Indian supper club - 28th April

aperitif

bombay mix

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chola tikki

puchka

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beetroot and beef curry

tarka dahl 

tandoori mushroom, spinach and chickpea salad

pilau rice

coriander chapati

***

kulfi w mango and pistachio biscuits

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tea/coffee

Donations of 20 euro payable on arrival

Please let me know of any allergies/dietary needs and I will do my best to accommodate you

We provide a complimentary drink on arrival but after that you're on you own, bring a bottle if so desired!

 

The latest supper club low-down

I've been very lax on reviewing my last supper club (does it count as a review if you do it yourself, maybe not) but here it is. A few pictures and thoughts on how it went.

the help's dinner - provided by Rory 'the help' Harte

As usual, I couldn't have asked for nicer guests. I really am very lucky with the people who come through my door. Again, there was a mixture of new and old faces, but whether they were new to my home or not everyone seemed to settle in nicely and have plenty to chat about for the evening. It really is inspiring to meet people with such an open mind and a love of new experiences. It puts your faith back in the world. 

The hit of the night for me was possibly the rose fizz or the dukkah. I always love making the little extras that go with the meal.
The bomb of the night was the moroccan bread which tasted delicious but, as usual with my yeast bread efforts, refused to rise. I'm beginning to get a complex.

My battle with yeast bread continues. I've decided it's the yeast's fault not mine

marinated olives and dukkah to go with the rose fizz on arrival

 

the starter - empanadillas

the main - lamb muttuma 

chocolate and chestnut cake for desert

Irish Times article

Delighted to announce there's another little bit of publicity floating about the atmosphere today. I had no idea it was even in the paper until I got a phonecall from a friend, but today's property section in the Irish Times has a lovely article about women running businesses from their homes, and the Arbutus Club was featured. Now, I'm no businesswoman but I'll take the publicity where I can get it thank you very much. And any publicity for the supper club movement has got to be good.

You can check out the article here.

The next two supper clubs are sold out but I'll be announcing more dates here as and when I get organised enough to do so. (See, told you I was no businesswoman!) Or alternatively if you're interested in coming to a supper club in the future you can email me at thearbutusclub@gmail.com and I'll put you on the mailing list.

Sunday Times article

I've had my first flirtation with the media, and I would appear to have survived. Yesterday's Sunday Times contained a great article about supper clubs in Ireland and the Arbutus Club was one of the clubs that were featured. It's taken quite a while from the time I was approached about the article until it was published and it seems strange to finally see it in print after what felt like a huge build up.  To be honest I'm still slightly reeling from the shock that is seeing your photo in the national papers. While I was waiting for the article to come out I was so distracted by my excitement that I completely forgot how much I hate looking at photographs of myself. Now that I've read it, the paper will be going in the drawer never to be looked at again. Well, maybe I'll take it out the odd time. Even if I do cringe every time I catch a glimpse of it, it's still nice to be in the paper right? 

Despite my embarrassment, I was thrilled with how the article turned out. It was a really nicely written piece giving a good run down of the supper clubs available in Ireland. It was great to get some publicity for my dinners and be mentioned alongside what seem like some really well run outfits. Hopefully the article will help spread the word about supper clubs and encourage those budding hosts/hostesses out there to get involved and start evenings of their own. There's a huge amount of enjoyment to be had both for the hosts and the guests. Whether you're a budding cook or just love good food and meeting new people, I can't urge you enough to get involved.

So with my ten seconds of fame stuck safely in the drawer it's back to planning for the next Arbutus Club which, unfortunately for you but brilliant for me, is sold out. There are however seats left for the April club which is happening on the 28th April. Details of the menu will be appearing here shortly so keep and eye out and don't be shy, book a seat. Go on.

In case you missed it here's an excerpt from the article (with slightly better quality photo)! by Kathy Foley.

