But in the meantime, there’s a little gathering tonight in Ranelagh’s Taphouse which might be of interest if you’re in the hood, and if you like the sound of free beer and cheese?

Brewer’s Gold, a washed rind organic cow’s milk cheese

The people from Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese in Kilkenny have put their heads together with the Little Milk Company and some of Ireland’s best craft brewers, and come up with a new cheese called ‘Brewer’s Gold’. It’s made by Helen Finnegan, Knockdrinna’s award-winning cheese-maker, with organic cow’s milk cheese from the various organic farmers who supply to the Little Milk Company, and its rind is washed in various Irish craft beers and ales including O’Hara’s Pale Ale, Dungarvan Brewing’s Red Ale, and Eight Degrees’ Red Ale.

If you fancy trying some of the cheese alongside some winter craft brews, there’s a launch party tonight (December 12th) in the Taphouse from 6.30pm. All are welcome, so maybe see you there?

And yes, I am reliably informed that there will be free beer!

If you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old days, pop into Donnybrook Fair this coming Friday (13th – shh) for a good old-fashioned free feed. I have to warn you, there won’t be any Findus pancakes. But there will be complimentary mince pies, smoked salmon, chocolates, cheeses and mulled wines to be enjoyed across stores on Baggot Street and Morehampton Road and in Stillorgan and Greystones.

They’ve even released their schedule so you know when to get your skulk on:

• Donnybrook Fair, Baggot Street, 11am–3pm, Friday 13th
• Donnybrook Fair, Morehampton Road, 11am–4pm, Saturday 14th
• Donnybrook Fair, Stillorgan,  11am–4pm, Saturday 14th 
• Donnybrook Fair, Greystones, 11am–4pm, Saturday 14th

And a happy minced pie to you too!

The implicit question being posed by Kaethe was also, do you fancy a healthy and unique day out this coming weekend, where your physical work out is rewarded by a bag of spuds for the Christmas table AND a good story to tell while you’re eating them, one that involves you helping to save the future of Irish agriculture?

Kaethe is one of founders and drivers of  SPUDS, which was launched in 2012 “as a proactive response to the decision to trial genetically-modified (GM) blight-resistant potatoes in Ireland”.

SPUDS believes in “the power of the individual to effect change” and that “the most important subjects of the future will be water quality, soil fertility and nutrition.” Their aim is “to prove that Ireland will generate higher levels of innovation and employment by concentrating our research energy on the development of a food system that promotes lean production, enhanced nutrition and environmental health.”

That all sounds quite serious but they’ve been approaching their mission with a great sense of fun and imagination, as these rather brilliant demonstrations of the potential appeal of the wonkiest of potatoes proves:

Some of the results of their SPUDS Character Workshop, where SPUDS.ie asked people to get up close and personal with the kind of wonky-shaped spuds which are typically rejected: you can see more on Flickr.com/groups/spudscharacters2012

Having gotten people’s attention, SPUDS.ie went on to produce some award-winning ‘Crisps with a Conscience’, the sale of which aimed to bring people’s attention to the kinds of perfectly good potatoes which never reach their potential as a delicious crisp because somebody somewhere decides that us consumers won’t want to eat them. There is a second limited edition of these story-telling crisps in the planning, and that’s where you potentially come in. 

On December 8th, potato farmer John Swaby-Miller will be digging, picking, washing and preparing an acre of naturally blight-resistant Sarpo Axona potatoes, which will be sold in 5kg bags for Christmas to raise funds this next round of SPUDS.ie. And he and Kaethe need volunteers to help. 

The deal? Don some warm clothes and rain proofs and a pair of gardening gloves, and join them in Co. Wicklow for an invigorating day in the field with John and his piglets. Good company and a hardy potato lunch will be provided in a local pub. The designated meeting place is the parking lot of the Tap Pub, Kilbride, Co Wicklow, 45 minutes from Dublin on the N11: click here for the map.

The reward? “A warm feeling in your soul and your very own bag of the best SPUDS in Ireland for your Christmas Feast!”

If you’re interested, just drop Kaethe a line at research[AT]spuds.ie or give her a call on 087 2444185  by Wednesday December 4th so that they can put your name in the pot. And if you can’t make it, you could pop along to Dublin’s Block T POP UP Christmas Market in Smithfield where they will be selling their Christmas SPUDS from December 13th.

Keep an eye on Facebook for their event updates or see SPUDS.ie and their flyer below for more information. 

