KEEPING IT REAL

Irish food writer Donal Skehan talks pottery, parenthood and finding flow in the kitchen. BY ELLA WALKER

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"I DREAM of the moment where I can play jazz, have a negroni and read my cookbooks in peace," jokes Irish TV presenter and food writer, Donal Skehan.

"But we're in this chapter of life ... ," he adds wryly (Donal and wife Sofie "are smack bang in the middle of parenthood" with "two crazy boys", Oliver, five, and Noah, seven).

The slow-baking and stew-braising days of his 20s are but a fuzzy memory, and now, at 39, his weekends revolve around "ferrying children to different things and trying to keep up with the madness of life," rather than making decadent, time-intensive meals.

This explains his new cookbook, Donal's Real Time Recipes.

"Parenthood knocks you for six, and you need every little bit of help you can get," he says, with a grin that tells you he absolutely loves being a dad.

"It's amazing how your cooking changes so dramatically from pre-children to children. You put yourself last. This book is all about putting everyone first, to ensure that you get a table full of food that is nutritious, balanced and something you look forward to."

Fundamentally, Donal is not into having downtime in the kitchen. So if you too hate the words "now leave to marinate for X hours" he feels your agony and frustration - and there's none of that in Real Time.