Leslie Conron Carola

Did you know that there's a fish called a Sweaty Betty?

I kid you not.

Can you really go into a shop in Ireland, or at least in County Galway, and ask the fishmonger for Sweaty Betty?

And why am I not surprised that such a creature shows up in the chapter that features the county my grandmother came from?

This is a gorgeous cookbook, an exploration of recipes from restaurants across Ireland which all appear to be places I could never afford to see the insides of. Accordingly, a hefty percentage of the recipes include ingredients I'll never be able to afford, even if I could find them, and a few require equipment I'll never be able to afford, even if I wanted to. And, honestly, there are some that are far too haute cuisine for my tastes.

That being said, there are also quite a number of keepers, both entrees and desserts I am very interested in trying. The recipes are challenging, but seem achievable on the whole – but even if every recipe called for larkspur tongues and nuclear fission reactors, the photographs of Ireland would be well worth a look. It's stunning. It's Ireland.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.… (mer)