Common Ground: A G.H. Mumm Exhibition​, Twisting Convention​s in Fashion & Architectu​re

An invitation to an intriguing photography exhibition recently crossed my desk from Conway Communications. Common Ground was commissioned by champagne company G.H. Mumm, it is described as a "visually impactful exhibition which twists conventions and brings to light the parallels between fashion and architecture".

Twist Convention is the fusion of work from Irish stylist Aisling Farinella and photographer Rich Gilligan and it will run between July 13th and 19th at 28 South William Street, Dublin 2.

Now it must be said that I like fashion, and photography is one of my hobbies, so this definitely sounds like a date for my diary. Personally, I can take or leave architecture (Frank Gehry aside), but hey, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Jacobs Creek Pop-Up Wine & Dine Experience

Recently I was very lucky to receive an invite to attend the opening session of Jacobs Creek Pop-Up Wine & Dine Experience. Over the course of 4 nights, this event offered fans of Jacobs Creek the opportunity to learn about wine during a master wine class with David Whelehan (@Whelehanswines) while enjoying some canapes and a 3 course meal cooked by chef Clodagh Mc Kenna. All this was promised to take place in a super secret location, which would be revealed just before the event.

The location did indeed turn out to be surprise - the Crypt in Christchurch Cathedral. Upon receiving the news, I had visions of tombs & coffins, but the reality turned out to be far more sophisticated and elegant than I could ever had imagined. A mixture of low-lighting and candlelight created an intimate atmosphere against which we were treated to canapes, a classical string quartet and of courses, glasses of Jacobs Creek Sparkling Rosé. As a confirmed lover of all bubbly wines, I have to say that this rosé is light and fresh with lots of lovely berry flavours.

The Crypt at Christchurch Cathedral

After mingling and chatting, we were shown to our beautifully set tables. We were seated with the energetic Paula from Where's My Parade (who I also chatted with on the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail) and Joanna Schaffalitzky from the Irish-Danish food blog Smörgåsblog. 

David Whelehan took to the floor and proved to be both entertaining and educating as he went through some of the basic language of wine. Part of our challenge was to blind taste test some white and red wines. For this we had to don the provided eyemasks which definitely changed the whole experience. White wine 1 was no problem, as I quickly guessed a Sauvignon Blanc but wine 2 was a little more problematic. It seemed like a Chardonnay but much more sophisticated than normal with lovely caramel tones. It was revealed to be a Jacobs Creek Reserve Chardonnay - definitely one I'll buy in future and one which has caused me to reconsider my general opinion of chardonnays.

Blind wine tasting (in the dark!)

I was later pleased to also guess both reds correctly, particularly because red wine is not my usual tipple. A large part of the fun was to be found in discussing the flavours with my dining companions - many different opinions were expressed, and even though we might all have been in agreement on the wine variety, each of us tasted it in different ways. For one wine, I was hearing the words "muddy" while at the other end I could hear "blackcurrant". It serves to remind how wine can be an individual experience!

I want to thank Jacobs Creek for giving us the opportunity to participate in what was a fun and elegant night. BTW a tip we picked up from Mr. Whelehan when looking to impress in matters oenological - simply describe a wine as "elegant" with "bright fruits" and "sophisticated". Sounds just like moi, eh?

The Dining Room by Conrad Gallagher

Irish chef Conrad Gallagher appears to have quietly added another venue to his growing list of ventures. The beautiful dining room at La Stampa hotel on Dawson Street has been annexed to become The Dining Room by Conrad Gallagher. (By the way, check out the length of the internet name!)

I'm a big fan of Salon des Saveurs where, despite a crowded space, Conrad Gallagher and his team manage to produce some extremely fine food. The Dining Room appears to be a more commercial offering, with the menu offering delicious sounding food at very refreshing prices. I was really pleased to see an Early Bird menu on offer, even on a Saturday, for €23 per head, so I booked a table for 4 to give it a whirl.

The brother-in-law and his wife were quick to accept our invitation and thus it was that we gathered in the cocktail bar at La Stampa on a sunny Saturday evening. We were seated by the hostess, but no one offered us a drink. Feeling a little bit ignored, I aked for a cocktail menu. As it was approaching 7pm, we took our seats inside so we could make the deadline for ordering off the Early Bird menu. It was a bit of a shock leaving the lovely evening sunshine to enter to darkened dining room. This is one of the few flaws in what is a stunning space - it is just too glum and dimly lit. Even the large bevelled mirrors all around the walls failed to enhance the brightness of the room. I did take some pictures of my food, but the darkness of the room, and my reluctance to disturb other diners with a flash meant that the photos did not really reflect well on the food, and therefore I decided not to use them.