On Wednesday evening in Ely CHQ (that’s the one in the IFSC, Dublin 1), The Corkscrew wine merchants are hosting a very special wine dinner with visiting wine-maker Paolo de Marchi from Isole e Olena winery, one of Chianti Classico’s leading lights. A fourth-generation wine-maker and exceptionally charming man, Paolo was one of several wine-makers who helped to put Tuscany back on the map in the 1970s and ’80s by producing wine according to their own rules rather than according to the rules laid down by the local Chianti appellation regulations.

The wine at the picture-pretty estate of Isole e Olena

Following the lead of the makers of ground-breaking Super-Tuscan wines such as Sassicaia and Tignanello (both of which made the bold step of introducing Bordeaux grapes to their blends), Paolo made an international name for himself and his Tuscan estate. But unlike those two genre-defining wines, which looked beyond Tuscany for inspiration, Paolo’s most esteemed wine, Cepparello, is a celebration of the local Sangiovese grape (100%) as well as the soil and climate of the local terroir. He doesn’t restrict himself to local grapes however, with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay coming centre-stage in other Isole e Olena wines. 

Paola di Marche and his son Luca who now works with him at the Tuscan estate in the heart of Chianti Classico

On Wednesday evening, you’ll have to eat and drink your way through five courses to get to the climactic tasting of the Cepparello, which will be paired with Italian and Irish cheeses. But that won’t be any great hardship, with pairings such as baked bone marrow, herb crust and salsa verde served with with Isole e Olena’s award-winning Chianti Classico 2010; or haunch of venison with braised chicory, celeriac remoulade and chocolate, served with their Collezione de Marchi Syrah 2006. 

The dinner kicks off at 8pm and costs €95 per head, which is more than your average mid-week meal for sure. But considering that, in a wine shop, you would pay on average about half of that for a bottle of any one of the six wines being served, it’s a pretty good deal. Click here to go The Corkscrew’s website and grab one of the last few tickets going.

Last night I attended a free tequila talk & tasting in the Cervantes Institute in Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, off Nassau Street. (The same spot plays host at 7pm tonight to a free mezcal tasting – see more details below for this and other mescal events at the weekend.) We tasted three styles of tequila: fruity and punchy blanco, spiced but soft reposado, and caramel-mellow anejo. Both reposado and anejo tequila have been aged in white oak barrels, for at least two months or one year respectively. We sipped them and scanned the overhead screen to ascertain which of tequila’s many potential aromas and flavours we were getting. It was great fun, and pretty darn delicious too!

Betcha you didn’t get all those subtleties from your last shot of tequila, eh?

Before the tequila talk, a visiting Mexican chef talked us through Mexico’s vast and varied dishes. Helma Honda waxed lyrical about such delights as ant’s eggs and grasshoppers and other Mexican delicacies (some of which are promised at tonight’s mezcal tasting). Then when she had our attention with those curiosities, she explained that in a country that is nine times the size of the UK, containing 30 separate states, each with at least 100 of their own signature local dishes, it is hard to say what might be a ‘typical Mexican dish’. Certainly what is typical are many of the base ingredients which they introduced to the rest of the world, including chocolate, vanilla, tomatoes, chillies and corn. And typically most Mexican cooking takes a sophisticated approach to chillies, mixing three or more types in one dish for subtlety of flavour. It’s not all about subtlety however, as our taster of this tangtastic ‘hot and salted tamarind pulp candy’ proved. Wow! I can still taste it today!

chilli-hot, salted and tangy tamarind – where were you all my life?

All of this talk made us hungry for more authentic Mexican flavours so we hightailed it to 777 on Sth Great George’s St where bartender extraordinaire Leo Molloy whipped us up a sneak preview of two stars from their new margarita menu, one featuring grapefruit and thyme and the other (my favourite) a take on the classic pairing of jalapenos and coriander. Savage, the pair of them.

Sorry for the grainy shot, but it’s pretty dark and moody in 777, innit?

Leo also told us that 777 were neck and neck with their top competitors in the race to claim title of Best Taco in Dublin. (You can still vote here before the final cook-off takes place tomorrow at the Mansion House.)

AND it turns out that Sergio Inurrigarro of the Association for Mezcal Culture will be hosting another mezcal tasting in 777 on Saturday lunchtime at 2pm (€20 including lunch), so if you miss him tonight you have a second chance to catch him. Actually, it’s a third chance, because later tonight he’s hosting another free tasting in Lillie’s Bordello at 10pm (email guestlist@lilliesbordello.ie to book a place).

Wherever you catch him, do try to. The guy is quite the character, and the last time I tasted mezcal with him (two years ago, at a Slow Food ‘Mezcal and Irish farmhouse cheese pairing’ event) he came armed with some really interesting bottles, so be prepared to fall in love with this very traditional Mexican drink.

