There are plenty of opportunities to sharpen up your culinary skills before Christmas, in cookery ventures ranging from Cavan to Louth and way down south to Wexford.
In Louth, in the blossoming town of Carlingford, the Carroll family of Ghan House are starting cookery classes in November, when Joyce Carroll presents hands-on cookery courses running for two and three days, with a maximum of 12 people on each. On November 3rd and 4th, an Absolute Beginners course is designed for those with little or no cooking experience, and there will also be an Absolute Beginners Easy Entertaining course on December 4th, 5th and 6th. Intermediate courses, for those who want to build on the foundations of their knowledge, take place in both November and December. For those who wish to stay over during the courses, Ghan House offers rooms. Full details of courses and prices from Paul Carroll at Ghan House, tel: 042 73682.
Further west, the dynamic Neven Maguire, of the MacNean Bistro in Blacklion, Co Cavan, will be running a range of courses - covering seafood cookery, vegetarian cookery, Christmas cookery, new trends in cooking and home entertaining - beginning on Monday, October 26th. "The courses will be fun, Contact Neven at MacNean Bistro, tel: 072 53022. Again, accommodation is available in the house.
Down in the deep south, the Ballyhack Cookery School, in Ballyhack, Co Wexford, will be running special courses on "The Complete Christmas", each Wednesday and Saturday, where students will learn seasonal specialities such as perfect mulled wine, turkey and mincemeat crepes, turkey with Parma and Parmesan, Christmas cinnamon buns, buche Noel, and lots more besides.
For information and dates, contact Pierce and Valerie McAuliffe on 051 389284.