We were given both Early Bird and A La Carte menus, but after a quick read, all of us decided to go for the Early Bird which really does offer excellent value. There is one word of warning - the rib-eye steak carries a supplement of €8, which was not printed anywhere on the menu.

For starters, I had duck rilette with foie gras terrine, beetroot puree, salad of pear and toasted pain d'epices, while mains consisted of salmon & tomato fondue with courgette, confit of tomato,tomato mash with wild broccoli. Both dishes were nicely sized and flavoursome. This was good food, well-executed, with nice textures and balance of flavours. Others at the table also enjoyed their food, with the daube of beef receiving extra mention. Dessert was a lemon tart with cooling blueberry sorbet.

For the money, this is really good food. However, our trip was slightly marred by erratic and forgetful service. Two of our party ordered the rib-eye which comes with duck fat chips. However, the steaks arrived at the table without chips and the staff looked confused when we enquired as to their whereabouts. The mistake didn't end there though, as when we received the bill, the chips were listed. Despite all this, I'm giving the staff the benefit of the doubt as the venue has only just opened, but it needs to be fixed. 

Oh, and for you celebrity spotters out there - Mr. Gallagher himself was on the prowl in the Dining Room, stopping by to check with every table as to how they were enjoying their meal. At other times, he was standing at the welcome desk, watching over all activity in the room, and when we left, we could hear his voice booming out the orders at the pass. 

The Dining Room, La Stampa Hotel, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 

Tel: (01) 612 7911

[Review] Chapter One, Parnell Square, Dublin 1

I have to admit that this review has taken me quite a while to write. I am lucky to visit lots of restaurants on a regular basis, and in the case of most venues, it is easy to think of some words to express my thoughts. However, once in a while, I visit a restaurant that's harder to write about. Such was the case with Chapter One.

Chapter One was my fifth visit to a Michelin-starred restaurant, and my third in Ireland (after Thornton's and L'Ecrivain). My experiences in other starred restuarants had left me a bit disgruntled with the whole Michelin-star thing. None had been really memorable and on one occasion in San Francisco, the food had been downright bad. And while I am still skeptical of the whole Michelin vibe, I am glad to say that Chapter One proved to be an absolutely memorable and special experience.

What can I possibly add to the volumes that have been written about Chapter One? With chef Ross Lewis in charge, it has garnered numerous accolades and awards, the least of which is the aforementioned Michelin star. In fact, when you walk down the steps to the entrance of Chapter One, you are greeted with a veritable Hollywood Walk of awards and plaques. My words on this blog will not add any insight hitherto unmentioned. I cannot possible enhance their culinary reputation more than the editor of Saveur magazine or Tom Doorley already has.

But I can tell you about what I personally enjoyed at Chapter One. I enjoyed the warm hospitality and welcome exhibited by Martin Corbett and his front of house staff. It was throroughly Irish in nature, with references to local events and venues. You simply wouldn't get this warmth and intimacy anywhere else in the world. Chapter One magnificently balances fine food with the intrinsic informal nature of the Irish.

The food, as you would expect, was excellent. We chose the four course menu, at €65 per head. As usual, the "no-samesies" rule was applied so that we could experience as much of the menu as possible. While I loved all dishes, I have to give extra special mention to my first course. This was a little plate of silky plump ravioli, filled with 36 month parmesan and black pepper, served with a spring onion puree. When the little parcels burst, I was overwhelmed with the pure essence of parmesan. Extraordinarily good.

Parmesan ravioli with spring onion puree

Other dishes I enjoyed included

• Charcuterie Trolley (pig's trotter boudin, potted rabbit & ham, Gubbeen salami and foie gras terrine). The boudin was full of deep spicy flavours and crumbled apart at the touch of the fork.
• Dombes duck breast with fried cabbage and smoked potato, carrot and black cumin puree & duck sauce sharpened with apple balsamic vinegar. This came with a slice of flattened, crispy duck skin which I simply didn't get. It didn't match with anything else on the plate as far as I was concerned. But I could have ate bowls of that eye-popping, smooth carrot puree.
• Carrageen set Glenillen double cream with strawberries, fresh yougurt mousse, brown bread sugar biscuits and Irish apple balsamic vinegar meringue. Srawberries, cream - how can you go wrong?

