This much I know: Eileen Dunne

THE restaurant business is all-encompassing and work becomes your life, if you are passionate.

Your children grow up in the restaurant, you eat in the restaurant, the restaurant comes on holiday with you, comes to bed with you, the only thing you don’t do is sleep in the restaurant.

Our book is a journey, from when we first opened a small deli in Sutton to establishing and running a family of Italian restaurants. When I was growing up in Ireland, I was never interested in food and drove my mother crazy because I was such a picky eater. All that changed when I moved to Rome after my Leaving Certificate to go to art college.

My first job was as an apprentice sign-writer in a little studio in Talbot St for a couple of hours a week after school. I distinctly remember one Friday evening when one of the senior writers proposed that we all leave early and go for a drink. Fortunately, we headed towards Grafton St, because shortly afterwards a bomb exploded outside of our workplace causing the loss of many lives. Perhaps that was the catalyst for me to leave.

Italy opened up a whole new world for me, my passion for art transposed to food as I witnessed food in an authentic cultural context. When I met Stefano Crescenzi, my husband-to-be, food and wine became our hobby and we loved to travel throughout Italy in search of particular products.

We were sure of two things — we wanted a good place to raise our children and we wanted to spend more time with them. I was working in a UN agency (IFAD) and Stefano was an economist, but, although it was difficult renouncing two good pensionable jobs for the unknown, we decided to move to Dublin and open a deli.

Although it can be difficult, I try to stay positive in times of stress. Our family motto is “if you worry you die and if you don’t worry you still die, so why worry?” I find this uplifting.

My first memory is of my father carrying me in my flannel pyjamas from our house to my grandmother’s up the street to eat her home-made fudge. I can still taste it. I don’t believe in fate, but rather that we are all responsible for creating our pathways and every so often we come to a crossroads and are forced to change route.

The best advice I ever received was from my mother. Very few women of her generation worked, but she instilled in her daughters the need for women to be economically-independent. My aunt Sheila was a staunch feminist and she encouraged me to continue my education. Irish women like Mary Robinson and Nell McCafferty battled for better conditions for Irish women and I don’t think they receive enough credit for their achievements.

I am a health fanatic when it comes to healthy eating, but I don’t exercise enough and it’s on my 2012 ‘to do’ list. I avoid routine and find it boring. I love challenges and that’s probably why I enjoy the restaurant business; no two days are ever the same.

As one of those who suffered fundamentalist Catholic indoctrination, I remember finding death very scary when I was young. Once I confirmed myself as an atheist, I was comfortable thinking about death, it’s just part of the natural process of life.

My favourite place in the world is Rome, the centre of Rome. I can wander for hours through the small side streets, a tapestry of colour and smells.

So far, life has taught me that achievements are only fulfilled through hard work. My guilty pleasure is eating dark chocolate and reading gossip magazines.

Eileen Dunne runs the Dunne and Crescenzi chain of restaurants. Their book, The Menu, is a collection of recipes of their most popular dishes.