‘Every dinner has a different atmosphere and pace’

“It’s about bringing together people to share good food and experiences,” says Sarah Halpin, left, a freelance double bassist who dreams of opening her own cafe.
Having completed a part-time cookery course at Dublin Institute of Technology, Halpin was advised by her sister to start a club at home. She set up Arbutus Supper Club in Dublin, despite having never been to one. “It’s a great way to experience cooking for groups of strangers and learning what needs to come together to create an all-round enjoyable experience,” says Halpin. “I’m very much learning as I go, and each one teaches me something new about what I’m doing.”
Halpin has held four supper-club nights, with eight or nine guests at each. She serves a three-course meal, a drink and appetiser on arrival, and tea, coffee and biscuits. Each diner is asked to give a €20 donation.
“It covers my costs and allows me to explore the different organic markets, butchers and fishmongers that Dublin has to offer — places that I couldn’t always afford to shop at in my daily life.
“I don’t make any money. Anything extra I get from an evening goes towards buying decorations for the next club’s table, a few nice plates and napkins, or a glass of wine for my helpers on the night.”
The club evolves as it goes along, she says. “I’m getting better at planning menus and giving the dinner more of a cohesive flow. Every dinner has a different atmosphere and pace, so it’s good to treat each one as it comes.”
Halpin recommends hosting a club to people who love food and entertaining , but says hosts must be comfortable with having strangers in their home. She is planning more events, which could include singles’ nights and afternoon tea parties.
“For me, supper clubs are about the coming together of open, passionate people to share good food and experiences,” says Halpin. “They are driven by passion, not by profit.”
Arbutus Supper Club is next held on March 30 and April 28. Arbutussupperclub.blogspot.com

supper club menu - 30th March

The meal for the next supper club has been inspired by two cookbooks, Moro and Pizzaro. I've still never managed to go to Moro but I'm utterly inspired by their cookbooks and their style of food. On my last trip to London I happened upon another Spanish gem Pizarro. Again I didn't actually go to the restaurant (it's on my incredibly long list) but instead opted to recreate from their cookbook in my sister's flat (which is only up the road from the restaurant, so it's kind of like I was there). Their recipes are fantastic and well worth a try. Anyway, both of these books have inspired me to put together the menu for this club. As always, if you're interested in attending, send an email to thearbutusclub@gmail.com.

aperitif

dukkah

marinated olives

***

pork empanadillas

***

mutumma (slow cooked lamb with beans + coriander)

chopped salad

bread

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chocolate, hazelnut and almond cake

tea/coffee

baklava

donations for the evening are 20 euro payable on arrival

please let me know if there are any allergies and I will try to accommodate you

New supper club dates

I have some new supper club dates to announce. I've been seriously unorganised of late and am delighted to say I finally seem to be doing something about it so here they are. 

30th March

28th April

Put them in the diary! If you would like to attend please email me at thearbutusclub@gmail.com with details of how many seats you'd like to book. There's only eight places at each evening so book early. The donation for the dinner as usual will be 20 euro per person. Details of menus to follow shortly.

Sculptor's supper club

It's been a while since I last blogged about my supper club and I've been a little naughty in neglecting to write about the last one I had. So here it is. Better late than never.

The last club I hosted was an age ago on the 15th December. It was slightly different to normal in that I was hosting a Christmas get together for a lovely bunch of people who are in a sculpture group together. This was the first night I'd hosted where everyone at the table knew each other and also the first where I didn't really know any of them. It was interesting to see the different effect this had on the whole dynamic of the evening. It was a slightly older group than I was used to and I was unsure how they would be with the whole 'paying to eat dinner in a stranger's house' scenario. Turns out they were totally great about it. They all arrived together and as they were all so comfortable with each other they settled right into my living room as if it was their own. I served them a nice warm glass of mulled wine and some canapes of crackers with olive tapenade, beetroot hummous  and goat's cheese to whet their appetites. This all seemed to go down well and I was able to leave them get on with their Christmas good cheer while I got the starters ready. 

For starter they had a beetroot and goat's cheese salad with honey and walnuts. Yes, more beetroot. I do like continuity. The main was a Nigel Slater recipe for braised lamb with leeks and haricot beans, which was very hearty and very tasty and I was delighted to dole out seconds. To finish off they had an apple and plum crumble followed by tea, coffee and biscotti.

I don't know if it was because the group were so at ease with each other and seemed instantly at ease with the whole evening, or if the menu lended itself to a laid back atmosphere but the evening was very relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable. I was pretty much able to leave them to it and sit back and enjoy the nice atmosphere they created. For their part I think they enjoyed the intimacy of the evening, the relaxed environment and hopefully some nice food.

I would definitely host a group in the future. So if anyone out there's interested please get in touch!