Award-winning blog of Irish food writer and broadcaster Caroline Hennessy.
Everybody needs a little sunshine in their lives, especially at the thin end of January, facing into the dreary bleakness that is February. It’s damp and cold and wet outside; I need a little...
Culture File on RTÉ Lyric FM / Do / Food Events / Radio
by Caroline · Published January 21, 2014 · Last modified March 2, 2018
Joe Fitzmaurice, from the family behind Blazing Salads in Dublin, runs the Cloughjordan Wood-fired Bakery in North Tipperary. The bread he makes there is a thing of beauty, meant to nourish and feed in...
Culture File on RTÉ Lyric FM / Do / Radio / Read
by Caroline · Published January 15, 2014 · Last modified June 15, 2016
Limerick is Val O’Connor’s hometown and she showcases its food to perfection on her Limerick Food Trails.
Early one Saturday morning in November I met herself and a collection of fellow food tourists at Cornstore at Home for a little pre-tour tasting – think Limerick vs Cork via two platters of breakfast meats, one from Caroline Rigney of Curraghcase Meats, the other from Kanturk butcher Sir Jack McCarthy.
Demos / Food for Friends / Lovely Lunches
by Caroline · Published January 7, 2014 · Last modified October 10, 2017
I don’t do detox. I savour my food – hot chocolate on a weary afternoon, luscious cheesy dinners and mood-enhancing spiced morning toast – all too well. But I also love salads, particularly one that you can make and keep in the fridge to eat alongside all the other good things.
Thinking of stocking up on a few beers for New Year? Or for some other celebrations over the next few days? Check out my recommendations below from an article I wrote for the Easy Food Christmas Annual.
In other beer news, I’ll be talking beer and food at the Kanturk Cookery School for their Manfood classes on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 February. Alongside some sampling, there will be discussion of food and beer matching and cooking with Irish craft beers. You can find out more about the classes from Barbara at 086 101 4532 and at www.kanturkcookeryschool.com
Very important to have Lots of Stuffing.
As a result of developing and testing these recipes for my recent Christmas cookery demonstration at Bulgaden, the Husband came home from the brewery on more than a few days to be faced with a dinner of assorted stuffings. You know what I discovered? Pile a plate high with stuffing, add some hearty salad on the side – something like this Crunchy Apple ‘Slaw or Broccoli, Tomato and Avocado Salad would be good – fry an egg in chilli oil, slide it on top and, hey presto!, you’ve got a real meal.
Old school Irish publisher Gill & Mac has been taking cookbook production up a notch in the last few years and both of these hardbook books are lovely to look at as well as to cook from.
If every small town in Ireland had a Dream Deli selling fabulous brunch dishes like Fruit Tabbouleh, Weekend Waffles and Welsh Rarebit, we’d all eat out a lot more. Perhaps it’s best that this doesn’t happen – because instead you can have the fun of cooking your way through Lilly’s book, which includes (my favourite!) inventive devilled egg variations like beetroot and fennel, spiced coriander, wasabi and sesame seed. There are great salads (Mango and Shredded Chicken with Garam Masala Yoghurt, Quinoa with Pistachio and Pomegranate) and an assemble-on-the-spot Sicilian Wedding Cake that could set a new trend. lillyhiggins.ie
