Saturday, March 24, 2012

iPaleo – The Modern Caveman

“Paleo” is not just another fad diet or celebrity craze. It refers to our ancestral times and how we are genetically adapted to a certain way of living. How we eat today differs largely from how we used to eat. It is now clear that modern foods are linked to many of todays chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. We are genetically designed to eat certain foods and not others.

Learn the secrets behind the foods we are designed to eat and how they improve health and fitness.

iPaleo is an up to date template based on our ancestral diet that takes into account our modern
lifestyle. It is not a diet but rather a paradigm that can be used to follow a healthier approach to
what you eat and how you eat. Barry Murray, Performance Nutritionist and Health Expert, is the
man behind this and has spent the last several years researching it himself and debunking a lot of the myths about diet and nutrition. Living healthily, losing weight and feeling good does not need to be that complicated. The first and most important step is to eat real food that we are designed to
eat.

Come to Kai to enjoy the finest “real food” dishes prepared by head chef Jess Murphy and let Barry explain how and why it all works.

Date: Saturday 7th April

Cost: 50euro (includes information sheets and sample recipes)

Friday, March 16, 2012

Bradys beautiful meats



There is only one supplier that we use for our meats - the one and only Bradys Butchers in Athenry!

There is no shortage of meat suppliers in the West, but a problem that we face as a restaurant is sourcing meat that is consistently high quality.

A butcher shop with its own abattoir can be seen as one that cares for its produce and ensures that it is well looked after from field to fork.(although the cooking is up to you)

Many butchers no longer slaughter animals, but merely buy in their produce. This is fine so long as the meat is well prepared, but it means that the butcher has lost out on a very important process in ensuring that the meat is ethical, and well cared for. The connection between the animal and the meat is one that is very important to Bradys butchers.

Meat that is prepared from the slaughter house to the butcher counter gets a little extra loving - and that's what Kai is all about.

28 day dry aged steaks from Bradys are hung for longer to produce a more tender cut of beef. Bradys steaks are served regularly on the dinner menu, and we continually get glowing reports on the quality of the meat. Most of our diners even ask for their leftovers to be packed up to take home - it really is that good!!

Bradys say "Our Beef and Lamb produce is carefully selected from our quality approved local farmers and expertly matured to ensure exceptional quality and tenderness", and we
♥ that!

You will probably be familiar with Bradys Lamb Koftas which we regularly make with Bradys lamb for the lunch menu.

Next time your in the restaurant and you see Bradys on the menu - make sure to order it - you will not be disappointed!!

Find out more about Bradys Meats at www.bradysbutchers.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Loughboora farm



One of the few farm suppliers here at Kai is Loughboora Farm, you may be familiar with the Loughboora farm plate that features often on our menus.

The produce from Loughboora farm is mature, distinctive and robust. Certified organic since 1997 the lads are well seasoned and know exactly what works, and how to supply a consistent high quality product. This is particularly important when working in the food industry.

The farm is mostly grassland, and in addition to yummy vegetables the land is currently stocked with forty suckler cows and roughly one hundred breeding ewes.

About fifteen acres, and seven large polytunnels are devoted to vegetable production, growing over forty different species of vegetables all year round.


It is from these acres that we get most of our organic vegetables. The farm also run one of the biggest box delivery schemes in the country with the ability to provide for two hundred households.

We can say almost everything comes from Loughboora from blood oranges to the in-season and incredibly health beneficial Kale, not forgetting their amazing purple sprouting.

The only non-organic vegetables we are using are the amazing Heirloom carrots which we get from Niall Burke, and due to a very bad season our potatoes are not organic either. As soon as the new potatoes come in Loughoora will be supplying us with their wonderful organic variety.

We are one of the few restaurants lucky to benefit from Loughboora’s wonderful produce.

If your looking to find the produce out of Kai you will find it at the farms market stalls in Tullamore, Thurles and the University of Limerick. Other stall-holders supplement their own produce with their produce at farmer markets from Galway to Killaloe and many places in between. They also supply the Organic Store, Birr, The Grainey, Scariff, and Sheridan’s Cheese Mongers.

For more information on the farm contact Tony Garahy 057-9345005