Both my husband and I are foodies, and both of us would love a chance to attend culinary school, just for the fun of it. We just can’t justify it because we’d never want to give up the hours required to run a restaurant well. But today I came across a “cookery school” on an estate in Ireland named Ballymaloe that almost makes me want to cash in my retirement savings. For several thousand dollars, you too could live on the farm and learn from teacher Darina Allen how to grow crops, forage for what the countryside has to offer, smoke fish, butcher chickens, and then use it all in cooking. For considerably less–but still more than I have to spend–, you can take an afternoon course. Open the links at your own risk. They may make you drool, both over the beauty of the old manor house and the opportunities available at the Cookery School.
Since I don’t see a visit to Ireland in my near future (darn that hospital bill that arrived today), I’ve ordered Darina Allen’s latest book, Forgotten Skills of Cooking. With 600 pages and 700 recipes, it looks like a really good deal. I’ll let you know what I think when it arrives.
Thanks to the New York Times for introducing me to Darina Allen and Ballymaloe.
Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader. Short excerpts with full URL are welcome.
