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Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course
As Seen on ABC TV's Good Morning America and the Food Network's Cooking Live Nominee, James Beard Foundation Award, International Cookbook Category, 2002
Since its founding in 1981, students at Ireland's respected Ballymaloe Cookery School have benefited from Darina Allen's enthusiastic instruction and keen understanding of what makes food taste good. Now, readers everywhere can learn her techniques, tips, and shortcuts for creating delicious meals at home.
Darina Allen begins with the basics by explaining what to look for while out shopping (organic, local, and in-season
produce are favorites) and how to stock a pantry with quality ingredients andequipment. She demonstrates over 200 cooking techniques, from making mayonnaise to butterflying a leg of lamb, with clear instructions and step-by-step
photographs. Both novice and experienced cooks will find plenty of new ideas and inspiration. By arming her readers with the fundamentals, Darina Allen prepares and encourages them to experiment and tackle new culinary challenges.
Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cooking School Cookbook is packed with mouth-watering recipes. Of course, there are traditional Irish favorites, like Watercress Soup and West Cork Rabbit Casserole, and classic gourmet dishes, like Boeuf Bourguignon and Ratatouille Nicoise, but Darina Allen does not forget busy modern families. There are several variations of pizza, barbecue, and cookie recipes, as well as instructions for freezing and reheating leftovers. Darina Allen has truly
thought of everything, and she has included it all in this cookbook.
Since its founding in 1981, students at Ireland's respected Ballymaloe Cookery School have benefited from Darina Allen's enthusiastic instruction and keen understanding of what makes food taste good. Now, readers everywhere can learn her techniques, tips, and shortcuts for creating delicious meals at home.
Darina Allen begins with the basics by explaining what to look for while out shopping (organic, local, and in-season
produce are favorites) and how to stock a pantry with quality ingredients andequipment. She demonstrates over 200 cooking techniques, from making mayonnaise to butterflying a leg of lamb, with clear instructions and step-by-step
photographs. Both novice and experienced cooks will find plenty of new ideas and inspiration. By arming her readers with the fundamentals, Darina Allen prepares and encourages them to experiment and tackle new culinary challenges.
Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cooking School Cookbook is packed with mouth-watering recipes. Of course, there are traditional Irish favorites, like Watercress Soup and West Cork Rabbit Casserole, and classic gourmet dishes, like Boeuf Bourguignon and Ratatouille Nicoise, but Darina Allen does not forget busy modern families. There are several variations of pizza, barbecue, and cookie recipes, as well as instructions for freezing and reheating leftovers. Darina Allen has truly
thought of everything, and she has included it all in this cookbook.
640 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
201 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Darina Allen
44 books16 followersDarina Allen established Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983 with her brother Rory O'Connell. Author of over 10 books and presenter on 6 Television series, her main passion and her daily task is to impart her knowledge to the students at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Darina Allen is Ireland’s best known cook and a best-selling author who presented nine series of her cookery programme, *Simply Delicious*, on television in Ireland. She is a passionate and committed teacher, and her awards have included:
Good Food Ireland’s Cookery School of the Year 2012/2013
José Navarro Foundation Award at the Green Awards 2011
IACP Cooking Teacher of theYear 2005.
A tireless ambassador for Irish food both at home and abroad, Darina has been instrumental in setting up the Farmers’ Market Movement in Ireland. Slow Food is a passion for her, and she is the councillor for Ireland in the Slow Food Movement and President of East Cork Convivium of Slow Food. Through the East Cork Educational Fund, she runs a programme for local primary schools to help local children learn about food from garden to plate.
In 2013 she helped launch the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine which plays host to a stellar line up of chefs and writers and has very quickly become an unmissable event on the international culinary calendar.
Dubbed "The Julia Child of Ireland" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Darina has written a number of best-selling, award-winning books including: 30 Years at Ballymaloe (Winner Cookbook of the year for the Irish Book Awards 2013) | Forgotten Skills, winner of the André Simon Food Book of the Year and Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year Award in 2010 | Easy Entertaining, winner of the 2006 Chefs and Restaurants Award from the IACP | Irish Traditional Cooking | Ballymaloe Cookery Course | A Year at Ballymaloe | Healthy Gluten-freeEating* (with Rosemary Kearney) | the Simply Delicious series of books to accompany her TV series of the same name.
She holds many positions in leading food organisations including:
Member of Taste Council of Irish Food Board
Chair of Artisan Food Forum of FoodSafety Authority of Ireland
Trustee of Irish Organic Centre
Patron ofIrish Seedsavers
Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs
Guild of Foodwriters in UK and Ireland
IACP (International Association ofCulinary Professionals).
Darina Allen is Ireland’s best known cook and a best-selling author who presented nine series of her cookery programme, *Simply Delicious*, on television in Ireland. She is a passionate and committed teacher, and her awards have included:
Good Food Ireland’s Cookery School of the Year 2012/2013
José Navarro Foundation Award at the Green Awards 2011
IACP Cooking Teacher of theYear 2005.
A tireless ambassador for Irish food both at home and abroad, Darina has been instrumental in setting up the Farmers’ Market Movement in Ireland. Slow Food is a passion for her, and she is the councillor for Ireland in the Slow Food Movement and President of East Cork Convivium of Slow Food. Through the East Cork Educational Fund, she runs a programme for local primary schools to help local children learn about food from garden to plate.
