Food Photography Workshop at Science Gallery

Dublin's Science Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition entitled Edible: The Taste of Things to Come. Running from February 10th to April 6th, Edible promises to look at the topic of food from the perspective of the eater, probing how our actions shape what is sown, grown, harvested and consumed. 

There are loads of events scheduled to run throughout the exhibition, one of which was a food photography masterclass with nerd-tastic food photographer and blogger Scott Heimendinger. Check out his food experiments and photographs on his website, Seattle Food Geek. I just love his clean, sharp style to photography where the food literally pops from the screen. It makes a refreshing change to the soft-focus, Scandinavian-vintage style that seems to be in vogue with food bloggers at the moment. How many more pictures of mismatched cutlery and milk bottles do we really need to see?

Scott kicked off the session by showing some photos taken by Ryan Matthew Smith during the making of the epic bible of modern cooking, Modernist Cuisine, where Scott now currently works as Business Development Manager. These photos are jaw-droppingly detailed and intricate, each a miniature masterpiece. Scott then followed on with some of his own work, and in some cases took the audience through the Photoshop steps required to produce these kinds of shots.

After a light lunch, it was time for us to start taking our own photos. Out came a wide variety of DSLRs and we all got to work at the different work areas. In one corner was a series of tumbling mushrooms on a black background, while across the way, strawberries were splashing into a sharply contoured tumbler. A slice of orange sat on a sheet of clear perspex, with a flash gun underneath, while we attempted to shoot from overhead. 

The day finished up with a whirlwind guide to Photoshop, with Scott whizzing through image processing. This was absolutely inspiring stuff, ranging from simple touch-ups, to creation of a composite image from multiple shots. Once I got home, I made an effort to do some work on my own shots, the results of which are below.

First up, the mushrooms on a black acrylic (?) sheet with a black backdrop. I love the reflections in this shot.

Original mushroom photo (f/16, 1/125s, ISO 200)

After minor editing

Next, a strawberry dropping into a tumbler of water. This was on a white acrylic sheet with a white backdrop which got blown out when the flash fired. I had switched to my 35mm prime lens at this stage due to an issue with the auto-focus motor in my kit lens. I shot with the lens set to manual focus and I didn't get it quite right as the shot is a little soft, but I still like it!

Strawberry in water (f/16, 1/160s, ISO 200)

Some tweaking of curves, and background evening

And lastly, an orange slice, laid on a sheet of clear acrylic, with a flash positioned underneath on top of a black cloth. This image received the most processing, in order to remove the dust specks, boost the color as well as bring out the beautiful cell structure of the orange.

Orange slice (f/16, 1/160s, ISO 200)

Dust removed, colour boosted and image sharpened

This was a fantastically fun event, and Scott proved to be a very fun and informative host. Some of his pictures were truly inspiring, and I fell in love with his shot of a gin & tonic garnished with delicate micro flowers. Several of his photos featured dishes made with vibrantly green pea butter (you only need a centrifuge to make this substance, simples), or how about mussels suspended in spheres made from their own liquor. 

Thanks to Science Gallery, Scott and my fellow attendees for a memorable afternoon.

Brancott Estates - A Curious Feast for the Senses

Recently, I published details of how my blog readers could enter a raffle to win tickets to a wine tasting with New Zealand winery Brancott Estate. Now, Brancott Estate is back with another event, and once again, tickets will be allocated on a raffle basis. Read on for more details...

This March, pioneering New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate, will take wine and food enthusiasts on a voyage of discovery where all their senses will be stimulated as part of a four night wine and food event.  (March 5th - 8th) in the theatrical surroundings of the Sugar Club, Dublin 2.

Well known Irish food duo Cully & Sully will guide guests on this culinary adventure as top Irish restaurants (Pichet, Campagne, Tankardstown House & Locks Brasserie) will create a range of palate-tickling and delightful dishes. Each night a different chef will take to the stage to create a three course sampling menu which will explore food combinations that shouldn't work together, but do!

Food on the night will of course be matched to wines from the Brancott Estate range, featuring 3 classics (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio) as well as the new young buck in the range, the  sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Brut NV. Party games will be played (some including blindfolds), so you have been warned.

PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

The best part is that a massive 100 diners will have a chance to attend each night (That's 400 people over the course of the event). You can register for your place in the draw by visiting www.brancottestatestaycurious.com, or by scanning the promotional QR codes on promotional bottles of Brancott Estate or finally, by visiting Brancott Estate on Facebook. Winning guests will be notified by February 28th and will receive two tickets (so you can bring a +1!). 

