{"id":516661,"date":"2026-06-03T15:15:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T15:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/516661\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T15:15:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T15:15:17","slug":"spices-slushies-drinkable-salad-the-foods-foreign-chefs-in-ireland-eat-at-home-to-cool-down-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/516661\/","title":{"rendered":"Spices, slushies, \u2018drinkable salad\u2019: the foods foreign chefs in Ireland eat at home to cool down \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Damien GreyChef proprietor of Liath in Blackrock, Co Dublin\"DamienDamien Grey, chef proprietor of Liath in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw <\/p>\n

The summers Damien Grey<\/a> remembers from Bowral in New South Wales, Australia<\/a> were relentless. \u201cIt would kick in around the end of November, until March or April, it would sit at around 35 degrees-plus. I was pretty much running around with permanently sunburned lips,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Breakfast was granola or Weetabix, yoghurt and fruit, and lunches could not be heavy: \u201cIn that dead heat, you\u2019re pushing not to eat, so you keep it light, usually salads, grilled meats, maybe a sambo.\u201d Grey says considerable focus went into trying to cool down. Days were spent trying to cool down, \u201cYou\u2019re smashing ice pops and slushies all day long,\u201d he says. When the heat got too much, they\u2019d head to the local shopping centre to sit in proper air conditioning. \u201cWhen you walk out again, it\u2019s like hitting a big, giant curtain of heat. It\u2019s nuts, absolutely nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Liath review: A mesmerising two-Michelin-star experience from a spectacular chefOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Outdoor kitchens are par for the course in this environment. \u201cIt\u2019s a big thing [in Australia]. Now they have these really fancy kitchens and everything, but back in my day, it was just a few milk crates and then a few bricks and a steel grill. And that would be it. Happy days.\u201d <\/p>\n

Grey says his compatriots grill everything, love prawns for parties and Christmas, and draw on global cuisines that suit the heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cMediterranean dishes, lots of Greek cooking, Thai food, and Indian; I think we might have the most amount of different cuisines in one country.\u201d The Greek influence is huge: \u201cWe\u2019d eat lots of octopus. It\u2019s like chicken over there.\u201d He says Australians also love cold meats, especially kielbasa, a Polish cured sausage. \u201cAussies go nuts for it; it\u2019s been a massive thing ever since I was a kid,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Grey\u2019s favourite Irish summer food is the three-cornered leek. \u201cWhen you see it coming up, you know it\u2019s spring and by the time it gets to full flower, it\u2019s summer.\u201d He\u2019s a big fan of Irish summers: \u201cEveryone\u2019s attitude is awesome, everyone is buzzing. It\u2019s just a real feel-good feeling when the sun is shining here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebeca Recarey SanchezHead chef at Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale, Co Cork\"RebecaRebeca Recarey Sanchez at Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale. Photograph: John Allen <\/p>\n

Recarey Sanchez is from Madrid in Spain<\/a>, where summer temperatures often soar past 40 degrees, so stopping for an \u201caperitivo\u201d is essential. \u201cOr we often call it in Madrid, \u2018la hora del vermut\u2019 because for us that drink is more like a day drink and it starts around noon. I miss that a lot; to meet up with friends in the city centre and order a very cold ca\u00f1a [a small glass of draft beer].\u201d For her, Spanish drinks go far beyond sangr\u00eda, with favourites such as chilled horchata, \u201cmade of tiger nuts, water and sugar\u201d, and tinto de verano, a \u201cwine and a sparkling orange or lemon drink\u201d.<\/p>\n

Gazpacho is everywhere in Spain in the summer. \u201cI often describe it as a drinkable cold salad. Everyone\u2019s mum or granny will make a big batch that will last a few days,\u201d says Recarey Sanchez. Salmorejo, the lesser-known \u201ccousin of gazpacho\u201d, is made with tomato, garlic and bread, while ajoblanco, \u201cmade with almonds, bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, and often served with grapes\u201d, is another classic cold soup. <\/p>\n

