Head chef of Bundoran’s foam café, Emily Iseult Duggan shares her life in food

Emily Iseult Duggan is the chef at foam, Bundoran, Donegal, a location dedicated to celebrating everything cafe and coastal culture while focussing on specialty coffee, seasonal food and good times.

Emily has a wealth of experience from her time at Síolta Kitchen, Ash @ Pots and Luncheonette, Dublin and brings her artistic flare to this go-to cafe in the North West of Ireland.

With slick interiors and subtle nods to beach life, foam is somewhere you could kick back for the entire day, matched with the delicious coffee and the thoughtful menu by Emily. Here, she shared with us her life in food…

What are your earliest memories of food?

My earliest memory of food is standing on a kitchen chair at the counter, mashing bananas and avocados in a plastic Pocahontas bowl with my Mama.

How would you describe your relationship with food?

Tumultuous! Growing up in a media-saturated era, where everybody has something to say about the female body was (and continues to be) so difficult. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life trying to unlearn ingrained diet culture, disordered eating and shame surrounding food and my body. I also have some allergies, so food can be a dangerous frontier. But among all of this, it’s one of the most consistent sources of joy in my daily life and can be such a great comfort and pleasure.

What was the first meal you learned to cook?

Does ice cream cake count? As a child, I fervently believed that McDonald’s stole the recipe for McFlurrys from my Mam, since we’d whip vanilla ice cream and put bashed-up Maltesers, Crunchies and Flakes through it for all of our birthdays. Otherwise, probably quesadillas.

How did food become a part of your career/business/personal brand?

Sort of accidentally. I studied Sculpture and Critical Cultures in NCAD and felt overwhelmed by the amount of physical stuff that is constantly made in the world – much of which is lightly used and ends up in landfill. I felt like I couldn’t justify making more. Food is great in this sense because its action as a cultural object is not completed until it interacts with the senses and is digested by the gut.

In my degree year, I took a module about hospitality in art with Jennie Moran of Luncheonette Dublin, and ended up working under Ashley Gribben in Ash@Pots, Ennistymon directly after college. Now I do a mix of things – I spend half of my week as a writer and the other half cooking in foam, and have different arts gigs, working with Jennie, thrown into my schedule as they emerge. This mix is perfect for me, and I feel very lucky to be able to make a living from my creative work.

What’s your go-to breakfast?

My partner Dylan and I have porridge every morning. Jumbo oats are crucial. We top it with Lebanese tahini, seasonal fruit, flax seeds, live yogurt and honey. Sometimes, our (foodie) rescue greyhound Cú gets a bowl too. Also, a cup of black coffee from the French press.

If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?

Probably way too much food. I love a vegetarian mezze-style feast and I’ll spend the whole day making it all from scratch. I use recipes from Ottolenghi books a lot, and Meera Sodha. Everyone gets a doggy bag going home.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

The people, food and hospitality culture of Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

What would your last meal on earth be?

A difficult question, but I think fish tacos – lemon sole, monkfish or salmon– with a spread of salsas, beans, moles, slaws and full fat sour cream. Late summer tomatoes from Carrowgarry Farm in Sligo and blackened corn. Also, my partner Dylan’s chips (which are the best in the world), and we’d have to get some fried halloumi and peaches in there somewhere. Dessert is equally important – my Dad’s homemade, fresh mint, chocolate chip gelato, and warm, chewy chocolate cookies.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Tagliatelle Pepperonata, which is a pasta dish with slow-cooked balsamic peppers and crème fraiche. It’s so easy to make and so delicious. Topped with a mountain of Parmegiano Reggiano, olive oil and parsley.

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

I try to keep the freezer stocked with portions of dahl, so I can pull one out and just roast some spuds or cook rice when I’m feeling tired. Otherwise, a quick stir-fry with green veggies, tempeh and rice noodles is a go-to. I like to have condiments like kimchi, pickles, chutneys, or hot sauce to hand, as well as herbs growing, which make simple meals so much more delicious with minimal immediate effort.

What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?

I absolutely hate cola and always have. I generally don’t like things that are very sweet, or have synthetic sweeteners in them.

Hangover cure?

An expansive veggie fry-up, made messily together with everyone you were drinking with the previous night. Scrambled tofu, veggie sausages, veggie pudding, Ballymaloe relish, fried mushrooms, mashed avocado, good crusty bread, good butter, orange juice and pots and pots of Barry’s tea. Enjoyed slowly, around a table, laughing at each other.

Sweet or savoury?

A dilemma which I can never decide on, so I usually go for both.

Fine dining or pub grub?

Somewhere in between. I’ve no interest in things being too fancy – I think food experiences should be comfortable, warm and welcoming to all – but the care and consideration of what’s being cooked is where the magic is.

Favourite restaurant in Ireland?

