Not going to lie, I thought I knew a lot about cooking already before I started the Ballymaloe course.Oh, sure wine goes with food.. yadda yadda. An omelette is a omelette, right?

Ya, no. I learned very quickly that there are incredible intricacies to making these 'every day' dishes that much better. I hate to use the word 'better', though. It reminds me how we use words like 'organic' to imply that the food is 'alternative'. Organic, well made food with care and with good quality ingredients was and should be the norm. Store bought and highly processed should be the 'alternative'.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (1984) by the late Elizabeth David is a collection of David's cookery articles she wrote for magazines all over the world. In the title article she talks about making a 'simple omelette' to perfection. She suggests the pan used is very important. Cast iron? Washed or unwashed? If you're wondering.. David uses an aluminum pan, washed up like all other utensils.

David's cookbooks are also part History of English Cookery. In her book Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen (1970), David recounts the gradual progress and integration of spices and herbs in Northerly cooking. The thing that popped into my mind was sustainability. Spices were originally some of the highest priced commodities! Since the poor couldn't afford the luxury of importing such expensive spices and exotic ingredients, they substituted local fare for an attempt at a similar taste and flavour. Some who couldn't afford copious amounts of oil for pickling and canning presumably had to ferment instead. That's where Sandor Katz comes in, right?

Ok, now I'm just picturing a time travel device and am getting really excited.

All in all, Elizabeth's David's cookbooks are "beautifully written, they are full of information allied to inspirational recipes" - Terence Conran's 2006 forward in David's Third Printing of Italian Food (1954).

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Omelette Moliere
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (1984) as transcribed by Leslie Blythe Miller
serves 1

3 eggs
1 Tbs Parmesan, finely grated
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs gruyère
1 Tbs heavy cream

Beat 1 tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan with 3 eggs. Heat the pan on the stove for about a minute. Put a tablespoon of butter in the pan. When the butter bubbles, and is about to change color, pour in the eggs.

Add one tablespoon of gruyère cut into small dice and one tablespoon of heavy cream. Tilt the pan towards you so that some of the mixture from the far edge runs into the middle. Then tilt the pan away from you. In the time it takes to do this twice, the gruyère will have started to melt, and your omelette is ready. Fold it over in three with a fork, and slide it on to the plate. Serve instantly.

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Coriander Mushrooms
Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen (1970) Serves 3

6oz/180g button or closed cap mushrooms
3 tbsp lemon juice, separated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
salt and black pepper

Brush mushrooms with a soft, dry pastry brush and cut into quarters. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice. In a heavy frying pan, warm olive oil. Cook the coriander seeds for a few seconds over a low heat. Add the mushrooms and bay leaves. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. After a minute, cover the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Pour the mushrooms with their cooking juices into a serving dish and sprinkle them with fresh olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Serve chilled, or hot with veal or chicken.

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Coffee Granita - Granita al Caffe
Italian Food (1977)

6 oz., 170g coffee
3 oz, 80g castor sugar
2 pt, 1 ¼ L water
¼ pt, 60mL cream (optional)

Put the finely ground coffee and the sugar into an earthenware jug, pour the boiling water over it, and put the jug in a saucepan of hot water. Leave it, with a very gentle flame underneath, and let the coffee infuse for 30min.

Leave it to get cold, strain it through a very fine muslin, and freeze in a non-reactive tray. Stir it every 30min as ice crystals form. It will take 21/2 to 3 hrs to freeze. Fresh cream may be served with it.

The addition to the granita of ¼ pt of cream, after it has been frozen, produces the best and simplest made iced coffee I know.

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And - YES I DID! Mmm. How wonderful to be transported back into time when recipes weren't a dime a dozen and to hear a real passion for where food comes from and why. A discussion on Elizabeth David's works is on May 18th at 11:30am. Do you have a favourite cookbook from the 1950s?

Growing up in North America I've been painfully aware that in a society that puts health-conscious labeling at the forefront of processed food, we have some of the highest obesity rates. During my nutrition course in university we were told to be wary of health charity approved foods because although they may be low-fat they are usually high in sugar. There is a surge of foodies converting to the paleo diet. I myself had to go on this diet for about 6 months after I discovered that I had a number of food intolerances. Did I ever get fit! I even had a 1-pack (that's.. almost abs..). This diet was prescribed to me by a health professional due to the inflammatory properties of certain foods that were making me physically and mentally ill.

