Spice Bags

After four wonderful years of episodes, we at Spice Bags are bowing out. While we do announce this with a heavy heart, we – Blanca, Dee, and Mei – wish to end on a high after publishing our very own cookbook Blasta Books 5: Soup, and at a moment when we are still passionate about the issues Spice Bags has uncovered, and the individuals we have befriended. In this final episode, we recount our journey from its foundation to our many varied episodes over the years, and to our many adventures and achievements including winning Best Food Podcast 2021 from the Irish Food Writing Awards. Lastly, we’d like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to the HeadStuff Podcast Network. HeadStuff took a gamble on three unseasoned women in the podcast world. They hatched us! Over the years, the team nurtured and gave us the confidence and tools to craft ourselves into what we are today. A special shout out to Conor, Paddy, Gearóid, Claudia and Amy, who would always find time to sit down to edit and brainstorm, come up with PR strategies, and take us through the nuts & bolts of podcast tech. Thank you, HeadStuff for letting us into your family. It’s been a privilege. Continue to follow our blog: www.spicebags.ie To buy our Blasta Book: Soup: www.blastabooks.com For more about Headstuff: www.headstuffpodcasts.com *Correction: We misidentify Julien in an episode “In Conversation with Angel and Julien of Miso Sligo Isakaya” as “Thibault.” His first name is Julien.

While Dee and Mei have bonded about their passion about fast food over the years, it was a surprise that our elegant Blanca nurses a passion for White Castle and corn dogs.   What is fast food? Is it simply chains like McDonalds, Super Macs, and Burger King? Or does fast food also encompass street food stalls, where generations of families have perfected one dish, which – as it is in McDonalds – is made for the customer in minutes. Perhaps tapas in Spain can be also considered a fast food.   We chat about how the Italians brought the chipper to Ireland.  We remember how fast food can be a cozy, sit-down family treat. We discuss how fast food was important to feminism, for it freed women from the stove. Also we talk about how foodies, when traveling, head to McDonalds as it gives them a sense of the place. (McChevre or McAlloo, anyone?) Listen to us dish about youtiao and churros, fried pineapple and pastries in Kathmandu, and chain restaurants like 100 Montaditos in Spain and Bembos in Peru, the former which may be making its way to Irish shores.   Fast food is not just global corporations and grease. For many of us, it is a place from which our fondest memories are hatched.    Mentioned in this episode: https://www.bembos.com.pe/ https://us.100montaditos.com/

Nigeria is a complex place, in terms of food, history, geography, and its three hundred plus ethnicities. Edizemi Onilenla, or Emi, founder of the culinary brand Mama Shee, grew up in Nigeria. Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma, founder of Bia! Zine is from Dundalk. Emi is Yoruba, and Victory is Igbo. Emi says, ‘every tribe has its own vegetable.’ Emi came to Ireland as a social worker and then started cooking the food of her home, which she started in the Dublin markets and is now widely recognised and carried by shops like SuperValu. We are honoured to have her soup, Efo Riro, in our Soup cookbook, recently published by Blasta Books. Victory is a writer and photographer, who became curious about her origins and, from there, delved into other immigration stories in her publication Bia! Zine. They talk about ingredients like peppers, palm oil, leafy greens, and crayfish powder. Where do they shop? Why do they love their food to be blazing hot? With Dee and Blanca, Emi and Victory discuss the two-Michelin starred Ikoyi restaurant in London and the future of Nigerian cuisine in Ireland. Plus, there is a guy called Tony. With his produce and his van, he has made both of these wonderful women feel at home. Mentioned in this episode: www.mamashee.com www.biazine.com www.ikoyilondon.com

Journalist Ali Dunworth and Blanca talk about their recent trip to the Asturias region in Spain, where they were pampered with cider, veal, cheese, and conservas. Oviedo, the capital, is on the Camino Norte, the famous pilgrim walk that winds its way through the north of Spain. Listen to them as they chat about cider, which ranges from a champagne-like fizz to an uncarbonated brew that is pungent with apples, and which is often poured by handsome men with beards. They visit a factory for conservas (tinned fish and seafood) in Gijon, which are prepared by hand by women. They also do a tasting with Asturias’s most famous cheesemonger Aitor Vega which is done geographically and presents a great variety for a small region of Spain. Ali and Blanca also discuss how this part of Spain reminds them of the West of Ireland with its rugged coast and green pastures. They talk about the exquisite cheeses, egg yolk pastries in Oviedo, rice puddings, Cachopos (veal cutlets with ham and cheese) and fabada. However there is no butter; you have olive oil instead. Even without butter, the allure of this lush land is clear. Mentioned in this episode: Meauldflower.com Asturex.org Icex.es

We talk to American-born editor, writer, and publisher, Kristin Jensen, who has had quite the year. Founder of Blasta Books and Nine Bean Rows Books, as well as the long-form magazine Scoop magazine (helmed by our own Dee Laffan), Kristin has been shaking things up on the Irish food scene. Her first endeavour, Tacos, written by our friend and guest Lily Ramirez, attracted international attention. She’s published our mate and guest Kwanghi Chan’s book, Wok. Her Nine Bean Rows book, And For The Mains, written by Gaz Smith and Rick Higgins, won a much-coveted IACP award. She’s also the publisher for our book, Soup! Kristin tells us about her motivation for giving a voice and a platform for people who were unheard; what makes an elegant recipe; what comprises a gorgeous cookbook; and why her books should be accessible to everyone. How does a graceful, well-mannered girl from Illinois start an Irish food writing revolution? Tune in to find out. Related Links blastabooks.com ninebeanrowsbooks.com scoopfoodmag.com To order your copy of our cookbook SOUP, click here: https://blastabooks.com/products/blasta-books-5-soup

