Live and interviews
In the past week I have went live on Facebook for the first time and also conducted my first interview. Live from almost the forest floor was intended to be done in the forest in a spot that I am usually able to make a call or text but for some reason I couldn’t connect to Facebook whatsoever or even make a phonecall, so a quick scramble back to the cat and off down the road a number of messages come through “are you going live?? When you started?? Will I delete the post??” Meanwhile I’m shaking waiting for the phone to connect and load so I can go. I start and draw a blank what to say (argh). Go live with a group of people erecting a map of the area showing the pathways through the forest. Afterwards looking back at the video I did not expect the amount of views so quickly I have videos on YouTube with 80 views and less and this reaches 300 within a few hours I was shocked to tell the truth.
Next up was the interview with a good family friend, and a former coach of my time in juvenile athletics, safe to say without him I wouldn’t have started at all. Willie Reidy and the Castlisland community garden, kindly agreed to meet with me, to answer a few questions about the project and how it got started and what services they provide to the area, in the form of gardening courses, growing on ridges and seasonal produce. I saw some the plans for the future and the variety of plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables being grown in this patch of land. I intend to return in spring and see a more vibrant area with more growing and more peopke to interact with.
I’m looking forward to my next outing to Roscarbery recipes with Avril Allshire-Hawe, and a live coastal forage early in the new year.
Category: industry life the people
Kevin on Greece
Having spent a few months as a young teenager in Greece on an island called Naxos. My brother and I fell in love with what we were told was a souvlaki but the one I fell in love with was a gyros. Marinated beef steak that was barbecued medium well in big chunks, then sliced and served in a pita or a type of naan bread that was wrapped. It was so nice. The street vendors had the best. The sauce was made from yogurt garlic lemon juice and some local herbs (fresh coriander or oregano). The ones we used to get were served in a sort of savoury wrap but thicker like a naan bread. Delicious.
These were also cooked with a lovely local island olive oil.
The island itself at the time was like stepping into the stone ages
Follow kevin on twitter @parsnip78
a week in the life of a chef
A week in the life of a chef
So this is my week Friday to Friday , with been a chef every week is different , but the weekends are much the same so I have written down this week to give you an idea of a chefs life , well my chefs life ,
Friday up at 8.30 and shortly off to work in by 9.45 Paul is in before me, first things first of course and a pot of tea, before starting the day’s work, and sorting out todays specials to be printed.
A look at the day sees a busy lunch service followed by a group in tonight along with normal evening, and an expo locally starting at 5 and a cooking demo at 8 which will take me out of the kitchen tonight but James will join Paul tonight, veronica will be on pastry and help Paul through lunch if and when needed, leaving me to take care of tonight’s menus mise en place (your days prep) orders for tomorrow and the set up for the expo.
By 10.15 the bread and roasts are in the oven and first of the bags of potatoes are on so its pots pots and more pots for sauces caramelised onions braised red cabbage rice and pasta are on the go ,chopping boards set up for salad mixes and slicing and dicing onions mushrooms etc
Deliveries’ start to arrive by 10.30 they need to be checked and put away as soon as they arrive,
By 11 o clock the fish is in and needs to be prepped today it is salmon ,hake ,scallops ,mussels and smoked salmon , finishing off the pot work by 12 for lunch and on to prep for tonight’s expo and demo ,
By 2 o clock most of it is done and I have to head off to the venue and set up the stand and the cooking demo unit with thanks to tasty Kerry for the use of it , once both are set up I’m back at the restaurant by 3.30, to finish off tonight’s menu , and check on everything , by 4.30 I’m back off to the expo , and we are doing two tasters at the stand athea black pudding with sweetened red cabbage and mussels steamed in Cronin’s cider , and mulled wine all are going down a treat ,Gavin Duffy of dragons den and some Munster rugby players are around and I get a few photos the expo is very busy and at 7.50 I’m off to do the cooking demo , till 9 and back to the stand to finish up ,
After a clean-up I’m back to the restaurant by 10 o clock and the lads are cleaning down after a busy night so it is place the last orders and home by 11 o clock ,
Saturday and in the restaurant by 9.30 Paul and veronica are in as well after checking in for the days specials its pack up and off to the expo by 10.30 and ready to go by 11 when the doors open until 2
So it is clean down and take the stand and cooking unit down pack up and back to the restaurant at 3.30, straight into the prep for tonight Christmas parties in tonight , and a surprise canapes and sandwiches for 6 o clock the restaurant is busy for lunch , by 5 we are set to go it is Saturday night so a full house, Paul is on starters I’m on main courses and ger will do the pass with veronica on pastry, at 10 o look the last mains are sent out and we start cleaning down and I write Sundays menu by 10.45 I’m leaving ,
Sunday is a late start for me and I arrive at 12.30 lunch has already started Paul and ger are set.
