Listen: Culture File – James Hoffman de-snobs your coffee
Once upon a time, it was enough to have a favoured brand of instant coffee; now it’s all Sumatra Gegarang this, natural process that, small batch roast the other. Things have come a long,...
Category: Work
Launching Sláinte: a whirlwind week
The writing of Sláinte? That’s something that was mainly done in splendid isolation. When the girls were out of the house for preschool mornings, or late at night, with everyone else tucked up in...
Listen – Culture File: Alys Fowler’s Letters to a Beekeeper
To paraphrase the Lorax, Alys Fowler ‘speaks for the bees.’ She was at the Ballymaloe Litfest in May, talking about self-funding her latest book Letters to a Beekeeper through internet publisher Unbound. It’s a...
Sláinte: The Complete Guide to Irish Craft Beer and Cider
We have a cover. And a name. And – almost! – a book. That little project* that I mentioned way back in February? It’s so close to becoming something real, something tangible that Kristin and...
Listen: Culture File – Diana Kennedy at Ballymaloe Litfest
Ever wondered if a 91-year-old cookery writer can rock? Wonder no longer. Diana Kennedy is that woman. A small but indomitable lady in leather trousers who visited Ballymaloe for the recent Literary Festival of...
Listen: Nick Strangeway at Ballymaloe Litfest
It wasn’t all chefs and cookery writers at this year’s Ballymaloe LitFest; there was also a very lively drinks theatre which featured good Irish craft beer, natural wines, glorious sherry and unusual cocktails. London-based...
Listen: Culture File – The Butter Vikings at Ballymaloe LitFest
Bringing butter back? Well, if it’s on the cover of Time Magazine, it must be true (just try and forget about this one, which fronted a 1984 story on cholesterol entitled Hold the Eggs...
Listen: René Redzepi at the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine
René Redzepi flew into Cork on Friday. Waiting to present his passport at immigration, he was confronted with an intense, furrowed-brow stare from the man behind the glass. Pause. And then a question: “What’s...