Bibliocook: All About Food

Gubbeen have started sending out a great email flyer recently to their mailing list with information on their well-known cheese, Clovis' garden, cooking the fabulous Gubbeen hams, the rare breed chickens that Giana rears around the farmyard and how Fingal makes Gubbeen Salami.

Fingal is one of the people that we talked to for Foodtalk and the afternoon that we spent with him at the Gubbeen Farm – it's a large mixed farm so there were plenty of pigs grunting, banabhs squealing, chickens clucking and calves mooing – was one of the many highlights of our recording days. The show featuring himself and Jacque Barry of Jacque's Restaurant in Cork will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108 fm from 1.30pm on Christmas Day.

You can sign up for the newsletter here – it's well worth it: this month there's even a piece on Willie Harcourt Cooze's Venezuelan Black chocolate (remember Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory on C4 a few months ago?) as well as a recipe from another Foodtalk interviewee - Carmel Somers of the Good Things Café.

Only got a chance to look at yesterday's Irish Times today and found Marie-Claire Digby's article on foodie websites and food bloggers, which mentions some of my favourite Irish sites including greatfood.ie, icecreamireland.com, quirkykitchen.blogspot.com, englishmum.com – and Bibliocook.com!

It's baking central online at the moment – not yet at the cottage, as I'm still looking for a chance to put a belated batch of sweet mince together for the mince pies of Christmas! – but there are lots of lovely ideas out there for anyone who has a little more time.

Dan Lepard's list of seasonal and just plain helpful tips from the experts about putting mashed potato in your bread dough for a softer crumb, making oatcakes in large quantities, keeping cookie dough in the fridge for quick slicing and baking and making bread dough in advance for better flavour are a great read.

Anyone who likes baking will love the Gourmet round up of the magazine's favourite cookies since 1941. The introductory paragraphs for each decade give an overview of Gourmet through the years and there are plenty of amazing cookies to try making. I really like the look of the Apricot Chews (1966), Mocha Toffee Bars (1987) and the Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies (2006) look right up my street.It's a veritable feast of divinely photographed sweet things.

I know it may be summer at the other side of the world and some of the recipes aren't exactly appropriate but Taste Magazine's Christmas guide is well worth checking out, especially for variations on the traditional – try out the Mincemeat and Apricot Streusel Squares if you're fed up with the fuss of old-school Mince Pies, I've a jar of homemade mixed peel just waiting to be turned into Spiced Shortbread and the freezer section covers a whole lot of simple cook-ahead options for the 12 days of Christmas.

The Good Things Café in Durrus is holding a pre-Christmas Open Day next Sunday, 14 December, from 12 noon to 4pm. Its chef-owner, Carmel Somers, was one of the people that I interviewed for Foodtalk on Newstalk. We spent an afternoon talking about the time she first tasted limes in boarding school, heading off to Paris to work in kitchens there, cooking for Jane Grigson in London and how she uses spices with readily available Irish ingredients like turnip and cabbage.

She is paired in the Spices programme with Arun Kapil of Green Saffron, which will be broadcast on Sunday 11 January. The cafe is in a gorgeous location, out on the Sheep's Head Peninsula in West Cork, so it's well worth a visit. There's more information below.

Continue reading "Open Day at the Good Things Café" »

Check out Arun Kapil – at full speed! – demonstrating how to make Green Saffron's Aromatic Mince Pies, with oodles of apples, lots of spices and even a splash of rose water in the pastry for last Monday's Afternoon Show. The video and recipe are all here on RTE.ie/food.

On Monday night we launched Foodtalk on Newstalk at Thornton's Restaurant on Stephen's Green. It was great to see so many of the people that I interviewed on my trips around the country there – Fingal Ferguson came armed with cheese and lots of other Gubbeen goodies, Green Saffron's Arun Kapil had plenty of spices to smell and taste (just put me near his fennel seeds and watch them disappear!), while the Murphy's Ice Cream boys - Kieran and Sean - turned up with a selection of ice cream snowmen which had us oohing and ahhing in delight before we dug in and promptly demolished them.

All over now, just the broadcasts to look forward to, starting on Christmas Day at 1.30pm. I know the Husband and I will be back at Pruntus with all my family for Christmas so it's going to be a real traditional gather 'round the wireless while in the midst of Christmas dinner preparation at the Hennessy household! Don't forget to tune in...