Sunday lunch is as usual a busy one with a full house, James arrives at 4 and takes over from Paul who starts setting up for tonight, by 5 we change over to evening menu and Paul heads away at 6 and myself and James do evening service which finishes at 9 and we clean the kitchen down and I place the orders for the morning.
Monday morning and in at 10 Paul is in and I start with a prep list and start prep and menus for the day, and start the ordering for the next two days and looking forward to next weekend,
Throughout the day speaking with suppliers about the coming week and what they have in season, menus laid out for the week I speak with Paul and decide on what we will forage wild to add to the menu and about upcoming events , the culinary gangsters have a demo later in the week so after speaking with Kevin and James menu and work plans laid out for the demo, by 2.30 I’m off to Tralee to return the cooking unit and back by 3.30 to finish off the prep and orders, and into evening service, and a few more calls , by 7.50 I’m off again to a meeting about the Listowel food fair of which I’m involved , and I’m home by 10.30, a quick call to Paul to check everything was alright.
As I sit down with a cuppa it is time to write the baking tips for #cupcakehour a twitter hour on all things baking which I write weekly baking tips for and can be seen here on the blog.
Off on Tuesday bar a few calls to and from suppliers , Tuesday night I sit down to write my weekly piece for the Tralee advertiser
Wednesday morning and it’s a meeting and photo shoot for catex event in February and Wednesday night a meeting at 7 in Tralee with transition Kerry and home by 11
Thursday and in the restaurant by 9.30 check the bookings for the weekend and place the orders while setting up for lunch by 4 today im leaving to head to ballyroe hotel for another cooking demo with paul james and kevin set up and ready to go by 7 the demo kicks off at 8 till ten time to clean down and head home , feet up with a cuppa by 11
Well folks that is My week Friday to Friday this week , each week brings something different and as we head into the Christmas season it will bring its fair share
follow chef noel on twitter @chefnoek and Instagram @chefnoelkeane
Demo at ballyroe for artfert school
Oven Roasted Plum Tomato Soup Recipe makes 12 portions
1 Celery
1 Leek
1 Irish onions (Smaller the vegetables the better the flavour, Irish onions are fantastic)
1 Cinnamon stick
4 Cloves
1 Star Anise
Very simply sweat off all your vegetables and season with salt and pepper. You don’t want to brown the veg as you won’t be blending it. Add 4 cartons of tomato juice and the cinnamon cloves and star anise. Bring to the boil and leave to the side.
After the soup has sat for about an hour and the flavours have infused from the cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Strain it, bring to the boil again and serve.
Serving suggestion: Put Pesto and Parmesan shavings on the top.
Mussels in a garlic, white wine, lemongrass, sweet chilli and coconut sauce.
1kg Net of mussels
1 large clove of garlic
1 stick of lemongrass
½ a cup of white wine
½ a cup of coconut milk.
First you must remove all the beards off the mussels, if you come across mussels that are open when you buy them, pinch them to see if they close, if they don’t stay closed or close slowly after then dump them. Then get a pot that is big enough for them when the mussels are open. Place the pot over a good heat and allow to heat up. When hot enough add the mussels and white wine, garlic and lemongrass. Place a lid on as quick as you can and the wine will steam the mussels open. This will take about 1-1.5 minutes. When the mussels are open add the coconut cream, bring to the boil and serve
Pepperonata:
First of all this recipe is best made with skinned peppers. Both yellow and red and more red then yellow. To skin a pepper is simple, first:
You need a naked flame and you burn the outside of the pepper, burn the skin. Then place the pepper in a covered or cling filmed container. Leave for about 20 minutes, take it out and the skin will literally fall off
3 red peppers
4 red onions
1 yellow pepper
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 star anis
½ a cup of cocktail capers
½ a bottle or red wine
2 splashes of white wine vinegar.
