Articles

Back in late summer when the broad beans, early peas and early spuds were finished cropping, I cleaned up the beds and sowed a green manure called phacelia in the beds (the seeds were broadcast liberally in the soil and then raked in). The seeds germinated within a few days, and within weeks we had a lovely carpet of light green plants covering the beds. This week, the phacelia was ready to be cut down and dug in to the soil.
more...

The Christmas crop of food books is exceptionally heavy this season - I was tempted to test this, literally, on the bathroom scales as there’s been a move towards posh hardbacks since the recession started and the difference in weight is very noticeable.
more...

Coming from areas such as Connemara, Kerry and West Waterford, where a rugged terrain with heathers, wild herbs and grasses produces a distinctive texture and herbal flavour, Irish hill lamb is smaller and leaner than its lowland cousins and its season is much later, running from late summer to early winter. During the last decade it has become recognised as a delicacy – and one with added health benefits at that - and is increasingly seen under regional branding.
more...

Marilyn Bright talks to Kate Cooke who, together with her husband Andrew, runs QC’s Bar, Restaurant & Townhouse in Caherciveen, Co Kerry - where, bucking the trend for the area this year, 2013 will go down as a bumper season.
more...

The 'Just Ask!' Restaurant of the Month for October is unique, as it goes to one of Ireland's true leaders in the field of food provenance - and the consistency of the message tells its own story.
more...

Everything about Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy’s long-established restaurant in Dingle Town is a delight, especially the local provenance and seasonality which is its raison d'etre, and any food lover attending the Dingle Food Festival (Thu 4th - Sun 7th October 2012) should have a visit here high on the list of treats to look forward to over what is sure to be a very pleasurable weekend.
more...

Marilyn Bright talks to Marguerite Howley of Castle Murray House Hotel, St John's Point, Dunkineely, Co Donegal. From a cliff-top above the long toe of St John's Point, diners in Castle Murray House Hotel have a perfect view of Donegal Bay and the Atlantic coast where some of the world's best seafood is landed.
more...

To introduce herself and her new monthly column, well known foodie Rachel Gaffney explains how she came to be an American mom flying the flag for Ireland in Texas...
more...

Euro-Toques chef Martin Dwyer, much missed in Ireland since he and his wife Sile sold their eponymous restaurant in Waterford and moved to France, begins a fascinating column about their new life in the Languedoc
more...

This month Darina focuses on authenticity and labelling – this was one of the main themes at the recent TASTE Council Annual Summer School at BrookLodge Hotel, Co Wicklow, where she chaired one of the main sessions.
more...