Ulster Regional Winners for the Irish Restaurant Awards 2012

The Ulster Regional Final For The Restaurant Awards 2012 sponsored By Santa Rita / Sunday Independent Life Magazine took Place In The Merchant Hotel, Belfast Tuesday 27th March 2012.

The List of Winners in each of the following categories were:

Best Customer Service

Antrim                          Berts Jazz Bar@ The Merchant Hotel

Armagh                         Pot Belly Restaurant

Cavan                            Mac Nean House & Restaurant

Derry                            City Hotel

Donegal                         Harveys Point Hotel

Down                             Cullodon Hotel

Fermanagh                   Dollakis

Monaghan                    Snaffles Brasserie@ Castle Leslie

Tyrone                         Oysters

Best Gastro Pub Sponsored By Faustino

Antrim                         The Morning Star

Armagh                        Digbys

Cavan                           The Blackhorse Inn

Derry                            Badgers Bar

Donegal                        Harrys Bar

Down                            Currans Bar

Fermanagh                  Customs House

Monaghan                    Andy's Bar

Tyrone                         The Brewers House

Best Casual Dining Sponsored By Joseph Drouhin

Antrim                         Il Pirata

Armagh                       Zio Restaurant

Cavan                          Pol O D's

Derry                           Flaming Jacks

Donegal                       The Harbour Restaurant

Down                           Strudle Bistro

Fermanagh                 Dollakis

Monaghan                   Conors Bar At Castle Leslie

Tyrone                        Deli On The Green

Wine Experience - Ulster - Sponsored By Thomas Barton

Harveys Point Co. Donegal

Kids Size Me – Ulster- Sponsored By Heinz

The Old Castle Bar & Red Hugh Restaurant

Best Hotel Restaurant

Antrim                        River Room Restaurant At Galgorm Resort & Spa

Armagh                      Newforge Country House

Cavan                         Setanta Restaurant At The Slieve Russell

Derry                         Ardmore Restaurant At Beech Hill Country House

Donegal                      The Weeping Elm Restaurant At Rathmullan House

Down                          Portaferry Hotel

Fermanagh                The Catalina Restaurant At Lough Erne Resort

Monaghan                  The Restaurant At Nuremore Hotel

Tyrone                       The Kitchen Restaurant At Lylagan Country House

Best Chef Sponsored By Tipperary Water

Antrim                        Damian Tumilty, Cafe Vaudeville

Armagh                      Dean Coppard, Uluru

Cavan                         Gearoid Lynch, The Olde Post Inn

Derry                          Ian Orr, Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge

Donegal                      Kelan Mc Michael, The Weeping Elm At Rathmullan House

Down                          Joery Castel, The Boat House

Fermanagh                Noel McMeel, Lough Erne Resort

Monaghan                  Andrew Bradley, Snaffles Restaurant At Castle Leslie

Tyrone                       Hayden Gamble, Vanilla

Best Restaurant Sponsored By Santa Rita

Antrim                        James St South

Armagh                      Uluru

Cavan                          Mc Nean House & Restaurant

Derry                          Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge

Donegal                      The Mill Restaurant

Down                          The Boathouse

Fermanagh                Watermill Restaurant

Monaghan                  Snaffles Restaurant At Castle Leslie

Tyrone                       Vanilla

All County winners will now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Burlington Hotel Dublin on Wednesday 14th May 2012 2. www.irishrestaurantawards.com . 

There are 3 components to phase two  of the process. Each element is independently assessed by KPMG.

1. Mystery Guest Visit (35%) This component of the awards is conducted by Prism Consulting headed by Hugo Arnold, independent food writer and consultant. (http://www.hugoarnold.com). All County Winners receive a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April.

2. National Awards Academy (55%) Our National Awards Academy is made up representatives from each of the regional judging panels and will meet in May to Judge the County Winners.

3. Menu Judging (10%) All County winners and the Dublin Shortlist in each category are asked to submit a copy of their food menu and wine list for judging.

For Further Details Please Contact:

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive, www.RAI.ie - 086 8263311.

