Author: traleeculinarygangsters

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

Paul talks year 2

Year 2

I suppose it’s been a while so here goes another year, spring is off to a flying start with all the herbs and wild weeds coming thick and fast at this stage. I found the winter period tough on the foraging front as it became harder to locate usable sustainable quantities of different herbs both coastal and forestry, flowers, just gorse on tbe menu, ( them damn thorns), yet another joyous start in the tunnel rhubarb straight off the mark and strawberries in 2nd place along with last year’s chard gaining a new lease of life. The radish I dropped in and the beetroot also spouting nicely.

This year is an unknown entity due to restaurant coming on stronger than ever with the number of accolades growing steadily. The feeling of bittersweet joy and pride in my work, showing results is unusual I’m not used to being a successful in work, I’ve been by my own admission a failure in my own personal life, with comparisons to to others perceived situations. So overall balanced life even if it is a little sleepless at times. The foraging has taken itself to new heights and the wild garlic talk led me to have more confidence in my own abilities, with new ideas planning with every new day in the forestry or the shore.

I’m now getting spotted and stopped more often now and most commonly known as your one of them, the gangsters or the lads from Croi. I find it amusing as people don’t believe we actually do what we say we do.

Later this year my preservation will take a serious turn with the arrival of my wedding and the meriad of preserves I plan on making for it.

As always more action @chefpaulc on insta and twitter or a feed from the restaurant @croitralee on all social media platforms

Kevin talks about the first 10 months at Croí

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Croí, how it is for Kevin

I’ll start by talking about the name. It came out of Noel’s mouth at a Tralee culinary gangster meeting one night and when I heard it, it was like the pide piper was playing my song. Croí is the Gaelic for Heart but it has another meaning too….

For as long as I can remember I have been a sensitive person but my love for people has never changed. I’ve dabbed at this and dabbed at that but the one thing that doesn’t change is that I love people. Difficult people, easy people, awkward people, it doesn’t matter, people all work from love or damaged love and that’s something that I love so when I heard Noel say Croí, which in old Irish means the spirit or the essence of, it blew me away myself.

In the last 10 months I have watched us all go through our stuff, the 3 of us growing at rapid pace. Paul has developed into an outstanding chef. Literally sponging knowledge at a rapid rate, producing dishes of an exceptional calibre. Backing Noel up and giving him a freedom to work on other stuff like festivals, markets and let’s not forget our ever changing seasonal menu with dishes that tantalize our guests mouths. Finding new local suppliers to help us build our arsenal of what our stunning county has to offer. Most places have 1 or 2 Mickey mouse suppliers and then use a big huge multinational to supply them with the rest but the way we see it is, the fish monger can’t deliver steaks cos, it’s very simple, that’s not his business, if the fish monger takes his business, we see that as “NOT FAIR PLAY” so you get a red card.

Noel has the “Father figure” in Croí and Paul and I are happy to go along with this and if needed we are all well able to reign the other in because we have total faith in the other. Noel’s drive and stamina is a privalage to watch. He counts us in for everything too then as Croí is the 3 of us. He spreads the credit around and passes on the limelight and sits back and then watches myself and Paul enjoy the ride. Paul and I work really really hard to allow Noel the freedom and Noel doesn’t forget that, and that’s humbling.

I have grown so much in 10 months. The reality of the world of business and the need for survival instincts is massive but if I focus on that it will destroy the natural me which is or so I have been told is, some have said “away with the fairies” but this one isn’t really me, so, I will explain because one of my primary school teachers got it right. I like to enjoy myself, I like to have fun, I am happy go lucky and I mix that with love and the let’s do this right attitude is how I sum me up. Perhaps Noel or Paul could shine more light on that but if I use the joe/Harry window (counselling term) is how I view myself and let’s not forget my self confessed “I’m a sensitive guy”.

So to end my piece, CROÍ
You have given me so much and your just a building and a world until you add, Noel, Paul and Kevin. Then you become an institution for love, care, passion, personality, desire, belief and an awful lot more positive words. So to end I say thank you for everything, now let’s cook this motherfucker……

Chef shortage

I watched year after year at this time the same thing starts, looking for chefs , same places same problem every year, now I’m banging around for quite a bit so here is my cents worth . For what it’s worth

Ok my kitchen (4) chefs have all been trained by me from start as in I brought them in to the kitchen for the first time ,from the sous down
So why not train your own I have 2 commis starting collage courses both courses 2 years ( different courses), problem solved in staffing,for the next 2 years,I have 2 young chefs getting better all the time as the restaurant grows

Lots of chefs complain about the pay well I have had chefs work for me looking for a pay rise and they are not worth it , the good chefs are paid well if you are not been paid right leave period move to another places that will pay you for your hours

1. hire better maybe your kp wants to step up or a waiter wants to step in, create the environment you want
2. a training environment from when they start through collage and on (commi for 2 plus years trained)
3 create a pay system for the young chefs as they get better
4 sponsor their course
5.give late starts early finishes to our crew.

I’ll send them home early and do the floors and bins myself ,
Leaders lead , bosses boss,
be the change you want to see,
My 2 cents worth

Killarney brewery visit by Kevin

So today I had the privilege of visiting the Killarney brewery. Where they brew their outstanding range of beers. From stout to larger, blond Ale to red Ale. We received a visit from one of the brewers last week for dinner and he and his partner were delighted to see their beers on our menu. It was such a treat to meet one of the masterminds behind the operation and even though he isn’t the master brewer, he knows his stuff (Thanks John). Seeing the passion and belief in their product can do nothing but inspire. Seeing them use local ingredients in their beers again adding to the ethos we use in our Croí which bolsters my belief.