Corinna Dunne

Maybe there just aren't enough of them to cover the country properly. The Michelin Guide has always been highly secretive about how many inspectors it employs. As an aside, it appears that there are just 7 inspectors in the US. See this interesting post below from chef John Malik in Greenville, the Michelin US HQ, who cooked for them recently: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=78102&hl=

You can get really good truffle oil online (I presume it's infused) from a company called Valette in the Dordogne area of France (they also do incredible foie gras): http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...2004-14,GGLD:en If you are ever near this area in France you should drop in for lunch and try their foie gras plates and black truffle omelettes. It's brilliant value, but be warned, the portions are absolutely huge. I had been unaware of the synthetic version of truffle oil until recently which was close to poison. I could still taste it the following morning.

And for a regional update… we were in Kilkenny for the weekend and I got a particularly good recommendation from a friend who lives locally and writes for the Bridgestone Guide (and yes, she’s promised to bring her expertise to eG). The restaurant is Hudson’s in Thomastown and it serves a very good three course lunch from 12 – 6pm on Sundays for €20. Not only is this brilliant value, it is good, honest cooking using excellent, local ingredients that are treated with respect. This is a rare thing. The farmhouse pate to start was rustic and full of flavour and served with extremely good homemade white soda bread. The chicken used in the ballotine was free range and cooked perfectly although the roast beef was on the overdone side. The desserts were fine, although not quite to the same standard, but who’s complaining at this price! Excellent service, lovely people and a lovely place. As far as I can gather, lunch is only served on Sunday, the rest of the week it opens for dinner from 6pm. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out for tableware, serving dishes, etc. Nearby in Bennettsbridge, the coffee shop at Nicholas Mosse has started serving lunch, but it’s still very much on the light fare front, with lasagne, quiche with salad etc. The pastries here are very good though, apparently made by a local French chef, and I had a lovely linzertorte. If you’re not familiar with Nicholas Mosse, they are famous for their Irish spongeware, handmade pottery and there is a “seconds” area upstairs beside the coffee shop which is well worth checking out. Mount Juliet Hotel nearby is in a stunning location, but the food continues to be horribly overpriced for what it is. Give it a miss.

I had uni for the first time about 18 years ago in Tokyo... but here's the bizarre bit... in a French restaurant! As far as I can remember, it was served like a sauce on top of a fillet of fish and I was astounded at the rich, sweet, unctuous taste. I also had it as sushi. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have hit the radar over here in Ireland yet, but I did have it in a restaurant outside of Gerona in Spain earlier in the year.

I'm not sure that he has a meat slicer. I did ask in another shop for it to be cut that way, and was told that they couldn't, in order to comply with health and safety regulations (I think that the slicer was only used for hams and cured meats, nothing raw, as there would be a cross contamination issue). I haven't seen any dedicated slicers for use on raw meat over here. Is that how it is done in Japan?

This blog is wonderful... so evocative of France

Torakris, I have had difficulty in getting my butcher to slice meat thin enough for shabu shabu. Even after he has partly frozen it, it's still thicker than it should be. Obviously the knives used in Japan are more suitable. Have you any advice on this (other than move to Japan!)?

Sorry, I transposed your initials by mistake... and corrected it with a nifty edit!

IanT. I wish I had found this dialogue before I went to Ireland recently. If anyone's interested, they can find my review of my lunch at RPG on my blog. ← U.E., it’s a shame you didn’t pick up on this, I posted this link on my reply to your initial request on the Help Ireland thread. There's a luke warm report from another eGer who went for the 165 euro surprise menu. See link below: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=42810 I hadn't heard any other reports of it going off the boil, but haven't been there myself for quite some time.

I've just discovered that I have a recipe tester out there! jmcgrath kindly sent me the PM below: So, apologies for the ambiguity on the quantities. One onion would be way too much for one person, a ratio of one part onion to three parts grated cheese should work, and also, I should have specified red onion or scallion which are much milder and suit the short cooking time. If you want to use yellow onion, Jim suggests that you saute it first, which I would agree with. His idea of a bit of sauteed bacon mixed in sounds great too. Practically quiche on toast.

There is nothing wrong with the summer truffle, it certainly isn't to be compared with Tuber magnatum pico or Tuber melanosporum and it is nice enough shaved on pasta (more aroma then flavour), but it should be sold as what it is and in season in Italy it is cheaper then parmesan. ← I absolutely agree. I adore truffles, but Perigord and Alba truffles are a rare treat and haven't made it onto my list of staples yet. But that doesn't mean that the cheaper "touristy" summer truffles have no value. As Adam mentioned, they're really cheap in Italy when in season and a good buy for what they are, as is the rustic salsa tartufato which can be bought in jars and is great on bruschetta.

