We’re back!

It’s been awhile but this afternoon I’m down in Ballymaloe at their inaugural Litfest which is going on until Monday, with loads of amazing international and Irish speakers programmed and a whole bevy of free stuff in the Fringe festival. Including this:

FOR FOOD’S SAKE

present

Food Memories:

a taste of personal palate-shaping experiences

When?            Sat 4th & Sun 5th May, 3pm–4pm, with fresh interviews every 20 minutes

Where?           The Big Shed, Ballymaloe Litfest, Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co Cork

What?            Food writer and blogger, Aoife Carrigy of Holymackerel.ie will host a series of short interviews with food writers, bloggers, chef and producers who will remember some of their most treasured palate-shaping experiences, from the recipe or dish tasted that changed their life to the book or conversation that changed their food philosophy.

Who?              Michelle Darmody of Cake Cafe, Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso, Fingal Ferguson of Gubbeen Smokehouse, Michael Quinn of Waterford Castle, Paul Flynn of The Tannery and more!

FFS?               For Food’s Sake are a Dublin-based collective of food fans who stage regular food-focussed events including foodie movies and food discussion evenings.

Join in the conversation on Twitter at #foodmemories (and say hi to me at @holymackers!)

If you can’t get down to Ballymaloe for the Litfest, I’ll be blogging in coming days about some of the highlights of the weekend. See you then!

I’m off on what several people have promised me will be the trip of a lifetime, and I’m inclined to agree. Two countries I’ve had an itch to visit for an age, and now I’m getting to scratch those itches.

I’ll be gone for the longest month of the year and back just in time for the shortest one. Although in Ethiopia, where I’ll be for the best part of the month, the longest month of the year is 30 days (of which there are 12) and the shortest is six days (of which there is one). Except on a leap year, when the shortest is five days.

Confused? Try getting your head around a 12 hour day that starts at 6am and finishes at 6pm when the 12 hour night begins. Meaning that if I get up a couple of hours after sunrise in Addis, what would be 8 in the morning Irish time will be just 2 in the morning local time.

But the good news is that I’ll be several years younger for the next month. Ethiopians use the Julien calendar, knocking 5 or 6 years off your age while visiting. Not bad eh?

And here’s the best bit. I get to do Christmas all over again. The day after of our Feast of the Epiphany (or Little Christmas as we Irish like to call it, and the night on which Joyce’s masterpiece The Dead is set) is Christmas Eve in Ethiopia. So just as we’re all winding down at home, they’ll be kicking off festivities over there.

So, all in all, it’s set to be a pretty long month.

I’ll be checking back in here as much as possible. Love if you could join me!

P.S. I can’t access comments here but I can on my Facebook page. Just look for Holy Mackerel.

If you’re one of those people who’s thinking, I really should get up out of bed and go buy some Christmas presents, well here’s my brief Top Five Cookbooks of 2012 to guide your way through those last minute Christmas shoppers.

1. The Ard Bia Cookbook

…and not just because I co-wrote it with the inimitable Aoibheann MacNamara of Ard Bia in Galway. I genuinely love the restaurant’s imaginative mix of wholesome, Irish and exotic flavours, and the fact that these are doable restaurant dishes. Plus I also love love love Cian McConn’s series of photos of Ard Bia staff and friends which punctuate the book (that tattooed lady on the cover is the lovely Giusy) as well as Eimear McCormack’s beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. But then I would say that.

2. The ICA Cookbook

…and not just because I edited it. (Yes there is a pattern emerging here but I’m about to change theme, don’t worry.) Made up of the beloved, treasured, never-failed-me recipes of over 40 ordinary ICA members, this cookbook is for all of those people who can’t stomach another idealised aspirational lifestyle cookbook making us feel guilty about taking an hour to cook what apparently should only take 30 minutes. These ICA recipes (from the Irish Countrywomen’s Association) are real recipes, from real women, and while making shepherd’s pie with a tin of oxtail soup may not be for everybody there’s enough variety within the book to have something for everyone.

3. The Cake Cafe Bake Book

…and not just because The Cake Cafe is one of my favourite Dublin institutions from one of my favourite Cork women. Teaming up with her good mate & designer extraordinaire Niall Sweeney, Michelle Darmody turned down a publishing deal and decided to go it alone with this gorgeous little collection of some of her favourite baking recipes. The result is totally unique and a whole lot of fun to flick through, let alone bake from. It’s sleek size makes it a perfect stocking filler too.

4. The Saba Cookbook

…and not just because proceeds go to The Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and to The Thai Red Cross Society. Head chef Taweesak ‘Tao’ Trakoolwattana is a great teacher, as anyone who has been on one of his Thai Cooking Day with Fabulous Food Trails will know. That patience in explaining his native Thai cooking to an Irish audience comes through in this beautifully produced cookbook, as does restaurateur Paul Cadden’s passion for the Thai cuisine that has become so much a part of his life.

5. How to Write About Food

…and not just because it’s written by my one-time  desk buddy, FOOD&WINE Magazine editor Ross Golden-Bannon. Okay it’s not actually a cookbook and you can’t buy it in a bookshop, but RGB’s kindle/ipad-friendly ebook would make a great stocking filler for that food blogger or aspiring food writer in your life (if that’s you, get hinting fast!). Ross has gathered all the things he wished food writers knew, peppered with his trademark humour, and put it all together in this handy little collection of the Top 50 Bloopers to Cross an Editor’s Desk. You can buy it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AP2SM1M/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

So there you have it. There were loads more great books too – Let’s Go Disco, The MacNean Restaurant Cookbook and Catherine Fulvio’s Eat Like an Italian for starters. But it really is the 11th hour, so you’d better get going!

Happy Christmas… and happy cooking!

