Soda bread may have become quite popular outside of Ireland, but I've never seen treacle soda anywhere else. This dark sticky soda bread was sold as farls when I was …
The passing of Seamus Heaney this week brought me great sadness and immense homesickness. He wrote so evocatively about rural Northern Ireland and in a dialect that is so familiar …
You will have probably realised from the photographs that these are macaroons, not macaron. Big hulking coconut numbers rather than their dainty Gallic cousins with their egg white shells. These …
I remain ever optimistic that spring, never mind summer, is just around the corner. Warm light evenings, the smell of barbecues in the air, Pimms on the patio, all the …
Baked goods have become very complicated these days. Cakes are 7 layered wonders, iced to Sistine Chapel like standards. Cupcakes have wacky flavourings and enough frosting to get lost in. …
I recently rediscovered a childhood treat that I associate with birthdays and special occasions: frothy jelly! Basically a mousse made with jelly and whipped evaporated milk, it was soft creamy …
When I was a child, I hadn't yet discovered my high umami fascination. Olives didn't tickle me, I only liked anchovies marinaded and one of the strongest memories of disliking …
My ice cream life was varied and disparate when I was a wain. There was the exquisite gelato of family holidays to Italy ( scene of one of my most …
My childhood was punctuated by marshmallows. One of my aunts had a particular soft spot for them and visits to her house weren't complete without dipping into the bag of …
Growing up reciting the Lord's Prayer everyday at school, it made perfect sense that we asked to be given our daily bread. Belfast is a city of bakeries and practically …
Halloween is a big deal in Ireland. We don't celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night (for obvious reasons in Northern Ireland) but the Irish have been holding a celebration around this time …
As if autumn wasn't good enough with its abundance of harvest items, sunny days that don't actually require SPF and mellow fruitfulness, it also has Halloween. This is the perfect …
I grew up on apples and even though more fashionable and fancy fruits have come along since then, none of them have replaced the apple as well, the apple of …
July is a hot month back home in Belfast. Not especially due to the weather, but because of the slightly heightened feeling on the streets due to the Orange Order …
Having invited some friends to Sunday brunch, I wasn't quite sure what to make. Combining two meals into one raises the stakes somewhat and a rubbery fried egg and some …
The Ulster Fry is the national dish of Northern Ireland. It must never be referred to as a 'fry-up', but can be affectionately called a 'heart-attack on a plate' instead. …
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