Faces of the Sligo Food Trail
FOR years Sligo was Dubliner Catherine Byrne’s secret place. It was where she spent weekends with college friends, at the Sligo Arts Festival, out on the town. Now, it is where she calls home and where she runs her fabulously named food business, The Sushi Sisters with her ( real) sister Mary.
Regulars at Strandhill Market will be very familiar with the Sushi Sisters cheerful market stall selling the unlikely combination of delicate sushi and robust Middle Eastern and Greek food. It’s a genuine labour of love for the two sisters who made independent lifestyle choices to move from the metropolis.
Born in Beaumont Catherine fondly recalls their summers spent in the family caravan in Rush where she first discovered the joy of sea fresh fish. Surrounded as they were by the market garden belt, they were spoiled for choice with field after field of vegetables, herbs and sun ripened tomatoes. To her the new potatoes es from Rush just can’t be beaten for taste.
Catherine studied Design in college, going on to a career as a lecturer in DIT.
The generous summer holidays in her job gave her the opportunity to travel and Greece was the country of choice. Having heard that Sifnos Island had the best olive oil in all of Greece because of its volcanic soil, that was her first port of call. It turned out to be the start of a long affair with the island which is renowned for its quality food.
Catherine spent many summers there camping with her young son Patrick. She describes the glorious weather, the scenery and the amazing campsite boast- ing marble bathrooms, with enthusiasm. Making Greek friends led her to another island where they had a holiday home.
Easter there was a treasured experience, spent with her friend’s mother preparing goat meat for the feast. This included making ‘ puddings’ from the innards and bringing the raw dishes to the vast communal wood fired oven in the village square.square Further ceremonies anda dyed eggs were all part of this traditional Easter celebration.
Mary ‘ s travel lust introduced her to sushi first. Catherine’s interest was piqued and the pair headed for Dublin’s only sushi restaurant. While the sushi was delicious, Catherine wryly recalls the rookie error of mistaking hot Wasabi for cool avocado and suffering the consequences! However she was smitten with this ethnic food.
Taking a career break gave Catherine the opportunity to lease part of a restaurant ( Laura’s of Carney) for a few summers. There she served simple but delicious seafood and vegetarian dishes too. The food industry was getting a grip on her.
In 2009 she took the plunge, taking early retirement and moving to Strandhill lock, stock and barrel. Within a few years she had begun Sushi Sisters with Mary and they have been regulars in Strandhill Market every Sunday since. Patrick now lives in New Orleans giving Catherine a welcome excuse to discover new cuisines!
New Orleans Gumbo with Rice and Chargrilled Buttered Corn Cob appeared at Sushi Sisters recently. It went down a treat with the adventurous clientele ... who knows what Catherine will introduce next.