Articles

“Imagine 40 Hookers racing out from that bay.” We’re sitting outside Tigh Chadhain pub on a lesser-travelled stretch of Connemara’s Wild Atlantic Way. It’s gone noon on a Saturday straight out of a brochure and there’s not a cloud in the sky as we tuck into bowls of creamy chowder and glasses of Guinness.
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In early January this year, after an illness borne with typical courage and humour, the legendary cheese maker Veronica Steele died. But she left behind a legacy and I was moved to pay tribute to her in a week when all across Cork, in the places of good food and good cheer that are the Character Cafés, Milleens Week was being celebrated.
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This month Darina talks about The Hungry Gap and a Pop Up 'eating between the seasons' dinner organised by her students recently, to raise funds for the Slow Food Educational Project
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On one level, food growing is quite simple – you sow a seed, a plant grows, you eat it. But of course it’s the bits in between those major milestones where things can get complicated. Sometimes it doesn’t get complicated at all and everything flows beautifully. I smile, zen-like, and feel mighty happy with my abilities – but even then I can’t shake the uneasy feeling that I have no idea why it went so well this time.
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Last month we went back to Ireland for a catch-up with the friends and relatives. As we were going for about three weeks we thought it worth while to drive to Cherbourg and take the ferry across to Rosslare. As we live in the very south of France, we can see Spain from our terrace - on a clear day - we are over a thousand kilometres from the Channel so this is a journey we don’t do often on our trips back to our native land.
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It had been many years since I made this familiar walk over Parnell bridge, crossing the South Channel of the River Lee towards Cork’s City Hall. Despite the passage of time its familiarity returned and I was that 19 year old girl again, with my backpack slung over my shoulder.
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Remember the last time you went online to google a restaurant? Do you recall what information you were looking for? Maybe you wanted to learn more about somewhere new or to check the address, opening hours or make a booking. Perhaps you wanted to browse the menus to decide if the food would appeal to everyone, or whether it was within budget.
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Asparagus is all too familiar as an all-year flown-in product, but locally grown asparagus is a different thing altogether. It was once widely grown in walled gardens and flourishes in many areas of Ireland - where it would be nice to see it back in production again.
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The arrival of April, and Easter, brings a change of tone in the kitchen. Here are a few suggestions for some aromatic recipes that can be served as sharing dishes and suit the longer, brighter days - and, perhaps, a little casual entertaining.
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Just across the road from An Grianan Theatre in Letterkenny, Restaurant Sage is the brainchild of Donegal man and hospitality professional Garvan Gallagher, who travelled far and wide before settling back here to open the restaurant of his dreams in 2013. It’s a lovely big modern room and very simply decorated - think local photographs of Donegal set against white walls. Just the right setting when you want the food to take centre stage.
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