially, your report sounds quite negative, but you end on a high note. Were there any dishes you found particularly good?

Thamls for the speedy post Schneier. Judging by your comments on the "do's and don'ts" thread, you had a wonderful time. I am really looking forward to more detail when you've got a chance.

Simon, this is an interesting point. As I had been writing a number of pieces on El Bulli, I had become completely immersed in the subject (and the closer you get to it, the more fascinating it becomes; the obsession is infectious), so I didn’t really get a chance to step back from it until I went on holidays to Maine. Strangely, it all seems like a bit of a dream now, somehow surreal. I suppose the polar opposite experience of lobster served on a cardboard tray from a lobster shack on the edge of the ocean (no reservations required!), provides a stark contrast. And maybe this is the point. El Bulli is a once in a lifetime experience, definitely on the “top 10 things to do before you die” list. But for my last meal on earth? Well, that would have to be the shore dinner of steamed clams, an ear of corn and two soft-shelled lobsters. I agree with some of the comments upthread about the fish at El Bulli being quite intense, in particular the mussels dish. This, I think, was partly because of the two sauce approach, with the mussels wrapped in the seawater in which they were cooked. I also think (totally unscientifically) that the female palate is possibly more sensitive than the male’s. I don’t think it’s a case of El Bulli not being able to cook fish. In many ways, it sums up the very essence of El Bulli… they cook things differently, and these dishes are not designed to be eaten everyday of the week. But they are incredibly thought provoking, and the stimulus of food ideas that flow through your mind for weeks afterwards is incredible. I think the residual benefit from dining at El Bulli, even once, will last a lifetime, and that’s what makes it so special.

Cork is the culinary heartland of Ireland, and Kerrier’s suggestion sounds like a great one. Although I haven’t been down that direction for quite some time, here are a few more suggestions: Local Produce Check out the Edible and Portable Souvenirs from Ireland thread for information on the smokehouses in Cork (in particular Sally Barnes, Frank Hederman and Anthony Cresswell at Ummera) and local cheese. Good raw milk cheeses from the area are Desmond, Gabriel and Durrus; and Milleens and Gubeen, two pasteurised cheeses, are well worth checking out; as well as Ardallagh goat’s cheese from Youghal. Look out for Arbutus Bread in the markets, and of course, there’s Clonakilty pudding. Farmers’ Markets You will find plenty of information on the Farmers’ Markets thread. Just search for Cork on the sites that are linked. Well worth a visit are the English Market in Cork City and the Middleton Farmers’ Market on Saturday. There’s an interesting piece on Richard Corrigan’s visit here. And further out in West Cork, there is a Sunday Market in the beautiful little village of Schull. Look out for Frank Krawczyk’s “Boig Doire”, made from dry-cured pork belly which is then smoked (a bit like a cross between speck and pancetta), and locally made Desmond and Gabriel cheeses. .Restaurants A visit to Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry would be interesting. Started by Myrtle Allen in the 1960’s, and now run by her daughter-in-law Darina, the focus here has always been fresh, local and seasonal. It featured on “The Homes of Good Food”, an Irish TV series with which I was involved (mostly on the cookbook) about 15 years ago, way before the mantra became trendy. Great fish from day boats, outstanding meat and vegetables picked fresh from the garden; it's expensive, but all very down to earth, with no nonsense, pomp or formality. It is about 7 years since I was there, but I have no hesitation in recommending it. Longueville House in Mallow was also featured , but again, I was last there about 6 years ago. It was started by Jane O’Callaghan, but William, her classically trained son (notably with Raymond Blanc) has been at the helm for over 16 years now, and makes good use of the excellent produce from their large farm, albeit in a more formal and complicated way. Again, it is expensive, and a bit of a special occasions place. Dennis Cotter’s Café Paradiso in Cork City is probably the most talked about restaurant in Cork at the moment. Unbelievably, it is a vegetarian restaurant, but don’t let this put you off. The food here is quite spectacular. I haven’t been, but everyone raves about it. Fishy Fishy in Kinsale (a beautiful harbour town) has long ceased to be a secret, and with its Bib Gourmand and numerous accolades, it has moved to a larger premises. They don’t take reservations or credit cards and only serve lunch (last orders 4pm}, but it is definitely worth a trip for perfectly cooked eye-wateringly fresh fish.

