SMOKERS WELCOME If you are lucky enough to catch your own salmon in the river Moy, Clarke's seafood deli on O'Rahilly Street in Ballina will smoke it for you in its smokery at the rear of the shop.
And if catch-your-own doesn't appeal, Clarke's sells oak smoked wild Irish salmon (orders up to three kilos: €37 per kilo unsliced, €49 per kilo sliced), Clare Island reared smoked organic salmon, which meets the standard of the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (€32/€42 per kilo), and a range of other smoked fish products. The family-owned concern this week celebrates 60 years in business, and recently opened a second outlet in Westport. Clarke's specialities include spiced smoked salmon, to which a secret spice mix is added during the smoking process (€17 for 500g); smoked silver eel (€29.25 for 800g), and smoked mackerel with basil (€8 for 300g). All can be ordered on-line at www.clarkes.ie. Ciaran Boland (left) caught this 18.15lb salmon on the river Lennon. Marie-Claire Digby.
FRENCH LEAVE At last - an all-inclusive week-long cooking course based at a gorgeous French house with formal gardens, shady terraces and an inviting pool - that won't break the bank. Con McLoughlin and Karen Austin were part of the original group that bought Lettercollum House in Timoleague, Co Cork in the early 1980s with the intention of living a self-sufficient lifestyle. Although that plan fell by the wayside, McLoughlin and Austin stayed put and developed a successful guesthouse, restaurant, organic garden and cookery school at Lettercollum. They have now sold the restaurant and guesthouse, which will revert to being a private house, and plan to develop the walled garden, stable block and barn as a new home for their food enterprises and cookery school.
Their upcoming programme includes two courses based in Le Cerf Gris in Moux, a village in the Corbières wine region of the Languedoc. From May 29th to June 4th you can immerse yourself in a French country cooking, and on September 17th-23rd the emphasis is on Provençal and Languedoc vegetarian cookery. Both courses include demonstrations, hands-on cooking sessions and trips to local markets and producers, as well as tutored wine tastings. And the good news - the all-in cost, including all meals, wine and accommodation, is €795 per person. Transfers to and from either Carcassonne - Ryanair will operate direct flights there from April - or Narbonne airport are also included. The cost for non-participating partners is €450, and if he/she still can't be persuaded, the single supplement is a very reasonable €50. Bookings are being taken on 023-46251, or check it out at www.lettercollum.ie. Le Cerf Gris is also the venue for painting, mosaic, walking and yoga holidays during the summer - check out www.artholiday.com. Marie-Claire Digby
KEEP THURSDAYS FREE Where can you find a five-course themed dinner, with expertly-chosen wines to accompany each course, for €85? Johnny Cooke, of Cooke's restaurant at 14, South William Street, Dublin 2 will be rattling the pans and conjuring up Spanish, Italian and Moroccan feasts on Thursdays, February 24th (Spain); March 10th (Italy) and April 14th (Morocco and North Africa). The wines are being chosen by Rafael Alvarez and bookings are being taken on 01-6790536. Marie-Claire Digby