Author: traleeculinarygangsters

Chef, food truck owner, Gardner, forager, blogger, author , columnists,

Autumn

Autumn

As my summer harvests draw to a close the autumn/winter crops begin to flourish, amid shades of red orange yellow and green, whilst a hazy sunrise listens over the coast. A lapping tide caresses rocks with pools of seaweeds, and sea grasses.
The coast i find is an amazing place this time of year so peaceful and beautiful, yet silently deadly at the safe time as I fell foul of rock lucky to escape with bruising.
While near the coast a number of people who walk regularly whether with a dog or by themselves have come to associate me with the restaurant and my mandatory gangster gear.
Berries cascade from briars, along a pathway near the beach. Morning gangster, or chef, or Jez your out early to some new faces. A conversation about food and their memories usually ensues, I find these interesting and borderline inspirational, people talk about their childhood memories about picking this or that or my grandmother used to do this is that long-go (abbreviation intentional).
My forestry trailers still find my presence amusing, a hearty morning and continue on with their business, that is until they see tree leaves in my tub and all of a sudden, using those really??? Total confusion, tell them it’s dinner and this look quickly turns to disbelief, a little explaining and they turn to shock and awe, that idea is class.

Till next time people.
Follow on all platforms @chefpaulc and the restaurant the same @croitralee.

pastel de elote,Mexican corn cake

melted butter, to grease
500 g(3 cups) fresh corn kernels
395 gtin sweetened condensed milk
80 gbutter, melted
1 tspnatural vanilla essence or extract
4eggs, at room temperature
110 g(¾ cup) plain flour
2 tspbaking powder
½ tspsalt

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush a 9 cm x 21.5 cm loaf tin with the melted butter to grease and then line the base and two long sides with one piece of non-stick baking paper.

Combine the corn kernels, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla in a food processor until almost smooth. Add the eggs and process briefly until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and process until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the lined tin. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool

Mushroom hunting paul

Mushrooms

Recently Marcus Karl and 8 visited killarney to do a spot of mushroom hunting, with Marcus as our guide.
As luck would have it not 5oo many to be found. The summer has dried u o most of the moisture that would sustain these fungi throughout the summer months, heavy drought did not help. Never the less still some to be found if your eyes are peeled. To the right eyes mushrooms are easily found, Karl’s and mine not so good. However in the absence of fungus I spotted wild herbs that I myself required for the restaurant, decided to hijack the mushroom hunt for some green foraging.
Help a fella out. The day after Marcus and I met up once more and went hunting in another area, rich in hard white inedible “mushrooms” we noticed a number of these flying through the air, best not to follow as a 9 iron may be following the strange flying mushroom.
Anecdote over. Mushrooms are elusive just because they appear in one spot this year does not mean the same spot next year will be as plentiful.
As always with mushrooms be sure you have identified the mushroom as many dangerous ones share very similar characteristics as their safe to eat cousins
Chat soon folks

Chefs why we do it

Why do we do it……..

Family and friends will never understand
We work every weekend, holiday and special day
Mother’s day, fathers day, birthdays you name it we work it
Unless you have worked as a chef you could never understand the…Why….
For reasons you won’t understand…. not that’s it’s personal well it is but, beyond mosts to really understand ,
Our shortest days are longer than your longest
15 plus hours in a sweat box of heat under pressure from the moment we start till long after you go to bed
While you put on the pjs and brush your teeth we are scrubbing down writing orders filling out paper work only to start early again the next day
And for what…..!!!!!
To express ourselves through food , to tell our story
Lost on most
Boiling pots, sizzling pans , sharp knifes, in a tight space with everybody running around shouting behind , passing,
We cut ourselves, enough to send you to the doctor , we just use duck the or glue and carry on , pain …… we have no time for it …. No place for it ,
Burns that will blister , you don’t stop because of it

The order fly in the pressure mounts but it’s not just physical but mental it will test you and break you nightly
Phyiscally mentally and emotionally every night
For what ……. the few who get it …!!!!
Or care to ..
Well yes ,
We believe or hope that we make a difference to somebody sometime even onetime
Cause that makes it worth while
All the shit,the pain,the missing family
Yes it is worth it
That one moment
Makes it worth while
That one moment that one comment
The best meal ive had
You have made our night special
Yes it easier way the shit the pain the missing
For everybody …..No not even close.
Artist who’s art is never again seen
Poets who’s words are heard once
Painters who’s art is edible
Story.tellers …. but not our story…theirs the producers the grows the farmers
Their stories
We tell theirs not ours
We are the teller.of stories not the story ,

