JP McMahon: Comfort food is seen as sentimental, but that’s what we need right now

Lentils are a great meat substitute. Here is how to make a lentil pasty

Don’t worry if the bird you ordered is now too big for your smaller family gathering

Across Europe, seafood and shellfish appear prominently on the dinner table

We have relegated the use of chestnuts to the Christmas period but they are so versatile

There’s an easy way and a hard way – both bring the humble celeriac to divine heights

This recipe may seem unusual, but it brings Brussels sprouts and mussels together wonderfully

Silverhill, Skeaghanore and Regan’s should be as well-known as our sports stars

JP McMahon: Mutton curry first found its way into Irish households in the 18th century

Many great chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, have made this dish before

JP McMahon: The great thing about this recipe is that you can use any fruit

JP McMahon: The hazel tree occupies an important part of our mythology

An open letter to the Taoiseach from chef and restaurateur JP McMahon

The game bird is often seen as the preserve of a higher class of person. This is nonsense

JP McMahon: Making jam or chutney with a bit of vinegar an easy way to use up a surplus

With game season in full swing, why not try cooking wild birds on the barbecue?

JP McMahon: I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie – these alternatives are more to my taste

Traditions evolve, move around, change...Not according to the paella police

Taste of autumn: How to make venison with beetroot and hazelnuts

What happened to that slogan ‘we’re in this together?’ We are not in this together. The hospitality industry is on its knees

Add plenty of chopped, fresh herbs to your crab and use olive oil to make it lighter

Cooking with hay is an age old art, dating back to at least Neolithic times

Tomato skins are normally removed because of their taste and texture, or if you’re making a sauce

JP McMahon: This white fish can be found in five Irish lakes, including Lough Neagh

JP McMahon: Here are two ways to enjoy the wild cherry

Though it emigrated to Ireland from Central America, courgette grows well here

JP McMahon: Cucumber ketchup is the relish you never knew you wanted

We should not have to police a law that’s not being policed by those in power

Raspberries need little more than some sugar and cream. This shortbread is a great way to show them off

Take your summer berries to heavenly levels with salt, rapeseed oil and balsamic vinegar

Other than fish fingers, what have we against putting fish in between two slices of white sliced bread?

Food nostalgia makes me long for bruschetta, but I seldom make it with tomatoes

This is a great recipe to bake with children because of its many different parts

JP McMahon: My greatest grind regarding cooking chicken is the amount we over cook it

Understanding the seasonality of potatoes can help us appreciate them more

JP McMahon: We have great fishmongers delivering online so being adventurous has never been easier

JP McMahon: ‘The first time I tasted a salted gooseberry my eyes widened’

Welcome the warm weather by making elderflower cordial or add to gin

We treat foods in cans as somehow being worth less than their fresh equivalent

A naked oyster is truly remarkable, but if you need to dress it up, bake it with wild garlic butter

Wild mushrooms are still a few months away, so here’s an homage to the button

JP McMahon: For some reason potted shellfish still has currency in our own era

How to poach salmon and make watercress purée

Hardy vegetable survives our climate, despite our poor soil and inclement weather

JP McMahon: This deep fried clams recipe is dish everyone needs to try

Hogget, mutton – nowadays it’s all lamb in some quarters

Baking celeriac in hay might raise eyebrows in your family but they will be won over

Catalonians prize their calçot so highly that cooking them is a big event. Here is an Irish alternative to try

JP McMahon: Lamb, Jerusalem artichokes and wild garlic. What could be more beautiful and more Irish? 

To try and define Irish food for a new generation was my ultimate aim in writing The Irish Cook Book

This wonderful herb’s accessibility makes it a favourite in my larder and on my menus

‘Forced’ rhubarb, with no air miles attached, is now in season. Go grab some

JP McMahon: Many think that chowder needs a variety of fish and shellfish, but this is not the case

JP McMahon: We’re nearing the end of the venison season. Try it before it comes to a close

“Our lobsters are much too superior to disguise with any fancy sauce,” wrote the great Monica Sheridan. She was right

Drinking a few glasses of kombucha or kefir to regulate your gut is a good idea in January

JP McMahon: Eating more plants will not do us meat eaters any harm

JP McMahon: A lot of butter, and I mean a lot, is the secret to making this dish so delicious

Long before turkey, goose was the traditional meat in an Irish Christmas dinner

Whole fish at Christmas is a great dish to share and easy to cook

My favourite way to prepare this vegetable is to make a nutty purée to go with white fish

The secret is to making any fish dish more beautiful: add some anchovies

Celeriac is a firm favourite of mine and I eagerly await its appearance every year

Why do we continually reduce our cultural experience of food to the humble potato?

How did it go from being a slow food to a fast-food monster filled with preservatives and sugar?

What gives the Italians a hold on this set cream dessert?

In autumn, pheasant can be used instead of chicken in many recipes

JP McMahon: ‘What is it about autumn that makes me want to eat more duck?’

JP McMahon: This dish works well on its own or with other dishes such as couscous or spinach

Roasting pork belly is probably the easiest way to feed four to six people all at once

The laws in Ireland surrounding scallops must take the biscuit

Whether tiny or a two-hand job, this seasonal vegetable can be enjoyed many ways

JP McMahon: Spelt with roasted vegetables and herbs will produce a filling alternative to leaves

Thank the rain for the wonderful vegetables, and rediscover the benefits of brassicas

Avoid the uniform red ovals on supermarket shelves; they don’t taste like tomatoes

Mackerel, tuna, and trout all work with blackberries and I urge you to try them

A bowl of mussels is a cheap and nutritious dish, something that we should all eat regularly

We are turning away from the spud and don’t even grow enough in Ireland to feed ourselves

Most of us never purchase the legs of the chicken. Have you realised how much cheaper they are?

JP McMahon: These great plate companions could not be simpler to prepare

Pairing sweet and savoury is a classic combination and Cherries, raspberries, redcurrants and even plums are in season

Forget the aberration of beef and chewy prawns – try scallops and black pudding or monkfish and oxtail

Food and literature: both feed mind and body and give us energy to get through the day

Combination of strawberries and cream said to have been created by Cardinal Wolsey for Henry VIII

We lack vision when it comes to using yoghurt in cooking: use it as a summer sauce or smoke it over hay

There doesn’t seem to be a country in Europe that doesn’t have a wild garlic dish

There’s more to this fruit than slicing them for a salad

Creating a feast of wild green edibles on the Aran Islands

We should be eating shellfish more and meat a little less, and lobsters are easy to cook

The cookery writer helped to put Irish produce and food culture on the map

But if you must have meat, an outdoor pizza oven is a great way to roast chicken, just rub the bird with oil, salt and chopped her(...)

Mushrooms constitute a good alternative healthy option for vegetable-forward dishes

Here is a beautifully quick risotto that even the novice cook can pull off

JP McMahon: Some chefs don’t like flowers, they find them too feminine

JP McMahon: Turn free greens into oil or mayo and eat with fried fish

JP McMahon: I love the ways the tangy acidity complements the briny richness of the oyster

We’ll never be free of the supermarket but we should bridge the gap between food and our community

In season now, watercress is great eaten raw in a salad or blanched briefly and blended in to a soup