Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Tis the season, my favorite month of the year. March has a different sort of madness around here this year. My daughter Irish dances every free moment she has. Party planning and lots of Irish recipes being developed. The sounds of Van Morrison are never far off. Éirinn go Brách!
Here’s the big news >
Staying on the Irish theme, I have some exciting news. I am going back to school…culinary school that is! And to my luck, there is a perfect 3-month certificate program…in Ireland! Yep, I’ll be spending a few months in Ireland at the Dublin Cookery School in a small village south of Dublin called Blackrock. It’s ticking all my boxes of living in Ireland and going back to culinary school. I’ve been contemplating and researching this venture for a long time, and finally decided to take the leap. The adventure begins early September through November.
Dublin Cookery School is a two-time recipient of the Best Cookery School in Ireland. It has an amazing program with a state-of-the-art cooking studio. The course is very extensive, all day every day, with a week working in a high-end restaurant kitchen in Dublin (Lord help me on that one!). Field-trips to cheesemakers, fisheries, a butcher shop and foraging for seaweed! Total immersion!
Why am I doing this you might ask. Well, so many people have no idea how to put dinner on their table or know where their food comes from. That is what I want to change. My goal is to teach adults and kids how to cook. Another skill I’m exploring is recipe development, creating recipes for companies and restaurants. That is something I do (and love) every day for home and my website, and I’d like to continue doing this on my new career path.
What’s my biggest worry. The metric system.
Going back to school will give me the ‘chutzpah’ I need to get/keep moving on this new career journey. It will push me to learn new techniques, try different foods and other things I wouldn’t probably do on my own (like butcher a lamb!?!). I’ve started talking to many people in town about doing all the above and getting the ball rolling on it. I am over the moon excited!
I will continue to write in my website (and recipes when I can!) about my travels, the foods of Ireland and the glorious scenery (did I mention my cottage is a 10-minute walk to the sea!) Follow along with me, I promise it will be worth your while.
A bit on Irish food
This video on the quality of Irish food produced by Imen McDonnell. Imen is an award-winning writer (Farmette cookbook) and producer of all things (food and otherwise) beautiful. Small Green Fields, is a lovely snapshot of how I would like everyone to think about Ireland for its amazing abundance.
Sláinte, Shelagh
Congratulations Shelagh! What a wonderful adventure. I admire you- and can’t wait to read the blog!!
Thanks Lucy! I’m sooooo excited, quite the adventure for this old girl! I’m excited to share all my experiences too! xo
OMG! How great is this?!? What a great bucket list journey…
Hey Matt! Talk about a blast from the past! Hope you are well. I know, I can’t beleive this is happening, so stinkin’ excited! I’ll keep you updated, still getting organized, don’t leave until September. Sláinte.
Wow, Shelagh. This is so amazing and inspiring. I’ll look forward to reading every bit of news. I’m pretty constrained for the time being, but I hope to take a class or 2 certainly before you depart. I love thinking about the possibilities of school in a new place. I’ve often perused those cooking/vacation classes in Italy dreaming of a much smaller adventure.