And if you do decide to indulge yourself at Chapter One, make sure to order the coffee and petit fours to fnish your meal. At just €3 per head, this represents fantastic value as you will receive loads of decadently luxurious homemade chocolates and macaroons, all presented very prettily.

I'm not going to go into the details of our overall bill (like I normally would). You don't go to an establishment like this in order to watch the pennies. Chapter One exists for celebrations and conversations. Suffice to say, it wasn't cheap, but I did feel as if I had gotten value for every red cent I spent.

Dombes duck breast (check out the intense carrot puree)

Glenillen double cream with strawberries & biscuits

Recipes from the Tapas Trail - Havana

It's time for some more recipes from the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail. I've previously printed some of the delicious recipes shared with us by Bar Pintxo, but this time the focus is on Havana Tapas Bar on George's Street. Hopefully, these recipes will inspire the sun to shine on us for some Spanish joy.

Montado with Tortilla and Jamon Serrano

Garlic Chili Prawns with Orange Sauce 

These tasty prawns make for delicious finger food.

Main Ingredients
600g king prawns, peeled

4 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 dried red chili peppers

Sauce Ingredients

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 green peppercorns, crushed

1/2 teaspoon fresh green parsley, chopped

Juice of 2 oranges

Method
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Fry over a medium heat until the garlic colours slightly. Add the prawns to the pan, turn up the heat and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. 

Arrange the prawns on a plate, drizzle over with the garlic infused oil from the pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Blend all the sauce ingredients together and serve alongside the prawns.

Chicken and Chorizo in Filo Pastry

These little parcels looked like spring rolls when they arrived from the kitchen, but they turned out to pack a different punch with lots of paprika flavour coming through from the chorizo. Apologies for not having quantities on the ingredients, but I'm sure that a little trial and error will produce some good results.
 

Ingredients
Chicken breast, baked and sliced

Chorizo, sliced and chopped

Onions, chopped

Garlic, chopped

Sultanas

Filo pastry

Method
Mix together the ingredients and roll up into sausage shapes with the filo pastry. Deep fry until golden and serve with salsa. of your choice

Montado with Tortilla and Jamon Serrano

These are classic tapas - egg omelette with Serrano ham. 

Ingredients
8 organic eggs

Sliced and cooked potatoes

Cooked onion

1/2 red pepper, chopped

Parsley

Salt & pepper

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Method

Mix the eggs with the onion and potato, add the parsley, red peppers, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan until very hot. Turn down the heat to low. Put the mixture in the pan and fry until cooked, then turn over. Cook until golden brown, and remove from the pan to sit for at least 10 minutes. Slice into small squares.

Toast slices of baguette and spread with sun-dried tomato pesto. Place a tortilla square on the bread, place some serrano ham on top. Spear through with a cocktail stick and top with a black olive.

Recipes from the Tapas Trail - Bar Pintxo

Recently, I was fortunate to receive a chance to participate in the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail. This excellent value event features some of the best tapas in Dublin city from 5 of the city's tapas establishment, all accompanied by loads of Campo Viejo red wines.

Several of the venues were kind enough to share the recipes for some of the tapas we enjoyed. In the interest of spreading the tapas love, I will share the recipes with you over the coming weeks, so that we all can enjoy a little taste of Spain at home. First up are the excellent tapas from Bar Pintxo. From top below, going clockwise, you can see Lomo en Adobo (pimenton pork sandwiches), Garbanzos con Morcilla y Espinacas chickpeas with black pudding and spinach) and finally, Brochette de Pollo (marinated chicken skewers).

If this tickles your tastebuds, then make sure to drop into Bar Pintxo in Templebar for a wider selection of their fine tapas!

Brochette de Pollo - Marinated chicken skewers

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, chopped into 9 pieces

2 fresh lemons, juiced

50g flat parsley, chopped

10g garlic, chopped in oil

1 teaspoon salt

500ml vegetable oil

9 - 10 wooden skewers soaked in water

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. Thread the meat pieces onto the skewers and grill on a ridged griddle pan, or on the BBQ (if we're lucky enough to get the weather). Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and serve.

