Compiled by MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBY
Welcome to Fungarvan
There’s a reason it’s called Fungarvan, so you can expect a mighty lively time at next week’s Waterford Festival of Food in the town otherwise known as Dungarvan.
Some of the big-name events are sold out, but there's still plenty to entice you to visit, including a preview of their new TV show, Surf 'n' Turf, by chefs Paul Flynn and Martin Shanahan. RTÉ's John Murray will bring his culinary prowess to a round of Ready, Chef, Go, featuring local chefs Michael Quinn (Waterford Castle), Louise Clarke (Nude Food), Eunice Power (Powersfield House) and Conor Foran (Lawlor's Hotel). The festival runs from Thursday to Sunday and there's a full programme of events, many of them free, at waterfordfestivaloffood.com. Don't miss the farmers' country market in Grattan Square on Sunday, where you'll find some of the big names attending (see the buzz, below) browsing the stalls in search of great Irish food . . . and a bit of craic.
Heaven in Kilkenny
A Slice of Heaven is a new patisserie on High Street in Kilkenny opened by former L’Ecrivain pastry chef Mary McEvoy (pictured right with her daughters Caoimhe and Laoise). The shop has a bridal consultation area, where you can meet McEvoy to discuss designs for “big day” creations, and a demonstration area on the upper floor. McEvoy has a purpose-built bakery at her home in Piltown, Co Kilkenny and supplies cakes to cafes and retail units in the south east, but the new shop is her first foray into retail, and comes on the back of a 20 per cent increase in demand for her cakes in the past six months. McEvoy’s husband Neil, who was head chef at Dunbrody Country House and ran classes at the cookery school there, will also be giving classes in the demo area at the shop, which is at 62 High Street. See asliceofheaven.ie.
Book of the week
Around the World in 80 Dishes, by David Loftus (Atlantic Books, £25) David Loftus is a food photographer who has worked with many of the biggest names in the business, including Jamie Oliver, who says of this lovely new book that it’s “like Top of the Pops of exciting food – all of the best bits in one stunning volume”. Using Phileas Fogg’s Grand Tour as his inspiration, Loftus has written a fascinating travelogue peppered with stories about his work and featuring 80 recipes – one for every day of Fogg’s odyssey – many of them contributed by the stellar role call of chefs he has worked with, including Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Nigella Lawson, Atul Kochar, Adam Perry Lang and Alice Waters. There’s also one from April Bloomfield, chef at The Spotted Pig in New York, whose first book, A Girl and her Pig, is published this week.
The buzz
Sarah Canet @SpoonHQ: David Loftus's cook book launch – Pippa Middleton & Jamie Oliver are stirring the paella in the backyard
Paul Flynn @paulflynnchef: Everyone’s confirmed, Angela Hartnett, Richard Corrigan, Dylan McGrath, Nick Munier, Martin Shanahan, Mathew Fort, Richard
Vines @WdFoodFestival Clotilde Dusoulier @clotildenet: I like this from Greg Marchand's Frenchie cookbook: "I didn't write this book to show you what I can do, but to show you what *you* can do."
Sheridans @SheridansCheese: Pretty exciting news today. Our crackers soon to be appearing on the shelf in @deananddeluca NY
