Corinna Dunne

I make my pasta salad along the lines of saskanuck above. However, I always dress the pasta when it is hot so that the dressing soaks in a bit. I tend to use a dressing of mainly EVOO with some lemon juice, freshly ground salt and pepper and freshly minced garlic. When the pasta has cooled down to room temperature, I then add in some veg for crunch: red peppers and celery and chopped tomatoes with some fresh herbs like parsley, basil and a little cilantro (or corriander as we call it over here!). And just like saskanuck's recipe, I sometimes add crumbled feta cheese, but just before serving, and would add some mint and black olives in this case (a kind of Greek pasta salad). To me, the 2 big offenders in making pasta salad are: using left over pasta and throwing too many different ingredients in so that it loses focus.

I use yolks only. It also helps to have them at room temperature. This will give you a very thick mayonnaise, which you may even need to thin out a bit with some lemon joice. I have seen receipes that use the full egg, but normally these are for 'quick' mayonnaise made in a blender or liquidiser, with the oilve oil poured in a slow stream as the motor runs. It doesn't sound like this is what you are doing, so dropping the egg white completely should give you the result you are looking for.

Incredible. What a great report and wonderful shots too. We were up there this time last year and this makes me feel so nostalgic. I agree, there is nothing quite like the salty sweetness of freshly landed, steamed Maine lobster. And the immediacy of feasting on it in the pounds/shacks heightens the experience. Do you have a view on hard shell v soft shell lobster? Small v large?

Thanks again SD. Interesting comments. This clarifies it for me more.

Thanks Silly and Bux I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains further. You describe Alkimia as more "cuisine de auteur" whereas C24 is "inventive". Do you think that C24 is derivative (the elBulli legacy) and Alkimia has its own unique voice?

Thanks Silly Thought it was time I improved my Spanish, so googled the mystery words. I now know that cigala is crayfish and berberechos are cockles (thanks to the eGullet posts that came up!). I couldn't find a translation for tocinillo (just learned that Bux had it at elBulli!!!), so, a plea for help on this one. Actually, the language problem (mine) was another reason that I gave Alkimia a miss. I prefer to get the detail of what I am eating in English rather than struggle with my inadequate French. As a matter of interest, how did Alkimia compare with Comerc 24 in tems of food (I see that you mention that you prefer Hisop)?

Sensual: Rissotto with porcini, smokey babaganoush, turron blando Sensual but unfortunately expensive: Truffles, oscietra caviar, foie gras Moreish: Shabu shabu, sushi/sashimi, pimientos de padronnes, steamed lobster and clams, soupe de poisson with rouille, Lancashire hotpot, perfectly barbequed rib eye steak, cheese fondue, hot scones straight from the oven with salted butter, Chaumes... I'd better stop! Edit: sorry, just noticed you asked for one food... the rissotto with porciini wins

Yikes! What's so bad about this dish? I haven't had it yet, but have just received a beautiful cut of Copper River salmon (48 hr packaging)... and the offending cedar plank. I plan to cook it (in about an hour) with no rub, just salt. I understand that Pinot Noir is its partner in crime. Is this an abomination too or just a Sideways thing? Am I committing cullinary suicide? What are the survival rates?

I'm looking forward to the pics and more detail on this. If possible, could you include a few more English translations? How was the service? There have been some negative comments on this, and it was one of the reasons that I changed my recent booking in Alkimia to Comerc 24. That said, there have been similar comments on Comerc 24, and we had a very good experience there.

As a European, I can tell you that this sounds good. ← How's this for a coincidence: my husband just phoned (on his way back from Seattle), to say that he is bringing back Copper River salmon (48 hr packaging)... and a cedar plank. Looks like my wish has come true!

As a European, I can tell you that this sounds good. Also on my wish list are: Maple syrup Really smokey Mexican hot sauces Corn on the cob Blueberrries (particularly the small ones from Maine) Aunt Jemima's pancake mix might also be welcome to some people, (I make my own) The term 'European' is pretty broad. In the UK and Ireland, there is a great diversity in terms of what is available, whereas in say Italy, or the accession states, the range of non regional product is much more limited.