Charming. I really enjoyed your story. The only things is, I'm dying to know how many inspectors there were, and of course you can't say!

The advantage that goose has over turkey (apart from taste) is the fact that it's easier to cook. It is so easy to dry out a turkey, but goose (like duck), is very fatty and effectively self bastes as it roasts. If you like pheasant (which is much gamier), I feel pretty certain that you won't find goose in any way challenging and I think it actually lessens the risk on what can be a very stressful undertaking. Good planning can help a lot on Christmas day. For instance, if you have a large number of people, that will mean a large number of roast potatoes. I parboil them the night before, dip each one in melted butter or goose fat to totally seal it and leave them on a tray, covered in the fridge until the next day. If my fridge is jammed, I put them outside in the barbeque with the lid closed down (my make do larder) as it is generally pretty cold outside. Sealing them with fat means that they don't go black and cuts out a lot of messing around on the day. I also have one of my veg dishes squared away in advance, either a puree or sliced celeriac in cream to be cooked in the oven (HFW has a great recipe with some chilli). I have only cooked a few Christmas dinners so I'm only starting to get a feel for what works. One thing's for sure, cooking for 6 is so much easier than cooking for 12.

I had cooked bronze turkey every year until last when I tried out Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's goose done three ways. It seems like a lot of work, but if you plan it over a few days as he suggests, it's not difficult and is really enjoyable to do. Basically, you render the fat; confit the legs (I threw in the wings too); make a sausage out of the inners and neck meat, using the neck as a casing; and roast the breast off the bone on the day. I'm doing it again this year, but as mentioned earlier, it won't stretch to a large number, unless of course you get 2 birds, which would be perfectly feasible since they will not be roasted whole.

Pedro. I can't believe that you didn't get a reservation. At least us losers are keeping some exalted company. And congrats to all eGers who got a table. Have a wonderful time and don't forget to post and cyber feed the rest of us.

Yes, they should have to put "truffle flavoured oil" on menus, to ring the same alarm bells as "chocolate flavoured topping". I think, unbilled and subtly used, it can provide an interested dimension to dishes that can remain affordable for diners not accustomed to paying for £100 for a pizza, etc. (Am dying to try that pizza... ) ← There seem to be two types of truffle oil, one that is purely synthetic (and close to poison) and one that is truffle infused, and yes, when used humbly and subtly, it has a place. Much underated: Lancashire hotpot

This seems like a good place to pose a few wok burner questions (I'm a complete novice when it comes to wok cooking): Does anyone know much about the wok burners on conventional cookers? I have a Smeg with two wok burners, and they had a reasonably intense flame to start. After a short while they would not ignite, and a service man yesterday told me that this was due to the jets becoming blocked from spillages or cleaning agent. So he cleaned out all the jets, and when he lit the burners again, I am sure that the flame was not as intense as it had been before. He said that they are not meant to be, the main benefit is that it is a double ring, and therefore heats the sides as well as the bottom of a wok. Now I know that my wok ring is not going to come anywhere near what is being discussed here, but does this sound like a satisfactory answer? The call out was the equivalent of $100!

Great thread (bookmarked already!). Like many of you, Carbonara is one of my favourite quick fixes. So staying on the eggs theme (which is one of the really versatile convenience foods), here goes for a few more ideas: Eggs en cocotte, (in a ramekin) are great for a simple supper or weekend breakfast. Make them tastier by pouring a tablespoon of boiling cream into the ramekin, break in your egg, top with some grated parmesan and cook in a bain marie at 200 C in a preheated oven for 6 – 8 minutes. Then there’s “show-off” poached eggs. Fry chopped pancetta and boudin or Clonakilty pudding in separate pans. Pile some rocket and cress (or any greens that you have) on a plate as you poach your eggs. To plate, put the boudin on top of the greens, top with the soft poached egg and pour over the pancetta with its fat and juices. For an extra dimension, deglaze the boudin pan with a bit of freshly squeezed orange and drizzle around the outside of the dish. Huevos con chorizo is also gutsy and quick. Simply fry slices of chorizo sausage, add some finely chopped fresh chilli (exclude the hot seeds), green peppers or chopped onions if you like. After 5 minutes, pour in your lightly beaten eggs and set about scrambling. As the eggs cook at the edges, move them into the centre of the pan with a wooden spoon for a deliciously creamy result. Do not allow them to overcook and become dry. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Even simpler than a Welsh Rarebit, stir together a lightly beaten egg with enough grated cheese and a finely chopped onion to make a stiff paste, spread on lightly toasted bread, and pop under the grill again until golden and bubbling. French toast. Just beat the eggs with a little cream (or milk if you prefer) and sugar. Add some flavouring if you like eg a good vanilla essence or the grated zest and some juice from an orange. If you like it “posh”, add in a dash of Cointreau. Soak strong, preferably day old white bread in the egg mixture, melt some butter on a pan over a medium heat and fry until both sides are golden. Serve with warmed maple syrup and a generous slice of butter on top. And of course, omlettes, either simply with S&P or fillied with whatever comes to hand. Apart from eggs, any sort of grilled meat (especially lamb chops) is quick and tasty. I grill a few tomatoes with the meat and mop up all the juices with crusty bread. Also a grilled pizza. Halve a baguette, grill the cut side lightly, top with slices of mozarella and tomato with a few basil leaves underneath. Pour over some EVOO with minced garlic and S&P and put back under the grill to bubble up. And finally, udon noodles with tofu in miso soup (from a packet). Gosh, I'm starving now!