Thanks for the link Varmint. It was interesting to read the circulation figures: Bon Appetit in the lead with1.3m Gourmet and Food & Wine more or less level pegging at just under a million copies Saveur, quite a bit behind at just under 400k. I'd be interested to hear a bit more about what people think differentiates the titles.

I must admit… I too was a bit mystified by the chocolate mousse shot on the February cover, and thought: that will never hop off the stand (I gave a friend a present of a subscription, so we both dip in). But it grew on me, and it certainly “provoked” a reaction, which was probably the objective. I think the July shot is great, and yes, it has a real RL classy feel, and there is a sense that it is drawing on the heritage of the title. I’m just back from a holiday in Maine, and picked up a number of the food magazines on sale in the US (as well as a load of back issues from a charity book store), and I was wondering about the positioning of the various titles, in particular: Gourmet Food & Wine Saveur Bon Appetit. Which would you say is pitched at the highest level, what differentiates them, and who are the different titles aimed at? In the Slate article, Gourmet is compared with Everyday Food and Rachel Ray, (titles I’m not familiar with), which struck me immediately as a different market segment completely (based on Rachel Ray’s TV programmes). Am I right on this?

We're just back from Maine and had a wonderful time. It was my 6th time there and I fall more deeply in love with it each time. Thanks so much for the recommendation on Yosaku johnnyd, it delivered a much needed sushi hit... toro, uni, ikura... and our youngest who doesn't eat sushi had a really good tempura with udon (it makes such a difference when the oil is pristine, a big failing over here I'm afraid). The staff were so nice, and unbelievably accommodating with our children who first wanted to sit at the sushi bar and then on the tatami mats. And no... people without kids, don't be scared off... this is not a child goes wild sort of place, the impact of our two sprogs was kept to a minimum! I just had one day in Portland (mostly children's museum), and really hope to get there a bit more next time. It is such a cool city.

