Irish country cooking, though simple, draws on a magnificent tradition established over centuries. Every town and village has its local specialty -- it may be the breads and cakes of the northern counties, the rich milk and dairy products of Tipperary and the central plain, or the variety of fish and seafood from Ireland's extensive coastline and numerous rivers and lakes.
In a text that is both literary and academic, Clare Connery traces the agricultural and culinary traditions of the Irish people, referring to original historical sources as well as archeological evidence. She captures the vitality of the farming community in her lively descriptions of markets and fairs such as Ballinasloe in County Galway and the Puck Fair at Killorglin in West Kerry. She explores the wealth of food festivals and customs and includes nostalgic anecdotal details of her own childhood summers in the countryside of Armagh and Cavan. Finally she takes the reader into the heart of the traditional Irish kitchen, where for centuries all the family's food was cooked over an open turf fire.
Clare Connery presents a mouth-watering collection of more than 150 recipes from both the past and present, including leek and oatmeal broth, Dublin Bay prawns, Irish spiced beef, pot roast pheasant, soda bread, griddle scones, and potato-apple cake. They are complemented by Christopher Hill's stunning color photographs, which strongly evoke the heart and soul of Ireland and the spirit of the Irish country kitchen.