She loves ensaladilla rusa \u2013 Russian salad \u2013 or ensalada campera, a typical potato salad served in many bars and restaurants. Other options would include cold melon and peaches with slices of serrano ham or lardo, seafood topped with picadillo or pipirrana, which is \u201cfinely chopped vegetables like onion, pepper, tomatoes, fennel, seasoned just with olive oil, salt and vinegar\u201d. In Recarey Sanchez\u2019s words: \u201cvery simple yet delicious\u201d. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Saint Francis Provisions review: Wonderful food and wine in a Kinsale room built for chatOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Since moving to Kinsale in Co Cork in 2008, aperitivo moments happen less often, but she has found her Irish equivalent: \u201cI love a good pint in the sun and a big bowl of mussels and lick my fingers when I am done. I can\u2019t wait for it to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicole Server-PawlukojcCo-owner and chef at Ar\u00e1n Bistro in Kilkenny city\"NicoleNicole Server-Pawlukojc says food at home in Manila has always been about cooling down. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw <\/p>\n

Last year, Server-Pawlukojc<\/a>\u2019s home city of Manila in the Philippines recorded one of its hottest ever summers. \u201cIt was roasting,\u201d she says, adding that the city has always felt that way to her, with food always having been about cooling down. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s hot, you\u2019re not hungry, you don\u2019t want anything heavy or rich, so it\u2019s always fresh stuff and cold dishes.\u201d Breakfast is typically fruit, with the rest of the day all about salad \u201cAnything salad-based with fresh fruit and seafood is what we eat in the summer time,\u201d she says. Server-Pawlukojc loves kinilaw in particular. \u201cIt\u2019s like our version of ceviche, but then we add coconut \u2013 we eat a lot of coconuts in the Philippines.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ensaladang pako is a fiddlehead fern salad. \u201cIt has a really nice texture when you eat it,\u201d says Server-Pawlukojc, also namechecking inihaw, Filipino barbecue. \u201cWe grill seafood, chicken and pork,\u201d she says. Cooking over fire also suits dishes such as ginataang kalabasa at sitaw, which is squash and long beans stewed in coconut milk with shrimp. <\/p>\n

Icy drinks are essential. \u201cLots of frappuccinos; there are queues out the door for them,\u201d she says. Calamansi juice is a very typical summer drink. \u201cCalamansi are like little baby limes. They have a very distinct flavour. Cold calamansi juice, or we would make calamansi popsicles, or anything with calamansi, because it\u2019s refreshing.\u201d This fruit also allowed her to show early signs of entrepreneurship through \u201ciced candy\u201d sales.\u201cWe had these little plastic wrappers that we would fill with calamansi juice or Milo [a choco-malt milk drink] and freeze them. Then we would sell them to our classmates or to people in the playground.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018We moved in with each other after seven days. We got engaged after eight months\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Server-Pawlukojc finds it hard to recreate salads from home in Ireland because the fruits are not the same, but she loves to seek out Irish seafood in the summer. \u201cI really like fresh Irish oysters, just served simply with lemon or vinaigrette. We have oysters in the Philippines, but they are just not as nice\u201d. <\/p>\n

Edziemi OnilenlaFounder of Mama Shee, a food brand specialising in Nigerian flavours \"EdizemiEdizemi Onilenla says layered spices in Nigerian food can help to combat high temperatures. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw <\/p>\n

