Articles

“The pig was probably the first domestic animal to be brought to Ireland and many country people can remember the time when most rural households killed at least one pig a year. It was a complicated business, with the men and women each having their particular jobs. The men did the killing, cleaning, butchery and salting, while the women dealt with the trotters, internal organs and any other parts which were to be cooked fresh. The hams were usually put into a blend of salt, saltpetre and brown sugar for several days and then smoked, preferably over oak chippings. Afterwards, they were hung up on iron hooks from a beam called 'the meat stick' which ran across the kitchen, where turf smoke from the open hearth gave it a special Irish flavour...
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The cream of the hospitality world gathered at Bord Bia in Dublin Thursday 15th October, for the announcement of the 2010 Georgina Campbell Awards, associated with the respected Georgina Campbell’s Ireland independent hospitality guides, and Ireland’s most popular independent hospitality and travel website www.ireland-guide.com. Unlike most other award schemes, the Georgina Campbell Awards are completely independent, and in no way affiliated with trade associations or marketing groups; it is this independence which has earned them special respect in the industry, and public trust.
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The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for October is O'Connell's Restaurant Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Tom O’Connell – a brother of Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School – established this restaurant’s reputation in its former premises nearby (at Bewley’s Hotel) and, as there was a brief hiatus when the hotel changed ownership, fans were delighted when he found a new home for it in the neighbouring D4 Berkeley Hotel (formerly the Berkeley Court).
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We have some seriously spooky stuff that the kids can help with – perfect for the mid-term break. Not only will carrots help you see in the dark, but they can be made into great ‘Halloween x-ray vision’ party fare. So why not get the kids to “give you a hand” creating Frankenstein Fingers from baby carrots, using flaked almonds as finger nails and assembling them into a pot of slimy green guacamole...
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Hallowe’en is coming up and the evenings are closing in nicely for the bonfire and sparklers – this month’s recipes are ideal for feeding family and friends the casual, hearty fare that you need when everyone is coming and going through the evening. Tasty dishes – and a yummy way to use up the pumpkin flesh once you’ve hollowed it out. And we have some seriously spooky stuff that the kids can help with too – perfect for the mid-term break.
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Lucy Madden muses on our affluence, or lack of it, and thinks she may have got hold of the germ of an idea which could open up a whole new tourist market in Ireland - and give back to children and teenagers some of the freedom and sense of wonder that’s been lost in recent years.
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Mention lamb to most people and it is likely to summon up images of spring - green fields and daffodils, with fluffy lambs gambolling around – but, tasty as tender young lowland lamb may be in spring and summer, there’s a completely different and more characterful variety that comes into season later in the year: mountain lamb.
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No other food epitomises the plenty of autumn like the glorious orange pumpkin - although we may be inclined to underrate its many less flamboyant but very delicious cousins in the extended squash family. The pumpkin is synonymous with Hallowe’en, and the bigger the better - but, once they’ve been hollowed out, shaped into the traditional spooky face and filled with candles, thousands of families are left with a lot of lovely pumpkin flesh that’s looking for a use.
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The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for September is Coopershill House at Riverstown Co Sligo. One of the most delightful and superbly comfortable Georgian houses in Ireland, this sturdy granite mansion was built to withstand the rigours of a Sligo winter but it’s a warm and friendly place.
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The other day found me eating a large meringue before going to lie on my bed, as you do when overwhelmed by a large work-load. Yes, business is very slow: this country has so many bedrooms now. For premises with a large staff to maintain, it must be tough. For those like us who rely on, and now can’t afford, ancillary staff, the work still has to be done.
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