What's also worth noticing is that the QR code used in this promotion is made entirely from food images. Pretty as well as useful.

[Review] Market Lane, Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork

In November 2011, I reviewed Market Lane in Cork. The constant churn of diners and buzz in this Cork restaurant highlighted that this was a locally popular venue, although I came away a little confused. Maybe we just hadn't ordered the right dishes, but the whole affair seemed too busy for my liking.

I recently returned to Market Lane, this time dining on the Early Bird Menu, and I'm glad to report that the streamlined options available suited me much better than before. The Early Bird offers great value with 3 courses (plus tea/coffee) for €20.00 and is available Sunday 1-7pm and between 5-7pm Monday to Thursday. With 4 starters and 7 main courses to choose from (including sea trout and ham hock), there is plenty of choice on offer.

I decided to go with some lighter options, so I kicked off with French onion soup served with Gruyere cheese and croutons. The soup was sweet with the taste of caramelised onion, and strings of melted cheese hung from my spoon. A slice of homemade brown bread and the large swimming croutons went untouched as there was more than enough in the soup itself. 

French onion soup at Market Lane

I asked for the pan-fried sea trout with fennel citrus salad, crushed baby potatoes with tomato and caper dressing. Unfortunately, there was no trout available that day, but I was offered the same dish with salmon. Two crispy, skin-on tail fillets were a little overcooked for my liking, but still moist and well-seasoned. They sat atop an Everest-sized mount of fennel pieces and crushed baby spuds. The diced tomatoes and capers were a nice contrast to the fish, but there simply wasn't enough on the plate. On the menu, this choice gave the impression of being a light fish dish, but there was no shortage of food here.

Salmon with crushed new potatoes, fennel & tomatoes

In order to round off your dinner, the Early Bird offers a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream, fresh fruit or a mini chocolate pot along with a tea or coffee. No competition here folks, I ordered the chocolate pot, which was charmingly served in an espresso cup along with my decent Americano. Some little chocolate drops sat on top, making me think of Cork-based O'Conaill's delicious chocolate. Check out the miniature milk bottle in which my coffee milk was served.

Little chocolate pot with coffee

As before, the Market Lane was bustlingly busy. As 7pm approached, practically every table was occupied, an impressive feat on a Tuesday night. My meal was served quickly, and service was smooth and efficient throughout. However, I was glad to leave my money on the table and step out of the heat into the cool fresh air. A busy restaurant and a quick meal meant that I was overheating somewhat. However, at least the price didn't get me hot and bothered. Really excellent value for €20.

Market Lane, 5-6 Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork
Tel: +353 (0)21 427 4710
URL: http://www.marketlane.ie/

Twitter: @market_lane

Pinochio, Ranelagh, Dublin 6

New Year's Day was a bit of a quiet day in Dublin. In fact, it's fair to say that there were livelier graveyards. 

We had driven out to Dun Laoghaire with the intentions of having a nice lunch somewhere, followed by a bracing and refreshing walk along the sea. However, the best laid plans were scuppered by the fact that there were next to no restaurants open (not counting Burger King and McDonald's). Thus we turned around and headed back to Ranelagh, thinking that there would be some choice there. To be fair, Ranelagh was livelier than the aforementioned graveyards, perhaps more akin to an old folks nursing home. 

We found ourselves under the Luas bridge at the doors of Pinocchio, which is undoubtedly one of Dublin's best Italian restaurants. We've been fans of this restuarant and wine bar for quite a while now, so we knew we'd be assured of a decent meal.

We shared a caprese salad (mixed slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes) to which we added some drizzles of olive oil and thick sweet balsamic vinegar which is available on all the tables (€6.50). A big basket of crusty sliced bread provided plenty of material for mopping up the juices.

Caprese salad at Pinocchio

When we eat out, we normally have a "no-samesies" rule, meaning that we do not order the same dish. It's an unspoken rule really, and it works well. But once we looked at the pasta section of Pinocchio's menu, we both fixated on the same dish - Ravioli ai Porcini e Olio al Tartufo, or ravioli stuffed with mushroom, served with truffle oil. (All pasta dishes on the lunchtime menu are  priced at a competitive €9.90). We received plates of large flat ravioli filled with dense mushroomy goodness, coated in a light creamy sauce made from panna da cucina. A scattering of rocket, tomatoes and drizzles of truffle oil provided contrasting flavours and textures. It was a dish made from a handful of simple ingredients, and the remaining slices of bread were put to good use in mopping up the tasty sauce.

