Here, we catch up with Sinéad McGlynn to chat about everything from her earliest memories of food to her favourite flavours and culinary inspirations.
Having started her food journey on the counter at Sheridans Cheesemongers to graduating with a Masters in Gastronomy & Food Studies from TU Dublin (with a thesis on Dublin coddle!), Sinéad has travelled extensively in pursuit of culinary adventures and beautiful books.
A Blue Peter badge winner whose appreciation for the culinary arts runs deep, she speaks here about that love for food being nurtured by her father on a food-focussed excursion across Kinsale, and discusses the importance of weekly markets in connecting a community with local producers.
Here, Sinéad McGlynn shares her life in food…
What are your earliest memories of food?
My mum was a great cook but unfortunately didn’t really enjoy it. She cooked amazing meals when I was small. Cottage pie. Roast chicken on a Sunday. Apple and blackberry tart. Banana sandwiches sprinkled with brown sugar, after school. My granny’s queen-of-puddings. Pink Panther bars, ha’penny sweets and Curly Wurlies that were massive compared to today. Chocolate éclairs in Ann’s Bakery on Mary Street. Christmas dinner was my favourite, I think it still is.
How would you describe your relationship with food?
As children, my sister and I were not allowed to help much in the kitchen, so I only learned to cook after leaving home. When my sons came along, food became the embodiment of my love for them. These days I would describe my relationship with food as obsessive!
What was the first meal you learned to cook?
Having sampled pasta for the first time at a friend’s house for tea circa 1983, I begged Mum to let me try to cook a Bolognese sauce. With a little persuasion from Dad she relented and that weekend I was presented with a package of minced beef, an onion and some carrots. Having browned the mince and onions in the pan and added the sliced, boiled carrots, I struggled to figure out what had made the sauce red at my friend’s house. Food colouring should do it, I thought.
Mealtimes were tense affairs in our family and barely a word was said about the bright pink mess that ensued. Dad cheerily complimented me on it as I squirmed in embarrassment, I think he was colourblind. Later I learned Antonio Carluccio’s recipe for tagliatelle al ragù and it remains a favourite.
How did food become a part of your career?
When I moved home to Dublin after fourteen years in Co. Wexford, a school friend urged me to apply to Sheridans Cheesemongers who were recruiting at the time, eight years ago now, for their new counter in Cornelscourt. I adored working there from day one and have made life-long friends. Food people are just better, you know? I’m still with Sheridans but work mainly from home these days. My fascination with food is constantly growing. Actually I graduated just last Hallowe’en with a Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies from TU Dublin. My thesis was on Dublin coddle
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Toast and marmalade, unless my sister drops round with fresh croissants.
If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?
For me it isn’t about the what, it’s about the how. I love dressing the table, polishing the silver and choosing beautiful plates for special occasions. It all depends on who’s coming and what they like. I prefer to serve dishes where all the work is at the beginning, before guests arrive. That way we can all sit and chat. Guests should feel welcome and appreciated, rather than a burden.
Who is your culinary inspiration?
Lots of our family favourites are Nigella’s, including her old-fashioned chocolate cake. I love cookbooks though and will never have enough.
What would your last meal on earth be?
Hopefully one with good friends.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
If I’m in a hurry, smoked trout pâté piled on sourdough toast will do the job. If I’m feeling really indulgent and have a few hours, a big dish of lasagne.
What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?
Cheese on toast, under the grill, fast food that satisfies the soul. If we have some stock in the freezer, chicken soup with noodles is another handy one.
What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?
Tomatoes are all kinds of wrong to me, although I frequently use purée and passata in cooking. Not a fan of pesto either, I find it overpowers a dish. Brussels sprouts are offensive in every way… oh you only asked for one! Okay, tomatoes.
Hangover cure?
A chip butty with fresh, buttered, Brennan’s white sliced pan and proper Italian chipper chips drowned in salt and vinegar.
Sweet or savoury?
That’s like asking which kid is my favourite.
Fine dining or pub grub?
Last year I gave up the opportunity to eat at a Michelin starred restaurant to take a ferry from Baltimore across to Sherkin Island, where we dined on a pint and a packet of Tayto. No contest.
Favourite restaurant in Ireland?
I don’t think I have a favourite. I enjoy Dax, Chex Max, Bar Italia and the pizza in Pi is almost as good as that in Napoli. After much deliberation we chose Osteria Lucio for a very special party in May this year… the food is gorgeous, hearty, it’s Italian but with fabulous Irish ingredients. I love the wine list too and there’s a relaxing, sort of neighbourhood vibe.
Best coffee in Ireland?
Coffee in Italy is just better. Maybe it’s the weather. In Dublin, Doppio Zero is rather good. Their aragostine are perfect.
Go-to beverage accompaniment?
I love how they do it in the French South-West: an apero (or several) before dinner, a carefully chosen wine with the meal and a digestif afterwards. Floc de Gascogne is probably my favourite tipple of all, it’s an aperitif, a fortified sweet wine made with white Armagnac and fresh grape juice, it’s almost impossible to get outside that tiny region. When all else fails, there’s always Champagne.
What are your thoughts on the Irish foodie scene?
We are spoiled for choice in Ireland with a fantastic range of cuisines and dining styles. I love when we go for a meal and the staff are as obsessed as we are, it makes ordering so much more fun and interesting. I think waiting staff in general are massively underrated in this country. But I would like to see more farmers’ markets.
Every town and city should have a weekly market, operated and insured by the councils. Markets connect the producer with the consumer and the consumer with reality, an appreciation of seasonality. It provides income for small-scale farmers, producers and cottage industries. It is a social outlet, a community enterprise bringing life to an urban landscape.
What’s your favourite thing about cooking?
Eating!
What does food – sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc – mean to you?
It means everything, it means love.
Food for thought – Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?
I find it staggering that there is even debate around what to do about restaurant no-shows. We pay in advance for transport and for events and if we don’t show, well it’s our own loss. The same must apply to restaurants. It is rude and disrespectful not to cancel in advance where possible and I believe a non-refundable, up-front payment at booking stage would offer some level of security to restaurateurs. It might also encourage people to be a little more considerate.
Chef’s kiss – Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.
The Sheridans Food Festival took place in late September. I am so proud of the quality of Irish cheeses. Drunken Saint is my current favourite, a soft, luscious cow’s milk cheese washed in Highbank Orchard’s spectacular apple brandy, it is addictive.
Compliments to the chef – Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.
My Dad loved Ireland, he introduced me to all his favourite places. One of my fondest memories is the two of us feasting on charred scallops served on skewers in The Horseshoe in Kenmare. Kinsale was his favourite place in the world, though. He ordered my first oyster in Jimmy Edwards, and he was so excited to introduce me to fresh mussels in Paddy Clarke’s of Clarinbridge just outside Galway. What a sensation that was.
He didn’t cook much himself apart from a little amuse-bouche every Christmas Day, scallops cooked over a flame out in the back garden, rain or shine. He would order them from the local fish shop weeks in advance.
I sense him still in Kinsale, treading familiar paths in his Aran cardigan. In Max’s there, last year, I had half a lobster for my starter and the other half for my main, fabulous. Dad always encouraged and supported my culinary efforts and inspired my love of seafood. The first meal my elder son Danny cooked was his own favourite, poached haddock with steamed potatoes, so the family’s fondness for fish continues.
Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?
No matter how gorgeous the food, how professional the service or how perfect the ambience, good company is the icing on the cake. Sharing the dining experience is just lovely, at the time and long afterwards, reminiscing, whether with friends, family or the love of your life.
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