The Co-Op at Muscongus Bay, Round Pond, is my favourite place to eat in the whole world! Pack a picnic with a salad, crusty bread and a chilled bottle of white wine and indulge in their wonderful steamed clams and lobsters, straight off the boat. They also do delicious corn. And if the weather is bad, don't be scared off, just wrap up and sit in the covered area. Another good, inexpensive Co-Op is at Pemaquid Point, near the lighthouse, which is a similar deal, but also has a small play area for kids (no cover though). Shaw's is great too, if a little less rustic and a bit more expensive. The menu is more extensive and includes a number of different fish as well as salads, beer, wine etc. If you are interested in art, this is one to remember as the ferry for Monhegan Island, (an artist colony) runs from here. It is a wonderful day trip (when the weather is good) and a perfect place to bring a picnic. If the weather is bad, go to Rockland instead and take cover in the Farnsworth Art Museum. After all, you are in Wyeth country! Boothbay is also worth a visit; a very charming litlle place, lovely to walk around. Stopping at Red's for lunch is quite simply a rite of passage and my inlaws (a number of whom spend every summer up here), join the chorus of approval for their lobster roll. I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention that I'm not too crazy about lobster roll, although I know it is a Maine institution. I don't like the texture of the bread and find it too sweet, but then again, I'm Irish, so what would I know? Regarding the blueberries, unfortunately it is too early in the season for them. They are really something special, much smaller than usual and have an incredible flavour. And ahr, thank you so much for the wonderful spreadsheet you posted, it is absolute gold dust. I love Maine so much, I just wish we were going over this year. Have a wonderful time.

I haven't been to Oman or the Middle East area in a long time, but expect that things are still much the same... the best food is cooked at home. The Omani's are lovely people and extremely hospitable. I suggest that you express an interest in the country's food and culture at your business meetings, and not only will you find good recommendations very forthcoming, but you may even get an invitation to sample their home cooking. Apart from that, shawarma anywhere in the Middle East is wonderful and be sure to have the tandoori cooked chicken tikka in any of the Indian restaurants. It's a beautiful country, but it's starting to heat up for the summer now, so be prepared!

I agree. Can Roca was phenomenal. I was totally seduced. I haven't been to Abac, so must give it a go... whenever I get a chance to get back.

My very fist time was a Chinese moment. I know that probably sounds pretty tame, but in the early 80's, eating experiences were very limited in Dublin. As it happened, the moment of terror was in Cambridge, UK. I was over there to go to one of the College's famous May Balls. A crowd of us went out to dinner, and Peking Duck was ordered for the table. I had never eaten it before, and had no idea what to do. To my right, was a charming guy from Singapore. He took the lead, and I watched his every move carefully, terrified that I would get the ritual wrong. He then turned to me and said, "This one's for you". What a gentleman, and what a relief. I don't think he was even aware of my anguish. So my Japanese first a few years later seemed challenging, but in no way intimidating (I have since become an absolute addict, but unfortunately there are no decent Japanese restaurants in Dublin). And for the Middle Eastern slant, I had, what I suppose you could call a Beduin first. Yes, we're still back in the 80's, and this time I was in Yemen, doing a travel peice with a photographer. Part of our one week adventure (and I don't say this lightly), was a night in a mud hut by the Red Sea. Our meal for the eveinig was hand delivered from a nearby village and was presented to us on a much used cooking tin covered in newspaper. We pulled back the newspaper to reveal a large fish, still hot and smokey from the grill. We feasted on this with a wonderful local cheese and freshly made bread, much thicker than the usual pitta bread. This was washed down with bottled water, and we retired for the evening on our straw beds. Unforgettable.

Being ripped off! Nothing bothers me more than feeling like I got bad value for money. And I equate this primarily with the quality of the food/cooking within its market sector, as opposed to the ambiance. service etc. I can forgive a lot, but I cannot forgive mediocrity. Do it well, or not at all.

In my heart, I have to say yes, because the food was so good. All of the ingredients were eyewateringly fresh, and every course in its own right was not just technically perfect but really well balanced and so, so delicious. I am not terribly keen on the 2* / 3* differentiation because the added star can bring some baggage with it and it's not all to do with the food. Certainly the amuse and petits fours showed the extra distance, and the service, as I mentioned was textbook 3* and very, very cordial. However, there is the question of how much you penalsie a chef for serving a menu that is not as balanced as it could have been (too many fish dishes), and erring on the side of generousity. For me, this would not be enough reason to say that the experience was not 3*.

Isn't Caballa = Spanish Mackerel? SD ← I'm sure you are correct here. They mentioned at the time that one of the fish had been changed, so this must be a discrepency between the printed menu and what we actually had.