2 shots of creme de casis if you don’t have that use black current mi wadi and make it ½ a cup.
1 small tin of tomato purée.
First you must make a sack for the cloves, cinnamon and star anise (an old towel cut up and the clove etc. tied up inside it
Slice the veg into thin julienne.
Fry off the red onion in a little olive oil. When soft or close to caramelising add the red wine, vinegar and crème de cassis. Put the cloves cinnamon and anise in now to draw out its festive flavours. When the liquid is almost gone take out the spice sack and add everything else and cook the purée out for about 4 minutes folding all the time with a wooden spoon. At the very end add a fist full of chopped parsley, this will help soften all the different flavours. This will make a lovely veg for the Christmas period. Enjoy.
Plaice, Clams and Coastal greens
1. Heat oven 180degrees
2. Heat pan dust the plaice with salt and pepper (skin on or off)
3. Colour both side place in oven approx. 8 minutes.
4 place clams into pan with white wine and butter until clams open add greens to heat through Serve butter greens under plaice with clams around
Wild Boar rack mustard seed and Apple cider sauce.
1. Heat oven to 180 degrees
2. Heat a pan with oil and seal the rack until brown turn and place in the oven 30 mins
3. De-glaze the pan with cider, reduce add mustard seeds
4. Add a cup full of water and thicken with gravy granules & Serve
Smoked salmon roulade stuffed with brie and wild nasturtium pesto.
Start off with placing cling film on the table this well help you later on in the method.
Next place your salmon on the cling film in sections like a sheet. In a bowl mix your brie some lemon salt and pepper and add the wild nasturtium pesto. Mix well. Next spread your brie mix equally down the smoke salmon.
Roll the salmon as tight as u can when rolled pull back to you and roll the cling film around it by doing this you’re securing the salmon in place Next place in fridge and let to set over night. Then cut into section and serve. It can also help to cup by using a hot blade that you heat in boiling water and then dry before cutting.
James on fish & fishing
Salmon and cod account for 60% of the Irish fish market. And most of the cod eaten here is imported because the Irish fishing industry has notoriously low quotas for cod catches. Our addiction to cod means that overall about 40 percent of the fish eaten on this island nation is actually imported.Meanwhile, the waters around Ireland are full of up to 40 different species of fish, many of which are regarded as delicacies in Spain and France.for me its like the irish people do not realise the variety of fish in Irish waters.We export most of these fish because there just isn’t a market here for them but in spain they’ll pay good money for a fish caught here that most Irish people won’t even have heard of. in this day and age where governments are trying to make money wouldn’t it help to start advertising irish fish which would cut the cost of importing them not only that but when you go into your big named shops and you see fish for sale how fresh is that fish actually lets go through it it has to be caught ,processed ,packaged ,put on a ship ,from ship to truck ,to shop how many days old is that fish now makes you think .
Follow james on twitter @boilingjames
A visit to torc brewing co.
Recently at eabha joans restaurant for the listowel food fair one of our menus was a craft beer & food pairing menu & i had the pleasure to visit the torc brewing .
And had a chat with the lads behind it, as i ended up using a few of their fine beers throughout the menu .
This raspberry & vanilla ended up on the menu in a dessert, never know it existed pior to that very intresting drink well worth trying out .
While there a was given a lesson on the beer process including smoked beers, torc have a very nice dark smoked ale & and a polish style smoked beer which is very tasty Indeed ,
These are short run beers alongside the ones they already do . I have to say a big thank you to the guys for their time & all the info they shared with very passionate about what they do and it shows . In both they way they talk about beer & in the end product .
All hail the ale , all cheer the beer
Cheers lads
Twitter @chefnoelk instagram @chefnoelkeane
Kevin on trends
A gaggle for a goose.
