Happy November! I’m purposely posting today so I can shock you into thoughts of the coming holidays: Thanksgiving in 24 days and Christmas, well, you know when that is! Shopping aside, it’s also time to start planning holiday foods, and what better ingredient than Irish smoked salmon for both. You might want to…

The ancient Celtic harvest feast called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) is celebrated October 31-November 1, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, the “darker half” of the year. It was suggested in the late 19th century that it was the “Celtic New Year,” and over time, Samhain and All…

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…

Delicious on their own, pears are also a wonderful ingredient in recipes from sweet-tart salads to sweeter-than-sweet pies and tarts. They’re great partnered with blue cheese — Kerrygold’s Cashel Blue…

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…

You’ll love this Irish cheese-inspired dip for the slightly Mediterranean taste it gets from the marinated artichokes, the color it gets from the spinach, and the creamy texture from Kerrygold’s Dubliner and cream cheese. Perfect for autumn get-togethers, football Sunday, or a family gathering, it’s delicious with…

Next Saturday marks one of the most celebrated days on the Irish calendar, the day the optimists call “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day.” It’s a great excuse for a trip to an Irish pub, or at least a good reason to serve some foods with the name “Irish” in them — you know the ones: Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, Irish Cream…

Okay, it’s not the Super Bowl, but for fans of Ireland, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic pitting Boston College against Georgia Tech in Dublin on Saturday was nothing short of “super!” Regrettably, I didn't attend the big game at Aviva Stadium, won by Georgia Tech 17-14, but I’m delighted to count myself among…

BLACKBERRY TIME

Late August, given heavy rain and sun

For a full week, the blackberries would ripen,

At first, just one, a glossy purple clot

Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.

You ate that first one and its flesh was…

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…

I really love cheese, and ever since I was introduced to Irish-made cheese — from the great selection of Kerrygold cheeses like Dubliner, Blarney Castle, and Swiss to harder-to-find ones like Cashel Blue, Ardrahan, or St. Tola — I enjoy it as often as I can. When I go to Ireland, as I did in May, I order it whenever I see it on…

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…

When I wrote my first cookbook more than 20 years ago, nearly half of all the recipes I received from Irish chefs contained what they called “a taste of Ireland” — a small dose of Guinness, whiskey, Irish cream, or some other variety of Irish “spirit.”

We all know better now that to be an authentic Irish…

On a recent visit to Ireland I discovered two delicious breads made with yogurt: one from Flahavan’s, the well-known company that’s been milling oats in Kilmacthomas, County Waterford, for 200 years, and another from Catherine Leyden, the chef who presents lovely recipes on RTE using Odlum’s flours. You’ll find more…

Whether you cultivate an herb garden, grow a few in pots, or simply find them irresistible at your market or farm stand, the thought of cooking with fresh herbs is, frankly, irresistible! Our Italian friends can take credit for caprese, that great summer salad of tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil, but I’ve found the…

Eton Mess is an easy-to-assemble classic summer dish with a rather inelegant name. Said to have originated at Eton College during its annual cricket game against the students of Harrow School, it was first…

Now that it’s officially summer, access to fresh vegetables is limitless. Zucchini, peas, and carrots are some of the most popular and, coincidentally, some of the best ingredients for summer soups, both hot and cold. This zucchini soup is not only colorful and delicious, it’s also very trendy served chilled in…

Grilling season is officially here, and when it comes to cooking up something special for Dad, a juicy steak, some delicious potato cakes, and an Irish-inspired steak sauce are just the ticket. A full-bodied red wine or a glass of cold beer complete the picture! You’ll find more delicious recipes like this in my “Flavors of…