Hot Flavours: Our Tastes and Tipples of the Fortnight

Yours truly made the supreme sacrifice last Thursday by spending the entire day in the Sullivan's tap room in Kilkenny curating a Hop Press Christmas beer with their master brewer Ian Hamilton.
You'll have to wait until December 7's Christmas Drinks Special to discover exactly what we have in store for your festive imbibing pleasure, suffice it to say that it's a real winter warmer best enjoyed beside a roaring log fire with optional reindeer strolling around outside.
To keep me out of harm's way while Ian did the real work, I was plied with Sullivan's award-winning Maltings Red Ale and pizza from their wood-fired Italian oven, both of which will be in abundance next month at a special Sullivan's tap room event, which we'll be inviting a select band of Hot Flavours readers to. Stay tuned for details!
A few days earlier, we'd had a fabulous time scoffing our way round the Savour Kilkenny festival, which proved so popular there was nary a spare hotel bed to be found in the Marble City.
Our eatathon started with a visit to Le Skinny Chef, AKA Aymar Gourdet, the Portlaoise-based Frenchman whose spreadable Sun-Dried Red Tomato, Fresh Basil and Wild Garlic pestos are things of immense beauty. You'll find them at the Kilkenny, Naas and Emo Village farmers markets and selected SuperValu outlets.
Our tastebuds were also comprehensively tantalised by Frisky Garlic Goat, the latest must-try from Helen Finnegan and the Knockdrina Farmhouse Cheese Co. team. Their goodies can be ordered online at knockdrinna.com.
Providing them with serious competition were Aran Goats Cheese whose dillisk seaweed infused - and, indeed, enthused - Soft Goats' Pearls make for a fabulous bruschetta topping.
Having previously acquired their award-winning wares from Lidl, we were delighted to meet Cavan town's Crowe family whose Chocolate Chip & Honeycomb Barry John's sausages have made foodie headlines all over the world.
They're good, but not as nibblesome as their Cheddar Cheese & Chili and Crushed Garlic varieties, which should be purchased on sight. Joining them on our Savour 'highly recommended' list are the Flavour Safari range of African cooking sauces magicked up by expat Nigerian Michael Onalimi. Also available from an increasing number of SuperValu stores, the Spicy Olive & Tomato narrowly steals the honours.
All in all, a foodie weekend to cherish.
The hottest table in Belfast at the moment is Edo - it's Latin for 'I eat' - which showcases the talents of Johnny Elliott, a charismatic talent who worked with Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes before becoming a Russian billionaire's personal chef.
Loitering with considerable intent on Upper Queen Street, it offers a contemporary take on Irish tapas and larger raciones with the Beef Cheeks & Cauliflower, Ham Hock with Celeriac, Pickles & Brown Butter Breadcrumbs and Soft Shell Crab standing out when we popped in recently.
Dublin's donut wars are set to escalate with North Carolina's Krispy Kreme chain - they've a whopping 1,200 stores worldwide - poised to open their first outlet here in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. One of their best-sellers is a New York Cheesecake number that you can imagine Homer Simpson OD-ing on.

Tipple of the Fortnight
RASCALSÕ 5.6% KING KUMQUAT IPA
Having started life as a homebrew recipe, this zesty thirst-quencher gets a big(ish) batch release courtesy of the adventurous Rathcoole micro who also have a bourbon barrel-aged Coconut, Vanilla & Chocolate Milk Shake Stout and an Otherkin - yep, the scabrous rock band - New England IPA on the way.
With the kumquats added during the boiling stage, the citrus flavour is bold but impeccably balanced. A taste of sunshine on a winter's day, it's a collaboration with their newly birthed D17 neighbours, Hopefully Brewing, and currently only available on draught.