So here it is... my long over due post on El Bulli! As it happens, much of what we had was similar to Mukki's, but I’ll post the lot, so that you can get an idea of the flow of the meal. It’s interesting to see that Tamszen’s menu on her report here was quite different. After a tour of the kitchen – three stations, the bulls head stared out from the middle one, Ferran Adria gave a quick wave and got back to tasting, 30 chefs worked away calmly (45 for the last 3 months of the season), and we shamelessly posed for our picture - we moved into the dining room. I was amazed at how rustic it is; I had expected a self-conscious, minimalist, techno space. I loved the dichotomy, and it really relaxed me… because, to be honest, I was a bit nervous. Everything about El Bulli… the difficulty in getting a reservation, reading about the food, the hype, the wait, the journey… potentially sets El Bulli, and the diner up for a fall. I’m no culinary coward, I like surprise multi-course meals and have had the Kaseiki menu in Kyoto, and I’ll try just about anything once… but bizarrely, before I went to El Bulli, I actually had a nightmare about getting there and not being able to eat a single thing! If there’s a culinary equivalent of diners’ stage fright… well, that’s what I had. But as I sat down in a very comfortable chair at a large, round, linen-clad table by the window in the far room, I felt a lot more relaxed. And Luis Garcia, the Maitre d' was just lovely; he really made us feel at home. Even though the email we received confirming our booking had asked us to list anything that we didn’t eat (we said we ate everything), any allergies etc; Luis did a second check on our likes and dislikes, mentioning - among some other things - that we’d be having chickens’ feet… did we mind? I was happy to give it a shot, and Steve had no problem, having already crossed that boundary in China. And then the show began! Fesinha Our welcome cocktail was first presented to us in a vacuum pack, with a flavour exchange going on; the strawberry apparently taking on the flavour of the mandarin. It was then presented as a light frothy cocktail with gin, and we were told to eat the strawberry first (in one bite) and follow with the drink. So, nice and refreshing, but a fairly low key start. The table for eight in the middle of the room got the frozen cocktail specials, and if you look closely, you will see a table with two young children in the background. The snacks followed. Acetunas verdes sfericas-1, the legendary olive spheres. Even though I had read plenty about them, and how they are made with sodium alginate, I still felt surprised as they burst into wonderful little explosions of flavour in my mouth. Marshmallow de pifones, unbelievably light with pine nuts on top. You could hear them collapse, like the sound of suds in your mouth (at the back). Pan de gambas, a cracker dusted with prawn powder. This was like a Chinese prawn cracker, with the flavouring served separately (centre left). ”Croquante” de cacahuete, a peanut curry cream (firm, nearly turron blando consistency) with a tiny dot on it that tasted like kimchi. I loved that touch (centre right). Mantecado de cacahuete, an ethereal wisp that just dissolved in our mouths. I think the fruit it was made from was a custard apple (front) Wagles de oliva negra y cerazas, a light olive waffle with sour cream filling. This was simple, the wafer was really light and it tasted really, really good. We seem to have missed a picture of this. Uevo de oro and essence de mandarina, a golden egg on a spoon: a delicate casing of some type of caramel filled with essence from madrarin flowers. We were instructed to hold it in your mouth. It dissolved and it really felt like a flower bursting into bloom (I’m sorry if this sounds pretentious, it was quite magnificent). We then followed with the spoon of mandarin essence which was deliciously refreshing. Forget Prozac, this has to be the happiest fix going. I couldn’t stop smiling. If I had this first thing each morning, I would be a new person! Tempura de aguacate, was avocado with a swipe of wasabi underneath, wrapped up in a featherlight tempura batter with young coriander shoots on top. This was so simple, yet clever; with the Japanese and Mexican influences working wonderfully together. As Tamzen mentioned, this is certainly one that you could try out at home. Caviar sferico de melon, the famous melon caviar. It’s a really lovely, fresh palate cleanser, and had some passion fruit in it to add an edge. Really charming, and the caviar tin is such fun. Another dish to make you smile. Brioche al vapour de mozzarella al perfume de rosas, this was more like a dumpling, with melting, salty mozzarella inside. The texture of the dough seemed like it had been poached, or maybe it had been cooked sous vide, but it definitely was quite different from a typical baked brioche. I thought it was a bit heavy for a snack, but the rose air was heavenly. It was so fragile and ethereal, it was barely a structure; and the flavour was evocatively old fashioned and delicate. And so, on to the “main courses”. Migas de almendra, tomate raff, sauco y gele de almendruco, an elderberry foam with tomatoes and an intense almond powder (made presumably from a Pacojet). We were told to alternate between eating the tomatoes with the foam and the almond powder. The almond powder was very intense, and slightly warm. This fascinated me, because I thought that it actually warmed up in my mouth. But it was a bit too strong for my palate; it was my least favourite of the dishes. I just didn’t feel that the almond powder had a particularly strong affinity with the tomatoes. Esparragos en escabeche, two spears of crisp, white asparagus; in a cabbage foam, with tiny amber, salty dots of dried fish clinging to the top (like dissolving dried bonito flakes), and a few tiny basil leaves kicking in. There was a lovely balance about the intensity of the fish and how subtly it was used. Guisantes de jamon con ravioli cremosa a la menta fresc, split