While pumpkins are not native to Ireland, they are in great demand during the autumn, from Halloween straight through to Christmas. In the U.S., we use pumpkins and other winter squash varieties in many sweet and savory dishes, always enticed by the look of a supermarket display or a roadside…

When friends and families get together these days to (responsibly) celebrate, you might want to add this rich pound cake to the menu. Grand Marnier and citrus are the perfect aromatics to flavor it, and olive oil makes it moist and delicious. It’s a perfect recipe for summer entertaining,…

Social distance. Work from home. Shelter in place. Self-quarantine. The new normal appears to be upon us, whether we like it or not. As much as I would prefer to be out and about, I do find solace in my kitchen, and this new confinement has given me the time to bake some brown soda bread recipes…

By definition, chutney is a relish-like sauce made with fruit, sugar, spices, and vinegar. It was often made to give late summer and autumn fruits a long shelf life and was used to add contrasting flavor to meats, especially poultry and game. It’s also a great — make that fabulous — addition to a…

Actually, they’re already here — and in great abundance I might add — in supermarkets, at farm stands, and on doorsteps everywhere. In the kitchen, their tasty orange flesh is used in all kinds of recipes, from morning muffins to delicious breads and loaves. I personally love to make pumpkin…

Strawberry season has just arrived where I live in the Northeast. The season is over almost as quickly as it arrives, so I grab as many as possible and eat, bake, or freeze them as fast as I can. As the Fourth of July approaches, they’re especially colorful in red, white and blue scones, treats you…

If it’s March, then it’s time to start thinking of soda bread, one of Ireland’s most iconic foods. It's safe to say that every Irish cook has a recipe for it that's been personalized by families either by name, ingredients, or method of baking. A few decades ago, I judged an Irish cooking contest and…

It’s official — autumn arrived on Friday, September 22 — and that means apples, pears, and roast pork!  I grew up with pork chops and applesauce, pork roasts cooked with apple juice or cider and, eventually, this sophisticated peppered pork loin cooked with Irish Mist and served with apple-pear chutney that seems to scream “fall.” You’ll find this and other delicious autumn recipes in my newest cookbook Favorite Flavors of Ireland. To…

There’s something about mid-October that I love — the weather, the thought that Halloween (and Thanksgiving) is right around the corner, and baking breads like this “brack,” a fruity loaf from the Quay House, in Clifden, County Galway. Dating from about 1820, it’s the town’s oldest building, was originally a…