Hot tip

Trish Deseine will be guest chef at Ballymaloe Cookery School for a one-day course on Monday, September 15. Tel [phone]; www.cookingisfun.ie.

* As part of Fairtrade Fortnight, and to highlight moves to make Midleton, Co Cork, a Fairtrade town, two cocoa bean farmers from Ghana will visit Midleton today. The growers are members of a cooperative whose cocoa beans end up in the Divine chocolate range. They will be at the entrance to Hurley’s SuperValu from 10.30am-noon today.

Sample some of the best chocolate with a clear conscience and enjoy the festival atmosphere, with attractions for children and ‘real’ bananas walking through the farmers’ market.

For further information, email: [e-mail].

* Patrick’s Day dinner at La Fromagerie in Moxon Street, London, Thursday, March 13, at 7.30pm. The evening begins at 7.30pm with aperitifs, including black velvets, followed by a dinner of fine Irish fare including Irish smoked salmon with potato pancake and Ryefield fresh goat’s cheese, followed by Irish spring lamb stew with colcannon. For dessert there’s Irish whiskey-soaked porter cake ice cream, finishing with a tutored tasting of Irish cheeses. If you still have space after that, maybe an Irish coffee to finish?

Tickets including wine, cost €92pp. To make a reservation, tel [phone] or download a booking form from the website at www.lafromagerie.co.uk.