Corinna Dunne

Yep... I forgot about that bit. And the way he brushed it off was pretty shoddy and unprofessional. He does come across as lacking in empathy and I know that many people thought that he was way too hard on the apprentices, particularly in view of the fact that the premise of the show was quite literally "No Experience Required". The "forgotten more than you'll ever learn" vibe was always pretty close to the surface. But I also felt that he was honest (he didn't once play to the camera); and is probably so fed up of everyone thinking that they could be a chef, that he was determined to make the point that it's extremely difficult to get through the basics, not alone make it to the top. And as the apprentices talked in awe to each other about the 14 hour days, young chefs who had no time for friendships, not even mentioning the low salaries at this level; I think the reality was steadily dawning on them, and the penny which was slow to descend, finally crashed to the floor. And you could see that in reality, none of them really wanted the job or had thought it through properly. So Kevin made his point, in a tortured artist sort of way; and I'm just one of those people who thinks that society should support "tortured artists", because we'd be far worse off without them. But from a PR point of view, I am a minority audience, so not a great result in terms of him promoting himself or the restaurant.

How wonderful! How do you do it, does it last for long, and is it possible to freeze it without destroying the aroma/flavour? I hope you don't mind the barrage of questions!

Thank you so much. I'd really appreciate that. The Rick Bayless one sounds like what I'm after. Apologies for hijacking this thread!

El Cellar de Can Roca offers both a la carte and a fixed price menu; and from what I've read in other posts, chef Joan Roca is also happy to select a surprise menu on request. Last year, we paid €67 per person for the tasting menu, so I'd imagine that it has gone up slightly this year. There is some great value on the extensive wine list and we paid €29 for a wine pairing. This restaurant offers exceptional value for money and the food is incredible. Be sure to make a reservation in good time, but do it by phone as they don't appear to respond to the email address on the website. Check out this thread for more detail.

Doc, thank you so much for this. What a trip; beautifully documented with spectacular images. I particularly like the ones of the markets. You mentioned that chef Ricardo will be bringing out a cookery book in the near future. Have you any idea when this will be? And in the meantime, is there any chance that you could post one of the mole recipes?

I find the smell of rosewater deeply evocative. It is wonderful in lokum, also known as Turkish delight (although the pistachio lukum is delicious too). About six months ago I tasted it as an unexpected ingredient in a dessert. The dish was presented as a cep, and the stem and the cap of the mushroom were made out of a baked cheesecake mixture. The stem was soused with rosewater, which elevated the dish astonishngly. I have had Middle Eastern cheesecakes before, but never with rosewater, although it sounds like a logical combination. And one more rosewater observation. Last summer, when I was picking redcurrants in my mother's garden, I was struck by how they had a hint of roses in their scent. It was probably from the flowers nearby. Anyway, it made me think that a trio of sorbets: redcurrant, rosewater and almond milk might be worth trying together. I never got around to doing it, but intend to give it a go this summer. And I have to find out how to make almond milk first, as I can't seem to find any to buy. If anyone has any guidance on this, please PM me.

I agree on La Garrigue. If you book, ask for a table at the front of the restaurant on the left hand side as you go in. There is an area on the right hand side which suffers a bit from being in the shadow of an enclosed lift shaft. The food here is gutsy, honest and satisfying; and the people are absolutely lovely. Jan Moir may not have been too impressed with Fairlie at Gleneagles (if I remember correctly, it was the portrait of the chef that was the final straw for her), but she loved it here. .

I don't suppose the show will get an airing in the UK but I'd love to see this programme. I've tried to run the pass at restaurants on several occasions and I imagine being an air traffic controller at Heathrow is an easier task. Its a real skill and you have to understand exactly how a kitchen runs to be able to do it without landing everyone in the weeds. ← It's a good series, but probably has too much of an Irish focus to be sold into the UK (the Paddy Power bookmakers programme was another one I caught which was very good). Andy, if you PM me your address, I'll pop the video in the post to you.

