About me

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." (Eleanor Roosevelt)

I'm a passionate traveller and a passable cook, and I'm insatiably curious about people and places. Curiosity has led me to do many different things in my career, and I've loved every second of it. I've been a sports reporter and a business journalist, corporate communications executive, Board director, author, consultant, company secretary and mediator. 

However my favourite role is being the Mum to two fabulous teenagers, who fill my heart with love and my soul with joy. We laugh a lot ... sometimes I suspect they are laughing at me and not with me, but I can never be sure. I am married to the rock of the family and have two Groodles who I am obsessed with. I am one lucky gal.

After resigning from a full-time in-house executive role this year to be more available to my family on both sides of Australia, I am currently working as a freelance consultant and also indulging in my love of travel. The Ballymaloe Cookery School has long been on my bucket list, and I'm lucky to have the space in my life, and the resources, to be able to undertake a five-week immersive course this year. I just can't wait!

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A Day in the Life of ...

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  A Day in the Life of ... I've been asked about what happens every day here at Ballymaloe Cookery School (pictured above). Each day is a little bit different, but here's a general run-down: 6.30am Run, swim, walk or gym in a (maybe futile?) attempt to counteract the ridiculous amount of food being consumed. The nearest gym is a 3km run away along narrow winding roads, and it's often raining ... but where there's a will, there's a way, right? Due to the very narrow, hedge-rimmed roads it is strongly recommended that we wear high-vis vests when out and about, or be prepared to jump into a hedge at a moment's notice. 8.30am Weighing room and larder. We need to weigh and source all of our ingredients for the recipes we will be making during the morning. The majority of ingredients are produced here on the farm (that's the small kitchen garden below), and the rest are locally sourced. I actually never knew a tomato could taste so good until I had one here ...  ...
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What makes a good cookery teacher?

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As a lifelong lover of learning, I am a keen observer of what makes a good teacher. When I started the intensive course at Ballymaloe Cookery School a few weeks ago, I was curious about the teaching of cooking. How would it differ from regular classroom or academic learning? And how do you teach practical skills and impart theoretical knowledge to 50 people from 12 countries, aged between 18 and 75, with wildly different levels of culinary ability? Well, the short answer is that the principles of good academic teaching are exactly the same in cookery school. Ballymaloe boasts a number of exceptional teaching chefs, and among the best are renowned Irish chefs and authors, Rory O'Connell (pictured above) and Rachel Allen (below). I have been observing them closely, and their style of teaching is definitely holding my attention and helping make me a much better cook (although Masterchef can rest assured it will never have to vet an application from me ...) So what does someone like Ro...
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Tips and Tricks for Tantalising Food

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  The intensive and immersive nature of the Ballymaloe cookery school means you are usually trying to digest a lot of different techniques at the same time (pardon the pun), and I have a notebook full of scribbled ideas. Here are just a few good tips and tricks that I noted along the way ... 1. Praline. What a revelation this easy recipe was! You can whip up a batch of this in no time, and either break it into chunks for a fine-looking dessert decoration, or blitz it in a food processor and use the praline crumbs over ice-cream or other creations. Above: a slab of praline, and ice cream sitting on a bed of praline crumbs, with lemon tart. Praline recipe: 175g caster sugar, 175g raw, unskinned almonds. Combine sugar and nuts in a heavy saucepan and put over a low heat until sugar turns a caramel colour. Stir carefully or rotate the pan until the nuts are covered with caramel. When you hear the nuts go 'pop', pour the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper and cool. 2. Toma...
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