SANDOR KATZ described himself as a DIY food activist and fermentation revivalist.

HERE in Ballymaloe we are so excited about the first ever Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine taking place in Ballymaloe House; at the Grain store and Ballymaloe Cookery School.

COOKING is the very best way to show special love to your family and friends — Jacob Kenedy’s sentiments as he cooked one beautiful dish after another at the Ballymaloe Cookery School recently. Jacob, whose mother came from Rome, owns one of my favourite restaurants in London, Bocca di Lupo. He feels there is something particularly alluring about Italian food; it nourishes not only the body, but also the soul, mind and heart.

Sri Lanka is the largest producer of real cinnamon in the world. It is a beautiful gentle spice which has been used both for cooking and medicine since ancient times.

HERE I am in Sri Lanka wading out through the warm sea to the tiny island of Taprobane off Weligama on the South Coast. There’s no other way to get there, it’s just 100 yards off the coast, palm fringed of course.

WILD and foraged foods are once again becoming part of chic restaurant menus as well as family meals.

HOW FORTUNATE we are in Ireland to have a national feast day that is known and celebrated all over the world.

COOKING ‘from scratch’ is the hottest food term in the restaurant world at present, Add seasonal, local, and artisan, and you are right on the button.

AS THE horsemeat scandal continues to gain momentum what amazes me is why we are surprised.

SAFEFOOD Ireland, recently commissioned a report on The Cost of Overweight and Obesity on the Island of Ireland.