It started with a phone call in the early summer. Neil and Luke Clancy of Soundsdoable wanted to know if I was interested in working with them on a series of radio documentaries about food. I didn't need to be asked twice. It was the start of an intense and fascinating time - journeys around Ireland in all kinds of inclement Irish summer weather to interview a variety of producers and chefs and the chance to record with chef (and fellow blogger) Kevin Thornton.

Now all the hard work has paid off and we are good to go, the series – Foodtalk on Newstalk – kicking off on Christmas Day on Newstalk 106-108 fm. Hope you get to listen!

Foodtalk on Newstalk

Program 1: "Livestock" (Christmas Day, 1.30pm)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy hunt down some fine meats and discuss Kevin's project to rear Irish Kobe beef.
Guests: Jacque Barry from Jacques Restaurant, Cork and Fingal Ferguson of the Gubbeen Smokehouse, Schull, West Cork

+ Program 2: "Seafood" (New Year's Day, 4.30pm)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy share their pleasure in eating seafood.
Guests: Tony Daly from The Lime Tree, Kenmare, and Paul Kelly, mussel farmer and goldsmith, from Kilmackillogue

+ Programme 3: "Spices" (11th Jan)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy marvel at the power of spices.
Guests: Carmel Somers from The Good Things Café, Durrus, Co Cork and Arun Kapil of Green Saffron, Midleton, East Cork

+ Program 4: "Wild Food" (18th Jan)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy gather up an armload of free, wild food.
Guests: Áine Maguire from Kueppersbusch and Seamus Moran of LoTide Gourmet Sea Vegetables, Westport, Co Mayo

+ Program 5: "Dairy" (25th Jan)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy explore all things creamy.
Guests: Aoibheann McNamara, Ard Bia, Galway and Kieran Murphy from Murphy's Ice Cream, Dingle

+ Programme 6: "Garden" (1st Feb)
Kevin Thornton and Caroline Hennessy marvel at the good things a garden has to offer, and wonders how many more of us will now start to grow our own.
Guests: Henry Stone from The Sha-Roe Bistro, Clonegal, Co Carlow and Ultan Walsh of Gort-Na-Nain Organic Farm, Nohoval, Cork, who grows the veg for (among others) Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso.

Christmas Gifts for Food Lovers

* If you have a friend that loves extra virgin olive oil, why not give them an olive tree for Christmas? Nudo, an olive grove in Italy's Le Marche region, offers the opportunity to adopt an olive tree for a year. They'll receive an adoption certificate, a spring package of 1.5-2 litres of organically produced olive oil from their tree and an autumn treat of three infused extra virgin olive oils. The adoption costs £65 plus postage and packaging (approximately €83 plus €30 p&p). Web: nudo-italia.com

* Hampers are always a welcome gift when you're visiting over Christmas and if you turn up with Carluccio's Cassettiera (€74.95) you'll be welcomed with open arms. This is a veritable feast in a two-drawer red box, with a selection of three wines, sauces and pastas from different Italian regions. Gift boxes start from a Chef's Stocking at €11.95 to €129.95 for Carluccio's extensive selection of Italian groceries. The Christmas range is available in store at Carluccio's Caffè, 52 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 and can be ordered from 01-6708613 or sales@carluccios.ie

* For the younger cook in your life, take a look at Miniamo kids cooking equipment from Lakelands. This brightly coloured kitchenware set (£9.99) is specially sized for little hands and, if you can resist from hanging on to them yourself, are sure to tempt children into the kitchen to “help out” with food preparation. Parents will also appreciate the fact that the utensils are dishwasher friendly and made from durable melamine and silicone. The Miniamo range – and lots of other cooks' treats – is available from lakeland.co.uk. Delivery charges to Ireland start at £5 for orders up to £20.

