Naturally Resourceful

Galway chef JP McMahon continues to pioneer and explore Irish cuisine through his latest cookbook.

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The newest cook book from chef, restaurateur, activist and academic JP McMahon entitled 'An Alphabet of Aniar: Notes for a New Irish Cuisine' offers a fascinating insight into JP's experiences and learnings over the last twelve years at his Michelin-starred restaurant Aniar in Galway's West End as well as his many interests and passions through the framework of the alphabet. It's intended as a reflective companion piece to his larger and more comprehensive book, 'The Irish Cook Book', published in 2020.

'The Irish Cook Book features 500 recipes celebrating the range and quality of Ireland's bounty, from oysters and seaweed on its west coast to beef and lamb from its lush green pastures, to produce and forage from throughout the island. For me there wasn't the need to bring out a book with more recipes as these were covered in the first book, but rather produce something that explores the possibilities of the Irish larder.'

JP's experience with Aniar has been distilled into this fascinating and useful book that's designed to be brought into the kitchen where it will inspire the reader to think about Irish food in different ways. Content spans the entire alphabet, from the benefits and versatility of Alexanders, also known as horse parsley, that have grown along Ireland's hedgerows for thousands of years, right through to Zero Waste, a concept that JP describes as a process by which he and his team seek to connect his restaurants to the outside ecology of Ireland's landscapes and seas. The book also features stunning photography by Galway-based photographer Anita Murphy with styling by Zania Koppe.