The first episode of Rediscovering The Irish Kitchen went out last Tuesday night and I’ve never had such a warm and lovely reaction to a series I’ve presented. It seems the subject of traditional Irish recipes and cooking methods is one that holds a lot of fond memories for many. Considering the explosion of cookery shows on television these days an interesting starting point in the exploration of Irish food was to speak to Brenda Costigan who presented cookery slots on Irish screens in the 1980’s and 90’s and was food writer at the Sunday Independent for over 40 years.
When I met Brenda she gave me a wonderful history of food on Irish TV screens and spoke about Ireland’s first food superstar, Monica Sheridan, a no fuss home cook who infamously licked her fingers during her shows, which ultimately lead to RTE bosses giving her the boot. Brenda also spoke about her own career which spanned four decades and how she got her start as the cookery assistant to a fictional radio character dreamed up Odlum’s flour for their radio slots in the 1960’s. In this weeks show, I cook up scotch eggs with a twist using a traditional Irish ingredient, a lightly spiced chicken dish from Irish food writer Theodora Fitzgibbon, an unusual jelly using seaweed and Brenda shares her rich Chocolate Bakewell Tart.
– RECIPES –
{Black Pudding Scotch Eggs with Beetroot Relish…}
