Sheri Castle feels a special bond with the people and food of Ireland. She's visited twice, each time coming back with a new appreciation of the land of leprechauns.
As a food writer and cooking instructor in Chapel Hill, N.C., she often returns to her roots in the mountains of North Carolina, where Irish ways are as entrenched in the culture as fog over the Emerald Isle.
Q: What shaped your interest in Irish cooking?
A: It was a spark of familiarity. My granddaddy was a cabbage farmer in North Carolina. I grew up knowing all about cabbage and potatoes.
Q: Many people think of Irish food as meat-and-potatoes cuisine. Has that changed in recent years?
A: Even as recent as a few years ago, Irish food was a little dismal. But there were two things, I think, that made it get better. First, Ireland's economy improved, and the country began investing in its infrastructure. That brought about a blossoming of artisanal food producers bringing some of the best salmon, cheese and butter in the world to the marketplace. Secondly, the country began a good tourism campaign promoting itself and its food. There was a great focus on local mastery of traditional themes, taking what they had and making it better. Now Ireland is a great place to go on food tours with lots of artisans to visit. It's one of the most joyful places I've ever been.
Q: Does Irish cuisine now have its place in the gourmet food industry?
A: After my first trip to Ireland, I came home and started talking about how good the food was. People didn't believe me. But it's word of mouth like that that took over. Ireland has really good pub fare, but watch out. It can be very expensive. My suggestion is, if you visit, don't do the pubs near the tourist spots. Get away from the boat docks and the train stations. Get something off the beaten path. Ask the locals for their suggestions. You'll get better prices and more local flavor.
Q: What restaurants do you suggest?
A: In Dublin, there's this old neighborhood known as Temple Bar. It's such a charming old area with very good restaurants. We like St. John Gogarty. It was so good we made a point of coming back to Dublin and eating there on our last night (of a recent trip). The prices were a little on the high side but worth it. Great service. The potato cakes are wonderful, (and) so are the mussels.
Kinsale is a gorgeous shipping town with places you can go in and get fresh seafood - almost the equivalent of the clam shops in Maine. (We ate) amazing scallops and mussels and the best salmon I've ever had. It's on the Southern coast.
For people wanting to really blow it all out, Ballymaloe is a restaurant and cooking school run by Darina Allen and is the highwater mark of new Ireland cuisine. It's everything you imagine Irish life to be without being hokey.
Q: Do you recommend renting a car even though they drive on the left side of the road?
A: Definitely. So much of the driving is out in the country with very little traffic. You will run into herds of sheep crossing the road, so pack a picnic with some good Irish bread and cheese and enjoy them while the sheep get across the road.