Darina Allen: a taste of the sweet life in California

Plus - a trio of new recipes from the American food frontier

Darina Allen in the gardens of the Ballymaloe Cookery School with her 20th book How To Cook. Picture Dan Linehan

Ever since I started the cooking school with my brother Rory O’Connell in September 1983, I’ve tried to go to California at least every second year to check out what’s happening on the food scene and to get an idea of the trends that are coming our way.

Originally it would take four to five years before things became mainstream over here. Nowadays with social media, ideas travel much faster. Nonetheless, a visit to the Gold Coast can keep you ahead of the curve for at least a year or two.