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!
January 17, 2020
Twas three nights before Christmas, and Mr Flavour and I palmed off our beloved Springer Spaniel onto our unwitting friends and heading to Cork for a night of food, drink, a Bag O’Cans and a gig in a Church. Rock and Roll! The gig in questions was Beoga, Live at St Lukes, an incredible live […]
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December 14, 2019
I can’t tell you how much I love this dish! I sometimes exchange the cheese for homemade Kofte, but using Macroom Buffalo Haloumi is a really great substitute for a Meat Free feast! There are a few elements to this dish, but actually if you follow the sequence in the method, you’ll find that it’ll […]
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December 14, 2019
I made this recipe back in September just as the autumn was starting to make an appearance in earnest. And, despite it taking me a solid three months to get it up on the blog, thankfully all the flavours are still as relevant as we head into the end of one year and the beginning […]
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December 13, 2019
One of the absolute joys of recent years is discovering the wonder of slow cooked beef and pork cheeks! Probably even five years ago, it might not be something we would choose to eat, but with the growing popularity in nose to tail eating and cooking, offal and many rediscovering how lovely slow cooking is […]
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December 12, 2019
Let’s talk about new powerhouse restaurant in Cork: Goldie Fish & Ale… This is some of the most exciting food to grace Cork for a while: if not for the exceptional culinary inventiveness of 25 year old head chef Aishling Moore, or the deliciously friendly front of house service from a dedicated, highly motivated and […]
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November 25, 2019
You can almost smell the scene of mulled wine and mince pies in the air, can’t you? Well, if like me, Christmas is your favourite time of the year for food, drink and general merriment, you’re probably already on the way to finalising your plans for an incredible Christmas Day Feast! I wonder though, do […]
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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September 19, 2019
#AD Have you heard the news? Now there’s a Clonakilty Pudding for Veggies…and it’s seriously yum! In my second original recipe in collaboration with Clonakilty Food Co., I got to experiment with their brand new Pudding to add to their Black and White range. Clonakilty Veggie Pudding delivers on texture, flavour and versatility, just like […]
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September 12, 2019
I’m not big into drinking fizzy soda’s. I still think of them as a treat, a throwback to my childhood days when fizzy drinks were always considered a treat reserved for birthdays and Christmas. But the one fizzy drink that I do hanker after, even as a should-know-better adult, is Lilt. With it’s “Totally Tropical […]
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September 7, 2019
A couple of years ago, I started experimenting with Meadowsweet – a wild plant festooned with flowers that have a honey-like aroma that blooms in late summer and into early autumn. My first foray was to make Meadowsweet Cordial with it, and since then it has supplanted Elderflower Cordial, superior as it is in pretty […]
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August 22, 2019
#AD Clonakilty Black Pudding is versatile & delicious to eat any time of the day! Over the next few weeks, in collaboration with Clonakilty Food Co, I will be releasing three new original recipes using products from the Clonakilty Pudding range to showcase just how versatile this traditional meat can be – starting with this […]
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June 14, 2019
Sibling rivalry – it can either bother you or spur you on. I prefer my rivalries (not that I have, well, any really) to spur me on. I recently turned the page on another year in the life of me (41, in case you were wondering), and although there are few things in life that […]
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March 8, 2019
There were whispers about things of beauty being brewed and bottled in West Cork; things of a very adult nature indeed. Made to majestically pair with crafted spirits, but equally good on their own as a grown up tipple. This is the world of Fintan’s – Small Batch Botanicals Handcrafted in West Cork. Pamela Weaver […]
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February 22, 2019
There are many things I love doing with my down time: walking, eating great food, relaxing, playing with my dog, Buddy. I also love heading away for a spontaneous nights away in a lovely hotel to escape the everyday. As a committed dog parent, spontaneity isn’t always possible; because, like any responsible parent, we have […]
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November 9, 2018
Orso, tucked away on Pembroke Street in the heart of Cork city, is a restaurant that’s always on the “to go to” list for locals, and a delight to have stumbled upon as a first time visitor. Small but perfectly formed, Orso has never been afraid to bring something new and authentic to the discerning […]
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October 26, 2018
I know, I know: Hallowe’en is “just for the kids”, but I know that we adults love it just as much as the little ones do! So I got to thinking, aside from the excitement of dressing up as ghouls and ghosts and heading out into the frosty night to go trick or treating, how […]
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August 15, 2018
For Corkonians, there is one place in our City (recently voted 3rd friendliest city in the world too, by the way), that captures our hearts more than any other. Maybe it’s because it has been part of the Cork City landscape for long; maybe it’s the Parisian feel of La Fayettes Cafe or the sumptuous […]
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July 17, 2018
Thanks to our never ending summer there is still loads of rhubarb knocking about, and this is probably one of the nicest ways to partake in it. This cocktail recipe was inspired by the Rhubarb Martini that my friend and all-round awesome chef, Caitlin Ruth, makes as Deasy’s Restaurant in the tiny village of Ring […]
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April 27, 2018
Something magical happens when you sit down to dine with Takashi Miyazaki. It happened the first time I visited his eponymous restaurant, Miyazaki, on my birthday a couple of years ago, and it happened again last week when we sat at the Kappou counter of his new fine-dining restaurant ichigo ichie. For me, this is […]
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April 23, 2018
Who doesn’t love a crumble? Is it one of the most comforting and versatile of all puddings. But whatever about the fruit, it is getting a good crumble topping that can make it or break it. No one, and I mean no one, wants a soggy crumble. Likewise, if it’s likely to knock out half […]
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April 23, 2018
OK, so bear with me. Lamb and rhubarb might not be two ingredients that you automatically would put together, but trust me it’s an amazing thing! I came across this ingredient pairing back in 2015 when I was still running my supper club from home, and I wanted to design a menu that was all […]
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April 17, 2018
There are some car journeys that are a pleasure to undertake. One of my favourites is heading out towards the stunning Beara Peninsula in West Cork. Stunning ocean views, rugged mountains and windblown fields dotted with weather worn animals and traditional farmsteads. The winding roads force you to slow down, enjoy the view; enjoy the […]
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