The Irish Whiskey Awards 2014

The diversity and quality of Irish Whiskey were celebrated at the second annual Irish
Whiskey Awards, which took place at Kilbeggan Distillery in Co. Westmeath on Thursday,
23rd October 2014. The event, which was organised by the Celtic Whiskey Shop, showcased
and honoured this rapidly growing indigenous Irish Industry over 17 categories.
The judging panel consisting of members from the Celtic Whiskey Club and the Irish
Whiskey Society chose the winners based on blind tastings.  Redbreast 21 Year Old Whiskey
was awarded Overall Best Whiskey 2014 while Dick Mack’s in Dingle won The Whiskey Bar
of the Year.
Following the success of the inaugural Irish Whiskey Awards in 2013, the
number of categories increased from 9 to 17 this year to include new awards for Best Irish
Liqueur, Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Craft Beer and four provincial awards for Irish Whiskey
Bar of the Year. 

Rasam Restaurant. The Taste Magazine Oct 2014

                                                        Winning traditions at Rasam

by Robert Jacob· October 18, 2014

Rasam in it’s eleventh year, has without doubt remained true in offering us the incomparable tastes and regional flavours of India in their authentic forms and diversity.

INDIA, one of the World’s most diverse nation, 17 Written languages, birthplace of 4 Religions, 1.2 billion people, with an ancient Culture and long Culinary traditions. Indian Cuisine seems to be surrounded by an aura of mystery and myths, but the truth, was and still is, a regional and seasonal Cuisine that has Spices woven into it’s very DNA. Spices, you can say are the backbone of Indian Cuisine but they are also considered the elixir of health .

Using traditional cooking methods, whether in a tandoor clay oven or the tempering of onion & fennel seeds which enhances the flavour of tomatoes in basic masalas as well as the use of indigenous spices and ingredients such as the earthy but almost scented vetiver roots from Rajasthan or the mushroomy flavour of Kalpasi. But no matter which part of India you are in, Spices of many varieties come into play.

Before the cooking starts, there is the grinding and toasting of these spices and this is done daily, in house by the Chefs at Rasam, in order for us to experience this fantastic, complex and generous cuisine and thru an exciting and diverse menu, allows us to experience Indian food, the way it was intended,in a communal way, to be shared among the guest.

Here are a few dishes to whet your appetite, and if you haven’t been to RASAM yet, Well! you will now ……

Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards at the Dingle Food Festival 2014 @BlasNahEireann

The Blas na hEireann Food Awards took centre stage at this year's Dingle Food Festival in  County Kerry last weekend.
Huge crowds took over the picturesque town for the weekend, to sample the flavours, the tastes and the power of Artisan Food Producers. With the Festival Taste Trail, the streets of Dingle were a virtual Farmer's market. Artisan Food Producers and Restaurants showcasing what they do best, along with food workshops and Cookery Demonstrations with top chefs Kate Lawlor of " Fenn's Quay" Cork, Jp McMahon of "Aniar " Galway and Niall O Conchuir of "An Canteen", Dingle among others.
The atmosphere was electric and showed a great endorsement from the public for without doubt the most popular Food Festival in Ireland, top quality produce as well as the most respected Food Awards.
Blas na hEireann is about recognising passionate, dedicated producers who are serious about marketing their produce at home and around the globe. Winning a Blas can mean double digit growth for some as a Blas Quality mark is a guarantee of top quality.
The Awards focus solely on taste, with the winners chosen as a result of blind tasting  by a panel of judges made up of top Chefs, Food writers, Food buyers, Food experts and Food scientists from UCC.
Chairman of the Blas na hEireann Awards , Mr Artie Clifford said " Due to a record number of entries this year, 2014 was the most competitive Blas ever and a huge number of awards were awarded well over what was initially predicted. "

Plum tart

I have always found the smooth and richly coloured plums irrestible and cannot wait to cook with them.
Here is my favourite recipe using the sweet juicy plums and the zingy lemon make a delicious combination

Plum Tart : 

Win 2 Tickets to WHISKEY LIVE - DUBLIN on the 25th of October 2014

                            Bank Holiday Whiskey Celebrations with Whiskey Live

As part of the world’s premier whiskey tasting show, Whiskey Live Dublin, will take place in

the magnificent Round Room of The Mansion House in Dublin on Saturday, 25th October

2014.  

Whether you are a whiskey enthusiast, an uninitiated newcomer or just looking for a

day out that offers you something different, Whiskey Live brings together whiskeys from around the world, with great food, master classes and entertainment to make learning about whiskey both fun and stimulating

At Whiskey Live Dublin visitors will have the unique opportunity to sample some of the

greatest whiskeys including Irish, Scottish, American & Japanese whilst mingling

with the producers and distillers.

ANANDA "A gastronomic temple of Indian Cuisine " @AnandaDundrum

Ananda in Dundrum Town Centre is regarded as one of Dublin's finest dining experiences, so it was no surprise that last week it won for the 3rd year in a row the World Culinary Award at the Food & Wine Magazine Awards 2014.
The restaurant and its Executive Head Chef Sunil Ghai boasts an impressive array of awards between them over the years , from Best Chef, Best Restaurant in Dublin to Best World Cuisine.
At Ananda, the very skilled and creative Sunil Ghai offers contemporary Indian Cuisine and he continues to delight us by constantly challenging our perception of what Indian Cuisine should be. His approach is most of all focused on pure clean flavours and seasonal produce.
Using predominantly Indian flavours and traditional cooking methods but no more so as in keeping with his creative goals, he is not afraid to dip into molecular gastronomy often tinged with inspirations from French, Japanese and Far Eastern cuisine and  reinvents them into something magical and makes it his own.

Here is his  Deconstructed Papdi Chatt, Tamarind relish & Coriander foam

A dessert of Masala Thandai Kulfi, Semolina crisp, Rose gel, Pistachio & semolina sand.

Creamy Chicken, Gnocchi & Asparagus

 

This is a great mid week meal in mins , when time is short and you don't want to compromise on taste and flavour. So long as  you can boil water, chop a shallot and switch on your cooker, This will be child's play for any novice or aspiring cooks.
Come on , let's get cooking !!!!