I started The Flavour Files in 2012 and have added recipes celebrating our wonderful Irish produce ever since. My recipes show great produce is as much at home on our kitchen tables as on a restaurant menu. It's not just recipes though - there is news, reviews & other writing too!
September 30, 2021
I was invited to attend a virtual launch of the second release of two whiskeys from Bushmills Distillery, the oldest Irish whiskey distillery in the world. Read all about the 2011 Sauternes Cask and 1995 Marsala Cask releases here… Following the launch of The Causeway Collection to worldwide acclaim last year, Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is […]
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July 2, 2021
Heading to Cork city this weekend and looking for something new to sink your teeth into? With so many great outdoor dining options in the city, included the much-lauded Prince’s Street transformation and Marina Market, you might be looking to try something else this weekend. I’ve been taking opportunities to pop up to the city […]
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April 20, 2021
Shines Seafood recently donated 1,000 tins of their new product: Tinned Winter Mackerel, to the charity Inner City Help the Homeless in Dublin. Shines Seafood from Killybegs in Donegal have launched a new range of tinned winter mackerel products. Winter Mackerel is three times higher in Omega 3 fatty acids that Summer Mackerel providing a […]
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January 12, 2021
I recently asked 143 V Café for top tips for Vegan lunch on the go for an article. Proprietor Lauren Marples came back with some – and a whole lot more. What couldn’t be used in the article now has a home here! 143 V Café opened in 2017, a diminutive and unfussy space serving […]
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January 6, 2021
Looking for some excellent quality Vegan-friendly wines this Veganuary? Fionnuala Harkin from Wines Direct and the wonderful Wine Shed gives her top picks for vino-loving vegans this January… Fionnuala is a woman of many talents when it comes to wine! Not only is she a wine merchant for the wonderful Wines Direct, she is also […]
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December 14, 2020
These milkshakes are strictly for adults only. If, like me, you loved the Cocktail at Home craze of this Covid Year, you’ll adore Hard Milkshakes. Just don’t let the kids near them… A few years ago, I found myself in London by myself for one night. I was going to be spending a couple of […]
Read morePlanning a visit to West Cork and want the low-down on the best artisan foods in the region? Or maybe just keen to support local food producers? A copy of the Artisan Food Guide will be your invaluable resource, and ideal for planning an independent food adventure of your own too!
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November 24, 2020
Rich Black Pudding combined with Irish Black Butter was a mad experiment that turned out delicious. Good for snaffling down with a glass of festive porter. A proper canape! Irish Black Butter isn’t butter at all, but an old Irish tradition that goes back hundreds of years to a time when Armagh was known as […]
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November 24, 2020
While researching for old Christmas cake recipes for an article, I came across lots of mentions of a Caraway Seed Cake that no-one seems to make anymore… So I asked around, and it turns out those who remember it from their childhood never used to like it because of the caraway seeds. One person told […]
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November 15, 2020
Need some helpful advice on what foodie gifts are out there this year? Check this out! More will be added regularly so visit often for an ogle! Every year, I’m asked to compile a few Christmas Gift Guides for the various publications I write for, but I am always pressed for space and although I […]
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October 16, 2020
This is one from the archives that I had almost forgotten about, but it’s so hugely fun to look at and easy to make, I’ve decided to recycle it for the blog! If nothing else, it’ll make you giggle like a kid, plus it tastes pretty good too. And of course there is always the […]
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October 16, 2020
Bonfire Night in Ireland means something completely different to Bonfire Night in England. In Ireland, Bonfire Night is on 23rd June to celebrate St John’s Eve, and like most of Ireland’s feast days, the roots are in Celtic pagan times that cross over into religious celebrations. To burn bonfires on St John’s Eve is to […]
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October 16, 2020
When I say biscuit, its part that and partly scone. Bready and toothsome, deeply savoury and just about the perfect partner with a serving of Bangers & Colcannon or a hearty rooty soup to warm the cockles on a chilly day. Mr Flavour swears he can taste bacon in these biscuits but I assure him […]
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October 16, 2020
It’s autumn, which means that I usually overdose on Pumpkin Spice Latte’s. And I’m cool with that. I love those warming spices against comforting blanket of dairy goodness. But what I’m less cool about is why I have never tried to replicate the Pumpkin Spice flavour at home. This recipe remedies that! October through December […]
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August 19, 2020
Ever wondered if pea pods are any good for anything? Well, I asked friend, top chef and all round fab person Caitlin Ruth, and she said to blend them into a sauce. So I did… I can’t take full credit for this recipe because the original idea did come from Caitlin, but there’s no denying […]
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August 19, 2020
Mr Flavour and I have uncovered the holy grail of bread making: No Knead Bread. 4 ingredients, less time and cost resulting in a light and seriously tasty loaf that won’t test your fortitude as a normal rational human being. This article appeared in the May 2020 edition of The Opinion Magazine. It also included […]
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August 19, 2020
Not your everyday mix of ingredients, maybe, but trust me when I say that Pea and Anise are two flavours that are made to be together! I first came across the flavour pairing of prawn and pistachio many years back when I was running the Supper Club from Scannell’s Pub in Clonakilty. I was working […]
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August 19, 2020
Yet more things to do with Broad Beans – essential when one’s personal harvest has been (bean?) too successful! This is delish though, so do give it a whirl! Is it a dip? Is it a hummus? Is it a pesto? I’m not sure to be honest, but what I do know is that it […]
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August 18, 2020
Sometimes, I remember a dish from childhood and wonder if I could make it better. This dish is one of those, and yes, I really did make it better. It’s totally retro, and I’m totally cool with that… Mum was the queen of the diet pamphlet, and her favourite was for a “High Fibre Diet” […]
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August 18, 2020
In a departure from food, I decided there was another point of view about the ASAI banning THAT Tampax ad… This article was published in The Echo – read it online here. Have you heard of Michelle Wolf? She’s a US comedian who has a skit about periods that is probably one of the best […]
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August 18, 2020
Necessity is the mother of invention, and having a garden full of different peas and beans means the creative streak is at peak these days! Broad Beans, or Fava Beans, are top of the menu at the moment. Serve them up with a nice Chianti, or some Feta – like in this simple salad! I […]
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July 29, 2020
This article was published in the July 2020 edition of The Opinion Magazine. I just adore cooking and eating outside. The incredibly good weather of late has meant, here at Flavour HQ, that we are doing both a lot more and improving our low and slow cooking game, experimenting with different heat, charcoal and smoke […]
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