Author: traleeculinarygangsters

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

Paul looking forward 2017

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Forage and grow 2017
Last year was strange for me. The only thing I managed to grow was strawberries, but foraged loads more, as time goes on I learn more and more about what is and is not edible. In my experience I have tried everything that I spotted once and out of all these weeds I have had one bad experience. I picked a little bit as per usual tried a bit shortly after the 1st chew it started to sting so that got spat out it sting for about an hour afterwards other than that no bad experience. I don’t count the horrible tasting ones.
This year is different I am more motivated to grow more of my own, with the loss of my mom last year I suppose it’s trying to keep her spirit alive in the homestead, and the polytunnel becomes this oasis of life. A month ago I started by weeding out the tunnel of the heavy weeds. Followed by a drowning of water to revive any plants that were hiding dormant underground some of these are now coming to life with a little heavier weeding I’m now ready to sow some lettuce leaves “cut and come” varieties I’ve no interest in the big heads I won’t have time for them I have also down some cress some garlic chives and some normal garlic in the hopes of having my own. I’ve planted some squash seeds in the ground and some in small pots which can be transplanted at a later date. I picked up some cherry tomatoes with I know I can grow in buckets put a hole in the bottom with a tray of water add warmth and sunlight and they will be happy out, just to spice it up a bit I added basil to the plants as I am led to believe they thrive alongside these tempestuous fruit.
My progress on a berry patch is also underway after the birds thieving everything last year, I am an animal lover and have no issue with small birds of any description I would prefer to have been able to put the berries to use in my workplace or even the homestead, most of the berries needed a few more days to ripen to perfection, as luck would have it, it was 10 days before I got a chance to return home to find no more than a jam jar full of berries. At least the birds will survive I thought next year I will be better prepared. This year I have transferred done of these through small rooting shoots to the centre of the poly tunnel where I can keep an eye on them, less chance of the birds making off with my berries.
As this new season and my second year of foraging begins I look forward to trying different things and exploiting more of nature’s bounty in the first of leaves seeds fruits nuts and vegetables from the shore to the forest and everything in between. I look forward to the people I have yet to meet on my travels around this beautiful county of ours and what she has to offer us over the course of this year from the wild garlic which is with us right now to Dandelion leaves, chickweed, wild cress, wild leeks, sorrel, seabeet, samphire just to name a few that we have plentiful supply of for the year if treated and preserved correctly will ensure a year round supply of nutritious greens, later in the year nuts and mushrooms appear, through careful identification mushrooms can be found year round I am learning these as I go pick, identify have found a handful of mushrooms so far that I can safely eat I hasten to add here I’m NOT an expert at this I need more practice, training before going on a proper mushroom hunting. Through this year I’m going to focus more on growing than my forage and other parts more on the forage than the growing. While I find the balance.
More on my success and failure through this year follow this blog.
Follow me on Twitter @chefpaulc Instagram @chefpaulc
Also we are hosting a forage and talk in ballyseedy woods @10am on the 25th march come join our event on Facebook like the page Traleeculinarygangsters.com 

No. 21 off licence on RIOJA

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RIOJA

Rioja is a stylish but warming red, and it goes well with all kind of roasts, steaks and chops. There’s so much more to red Rioja than it seems at first glance. The fancy labels, the gold wire, the hessian wrap, the seals on the bottle, all give the impression that each bottle is as elaborately made as the next. This, of course, is far from being the case. Others may have minimalist packaging but conceal a truly great wine. Rioja is a large region with over 300 producers; most of the wine made here is sold very young, without any oak aging, and just becomes an anonymous supermarket brand or similar. Take a look at the label: if you see the words Sin Crianza, this wine has never seen the inside of an oak barrel and therefore will lack that lovely toasty vanilla aroma we all know and love. This flavour comes from the American oak preferred by top producers here. Rioja Gran Reserva spends two years in the barrel and three more in the bottle. These older wines are paler in colour, subtler in flavour than a typical red Rioja, but linger on the palate for a long time.

Bodegas Palacio is a centenary winery located in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa.  Since their foundation in 1894, they have made an important contribution to the revolution in winemaking that has taken place in La Rioja. Their founder, Don Cosme Palacio y Bermejillo, began producing his exceptional wines over 100 years ago, making the bodega one of a limited few to be selected as Bodegas Históricas de la D.O Ca Rioja.

Their wines are like a historical timeline of the region, starting with Glorioso which dates back to 1928; Glorioso Reserva and Glorioso Gran Reserva are both stunning examples of this style. Both of these wines are available at Number 21 Off-licence.

Follow number 21 off licence on facebook and twitter @no21listowel

No. 21 off licence

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Primitivo

If you want fruit-forward, ripe, red wine for a good price, look no further than Puglia. Some of the best values in Italian wine come from this sunny, dry region. Most Puglia wine is red, full-bodied and will pair well with a wide variety of foods. Producers in Puglia have focused on making great red wines and local grapes like Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Bombino Nero make for delicious drinking.

If you’re searching for a richer, fuller-bodied red with abundant weight look towards Puglian Primitivo. Primitivo tastes of dark fruit like fresh figs, blueberries and baked blackberries. There’s a distinct dried fruit-leather character to it as well. The word Primitivo doesn’t mean primitive in Italian, but actually means early ripening since these grapes accumulate a lot of sugar early in the season. The early ripening means resulting wines are big, luscious and full of fruit. However, what’s fascinating about Primitivo is that sometimes the grape bunches ripen unevenly, so green grapes will get harvested along with the ripe ones.

If this type of wine takes your fancy, then why not try Italia Primitivo, on offer at Number 21 Off Licence this week.

