12 Days of Christmas Dinner

in , , , , , , , ,
Last Christmas we were rather a small troupe and the idea of going down our traditional goose and ham route just didn't seem right. There were no elderly relatives and no children so why not seize the culinary opportunity? My brother made the suggestion of having a 12 course dinner, a homage to the 12 days of Christmas -although there wasn't a sniff of a partridge or a pear tree.
 
A few days beforehand there was a slight moment of doubt about our endeavour, but we decided to hold true to our course. I mean how hard could 12 courses be.....? Not hard to execute, but the eating.... even with our 'small' portioning... the eating was certainly a challenge. And while it isn't something I fancy repeating this year it was certainly a lot of fun...up to course 9 at least! Photo quality decreased as dinner progressed....sure we had to have a fresh glass of vino with each course....you live and learn!

 Joyeaux Noel everyone!


1. Crab Castles



2. Smoked Salmon Vodka Rolls


3. Celeriac Soup with Scallop & Black Pudding

4. Lemon Ginger Snow

5. Poppas Pumpkin Risotto

6. Parsnip & Beetroot Fritters with Nanas Beetroot Chutney

7. Quail with Celeriac Puree & Skimpy Jus

8. Trio of Ice Cream- Chestnut, Plum Pudding & Lemon Curd

9. Cardamom Creme Brulee

10. Frozen Espresso Zabaione

11. Whiskey Truffles

12. Sloe Gin with Sloe Chocolates

So that was that and it only took 7.5 hours. I have to say I'm really looking forward to Nanas Christmas dinner again -all three courses!

The Muppets -Ringing of the Bells

All Wrapped Up - Christmas Special Supper Club

in , ,
I love Christmas but not to the extent that I need to put up decorations in November - I am easily bored, so for me, premature decorating must be avoided! However, I have started to break into the odd festive tune whilst pottering about the house and well, Christmas is on my mind. Myself and my food elves (there's only one -but go with it!) are hatching plans quicker than you can say 'There's no room at the inn' for what promises to be a very exciting Christmas Special Supper Club, on Fri Dec 7th and Fri Dec 14th. 
I know that the festive period means many things to many people, for me it is all about regrouping with my family, catching up with old friends and guilt free gorging on FOOD! Of course there are the presents too, but that's not what it's all about -BUT that IS what The Open Door Christmas Special is all about. When it comes to gifts it is the element of surprise that I love and that is why I have decided not to announce this menu in advance. It's going to be all wrapped up and you'll just have to come and do the unwrapping....sounds saucy...and it will be...in a foodie way!! 


For those of you new to the experience of a supper club....you may have some questions;

Where does it happen? This Open Door Supper Club event will take place at my home in Dublin, (close to the city center) on Friday Dec 7th & Fri Dec 14th @7.30pm

What will happen? 10 people will come together at one table, getting to know each other, over the shared experience of a meal.

What will you eat & drink? On arrival, guests will enjoy a cocktail with a dash of Christmas magic, to wash down some nativity nibbles, followed by 4 courses of fun, festive, food parcels (not as Red Cross as it sounds!). I do my best to source organic, local and seasonal produce for the menu. Please bring your own alcohol or soft drinks to consume during the evening.

What will it cost? There is a suggested donation of E35. If you are unable to attend please let me know A.S.A.P. Unfortunately failure to give 24 hours notice for cancellations will result in a E10 fee being incurred, unless you have someone to fill your place. Please understand that because I buy the food in advance and as I am not a restaurant, I am not in a position to sell the food the following day, nor do I get walk ins :)

What should you wear? Dress as you would if going out for dinner.

House rules? This event is happening in my home -please treat it as you would your own. 
Although I am not announcing the menu in advance; for your information there will be gluten, dairy, fish and red meat. 

Places are limited, it's first come, first served -if you are interested in booking a place, please email me A.S.A.P. aoife_co@hotmail.com

I will endeavor to respond to your email as quickly as I can.   Efa x 

The Open Door Supper Club on FB 

To get into the spirit of things have a listen to this-

Simple Brunch -Cavolo Nero, Artichokes & Aubergine


Aubergine Flower

Ah it's all a bit 'Ready Steady Cook' when I'm at my folks...When the belly starts to grumble I grab the colander and a knife and make a bee line for the garden. I return to the kitchen with long, dark leaves of cavolo nero, a shiny, kingly purple aubergine, a couple of juicy, red cherry tomatoes and two small, but adequate  artichokes...no doubt the last of the season. It's simple stuff and I will cook it in a simple way...


