Darina Allen: Cookbooks to gift and recipes for smashed potatoes and Christmas fudge

There’s nothing in the world that Richard cares more about than bread except perhaps, his beautiful wife Henrietta, aka ‘The Rare Tea Lady’ whose book Infused, about tea is also worth seeking out. It’s a deep dive into the story of exquisite teas, made by small farmers who are totally passionate about it.

Next up — Anna Haugh, one of our own. According to Gordon Ramsay, “Anna Haugh is definitely one of the most talented chefs ever to come out of Ireland”.

Anna hails from Tallaght in Dublin. Many of you will know her from her TV series, No Place like Home. Anna lives for cooking, is super driven and, as long as she can remember, has been determined to learn more to hone her craft. She worked in the kitchens of many of the greats, Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain, then onto Gaultiero Marchesi in Paris, back to London to work with Philip Howard, Shane Osborne, Gordon Ramsay. Anna was inspired by my mother-in-law’s Myrtle Allen’s philosophy at Ballymaloe House so she named her restaurant in London, Myrtle as a tribute.

You’ll love her first cookbook Cooking with Anna, modern home cooking with an Irish heart.

Next, a book given to me by a friend as a present saying “I think you might just love this”, Recipes for my London Kitchen by Cathy Gayner (self-published). No bells and whistles but so many delicious recipes that you’ll be tempted to cook, including this little jam.

I have indeed become very fond of it. We all need to have a few quick and easy standbys in our repertoire. Not all the recipes are as quick as these, but they are all ‘keepers’. The book is sold in aid of charities in Suffolk benefiting disadvantaged youth and elderly. Afterwards I saw that Cathy’s book has drawn praise from both Rick Stein and Albert Roux — how about that?

For historians in your life, it would be difficult to beat the following two — An Irish Food Story, 100 foods that made us, by the remarkable JP McMahon. A brilliantly researched and beautifully written book it has notable end pages by Nataliia Dragunova. The chapters are short, hope JP will forgive me for saying that it’s a perfect book to pick up in the loo.

Book of the year for my money is Irish Food History — a companion by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, and Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni Dorothy Cashman, with contributions from multiple scholars. A meticulously researched tome that has garnered praise and awards from many quarters including Bookselling Ireland - Food and Drink Book of the Year at the recent An Post Book Awards.

I can’t finish without mentioning Nature Boy, written by ecologist and ornithologist Seán Ronayne, an extraordinary young man from Cobh who has made such a huge contribution to mankind and nature by recording the bird song of all our species in Ireland and beyond. 

Christmas Fudge

To Is Moment Plete Really Recipe And A Fudge Excellent A Make Takes For It This Cheat

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Time Total

 2 hours 15 mins

Course

 Dessert

ingredients

• Chocolate Best White 500g

• Of Jar Mincemeat 400g

method

1. Water, The Can Still Find, The Chocolate Over While Melt White You Stir Mincemeat Boiling Heat, The In On Barely

2. Of Slicing Tin Lined A It Makes Loaf Couple Before Hours For Good Into Prettily, A Present And Wrapped Pour Refrigerate A

Pistachio Pesto

To Cheese This Nuts Leftover Of Supper I Have Favourite To Happen Herbs, Often I My Whatever Make Use One An Is Binations Instant And

Servings

3

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Side

ingredients

• 100g Leaves Basil

• Pistachios 75g

• Garlic 1 Clove

• 70g Pecorino

• Olive Oil 120ml

• Pepper Salt And

method

1. In an ideal world, this should be done in a pestle and mortar, but I am no purist, so I whizz everything up in a food processor and it takes no more than a moment to produce something irresistible.

Creamed Eggs

Am A A Have Guest Up Ingredients Have Substitute When Is Don’t The Any Just Cream, Probably Standby Recipe Will You Already My I Or Milk Hurry If When But This You Turns All In Unexpectedly

Servings

6

Time Preparation

 5 mins

Time Cooking

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Grated 45g Cheddar,

• 45g Parmesan, Grated

• 125ml Milk

• Cream 125ml

• Eggs 3

• 6 Crisp Until Rashers, Bacon, Smoked Streaky Cooked

• Pepper

method

1. In Mixture Into And Eggs The And Milk Divide Whisk Black Season Cheese The Ramekin Stir Of Pepper Of Between Dishes 6 Plenty With The Cream, Bacon The

2. Up For 10 And The And 200°c/gas Are Golden Dishes 15 Into Until The At Cook 6 Tops Fan) Puffed Pour Or Mark Ramekin (180°c Minutes

Smashed Potatoes

10 – Them Cooked Fan) Just Frozen Done Minutes 200°c/gas For Can Be At In Ahead (180°c Way Mark Hours 6 Even Potatoes Reheat And This

Servings

4

Time Preparation

 5 mins

Time Cooking

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Side

ingredients

• Potatoes, Small Until Just Tender Boiled 500g

• 100g Butter

• Plump 1 Crushed Garlic Clove,

• Grated 25g Parmesan,

• Tsp Paprika 1 Heaped Smoked

• 1 Or Heaped Oregano Tsp Thyme

• Clove, Garlic Crushed 1 Plump

• And Pepper Salt

method

1. Minute And For Butter Garlic Cook Than Melt The No A More The

2. Other Well And In Season Ingredients Stir All The

3. The A Tin On And This Baking Potatoes Roasting In Coat Arrange Mixture Parchment In Them

4. Potato For With A Cook At (180°c Each Masher Fan) And 6 25 Minutes Gently Mark 200°c/gas Squash One

All recipes from A London Kitchen by Cathy Gayner.

Myrtus ugni

I’ve just discovered that Carewswood Garden Centre in Castlemartyr, Co Cork have now got Myrtus ugni in stock. It’s one of my favourite Christmas pressies for my foodie friends.

It’s got many common names, Strawberry myrtle because of its strawberry-flavoured fruit, to tazziberry by which it is known in Australia and New Zealand.

Myrtus ugni is native to the Valdivian rainforest in southern Chile. It was first introduced to Europe in the 1840’s where it quickly became Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit. In recent years it has become a popular plant among chefs, but it’s not commercially grown so much. It flowers in spring with delicate, fragrant flowers, which turn into delicious wine coloured berries by mid- autumn, often staying on the shrub long after Christmas — delicious particularly with game, in salads, relishes, or float in a festive gin and tonic!

carewswood.ie

The Mince Pie Project

Hilary Quinn’s Mince Pie Project is back in full swing and is open for online orders. Hilary’s delicious handmade pies are made with plump dried fruit soaked in Barry’s Tea, beef suet from Frank Murphy Butcher’s in Midleton, Green Saffron spices, and a signature flaky pastry crust. Eat them warm with lots of Irish whiskey cream.

€1 from every mince pie sold will be donated to Marymount Hospice in Cork.

For more, see @hilary_quinn on Instagram.

Support local this Christmas

Let’s all make a determined effort to support local businesses, bookshops, artisan producers, and bakers this Christmas.

Just €1 spent locally can generate €4 extra in the community as opposed to €1 spent online via a well-known website…shopping locally helps to keep jobs in Irish towns and villages.