Of course, I had to throw the dairy and sugar-free way of eating out the door if I wanted to learn anything about Ballymaloe cooking. You never see margarine in traditional recipes and they had to be seasonal. Fat was our winter resource to keep us alive!

..and then processed* sugar was introduced. *Disclaimer: Not all 'processed' foods are 'bad' – If you think about cheese, it involves some sort of processing.. but I digress.

One of the questions I get frequently asked about taking the course at Ballymaloe is, “Why didn't you gain weight? Isn't there a lot of butter and cream in Ballymaloe cookery? Oh, and the desserts!!!”

My Gluten Free Candied Kumquat and Whipped Cream Victoria Sponge Cake

When I came to Ireland, the only thing that changed in my diet was that it went from low carb and high fat to high carb and high fat. Anecdotally speaking, I noticed that my over indulgence in sweets (particularly because I'm gluten-intolerant and I was excited about finally making my own delicious gluten-free treats) led me to feel a bit more lethargic and gain a bit of.. erm.. padding. In essence though I realized that, “fat is not fattening.”

My Irish Breakfast! Gluten Free Toast, Fried Tomato, Mushroom Cap, Lamb Kidney, Back Rasher, Streaky Bacon, Potato Cake, Blood Pudding

Having a background in Western Herbalism I know that the role diet plays on our health is determined on a case by case scenario. It's not just about fat or no fat, sugar or no sugar, but our entire diet!

“[There is a] previously underestimated role of vitamin D in supporting good health. The best sources of this fat-soluble micronutrient... are animal foods. When we diligently drink low fat milk or avoid cream and fatty meat, we deprive ourselves of this crucial vitamin.” Joanna Blythman

I like this way of thinking.

One thing that really irks me about other food articles with limited scientific backing is that they create health fads for their vulnerable and desperate readers searching for an answer. There is an over generalization that certain foods are either 'good' or 'bad'. This approach implies a health standard for a varying genetic makeup of different humans from all around the world. Thus, I'm very interested to hear the answers the real professionals will provide.

Before I talk about them, let me share my favourite buttery recipe from Ballymaloe. Equal portions of butter to flour excites me. Oh wait.. aren't carbs bad?

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Ballymaloe Chocolate Almond Gateau with Crystallized Violets

serves 10

4 ozs (110g) best quality dark chocolate
2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons)
Red Jamaica Rum 4 ozs (110g/1 stick) butter, preferably unsalted
4 ozs (110g/1/2 cup) castor sugar
3 free-range eggs
1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) castor sugar
2 ozs (50g/scant 1/2 cup) plain white flour
2 ozs (50g/scant 1/2 cup) whole almonds

Chocolate Icing
6 ozs (175g) best quality dark chocolate
3 tablespoons (3 American tablespoons + 3 teaspoons)
Red Jamaica Rum 6 ozs (175g/1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

crystallized violets or toasted almonds or praline

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.

Grease two 7 inch (18 cm) sandwich tins and line the base of each with greaseproof paper. Melt the chocolate with the rum on a very gentle heat, peel the almonds and grind in a liquidizer or food processor they should still be slightly gritty. Cream the butter, and then add the castor sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add 1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of castor sugar and continue to whisk until they reach the stiff peak stage. Add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and then add the almonds. Stir in 1/4 of the egg white mixture followed by 1/4 of the sieved flour. Fold in the remaining eggs and flour alternatively until they have all been added. Divide between the two prepared tins and make a hollow in the center of each cake.

IMPORTANT:

Cake should be slightly underdone in the center. Sides should be cooked but the centre a little unset. Depending on oven it can take between 19 and 25 minutes.

Chocolate Butter Icing Melt best quality chocolate with rum. Whisk in unsalted butter by the tablespoon. Beat occasionally until cool. When the cake is completely cold, fill and ice with the mixture. Pipe the remaining icing around the top and decorate with crystallized violets or toasted flaked almonds

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Joanna Blythman, whom I've quoted above, is one of the journalists along side Ella McSweeney that will be taking part in the Good Fats / Bad Fats event. Given their online and newsprint presence, they will be sure to be incredibly informative. For more on butter, John McKenna (McKenna's Guide) is also participating. It's bound to be an interesting talk.

Check out this gallery showing a step by step guide on making butter from scratch by none other than McSweeney herself. And if that wasn't enticing enough, here's one of McKenna's YouTube videos on making mashed potatoes. Before I came over to Ireland, I didn't believe my Irish cookbooks when they said 'make a dip in the middle of your hot colcannon and add a wedge of butter.