‘Foodshouldbe anexperience’
SIMPLE dishes with local, seasonal produce is the key to wonderful food according to Maura O’Connell Foley, whose culinary talent and artistic flair, most certainly played a part in making Kenmare the well-known destination for food that it today. With almost 60 years of experience behind her Maura’s ideology on food and her unique recipes combined with a focus on ambience and experience have helped the well-known chef and business woman build a culinary legacy that will never be forgotten.
This legacy is shared in her book My Wild Atlantic Way Kitchen: Recipes and Recollectons published recently.
“Food was my whole life ..Cooking makes me happy ... There is something great about cooking something lovely. It does not have to be elaborate. You put your heart and soul into a dish and it makes people happy.”
The mainly self-taught chef, started her career alongside her mother, Agnes, when they first opened a tea-shop ‘Riverside’ Later came the Purple Heather, which is still in the family today and run by Maura’s sister Grainne. It is here that Maura first began to widen her repertoire as a chef concentrating on fish which was delivered fresh daily. She went on to become a leading chef and more than successful business-woman who founded and built some of Kenmare best-known restaurants The Lime Tree and Packies. Renovating an old school house in the 1980s, where she herself attended led to The Lime Tree restaurant where Maura’s talent became nationally and internationally acclaimed and earned her a Michelin award. Her next two ventures came together- Shelbourne Lodge and Packies Restaurant - one a renowned guest-house where Maura still uses her culinary genius and the second a renowned restaurant where Maura’s unique recipes still feature.
In between the business success Maura and her husband, Tom, a teacher raised five children.
Her secret she says “seasonal food” “Irish local produce .. good ingredients and I was always into seasonal food.”
Her mantra alongside this is “cleanliness, consistency and care”.
Ambience is also key to the food experience and this too gave Maura the edge as her wonderful dishes were served in the perfect atmosphere.
“You go out to relax. Atmosphere essential.”
This wonderful history of Kenmare, its food and Maura’s wonderful recipes are all part of her book My Wild Atlantic Way Kitchen:Recipes and recollection. The book captures over 250 recipes from Maura is
O’Connell Foley’s various businesses as well as her food related recollections and stories.
Also included are Irish landscape photographs by nationally renowned photographer Norman McCloskey. Paintings from internationally acclaimed Irish artist, Pauline Bewick and illustrations from Christine Bowen. The foreword is written by Derry Clarke, Irish Michelin starred chef of L’Ecrivain restaurant who has praise for the talented chef.
My Wild Atlantic Kitchen: Recipes and Recollections ( RRP €35) is available from Amazon or directly from www.mywildatlantickitchen.com.