A hunger for knowledge

The students at Ballymaloe Cookery School are piled into the demo theatre on a dark, cold November afternoon to see Rory O’Connell and his sister, Darina Allen, give a traditional Thanksgiving dinner masterclass.

O’Connell is about to demonstrate a sweet potato and squash casserole, the recipe furnished by a young American student, Jared.

But O’Connell has issues with this cloying, over-sweetened dish, most particularly, with a layer of marshmallows to be placed on top prior to baking.