Does it make sense…. not even to us

Rock n roll is dead by Gorka

Rock n roll is dead by Gorka

There was a time no long time ago where our industry was ruled by bad ass , loud , genius, hard sweeting rock and rollers
This post might seem a bit nostalgic but I miss the era of no internet, google, master chefs, Netflix,TripAdvisor,bloggers……
There was a time when the chef was the person to admire,fear,loud….. he was a super rock and roll star
There was a time where everything was about products,suppliers,seasons….and skills
There was a time where the restauranteur was a passionate person, proud , father figure, mentor……not everything was about how many customers, how much money ,where can I buy it cheaper and make more profit ,holidays, more companies, more business, more money……….
There was a time when you where told to shut the f…. up and we were ok with it, we learn our craft and pursue our career and learn and learn and learn
There was a time where the was no shows, screams ,hungover,music
There was a time were food was not just fuel and we will eat what Mother Earth 🌏 provide us
There was a time where maitre d and waiting staff wore precise and immaculate uniforms
There was a time where a chef will appear on tv half drunk and still managed to cook a masterpiece
There was a time that recognition will come from one book and one book only every year , creating excitement and glamour
Funny enough I am posting this on Facebook so undoubtedly, there are good things about modern times
I see no more Marco Pierre whites in kitchen, we are a dying breed ….
Our industry is f…. and if we don’t rebel against it , we have lost
I don’t want to earn 50 euros p hour and put shit food in front of you
I want to cook good food , interact with you , please you , surprise you , be proud of your experience …….. I want the guitar to have this amazing solo…… and I totally refuse to wear skinny jeans and make up on tv…….
I love rock and roll !!!!!

TORTUGA RUM CAKE

Basic Cake Mix
2  cups cake flour
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4  teaspoons baking powder
1  teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup butter, cut into bits
3  tablespoons  vegetable oil

For the Cake
1⁄2 cup  finely chopped walnuts
1 (3 1/2ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1⁄2 cup milk
4  eggs
1⁄2 cup  whaler vanille rum (Hawaiian-style rum)
1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum soaking Glaze
1⁄2 cup butter (do not substitute)
1⁄4 cup water
1  cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup  whaler vanille rum (Hawaiian-style rum)

Basic Cake Mix:
In a large mixing bowl, combine basic cake mix ingredients.On low speed combine ingredients until the mix is the consistency of fine gravel, and all particles are about the same size.This mix may be contained and stored for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees.Spray a large Bundt pan (12 cup) with nonstick cooking spray.Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on the bottom.Place Basic Cake Mix, pudding mix, milk, eggs, rum, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and combine on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl halfway through.Batter should be very smooth.Pour into Bundt pan.Bake for about 55 minutes- until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back.Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack while making the soaking glaze.

Rum Soaking Glaze
:Combine butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan.Bring to a boil carefully as mixture boils over very easily.Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup is well combined and a little thicker.Remove from the heat and add the rum, mix to combine.While cake is still cooling, pour some of the hot syrup on top of the cake, allowing it time to soak in (this may take a few minutes as there will be a lot of syrup) continue to add syrup until all of the syrup is added.Allow cake to cool completerly in pan before turning out onto serving platter.This cake is delicate, so once it is turned out, it can not be moved around easily.Can be eaten when fully cool, but even better the next day!

#chef thoughts by Noel

You are the world you have created
And when you cease to exist
This world you have created will also cease to exist

But for those with the understanding that they are living the last days of the world
Death aquires a different meaning
The extinction of all reality
Is a concept no registration can encompass
And then all the grand designs and all the grand plan’s
Will be finally exposed and reviled for they are
Death comes to the prey at speed
A silence of an arrow
I never tire of that
To see somone killed with elegance
Is moving to me
The hunter has grace & beauty
And purely of heart
To be found no where else
You can make no destitution between who they are
And that they do
And what we do is kill
But our faintness of heart is what has driven us to the edge
Prehaps you want to create but nothing iis cruelier than a coward
And the slaughter to come is behond our imagining

Blueberry buckle

A Canadian dessert well worth a try blackberries work as well

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
TOPPING:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in blueberries. Pour into greased 9-in. square baking pan.For topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture.Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.