I brush the aubergine generously with olive oil, soften and brown them under the grill. I peel back the artichokes and extract their crunchy little hearts, which I throw into a pan with the torn kale, gently frying with some butter. Tomatoes; I keep them  raw to give me a memory of the summer that has passed. I top the whole thing off with a poached egg for a bit of protein and well, who doesn't appreciate a nicely poached goog. Aesthetically pleasing and the childlike pleasure gained from piercing the center and watching the river of runny yellow yolk finding its path with gravity....Yum!




Crab Apple & Sloe Sorbet -for a change

in , , , ,
Inspired by Hugh Fearnleys recent Guardian article on the joys of foraging amongst hedgerows, I decided to test out one of the recipes from said article. I had the crab apples, I had the sloes; so the delightful pink sorbet said 'make me'. I often serve sorbets as palate cleansers at my supper clubs http://www.facebook.com/TheOpenDoorSupperClub and I love them because they do what they say on the tin. They are refreshing, enlivening to the senses and they do a wonderful job of cleansing your gob!

This sorbet is a little bit different...anyone who has ever eaten a sloe from the Blackthorn Tree knows well the effect it has on the mouth...the dark blueish/purple berry is so very visually tempting, looking so plump and  so juicy -BUT rather than inducing a flow of saliva it actually has the opposite effect and immediately dries the mouth. And so with this sorbet there is a similar after effect, not as in intense as a straight up sloe, but certainly unique as far as sorbets generally go.....you have been warned!

Here is the link for the recipe by Hugh, the article is well worth reading even if you live nowhere near a hedgerow.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/12/wild-hedgerow-berries-recipes

Stewing the Fruit


Pretty in Pink



Points to note;
  • I did find that I needed more water than the original recipe said for the stewing...see how you go, but do keep an eye for the base of the pan drying.
  • I also found that I needed at least twice the amount of sugar than Hugh suggests ...not sure if it was because I used more sloes or not, as the recipe calls for a couple of handfuls.....large handfuls or small handfuls.....Hmmnn....
  • I actually added in some rose hip syrup and a spoonful of quince jam.

A Rose Hip Syrup by any other name...

in , , ,
Rose Hip Syrup

I love spending time in the countryside during Autumn -the larder that nature offers is abundantly full at this time of year. The hedgerows are dripping with berries just begging to be picked and the possibilities are endless when you get them into the kitchen. There is always a sense of achievement when creating anything in the kitchen, this for me is heightened when I can create something with free food. 'Food for free' is a term bandied around quite a lot these days and in these days it is a term that holds more weight, in my eyes, considering the current economic state of our country. Indeed if we indulge in the media, the monetary situation can seem overwhelmingly depressing and for me doing some foraging is a sort of two fingers up to the whole thing. Living in the city these foraging opportunities are even more special. Dublin is a small capital city, as far as capital cities go and this is great for those of us who live here, because there are foraging opportunities on our doorstep. Howth, St. Annes Park and Phoenix Park all have free food waiting for you, so get out there and start picking!

From L-R; Sloes, Haws, Crab Apples & Rose Hips




Rose hips are the fruit of the wild rose, they are bursting with vitamin C, which is probably the most important vitamin for the Winter months -so needless to say this is a fantastic store cupboard item. As a child we called them 'itchy backs' because the seeds and fibres inside can be irritating to our skin. I recall an incident in Primary School when one boy put them down another boys back -for a laugh -but it wasn't very funny for the victim! This recipe is adapted from one that The Ministry of Defence circulated during WWII, parents were encouraged to give it to their children. You can make a hot drink out of the syrup, take it straight off the spoon or add it to cocktails.






  • First take 500g of rose hips, wash them under cold water and mince them up in a food processor if you have one otherwise use a knife - I wore latex gloves for the chopping.
  • Bring 800ml of water to the boil, add the chopped rose hips, bring back to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 15 mins.
  • Next drain through a jelly bag or muslin and allow to drip for one hour
  • Bring another 800mls of water to the boil and repeat the process, allowing the the rose hips to drip through overnight
  • The next day put your liquid in a pan and add 550g of caster sugar, dissolve and boil for 2-3 mins
  • Bottle in sterilised jars or a container of your choice -use within 4 months
  • To sterilise jars/bottles; wash in hot soapy water, pop into oven at 200'C for a few minutes




Make sure you use a reliable guide when foraging. The wild rose can be recognised by it's oval shaped leaves and of course the thorns!





Spooky Kabuki Supper Club

in ,

The Wanderers by Zach Johnsen


Double trouble this October with a second helping of The Open Door Supper Club coming your way. We're very excited to be serving up a delicious spook fest of food on Saturday October 27th.