Ravioli ai Porcini e Olio al Tartufo

Paolo Tullio has recently proclaimed Pinocchio to be a source of true Italian cooking, awarding it 10/10 for food. Restaurants that serve bastardised versions of Italian food feature high on my list of restaurant hates. It was a revelation to me when I first ate in Italy, and realised how simple (and great) Italian food truly was. But Pinocchio is the genuine article, serving food as you would find it in Italy.

Pinocchio also works as a cafe and wine bar, in addition to selling many Italian foodstuffs. If you like the food, it's even possible to enrol for an Italian cooking class in their Italian School of Cooking.

Buon appetito indeed.

Pinochio, Luas Kiosk Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Tel: +353 (0)1 497 0111

URL: www.flavourofitaly.net

Twitter: @InfoPinocchio

Seagrass, Portobello, Dublin 2

One Saturday night a few weeks ago, we decided to go out for dinner. Regular readers of the blog might mutter that this isn't a surprise. We hadn't made any reservations, which is the height of folly in the current Dublin dining scene. Despite the economic pressures, good Dublin restaurants are experiencing high demand, and diners really need to reserve tables in advance. After a short hop on the bus, we found ourselves at Seagrass, Portobello, which appeared to have some free tables.

Seagrass was reasonably full when we wandered in at 8pm, but lots of diners appeared to have finished eating. This lead me to brilliantly deduce that there must be a popular Early Bird, confirmed later by the menu posted at the entrance. In another moment of Holmesian deduction (craft beer bottles on one table, bottles of cava on another), I realised that Seagrass must also operate a BYOB policy. In case I hadn't figured it out, droves of diners were arriving in with all kinds of plastic & brown paper bags. This appears to be one of the best kept secrets in Dublin. The most impressive thing about the BYOB policy at Seagrass is that they don't charge a corkage fee!

Chef Seán Drugan has a simple policy - offer great food and service at affordable prices while sourcing the best local and international produce. The Irish provenance was apparent in his starter of sauteed Kerry & Sligo mussels and wild clams with chili, herbs and lime (€9). The shellfish were perfectly cooked, served plump in the shells with a tasty broth that was both light and creamy.

Clams & Mussels

My slow braised beef terrine with tomato ketchup, mint cream and capers (€8.50) came served on a wooden board with a crazy shock of rocket leaves hiding the terrine. Digging underneath, I found what looked like a slice of set gravy. I have to admit that the mixture of cold & wet gravy just didn't work for me, despite the tasty tomato ketchup. The addition of mint cream and capers just added to the bizareness of the dish.

Slow braised beef terrine

At this point, we were at a fork in the road. His starter had been top notch, while mine caused the mind to boggle. I wondered aloud if we were dealing with a crazed genius chef. The score was tied, only the main course could decide for us. We had ordered the special, a lamb platter (€40 for two, or €25 for one). What arrived at the table was a thing of beauty, with immaculate presentation, worthy perhaps of Masterchef. Other diners even muttered appreciatively as it arrived at the table.

Shoulder of lamb platter with roast vegetables

The lamb was succulent and juicy lamb with the crusty flavoursome end bits also included, accompanied by hearty roast vegetables and sweet, sharp gravy. Our questions about the creativity of the chef were definitively answered as there was undoubtedly a cook of ability in the kitchen (if sometimes a little off-track). 

We finished up and left satisfied, but other diners lingered after us. Clearly there is no pressure from Seagrass staff to turf out customers in order to prepare the table for the next set of diners.  Seagrass was a refreshing discovery for us - excellent value (Early Bird offers 3 courses for just €21 all night Sun - Thurs, and 5-7pm Fri & Sat), relaxed service and a 100% free BYOB policy. The BYOB trend is surely set to grow this year, as wine sales in restaurants suffer due to over-priced wine lists. Well done to Seagrass for being ahead of the pack.

Seagrass is that rare elusive beast - the lesser spotted, good value, creative local bistro.

Addendum: Following our dinner, we organised to visit again with a party of six, where we dined on the Early Bird, and took advantage of the BYOB policy. Some of the quirkiness experienced on our first visit was still here, but there were zero complaints and lots of praise from our group for the meal. The fact that the meal cost only €150 (including some supplements and service charge) was an additional bonus.