There are so many great places to eat in Ireland. I love cafés – The Fumbally is always amazing, as is Café Izz in Cork, Cúl a’ Tí in Culdaff, Donegal and Fáilte le Grá in The Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin. I love Soup in Dun Laoghaire (the deep-fried kimchi is outrageous), Bethlehem in Rathmines, Glas and Pickle in Dublin, and Cornucopia will always have a special place in my heart. Hackett’s in Schull, Cork and Nancy’s in Ardara, Donegal do the best pub grub in Ireland. Manifesto, Rathmines for pizza, Michie, Ranelagh for Sushi and Chandpur, Donegal Town for Indian food.

Best coffee in Ireland?

I love Carrow beans, roasted in Sligo, Cloud Picker in Dublin and Calendar Coffee in Galway. For your brew, foam, Bundoran of course! Also, Proper Order in Smithfield and Coffeewerk + Press in Galway.

Go-to beverage accompaniment?

Orange wine, a sour IPA or homemade kombucha with a cheeseboard from The Blue Goat in Ramelton, Donegal. Also homemade crisp-sandwich-canapés made by artist Jennie Moran and chef Conor Lawlor, A.K.A. some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever eaten in my life.

What are your thoughts on the Irish foodie scene?

We have so many knowledgeable people and ample beautiful produce in Ireland, and the scene is bubbling. Though this is not without its challenges, and it’s clear that the past few years have been extremely difficult for the food industry. There’s been an incredible amount of resilience and customer support, however, and it’s wonderful to see independent cafés and restaurants with full houses and queues spilling out the doors.

I do think that we are at a pivotal moment within the Irish food scene. Going forward, what I would love to see continuing to be prioritised by independent cafés and restaurants is the social connections and care that food businesses bring to communities. Cafés and restaurants have the potential to be truly meaningful amenities for their customers, and while the food itself is important, it is also a powerful catalyst for bringing people together. I hope that this is not lost as businesses become more financially successful, and that thought and attention is given to their accessibility.

What’s your favourite thing about cooking?

Cooking feels like the most natural thing in the world to me, and I feel entirely comfortable when I am doing it. Keeping my hands busy makes it easier for me to think, to chat and sometimes, even to listen. I also love its immediacy, variability, and its scope for problem-solving and output. It’s creative sensory play – touching, smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing foods, and changing, rearranging, mixing, disassembling, reassembling them. I have no doubt that cooking is highly beneficial for my mental health.

What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?

Food is a powerful force for connection. It’s something that everyone, all over the world, has in common. Hosting friends and family for a meal in my home is one of my favourite things to do, and I get intense satisfaction from making things that other people find delicious. If I had all the time in the world, I would cook very slowly, mindfully and inefficiently – something you can’t really do in restaurant kitchens! – and enjoy the chaos and curiosity that accompanies the process.

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

Working conditions in the hospitality industry have improved, but they have a long way to go. Hospitality is very physical work in high stress situations over long shifts, often during unsocial hours. On top of that, the pay is generally low, and you hear many horror stories of restaurateurs that don’t even pay minimum wage. You regularly see people burning out, or not having the time or energy to do anything outside of work. I’m very lucky to not be relying totally on my hospitality income to live, but many people do and it’s a very difficult lifestyle. I think that working conditions need to be further improved, and fair wages need to be the norm.

Additionally, I would like to see government supports and incentives for organic growers and producers. Organic food should be a baseline, but it is currently far too expensive for most people to buy. Going organic is good for our bodies, our biodiversity and our environment and we should have a food system which works towards keeping all three of these things healthy.

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

I was in Galway for Cúirt International Festival of Literature, and had lots of delicious encounters. I went to Éan for a beautiful dinner of sardines, scallion-buttered spuds and beets with burrata, which was so good that I came back for lunch the next day. I also went to Kai for lunch and had a bowl of mixed bean mole, blue corn chips and salsa verde – something I would often have variations of at home, but I felt like I was tasting for the first time. I also had a stunning pour-over Kenyan coffee in Coffeewerk + Press, and a freshly baked vegan tahini cookie from Fairhill Coffee, which was totally dreamy.

Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.

Jennie Moran, of Luncheonette, who I have the pleasure of occasionally working with, is always making beautiful cross-disciplinary adaptations of food and art, and is a constant source of inspiration for me. Also, Ashley Gribben, in Co. Clare – her food is probably some of the most delicious on the island. As well as my sister, Alice, who I’ve done much of my learning and experimentation with. I am always delighted to be had round to her house for dinner.

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

For me, because of my food allergies, the service is so important. Having a receptive server that I feel I can trust and knows the menu well, makes what can be an anxiety-inducing experience into an extremely enjoyable one. I don’t think that we value the role of servers enough, or give enough nourishment or attention to the craft of serving.