peas in a mint broth with a liquid ravioli and a eucalyptus foam. Next up was a wave of seafood dishes. Mejillones sferifacados con sopa de patata al bacon y or, The dish was presented first with the mussels (encased in a clear jelly, which bizarrely looked a bit like eyeballs) and small quenelles of sour cream, with a few tiny cubes of apple, and then the consommé of potatoes and bacon was poured over at the table. The idea was that there are two sauces. One is the jelly around the mussels, made from the sea water in which they were grown and cooked, and the second was the consommé. A very resolved dish, an inspired burst of land and sea. It struck me, that with the combination of mussels, bacon and potatoes, this would work very well in an Irish restaurant. Ventresca de salmon con encuridos, a few pieces of lightly cooked salmon (probably sous vide), with pickled vegetables, foraged leaves, and flowers from the local hills. Simple and accessible. Escalopa de ostras con foie-gras de pato, fine slivers of the meaty part of an oyster (almost like abalone) in a frothy foie gras sauce, the richness cut nicely with passion fruit. Percericos en dos estados, crudos y cocinados fine slivers of raw mushrooms in a mushroom consommé, with tiny spheres of egg yolk, two black walnuts and a sweet, citrusy pine cream. This dish acted as a nice pause between the seafood and the more powerful savoury courses to follow. Our sommelier suggested that we move onto a glass of red wine, and then, the crescendo kicked in. Wonton campestre. A Japanese style cast iron pan was brought to the table, filled with a deep brown, “French onion soup”, with puffed up wanton balloons floating on top. This had great drama. We were presented with a bowl of parmesan foam and two spoons. We were told to use the perforated spoon to lift out the wanton onto the foam, and follow with the soup when we were finished. The wantons were deliciously delicate, half filled with the lightest of herb mousses. We both thought that this dish was outstanding in every way. The soup was unbelievably good, but was taken away before we could gorge on it and ruin our pace completely. Colmerillas a la crème, morels in a cream with a square of citrusy, sweet jelly. Petano “Marchand du Vins” con pan. Another outstanding dish. Two rounds of delicate bone marrow were topped with a fragile sphere of Marchand du Vin; each round to be taken in a single (very large) bite, which was soft, savoury, and deliciously flooded with the bursting sphere of sauce. Between the two spoons of marrow was a toasted round of bread with sour cream on top, obviously to be taken between the two bites, cleansing the palate for a second savoury hit. Patas de pollo. chcken feet served in a foam. This was a fun dish, served with a knowing smile, and the little feet added a nice crunchy finish to the savoury courses. They tasted just like pork crackling, and all the hard work had been done, so we didn’t have to negotiate the bones or toenails, which is customary in China. That was a relief! And next up was the pre-dessert, so we knew we were on the home run. ta Canarejal con merengue de miel was a soft round of sheep’s milk cheese. The top was cut off at the table, and we dipped our delicate, honey meringues into the deep creaminess of the round. This was unbelievably good cheese, but it was taken away before we could finish it and leave no space for what was to follow. A wise move. Liquid de melocton, a frozen bon bon, which was intensely cold. We were told to put it in out mouth quickly, and hold it. It dissolved and drenched our tongues with peach liqueur; which we washed down with a spoon of peach essence, so fresh, we could almost feel it dribbling down our chins. Colibri, was a complete show-stopper of a dessert. A beautifully crafted hummingbird was draped across each plate, its long, pointy beak formed from caramel, extended from a bubble of a head which was filled with sweet, liquid sesame. We were instructed to crack the head with our spoon and spill its contents over the fruit sorbets, ice creams and tiny cubes of clear jelly that formed its body and wings. The sorbet and ice cream was deliciously smooth, and didn’t seem to be as “fluffy” or loosely packed as you sometimes get from a Pacojet. One of the ices had a particularly interesting texture, as if it was made from curd. It seemed to have flecks in it, a bit of a bite, and it was wonderful. The jelly cubes were similar in style to Can Roca’s (I don’t know who did them first), and the flavours were exotic and floral, with lychee and jasmine notes. And dotted around the plate were pockets of crunchy, dried sesame, in two textures and a tiny drift of yellow powder, tasting of mandarin flowers. At first, I thought this dessert had an Arabic influence with the sesame brittle, but with the ices and jellies, it tasted quite Chinese and oriental. It was sensational! At this point, we bumped into eGullet Society Member Simon_S and his girlfriend Hazel whom we’d never met before. They were great fun, so we joined them for coffee and some intensely flavoured meringues (the morphings), which rounded off the evening very nicely. Steve also bumped into an American couple we had met briefly in Rafa’s the night before (the had turned around to tell us that Rafa’s chocolate cake is extremely good, and also mentioned that they had a particularly good cheese there the previous night). There was a great buzz in the place at the end of the evening. It seemed like everyone was having a great time.. The thing that surprised me most about the whole experience was how unpretentious El Bulli is, and it’s actually very difficult to get this point across. Because the headline grabber on El Bulli will always be the “science bit”. But It’s not all about techniques, mad science or a culinary conspiracy on the other side of the fence. Despite how it may sound, the food is incredibly accessible and absolutely delicious. The staff are warm and friendly, and the whole experience is quite simply, a load of fun.

