VACATION DETAILS

Traveling Spoon

Richenda has held a deep fascination for food and cooking from the time she was a young girl! She loved watching her mother throw a loaf of bread in their Aga, the traditional stove and oven that was the hearth of the family. Richenda studied at the Cordon Bleu in London and Switzerland before returning to Dublin where she taught at the first Cordon Blue cooking school in Ireland. Richenda and her husband Michael live in a historic 300-year old family home that Richenda inherited and which has been lovingly restored. She teaches professional cooking demonstrations in her traditional kitchen. Ask to take a peek at the famous Aga stove where you might get to bake a tart or bread! Avid travelers, Richenda and Michael enjoy authentic cuisine on their travels and are delighted to offer creative Irish cuisine to travelers visiting Kilkenny, a charming Irish town southwest of Dublin. Meet your hosts Richenda and Michael in their 18th century home where you will be welcomed into their living room to enjoy a cup of tea and scones. Chat with your hosts and hear about the delightful history of their home, which has been in the family for generations (see if you can find the date of her mother and great aunt's wedding day, etched secretly into one of the windows!). Weather permitting, Richenda and Michael will take you on a quick tour of the family’s vegetable garden and apple orchard where you might pick a few herbs for your meal. Return to the dining table (either their lovely kitchen farm table or their more formal dining room, depending on the mood) to enjoy Richenda’s creations - either a three-course meal or a creative Irish tasting menu. Your meal might include dishes such as a spring pea and mint soup or beetroot and coconut soup and a main course such as beef and Guinness stew with a side of glazed parsnips or stuffed chicken with mushrooms and spiced vegetables, all served with traditional Irish bread. Your meal will conclude with a dessert of a seasonal Irish tart (made from rhubarb or apples from the garden, depending on the season), rich chocolate rum torte, or a homemade lemon curd meringue roulade. Richenda also offers an optional cooking demonstration option. If you book this option, join Richenda in their kitchen where you will learn to learn to cook an authentic Irish meal with Richenda’s creative touches from recipes that have been passed down through generations of her family. Your cooking demo will involve watching your host prepare 4-5 dishes from scratch. Please note that this is a demonstration, not a hands-on cooking class, and will last about two and a half hours.