Over the past number of years people have really followed the trends. From a serious illness of a celiac to the lifestyle choice of being gluten intolerant. People are slowly but surely giving everything up. Sugar is an issue, everyone knows about aspartame, stevia. There’s agave, corn syrup and the list goes on. Sid Sheehan talks about this more in his article on sugar. Following trends tends to take away individuals choice, ” I can’t have that cake because Majella would kill me”. That’s not having a choice. Having a good healthy choice is about putting forward the best version of yourself as possible. Some people have the ability to put forward a seriously healthy version, others are happy with floating along. Dipping into the world of “oh this isn’t good for me 🙂”. We all know what’s good and what’s bad. Moderation is the best most can hope for and perfection is an illusion, a curse placed upon the few. Diet how important it is, the relationship you have with yourself is more important. If you have a good steady relationship with yourself then your relationship with diet and food will be better and the need to follow trends or fads will pass. Have a look at what your eating and ask yourself is that me? Believe in yourself and if that’s hard at the start then start by doing something nice for yourself everyday to improve your relationship with yourself and then see if your diet changes. The entire movement will have a knock on effect. Healthy body healthy mind healthy eating. Live the dream my friends and mind your bodies, your thought process and life balance or what’s on the table to loose!!
Keiths farm visit
To:
On the 20th of October, my fellow classmates and I assisted in a talk that featured Avril Allshire from Caherbeg free range pork and Rosscarberry Recipes. The intention of this talk was to give students a background into Avril as a food producer. She also mentioned some of the more prestigious awards she had won, such as UK Great taste award, the French awards Prix d’Honneur and Irelands Blas na hEireann
Avrils company Chaerbeg free range pork is a family run business that includes her husband and two sons. Avril maintains that her relaxed farming method helps to produce a quality finished product.
One of Avrils most interesting recipes was her black pudding and beamish stout bread that has 7 ingredients, 5 of which are made using ingredients solely produced in Cork.
Avril and her family have won many prestigious awards nationally and internationally for their hard work in producing quality products. Most notable of these is la Confreirie des chevaliers du Goute-boudin which she received as a result of the dedication and hard work that went into producing her black pudding This pudding also features in her Rosscrbary black pudding lasagne recipe. Caherbegs products have won awards almost every year from 2003 to 2013. Some of these awards includes the UK Great taste award, the French awards Prix d’Honneur and Irelands Blas na hEireann. Caherbegs pork products are also noted by the Irish examiner as “lovely full meaty flavou”
According to her husband Willie Rosscarbery recipes allocates to about 85% of their business but maintains that their original farm has to remain small in order to keep their standards high For her second company Rosscarbery recipes Avril is supplied by stautons in Cork. Statuons was founded by the staton family who had been butchering pigs for local farmers. Since 1950. Because of statuons quality control and locally employed workforce it is easy to see why Avril who is fixed on promoting good quality and local business would choose stautons as her supplier for Rosscarbery recipes. Avril mentioned that her inspiration for most of her recipes doesn’t come from her experience of cooking professionally but rather from being a mother who is sometimes in need of a quick recipe
Avrils company Chaerbeg free range pork is a family run business that includes her husband and two sons. Avril maintains that her relaxed farming method helps to produce a quality finished product.
One of Avrils most interesting recipes was her black pudding and beamish stout bread that has 7 ingredients, 5 of which are made using ingredients solely produced in Cork.
Avril and her family have won many prestigious awards nationally and internationally for their hard work in producing quality products. Most notable of these is la Confreirie des chevaliers du Goute-boudin which she received as a result of the dedication and hard work that went into producing her black pudding This pudding also features in her Rosscrbary black pudding lasagne recipe. Caherbegs products have won awards almost every year from 2003 to 2013. Some of these awards includes the UK Great taste award, the French awards Prix d’Honneur and Irelands Blas na hEireann. Caherbegs pork products are also noted by the Irish examiner as “lovely full meaty flavou”
According to her husband Willie Rosscarbery recipes allocates to about 85% of their business but maintains that their original farm has to remain small in order to keep their standards high For her second company Rosscarbery recipes Avril is supplied by stautons in Cork. Statuons was founded by the staton family who had been butchering pigs for local farmers. Since 1950. Because of statuons quality control and locally employed workforce it is easy to see why Avril who is fixed on promoting good quality and local business would choose stautons as her supplier for Rosscarbery recipes. Avril mentioned that her inspiration for most of her recipes doesn’t come from her experience of cooking professionally but rather from being a mother who is sometimes in need of a quick recipe
Caherbeg free range pork and rosscarbarry recipes is an inspiration to how food should be produced. Small sustainable and local produce far outweighs anything that could be produced by larger manufactures in quality, nutrition and taste. Proof of this can be seen by the awards and recognition gained by Avril and her family over the years.