Was this the same macaroni dish that I posted a photo of upthread? Given the time between now and then, I doubt it, but that was a phenomenal dish. ← We too were here recently, so presume we had the same macaroni dish as SamanthaF. It wasn't the same as yours Doc, it was called 'macarrones salteados con jugo de trufas', which was baby octapus with large macaroni in a coral coloured, buttery sauce with parsley, served in the pan. I don't remember the macaroni being crispy in the way you described. But it was sublime. We had the Primavera Menu for 125 euro, and as there are no posts on it, I'll give a run through with a bit of detail. Amuse gueles were very good, my favourite being the take on 'meille feuille' which I see in your shots. There was also a skewer of ham with melon, a cylinder of black and white pudding, foie on artichoke and quails eggs (I know, I don't know how they made the cut, and they were a bit cold too). Next was 'huevos aromatizados', (aromatic eggs) which were a real headline grabber. We were presented with two eggs in stands, both with their tops neatly cut off. The quail's egg contained a ginger foam and the hen's egg had a ham and rosemary foam (great combination too). This was sensational and a really good palate teaser. This was followed by the first of 5 fish courses: 1. 'Caballa en escabeche con foie, cebolla tierna y col' which was roasted red mullet (skin salted and crisped), wrapped in bacon on white asparagus and foie gras with balsamic reduction. 2. 'Merluza de costa con pie de ternera a la "Ravigota" "calcots" y aceite do romesco' was hake on roasted spring onions with concasse of vegetables in a veal jus (with vinegar). 3. 'Crustaceos servidos en una bullabesa con pan frito y azafran' which was crayfish on diced fried saffron potatoes in a wonderfully light bouillebaisse soup. 4. Then came the baby octapus with large macaroni dish which I discussed earlier. 5. The last fish dish was 'Pescado sequin el cesto del pescador de Blanes con una salsa do algas' which was 2 fish (dourade and an oily fish) with samphire, on a bed of beans with a foaming white sauce which had a delicate touch of curry. Whilst this was yet another perfect dish, it was an unbelievably generous serving, and was one fish dish too far for us. We were becoming overwhelmed... .. And the mains were next which was a choice of 3 meat dishes: 1. 'Pichon con caracoles y tripa de bacalao' which was pigeon with snails, tripe and tiny onions in a sauce 2. 'Conejo con el lomo relleno', a rabbit, rolled and stuffed, served with potatoes and a mushroom sauce for a minimum of 2 people 3. 'Ris de veau lacado' which was sweetbreads with spring onions and baby onions in a reduction sauce. We opted for the sweetbreads and the pigeon which was wonderfully succellent and gamey. We were 'hitting the wall' on this gastronomic marathon by this stage. Next came the extensive cheeseboard and we soldiered on, sticking with the Spanish cheeses which were really good. This was followed by a sorbet course (pear, mandarin and pineapple) before the 2 dessert courses: 1. 'Bavaroise de madronos con sopa de frutas exciticas' which was a peach and mango bavarois with exotic fruits (more small dice) which was fresh and tingly 2. 'Tartaleta de caramelo, con habas de cacao y helado de cacahuete' was a creamy caramel and praline flavoured (?) tart with wonderful chocolate. And the last round was the incredibly delicious petits fours which we were incapable of finishing. The food was truly wonderful, with some exceptional dishes. The sauces were sublime - as you would expect from a 3 star restaurant - and many of my plates went back to the kitchen with not a single trace of sauce (which apparently made chef extremely happy!). However, I think that the menu had too many fish dishes, and much and all as I hate to fault Santa Maria's generousity, I would really have to take issue with him over the sheer volume of food. The service was excellent and as relaxed as is practicable within the 3 star framework, but personally I prefer to see less of the waiters and the Michellin 'must have' pretensions. What's more, this just didn't sit comfortably with these really nice, sincere people. I would love to eat here again, but next time I would opt for Espai Coch, which I understand is the 40 euro menu near the kitchen. That would have to be a real bargain: those wonderful sauces, and not too much food. I'm afraid that fcr a tasting menu (and for value), I agree with SamanthaF, and Can Roca wins hands down against Can Fabes.

I agree about the texture of the egg, it seemed a bit rubbery, and I wondered about the benefit of 3 hours slow cooking. Somehow, it was a bit of a disappointment not to have it slightly liquid in the centre. However, balanced against the rest of the dish, I think it had a role, and the robustness of the rest of the dish kind of carried it.