* If you know someone who's passionate about trying out new cheese, membership of the Sheridans Cheese Club is the gift to give. Each month, Sheridans decide on a theme – perhaps regional specialities of Italy or Portugal – select three or four ripe seasonal cheeses and send them out to their subscribers, along with suitable accompaniments, cheese tasting notes and information on wine matching. Membership costs €35 per month and you can subscribe for any length of time. To join the Cheese Club, contact any of the Sheridans' shops or email cheeseclub@sheridanscheesemongers.com. Web: sheridanscheesemongers.com

* Magazine subscriptions are the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you tailor your choice specifically to the recipient. For intelligent articles and innovative recipes, the American Gourmet magazine is a must (one year's international subscription is $38 from gourmet.com). Anyone who's ever appreciated fine New Zealand food and wine will appreciate that country's award-winning Cuisine (one year costs NZ$105, cuisine.co.nz) and delicious. from the UK has plenty of familiar names (one year for £43.60, call +44 844 848 8419).

* Learn how to mix and shake at the regular Cocktail Master Classes run in the First Floor Restaurant and Bar at Harvey Nichols, Dundrum. Each Thursday evening session runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm: choose from lessons on the chemistry and alchemy of modern mixology or learn about classics like the Martini, Manhattan and Margarita, while nibbling on delectable canapés. Pick up a voucher from Harvey Nichols for the Master Class (€50 per person) or make a night of it and go for the Master Class followed by a one course dinner and a glass of wine in the First Floor Restaurant (€75). For further information call 01 2910488 or email firstfloor.reservations@harveynichols.com. Web: harveynichols.com

* Getting cookbooks at Christmas time allows you the time to snuggle down, read and relish and there are plenty on the shelves to choose from. Skye Gyngall gives lots of seasonal ideas in her latest book My Favourite Ingredients (Quadrille, £25), the lavish Venezia sees Tessa Kiros (Murdoch Books, £25) eat, write and travel in Venice and Rachel Allen's Bake (Collins, £20) will satisfy all those sweet cravings. Richard Corrigan's stylish The Clatter of Forks and Spoons (Fourth Estate, £25) concentrates on back-to-basics Irish cooking and any vegetarians on your Christmas list will be delighted with Cornucopia at Home (Cork University Press, €39). The charming Cooking Lessons by Daisy Garnett (Quadrille, £12.99) is an enjoyable memoir with recipes but, for the real deal get your hands on A Day at elBulli (Phaidon Press, £29.95) by Ferran Adrià which explores the intriguing behind the scenes world at the legendary Spanish restaurant.

Residential Cookery Courses - Island Adventures
One of the best presents you can give someone is confidence in the kitchen and that's exactly what a voucher for a cookery course is designed to do. Of course, learning is so much easier when the school is located in a beautiful area – or even on an island.

Located on the 470-acre Belle Isle Estate, which is spread across eight islands in the northern part of Upper Lough Erne, the Belle Isle School of Cookery offers a selection of tempting learning experiences, all of which are hands-on and limited to just 12 students. Chef and manager Liz Moore has created a wide range of courses, including days focusing on vegetarian and ethnic cookery and their heavily subscribed two or three day seasonal entertaining courses.

Lack of previous cooking experience is not a deterrent and students leave with folders of recipes, lots of tips and the practical experience to make the most of what they have learned. A variety of luxurious self-catering accommodation is on offer, non-cooking partners included, with everyone gathering together to enjoy the day's cooking at a sociable evening meal.

Vouchers for the Belle Isle School of Cookery are available for one, two and three day courses or for any amount of your choice. Belle Isle School of Cookery, Lisbellaw, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT94 5HG. Web: irish-cookery-school.com Tel: +44 28 6638 7231 Email: info@irish-cookery-school.com

Small is beautiful, especially when it comes to Island Cottage, which is perhaps the world's littlest cookery school. Situated on Heir Island, just off the coast of Skibbereen in West Cork, your friendly hosts are renowned Irish chef John Desmond and his wife Ellmary Fenton who specialise in weekend residential courses for just two people.

John and Ellemary set up the acclaimed Island Cottage restaurant in 1989. Now they also run bespoke cooking classes, based on the seasonal dishes John cooks in the restaurant – fish caught in the seas around the island, local meat, fresh vegetables, cheese made nearby. The first day's cooking lets students see how it all works; stakes are raised on the second day as they can invite six guests to the lunch that they have prepared but, with John's sure hand at the helm, no one is going home hungry.

