FOOD FILE:Spanish chef Mariá José San Román is called "the queen of saffron" due to her unsurpassed knowledge of this most precious of ingredients, which she showcases in her Alicante restaurant, Monastrell.
Next Tuesday she will be in Ireland, to take part in Tipperary Slow Food’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations at Larkin’s Lakeside pub and restaurant at Garrykennedy, Nenagh. The guest list for the feast of local bacon and pork – and saffron potatoes, naturally – also includes US food writer Colman Andrews, co-founder of Saveur magazine, and restaurant columnist with Gourmet. Andrews is a regular visitor to Ireland, and San Román is coming at the invitation of the Good Food Ireland chefs she welcomed into her Alicante kitchen when they needed a base to cook for the opening ceremonies of the Volvo Ocean Race.
You can join in by booking tickets, which cost €35, by sending an e-mail to peter@countrychoice.com, or telephoning Larkin’s on 067-23232. The party starts at 5.30pm.