My Weekend: 'No dinner party is complete without sourdough'

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

For 10 years or so, I have cooked in various restaurants, and from there I saw a way into foraging as a profession. I’ve always enjoyed foraging. Between growing up in Alaska, where self-sufficiency is de rigueur, and professional kitchens, I’ve always had some interest in wild food.

During the ‘hungry gap’, as it is called, many restaurants utilise foraged foods, most notably wild garlic. I imagine it isn’t uncommon for the seeds of interest in wild foods to take root while picking wild garlic in early spring.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

I enjoy going out for dinner. There are so many lovely places to choose from in the city. I quite like going into Paladar for some nibbles and drinks with my friend Clara. Chef Nico Reynolds is popping up in Paladar with head chef Nascimento Pereira Nunes for the Cork on a Fork Festival. It’s quite a fitting collaboration. A little Caribbean and South America.

Lie-ins or up with the lark... which is it for you?

Lie-in!

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Absolutely! But I enjoy my work. Usually, I’m looking for a plant, and so it’s fun trying to figure out where I might find said plant.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

Hmmm… San Sebastián maybe. It’s been on my bucket list for so long because I feel like everyone I know has been and has raved about it. I’d bring Podge, my better half.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

I love Barley Cove. It’s quite nice, isn’t it. West Cork in general.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

I do of course, but I usually only end up calling in to a friend or two at the weekend for a cuppa, and if I’m lucky we can meet for a meal.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

Yes! Some friends and I make an independent arts magazine. The magazine is called Flotsam and it’s free around Cork. Our music issue is out now.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the former do you have a signature dish?

I think entertaining can be great fun, but I rarely do it anymore. No dinner party is complete without sourdough! I bake a lot of bread.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork... where are your go-to spots for coffee/lunch/special meal?

For coffee, I’m a fan of Filter.

For lunch, I used to like going alone to the Farmgate, although I haven’t been in yonks. I’m a fan of all the literary ephemera in there.

For a special meal, The Glass Curtain.

Sunday night comes around too fast... how do you normally spend it?

Doom scrolling! I kid. Preparing for Monday. We do most of our coastal foraging on Mondays, so getting things sorted for that, figuring out our route, low tide schedule, packing the car, that kinda stuff.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

Too early! 6am.

Anything else you are up to right now...

Well I’m really looking forward to the Lee Fields Foraging event that I’m doing for Cork on a Fork Fest on Sunday, August 17. The area is a great source for ingredients. People on the tour will be surprised just how much they can find once they know what they are looking for.

On a separate note, I’ll be doing a pop-up in Goleen Harbour with The Glass Curtain the following weekend, which should be great fun too!

• Cork on a Fork Festival 2025 returns from August 13 to 17 with over 100 events, including pop-up feasts, chef collaborations, free cooking demos, street events, food trails, foraging walks, bite-sized talks, and a wide range of family-friendly activities celebrating Cork’s rich and unique food culture.
  Chef Epi Rogan will host a Lee Fields Foraging event as part of the festival. The immersive experience will introduce people to the wild edible plants that thrive along the banks of the river Lee and beyond.
• Visit https://www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-on-a-fork-fest/