Suffering from January blues? Here’s the cure — a big pot of bubbling stew and even if you never cooked a thing in your life you can do this. 

ALL set for Christmas? I hope so but if you’re not, let me cheer you up… neither am I and despite all my good advice, I’m still whizzing around gathering up bits and pieces and trying to wrap some last minute pressies.

HOW do we keep the magic of Christmas alive at a time in history when we are all being mercilessly manipulated by commercial interests. 

Ask any of my Certificate Course students where they would like to work when they finish their stint at the Ballymaloe Cookery School — at least a quarter will sigh wistfully and mention Ottolenghi and indeed many of my past students have worked there and loved their experience.

The seventh Slow Food International Congress was held recently in Chengdu in China, the capital of the province of Sichuan. It’s the UNESCO capital of Gastronomy and is now officially a Slow Food City.

How quickly the evenings are closing in and now there’s a proper excuse to light a crackling fire, cuddle up in an armchair and tuck into a big bowl of comforting stew or colcannon with a nice lump of beautiful butter melting in the centre.