Dingle

2009 Food Award Winners Announced

Blas09b The winners have been announced for the 2009 Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards after an awards ceremony in Dingle (that’s Peter Ward of Country Choice above, who was the MC).

Congratulations to the winners. Even though I’ve been less involved this year because of the baby, it’s amazing to be a part of it and see the variety of foods around Ireland.

Blas09aThe Supreme Champion this year is an Irish ice cream company, Silver Pail Dairy. Well done! (By the way, they are also Murphys, and according to my father are cousins – linking back to my great grandfather in Kiskeam, Co. Cork).

Congratulations again to ALL the medal winners. The full list is here.

Hopefully next year we will have an on-line component to the awards. I think it would be very strong if consumers could nominate their favourite products!

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Last of the Blackberries

Blackberry2 We went blackberry picking, because we’ve decided to offer up a special of Baileys ice cream and Dingle blackberry sauce for the Food Festival. Blackberry picking is one of the most relaxing activity I can think of.

BlackberryI went with my partner and the little baby, and Róisín gave us enough time without fussing to gather a kilo or so. I hope that will be enough!

At least we’ll have some other specials in case we run out.

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe for blackberry coulis (here). Last night I cooked the blackberries for much longer and didn’t strain them at all.

I have to say I liked it better that way.

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Dingle Food and Wine Festival, 2009

One of the things that has made the Dingle Food and Wine Festival (October 2nd-4th) such a standout over the last years has been the taste trails – pairing shops and cafes with food producers to offer food beyond the usual places – restaurants and supermarkets – and put it all around the town. It’s worked a treat – fun and unexpected.

I’ve just received the list of this year’s taste trail, and it’s impressive!

2009 Dingle Food and Wine Festival Taste Trail:

  • Adam’s Bar – Spinach Pancakes
  • An Canteen – Neil’s Homecooked Delights
  • An Grianán – A Taste of Organic Snacks
  • An Moncaí Ocrach Youth Café – Sweet and Savoury Pancakes
  • Ashe’s Seafood Bar – Scallop and Prawn Kebabs & Seafood Soup
  • Bee’s Tea’s – A Taste of Their own blend Fine Tea’s
  • Benner’s Hotel – A Taste Of Old Ireland
  • Blue Zone – a Taste of the Zone
  • Charthouse Restaurant – A Sample of Karwig Wines
  • Cúl Gairdín Wholefood Café – A Taste of Their Fine Produce
  • Curran’s Bar – A Seafood Counter with Ballyhea Seafood Soups, Ted Brownes, Wild
  • Side Foods & Glenbeigh Shellfish
  • Deirdre’s Café – Seafood Chowder
  • Dillon Gallery – A Taste of Ninth Island Wine
  • Dingle Bay Hotel – Longs Smoked Salmon pâté
  • Dingle Crystal – Wattle Tree Wine’s
  • Dingle Reel Fish and Chip Shop – Fishy Fishy Treats
  • Doyle’s – A Taste Of The Sea
  • Finn McCools Surf Shop – The Dingle Dingo’s Aussie B.B.Q.
  • Fish at the Marina – Crispy Chilli Squid and sesame fried ricecake.
  • Fitzgerald Centra – Medal winners from Blas na hEireann ’09
  • Foxy John’s Bar – A Taste of Ashe’s Black and White Pudding
  • Gallery Beag- A Taste of Ted Browne’s
  • Garden Café – Ruggero’s Italian Delights
  • Garvey’s – Medal winners from Blas na hEireann ’09
  • Global Village – Porter House Irish Pale Ale and Asian Scallops
  • Goat Street Café- The Wine Buff and Sweet Things
  • Greenlane Gallery – Wine tasting with Bubble Brothers
  • Half Door Restaurant – Fishy Bites
  • Hannie Agnes’s Bar – Piog Pies
  • Irish Artman Gallery – A Wine Tasting with Pallas Foods
  • Jerry Kennedy Butchers – Samples of their Excellent Produce
  • John Benny’s Bar – Oysters and Guinness
  • Lantern Town House – A Taste of Sweet Things
  • Marina Bar – Steamed Glenbeigh Mussels w Homemade Brown Bread
  • McCarthy’s Bar – A Taste of the German Butcher
  • Murphy’s Bar – A Taste of Murphy’s Bar
  • Murphy’s Ice Cream – Pride of Place – A Taste of Irish Ice Creams
  • Novocento Gourmet Shop – Fernando’s Excellent Pizza Slices
  • O’Cathains Fish Shop – Seafood B.B.Q.
  • Out Of The Blue- Tim’s Taste of the Sea
  • Paudie Moriarty Butchers – A Taste of his Fine Produce
  • Paul Geaney’s – Paddy’s Cottage Seafood Paella & Stuffed Mussels
  • Quills, Strand House – Spiritual Chocolate
  • Sheehy’s Spar – The medal winners from Blas na hEireann ’09
  • Ti Koz – A Festival Crepe
  • Tir na Rí – Taste of China
  • Waterside Restaurant – Suckling Pig and Crab Toasties

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Embarrassment of Riches

regatta Dingle is a very small town (only 1800 people), and yet it is amazing how many things go on here. Of course there is a huge influx of tourists in the summer, but that doesn’t fully explain it.

Last Saturday, for example, we had the Dingle Regatta, La Solitaire Figaro, and the Tour de Munster all at the same time.

filmfest

Today, I was looking through the website for the Dingle Film Festival. It promises to be great fun, with a wide range of films and industry luminaries such as Ned Dowd, Marc Flanagan, Pearse Elliot (Man About Dog), etc, arriving into town.

If that wasn’t enough, it’s the same weekend as the Dingle Marathon. One would have thought that it would have been a better idea to put the two events on different weekends, but I guess that wasn’t possible.

It means, however, that if you are interested in coming to either, I’ve been told that there are already 1400 beds booked in town. I didn’t even know we had that many. You’d better get booking. Otherwise, if you have a long lost friend or distant cousin who lives here, it might be your only option…

Passing On

hearse Today, although many in Dingle were still smiling after the result in yesterday’s All Ireland Quarter Final, there was also sadness due to the untimely passing of local solicitor Peter Callery.

Peter welcomed us to Dingle when we came and helped us with settling in and with setting up Murphys Ice Cream. He was outspoken, opinionated, and controversial at times, and we enjoyed his company. We will miss him.

Rest in peace.

All Singing, All Dancing Ice Cream Fans

You never know what you’re going to find, going into work, and I find each day still has a few surprises. This morning, I came in to the following outside of our Dingle shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYns-E4jhYU

It was a great start to the day!

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Climbing the Walls

I know I’ve already written about it, but recently our customers have given us so many rave reviews of Play at Height, Dingle’s climbing wall, that I thought I’d give them another plug. Given that the forecast for the weekend is not good, it’s a great option for active entertainment in Dingle on a wet day and a great way to let kids let off steam.

More info here.

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The Goat and the Girl

Una with Goat Today I had to go out to our shop at Tig Aine in Graig, which is between Dún Chaoin and Ballyferriter on Slea Head Drive. I brought my little niece Una, since she is quite enamoured with the animals about the place.

Una Feeding Goat

Aine, the owner of the premises, has ducks, chickens and a goat, and it’s the goat that really makes Una excited. Up until now, she was a bit nervous of it, but today she made friends by feeding it the teddy wafer from her ice cream cone.

One forgets just how exciting animals are to children. Forget TV or video games – if you really want to give a little girl a bit of excitement, find a friendly goat, keep a careful eye on things, and enjoy the thrill it is for her…

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