Island Cottage offers two-day cookery courses from April 2009, for two people at €350 per person, including an overnight stay. For vouchers and booking details call Ellmary Fenton at +353 28 38102. Island Cottage, Heir Island, Skibbereen, West Cork. Web: islandcottage.com Tel: +353 28 38102 Email: info@islandcottage.com

The first of my contributions to last Thursday's Irish Times Christmas Supplement...

A Foodie Getaway in Ireland: The Old Convent

What do you want from a weekend getaway? A romantic location that is not too obvious, yet easily accessible? A relaxed atmosphere, stylish comfortable bedrooms, fabulous breakfasts and a dinner to die for? In that case, head straight to Dermot and Christine Gannon's The Old Convent. Situated in the small Tipperary town of Clogheen, this hidden treasure is nestled at the foot of the Knockmealdown mountains. Dermot and Christine established their restaurant with rooms here, in the former home of the Sisters of Mercy, in 2006 and have since been attracting customers from far and wide.

The main draw, of course, is Dermot's creative eight-course no-choice tasting menu, created afresh each day with a focus on organic and local artisan produce, including Trass raspberries, North Cork pancetta, Dunmore East crab and Gabriel cheese. Dinner is served at 8pm in an atmospheric candlelit dining room. From well-balanced appetisers, seasonal veloutés and sorbets, beautifully cooked fish and meats to the grand finale, The OC signature Chocolate Fondue, the meal is brilliantly paced and perfectly presented.

Overnight guests can see that Dermot's quality standards don't lapse overnight, with a fine breakfast to look forward to (don't miss the Skillet Baked Organic Eggs) when you manage to rise from the bed. His assured cooking is expertly complimented with Christine's thoughtful hospitality. From the moment you arrive at The Old Convent, you feel cossetted and taken care of. Enjoy the roaring fire in the drawing room or take advantage of the residents' mini-kitchen, stocked with a selection of herbal teas, fruit and chocolate. If you can motivate yourself enough to leave this comfortable nest, Christine can also recommend plenty of options for outings nearby, including a scenic trip over the Vee to Lismore with plenty of mountain walks to work up your appetite for the feast to come, a historic day rambling around Cahir Castle and the Rock of Cashel, or even a romantic cliff walk by the sea in Ardmore.

The Weekend
Treat the one you love to a Two Night Hideaway in The Old Convent – two nights B&B plus one eight-course dinner for two people – for €450.
The Old Convent, Mount Anglesby, Clogheen, Co Tipperary. Web: www.theoldconvent.ie Tel: 052 65565 Email: info@theoldconvent.ie

More Eating
After those breakfasts - and with dinner in your sights - you may not need to consume anything extra for the round of the weekend but, should you get nibblish, there are also plenty of eating opportunities nearby.

Keeping with the religous theme, take the road to Cashel for dinner in the converted church that houses Chez Hans, where you can sample their famed Cassoulet of Seafood or eat from one of the well-priced early-bird menus. During the day, you can enjoy lunch next door at Café Hans – lots of colourful salads, substantial open sandwiches, a selection of hot dishes and good deserts.
Café Hans, Moor Lane, Cashel Co Tipperary. Tel: 062 63660
Chez Hans, Moore Lane, Cashel, Co Tipperary. Tel: 062 61177
Both open from Tuesday to Saturday

A trip to the heritage town of Lismore leaves you spoilt for choice. Head to Foley's on the Mall and grab a seat in the downstairs room for decent pub food beside an open fire with friendly service but be sure and leave room for pudding afterwards at The Summerhouse Café. Enjoy some decadent sweet things on offer there (make sure you check out the Tunisian Orange Cake), all baked in-store – before you let your credit card lose on the colourful homeware and quirky kitchen equipment for sale.
Foley's on the mall, Main Street, Lismore, Co Waterford. Web: www.foleyslismore.com Tel: 058 53671 Email: info@foleysonthemall.com
The Summerhouse Café, Main Street, Lismore, Co Waterford, Ireland. Web: www.thesummerhouse.ie Tel: 058 54148 Email: info@thesummerhouse.ie

A typo made its way into my piece on The Old Convent published in today's Irish Times Christmas Supplement so I would just like to clarify that The Old Convent offers two nights B&B and one eight-course dinner for two people for just €450.

For more details check their website or contact them directly (Tel: 052 65565 Email: info@theoldconvent.ie).

