6 Irish Cookbooks to Inspire You
Though this has been an unusual time (to say the least), the seasons continue to come and go as normal! And it’s a great time to try out new dishes. If you’re not too confident in the kitchen, there are some fantastic Irish cookbooks available, with delicious recipes to suit every taste. Here’s some of the best...
1. Neven Maguire: Midweek Meals
A great place to start if you want to improve your skills in the kitchen is celebrity chef Neven Maguire’s latest, Midweek Meals. Divided into handy sections like ‘One Pan Dinners’ and ‘Cupboard’s Bare’, it's packed with family favourites that are fun and easy to prepare.
2. John and Sally McKenna: Milk
John and Sally McKenna know Irish food; they’ve been curating the best places to eat guide for nearly 30 years. This latest collection is a celebration of Irish milk, which they say is some of the best in the world, thanks to our lush green pastures for grazing. As well as recipes including milk, the book explores the history, culture and health benefits of this unique ingredient.
3. The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone
If, on the other hand, you’re vegan (or looking to reduce your consumption of animal products), the Happy Pear have just released another excellent book. Vegan Cooking for Everyone showcases the Greystones twins’ immense knowledge when it comes to prepping tasty meat and dairy-free dishes.
4. Trisha Lewis: Trisha’s Transformation
To an inspirational story next; Limerick chef Trisha Lewis set herself a weight loss goal in the days before her 30th birthday. Now eight stone lighter, she shares her journey in Trisha’s Transformation, also packed full of recipes and tips to help you maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
5. Gina and Karol Daly: The Daly Dish
Keen to lose weight, food lovers Gina and Karol decided to create an Instagram account to log their favourite ‘fakeaway’ recipes. It’s now got over 150k followers, thanks to DIY dishes with a healthy twist, like their mouth-watering spice bag, cheesey hot wings, and steak kebab! The channel’s popularity inspired the pair’s first cookbook, The Daly Dish.
6. Rory O’Connell: The Joy of Food
Finally, The Joy of Food is a charming collection of recipes from Rory O’Connell, brother of renowned chef Darina Allen and co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Celebrating seasonal Irish produce, the book also features gorgeous illustrations by Rory, who’s passionate about simple cooking techniques and first-rate ingredients.
Stir it Up
For further inspiration, look no further than this year’s shortlist for the An Post Irish Book Awards Cookbook of the Year which includes simple and delicious vegan recipes from Roz Purcell in No Fuss Vegan, along with Clodagh McKenna’s tips for delicious weeknight meals in Clodagh’s Weeknight Kitchen with photographer Dora Kazmie.
Neven Maguire’s Midweek Meals in Minutes, The Daly Dish, The Joy of Food and The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone round out the rest of this year’s shortlist.
Like what you see? Find more book recommendations. Let us know what you think of Liz’s recommendations, or share your own favourite authors with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter– using #ReadersWanted.