Food consultant and children’s book author Dr Michelle Darmody on her life in food

Dr Michelle Darmody’s work brings together sustainability, food entrepreneurship and creativity. Her PhD focused on environmental food education for children. Her research projects have won RETHINK Ireland Social Innovation funding and she was named an Ashoka Changemaker.

Michelle writes an award-winning weekly column for the Irish Examiner and her extensive knowledge of sustainability and the food landscape stems from the creation of large-scale events tackling climate change, such as Eat the Streets for Dublin City Council and Summer Rising for IMMA.

Having just released her first children’s book, Seed to Supper: The Journey of Your Food from the Ground Up, the title takes you through every stage of food’s journey from its start as a seed in the soil to the table via the kitchen and everything in between. With cooking tips and easy recipes you can make yourself, DIY activities, interesting anecdotes and fascinating facts, follow your food from the ground up and see how food connects us all.

What are your earliest memories of food?

Helping my Dad make dinner for visiting friends or picking blackberries under the warm autumn sun in Currabinny Woods, eating as many as I was putting into the bowl. I was very lucky to grow up in a house where we ate around a table and where both of my parents enjoyed cooking. There were seven of us, but my mother managed to put a home-cooked meal on the table and there was usually something baking in the oven.

How would you describe your relationship with food?

I love immersing myself in the world of food. I am fascinated by where it comes from and by the people who dedicate their lives to making things that nourish and sustain us. I enjoy the adventure of new foods and tastes and I feel very lucky to have been taught the skills which make cooking at home enjoyable. Shopping for food and cooking are a switch-off for me. I like to experiment and develop new recipes and to make food that others can share.

What was the first meal you learned to cook?

I think the first thing I remember making is soda bread with my Mum. I remember adding fistfuls of flour and loving the feel of it between my fingers.

How did food become a part of your career?

I have always loved the allure of a restaurant, the sense of occasion that it brings. It was such a treat to be taken out to eat when we were young and rare enough in the ‘80s, but the times we did eat out I remember well. We grew up near Kinsale and some Sunday mornings I would hear of these magical dinners that my parents ate in restaurants the night before. I revelled in the ceremony and performance of it all.

I studied art in college but was always drawn to working in restaurants to pay the rent. I thrived on the fast pace and bonds that you form, and the close friendships that develop. Working in the food industry took me on many adventures and allowed me to travel and work in many different countries. When I returned to Ireland I wanted to create a place where the home cooking and baking of my childhood would be celebrated, and I wanted to work with local Irish producers.

In 2006 I opened The Cake Café and then SLICE in Stoneybatter a few years later. I sold both businesses and went on to study for a PhD in sustainable food education while always writing for the Irish Examiner. It was the learning for the PhD that informed the work that went into Seed to Supper.

I have also been involved in food advocacy over the years. I firmly believe that food is a human right and that everyone should have access to the food that nourishes them.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Probably crisps.

What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?

An omelette — they are so quick and versatile, they can be filled with whatever we have in the fridge.

What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?

Peppers, as in bell peppers, not chilli peppers (which I love). I am not sure why, but they make my tummy queasy and I can’t ever seem to grow used to the taste, no matter how often I have tried.

Hangover cure?

Tayto.

What’s your favourite thing about cooking?

Enjoying the time and headspace it gives me and having a meal at the end of it to share with my family.

What does food mean to you?

Everything. Sitting with my daughter and husband for breakfast and dinner is my favourite part of my day. I love nothing more than gathering friends and family around a table.

Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?

There is always room for improvement. It is a tough industry to work in and government support needs to be stronger. Restaurants and cafés create vibrancy in our towns and cities, they help to form our memories and provide spaces to gather. They should be celebrated and supported.

Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.

We were in Japan recently and the experiences we had there were so memorable. The simplicity of the food on one level, and the intricacy of flavours on another level. The culture and pride around food is something to be admired and how local growers and producers are supported not just by chefs, but by government institutions. School meals in Japan are provided using locally grown produce, for example. If Irish institutions like hospitals and school meal schemes started to buy more local food and support our growers and food producers, it would make a huge difference economically but would also shorten the supply chain, leading to fresher, more nourishing food.

Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?

Good company and tasty relaxed food.

Seed to Supper: The Journey of Your Food from the Ground Up by Dr Michelle Darmody, €20, is available now from all good bookshops and online at ninebeanrowsbooks.com.