Bibliocook - All About Food

Award-winning blog of Irish food writer and broadcaster Caroline Hennessy.

Category: Do

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Dingle Food Festival

Dingle Food Festival It’s into the West for me this weekend as I’m heading out the door on Friday after work in URRU and straight down to Kerry with the Husband for this year’s Dingle Food Festival. It all kicks off that night with a launch at the Dingle Bay Hotel from 10pm. If you’re about on Saturday and Sunday there are a series of cookery demonstrations, taste trails (watch out for the Mexican Fiesta at Murphy’s Ice Cream!) and farmers’ markets throughout the town. And don’t forget – at 5pm on Sunday the inaugural Blas na hÉireann/National Irish Food Awards ceremony will take place at Benner’s Hotel. Now, just got to make sure that my accomodation is sorted out!

Ice Cream temptation in Dingle 2

Do / Eating Out

Ice Cream temptation in Dingle

Have you ever been to Dingle? Despite the best of intentions over the years – and the Husband visiting there regularly since he moved to Ireland – it’s taken me quite a while to get round to visiting. But, when there’s a pot of Murphys’ Ice Cream at the end of the trip, how can you resist?

Bibliocook.com - mussels 3

Do / Eating Out

Food in Kenmare

A short trip to Kenmare earlier this week unearthed plenty of good food. Dinner at the Lime Tree was worth waiting for, as we arrived late, stepping into the lively, convivial atmosphere of the restaurant from a cold, damp night. There was plenty to choose from on the menu but my eye didn’t go too far and I gladly devoured a dish of the sweetest Kilmacalogue mussels, steamed open in a in a lemon, garlic, ginger and corriander broth. Tempted though I was by the Kerry lamb on offer, I stuck with the seafood and enjoyed the monkfish instead. A portion of well-flavoured pea and chorizo risotto surrounded medallions of the fish, in a rosemary butter sauce, topped with long, curly parsnip crisps. There wasn’t a lot left on the plate by the time the friendly waiting staff came to clear and I didn’t even get to touch the, for me, superfluous side dishes of vegetables and potatoes. After all that, desert didn’t even get a look in and I finished with a pot of peppermint tea.

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Mitchelstown Food Festival

Mitchelstown Food FestivalIt’s food festival season at the moment in North Cork with Mitchelstown holding its own festival this weekend, kicking off with a gala evening with Clodagh McKenna at the Firgrove Hotel tonight. You can see the menu below – it’s got fantastic Clonmore Goat’s Cheese from Tom Biggane, Nano Nagle organic eggs and apples, Araglin trout and David Lee’s honey, fresh from the bees that spent the early summer buzzing around our cottage garden. There’s also a market taking place on Sunday from 12pm at the Mitchelstown Business Park.

Terra Madre blog roundup 0

Food Events

Terra Madre blog roundup

* Ice Cream Ireland have a video of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini talking at the Organics Conference.* John McKenna, involved in the hotel food forum on Friday, writes about some of the suggestions posed to the Ministers on the Bridgestone Blog.* Amanda Bankert of La Petite Pâtissière (and pastry chef at my favourite Cake Café in Dublin) writes about an eventful trip down to Waterford and her attendance at the Edible School Garden workshop with her three-year-old.* Trevor Sargent’s speech to Terra Madre Ireland 2008.* Fishermen’s Federation leaders at Waterford Terra Madre Slow Food conference from BYM Marine & Maritime News.Also, more updates on the Terra Madre site, including:Gourmet Food And Education At Terra Madre Ireland 2008Terra Madre All Island Policy Conference A Huge SuccessLaunch of Terra Madre 2008Harvesting Our Thanks to Nature – Irish Times

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Sunshine for the Waterford Farmers’ Market

While the morning may have been clear and cool, with early arrivals dressed in fleeces and jeans, by lunchtime at the Terra Madre Farmers’ Market in Waterford it was strappy frocks and sandals all the way as the crowds took to the streets in the sunshine. Stalls stretched up and down John Roberts Square, taking off into the side streets when they ran out of room. We arrived early, as the stallholders were setting up, and went in search of coffee but to no avail. Where are Cork Coffee Roasters when you need them?!

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Recipe for Success

recipeforsuccess.jpg RTÉ Cork had one of the stands at the Mallow Food Festival, handing out flyers and application forms for a new Irish food show called Recipe for Success. During the six-part series, home cooks will compete to see their recipe go into supermarket production. Could be interesting! You can see the flyer here and more information, along with an application form, is available on the RTÉ website.