Seagrass, South Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 478 9595
URL: www.seagrassdublin.com
Twitter: @seagrassdublin

Jake's Wayback Burgers, Mebane, North Carolina

So I'm in the US again for 3 weeks of work. When I left work on the Friday evening of Week 1, I went out to Raleigh Durham Airport to pick up my reserverd hire car. It turns out that Americans don't understand "hire car", so I'm starting to learn to use "rental". Sheesh!

Anyway, I had a few drinks at the hotel bar on Friday night to celebrate the end of the week. Obviously, I suffered the inevitable consequences of over-indulgence on Saturday, and having to sit through a work-related conference call at 10am didn't help matters much. Still though, by midday, I was feeling much better, and a group of us headed off for some outlet shopping at Tanger Outlet Mall Centre in Mebane, North Carolina.

After 90 minutes of shopping, I needed to take a break and give my melting credit card some time to cool back down. There's a reasonable selection of dining options in the Tanger Mebane outlet including pizza and juices. However, Jake's Wayback Burgers caught my eye.

I ordered the Jake Cheeseburger ($5.59), which comes with a wide range of toppings, free of charge. I wanted to keep it simple as I'm not a fan of large amounts of cold salad in my burgers, so I simply added grilled onions & relish. A side of fries ($2.99) and a vanilla malt milkshake (3.99) completed my order.

Burger & fries at Jake's Wayback Burgers

My burger came simply served on a platter lined with greaseproof paper. It consisted of two thin, but very juicy and tender patties with good flavour. Fries came with skin still on, and the vanilla malt was excellent, and gave a great contrast to the salty fries. The burger simply melted in my mouth and into the soft burger bun. It reminded me of a cross between a gourmet high end burger and a burger from a famous burger chain. It was thin and easy to eat (like the burger chain version) but juicy and succulent (more like a gourmet burger). 

Later, I found the website for Jake's Wayback Burgers, which describes how the brand started as a single burger joint in 1991. It's grown since then, but still strives to deliver an authentic burger, with a home-cooked, old-fashioned feel (hence the Wayback title). All I can say is that I'm glad to have found a burger chain that provides a burger that is both great value and real.

Jake's Wayback Burgers, Unit 100 Tanger Mall Outlet Centre, 4000 Arrow Head Blvd., Mebane, North Carolina 27302
Tel: +1 919-563-2888
URL: http://waybackburgers.com/homepage/
Twitter: @waybackburgers

Brancott Estate Wine Tasting Masterclass (and a chance to win tickets)

I just received a press release in my inbox which may be of interest to some of you Dublin-based wine lovers out there (particularly if you are a Sauvignon Blanc drinker). Personally, I love Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, which have really rocketed in popularity recently. Unfortunately, I can't attend on the evening, but maybe one of you can. Read on for more details...

On Tuesday, 31st January, Brancott Estate winemaker, Jamie Marfell will host a free wine tasting masterclass in the Odessa Club, Dublin. This will tie in with Marfell's visit to the New Zealand Wine Fair, where he will be promoting Brancott Estate's Sauvignon Blanc. Jamie will offer 30 guests his expert tips on wine as well as a unique insight into wine making in the Marlborough region having grown up on a farm overlooking the Brancott Valley and working for the brand for over 20 years.

On the evening Jamie will be joined by Irish wine expert Jean Smullen who will help him to guide the audience through the wine tasting process. Guests will be treated to a selection of delicious canapés and will have the opportunity to try five wines from the Brancott range; three from the classic range (Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott Estate Pinot Grigio and Brancott Estate Pinot Noir), one wine from the Letter Series Range, Letter Series B and one of the newest varietals to the range, the sparkling Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Brut NV. 

The Brancott Estate wine tasting masterclass hosted by Brancott Estate winemaker Jamie Marfell and Irish wine expert Jean Smullen takes place in Odessa Club on Tuesday 31^st January at 7.00pm. Tickets are free and guests can register for spaces by emailing brancottestateireland@gmail.com with their name, date of birth, contact details and address or they can find out more information through the Brancott Estate Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/brancottestateireland).Tickets are allocated on a lottery basis and guests will be notified of attendance by Friday 27^th January. 

UPDATE: The draw is now closed. More information on Brancott Estate wines can be found on their Facebook page.