Compiled by MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBY
This nicely packaged Balsamic vinegar from Aldi has achieved the highest grading of four leaves (the equivalent of stars), on a scale of one to four, from the official grading body, CSQA Certificazioni, and it’s on sale here for €2.99 (250ml). It’s a nicely rounded vinegar with good acidity, but if you prefer a sweeter, slightly sticky, balsamic-glaze, you can achieve it by simmering the vinegar in a heavy-based pot, with the lid off (and windows and doors open to release the vapours), until it reaches the consistency you want.
Holy moley Frijolemole
If you’re a bit tired of hummus, try frijolemole instead, a new offering from the revamped and expanded MS Deli range. Frijolemole translates as “bean spread”, and the beans used in this Mexican recipe are cannellini, with some chickpeas too. Unusually for a dip that lists soured cream as its main ingredient (26 per cent), it’s not too fattening; the 170g tub (€2.69) weighs in at around 350 calories. It comes with a topping of pumpkin seeds, semi-dried tomatoes and jalapeños.
Book of the week
Gordon’s Great Escape: Southeast Asia, published by HarperCollins (£25/€29)
You might have seen Gordon Ramsay swallow a still-beating snake’s heart in Vietnam on a recent episode of his latest travelogue TV show, and by the power of telly, that same evening he was in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow, launching his revamped restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
You won’t find a recipe for snake heart in this spin-off from the Channel 4 series, but you will find a superb chicken satay recipe that is worth bookmarking, and if it piques your interest in satay, there’s a brilliant guide to regional variations on this popular eastern snack, and the sauces and garnishes that accompany it, at saveur.com – search for satay and you’ll find editor-in-chief James Oseland’s definitive article, The World of Satay.
Family affair at the Cookbook Club
Can you see the family resemblance? Pictured left are Erik Robson of Ely wine bars, and his father Hugh, who supplies the restaurants with organic beef and pork from his farm on the Burren. Robson senior will be one of the guest speakers when the Cookbook Club meets at Ely bar and brasserie in the CHQ building in Dublin 1 next Monday, May 30th for dinner cooked from the award-winning book, The Wine and Food of Ely Through the Seasons. The three-course menu will be composed of things that have become Ely signature dishes in the five years it has been open in CHQ, and the €35 ticket price includes a glass of Prosecco. Erik and his wife Michelle will also speak at the dinner, and a wine distributor will give advice on wines to match the dishes on the menu. You can book online at thecookbookclub.ie.
