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!
December 7, 2023
By pure coincidence, I was sent a bunch of different mayonnaise’s to sample so Mr Flavour and I decided to compare and contrast for this Flavour Taste Lab!
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December 7, 2023
If you want to build flavour into a dish, reach for the butter. Better still, reach for a really good flavoured butter like Irish Gourmet Butter…
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October 4, 2023
This take on Tinto de Verano celebrates Irish craft drinks produced by three makers from Cork, Kerry and Wicklow. It featured in the Blas na hEireann 2023 Finalists Launch and Producers Showcase at the 2023 Awards.
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September 6, 2023
For this Taste Lab, I worked my way diligently through a #gifted hamper of condiment goodies, and was delighted with the quality!
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November 4, 2022
Since 1962 on Achill Island, the Calvey family has reared their mountain lamb on the wild Mayo coast producing meat of exquisite taste, sweetened by heather and seasoned by seaweed and salty air…
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February 20, 2022
I first made this soup for my Dad when he was recovering from cancer surgery. It’s simple title belies a tonne of delicious flavour, and good vibes for the healing power of soup.
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February 20, 2022
Perhaps one of the best things to come out of the pandemic is that fantastic quality Irish seafood is now more accessible thanks to online fishmongers, like The Gannet in Galway.
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February 20, 2022
This dish came about as the result of a rummage and came together as a deeply satisfying dish. It just so happens to be dairy and gluten free and vegan friendly too!
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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 […]
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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 […]
Read moreOctober 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 […]
Read moreOctober 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” […]
Read moreAugust 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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