Chefs & unions
Kitchens and unions
The following piece is my view and opinion on the matter of unions in the workplace, and why they don’t really work in the kitchen. With all this talk over pay, conditions, overtime and rosters, I feel that unions are pushing for more until they get what they want and then want more.
Now I am in agreement with nurses and Gardai not so much they rest of the people going on strike. The dispute for Gardai is about restoration of previous entitlements and pay, give it to them, they take care of us we should look after them. ( As much as we give out about them we need them) Same as nurses and midwives pay them what they deserve for the hours of hard work and years of training that has to be done to them into hospitals working.
The kitchen in my view is run like the army everyone has their job to do and when to do it, stepping away from this without seeking permission from a higher ranked officer or chef is frowned upon with almost contempt.
In the last year I’ve list track of the amount of times I heard about traffic disruption around Dublin due to a strike action, quite frankly I would love to see Mucheal o Leary take over there and see what happens, when he took over in Ryanair it was losing money hand over fist now it’s one of, if not the biggest profit making airlines in Europe.
In the kitchen conditions are the same everywhere hot, due to ovens grills salamanders or a 6 ring burner. You deal with sharp knives (should be sharp) all day, standing all day under pressure all day to get all prep and service ready by that 1pm lunch rush or that 6pm deadline when every body else is off work. Most places that are unionised get paid extra for anti social hours, i.e weekends, bank holidays. Thank God it’s Monday. For us in the kitchen to get pay raise or better conditions you must earn the raise by doing the job of your superior for me it’s the job of sous chef though I’m not ready for it I’m pushing myself to get there, by being better than the day before trying to put up clean plates that look identical to the one that left before it, controlling a service and not getting flustered in the middle of a rush. Putting ideas forward for menu items learning more everyday. Trying to develop communication skills, experience and knowledge of different dishes and food, and the list goes on. For conditions well if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen really sums it up.
As for chefs on strike well I’ve only here if one but that was years ago long before my time when brigades were bigger and more complex now that worked with no union only a brigade uniting under their senior chef to get what they wanted, now with smaller crews it’s not so easy and with chefs being more networked now anyone who does this is tarnished by doing so, and as a result may never work in a kitchen again.
Now in all that I fail to see what a union rep can do for anyone here, now I am open to correction here.
Follow on
Twitter @chefpaulc
Instagram @chefpaulc for more pictures of work and foraging
Artwork huge thanks to Jenny @wattonarts on Instagram
james on cooking demo
My first cooking demo at Tralee food fare.
my day began at 10.00 in the morning where me and paul went to collect the freshest of ingredients by the sea shore for my dish we collect a verity of sea vegetables from there then we headed straight to the demo
. Where I bought my shell fish locally at quinlans.the fish I used for my dish where crab claws, mussel and langoustines prawns.
as the time neared for my first demo under the name Tralee culinary gangsters
I could feel this pressure to preform in front of a crowd to start to grow in me when we went on the stage
I could see the crowd growing Kevin went on first to start his dish then Paul went on back to Kevin,
next up was myself when I got up there first I was nerves as hell I could fell my hand shanking trying to remember the order in which I was adding the ingredients into the frying pan was something different what I usually do on a day to day basics I was now trying to remember how to do it but the minute I turned the gas on and lit fire to it and I could hear and see the butter melting and sizzling I relaxed
and said I got this and before I knew it was over I had produced this dish which was all about flavour and freshness everything that was in that dish was hand picked that morning and all the fish was bought a minute before I went on stag. the excitement inside me after we came of stag all I want to do was go back up again .hopefully this well be the first cooking demo of many to come under the Tralee culinary gangsters .
follow the culinary gangsters on twitter chefnoelk @boilingjames @chefpaulcotter @parsnip78
traleeculinarygangsters 