A Simple Irish Soda Bread for St Patrick's Day

At this time of year, in the run up to St Patrick’s Day, you may well see a host of different recipes for Soda Bread popping up in magazines and all over the internet. Many of these are good wholesome and simple recipes that have been handed down for a few generations. Some of them, however, have no resemblance to the traditional and basic Soda Breads that we, here in Ireland, have grown up with.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread ready for Breakfast!

So here is my simple Soda Bread recipe. It uses baking powder instead of baking soda. This bread is quick and easy to make and it tastes great served with butter, home-made Rhubarb & Ginger Jam and a big mug of hot tea!


My Ingredients:
750g household (plain) flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of salt
100g real butter
1 fresh egg
300ml cold water + 100ml milk (mixed together)
Preheat the oven to 175°C, 345°F, Gas mark 4.

Cross the top of the bread to let the heat get in to the centre

 My Method:

1.  Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together quickly with a whisk, or slowly with a sieve if you prefer.  Rub the butter finely into the flour.
2. Beat the egg, milk and water together in a jug and add 80% of this to the dry ingredients. Mix this in with your hand and bring it quickly together into a soft dough. Add the rest of the liquid as you need it. Do not over knead the dough or you will make the bread 'heavy'.
3.  Turn it out on your worktop and knead it gently - just enough to smooth the bottom of the dough – 6 or 7 turns should do it.
4.  Place it on a floured baking tray and flatten the bread to about 3cm (1”). Cut a cross in the top of the dough, cutting no more than ½ way through the bread. Gently push the knife to both sides as you cut to widen the gap.
5. Pop it into the oven at 160°C, on the middle shelf, for 45 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time check for colour, turning the bread around if necessary depending on your oven type.
6.  Check the bread, by inserting a skewer into the thickest part, to make sure it’s cooked and if not give it another 5 minutes in the oven. The skewer will come out clean when cooked. Slide the bread on to a wire rack and let it cool before eating.

Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) needs an acidic addition (traditionally buttermilk) to make it rise and would have been the original method of raising the bread. Baking Powder is made with baking soda but already has Cream of Tartar added to it, as it’s acidic agent. You can use buttermilk, for taste purposes, if you wish.


Cutting the cross in the top of the bread had nothing really to do with aesthetics!  It was done to let the heat into the centre of the bread so that it would bake evenly. It was also a form of portion control and facilitated breaking the bread into even pieces when you were out working in the fields or the bog! Make it for your family & friends and do enjoy!


Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack

Absolut Oysters & Vodka for Valentines Day

This is a wee thing we make every now and then and always for Valentines Day! This year it was even more special as those lovely people from ABSOLUT vodka sent me out one of their new limited edition bottles of ABSOLUT MODE.

Absolute Oysters & Vodka for Valentines Day

The lovely Emma Shannon told me that the bottle reflects "the world of fashion, through twelve facets wrapped with a band in midnight blue silk cloth with text embroidery. Inspired by the timeless fashion photographies that became popular after World War II, and the experimental films of the sixties for beauty giants L’Oreal and Elizabeth Arden, the bottle reflects the faces of fashion surrounding it." ...And tasty vodka it is too!!!

The very Classy looking ABSOLUT MODE  Vodka

This simple oyster starter dish is great for parties and reflects the tastes of the classic vodka-based hangover cure, the Bloody Mary. It uses almost the same ingredients but I use some freshly grated Ginger instead of Worcester Sauce to round up the flavours. You can double up the ingredients depending on the numbers.

My Ingredients:

12 Oysters

1 peeled Tomato

1/2 that amount of finely chopped Celery

1 teaspoonful of freshly grated Ginger

knob of Butter

juice of 1/2 Lemon

2x 35ml shots Absolut Vodka

Tobasco Sauce

My Method:

1. Open the oysters, loosen & turn.

2. Melt the butter in a small pot. Toss in the celery and cook until soft. Add the tomato & ginger and soften quickly stirring all the time.

3. Add the lemon juice and Vodka. Tip up to the gas and Flambee (or tip up to a lighter if you don't use gas) to burn off some of the alcohol and concentrate the flavour.

4. Splash in a few dashes of Tobasco sauce and take it off the heat.

5. Divide and spoon the hot reduction over the cold oysters and serve immediately!

It sound strange but it tastes Great! Yum!