I recorded “No Experience Required”, featuring Kevin Thornton, and only got to look at it last night. In the absence of any other reports, here goes for a top line summary. First off, given what I’d read about Kevin - being a private person and all that - I was surprised to see that he was doing TV; horribly unforgiving, not to mention the vagaries of editing. And as it turned out, I’d say the main reason was promotion for his book, as the launch night was featured at the end. All very honourable, as the proceeds from the book go to a children’s charity. In terms of programming, it was good. It felt “real” and didn’t use the formulaic roller coaster approach of Faking It. or Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. And whether you ended up liking him or not, Kevin came across as totally committed, straight up, and sincere. Not a bit camera conscious either. Out of a pool of applicants, three candidates were offered the opportunity to train for two weeks in the kitchen of Thornton’s restaurant; competing to win a short term contract working there. Very little airtime was given to the vetting process and most of the footage was in the kitchen, which was good. So ten out of ten for focus. The three finalists were clearly selected based on suitability and not a psychologist’s “good TV” principle, but the fact that they had absolutely no experience in catering at all meant that the two weeks training idea was probably not going to work. They were put through their paces, worked all the stations and after a week and a half, asked to prepare a three course lunch for Kevin and his sous chef. Towards the end, when they took turns on the pass, the candidates felt that they were being put under impossible pressure with not enough direction, and Kevin found it difficult to deal with what he perceived to be a lack of drive and hunger for the job. There were no real villains (although the comments on Kevin’s style of teaching were pretty harsh). Kevin came across as a perfectionist, who could literally do the job in his sleep, and for the main part, the candidates worked hard. They just weren’t the right material. In the end the final two competitors walked out the night of the book launch, one of them for good. In any business, that is unforgivable. So no surprises when the one who returned was shown the door. And that was it. Overall, it was a pretty good programme, with a well handled abattoir visit, plenty of kitchen action and the expected smattering of swear words. There was no “Not so happy at the pastry station” voiceover of doom, very little superfluous colour, and thankfully, practically no irritating recaps after each break. The general viewing public got to shake their heads and mutter “Are all chefs really like this?” and the handful of niche eG types got a good sense of the heat (even if it was to a Zorba the Greek sound track on the pass sequence). As you can see, I liked it. PS The pig’s head dish that I raved about upthread takes a month to make!

I tried this out on Saturday, and yes, it's really good. Reading the recipe, I was a bit concerned that it would be too rich and heavy; and even when I was making it, the combination of prunes and port smelled like rich Christmas pudding. But after long slow cooking, the flavour is subtle and adds just the right amount of extra interest. It was great with the steak, but I think it could be particularly good with roast venison (with a touch of juniper), sliced across the top. I'd say that slices of nicely cooked duck breast would be good too.

What advice would you give to: [a] A young chef starting out A food critic A diner Are all tastebuds created equal, and how can you improve them? What do you consider to be the most under-rated dish or food? What do you consider to be the most over-rated dish or food? What dish is most frequently cooked incorrectly? What is the most challenging dish you ever made? What is the most disappointing dish you ever made, and ever tasted? What are your store cupboard staples at home? What is your favourite quick and easy meal? Do you think there is such a thing as a food snob, and if so, what are the worst offences? What was been the best moment of your life so far, from a culinary perspective? What was your lowest point, and did you ever consider giving up? Would you like your children to go into the same business? At what age would you like to retire, and what do you see yourself doing then?

I too love Japanese porcelain and ceramics, particularly the raku ware (and no, unfortunately I don't have any of it). But whenever I have noodles, I always use my Japanese bowls, and I use the traditional dish with a lid for miso or clear soup (even if it's only from a packet). I have a few sets of sake bottles and cups which get brought out whenever we have shabu shabu, and even though I haven't yet made sushi at home, I've a load of little soy sauce dishes and chopstick rests waiting patiently for my first attempt! I think there is something particularly special about Japanese tableware, it is very much part of the sensual experience, and you really get the sense that time was taken to make each piece, just like the food served in it. When I was in Barcelona last year, I noticed that many of the avant garde restaurants are using Japanese inspired tableware, and even in a more traditional restaurant, quite a number of the starters were served on a black sushi block.

Thanks so much for the link torakris, it was a great help. But now I am absolutely aching for some good sashimi and sushi. We don't have any Japanese restaurants to speak of over here, so I'll just have to make my own. I can get very fresh fish from the harbour in Dublin, but think I will still take the precaution of freezing it before I use it. It should also make slicing it much easier for a novice! Wish me luck!

I've never made sushi or sashimi, but want to give it a go. There is one thing I'm not clear on though... what is meant by sushi grade tuna? Does it just refer to freshness or is there something more to it (apart from what part of the belly etc)? I have read elsewhere about how tuna should be partially frozen before being made into sashimi to ensure that there are no worms in it. Is this a US regulation or just a suggested step, and is it standard in Japan? Also, does this apply to other fish? Apologies if this has been covered already in another thread.

Great, thanks so much for the advice. I'm going to give it a go. I can understand your concerns with the oil, so will be extra vigilant. I've found a great supplier for organic pork at a local Farmers' Market on Saturdays. FoodMan, I love the sound of that gratin. I'll be getting 2 large t-bone steaks from my meat supplier tomorrow, so will be putting that on the menu instead of my traditional baked potato.

Great, thanks so much for the advice. I'm going to give it a go. I can understand your concerns with the oil, so will be extra vigilant. I've found a great supplier for organic pork at a local Farmers' Market on Saturdays. FoodMan, I love the sound of that gratin. I'll be getting 2 large t-bone steaks from my meat supplier tomorrow, so will be putting that on the menu instead of my traditional baked potato.

