Here's a simple dish from Stephen, which is easy to follow and very tasty.
One Pico, 5-6, Molesworth Lane, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 676 0300
Bleu, Joshua House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 676 7015
This dish with pork fillet is one of his signature dishes it looks great on a plate, tastes good and is fairly easy to prepare.
Shanks Restaurant, Bangor, Co. Down.
Tel. 028 9185 3313, or from the Republic 048 9185 3313
Mint Restaurant 01 497 8655
Faithlegg House tel. 1850 750 100
Roberto speaks no English, so call Janet at 01 663 6871 for more info and photos.
If you're feeling rich, you can make this recipe with Parmesan.
This dish made from red snapper, is a prime example of his use of spices and flavourings. It's from Calcutta, which is where he started his cooking career. A good supermarket should have all of these ingredients, but one of Dublin's Asian markets would be a one-stop shop.
Here's his recipe for turbot with Merguez sausage, which makes a fine dish.
One Pico, 5-6, Molesworth Lane, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 676 0300
Bleu, Joshua House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 676 7015
Roberto Morsiani is a master chef from Bologna, the city that gave its name to the meat sauce that goes on spaghetti. Chances are, what you know in Ireland as spag bol' bears very little relation to the real thing. Bolognese sauce is a meat sauce with a touch of tomato, not a tomato sauce with some mince chucked in. Roberto's recipe below would feed from six to eight people. Allow about 150g of spaghetti or tagliatelle per person. You can taste Roberto's recipe at Janet's Coffee House in Dun Laoghaire, but only during the day.
Janet's Coffee House and Deli, Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire.
Tel. 01 663 6871
When I asked Barry to pick a recipe for us he answered: My love for so many different foods, from all over the world, leaves me with somewhat of a dilemma when asked to select a favourite recipe. I love this dish because it's real comfort food, especially coming into the colder, darker days. Very different from the type of fine cuisine we serve daily at the Oriel, it's a beautiful, rich, rustic dish and very easy to produce. Try some fresh homemade tagliatelle or linguini with heaps of grated Parmesan to accompany it.'
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The Oriel Restaurant, 2, Bridge Street, Gilford, Co. Down.
Tel. 028 3883 1543 (dial 048 from R of I )
I've picked his recipe for confit rabbit, because confit' is a word you find a lot on restaurant menus. Now you can try it for yourself.
This dish works very well, and at this time of year pheasant isn't just seasonal, it's cheap
La Riva, Crescent Quay, Wexford.
Tel. 053 24330
a comfort food dish which could also be made using veal or turkey. This one uses pork. It's inexpensive to make and not difficult to prepare. Perfect for a family supper on a Winter's evening.
Wineport Lodge, Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Tel. 0902 85466
This is my favourite type of cooking deeply satisfying, easy and with very little washing up. Saturday afternoons seem to be the only time we eat at home these days. We have the morning off, we get the papers head straight to the food supplement, then cook and eat in silence thinking about the night ahead. If we're lucky we get a snooze, shower and head into work. The wonderful thing is that this dish couldn't be easier. Really it should be cooked in the oven after being brought up to a simmer but I appreciate not all ovens will take this large a pan so I've given both options.
I asked Aidan for a recipe that reflected his food philosophy and he replied: This is my favourite type of cooking deeply satisfying, easy and with very little washing up. Saturday afternoons seem to be the only time we eat at home these days. We have the morning off, we get the papers head straight to the food supplement, then cook and eat in silence thinking about the night ahead. If we're lucky we get a snooze, shower and head into work. The wonderful thing is that this dish couldn't be easier. Really it should be cooked in the oven after being brought up to a simmer but I appreciate not all ovens will take this large a pan so I've given both options.'
This recipe from Nick is a good example of what he does it's a dish that makes use of good, local ingredients to produce something tasty without enormous effort.
Nick's Warehouse, 35-36 Hill Street, Belfast.
Tel 028 9043 9690 (dial prefix 048 from RoI)
Below is a recipe from the Languedoc Wine & Dine evening, which I enjoyed a lot.
Pollo alla Valdostana con insalata di fagioli e pesto
(Val d'Aosta chicken with a bean salad and pesto)
I've had some remarkable meals cooked by Roberto, he's a stickler for quality ingredients and for attention to detail in his cooking. This recipe, from Italy's furthest Northwest, is not very far from his own native Ligurian coast. Obviously coming from there he was going to include pesto, but do try to get basil that isn't hot-house grown, it tends to be flavourless.
wine suggestions:
white: Pigato Calvini from Liguria or Alhambra Spadafora from Sicily
red: Barbera Veglio from Piemonte or Raboso Cescon from Veneto
La Dolce Vita, Main Street, Wexford.
Tel. 053 70806
There's a Mediterranean feel to Cookes, and this recipe a fish stew from Catalonia is an example of the kind of dishes you can find on the menu.
This recipe reflects the simplicity of many of his main course dishes, but it's full of rich flavours that are easy to reproduce. John says, The ingredients are typically Irish and therefore easy to come by, and I believe even the most incompetent cook could reproduce this dish.' That's encouraging, isn't it?
Rathsallagh House, Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow.
Tel. 045 403 112
Below is a recipe from the Languedoc Wine & Dine evening.