You might say that in Ireland all roads lead to tea. From breakfast and lunch breaks to weddings and wakes, cupan tea is always a welcome guest. Irish tea is far more than just a hot drink to go with a scone and jam: It’s an important custom that serves as a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and…

The ancient Celtic harvest feast called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, the “darker half” of the year. It’s celebrated on October 31-November 1, which is nearly halfway between the…

With peaches still available at local farm stands, you’ll love this recipe for baked peaches filled with ground almonds and amaretti cookies. Top them with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, or mascarpone cheese. You’ll find recipes like this in my cookbook Favorite Flavors of Ireland; signed copies available from…

Who says making a fresh apple dessert takes hours? You can assemble this delicious free-form apple tart in minutes and pop it into the oven while you’re having dinner. Apple pie (or tart) with ice cream is a classic dessert, but you might want to try it with a drizizle of prepared caramel sauce instead. You’ll…

As August comes to a close, the fruits of summer show no signs of slowing down — lots of peaches, blackberries, plums, and nectarines available for snacking and baking. This tart recipe starts with a shortbread-like crust, and then it’s filled with peaches and blackberries (you can substitute blueberries and add…

With the recent stretch of warm — make that HOT — weather in Ireland and elsewhere, everyone wants to dine al fresco. I know I’ve been eating three meals a day in the great outdoors, especially brunch on weekends when I’ve been serving these delicious pancakes topped with blueberries. You’ll find recipes…

As Independence Day approaches in the United States, out come the BBQ's, the American flags, and just about anything red, white and blue — including recipes for these fruity, berry-filled scones. You can actually eat them all day; lathered with a little butter or clotted cream for breakfast or brunch or with a…

Strawberry season is finally here! In fact, the entire month of June is considered to be “strawberry month” and “National Strawberry Shortcake Day” is celebrated June 14. According to Driscoll’s, a California company celebrating over 100 years of growing berries, “The first printed shortcake recipe appeared in an…

Lemon desserts seem to be more delicious on a spring day, but you’ll want to keep this one on a year-round basis to have with a cup of tea. Technically, it fits into the “quick bread” baking category, but the glaze definitely elevates it to a cake. Whatever you call…

Chocolate is definitely the flavor-of-the-month when Easter rolls around, so you might want to add just one more recipe — like this creamy cheesecake — to your dessert basket. You’ll find this and other springtime desserts in my cookbook, Flavors of Ireland. Signed copies are available on…

When it comes time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, soda bread, bacon and cabbage, and Guinness probably rise to the top of the holiday menu. And why not? These iconic dishes are among the most popular for the Irish worldwide, and one more recipe, like this oatmeal and stout cake, is never one-too-many! Its…

Once June rolls into July, the strawberry season in most parts of the country comes to a halt. I can never get enough of them though, and I love this tasty combination of sliced fresh berries topped with strawberry purée. The elderflower mousse and brown sugar crumble can be used on other seasonal fruits, so keep the…

There are over 3,000 known pear varieties grown around the world, each with a distinctive character, texture, and flavor. The most popular and recognizable pears are the yellow Bartlett, egg-shaped Anjou, graceful Bosc, pudgy Comice, and tiny Forelle. Crisp, crunchy, and sweet, U.S.-grown pears are harvested from the…

 Last week we officially welcomed the first full day of autumn, so you know what that means — crisps, crumbles, and pies made with apples, with fall’s favorite fruit. From a culinary standpoint, there’s little difference in an apple crisp and an apple crumble except for the topping, either an oat-based streusel or one…

In my last post, I confessed to my love of cheese and my nearly non-stop indulgence in it while traveling through Ireland in May. On quite a few occasions, I found cheese, especially goat’s cheese, paired with beets in a sweet-tangy combination that is — no pun intended — unbeatable! At Reg’s in Waterford, a…

Why settle for a dessert with only one kind of berry when you can combine all the best the season has to offer in a dish appropriately called “Summer Pudding.” This deliciously simple sweet some attribute to the English; however, it's popular with Irish cooks as well and can be made either as one large pudding or as single serves in…

The festival of Lughnasadh or Lughnasa (pronounced LOO-na-se) marks the beginning of the harvest season that was historically observed throughout Ireland and other Celtic nations. Originally held July 31-August 1, or approximately halfway between the…