Growing up in Ireland cooking on the BBQ was relegated to the odd summer evening when the weather was decent and we managed to cobble together a feast of some burnt sausages and burgers. These days I find there’s more of a shift to incorporating the grill as an extension of the home kitchen. Heck, in the depths of the February lockdown I cooked on the barbeque outside with an umbrella as a means of distracting myself from losing my mind and the monotony of cooking at home. Perhaps fire & smoke has been the missing ingredient in Ireland’s traditional cooking, particularly as we have access to some of the world’s finest meat, fish and produce on our doorstep. This week I’m sharing some of my favourite simple al fresco recipes that make the most of food cooked over hot coals.

This week I’m delving into some of my favourite Asian pantry ingredients to create 3 simple meals that are easily made at home. On my first visit to Japan I somehow missed karaage, the popular deep fried fast food method of deep frying using potato starch to provide a particularly satisfying crunch to meat, fish and chicken.

I’d love to tell you we are living for the weekends but at the moment in pandemic mode they are proving to be more like an endurance challenge than a time to celebrate. Lockdown weekdays have structure, there’s zoom calls and online workouts and whatever you’re having yourself. Weekends are a whole other ball game with two unbridled little dudes running riot. After the weekday routine, Saturday morning is like stepping into a hurricane and trying desperately to hold tight to the things that help keep your head together. In my attempt to try and apply some elements of structure…