soda bread and an exciting publication

back to my Ballymaloe roots with this recipe and article

What I’m reading: How Late It Was, How Late, by James Kelman. This book won the Booker Prize in 1994, and I usually really like the Booker Prize winner - and I did enjoy this. However, I did find it a bit tricky to get through, mainly because it’s written entirely in Glaswegian vernacular, which I found difficult to get used to. The narrative also drags a bit, and it’s quite dark - but if you’re up for a challenge, give it a go.

What I’m listening to: Elizabeth Gilbert on Tim Ferriss’ podcast. Even though she runs a tad spiritual for my liking at times, I am a big fan of Elizabeth Gilbert and her writing - and I think we could all learn something from the way she sees the world (see “no cherished outcome” from this episode).

What I’m eating: a salt beef bagel from Beigel Bake, Brick Lane (below). I did get several messages after eating this bagel telling me that I went to the wrong one (there’s two right beside each other), but this one was very enjoyable nonetheless - and I got a bag of “ugly bagels” to take home with me for later :)

Beigel Bake, Brick Lane

This week I got a very exciting package in the post: the latest issue of Eaten magazine, which contains an article I wrote. I’ve pitched to Eaten before, but this is the first article I’ve had published in their magazine, and it feels really good, for several reasons:

• I love print. I love books and magazines and newspapers and a fresh ream of paper and writing with my favourite pen in my favourite notebook. I’ve always had a borderline obsession with print in general: there something about the smell of it, and being able to leaf through a magazine and feel its weight in your hand. I love print.

• I also love writing, and am always looking for opportunities to practice (hence this newsletter - thank you for reading as always x). It’s a very satisfying process to pitch a piece, go through various drafts and iterations, and then see the final article in print (did I mention I love print?). Not insignificant either is being paid to write, which I did - in a world where so much happens online and is free (although they do say that if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product), I love that you can still write for a magazine and have your time/work valued financially.

• Eaten is a really well-produced magazine that publishes a lot of very good writing. They only publish food history pieces that are quite niche: a lot of hot takes and deep-dives into specific stories and narratives. The illustrations are beautiful, and they look really good on your bookshelves/coffee table.

Anyway, the piece is a semi-hot take (tepid take?) on baking soda - and more specifically soda bread - as a symbol of Ireland’s colourful history. I talk about all the good things: religion, British colonial rule, Ballymaloe Cookery School, the Famine etc. You can find the full article here, or it’s stocked in a bunch of different bookshops which you can find listed here. You can’t read it online because it’s PRINT :)

I thought for this week’s recipe it would be fun to do a variation on the soda bread I learned to make at Ballymaloe, and made every morning while working at Ballymaloe House. I’ve swapped in some spelt flour to make it a bit more digestible, and included metric measurements for the ingredients - although I love the way we measure with teaspoons (and not even the measuring ones, just your regular teaspoon) at Ballymaloe, I do think that it’s vital for this recipe not to overdo it on the baking soda - otherwise, you might end up with a slightly green loaf that has that really distinctive bitter flavour. I’ve also added a touch of baking powder which isn’t conventional, but I find it helps with a more even rise. You can play around with the flour a bit in this, and swap in some wholemeal or even emmer, but I think a certain amount of white is important to get that nice light texture. If you want to make a spotted dog, throw in a handful of raisins. Most importantly, eat this loaf FRESH - same as scones, within a few hours of making. I think it’s a really nice addition to brunch at home - served steaming hot out of the oven, accompanied by a full Irish breakfast.

recipe: soda bread