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Destination Spotlight
A Winter’s Road Trip
Ireland’s Ancient East: A Winter’s Road Trip The Spinc Glendalough Pinned between dense forest and a vertiginous drop, I carefully pick my way along... -
According to research carried out by safefood, men and young adults have low confidence levels when it comes to cooking their own food. The survey which measured the state of the nation’s cooking skills found this group was the least able to put a meal on the table for themselves. Fussy eating and time pressures were identified in the research as being barriers to home cooking. On the plus side, the survey showed that keeping basic food cupboard ingredients and sharing cooking responsibilities were viewed as positive ways to encourage more home cooking. Introducing the research, Dr. Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director of Human Health & Nutrition at safefood said: “We don’t need to be a domestic god or goddess to put a healthy and safe meal on the table. However for most of us, food skill involves being able to plan meals ahead, make a shopping list, use leftovers and have some quick meal ideas in the cupboard.” LEARNing to cook is A LIFE SKILL Learning to cook is an essential life skill that we should all possess. It’s well reported that good homecooked food is the best way to be sure of what you are eating and will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. If you’re going to be relying on commercially ready meals and takeaways to keep you sustained every day, you could find the weight piles on at the very least. At worst, the health issues associated with a fast-food diet are widely reported and can be fatal. But let’s not spread doom and gloom here. For anyone who thinks they could do with improvement in the kitchen, it’s possible and relatively easy to grasp the basics of cooking which can then be built upon, to grow a repertoire of quick and easy everyday meals. HOW TO START Like anything, the first step to this happening is to want it to happen. The second step is to make it happen. How do you start? BUY A COOKERY BOOK Invest in a good cookbook that is presented in easy to understand style and goes through the most basic recipes, with scope to get adventurous as confidence levels rise. Clodagh McKenna’s In Minutes is packed with flavourful, speedy recipes that you can cook from start to finish in 10, 20 and 30 minutes, a cooking bible for those who are trying to manage a busy life. Clodagh is the master of accessible cooking that looks good and makes you feel good. She is obsessed with simple recipes that encourage you to cook from scratch most nights of the week. Speed and simplicity are key. Buy a Cookbook PRACTICE COOKING Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. Nothing gives you a better experience in cooking than doing it again and again and again till you get it right. And believe us, if the interest levels are there in the first place, it won’t take long for you to be impressing yourself. Confidence builds confidence. It all starts from there. ATTEND A COOKERY CLASS Cookery classes are of enormous value to first-time cooks and novices. Getting together with a group of other people who are in the same boat as you create camaraderie and support for each other’s efforts. It’s surprising how quickly group bonding and praise can raise confidence levels in the kitchen! There may be cookery classes near you. Check your local library for night classes. In the Good Food Ireland network, there are several cookery schools with teachers who love to share their knowledge with students of all levels. Ballymaloe Cookery School For more advanced cooking enthusiasts Ballymaloe Cookery School offers a prestigious 12 Week Certificate Course, which covers a wide range of international cuisines and professional techniques. some of the good food ireland® Established Chefs Below is a selection of just some of the Good Food Ireland® chefs, many of whom own or operate their own successful restaurants. Frankie Mallon Frankie Mall, Chef Propietor at An Port Mór in Westport, Co. Mayo. JP McMahon JP McMahon, Owner/Chef and Patron of Aniar and Cava Bodega a Spanish tapas restaurant in Galway city. Jerome Fernandes Jerome Fernandes, Head Chef and Owner of Guine Pig in Dalkey, Dubli. Chris Molloy Chris Molloy, is a Chef at this truly family-run restaurant, The Lemon Tree Restaurant in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. The Journey of a Chef No two journeys are ever the same, but below we give you an overall process of what may be involved in becoming a chef. Becoming an accomplished chef is a journey of constant learning and improvement, it takes time, dedication and many hours of hard work but the reward is worth the sacrifice.