I missed the episode, but like most people on this thread, I think it was perfectly fine to show the slaughter of the animal, and like Clarissa Dickson Wright, I would have no problem if this had aired at an earlier time. How many children watch cookery programmes anyway? Way too few is the answer, and JO with his young teen appeal has managed to attract a younger market segment than usual. But his young audience, I am sure, are at the seriously eeoooow save the world stage, so of course they’ll be “shocked”… but certainly not ruined for life. Good, they’re well able for it, and it’s high time that the positive side of the meat story was presented, and even if it means revealing the very natural food chain truth, it still plays out well against battery raised chickens. My children are 4 and 5 years old and I would be perfectly happy for them to watch it. Of course they would feel a bit squeamish (as I would), but that’s missing the point. But then again, they will happily disect a lobster shell and pull out its eyes, so maybe they've got the point already. As an aside, Gordon Ramsay in “The F Word” is making a point of raising turkeys for Christmas in his back garden so that his kids (and the viewers of course), get a true understanding of where their food comes from. The kids were even involved in a conversation about the possibility of having one of the turkeys put down because of illness If you’re beyond “pukka” and all that, JO can be a bit grating, but I really think that his heart is in the right place, and I don’t doubt his sincerity. He was so young when he hit the big time that we have to allow for some irritating mistakes. Showing where your food comes from is not one of them.

This is the key difference in how you cook with the two fats. Suet is always added shredded and not cut in or rubbed in as for shortcrust pastry, nor is the dough rolled and turned like flaky pastry. It is a much more rustic type of pastry and does taste much fattier and more savoury although it is very good in jam roly poly too! Jack, that pudding looks wonderful. ← don't you render the suet first? there's connective tissue and other stuff, no? ← No, it doesn't need to be rendered. I've just had a look in Delia Smith (an old hand at traditional British cooking) and she says that if you get the suet from the butcher, it needs to be separated out from the skin etc and grated finely. I have never done this and just used the easier option of store bought suet in a packet. Regardless of whether you are making the suet yourself or not, it is just sprinkled in on top of the flour, seasoned, mixed around a bit, before the water is added very gradually and the whole thing is brought together as a dough. It is rolled out slightly more thickly than shortcrust. Delia mentions that it is always made with self raising flour to give it a lift and lighten the final crust. As Jack mentioned, the heat melts the fat as it cooks. Maybe he can chime in with a bit more detail. I'm no expert on this.

This is the key difference in how you cook with the two fats. Suet is always added shredded and not cut in or rubbed in as for shortcrust pastry, nor is the dough rolled and turned like flaky pastry. It is a much more rustic type of pastry and does taste much fattier and more savoury although it is very good in jam roly poly too! Jack, that pudding looks wonderful.

I love this as a simple appetiser. Also good, and for a bit of variety, is a similar idea which is a piece of parmesan and arrugula/rocket wrapped in braesola. I rub the braesola with a little bit of olive oil to keep it nice and moist.

... And if it's not too rude to add another question, I'd also be interested in your views on "The French Paradox"... which I desperately want to be true and applicable to people living outside the region.

Oops, sorry. Here's a link that works (and there are plenty more links on this thread): http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=46353&hl= And also the "Eating in Ireland" thread which has some recent posts: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=70448&hl= And a few pubs in Dublin: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=75553&hl=

Hmmm... so this means that I really didn't make the cut, didn't pass the exam or press the right buttons. That actually makes me feel better than the lottery alternative. My angst will be at such a level by October 2006 that maybe I will manage to convey it effectively... without the slightest sniff of that damn vanilla.