Watch out for the Christmas Supplement in today's Irish Times – I wrote a piece on Christmas present ideas for your favourite foodie and it is supposed to be in the paper today...

Aer Lingus permitting, we're off to Berlin for two nights early – very early – on Sunday morning. Ever since I was at the Prix Europa in 2006 I've been wanting to revisit the city, but with a little more leisure to appreciate it. This time round I've plans for lavish amounts of kaffe und kuchen and have been reading up on Berlin street food although I can't say that descriptions of the traditional Currywurst are exactly appetising!

The Husband is on a mission to try as many beers as possible – all in the interests of research, naturally, as his first batch of homebrew went down so well – and think he's already plotted several brewery visits into our two days. I think we're going to be there during Christmas Market season so I'm looking forward to plenty of Lebkuchen, Glühwein and roasted chestnuts. Ooh, I'm starting to feel all Christmasy already...

If you're in Dublin on Thursday 4 December, check out the Greatfood.ie/Dublin Cookery School Christmas Food and Wine Fair from 6pm to 9pm at the Dublin Cookery School, which is just off Carysfort Avenue in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Dublin Cookery School owner Lynda Booth will host the evening, which includes a sushi demonstration from Seiya Nakano, an Australian wine tasting with the entertaining John McDonnell of Wine Australia Ireland and an opportunity to get your hands on some food-orientated Christmas presents at a special discount of 10%. Don't miss the chance to pick up some of Greatfood.ie's award-winning Wild Cranberry & Apple chutney – there's every chance that you'll have it eaten long before Christmas! Tickets are just €10 and they are available to buy in advance from www.greatfood2buy.com.

On the times that I've seen it – not having a television, I watch online from the RTÉ website – I've been enjoying Bake, Rachel Allen's new food show. As you may have noticed, I do very much enjoy baking and am always on the look out for new recipes. Her new book is crammed full of great things to try – I've already got lots of pages marked for revisiting – but only had a chance to try out one of the recipes so far. A jar of peanut butter in the house meant that Rachel's Peanut Butter Blondies were crying out for a test run but I almost balked when I read that the recipe only made 12 small squares.

If I'm baking, I want there to be plenty for sharing around and so never make less than a swiss roll tin's worth, which – depending on the density of what I've baked – can be cut into 24 to 30 pieces. So I doubled the recipe but I couldn't leave it alone at just that! I used dark instead of white chocolate, added toasted walnuts to up the nutty quotient and, because I thought that.the mixture was much too thick, threw in an extra egg (have chickens, will use eggs). If you don't over cook them, they turn out nicely dense and nutty with surprise hits of chocolate all over the place. At the cottage, we especially like them warmed and eaten with some ice cream but they don't suffer too much from being eaten with a coffee or hot chocolate in work either. Well worth trying – but you definitely need more than 12 small squares.

Continue reading "Peanut Butter and Walnut Blondies by way of Rachel Allen's Bake" »

On a quick trip to Dublin today and enjoyed a brief visit to Carluccio's Caffè on Dawson Street. Lots of gorgeous food to look at and buy – including some very presentable Christmas hampers and gifts in luxurious packaging – in the deli area at the front of their premises but we didn't have time to linger. In search of some quick soup, we got Pasta e Fagioli, a sustaining bowl of borlotti beans and pasta in a rich broth, with a chunk of olive oil-soaked, salt-sprinkled foccacia. A cup of fresh mint tea (mint leaves in boiling water, sweeten as desired) finished off a simple and satisfying repast. Must go looking for that Pasta e Fagioli recipe in my new Carluccio's Complete Italian Food cookbook...

If you need any excuse to get into the Christmas spirit, pick up a copy of Sarah Raven's sparky and seasonal Complete Christmas. I'm already a fan of her comprehensive Garden Cookbook and this is very much in a similar vein, with a big emphasis on using the garden as a resource for creative decorations, food and homemade presents.

There are lots of great ideas for decorating with easily sourced flowers and greenery and the book even inspired me to set some hyacinth bulbs back a few months ago, which are now slowly – it's a cold cottage! – growing into something that look as if they might actually flower in the New Year. Her recipes are gorgeous, with plenty of last minute things to make for the family as well as a could-be-very-useful last minute recipe for Christmas Pudding. Lucky me: Mum's already got that well in hand! There are ideas forentertaining over Christmas as well as things to do with all the leftovers and I've already got plenty of ideas for the post-Christmas mound of food. It never seems to last too long in my family! Give this as an early gift to someone you know who loves Christmas – they're going to love it.

