A Taste for Life

Derval O’Rourke’s life in food

“We had been served frozen, processed tapas and the freezer was in the toilet!”

What did your mother make you?

My mother makes the best coffee cake. She used to make it all the time when we were kids. For my new book, she was the one who made the coffee cake recipe for the shoot. It’s still one of my favourites.

What was your defining food experience?

Going to Dublin Cookery School in 2012.

What is the meal you will always remember?

The seafood platter at the Lookout at the Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, west Cork. It was my first date with my husband.

What’s the first dish you ever cooked?

Quiche.

What is your comfort food?

A nice bowl of soup and brown bread.

What is your hangover cure?

Lots of water, a cup of tea and plenty of sleep.

Where was your worst meal ever?

I once went to a tapas restaurant in Madrid. After we had finished, I went to the toilet, where I realised that we had been served frozen processed tapas and that the freezer was in the toilet!

If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life what would they be?

Sourdough bread; eggs; Cheddar cheese.

What do you refuse to eat?

Mushrooms.

Are you careful about what you eat?

I’m mindful of what I eat, as opposed to careful about what I eat. I’m always trying to include more of the foods I know will nourish my body. Eating for me is about a combination of nourishment and enjoyment, health and pleasure.

What’s your sweet treat?

Energy balls made with dates, as they are like a sweet treat, but they’re secretly healthy.

What’s your favourite restaurant abroad?

There is an amazing steak restaurant in Geneva that I used to visit every time I raced there. I can’t remember the name, but the food was amazing.

Are there any foods you have had to cut out or cut down on that you miss?

No, I eat most things in moderation.

What is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is being able to get into bed, having the luxury of not setting an alarm and sleeping for 12 hours straight. It happens so rarely that I consider it a guilty pleasure.

What is the most appetising smell in the world?

It would have to be the smell of freshly ground coffee first thing in the morning.

What’s your favourite restaurant in Ireland?

The Lookout at the Waterfront in Baltimore.

What’s your perfect family meal?

My perfect family meal would have to be pasta with a home-made tomato sauce, chicken and grated mature Cheddar cheese. This is my current favourite, as it’s one of the few meals Dafne, my toddler, won’t throw on the floor. She loves it and will eat every single bite when I give it to her.

Derval O’Rourke is at the Our Responsibility Symposium at Litfest. Ballymaloe Litfest 2017 runs from Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 21.To book tickets, see litfest.ie