Halloween is the only time I really go in for a good scare. We are going to be presenting four frightening 'curses' of ghoulish, gut wrenching, gruesome grub. 



Ill of Fare


Carries Cure All
A Disgustingly Delicious Infusion of Crushed Raspberry & Blackberry Hearts, Roses' Hips and Prosecco with Blood Balls
　

Finger Bites
Withered Witches Fingers & Warlocks Welts
　

Slime & Goo
Celeriac Ghoul Soup with Crispy Blood Bits & Slimey Scallop
　

Murderous Moo
Braised Beef Cheeks with Parsnip Plague Champ
　

Psycho Sorbet
Spine Chilling Sloe Crab Sorbet
　　

Deathly Dessert
Blood Curdling Crème Brûlée with Black Death Biscuits


Wes Craven Sweet
Selection of Horrible Teas & Bitter Coughy served with Mango Gristle Dipped in White Choco-Lard



For those of you new to the experience of a supper club....you may have some questions;

 Where does it happen? This event will take place at my home in Dublin, (close to the city center) on Saturday Oct 27th @7.30pm finishing up around 10.30pm

 What will happen? 10 people will come together at one table, getting to know each other, over the shared experience of a meal.

 What will you eat & drink? I do my best to source organic, local and seasonal produce for the menu. Guests will enjoy a spine chilling cocktail on arrival, to wash down some terrifying, tasty nibbles, followed by 4 courses of blood curdling food. Please bring your own alcohol or soft drinks to consume during the evening.

What will it cost? There is a suggested donation of E35.

 What should you wear? Dress as you would if going out for dinner BUT fancy dress is also very, very welcome for this one.

Please alert me to any special dietary requirements you may have and within reason I will do my best to cater for you.

Places are limited and remember it's first come, first served -to book your place please email me A.S.A.P. aoife_co@hotmail.com  Efa x 

Follow The Open Door Supper Club on FB-

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheOpenDoorSupperClub

Join The Spooky Kabuki Supper Club Event on FB-

http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/375786039165915/

http://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/otv5c/because_some_graffiti_you_dont_want_to_turn_a/


The October Open Door Supper Club - Celebrating Autumn

in , , , , ,

There is a chill in the air that says Autumn has truly arrived

.

The door is blowing open for the next supper club, which will take place on Friday October 5th.

The world divides into two kinds of people, those who love Autumn and those who hate it. I am a definite lover of this season and would like to at least attempt, through the menu, to make tangible some of the sensory things, which bring a smile to my face during Autumn. Leaves turning from green to crunchy brown, crisp morning air, warm mid-sky sun and frosty shadowy evenings....who knows what will happen! I won't make many promises, but I will promise you a crackling fire, warming, comfort foods and

interesting company

...so get booking and come celebrate all things Autumnal at The Open Door Supper Club on October 5th.

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

October Order of Service

Warm Your Cockles

A Cocktail of Apple & Spice infused Whiskey with a Twist of Fresh Ginger

Amuse-Bouches

Selection of Seasonally Inspired Nibbles

Lucky Bags

Sweet ‘n’ Juicy Oven Roasted Wild Mushroom Parcels with a Kick of Star Anise

Fire & Ice

A Cleansing Sorbet of Ginger & Lemon

Bambi et Berry

Slow Cooked Venison with Juniper Berries & Creamy Comfort Smashed Spuds

Autumnal Orchard

A Crunchy Crumble of Delicate Quince with a Scoop of Cinnamon Nutmeg Ice Cream

Sweet & Small

Selection of Herb Teas, Builders Tea, Espresso & French Press Coffee served with Snickerdoodle Cookies

For those of you new to the experience of a supper club....you may have some questions;

Where does it happen? This event will take place at my home in Dublin, (close to the city center) on Friday Oct 5th @7.30pm

What will happen? 10 people will come together at one table, getting to know each other, over the shared experience of a meal.

What will you eat & drink? I do my best to source organic, local and seasonal produce for the menu. Guests will enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, to wash down some tasty nibbles, followed by 4 courses of

Autumn inspired food. Please bring your own alcohol or soft drinks to consume during the evening.

What will it cost? There is a suggested donation of E35.

What should you wear? Dress as you would if going out for dinner.

The menu will be sent out a week in advance- after which

please alert me to any special dietary requirements you may have and within reason I will do my best to cater for you.

Places are limited and remember it's first come, first served -if you are interested in booking a place, please email me A.S.A.P.

aoife_co@hotmail.com

Efa x