Next Wednesday, 19 November, if you're around Cork you should head directly to Fenn's Quay Restaurant, which is hosting a Bubble Brothers Cahors wine tasting dinner. Jean-Raymond Clarenc of Clos Triguedina will be there to talk guests through tastings of about six of his wines, matched with food from chef Kevin Crowley. And the price? A very reasonable €50 per person. You can call the restaurant directly (021 4279527) or check out the Bubble Brothers blog for more details. They're also running a competition to win a free dinner and there's more information on that here.

Nights are dark and cold and my cooking has changed to correspond with the changing of the season. Anything that can be put into a pot and forgotten about in the oven while I get some work done scores particularly highly on my dinner scale and last night's dish got full marks for maximum flavour with minimum effort.

This is based on a Jane Grigson recipe from her constantly referenced Vegetable Book. When we still had lots of vegetables in the garden it was a fantastic resource for the regular gluts; now as I do most of my vegetable buying at farmers' markets, it still comes in useful for the random piles of roots or brassicas that I end up with. I've been getting lots of cabbage from Morris from Gairdín Eden and, as I refuse to actually boil it (too many bad childhood memories!), I am always on the lookout for some different way to cook it.

For this recipe, which Jane calls Stuffed Cabbage in the Troo Style, you only need three ingredients but you can't skimp on them. Get yourself some good cabbage and make sure you pick up some fabulous sausages – I got some herbal Hodgins sausages, made locally in Mitchelstown and they had a great kick. I'll give the proportions that I used but I don't really think that it matters too much if you deviate from them. Tempted though I was to jazz it up a little, Jane does point out that she's tried adding different herbs, tomatoes and bacon but has always come back to the simplicity of the original. I made this in my lovely bean pot (a present from the Connoisseur) which ensured that not too much of the gorgeous juices evaporated. Serve with something simple to mop up – mashed potato is always good – or you can try the idea from Writing at the Kitchen Table and put a layer of sliced potatoes on top.

Continue reading "Baked Stuffed Cabbage" »

Just heard that Jo'Burger in Rathmines – the place that undoubtedly serves the best burger in Dublin and the place of our last meal before we forsook the capital for country life – has been named most popular restaurant by The Dubliner in a public poll. As I write, this year's The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants guide is being launched in the Westbury Hotel, with Dylan McGrath of Mint chosen favourite chef by his peers. Other favourites in the People's Choice Award are Bentley's (avoid the Aviator Lounge at all costs), Café Bar Deli, Chapter One, L'Gueuleton, La Maison des Gourmets, Saba (great noodles), Town Bar and Grill, The Unicorn and the ever-fabulous Winding Stair.

Greatfood.ie have just relaunched a much-expanded discussion board, with a dedicated area for bloggers to list their own blogs at www.greatfood.ie/forum. While you're there, check out Clodagh McKenna's cute aprons (although much too cute for a cottage kitchen!) and take a look at the selection of cookery courses on offer throughout Ireland.

Nigel Slater, my favourite cookery writer, wrote a piece on squash and marrows in Sunday's Observer and, seeing as I'm probably not the only one to have lots of squash to use, I thought it might come in useful. You'll find it here. Speaking of squash, check out 101 Cookbooks for a version of Denis Cotter's recipe for Borlotti Bean Mole with Roast Winter Squash.

The Tannery cookery school has just opened and Paul Flynn has lots of tempting courses on offer, including his Irish Adventure With Food demonstrations and practical classes focusing on winter food like turnips, kale, parsnips and slow cooked beef. I recently borrowed his cookbook from the Clonmel-based cousin and am thoroughly enjoying it – if his classes are as accessible as his writing then he's on to a winner.

Just came across this article on 20 Cheap Eats throughout Ireland in the Sunday Tribune which mentions lots of my favourite places, including Gruel, the Farmgate Café, Ard Bia, Cornucopia, the Cake Café – and there's another 15 to try out.

