Tancurean

I'm en route to Ireland and spending some time with my wonderful friends Manue and Adam Parr at their house in Montsoreau in the Loire Valley region of France. We are eating some amazing local produce, and Manue whipped up a quick and easy delicious apricot tart that she made up as she went along. Many years ago, Manue tried to teach me to speak French. She is too nice to acknowledge it, but I was her Worst Ever Student. Happily, she is now having success in passing on some recipes ...

I’ve always had wanderlust. Some might call it restlessness, but I prefer to liken it simply to a love of learning – about new things and to do new things. Travelling is one giant learning curve, but acquiring new knowledge has definitely been a key fixture in my life whether travel is involved or not. Want a chair renovated? I’m your girl. Need some tips on bread baking, meditation, jewellery making, sewing, pottery, piano playing, creative writing or a triathlon? I’ve done courses in all of them. I can tell you all about the Company Directors course, becoming a marriage celebrant and registering as a mediator. Tick, tick and tick. Perhaps don’t ask me about the French language, even though I studied that as an adult (and failed). However, I did pick up a few tips from my ‘Learn Hebrew in a Day’ course. Given all of this, the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland has long been on my hit list. Travel and learning combined in one glorious, five-week package of immersive study! During Au...

Ballymaloe Cookery School is an award-winning international cookery school near Cork, Ireland. Established in 1983, Ballymaloe is a famous immersive culinary destination for people from all over the world. Its philosophy is based on sustainability, and much of the produce used at the school comes from its 100 acre organic farm. Founded and run by the legendary Allen family, including well-known chefs Darina Allen, Rory O'Connell and Rachel Allen, the school offers short and long courses, for everyone from absolute beginners to accomplished chefs. The signature course is the 12-week Certificate Course and my sister-in-law did this course many years ago and absolutely loved it (and she is a great cook!) Ballymaloe also hosts guest chefs from various countries. The five-week Summer programme that I will be doing in August includes making pies, desserts, cakes, homemade pasta, breads, butter, yoghurt, cheese, main meals, salads, and much more. I will be learning how to identify and fi...

  When I was growing up, Phyl Hudson's Cheeseball was always a staple at parties and BBQs. It is so simple, and yet so moorish. Mum told me that when she first started making it, she would hand it around at gatherings and people would look at it, grimace and shake their heads. A bit like that scene from Love Actually, when Colin Frissell handed around the finger food at the wedding. The cheeseball does look kind of odd! However Mum would convince guests to try some and they would be hooked. Here's the recipe. Mum's Cheeseball 1 large packet Philadelphia cream cheese 225g mature cheese (grated) 1 large packet Kraft cheddar cheese (the stuff in the blue box that bizarrely doesn't live in the cheese section, but rather in the tea and coffee aisle) 1 knob crushed garlic 1 teaspoon crushed onion 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Half a teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper FOR ROLLING: 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon paprika Mix all ingredients together (with hands or food ...