In Ireland, soups and stews are often associated with winter and frugality, but not so in Edziemi Onilenla\u2019s home country of Nigeria, where they are everyday staples, dense with layered spices designed to cool down the body. She says Nigerian food is often thought of as hot and peppery, \u201cbut really it\u2019s more about the spices than the heat\u201d. A typical dish might be \u201cpounded yam swallows with egusi soup and jollof rice\u201d. Egusi soup, made from melon seeds, is much loved. \u201cWe have a saying, \u2018better soup na money kill am\u2019 \u2013 it simply means you have to spend money to make a good soup,\u201d she says. There are many variations: \u201cSome can be light, some thick, some are even prepared and eaten barely cooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0West African food is finally taking its place at Irish tablesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The pounded yam is what Nigerians call \u201cswallows\u201d, a staple side that takes its name from how it\u2019s eaten: doughy balls, \u201cdipped in stew or soup and swallowed without eating\u201d. Onilenla likens them to how Irish people eat potatoes and notes, \u201cIt might surprise some people to know that we have Irish potatoes in the northern part of Nigeria and vegetables of all kinds.\u201d Guinness is popular too, having been brewed in the country for decades.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of other local beverages for hot weather \u2013 zobo, a refreshing hibiscus drink; palm wine made from palm trees; tiger nut drinks; and fresh fruit juices. \u201cThey are all great when the weather is very hot; you can grab them from street hawkers, on the highway, at the markets and stores,\u201d says Onilenla. <\/p>\n

After more than two decades in Ireland, Onilenla is used to the weather, but says she is still excited when she sees \u201csunshine and a dry day\u201d. She loves Irish summer seafood, especially fish, and though Irish soup is different, she says, \u201cI love to explore it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giselle MakindeFounder of Cream of The Crop Food\"GiselleGiselle Makinde of Cream of the Crop says barbecue is everywhere in Brazil in summer. Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill <\/p>\n

During her first Irish summer, Giselle Makinde went to the butcher in search of osso buco. \u201cHe looked at me and said, \u2018But this is a winter food!\u2019 I laughed and said it\u2019s 19 degrees; that is a winter temperature in Brazil.\u201d Back in her home city of S\u00e3o Paulo in Brazil, summers are hot and humid, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, but it is not necessarily the heat that drives menu choices. \u201cThe weather doesn\u2019t determine what you eat as much as the day and how you feel,\u201d says Makinde. Feijoada, a Brazilian black bean stew, is eaten year-round, usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For a fresh, summery vibe, you might combine sweet and savoury foods: \u201cAdding fruits like pineapple, bananas, mango and coconut into dishes\u201d along with pimenta, or chillies, adds \u201ca nice tangy flavour and texture\u201d. <\/p>\n

Churrasco, or barbecue, is everywhere. \u201cMy favourite is when you are at the beach, under the sun, enjoying the hot weather, and when hungry, you go for cooked corn with some butter and coconut water.\u201d You could also find deep-fried shrimp, \u201cwith skins, heads, and everything\u201d, and queijo coalho skewers, Brazil\u2019s famous \u201csqueaky cheese\u201d. Along the beach, you\u2019ll also find pastel \u2013 deep-fried stuffed pastry snacks \u2013 and caipirinhas. \u201cIt\u2019s the king of drinks in Brazil,\u201d says Makinde, describing the many available versions, including passion fruit, cashew, berries and even acai. She misses local fresh-made juices: \u201cpineapple with mint, watermelon, orange juice with papaya\u201d. <\/p>\n

In general, Makinde likes how in Ireland we appreciate the good weather in a way people don\u2019t in Brazil. \u201cI feel an urgency here to enjoy the sunny days,\u201d she says. When it comes to Irish summer food, she loves the combination of beetroot with goat cheese and also strawberries. \u201cA true Wexford strawberry is summer on a plate to me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Giselle Makinde\u2019s book, A Celebration of Brazilian Food, is published by Blasta Books <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Damien GreyChef proprietor of Liath in Blackrock, Co DublinDamien Grey, chef proprietor of Liath in Blackrock, Co Dublin.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":516662,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[41],"tags":[377,9,10,13,14,6,1328,36083,11,12,15,16,5,3713,5281,383,7,8,65,66,67],"class_list":["post-516661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world","tag-brazil","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-kilkenny","tag-kinsale","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-nigeria","tag-restaurant","tag-spain","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-world","tag-world-news","tag-worldnews"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116686837048563388","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/516662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=516661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=516661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}