Storied food
The programme for the West Waterford Food Festival in Dungarvan on April 9th-12th is out and it's bigger and more ambitious than ever. Generations in Irish Food is this year's theme, so you'll find events such as Gillian Nelis talking about food stories with members of the families behind Kelly's Hotel, Beaufield Mews and Ballyvolane House (Sunday, 2pm).
Eunice Power cooks for a dinner celebrating "Generations of West Waterford Food Stories" in Dromana House on the Blackwater – owned by Emily Villiers-Stuart, pictured above – on Friday, 7.30pm. Expect to hear from the Flahavan, Barron and McGrath families. Power goes farther afield to Persia for inspiration for her pop-up dinner in the tennis club (Saturday, 7.30pm). For the full programme and to book events, see westwaterfordfestivaloffood.com.
Irish pride
Nuala Cullen’s Deliciously Irish (Pavilion Books, £20) is a refreshingly modern take on a recipe collection that encapsulates our national cuisine. So while you’ll find lots of inspiration for using our wonderful seafood, meat and vegetables, they are often teamed with ingredients that may not be Irish but are readily available.
Crab soup with saffron, rabbit with almonds, and rose petal ice cream may take their inspiration from beyond these shores, but we have the raw ingredients to do them justice. Cullen is a founder member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild.
Go to work on an egg
Merrion Square in Dublin 2 will be overrun by rabbits on Saturday, April 4th, when the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail kicks off a long weekend of chocolate indulgence. It's in aid of a very good cause, Barnardos, and so will be a perfectly justifiable way to put the new recipe chocolate eggs to the test.
Everyone gets an egg on completion of the trail, and family tickets, €20, can be booked at eastereggtrail.com (click on the tricolour). There are two sessions, 10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm.
Food fight with blogger
Our food columnist JP McMahon goes head to head with food blogger and speciality food retailer Lily Ramirez-Foran in a Spain versus Mexico showdown at Cava restaurant in Galway on Thursday, March 26th. They will be offering a tasting menu of dishes from both countries, with wine, for €50. The battle begins at 7pm, and you’ll get to vote for your favourite at the end of the meal. Bookings are being taken 091-539884.