For more on the Absolut Vodka see http://www.absolut.com/mode

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

Zack

Valentines Day Chocolate & Baileys Cream Truffles

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought I would share with you something simple & special for that special person in your life! 

The days of buying a box of Dairy Milk at the last minute should be long gone by now and taking the time to make something yourself is a great way to show how much you really care! Beautifully balanced with a hint of bitter coffee and Baileys Cream, these rich little delicacies melt in your mouth and will be a very welcome way to your lover's heart.

These little home-made Chocolate Truffles are so easy to make, but they taste divine and the secret ingredient is simply a big dollop of Tender Loving Care! 

My Ingredients:

450g Dark chocolate broken in small pieces

75g   Cocoa Powder

35ml Cold Espresso or strong coffee

35ml Baileys Cream Liqueur

250ml Fresh Cream

Cocoa Powder, Dessicated coconut, ground Almonds or sponge-cake crumbs for coating.

My Method:

1. Melt chocolate together with the cream. You can do this in a bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water. Don't let any water get into your chocolate or it will go into a masse from which there is no return!

Make sure the bowl sits above the water level

2. Take the chocolate off the heat. Mix together the cocoa powder, cold coffee and Baileys and stir this liquid mixture into the melted chocolate.

3. You have just made what is known as a chocolate "ganache". If you were to let this cool a little at this stage it could be used for pouring over a cake as a covering.

4. Cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge until cold. This will take 2 hours or so. You can leave it overnight if you wish as you long as everyone can avoid the temptation to steal little spoonfuls!

Dip the spoon in hot water and dry it, before scooping out the "ganache" 

5. Give the mix a good stir with a wooden spoon before you start to measure it out with a warm teaspoon. When you have them all done, roll them, with your hands, into little balls.

6. Finally roll your Truffles in the coatings of your choice. This is best done by having your crumbs, cocoa, almonds or whatever all sitting in separate soup bowls so you can literally 'roll' the ball around in the coating.

Yum! Chocolate & Baileys Cream Truffles

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

Zack

Cakebombs - A New Irish Gourmet Lollipop!

Last week, on Twitter, I noticed two tweets by a new Irish business @Cakebombs: "Truffle cake, ganache and lashings of Belgian chocolate on a lolly stick...what more could you want?" said one, and "We are now open for business! Check us out on www.CakeBombs.ie".

So I did. 

What I found was a simple but tasty wee idea that looks like it has the potential to be the next Irish Chocolate classic! 

Cakebombs are handmade artisan chocolate truffle & cake treats blended with butter-cream or ganache, placed on a lolly stick and dipped in chocolate with various toppings. They are made fresh to order using the best of ingredients including top quality Belgian chocolate.

The brains behind the business (based in Dublin) is Cake Designer Debbie Ross and she sent me a little box to sample during the week. 

"Eat Me!" it said on the box. "With Pleasure", said I.

"The devil is in the detail" they say and Debbie and her team really have put their all into the making of these tasty wee nibbles. The cardboard box arrived wrapped in brown paper & tied with string. Inside was another layer of tissue to protect the little Gourmet Pops that lay waiting to be devoured!

You can see that attention paid to the product

There are six signature Cakebombs in the collection so far, three are dark chocolate & three are white chocolate flavours. These are:

Chocolate Bomb - Dark Chocolate truffle cake, chocolate ganache, dressed in dark chocolate, decorated with a top hat of cocoa.

Lemon Bomb - White chocolate & lemon truffle cake, lemon buttercream, dressed in white chocolate, a top hat of toasted crumbs

Mocha Bomb - Dark chocolate & coffee truffle cake, chocolate ganache, dressed in dark chocolate, a top hat of sugar cane crystals.

Vanilla Bomb - White chocolate & vanilla truffle cake, vanilla buttercream, dressed in white chocolate, with a top hat of toasted coconut.

Orange Bomb - Dark Chocolate & orange truffle cake, chocolate ganache, dressed in dark chocolate, a top hat of toasted cake crumb.

Peanut Butter Bomb - White chocolate & peanut butter truffle cake, peanut buttercream, dressed in white chocolate, a top hat of crushed nuts.

