I’m of the school of thought that a dish’s name should simply be a small list of the top ingredients. But what do you when all the ingredients are as important as each other? You improvise and reference the kitchen sink, that’s what you do. This is a real comfort dish, the orzo cooked in stock looks glossy like normal... Read More
Do you know Laura Sinnott? She is not a name I’ve heard much off before and yet, you will have seen the fruits of her work on selective shelves in Ireland. Wexford Preserves tread that fine line between being a household name and still retaining their artisanal ways. Laura runs the company with her husband and I’m in awe of... Read More
Orna Larkin is the Head Pastry Chef at the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin. Not one to court the press, she is one of the most talented pastry chefs in Ireland. There is a generation of pastry chefs (think Karen Smith, Graine Mullins and Niamh Barry to mention just a few ) just now which is taking the country by storm... Read More
Cliona Swan is married to Gianpiero “Piero” De Vallier and together they created, built up and run Pizza Da Piero, a successful business which creates and sells Ireland’s favourite pizza bases! It’s not often I open up a post in this series on the women of the food industry by referring to a woman’s marital status, but I hope that... Read More
Lynsey Campbell is the lead cellar brewer at Whiplash brewery, headquartered in Ballyfermot, in Dublin. The brewery was opened in 2019 and I’m excited to see what they come up with. I’m a fan of fizzy beer (I would be awkward) and I’m forever hoping for another Euphoria (brewed by Peter Curtin in the tiniest brewery in Lisdoonvarna. More importantly,... Read More
Fishcakes are always knocking in the back of my freezer for a handy lunch or dinner option. You bang them into the oven, make a big green salad with lots of different kinds of allium and maybe some roasted peppers and you have the makings of a superb meal. Fishcakes are one of these dishes that you can really stretch.... Read More
Pain d’epices is a strange but perfect mix between cake and bread, not a million miles away from banana bread in fact. Only with no banana. In my mind, it’s very much a breakfast cake, you eat it sliced thinly with butter spread generously on it. It’s not a wow cake but it is an elegant every day cake. The... Read More
Hasselback potatoes are gorgeous wee spuds sliced thinly in the width but not all the way down. This allows them to fan out slightly and makes loading or basting much easier but also much more efficient. The fan openings mean that the hasselback spuds are the ideal vehicle for all kinds of goodness. You cook them in the oven and... Read More
I’ve become fascinated with Chinese food. I’m not talking about restaurant food 0r take away, no, I’m interested in what people eat at home, how they cook. Given the size of the country the chances to learn are nearly endless. So for now, I’m living for my friend’s Yanping’s insightful cooking instructions. This pork and leek stir-fry came about mainly... Read More
Anna Coffey is Braw Chocolate, an Irish start up and one of the exciting women who started their business in the middle of a pandemic. I’ve only met Anna Coffey virtually but we’ve had a few calls and zooms. We met when I coached Anna to raise her profile a little on social media. It’s tough for new businesses. So... Read More
French expat living in Dublin, particularly happy when cooking with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced products.