Because mezcal can be made from any type of agave plant (vs tequila, for which only the Tequila Weber blue agave plant can be used) and because it is for the most part a small-scale artisinal affair (vs the vast commercial scale of many tequila brands), different mezcals really do taste quite different, from smoky to very pure and lots inbetween. According to Sergio, it is a “mystic, magic aphrodisiac and an extraordinary drink”, one that “when drunk with measure… wakes the spirit, tames enmity, stimulates imagination, clears resentments and accompanies solitude.”

You heard it here.

Sergio himself. He’s waiting for you, armed with mezcal.

But all that frustrated culinary inspiration does make me look forward all the more to this coming Friday’s Guerrilla Gourmet Club, described as a “one night only popup autumn harvest dinner”, when I’ll have some of the season’s best ingredients cooked in suitably elaborate style. The dinner takes place in the The Royal College of Surgeons at 7pm, Friday 15 November, when they will serve a menu created by Ross Golden-Bannon (my ex-editor, formerly of FOOD&WINE Magazine) and Temple Garner of San Lorenzo in Dublin’s Georges Street (formerly head chef at The Mermaid Café and head chef/founder of Town Bar and Grill). I love Temple’s cooking. It is full of big generous flavours and executed with subtle skill. Perfect for the generously flavoured ingredients of this time of year.

Ross and Temple’s terroir-based menu focusses on celebrating the best of local. ‘Terroir’ is a wine term used to capture the relationship between geography (in other words, place, soil, climate, weather, aspect) and people (farmers, growers, producers and even consumers) and the end product (wine, or in this case, food). In the Guerrilla Gourmet Club’s own words: “Terroir is not just about great taste it’s also about flourishing local economies. Together a band of small local business are a strong buffer to economic difficulties. The Guerrilla Gourmet Club aims to amplify this message through terroir dinners created by high profile chefs, in unusual settings.”

The dinner costs €75 and for that you’ll enjoy a drinks reception with local, seasonal canapés followed a four-course meal with wine. There’s also a tasting of 8 Degrees Brewing beers at the start of the meal and Highbank Organic Dessert Cider at the end – both of which happen to be amongst my favourite craft brewers in Ireland at the minute. The evening promises to be a sociable affair, and if you’re going with a gang they can seat you together (make sure you give them advance notice).

I’ve had a sneak peak at the menu and it includes gorgeous seasonal treats like pheasant consommé with Madeira, truffle and foie gras tortellini – just the kind of elaborate dish I would love to be cooking up with my stash of autumnal mushrooms, if I had the time this week. Instead, I’ll just have to slum it with shiitake soup, and look forward to Friday’s feast!

For further information, email guerrillagourmetclub@gmail.com, or see www.facebook.com/theguerrillagourmetclub. To book, go to https://guerrillagourmetclubrcsi.eventbrite.ie

My favourite from 8 Degrees Brewing: their Howling Gale Ale

Too soon Tuesday?

The organisers of this sassy Speakeasy night, which is run on random dates in an unannounced Dublin venue, are celebrating two important dates. Once guests penetrate the considerable mystery shrouding the night (email blindpigdublin@yahoo.com to book; arrive at a designated street corner at a designated hour, call a number, wait for the nod and follow someone down a side alley) they will be greeted with a glass of classic 1920s punch, on the house by way of celebrating The Blind Pig’s first birthday (born 4th December 2011). And anyone who stays until midnight will enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles to toast the anniversary of Repeal Day, when Prohibition was finally revoked (5th December 1933).

Paul Lambert and cohorts at work (and play)

Be warned though – to last out until midnight you’ll have to abide by the house rules stipulated by mixologist Paul Lambert and the Blind Pig crew. These include restraining from ordering a dirty martini (“we won’t ruin our spirits with salty water”), a Strawberry Daiquiri or Pina Colada (“our response might offend you”) or a Red Bull (“we don’t stock energy drinks!!!!!!!”). They really really mean that last one – but I get the impression they’re pretty serious about all their house rules.

But forget about what they won’t serve you. What they will serve you is far more impressive. Because these guys are also really really serious about their prohibition-era cocktails.

When’s the last time you tasted a New York Sour (featuring Woodford Reserve, lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white & a splash of red wine)? Or a Ward 8 (Bourbon, orange juice, lemon juice & pomegranate syrup)? Or a MayFlower (Plymouth gin, apricot liqueur, fresh lemon & pressed apple juice)?

Exactly.

So, maybe tonight’s as good a night as any to embrace the seasonal midweek drinking, don the glad rags and down a well-crafted cocktail or four.

But if you really really must insist on holding out a little longer, you’ll be pleased to know that there will be more Blind Pig fun happening in the new year – including plans for regular tutored tastings of some of their featured spirits (including their house gin, Hayman’s, from London’s oldest gin distilling family).