Debbie has further plans to expand the range and take into account the various seasonal fruits and flavours.

All the Cakebombs are hand made to Order!

I have to admit that they tasted yummy, my favourite being the Lemon Bomb & the Peanut Butter Bomb. The are soft and very fresh, probably due to the fact that they are being baked to order. The chocolate truffle & ganache is light as a feather, lighter than I expected and if you like your coffee strong you will love the Mocha Bomb!

Mocha Bomb & Chocolate Bomb

Award winning baker and cook Debbie Ross set up Deb's Creative Cakes in 2011 and have created cakes that look like vintage typewriters, designer handbags, iPods, animals, cars and you can see more here. 

Dipping the Cakebombs

She makes, bakes and decorates all types of cakes, all handmade and tailored to each client. Her Wedding, Birthday & Christening cakes are "dedication to the art of beauty" says Debbie. You can see examples of her other work here.

I think these little CakeBombs are a perfect special little gift for Weddings, Celebrations, Special Occasions or Corporate events. They can be served as nibbles, dessert, favours or simply with coffee as a treat!

Competition!

Debbie has given us 2 boxes of Cakebombs to give away here as reader prizes and they will be delivered to your door in the New Year. To enter simply leave a Comment with your name & contact details Here at the bottom of this Blog post. Winners will be picked by random.

To see more about Debbie's Creative Cakes go to http://www.facebook.com/debscreativecakes

To Order & Buy your own Cakebombs go to

 http://www.cakebombs.ie/

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

zack

Donegal Artisan Butcher wins European Champion Title

Celebrating 60 years in business in 2012 is a great occasion for any family tradition and now McGettigan’s Butchers in Donegal Town have added another trophy to their prestigious silverware collection after taking the title of "European Champions" for their all time favourite Hickory and Maple Sausage. The award was presented at a ceremony in Alençon, Normandy, in November.

Ernan & Diarmuid McGettigan
with their European Championship Trophy -pic donegalpost.com

“We are still in shock and we didn’t expect anything like this,” said Ernan McGettigan, co-proprietor of the family run butcher shop.

McGettigan’s Butchers won two rosettes for both their Lamb, Rosemary & Plum sausage and their Rhubarb & Ginger sausage and two trophies for their Traditional Sausage and a Curry, Banana & Mango sausage. The icing on their cake this Christmas, however, was when the judges awarded them the much sought-after European Champion’s Award for their most creative sausage with the Hickory and Maple Sausage.

By coincidence, their original version of this Hickory and Maple sausage got the family butchers their very first European award in that category back in 2001! “It was nice that ten years later, we received an even more prestigious award for the very same sausage,” said Ernan. The other countries competing for the European Title were France, Germany, Austria, Great Britain & the Netherlands. “We are delighted to take this home to Ireland!” he added.

Ernan, along with his brother Diarmuid, are now looking at the possibility of rolling out their award winning sausages nationally. “That’s something we are thinking about but for now we just want to savour and enjoy the moment!”

The wall in McGettigan’s Butchers is covered with numerous Gold Medal awards including an amazing Five times Supreme Champion Award in the Associated Craft Butchers Sausage Competition of Ireland! The family are delighted to be adding this European Champion’s Award to their already prestigious silverware collection!

60 years in business! Founder Michael McGettigan
with his sons Diarmuid & Ernan

On the 10th July 1952, Michael McGettigan opened his Butcher Shop in premises on the Diamond, Donegal Town, that were leased from a Mr Andrew Begley (where Begley’s Pharmacy now stands). Behind the counter at 9am on that opening day was Ms Minnie McGahern who, by purchasing three lamb chops for half-a-crown, became Michael’s first customer. In 1954, Michael moved to their present-day location.

For more on McGettigan’s Butchers of Donegal click on their Facebook page Here 

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack

Cooley Distillery's launches new Poitín!

Cooley Distillery has just launched a new range of Poitín! It has been double-distilled in Riverstown, is only available in Ireland and is bottled at 65% abv. Consisting of only 1,800 bottles this small batch release will be initially available through the Celtic Whiskey Shop and Dublin Airport as well as through good independent off-licenses and each 50cl bottle will be around €30.

Cooley Distillery's new 65% Poitín!

