I thought you’d like to have this recipe for my Irish Coffee, as Christmas is around the corner and you might have far too much Irish Whiskey lying around the house but they’re delicious at any time of year! The important rules for making a perfect Irish Coffee are: 1.  Whip the cream before you start! 2.  Make sure your Coffee is hot and strong. 3.  Heat the Glass with boiling water before you assemble the drink, but place a teaspoon into the glass before you add the hot water and this will stop the glass from cracking. 4. Pour out the water and 3/4 fill your glass with hot st ..read more

A Kitchen of Hope is coming to Bray on the 7th November 2022.  This is a charity event to raise money for Beaumount Hospital and The Royal Donnybrook  Hospital.   These hospitals have saved the lives of both James Maguire, son of Kenny Maguire of Kenny Maguire Demos, (he’s a nephew to Neven Maguire) and also Cathal Morahan, son of chef Rory Morahan.  There is no such thing as a free lunch and both families are so thankful  for the positive result. It is time to give something back  They are all bringing together a night of culinary magic to Colaiste Raithin ..read more

With this wonderful weather upon us and the whole of Ireland pulling out their BBQs to take advantage of the sunny afternoons, I thought that I’d give you a tip that will help turn your Barbecue into something really special! The first thing to note is that you should not coat your meat (any type) with the Barbecue sauce until it is almost finished cooking. The reason for this is that the sugars and tomatoes in the BBQ sauce will caramelise and burn on the outside of the meat before it is actually cooked on the inside! Instead you use a Basting Sauce (aka basting stock) while it’s ..read more

The original Jack O Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets and has been a popular tradition here for centuries! Immigrants from Ireland brought the Jack O Lantern tradition with them when they went to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America,  were easier to carve into the perfect Jack O Lanterns and they made great pies too! In recent years, Pumpkin Pie is becoming a popular Halloween dish here in Ireland, as coffee shops and restaurants have been adding this sweet, mousse-like dessert dish to their seasonal menu. I’m a ..read more

Everybody loves Blackberries. There are quite a few runs of pretty good wild Blackberry hedges around where I live. As the roads are quiet enough too, they don’t get infused with exhaust fumes so much. But this year, while nosing around a few old back roads I hit the jackpot and found a good quarter-mile of the biggest,  juiciest, most bountiful blackberry bushes I’ve ever seen! I parked up the car and pulled out the wee bowl my daughter and I had taken with us just in case we found some of these luscious fruits of the forest. It turned out that I needed to use the basin I had ..read more

The smell of roasting Spring Lamb, with garlic and rosemary, creates one of those food memories that can take your mind back to your childhood and make your mouth water at the thought of it! Easter Sunday was always a big occasion in our house when I was growing up as Lent was finally over and we hadn’t eaten a sweet thing for the last 40 days! The history of the Easter Sunday Roast Lamb goes back to the biblical Passover of the Jewish people. A sacrificial lamb was roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and herbs in the hope that the angel of God would “pass over” their home and bring no ha ..read more

The LYIT ‘Chef Academy’ will launch this evening (15th December) across all LYIT social media platforms. The ‘Chef Academy’ will launch with a live stream video from Tim Dewhirst, LYIT Culinary Arts Lecturer and also, Nicola Dunnion, Head of Department of Tourism & Sport on the link below.  The LYIT ‘Chef Academy’ aims to spotlight careers and opportunities available in the Culinary Arts industry. Over the coming months, LYIT’s ‘Chef Academy’ will showcase cooking demonstrations in the state-of-the-art Killybegs facilities.  Also, the LYIT’s on-campus restaurant, in Killybegs ..read more

With this wonderful weather upon us and the whole of Ireland pulling out their BBQs to take advantage of the sunny afternoons, I thought that I’d give you a tip that will help turn your Barbecue into something really special!   The first thing to note is that you should not coat your meat (any type) with the Barbecue sauce until it is almost finished cooking. The reason for this is that the sugars and tomatoes in the BBQ sauce will caramelise and burn on the outside of the meat before it is actually cooked on the inside!   Instead you use a Basting Sauce (aka basting stock)&nbs ..read more

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought I’d share a very simple yet delicious recipe, that you can make easily at home with the kids or for that special person in your life! Taking the time and effort to make this yummy Valentine treat is a lovely way to show someone just how much you really care! Cooking something yummy for the One you Love can bring more happiness than buying it!  These little home-made Chocolate Truffles are so easy to make. Beautifully balanced with a hint of bitter coffee and sweet Irish Baileys Cream, these rich little d ..read more

Last night we were sitting in the kitchen making some St Bridgets’ Crosses, a wee tradition that my good lady has ensured we continue every 31st January. This is traditionally the last day of Winter and the night before St Bridget’s Day (1st February – the first day of Spring). This is an ancient custom in Ireland and the crosses were hung above the entrances to houses and barns to invoke the help of St Bridget in warding off disease. Rushes were traditionally used to make the St Bridget’s Cross. These were collected from wet fields and cut about 18 inches or 450mm long. Rushes ..read more