`Well, we'll order six of these straight away", said my wife immediately we had had a first taste of the barbecued champignons which are among the imported Italian speciality foods sold by Eileen and Stefano Crescenzi.
She also felt that half-a-dozen bottles of the Montefalco Rosso, a red wine from Umbria, would be useful to have in the store, a judgment I agreed with, for here is one of those delightful Italian wines which manages to be rustic and aristocratic all in the same sip.
The Crescenzis used to run a shop just on the outskirts of Howth, but have now turned to running a specialist wholesale and hamper business. Along with a good range of wines, mainly from Trentino, the Tirol and Tuscany, with some others from Sicily, Sardinia and the Veneto, they also import olive oils and specialist preserves, like the champignons, as well as superb sun-dried tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. What is novel about these preserves is that they have all been chargrilled before being packed in oil, which gives delightful flavours. We stirred some of the champignons into a dish of lentils and they gave a sublime note, and all of the varieties have proven versatile and enjoyable.
For a list of their foods and wines, and details of their hamper service, contact Eileen Crescenzi, Corte dei Crescenzi, 8 Pearse Square, Dublin 2, tel: 01671 7450.