In 2013 she helped launch the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine which plays host to a stellar line up of chefs and writers and has very quickly become an unmissable event on the international culinary calendar.
Dubbed "The Julia Child of Ireland" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Darina has written a number of best-selling, award-winning books including: 30 Years at Ballymaloe (Winner Cookbook of the year for the Irish Book Awards 2013) | Forgotten Skills, winner of the André Simon Food Book of the Year and Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year Award in 2010 | Easy Entertaining, winner of the 2006 Chefs and Restaurants Award from the IACP | Irish Traditional Cooking | Ballymaloe Cookery Course | A Year at Ballymaloe | Healthy Gluten-freeEating* (with Rosemary Kearney) | the Simply Delicious series of books to accompany her TV series of the same name.
She holds many positions in leading food organisations including:
Member of Taste Council of Irish Food Board
Chair of Artisan Food Forum of FoodSafety Authority of Ireland
Trustee of Irish Organic Centre
Patron ofIrish Seedsavers
Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs
Guild of Foodwriters in UK and Ireland
IACP (International Association ofCulinary Professionals).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2015
The format of this book is eminently helpful: each master recipe is followed by variations; i.e. the master recipe teaches technique; the following associated recipes then ring the changes (some quite exotically so). The recipes I’ve tried have a) tasted good, b) looked good, and c) not raced beyond my technical ability. This is what shopping for food is all about: not having a written list of absolutes, but instead applying one’s knowledge to buy whatever is of highest quality for the lowest agreeable price.
My only quibble about this book is its size and weight. Had I been the publisher I would have published it as two volumes, slip-cased. More expensive? Yes; but so much easier to handle. I’d have saved money by cutting out the glossy lifestyle photographs, only keeping the (fewer) photographs which explain a technique, or the assembly of the finished dish. Actually, come to think of it, this book minus the informational-junk photographs and double-spaced text of the chapter/section introductions would very likely make for a nice usable single volume!
My only quibble about this book is its size and weight. Had I been the publisher I would have published it as two volumes, slip-cased. More expensive? Yes; but so much easier to handle. I’d have saved money by cutting out the glossy lifestyle photographs, only keeping the (fewer) photographs which explain a technique, or the assembly of the finished dish. Actually, come to think of it, this book minus the informational-junk photographs and double-spaced text of the chapter/section introductions would very likely make for a nice usable single volume!
June 20, 2017
Doesn't matter if you're a novice or accomplished cook/baker. This book covers most of know cooking and baking techniques. It explains all the different food ingredients as well, and advises how best to cook/prepare and use them.
Different theme chapters have always a "master recipe" which covers given topic, and is followed by variations of it. The cookbook contains some traditional Irish recipes, as well as classic French dishes. It's great for everyday cooking and as a reference for making more elaborate dinner or baked goods.
It is a compendium, almost an encyclopedia. It is also a reference book for all taking part in Ballymaloe 12 weeks cookery course.
I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to become a better cook/baker or just want to know how to do the basics.
Different theme chapters have always a "master recipe" which covers given topic, and is followed by variations of it. The cookbook contains some traditional Irish recipes, as well as classic French dishes. It's great for everyday cooking and as a reference for making more elaborate dinner or baked goods.
It is a compendium, almost an encyclopedia. It is also a reference book for all taking part in Ballymaloe 12 weeks cookery course.
I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to become a better cook/baker or just want to know how to do the basics.
April 28, 2009
Christmas present from my parents
March 15, 2010
Currently acting as my cooking bible/encyclopedia and will no doubt continue to be for many years to come!
April 15, 2016
My go to cook book for the base of all recipes!! It's my bible!
October 9, 2023
What a thoroughly wonderful cookbook. Hundreds of recipes, thoughtful descriptions. Ventures well beyond Irish cuisine, but masters it nonetheless. My edition is titled “Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cooking School Cookbook.”
March 16, 2022
An absolute gem of a recipe book
Love cooking, so many recipes - new and traditional that I'm going to be making. Impressive and easy to follow.
Love cooking, so many recipes - new and traditional that I'm going to be making. Impressive and easy to follow.
May 24, 2012
This book is very comprehensive (along the lines of 'mastering the art of French cooking'), but I didn't find the recipes to be that practical. The recipes generally have a lot of ingredients, and where they ventured into ethnic territory they were a little bland.
Techniques are explained clearly, and they give good instructions for selecting produce, wine and pantry staples. I didn't give this more stars because it's not a book I think I would refer to often. If you have 'the joy of cooking' or 'how to cook everything', you probably won't either.
Techniques are explained clearly, and they give good instructions for selecting produce, wine and pantry staples. I didn't give this more stars because it's not a book I think I would refer to often. If you have 'the joy of cooking' or 'how to cook everything', you probably won't either.
May 8, 2014
The only cookbook you need to buy if you only buy one. Even if you are clueless about cooking this book is the best. I have given it as a gift to a divorcing father who said it turned him onto cooking! It is comprehensive, well illustrated and has good basics like food prep, carving, temperature charts etc. Keeps it simple but has a huge range in here. I think it's one of the classics - use it all the time.
September 14, 2008
Best cook book I've ever bought, always has the answer and the recipe for the classics plus some great variations on them. Easy step by step instructions and is way ahead of all those celebrity chef books (which I also have).
September 29, 2013
Better and more contemporary than Delia as an all-rounder on everyday cooking
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews