Compiled by Marie-Claire Digby
Entertain in style
Some of the most gorgeous food photography we've seen in ages, taken by Paul Sherwood, drew our attention to Bittersweet Food, a new catering company set up by chef Karen Convery. Convery has impeccable culinary credentials, having worked with Rick Stein at his Seafood Restaurant in Cornwall, before taking up positions at Cavistons in Glasthule and Itsa4 in Sandymount. But she credits Denis Cotter's Café Paradiso in Cork, where she waitressed while studying product design at the Crawford College of Art and Design, with firing her enthusiasm for good food.
Bittersweet's offerings run from elegant canapés to full dinner parties. The canape menu is fresh and interesting, featuring mozzarella, aubergine and sundried tomato rolls, and prawn cakes, as well as chorizo-stuffed squid with black olives and rocket; fig and goat's cheese galettes, and rare duck with potato rosti and aubergine caviar. The canapé selection costs between €8 and €12 per person, which makes those identikit supermarket party packs look a bit expensive, as well as boring. Buffets cost from €26 per person, and dinner parties start at €40 per person, for a three-course menu, including hot and cold canapés. Bittersweet is a stylish operation - and after all, if you're going to the expense of hiring a caterer, you want a memorable occasion. See www.bittersweetfood.com, tel: 087-6945675.
The big read
Value for money, not surprisingly, is a feature of the recently-released 11th edition of Georgina Campbell's Ireland The Guide 2009 (€20 from bookshops). Pearl Brasserie in Dublin gets the nod for best restauraunt; Richard Corrigan is the somewhat controversial choice for best chef; Dromoland Castle is best hotel, and pub of the year is Balloo House in Killinchy, Co Down.
Ahoy mateys
A price tag of €85 per person for dinner sounds a bit expensive these days . . . but when you learn that it consists of six courses, comprising the signature dishes of some of Kerry's top seafood restaurants, each accompanied by a wine specially chosen by Febvre & Co, and preceded by a champagne reception, it begins to look like a bit of a bargain. The Feast of Kerry Seafood takes place at the Muckross Park Hotel & Cloisters Spa on Saturday, November 8th. The restaurants taking part are D'Arcy's of Kenmare, GB Shaw's at the Muckross Park, Jack's of Cromane, Nick's of Killorglin, Out of the Blue in Dingle and Oyster Tavern in Tralee. Special rates are being offered on overnight accommodation and weekend packages, if you can't face the road home after all that seafood. Book on 064-23400 or www.muckrosspark.com.
Slice of the action
London chef Theo Randall, a River Café graduate who now has his name in lights at the InterContinental in Mayfair, is renowned for using the best possible regional Italian produce, so there is great interest in the four pizzas he has created for the Milano chain of restaurants. The Favorita (pictured right) has Santos tomatoes that have been marinated with fresh oregano, fior de latte mozzarella (added after baking), Parma ham, Niçoise olives and rocket. The others have tuna and crème fraîche (Tonnara); brown shrimps and grated courgette (Gamberettini) and Piemontese (peppers, red onions and anchovies). The pizzas will be available at all nine Milano restaurants in Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick, and in the Killarney branch which is due to open in the next week or so.