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!

The Grand Social in Dublin’s Liffey Street are looking for someone to take the reins of their weekend food offering (Thu–Sat nights) in their busy little beer garden. Think bratwurst, pulled pork or falafal – or whatever cheap’n'cheerful soakage you’d like to eat if you were out on the beer and maybe catching a gig later. If you’re not familiar with it, the place was voted IMRO Dublin Live Music Venue of the Year 2011 and hosts some top events, including this sweaty fella from Primal Scream on Arthur’s Day:

They’re open to ideas, but are looking for someone experienced enough to take the opportunity and make a good go of it. If you’re interested in learning more, give Elaine Murphy a shout at The Winding Stair (sister business) on 01 872 7320. And good luck!

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

Ross Castle, Co Galway, which can be rented

The theme was Something Beginning With F, in honour of the honourable host of the night, a certain Freddie. My humble contribution was Fidelma Flintstone (as in Wilma’s lil’ sister, in from the big shmoke to stir trouble) which involved a red wig, furry pink leopardskin dress and plastic cave(wo)man club. A fishtank, Flashdance, Mr Mercury, several Frida Kahlos, a silver fox, Fembot, a walking farmyard, several Mr Sinatras, a French kiss, several FBI undercover agents, Fabulous Mr Fox, Frozen, Feather Girl, Mr Kruger, a flapper, Fursace, a flower, Five, several fetish freaks, a Ferris Wheel and Senor Castro were just some of the fabulous freaks who turned up.

That's Wilma on the left, with her pal Betty. Fidelma wasn't around for this shot.

Why am I telling you this and what the fog does it have to do with a food blog?

Here's a clue...

My point, dear reader, is that dressing up is a whole lotta fun. Truly. Especially when you actually make a little bit of an effort and so does everyone around you. There’s no ice-breaker like a bit of excessive make-up and an excuse to guess the adopted moniker for the evening.

And my second point is this. There’s going to be lots of chances to dress up in coming days. I’m off to an Enchanted Forest on Friday for example, possibly as a Ray of Sunshine, just cos I have a great yellow dress I think I can do something with, and cos I feel like spreading cheer.

Here's another...

But there is one upcoming party for which I’m going to embrace my darker side and you’re invited to too.

The good folk at 777 on Dublin’s St Gt George’s Street are throwing themselves an open-house bash to celebrate Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos. Traditionally, the Day of the Dead runs as a public fiesta from Oct 31 – Nov 2, when the souls of the departed are thought to return to earth to be reunited with their families.

A right pair of Catrinas, one of the popular Dia de los Muertos figures

The deal? On the eve of Thursday 1st November, from 9pm, rock up to 777  in your finest ‘Day of the Dead’-est costume for a night of cocktails specials, DJs and dancing. And dinner. Head Chef Eamonn Connors will be ‘sacrificing’ a whole lamb for the menu of traditional and festive dishes for the revellers. There will be spot prizes for the best costumes too. The whole lot costs €10 per person including food, but not drinks, which is fair enough really. Especially as proceeds from drink sales on the night will be going to the Irish Cancer Society.

So, a good excuse to get dressed up, eat well, drink the best cocktails in town, dance with all your friends – both living and lost to this world – while raising money for a great cause? What’s not to love?

See you there?

And as cookbooks that focus largely – if not both fully – on the recently re-embraced art of baking, both are perfect stocking fillers for a budding baker you know and love this Christmas.

I’m talking (in part) about The ICA Cookbook, a tidy tome which I came to know and love at the start of our short summer, when I spent the guts of a month editing recipes from over 40 contributors from ICA guilds all around the country.

The ICA Cookbook, what I edited

Each recipe was edited by me and tested by the ever-cheerful Marie McGuirk down in An Grianán, Termonfeckin (which is ICA HQ). The book includes gorgeous photography and styling by Joanne Murphy and Orla Neligan and elegant design by Tanya Ross.

Favourites include the clever Parsnip Cake with Walnuts & Raisins (move over Carrot, you’re so yesterday), Fraughan Buns (good excuse to get out for a day’s picking in the Wicklow wilds) and Grandma’s Rhubarb Tart (part soda-bread, part tart, totally retro and totally Irish).

But there’s two parts to this tale. For I’m also talking about The Cake Cafe Bake Book, which I had a very small but proud part in helping produce – well, me and the many other friends and supporters of Michelle Darmody’s gem of a café who helped fund her self-published book through Fundit. The result, designed by the uber-talented Niall Sweeney, is so darn stylish that an international publisher has gotten on board to distribute the book to all good bookshops around the world, no less!

The Fundit-funded books hot from the oven

Fundit allowed people like me pay up in advance for the book, knowing we’d love it. Which allowed Michelle and Niall go ahead and make their Bake Book. And one of the exciting things about self-publishing is that there’s no nervous publishing company telling you that you can’t take risks. Risks like not having any photos. At all. IN A COOKBOOK! A COOKBOOK FULL OF DELICIOUS CAKES!

But anyone who knows how Michelle and Niall work – or indeed knows the Cake Café tucked away off Camden Street on Pleasants Lane – knows that their risk is going to pay off. And I can tell you that even before my pre-bought copy wings its way through my letterbox. I don’t need luscious photos of Michelle’s cakes to convince me they’ll be delicious. I’ve eaten them often enough to know I love them.

If you’d like a little preview of what a photo-free bake book might look like, check out their Youtube trailer, or just head to your nearest good bookshop on Saturday morning, where you’ll find both new cookbooks fresh from the presses, on the shelves and representing an interesting snapshot of where Irish baking has come from and where it’s at today.

Anois, cá bhfuil an cáca milis? Níl ocras orm ach…