Tak at Yosaku is my favorite by a yard - a truly wonderful seafood experience. I had some excellent toro, aji, and kampachi there last friday. Outside dining is available at both of these. Service is excellent but I always recommend arriving early. ← Thanks so much johnnyd. I just Googled Yosaku for the address and got eG as well as this very interesting site. Is a booking necessary and if not, what is a good time to get there for lunch? We're staying near Damariscotta, so will probably just pop into Portland for one day.

I think I possibly was too generous with the butter when I greased the skillet, and this could have encouraged the swell at the edges, much the same as lard is used to rise Yorkshire pudding (although it is a smoking hot pool when the batter is added). As I mentioned, I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, so this could have had some bearing too. In any case, my very rustic version was devoured very quickly.

This is a really good point. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before pubs and small establishments get this message. There is some wonderful artisan produce in Ireland, and I can't believe that there is not a stronger push on regionality. Since you mention Kilkenny... Lavistown cheese and sausages (made by my friend's mother) are a great example of local Kilkenny produce, and I think you would have really enjoyed them. I do, however, think that we are turning the corner and things are starting to improve.

Primo sounds really great, so I'm hoping to get there when we're in Maine in the next few weeks. Just a few questions: - What is the general price range? - Is it suitable for children (5 and 6 years old)? - Is there a difference in the lunch and dinner menus? - Do we need to book much in advance? Thanks for your help.

I went to a Japanese restaurant in Portland a number of times (last time 2 years ago). I can't remember the name of it, but I remember reading about a good one, possibly further back on this thread. I'll be heading over that direction soon, and am presuming that there's just one Japanese restaurant in Portland, and it must be the same one. Is that correct?

Thanks for the report Indy67. We are long over due a Chapter One, Dublin, thread (not to be confused with the London restaurant). I've eaten in Chapter One many times (although not recently), but I've never had the tasting menu. I agree with you. It does sound like there is a bit of repetition on it, and it seems to me that it doesn't fully capitalise on what makes Chapter One so special. For me, the great thing about Chapter One is their focus on the fresh, local and seasonal matrix; and their charcuterie starter (for about €18), served from a trolley at the side of the table, is one of the best show cases you’ll find for Irish produce. In summer and autumn, this is replaced with a “fish plate” trolley service. The last time I was there, this included a fricassee of mussels with peas and broad beans topped with a garlic crumb; sublime smoked salmon with the lightest of salmon mousses (practically a foam, although this would not be their thing); a chunky leek and smoked haddock boudin; seared tuna with lime and a wonderfully light brandade with a black olive oil. There was also a particularly good terrine of black leg chicken with foie gras starter, which had good: gutsy bits of chicken layered with generous swathes of creamy foie gras, all held together very nicely on a beetroot puree. And a starter of pea and ricotta ravioli in a girolle cream was outstanding. The pasta was practically translucent, the sweet green of the peas gleamed through, and the girolle sauce worked perfectly. For our main course, we had John Dory, served off the bone on a leek puree; guinea fowl on a delicately sweet onion puree with a gutsy bacon boudin; roast duck breast with buttered cabbage and white turnip with a very clever roast apple and walnut crumble; and a particularly good breaded loin of veal, with pancetta and sautéed girolles in a herb sauce Our desserts on that occasion were nice enough, but not up to the standard of the savoury courses. Their cheese board was good too, but I think they are missing a trick by not serving this from the trolley and allowing diners to choose what they want. From my experience, Les Freres Jacques on Dame St (celebrating their 20th birthday this year), has the best cheese board in Dublin. (Their fixed price table d’hote menu is great value, but the ALC can add up to quite a bit and the food is better at Chapter One). And it sounds like you had a particularly bad experience with the sommelier, which is unfortunate, and I think probably untypical. We generally opt for wines at punter rather than expense account level, and unlike some restaurants around town (although Les Freres Jacques is also an exception on this); Chapter One has a pretty good selection of house wines. We had a very good Alsace Riesling for around €23 and followed with a Crozes Hermitage for about €33. And the port by the glass was a particularly generous pour. To answer your question, “Is Chapter One the best restaurant in Dublin?”… it is certainly not. But it is a very good restaurant and is considered by many to be the best value in Dublin. It sounds like your experience at Shanahan’s was much better, so I’m really looking forward to your report. I’ve never been, but know plenty of expense account people who have enjoyed it, but would be reluctant to cough up the hefty prices for the legendary steaks out of their own pockets. As there is no existing thread, perhaps you could start one? Note: There are a few pictures of Chapter One food on the Taste of Dublin thread.

I made the clafoutis this evening, with mixed success. So here it is... taddah... my first picture in the cooking forum. As you can see, it rose quite high above the edge of the skillet, like a Yorkshire pudding, and took some cherries up the side with it, so doesn't look quite as good as it should. But it tasted great, and was lighter than my usual recipe (Larousse), possibly because of the butter. The girls said it was their favourite clafoutis... maybe that was because of the brandy! I did deviate from the recipe a bit, due to time constraints, so I didn't pop the cherries into the freezer for a few hours, or leave the batter to rest. Also, I added in about a tablespoon of sugar to the batter when I was making it. It looked like it had split in one or two places when it came out of the oven, but it was just where the knobs of butter had been added. Perhaps this is what happened with yours Busboy? The only effect the iron skillet appeared to have on mine was to rise it to an alarming degree at the edges. I'll certainly be using this same skillet to make Yorkshire pudding!