We too had an incredible meal here a few weeks ago. We went for the tasting menu, which is phenomenal value at 67 euro. We opted to have our wine paired by the glass, and this came in at an unbelievable 29 euro per person! The amuse, which were served with Cava, were similar to ScottF's and also included a green asparagus foam with pink grapefruit served in a shot glass. Our foie gras course was the same too. I agree that this is a wonderful dish. It looked like, and had the consistency of turron, yet the foie gras still had its voice. And the pairing of this with the fluffy shavings of white truffle was simply heady. A glass of a sweet grenache played a perfect support role. The soup of comte with onion which followed was wonderfully intense and could have been a clever take on French onion soup, as it was served over 4 mounds of 'gelatinised' onions, with flavours of rosemary, thyme, bay and white wine. This was twinned with a glass of a single vineyard Manzanilla Pastrana (spelling might be wrong). Next up was red mullet with cus cus of his liver. Another extraordinary dish; the skin of the fish was heavily salted and crisped, which contrasted beautifully with the soft, almost caviar like quality of the wonderfully flavoured cus cus. This was served with an orange oil and some samphire. It was paired with a grenache blanc Rioja. A slow cooked egg with sea urchin, oil of black sausage and a rice latticed crisp followed. I presume that this is the sous vide technique (of which I know nothing), as the waiter explained that the egg was cooked at a temperature of 63 degrees Centigrade for 3 hours. The black sausage oil worked incredibly well with the richness of the sea urchin. Our wine pairing for this was a half bottle of Matarromera Ribero del Duero which carried over into the next course. The final savoury course was a rack of lamb (off the bone) with morrels stuffed with lambs' trotters (cannelloni) and peas. This was also very good, but perhaps the least exciting of all of the dishes. (The pigeon on the surprise menu sounds wonderful). The first dessert was Eternity by Calvin Klein which is a bit quirky. This is a very light, and yes, perfumed dish (notes of vanilla, mandarin, basil, almond), which upon completion, requires the diner to smell the perfumed strip to compare taste with smell. Maybe not for the macho man, but sensational none the less. This was paired with a glass of MR, a Muscat from Malaga (a mountain wine we were told). The second dessert, Royale de Chocolat defied the typical heaviness of chocolate and was a delicate, moist mousse, encrusted in roasted nuts with cake, icecream and a blade of caramel. This was accompanied by a glass of Dolc de Medoza, a sweet blend of cab sav, merlot and shiraz which packed a great fruit punch (without too much pudding) but still had plenty of acid and tannins for balance. Not only was this menu well balanced, it was also well paced and not too excessive. Can Roca hits all the right notes: exquisite food, incredible wines (at all price points), relaxed but competent service and unbelievable value for money. Remarkably, and thankfully, it doesn't carry the overwaitered burden of 3 stars, something which I feel detracted from our experience at Can Fabes. I really, really can't wait to get back.

Here's what we had last night (had some friends over): Fried haloumi in chilli oil, babaganoush, hummus, tabbouleh, olives, toasted pitta bread (bought last two) *** BBQ loin of lamb cutlets (marinade of olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, dried mint and oregano) BBQ beer can chicken Fattoush Cherry tomato, spring onion and feta salad (dressed with olive oil and a touch of garlic) *** New season strawberries in Cointreau with vanilla Haagen Dazs Drank a lot of Evian and even more Peter Lehmann 2002 Vintage Shiraz, Cab Sav, Merlot; which stood up nicely to this gutsy food. Lunch today was a very nice picnic of leftovers in the Wicklow countryside with the kids.

