The Irish Cookbook

McMahon, a Galway chef and restaurateur, takes a comprehensive look at the past, present, and future of Irish cooking in this thoroughly researched collection of more than 500 recipes. An advocate for using wild and sustainable ingredients, McMahon is especially inventive when it comes to fruit: duck breasts are served in a port and red currant sauce, crab is prepared with curry mayonnaise and pineapple, and a haunch of venison gets treated with with plums, port and cinnamon. Some desserts are literally earthy: carrageen moss pudding combines seaweed with honey and milk, while hay ice cream is flavored with toasted hay and sugar. The vegetable chapter includes such standouts as spinach with hazelnuts and wild garlic; steamed asparagus wrapped in sea lettuce; as well as many a potato side dish (curried potatoes; hasselback potatoes with smoked bacon and beer). The book is pleasantly laid out with two to three recipes per page opposite a spacious full-color photo of a plated entrée. In addition to the recipes, McMahon provides a useful field guide for foraging plants, seaweed, and mushrooms (for more adventurous cooks), as well as a succinct history of food in Ireland. With an eye on terrain, McMahon offers both authentic and innovative approaches to modern Irish cooking. (Mar.)