Most of the mid – top end restaurants in Dublin had set up shop, Guilbaud’s, Thornton’s and Shanahan’s being the notable exceptions (although Patrick Guilbaud and Kevin Thornton gave demos. Also, notably Richard Corrigan and Darina Allen were in the demo line-up). Some lovely food at L'Ecrivain; the linguine with natural smoked haddock in a curry sauce was the best dish I had on the day. The breaded quail’s egg was lovely and soft, and the yolk poured out when I cut into it. Quite adventurous for catering on a large scale. The seared, peppered tuna loin was also good. Chapter One's shoulder of lamb with beans and chorizo was delicious. The chorizo was subtle, and tasted more like chipotle, which worked very well. And Chapter One's gateau dessert with organic strawberries was lovely too, although I thought the syrup with the strawberries was a bit sweet. I know… stop whinging. The crab spring roll from Bang was spot on. Crunchy and tasty. And the latest brave soul to attempt to conquer the Irish palate, Gary Rhodes, showed an impressive ability to cope with a gaggle of very enthusiastic women. For this alone, he has gone up in my estimation. I had found his TV persona a bit sickly sweet… but he seems to be a genuinely nice guy. I seems that chefs really are the new rock stars! The Rhodes D7 stand was one of the busiest; there was a mutton with cabbage dish, which I skipped, as I had just had lamb, and it was too late by the time I got back for the (apparently) very good bread and butter pudding. Just down from his stand was the Unicorn, probably more famous for its atmosphere and its gregarious manager Georgio, than its food. He was holding court in all his freshly tanned splendour, just back from a trip to Marbella. He was exhausted, he told me, after what amounted to a 20 hour day on Thursday. By all accounts, it had been quite cold on Thursday night, so the sun was a big bonus on Friday. La Stampa was there too, minus Jean Cristophe Novelli. … and the sea bass with fennel was surprisingly good, if a teeny bit overcooked (forgivable under the circumstances). King prawns in a mild curry sauce from Jaipur were tasty too And we were a bit late to the Roly’s stand for dessert, so the chocolate pudding was nice, but a little past its best. A “Wine Academy” ran at intervals in the Coach House. We caught a session on New World wines, so nothing particularly new to taste, but it was interesting and well run. The tasting glasses were from Waterford Crystal, so there was plenty of swirling, smelling and tasting. So, overall, it was a great "Taste of Dublin", everyone seemed to be smiling, and it was well worth the ticket price.

The Taste of Dublin food fair was on this weekend. I went on Friday, a gloriously sunny day; and the venue, Dublin Castle, worked really well. Anthony Worrall Thompson did a cooking demo, which was more entertaining than it was informative. He was very relaxed, and actually quite funny, as he talked about his “PR man” Gordon Ramsay, and how he prefers to be called squashed Benny (from Abba) rather than GR’s “squashed Bee Gee” moniker. He cooked 3 seafood dishes, all with a Nam Pla Asian twist, and seemed at a complete loss when looking for his mise en place, which was generally in front of him. “What would I know?” he joked,” I’m just a chef.” He had a good banter with the Home Ec assistant, and it was all very light hearted. He asked us to please not mention the burnt oxtail on the Queen’s menu, and proceeded to burn the rice grains which he was toasting on a pan, poured them into the grinder (saying that the HO wouldn’t allow sampling, so it was of little consequence), at which point the grinder gave up its ghost with a protesting puff of smoke. He had a quick Q & A session, was asked to sing happy birthday to a very attractive woman, he obliged and wrapped up. So… it was definitely “Chef’s Theatre”. Kevin Dundon from Dunbrody House in Wexford was also doing demos, but they were the previous day and later in the evening. I asked him how it went, whether he had trouble finding his ingredients like AWT… he laughed, said the Home Ecs were great and he always checked through his stuff himself. Wise man. And a good chef too by all accounts. My brother has been to his place many times, and it certainly puts Dublin to shame when it comes to good quality value for money. Food shots coming up....

Hmmm... I don't add it to tea, but I add it to a hot whiskey, with a slice of lemon studded with cloves. A great remedy for winter colds.

Maybe I'm just careless... but I never seem to get a good run out of my non-stick frying pans, and I've had some pretty expensive ones over the years. I'm going to start buying cheap ones frequently, and cut down on the grief. TK Max, here I come.