Diocesan News
Celebrity chef Rachel Allen launches Killymard Parish’s new fundraising cookery book
Almost 500 people turned up at the Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town on Wednesday evening to see one of Ireland’s best known TV chefs, Rachel Allen, launch the latest addition to the country’s culinary canon.
For a change, though, it wasn’t one of her own books she was promoting: ‘A Donegal Cook Book’ was produced by members of one of the Raphoe Diocese’s smallest parishes, Killymard. Parishioners contributed all of the recipes in the new book and all the proceeds will go to Killymard Parish Church.
Hundreds of copies were snapped up on the night by an enthusiastic audience, some of whom had travelled from as far away as Londonderry.
The highpoint of the evening was a cookery demonstration by Ms Allen, who is part of Ireland’s most famous cookery dynasty, the Allen family of Ballymaloe House.
Rachel cooked a three course meal, which was later raffled to raise funds. She prepared a starter of pea and mint soup, with soda focaccia. The main course was baked turbot, served with a champagne and shallot sauce and julienne of vegetables. To finish she made a spectacular pear tart, which had the audience – including local Rector David Huss – drooling.
The planned 20–minute interval lasted much longer than expected – such was the demand to buy copies of the new book. Audience members queued for almost an hour to get their copies signed by the celebrity chef.
The cookery book was the brainchild of Killymard parishioner Mandy Ellis, who studied at Ballymaloe House Cookery School. Archdeacon Huss thanked her for having the vision to encourage her fellow parishioners to “do something big for a change”. The Rector said she deserved a pear tart for her efforts but it had been raffled off
Archdeacon Huss commended Killymard’s parishioners for their vision and ambition, and for the hard work they had put into organising the book launch.
He told the audience that there was a close connection between faith and food. “Food was one of the great gifts given to us by creation,” he said, “and the tastier and more pleasant it is, the better. One of Jesus’s favourite activities was gathering friends around a table to enjoy fellowship and togetherness. That’s what we want to celebrate at Killymard Parish.”
The Rector said local people would have further opportunities for fellowship when a new outreach centre, the Mustard Seed, opens in Donegal Town in a few weeks’ time. It will combine a café, a shop, a meeting space and a prayer space and is part of the Donegal, Killymard, Lough Eske and Laghey group of parishes’ contribution to Year of Opportunity 2016.
Archdeacon Huss said the new drop–in centre was “not about making money; it’s about making connections and friendships”. He appealed for support for the new centre at New Road. It needed volunteers, equipment – including furniture, crockery and cutlery – and it needed people’s prayers.
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Derry & Raphoe
Mr Paul McFadden
028 7126 2440
07525 826290
[email protected]