Garbanzos con Morcilla y Espinacas - Chickpeas with Black Pudding and Spinach

This was by far and away my favourite dish of the entire tapas trail. The addition of black pudding, sultanas and pine nuts to chickpeas results in a fabulous fusion of flavours.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Handful of baby spinach, shredded

25g sultanas, soaked

15g pine nut, toasted

150g morcilla (black pudding)

1 x 400g can cooked chickpeas

Salt and pepper

Method

Chop the black pudding into 2cm chunks and fry in a little olive oil. Once the pudding is cooked on all sides, crush it in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula and allow this to cook for a minute more. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Wipe the pan clean, add a little more oil and cook the onion until softened. Add the garlic, spinach, sultanas and pine nuts. Toss around the pan for 2-3 minutes and add the black pudding and chickpeas, along with plenty of salt & pepper. Toss around for 3 more minutes and serve. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve alongside some good bread.

Lomo en Adobo- Pimenton Pork

This recipe makes about 4 sandwiches, which are luscious and stuffed full of flavours.

Ingredients

350g pork fillet

2 tablespoons pimenton dulce

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

2 green peppers

4 small pan gallego (or small ciabatta rolls)

Mayonnaise

Method

Mix together the pimenton, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, olive oil and salt and rub all over the pork. Roll the pork up in clingfilm and marinate for 24 hours.

Rub the green peppers with olive oil and roast in the oven until soft and charred. Place in a sandwich bag whilst still hot and allow to cool in the bag. Once cool, peel off the skin, deseed and slice into 2cm strips.

Slice the pork into 1cm thick steaks. Place the steaks between two pieces of clingfilm and baton out with a rolling pin or steak mallet. Grill on a ridged pan for 60 - 90 seconds per side.

Slice the bread rolls and toast on the griddle. Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread, then lay the pork slices along the bread, overlapping each other. Top with green pepper strips, close up the rolls and enjoy.

Seapoint Restaurant, Monkstown

This summer is literally doing my head in. It is impossible to anticipate the weather, and hence, dress appropriately. Take this past Saturday. Friday had been a miserable wet day, but when I stepped out of the house on Saturday morning, it was balmy and warm, more like a day in Portugal than a day in Portobello.

After realising that the weather was actually nice, the consensus was that we should go for a little drive towards the sea which is how we ended up in Monkstown. Seapoint restaurant is an inviting venue with an attractive coutryard entrance. Inside, it's elegantly decorated with gray and white tones, with sprigs of lavendar in little white vases and artwork on the walls. There is something infinitely calming and soothing about the restaurant. 

There is a special lunch menu offering two courses for €22, but as we had dinner reservations for later that day, we chose to have just a main course. The menu is short and simple, but full of tasty offerings. I chose the warm spicy beef salad with honey toasted sesame seeds, lime & ginger dressing with Seapoint fries (€16.50). I received a plate piled high with salad leaves which covered soft, seared pieces of beef. The dressing was fragrant and I especially loved the extra crunch and taste delivered by the toasted sesame seeds.

Warm spicy beef salad

Himself chose the pan-seared sea trout with spicy sauteed bok choi and Seapoint fries (€16.50). This comprised of two beautifully cooked pieces of trout in a light sauce with crunchy vegetables. It was simple and fresh and a winner.

Pan-seared sea trout

It's clear there's a clever mind behind the menu at Seapoint, as both our dishes were accompanied by Seapoint fries. Someone there understands that we all crave some fries, even when we order healthy salads and fish dishes. But let me make one thing clear, Seapoint fries are not regular fries, they are amazing fries. They are skinny fries, softly cooked and covered with parmesan, rosemary and sea salt. They are simply rather moreish and definitely hit that spot that craves fries.

Seapoint fries

Still or sparkling water is available from an in-house bottling systems and costs €1 per person for unlimited amounts. We finished our lunch with two good americanos which bought the bill to approximately €42. I do think that this is definitely on the pricy side for lunch, but there was no doubting the good cooking in the Seapoint kitchen. I could definitely foresee a return visit to Seapoint on a summer's evening for dinner and a walk along the sea.

Seapoint Restaurant, 4 The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin. 
Tel: (01) 663 8480