Another House Move...

4 houses in 3 years and finally a home.

Phew…. Where do I start. Well to begin, we have just completed our 4th house move in the last 3 years. From spending 5 years in Los Angeles to moving home to Ireland during a pandemic, the past couple of years have been wild. Raising kids as professional nomads, takes its toll but we’ve finally found a house we want to make a home. The place we’ve found is close to where I grew up and has several personal connections, so we couldn’t be happier. For now, we are trying to make our way through all the boxes and waiting for our new kitchen to be finished. As a result, cooking has been light on the ground without access to an oven, hob or a sink. Most evenings we are decamping to my parents house to cook dinner and pack the boys lunchboxes. Spag bol, garlic bread, BBQ meat and salads are order of the day until I am back up and running and I’m taking a lot of joy picking peas and kale from the vegetable garden which we got started with as soon as we got the keys of our new place.

For today’s newsletter, we’ve given things a little facelift with some new items I’m hoping will be a regular feature and will give you more insight into the people, places and things that I’m currently drawing inspiration from. Do let me know what you think and for now, I hope you’re enjoying the glorious summer we’re having.

Happy cooking,

Donal x

WASHED LINEN DUVET COVER FROM ZARA HOME

One of the first things on the shopping list for the new house was new bed linen and I spotted these linen ones on Zara Home. We are embracing natural tones throughout the house and these fit the bill. Nice right? LINK

RECHARGEABLE LED WALL LAMPS

The bathroom in our new house is a small space which will more than likely not be part of the final picture but in the short term we want it to still feel homely. I’ve been on the hunt for cheap solutions to many aspects of it from the shower curtains to the wall paint and found these rechargeable LED wall lamps which can be attached with an adhesive. They are rechargeable and very handy! LINK #AF

LE MONT ST. MICHEL GENUINE WORK JACKET

My friend from Los Angeles introduced me to this brand on a trip to Palm Springs and I have been obsessed ever since. It’s an investment jacket that uses material from the last moleskin weaver in France and each jacket comes with a hand numbered label. I wear it light during the summer and layer it up for the darker months of the year. LINK

VINTAGE TYPEWRITERS IRELAND

I messaged Leo Molloy via his Vintage Typewriters Ireland instagram account last year after having watched this video from Van Neistat. I am easily distracted and particularly addicted to my phone so intrigued by the idea of unplugging when writing and taking the time to see my thoughts through to paper in an analog fashion. I’m currently typing elements of my new book on an Olivetti Lettera 22 - a true meditative process compared to google docs suggesting how to finish my sentences. Leo was recently name checked by actor Tom Hanks, an avid typewriter enthusiast, during a talk at Dalkey Book Festival. Safe to say he’s the man should you catch the typewriter bug. LINK

I highly recommend the podcast "As the Season Turns". Created by Ffern and presented by nature writer Lia Leendertz, this podcast offers a monthly guide for nature enthusiasts. With episodes released on the first of every month, it serves as a valuable resource to discover what to observe in the upcoming month, spanning from the tides to seasonal plants to look out for. A great listen for any nature enthusiast.

Why Dangerous Toys Are Good For Kids - Van Neistat

Limoncello Cake

If sunshine was a cake - it would be a Limoncello Cake! A very simple yet sophisticated cake doused in boozy limoncello. Limoncello was the drink of choice when Sofie & I went to the Almalfi coast in Italy for our honeymoon in 2015 - this recipe takes me back!

For the cake:

Butter, for greasing

200g ground almonds

100g polenta

1 heaped tsp baking powder

225g caster sugar

225g butter, softened

3 large eggs

6 tbsp limoncello

Grated zest of 3 large lemons

Creme Fraiche, to serve

Icing sugar, to serve

For the syrup:

Juice of 2 lemons

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp limoncello

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and grease a 20cm diameter springform tin, then line the base and sides with baking parchment.
   Combine the ground almonds, polenta and baking powder in a bowl.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter until the mixture is light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Tip the bowl of dry ingredients into this mixture along with the limoncello & two-thirds of the lemon zest and fold with a spatula until just combined.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place it on the middle shelf of the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.

4. Prepare the syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small saucepan over a medium heat and bringing to a steady simmer or until the sugar is dissolved. Pierce holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer while it is cooling and pour the syrup, a little at a time, until the cake has soaked it up. Garnish with the remaining lemon zest and once cool serve with a dusting of icing sugar, in slices and with a little crème fraîche.