If you wanna know when the next random date is coming up, keep an eye on www.facebook.com/BlindPigSpeakeasyDublin. I certainly will be.

WHEN? Tuesday, 20 November at 7.00pm-8.30pm

WHO? Donal Skehan (donalskehan.com), Caroline Hennesy (bibliocook.com) and Imen McDonnell (marriedanirishfarmer.com) will each bring their own take on the whys and hows of food blogging to what should prove a lively panel discussion.

HOW? Kicking off the evening, blogger-turned-cookbook author Donal Skehan will give the inside track on food photography and styling (Donal has done all the photography for his various cookbooks), while I’ll share some insights on recipe development and editing.

The main panel discussion will examine the recent phenomenal rise in popularity of food blogging. (If you think ‘phenomenal’ is a stretch, check out just how many are listed on the Irish Food Bloggers Association website.) We’ll consider the many rewards (an active food blogging community, the possibility of new career directions, the invites and freebies) and the many challenges, expected and otherwise (self-motivation, technical maintenance and the murky ethics of all those invites and freebies!).

HOW MUCH? Admission is free and there’s no booking required. AND there will be a complimentary cuppa courtesy of the lovely folk at Cafe Joly in the National Library after the event.

Hope to see you there!

The idea is to take a stunning Merrion Square venue such as the “charmingly eccentric” Royal Society of Antiquaries…

…add the indubitably eccentric and invariably craic-fuelled Queens of Neon serving up food from the skilled Wildside Catering (think pomegranate, rosemary, roasted game and spiced cranberry)…

…invite the 50 guests to bring their own fine wines to savour with three-course banquet of Georgian-inspired delicacies (served up after a reception of bubbles and canapés), throw in a few unexpected details to spice up the evening…

…and end up with a delicious, unique ‘punk-Georgian’ party to remember. The organisers – who were the team behind the brilliant ‘Clonakilty by Candlelight’ evenings on North Great Georges Street and the Body and Soul ‘Queens go Wildside’ banquet – have suggested we “think teenage tear-away Mozart meets the artful and experimental Kate Bush”.

The event IS sold out presently, but there’s a waiting list facility on that link up top – plus this will hopefully be the first of many such evenings in  Merrion Square.

Should you get one, tickets are are €60 per person and guests are politely advised to dress to impress!

Next Tuesday 30th October, five of Ireland’s hottest young chefs will compete in Stage 2 of the annual Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year competition. It’s a big deal for up-and-coming chefs (previous winners include a fellow called Neven Maguire, who you may have heard of since) and a cleverly run competition emphasising all the things core to Euro-toques values: creativity, authenticity, seasonality and a commitment to the celebration of local food producers.

A baby-faced Neven (or babier-faced, to coin a phrase?)

The five finalists will be cooking up a Samhain-themed feast (for those without the cúpla focail, read ‘harvest-themed’) in Cooks Academy on Dublin’s South William Street, and Holy Mackerel has two pairs of tickets to give away to the 1.30pm–3pm slot for anyone who fancies a free, late, fabulous lunch.

Guests can visit each of the finalists at their separate workstations where you can watch them whip up  taster dishes for your delectation, each representing that finalists take on ‘the best of Irish cooking today’. Each dish has been specially created to highlight one hero producer from the finalist’s local area and all the main ingredients have been sourced within a 50 mile radius of where the chefs are based.

Last year's winner, Kamil Dubanik of Knockranny House Hotel

The young chefs come from some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country: Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (Ciaran Elliott), The Greenhouse (Jack Moriarty), Locks Brasserie (Keelan Higgs), Springfort Hall (Jack O’Keeffe) and The Malton (John O’Connor).

Some of the treats in store include Carlingford oysters with a set leek gelée, potato cream and mignonette sauce; and Jack McCarthy fresh blood black pudding with Ballyhoura apple espuma, Ballyhoura mushroom powder, pickled carrot and Longueville cider jelly.

The legendary Jack McCarthy's legendary black pudding

So, how to win a pair of tickets for this treat of a pop-up feast?

If you’re free to come along next Tuesday at 1.30pm, simply email susie@insightconsultants.ie with the words ‘Euro-toques Samhain Feast’ in the subject bar, tell her you read about it here on Holy Mackerel, and that you’d like to go. First two emails win a pair of tickets each, so what’s keeping you?

Last year's finalists, pans at the ready... Kamil Dubanik, Knockranny House Hotel; David Magaeen, Restaurant Victoria; Kyle Greer, No 27 Talbot Street; Margaret Roche, The Cellar Restaurant; Micheal Harley, Rathmullan House & Aisling Gallagher, Ballynahinch Castle