A Simply Delicious Irish Christmas

by Darina Allen

"The section devoted to 'Edible Presents' is particularly outstanding! No Christmas cuisine collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of A Simply Delicious Irish Christmas." -The Midwest Book Review Bookwatch

Known throughout Ireland for her popular Simply Delicious television show and for her best-selling series of cookbooks, the Queen of Irish Cooking turns her attention to preparing simple, stress-free Christmas dishes. By following these recipes, anyone can minimize preparation time and reduce frustration while maximizing results and increasing the quality and flavor of the dishes.

A meal of Traditional Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing and Apple Sauce, Champ, and Plum Pudding provides a true taste of the Emerald Isle yet is extremely easy to create. These dishes also are easy to cook ahead of time to avoid hectic last-minute preparation. White Christmas Cake may be kept for at least a week without freezing, while St. Stephen's Day Pie freezes quite well.

As simple as these dishes are to prepare, they are even more delightful to present. After serving Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey with Fresh Herb Stuffing and Bread Sauce, hosts may dazzle their guests with a variety of edible presents, including Doreen's Fudge, Marzipan Dates, and even a Chocolate Christmas Tree.

Nothing could be simpler-or more delicious.

100 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Darina Allen established Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983 with her brother Rory O'Connell. Author of over 10 books and presenter on 6 Television series, her main passion and her daily task is to impart her knowledge to the students at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Darina Allen is Ireland’s best known cook and a best-selling author who presented nine series of her cookery programme, *Simply Delicious*, on television in Ireland. She is a passionate and committed teacher, and her awards have included:

Good Food Ireland’s Cookery School of the Year 2012/2013
José Navarro Foundation Award at the Green Awards 2011
IACP Cooking Teacher of theYear 2005.
A tireless ambassador for Irish food both at home and abroad, Darina has been instrumental in setting up the Farmers’ Market Movement in Ireland. Slow Food is a passion for her, and she is the councillor for Ireland in the Slow Food Movement and President of East Cork Convivium of Slow Food. Through the East Cork Educational Fund, she runs a programme for local primary schools to help local children learn about food from garden to plate.

In 2013 she helped launch the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine which plays host to a stellar line up of chefs and writers and has very quickly become an unmissable event on the international culinary calendar.

Dubbed "The Julia Child of Ireland" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Darina has written a number of best-selling, award-winning books including: 30 Years at Ballymaloe (Winner Cookbook of the year for the Irish Book Awards 2013) | Forgotten Skills, winner of the André Simon Food Book of the Year and Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year Award in 2010 | Easy Entertaining, winner of the 2006 Chefs and Restaurants Award from the IACP | Irish Traditional Cooking | Ballymaloe Cookery Course | A Year at Ballymaloe | Healthy Gluten-freeEating* (with Rosemary Kearney) | the Simply Delicious series of books to accompany her TV series of the same name.

She holds many positions in leading food organisations including:
Member of Taste Council of Irish Food Board
Chair of Artisan Food Forum of FoodSafety Authority of Ireland
Trustee of Irish Organic Centre
Patron ofIrish Seedsavers
Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs
Guild of Foodwriters in UK and Ireland
IACP (International Association ofCulinary Professionals).