Mitchelstown Food Festival
The Mallow Food Festival may be over, but the local focus on food continues. This year’s Mitchelstown Food Festival will take place this coming weekend, Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August and the theme is, very appropriately after last year’s pig-meat debacle, Bringing Home the Bacon.
Events over the festival weekend include a workshop on Irish Pork from Farm to Fork on Friday, an open air barbecue on Lower Cork Street Saturday evening and a producers’ market, with local and national food products, at the Coolnanave Business Park on the main Dublin road (across from the Firgrove Hotel) on Sunday.
The workshop looks particularly interesting. It’s taking place at the Firgrove Hotel, from 2pm to 5pm, and will be hosted by Eddie O’Neill, the local Teagasc Artisan Food Specialist. A flyer that I recently received (and promptly lost!) had more details about the participants, including producers from all aspects of the pork industry.
There’s more information online at www.mitchelstownfoodfestival.com, via email (mitchelstownfood@gmail.com) or telephone (085 8003095).
Updated 26 August 2009: Just found the flyer and here’s the line-up for Friday.
Pig Farming from Farm to Fork – Carol O’Brien
Recession Busting Butchery – Finn’s Butchers
Traditional Sausage-Making Demo – Paddy Ward, Teagasc
Hodgins’ Sausages Achievments – Mervin Hodgins
Cookery Demo: Pork Belly – O’Callaghan’s Deli
Artisan Food Discussion – Caroline Rigney
Hi Car,I though you might be interested in this article in the guardian on eating food alone: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/26/eating-food-aloneIts such an interesting area of food that we dont often talk about – unless its those somewhat sad looking ‘Cooking for 1’ cookbooks.I tend to vary – sometimes cooking myself whole meals – a prawn, smoked paprika, tomato and butterpean type stew or tiny lamb chops with chickpea and garden greens mash being favourites then other times i just want something on toast or feel the need to use up the randoms in the fridge.My boy of the mo however when left to himself will eat cereal. Which i guess is not a bad as his blue powerade breakfasts…
The blue powerade reminds me of a certain vegetarian boyfriend who had a demented love for “fizzy pop” at all times of the day!That’s an interesting article. Doesn’t Nigella have a chapter on food for one in our copies of How To Eat? I do remember something about lamb shanks. (There’s also a chapter on feeding babies and small children which I never thought I’d need but is now coming in very useful!)Randoms from the fridge only get there if you’re cooking and shopping in the first place, which probably puts you ahead of most cooking-for-one-persons. When we were living together my dinners were often something involving cheese on toast but I tried to make it good cheese and great bread – it’s still something that we have a lot of, especially the Husband’s all-time favourite tuna melts. When he’s away I love to have something involving lamb’s liver or kidneys: he’s not a fan
That, and a glass of good red wine, and dinner for one turns into a feast. I’d be very much with you on the tiny lamb chops.BTW, every time I make homemade burgers I think of you! You always made the best ones.
Thanks for the tip. If you find out any more details than what is on the website can you post it please please. I wouldn’t mind going as I’m in Tipp this weekend. I’ve emailed them too.I must bring some chocolate along and do some taste tests … anyone for a chocolate & bacon truffle?? If kid you not, Vosges chocolatier have a range of bacon and chocolate.
You’re in luck, Gillian – I managed to find the flyer this morning. It went a-missing when the Husband was doing a power-tidy before guests arrived! I’ll update the post above with the details. If you’re there we’ll have to meet up – drop me a line at cook@bibliocook.com
Hi Caroline, didn’t make it to the Mallow Food Festival, hopefully I’ll make it to the Mitchelstown one! Might see ye there! I’ve missed all the previous festivals between one thing or another, so I’m making it my mission!