The vegetable garden suffered this year. Not only was the weather appalling but the Husband, lulled into a false sense of security by our bunny-killing machine (aka Puddy Cat), took down the rabbit-proof fence – the week before the cat up and died on us. It didn't take long before the rabbits realised that our newly planted leeks, beans and kale were an all-you-can-eat buffet. The only things that survived were a few plants of perpetual spinach, some Swiss chard – and, thankfully, the squash.

After last year's success with the Ushiki Kuri squash we planted lots more, alongside some pumpkins. Despite the weather and fortunately ignored by the rabbits, the squash took off and we managed to gather a decent yield, most of which is hanging up around the kitchen in old onion net bags. The pumpkins – the variety was, I think, Queensland Blue from the ISSA – never really did very well and we only managed to salvage one. Still, at least there's enough squash so that we can make winter warming soups like this one, adapted from Nigel Slater's Bean and Black Cabbage one, especially good for killing colds if you have some good chicken stock in the freezer.

Continue reading "Squash for soup" »

I've written here before about my experience of building an outdoor wood-fired oven on a workshop held at Mallow Racecourse during the summer. My own oven is still not, ahem, built (or even started) but Hendrik Lepel, ovencraftsman extraordinaire, is holding another workshop in Nohoval over the weekend of the 15 and 16 November. More details below.

Continue reading "Outdoor oven building" »

There is a satisfying heft about Cornucopia at Home, an approachable collection of recipes from one of Dublin's best-known vegetarian restaurants. Written, photographed and designed by former staff, this handsome volume is a labour of love – and it shows.

Eleanor Heffernan, who worked in the restaurants a waitress, manager and chef for seven years, is the beating heart of the book: she knows the recipes from all angles, having been the chef preparing squash for the savoury Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seed and Rosemary Scones (she always used the easy-to-chop, straight end!), dealing with the customer who wanted to buy an uncooked Apple Crumble for baking at home to impress a date, and noticing which of the dishes are most demand when they arrive on the counter (Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Lentil Sambar, White Bean and Roast Mediterranean Vegetable Pie with Basil Mash and Chocolate Marble Silken Torte are just a few of the favourites). With atmospheric photography and food styling from Orla Keeshan and Orlagh Murphy's colourful graphic design/illustration, the book is both testament and tribute to the ideals behind Cornucopia.

Cornucopia was set up in 1986 by Neil and Deirdre McCafferty. This Irish couple had just returned from nine years living in Boston and, having being influenced by the vegetarian and raw food cultures in America, decided to set up a health food shop and cafe on Wicklow Street. Successful from the start, after a few years, the food side of things expanded into the entire premises and so it has remained, under Deirdre's stewardship – Neil died suddenly of pancreatic cancer in 1993.

The restaurant has remained true to their original ideals: constantly aiming to achieve a happy union between health and taste. Quality seasonal ingredients, organic when possible, cooked simply are the basis of these recipes which will appeal – as does the restaurant – to those who are on special diets, are vegetarian or vegan, or who just appreciate good food.

The cookbook contains the greatest hits of Cornucopia, recipes chosen by democratic and diplomatic means, snapshots taken of staff behind the counter, educational information on ingredients and scenes from the life of the restaurant. Divided into five chapters – Soups, Salads, Mains, Breads and Deserts – each is subdivided into sections which make it easy to find your way around. In Salads, basic information is set alongside recipes for potato salads (including my favourite Garlic Mayonnaise Potato Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts), bean salads, grains and noodles and raw salads. The Bread section has a particularly useful table of bread preparation tunes, along with the ever-fantastic and exceptionally simple Spelt Bread that is ever-present on the counter.

Recipes are clearly laid out, easy to follow and, in the main, very uncomplicated. Just a cursory flick through will give you lots of ideas for dinner – take a look at Moroccan Chickpea Tagine with Orange-Scented Bulgar Wheat, Butter Bean, Roast Fennel, Pepper and Rocket Salad or Tomato, White Bean and Savoy Cabbage with Basil Oil Soup. For anyone who is restricted to a special diet, there are plenty of ideas, with some particularly good recipes for gluten-free and sugar-free baking.

There's no doubt that this book will be snapped up by the restaurant's many long-term restaurant customers – but they're not the only ones that are going to enjoy, appreciate and cook from Cornucopia at Home.

Cornucopia at Home is published by Atrium. Read more about the cookbook here.