Well, I finally made the pork coddled in olive oil and I can see why everyone is raving about it. I can’t believe that this dish is not better known. It is definitely the new confit, or probably more accurately, the new rillettes. It’s a perfect dish to prepare in advance, and it doesn’t even need to be crisped up like duck confit when it is to be served. I used loin instead of shoulder, as I had taken a bit off a cut for a roast (I’m sure the shoulder would produce a better result, but the loin was to hand, and it worked well). Then, our plans changed, and it sat in the fridge in oil for about 10 days (the recipe says it can be left for up to 5 days… oops). When I finally got to eat it last night, I hadn’t soaked any beans, I had no arugula or red onions, so I ended up making a quick pommes boulangere, using the juices from the pork diluted with water, and some briefly boiled slices of potato to speed things up. I served it in a deep plate, with the meat on top of the potatoes, and some peas around one side. It was absolutely wonderful and my husband (always a good judge) raved about it. So now I can’t wait to try it out the proper way, following the recipe to the letter. I kept the delicious oil, and have it in a jar in the fridge ready to use on fried eggs. I’d say that it would also be delicious drizzled over mashed potatoes, over vegetables, even pasta. There’s a lovely sweetness to it because of the garlic. I have just one question: does anybody know why the recipe states that it can be refrigerated “for up to 5 days”? It strikes me, that this should be suitable for keeping in preserving jars over a longer period of time, much like confit. I would love to have a few jars of it in reserve.

I'm so glad your friend had a good time. Here's the Farmers' Market thread which is a good resource for where to buy produce. Also of interest is the Irish Bakeries thread.

Kevin Thornton will be appearing on Irish television tonight (RTE2 at 9.30pm) on "No Experience Required", in which six candidates compete for three temporary jobs at Thornton's restaurant. A few pre-promotions slots went out last night and it looks interesting.

The key to good soda bread is eating it when it's still warm. I particularly like brown soda bread with loads of salty butter melting into it. It is pretty straight forward to make, as long as you use a light hand and don't knead it like other breads. If you are not going to eat it all on the day it was made, it is best to put the excess into the freezer as it really isn't great the next day. But if you do have some left over, it makes great toast.

And could I add one more query to those above? Is Espai Coch part of the Can Fabes building or does it operate as a completely separate entity? From reading earlier threads it appears that the food (on a more limited menu) comes from the same kitchen. If this is the case, how does it differ, apart from probably not including luxury ingredients? Thanks for your help. Bu Pun Su, we had a wonderful meal in Can Fabes nearly a year ago. Sheer perfection.

Well, I popped into the ceramics studio run by Rob Monaghan and Anne Marie Sheridan in the Craft Courtyard at Marlay Park and managed to get quite a few good pointers for you. First of all, a few names: Geoffrey Healy, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow Mark Campden and Mary O’Gorman at The Bridge Pottery in Kilkenny Stoneware Jackson, Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny Sara Flynn Ceramics, Kinsale, Co Cork Cormac Boydell, Beara, Co Cork Roger Harley, Absolute Pottery, Westport, Co Mayo Marcus O’Mahony, Lismore, Co Waterford The Crafts Council of Ireland has plenty more information on its website, and in Dublin, The Bridge Gallery on Ormond Quay stocks a lot of contemporary ceramic work. Another useful site is Ceramics Ireland. And just a quick correction to my earlier post on Nicholas Mosse: only the larger pieces (eg the bowls) are hand thrown, but the sponge ware is all done by hand. By the way, Rob Monaghan (who does some lovely work himself), is a really nice guy, and he mentioned that he would be quite happy to chat with you if you need any further help when you are visiting. You can get him at robannmarie@eircom.net.

Jenny, why am I not surprised to see Tayto crisps on this list?!!! Boxes of them wing their way over to the strung out Irish abroad... although, I think this is probably a generational thing which reminds a certain age group of their childhood. Today's Celtic cubs will probably have much more sophisticated tastes. And I presume the teabags are Barry's Tea! On the John Rocha recommendation, I used to be a huge fan, and as a result got quite a bit of it as wedding presents... but I've since gone off this large, heavy goblet style glass and will be very interested to see what the Waterford Riedel type glasses look like. The Guilbaud ones look great.

I'd imagine that you'll be fine with Guinness draught, and as you suggested, just leave it to go flat (although I wouldn't heat it, as a warm liquid may affect your recipe). Bottled is probably specified because the draught product would be difficult to work with (because of the head). I wouldn't worry too much about the gravity of the product, as bottled Guinness can vary in alcohol levels depending on its market. So too can the taste. particularly in relation to the amount of hops used. Go for it!

Well... traditionally there are no eggs as this would give you a more "cakey" bread, but it would still taste good.