The origin of distilling in Ireland dates back over 1,000 years. Before there was Irish whiskey there was Poitín – a clear Irish spirit famous for its alcohol strength. In homage to this ancient Irish Spirit, Cooley Distillery, Irelands only independent whiskey distiller, has released an Origin series of Poitín products to revive the traditional Spirit of Ireland.

An old illegal Poitín Still from Donegal

Poitín was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the term is a derivative of the Irish word pota, meaning "pot". Normally distilled from barley grain or potatoes, it is one of the strongest alcoholic beverages in the world and for centuries was classified as illegal in Ireland.  Poitín is one of the most long-established spirits in the world with a rich and varied history and is exclusively associated with Ireland.


Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery, commented,  “Poitín is at the origin of Irish Spirits and Irish whiskey in particular. Over the years it has been demonised because it was illegally produced and the end product lacked consistency, quality and credibility. We have produced a quality Poitín product using ancient techniques in our award winning distillery allowing consumers of today try this ancient Irish spirit with confidence as they are getting a high quality product.” 

Cooleys’ first Poitín release is triple distilled in small copper Pot Stills from a traditional Irish Pot Still recipe of malted and unmalted barley. Bottled straight from the still with no maturation produces a surprisingly smooth spirit even for one that is bottled at 65% abv. Poitín like any quality white spirit lends itself to be consumed in a variety of ways, neat, with water, with mixers and as a component of cocktails but due to its alcohol strength it should be enjoyed in moderation.


“As Poitín is basically un-aged Irish whiskey spirit and we hope to revive the Poitín as a national product. A lot of other countries around the world celebrate and market their national high alcohol spirits. Brazil have Cachaca, Greece Ouzo, Bulgaria Rakia and the Czech’s have successfully revived Absinthe after it was effectively outlawed for over 75 years. We want to bring Poitín out from the shadows and let Irish people have a national white spirit they can be proud of,” says Mr. Teeling.

Some of the Cooley range of Irish Whiskeys

Cooley Distillery is the award winning independent Irish whiskey distillery. Established in 1987, Cooley takes its name from the location of its distillery, situated at the foothills of the Cooley Mountains, in Co. Louth. 


Here is an old Song about Poitín called "The Hills of Connemara" as sung by Noel Mc Loughlin:

Cooley has an award winning portfolio of Irish whiskeys including Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Tyrconnell Single Malt, Connemara Peated Single Malt and Greenore Single Grain Irish whiskey. 

To learn more about Cooley Distillery visit www.cooleywhiskey.com

My Traditional Style Christmas Cake

Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of icing sugar or plain. The spices and dried fruits in the cake are supposed to represent the exotic eastern spices brought by the three Wise Men to the newborn King! 

 The fruit is all soaked overnight in the brandy, in a covered bowl, before use.

I always make three cakes - one for Christmas Day and two for tea until then!

My Ingredients:

150g raisins

125g stoned dates

125g sultanas

100g glace cherries

100ml brandy or whiskey

(all the above are soaked together overnight)

225g real butter

extra butter for greasing

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

grated rind of 1 lemon & 1 orange

2tbls black treacle

225g plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground clove

50g ground almonds

50ml brandy or whiskey extra

My Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line it with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat together, in a bowl, the sugar & butter until creamy. Gradually add the eggs dusting a little flour in with each addition. Add the black treacle & grated rinds.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and add the almonds into the bowl of soaked fruit. Stir all of this together, mixing well.

4. Fold this fruit mix into the egg mix, stirring evenly and then spoon all into the cake tin.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours. If it is browning a little too much cover it loosely with tinfoil. Cook for another ½ hour. The cake is cooked when a fine skewer, inserted into the centre, comes out clean.

6. Make holes all over the warm cake with the skewer and spoon the extra 50ml alcohol over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it’s cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap first in clean greaseproof paper and then in foil.

A small amount of brandy, sherry or whiskey is poured into tiny holes in the cake every week until Christmas. This process is called “feeding the cake” and make sure to turn it over each week when you pour another little bit of your favourite tipple over the cake. This gives you the best chance of all that lovely alcohol in penetrating to the middle of the Christmas cake!

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

zack