We had dinner here on 22 April and we really enjoyed it. It is probably important to mention that we haven't been to elBulli so were maybe more easily impressed. That said, the Festival menu was 47 euro which I consider to be incredible value. It sounds like we had the same menu as baw on an earlier post. Wave 1 The snacks were interesting, a bit frivolous perhaps, but did a good job 'setting the stage': cornets of ground popcorn with curry, Japanese flavoured puffed wheat, crisps with vinegar foam/emulsion, olives and capers. Wave 2 The thyme soup with parmesan and egg white foam was a tantalising combination of taste and texture. The big surprise is how the flavour of the parmesan hits you at the end of the soup, and the egg foam is like an ethereal, moist souffle. This was followed by artichoke hearts, hollowed out and filled with a barely warmed quail egg, with a gelatine (?) type disc on top hiding the egg. The disc didin't have much taste, but the truffle sauce served sparsley around the food was appropriately pungent. The snails, Jabago jam and pumpkin was served with the snail (jellyish and garlicky) on a skewer on top of pureed pumkin, with a piece of ham on top of each skewer, so that it initially looked a bit like 3 lollipops. Wave 3 The tuna pizza sashimi was very simple, but really refreshing. The base was a very thin sesame crisp and the tuna was thinly sliced with just enough wasabi to give it a kick. Not rocket science I know, but this was incredibly good. Cod with Xamfaina was served next. I am not familiar with Xamfaina, but it appeared to be a mirepoix of vegetables which were served in mounds on ovals of cod. Another good dish, and yes, not particularly experimental. Wave 4 The black rice with baby squid was a wonderful example of fine cooking. A typical Catalan dish I know, and not experimental; but the unctuous, flavoursome, risotto style rice (plenty of butter) and the soft creaminess of 4 barely cooked baby squid made this particularly successful. Very, very sensual, and a fair sized portion too. Then back to the more experimental food with cuttlefish with mentaiko. The finely sliced cuttlefish seemed like sashimi, but may have been lightly cooked. This was toppped with a piped cylinder of cod's roe foam which was light and subtle. Wave 5 Next was Royale Hare, another Catalan special, but this time with a twist: a cylinder of foie foam on top. The gently shredded hare, in what seemed to be a red wine base was robust and rustic. It also had chocolate in the sauce, which I know is a Catalan thing, but don't know if it is normally used in this particular dish. The contrast of the delicate foie foam was clever, although, as mentioned earlier by Silly, I wasn't sure about the temperature, the foam seemed a bit too cold against this earthy dish. Wave 6 The cheese course was 4 excellent cheeses with quince dice. Sorry, I don't know the names of them, only that one was made from a mix of cow, sheep and goat's milk which I presume (from the info on the Spanish Cheeses thread) is Picos de Europa, sometimes known as Valdeon. Wave 7 A citric salad in virgin olive oil followed. This was simple and refreshing, really moire of a palate cleanser than a dessert. Segments of pink grepefruit, orange and lemon (which I think had previously been marinated in brown sugar) were served in EVOO with slivers of mint. The meal was finished off with 2 sweet tapas: one orange and one mocha, not earth shattering, but tasty. The restaurant was full (apart from the bar which had maybe 3 people), and we were there for nearly 3 hours. From a service point of view, things were a bit sluggish at the beginning, and it took some time to get the menu (although we had been propped up with really good bread, extra virgin olive oil and salt while we waited). There was a press table of about 8 people behind us and this may have been responsible for the slow start. That said, once they were out of the blocks, the service was helpful, attentive and well paced. The wine waiter was happy to make affordable recommendations: Lusco 2003 for 20 euro which was a fresh, crisp, white Albarino and Clos Valmanya 2002 for 40 euro which was a gutsy, full bodied, red, which I think might have been from Catalunya and was particularly good with the hare. So yes, I would really rate this restaurant, and within its price bracket, it offers outstanding value (although Can Roca tops it on value). The menu was well balanced and I think the fact that it was not out and out experimental shows a certain maturity and confidence which resulted in a well balanced tasting menu. Carles Abellan also appeared to be an extremely modest, affable type of guy. We were chatting to him as we left and only realised who he was when he went to sit down to be interviewed.

This works really well if you insert slivers of garlic into the aubergine before putting them on the grill to char. Great to see so many moussaka fans on the cook off thread. It's a much malligned dish which is wonderful when prepared with care. I think aubergine has a particular affinity with lamb and goats cheese, so like to use the latter in the fluffy, bechamel/custard topping.

Rafa's is tricky to find, but well worth the search (we were there 2 weeks ago). The best thing to do is park in the carpark at the harbour and walk from there. We popped into a newsagent and asked for directions to C S Sebastia. It is on a sidestreet running almost parrallel to the main drag. Even when you find the street it's difficult to identify, as the sign is carved out of wood and says RosesRafa's (or vice versa). It is an inauspicious little place, but I cannot emphasise enough how wonderful it is. When we were seated, we were brought a tray with a number of different little fish, to show us the catch of the day, and there are a number of bigger fish on display in a refrigerated case. They source their fish from a short distance boat which lands its catch every day. The sweet freshness of this fish along with simple cooking (mostly on the grill, which gives a delicious caramelised edge), is what makes this place so special. And it is so cheap, it is almost embarassing. The thing to do is tell them that you eat everything and they will bring you plate after plate of fish: anchovies, clams, baby squid, baby octapus, sea cucumber, prawns and langoustines. Once you have exhausted the tapas, you can have a larger fish. We shared a black sole, but were barely able to finish it, we were so full. I noticed that none of the other tables attempted this feat, so its not 'expected'. We had the white wine, which wasn't too exciting, but noticed that the other tables were having red, so this is probably the thing to do. Our bill for 2 came to 77 euro, and 27 euro of that was for the sole! I don't think I have ever eaten so well for so little. But be sure to book, there are only 5 tables (972 254003). I understand that it is only possible to make bookings one week in advance, but we were OK booking a few days before we were due to go. One other point of interest: we noticed that there was a serious selection of whisky on display and a humidor, so this looks like it could be a very lively place after dinner!!