Follow number 21 on facebook and twitter

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James onkids meals

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Now as bad as that teaching was on food I went to an all boys secondary school which had no subject on food I had zero knowledge of basic of prepearing a dinner for myself one of life’s most importing things and we where never taught about it in a place where they are teaching you  to help you become adults but yet in a maths class we can now finds x is the number 2 what good is that to me .then your been tuaght  all this stuff so you can go to college .so now I’m in college I have to stay up in college for a week away from home no mommy to feed me now I ask the question am how do I cook a simple piece of chicken what tempature dose the oven need to be at. how do I know when its cooked.and all of sudden stutends in college are getting takeaways most night and the government talking about obesity

It all starts from an early age getting cooking with yours kids as young as you can the more they know about food the bitter chance they have to mind them self’s

Follow james on twitter @boilingjames

Perriwinkle foraging with paul

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 Ocean forage

I had a few days off this week and was asked to give a fella a life out to the beach to collect periwinkles. I decided sure why not I go with you give you a hand to see what else is out there as you never know, with the Irish coastline can range from golden sand to rocks stones and silt.
So off we went at low tide, today was to turn at 11.20am so we were there for 9am out in the shore plenty of seaweed and stone. I think to myself this is going to be a long day. Right so straight out do you see that black bit way out there that’s where we are going (oh here goes). From this point on I’m in completely uncharted territory I don’t wander too far from shore usually. However that black bit was a bank of mussels, clams, periwinkles, and oysters. (Jackpot) as I turn around to look back I think anyone who does this deserves to get paid. We returned day 2 for more winkles I took the excess mussels and clams as my payment for my days labour. (First time for everything).
Getting all these into bags is the easy part getting all bags back to shore when you are half a mile out. That’s the hard part.
Cutting a long story very shortly all bags arrived to shore and were left over night to be rinsed by the incoming tide, to be taken the following morning to a place to be washed and sorted. I was given plenty mussels and clams for my troubles just to sort through what was usable and not anything small goes back so it can continue growing. These however get dropped somewhere I can get them without getting covered in silt sand and muck. In a year or so I will put them on a plate provided birds don’t get to them 1st.
Follow my adventures @chefpaulc on Instagram and Twitter  also like and share the Tralee culinary gangsters.com page on Facebook for more information recipes all things local seasonal and food related topics

Diarmuid on hotel management

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I thought I’d do a blog on front of house management of a hotel and the formula(s) involved in a successful operation.

1 Customer satisfaction

2 Guest experience

3a Consilidation of business & 3b repeat business.

4 Enhancing Profitability.

 

For me I’m blessed to have had a genuine love of sport…all sport. I can readily hold a conversation with a complete stranger at the drop of a hat in the hotel when a game is on. It can be an indedidious sport English Prem league Golf Baseball Tennis and of course Rugby. Immediately all barriers disolve between me a GM!! and the now customer/sports buddy; man woman and child ( particularly like that I recognise their club jersey) I have had many a spectacular success through my own bars in my time. Building up relationships with community’s of ppl emersing myself into their enviornment thru my love & knowledge of the games. Heineken Cup victories World Cups Both rugby & soccer. Champions league The ally pally darts world championships. Olympics yes Olympics Grand nationals All Ireland Finals Ryder Cups the list is endless. I think you get my point.

I have a few secrets when I’m out front operating no more than the talented chefs here on TCG  however I don’t have the lovely pictures you guys posess to post on Facebook. I have my touch and my memories and my successes tho.

 

So back to the top.1 Customer satisfaction is paramount. Tv’s are in good view. Volume is adjusted accordingly atmosphere is set. I’m on the floor behind the bar and even tho it’s generic to my guests to sit and watch and listen in fact I’m running the show. I’m mentaly prepared I know the teams competing and I know when to give the odd “come on lads” the tv is not for my pleasure it’s for the customer. I never side with a team or a customer I never let on I know the score after all they want to tell me It’s there team after all and I never show emotion to any particular side I’m balanced but deep down inside I’m bursting with my own emotions.

2 Guest experience Firstly I never run full hotel/bar menus it’s a big game after all who wants their head stuck in a plate just at the time their team gets that all important score.. It’s a finger food it’s tasty it’s served right to their seat it’s served stratigitaly and at the right times It’s served before during and after. Keep it going. It’s fast and fouruius like the game itself. If I  could bring these guys the bathroom during the game I would. 3a It’s not just a once off I’m sure most of you by now are saying it’s a big game it’s perhaps a final customers will be out anyway. Yes of course they are but I’m building relationships accross the board of sport teams and customers from a long way out. I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket I’m spreading the net wide and far. My key is I’m always going to be there I’m there from the start of the campaign and right to the end. I know what to say when your team looses I know how to celebrate when they win. After its your journey your day your team. 3b I guess and I’m sure you can understand the business will repeat; naturaly it will repeat for the games but the knock on effect is I see my customers come back for Sunday lunch with their families I see them come back for their celebrations I see them come back for their office parties then its full menu full service full comolienent of staff in rooms in restaurant in bars and I see them come back for their pint just to say hello and and recall the game again. And I enjoy that and I always listen like I had never heard or saw the game before after all its their club their team their time.

4 Yes it’s profitable of course it is but I firmly believe I profit most as does the customer You can’t put a price on a special moment in a game you can’t put a price on emotion you can’t put a price on the roar of a victory or the composite consoling hug of the un-victorious. It’s a marriage sport has its peaks and it’s lows but spprt unifies I’m just their because I love it I’m just there because it’s more than my job it’s my life. For the love of sport. Diarmuid