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What To Do In The Garden In October
October is traditionally a ‘tidy up’ month for gardeners and growers. Much of the harvest has come to fruition by now, excluding some pumpkins which... -
Seasonal Fruits Of Halloween
The night of magical happenings is soon upon us! Tuesday 31st October is Halloween. All Hallows Eve (All Saints Eve) is the correct name, so-called because... -
Halloween Toffee Apple Time!
Halloween is fast approaching! Shops are beginning to fill with little treats for the annual trick or treaters knocking on your door. Pumpkins will soon... -
Apple Harvest Time With Good Food Ireland
It’s Irish Apple Time! Ever since Eve was tempted to eat the apple by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, this seasonal autumn fruit has been... -
The Raw Food Revolution
Raw food is on the up for 2022. Joining vegetarianism and veganism (plant-based eating) is the food trend that takes root in the movement toward eating... -
Time To Start Diggin’ Winter Spuds
The Irish are known for loving the humble spud. Solanum tuberosum, to give it the Latin name, has been buried deep in the psyche of the Irish for centuries.... -
Did You Know? It’s Oyster Month…
We’re talking oysters! These shellfish are a love/hate thing. If you love them, you really love them! So presuming you do, here’s a little bit of info... -
The Word On Menus With Good Food Ireland
Working out the menu can often be the most challenging thing about going out to eat. What do you get when you pick from the ‘A la Carte’ as opposed... -
Best Places To Eat Sunday Lunch
Sunday equals a Sunday lunch! This meal, usually a roast with all the trimmings, was always the norm in every home, on the day of rest when all the family... -
Travel
10 Fabulous Food Tours In Ireland 1: Achill Island Farm Tours Fancy a food tour on a working farm? Then head to Achill Island in Co Mayo and meet the Calvey family and their flock of wild Mayo Blackface Mountain Sheep. On a Calvey farm tour, you’ll witness the working sheepdog’s herd flocks of wild sheep and also get to see sheep shearing using old-fashioned hand shears. For a pure taste of the wild Mayo landscape, you’ll finish the farm experience with a warming, comforting bowl of Achill Mountain Lamb stew. “If you’re looking for a genuine, authentic ‘remote rural’ sheep farming experience and you enjoy meeting the characters involved, here’s a true-to-life window into the vernacular, the local culture and the craic,” says Martina Calvey of her farm tours. Fancy some farmyard fun, Book a Tour 2: Wilde Irish Chocolates Factory Tour Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the doors of an artisan chocolate maker? Well, this is a rare opportunity to join the team and experience the homeliness and authenticity of a small working chocolate factory. You will hear the story of how it started, see demonstrations of how the chocolate bars are made but also have the unique opportunity to witness the busy chocolate-making professionals at work, whether it’s hand-piping chocolate fillings, decorating some of the 50 varieties of bars, or even the development of secret new products. After getting this fantastic Factory Tour you’ll have a chance to taste the lovely chocolate made here. Patricia is mad about chocolate as has been making it since 1997 in her small artisan chocolate factory on the shores of Lough Derg, in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. She loves talking about her chocolates and having fun as she works, believing that with great ingredients and great people visiting, the magic comes together to make this happen. You are now invited to join in the fun and experience the magical world of chocolate! Book a Tour 3: Belfast in Four Drinks Belfast in Four Drinks- A slug of Belfast’s history with our fully trained and accredited guides. We start our tour with a pint of Guinness at the Duke of York where you’ll discover the fascinating history of the Cathedral Quarter. You’ll also hear the story of a Gaelic Lord who ran out of wine with disastrous consequences for him but which radically altered the history of Belfast. We then cross to the Harp Bar and over a Jawbox Gin & Ginger, you’ll hear how the production of whiskey and carbonated water were at the heart of Belfast’s industrial success in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Dander to the Friend at Hand Irish Whiskey shop for a bespoke tasting of an Irish single malt. Last orders are in the Poetry Garden of the Dark Horse where, over a craft beer, you’ll spot local legends in the murals with plenty of time to take photographs and selfies. Hear about Belfast’s musical heritage and its famous actors, writers and poets. Book a Tour
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Tour The English Market In Cork
The English Market in Cork is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Donal O’Drisceoil, the co-author of Serving a City: The Story of Cork’s English...