My Irish Table

Praise

“Cathal’s culinary journey from Dublin to Restaurant Eve in Virginia makes riveting reading. This talented young man didn’t ‘lick it off a stone’, as we say in Ireland. His passion for food began in his Da’s vegetable garden, was fostered at his mother’s table, and further ignited by his childhood travels in France. The end result is a super talented young Irish chef with real values and buckets of talent of whom we can be truly proud.”
—Darina Allen, author of Irish Traditional Cooking and Forgotten Skills of Cooking
 
“This is a scrumptious gathering of everything Irish. It has the haughty (foie gras with black pudding and pears) and the humble (cheese on toast), the familiar (a curing brine for ham) and the unusual (a homey dish called Dublin Coddle). Along the way you’ll meet Da and his garden and Mam and her array of stews (beef, Irish, and President Obama’s chicken). These are recipes you dare not live without.”
—Phyllis Richman, former Washington Post restaurant critic
 
“Cathal has that rare combination of deep civic mindedness, compassion, and culinary talent. This book is full of wonderful recipes to explore, from a Saint Patrick’s Day roast leg of lamb with herb pesto to simple, classic brown bread. In the fine spirit of Darina Allen, Cathal is preserving Irish foodways, celebrating their rich traditions, and breathing new life into them.”
—Alice Waters, proprietor of Chez Panisse and author of The Art of Simple Food
 
“In this warm and personal tribute to Irish cuisine, Cathal Armstrong invites us to come home with him to his family’s kitchen, and celebrates his roots through the lens of an Irish chef cooking in America. Reading this book could make anyone wish they were Irish. Cooking from it will make you feel as if you are.”
—Patrick O’Connell, author of Patrick O’Connell’s Refined American Cuisine