Welcoming Lunar New Year the K-Way with Gunmoo Kim & Soonie Delap   South Korea is a country that is a pioneer of pop music, cinema, television, fashion, and cuisine. In this episode, we talk to Gunmoo Kim and Soonie Delap as they reminisce about the Korean Lunar New Year.   Our guests are from different generations and backgrounds. Gunmoo came to Ireland in 2010, founded Jaru, a food enterprise that meshes modern Korean cooking with Irish produce, and is opening his first restaurant, Space Jaru on Meath Street. Soonie, a retired social worker, arrived with her Irish husband in the 1980s, and has been for decades at the forefront of promoting Korean culture. She is now the principal of the Korean language Hangeul School in Dublin.   Gunmoo is from Daijeon, a modern, science-forward industrial city. Soonie is from Gyeongju, which was Korean’s capital until the 10th century, and remains steeped in history as a mecca of Confucian practice.   Expect conversation about New Year ancestor worship and why red (a lucky New Year color for many countries) is eschewed in Korean culture. What is Confucianism and its role in Korean Lunar New Year rituals? What is the rice-cake dduk and its significance? Why do some Koreans have pizza on the ancestral table?   Also listen to Spice Bags co-host Mei, who is the 2023 cultural ambassador for Dublin Lunar New Year, chat about Zodiac signs and her favourite Lunar New Year events, which encapsulate both historically erudite and youthfully cool.   새해 복 많이 받으세요! Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!   Mentioned in this episode:   Dublin Lunar New Year and events www.dublinlunarnewyear.ie   About Gunmoo Kim www.jaru.ie https://www.koreadailyus.com/30-year-old-entrepreneur-brings-the-taste-of-kimchi-to-dublin/   About Soonie Delap and the Hangeul School www.hsdublin.org https://www.independent.ie/life/how-a-house-build-ended-up-unearthing-five-12th-century-bodies-36857404.html   https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/a-flavour-of-lunar-new-year-in-every-sichuan-household-there-will-be-a-whole-steamed-fish-40047417.html   Nation of Broth https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21443848/  

In our Spice Bags Christmas Special Episode, we celebrate with Marcus O’Laoire, DJ, chef and owner of D8 pubs Anti-Social and Jackie’s, and Chris Mellon of Blackberry Café and creator of Dublin Social.  Marcus and Chris are also the co-hosts of the award-winning HeadStuff podcast That’s Bangin’, which makes them friends, colleagues, and occasional rivals! We are all from different cultures and upbringings, so it was joyful to reminisce about Christmases past and the Christmases to come. Marcus, who is half French, recollects some of his Christmases with oysters and foie gras. Blanca muses about small seafood bites, and her mother getting a live turkey to make her famous turkey truffle terrine. Chris waxes about how to do a perfect ham. Dee talks about doing a half-Brazilian, half-Irish Christmas dinner this year. Mei remembers that her family Christmas dish was cassoulet, which her family fell in love with in Carcassonne. Other mentions: turkey, stuffing, spiced beef, mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas sandwiches + traditions, going abroad for the festivities and a very strange Fairytale in New York courtesy of Tinder!  Tune in! We all had a very merry time!   Chris Mellon Instagram and Twitter @themagiccat Marcus O’Laoire Instagram and Twitter @marcusolaoire That’s Bangin’ https://headstuffpodcasts.com/show/thats-bangin

Shamzuri (Sham) Hanifa, is a beloved denizen of the Irish food scene. Based in Leitrim, he is the award-winning chef and owner of the Cottage Restaurant, Buffalo Boy, and Chef Sham Sauces. His new restaurant, My Kitchen, will also feature cooking classes. Vikkineshwaran (Vik) Siva Subramaniam is a medical doctor and surgeon whose South Indian father founded Babas, the leading spice and curry mix brand in Malaysia. Our two guests wax and unpack about their country, Malaysia, which is a scrumptious, multi-ethnic melting pot of people truly passionate about its food. Sham and Vik talk about hawker street stalls, Nasi Lemak, Rendang, roti, Kuey Teow soup, coconut, tamarind, sambal, and that polarizing fruit, the spiky, somewhat pungent Durian! They mention the Malay love of strong coffee. Plus recent Ireland arrival and chocolate sommelier Shobitha Ramadasan chips in about Malaysian cacao. In Malaysia, Vik declares, “All meals are important meals.”  We adored taking a bite out of Malaysia with Sham and Vik, and hope you will too.   Mentioned in this episode Babas: https://www.babas.com.my/ (available at Asia Market in Dublin) Cottage Restaurant: http://cottagerestaurant.ie/ My Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/SynergyCafe Chef Sham Sauces: http://chefshamsauces.com/ Buffalo Boy: https://www.buffaloboy.ie/

Cake is more decadent than brioche or stollen, in that it is leavened with eggs, enriched with butter, and sweetened with sugar. To quote Nicola Humble, author of Cakes, A Global History: “Cakes are very strange things, producing a range of emotional responses far out of keeping with their culinary significance.” The idea of cake opens many questions. Did the ancient Romans, who nibbled on honey flatbreads, have “cake”? Can a cake be a tart, a pastelito, or a bun? Do you buy a cake in a bakery, make it from a box, or compose it from scratch? Why do the Spanish avoid fruit in their cakes? What is a perfect Brazilian, Irish, or Chinese cake? How do you make cake when you do not have access to an oven? When do you eat cake; is it for dessert or is it something you nibble throughout the day? Do you eat cake with savoury things, like in dim sum and afternoon tea? In this episode, we try to explore all of the above and talk about favourite recipes, our best bakers and cookbooks, our personal baking failures, and why only to trust a cake recipe from someone who is middle-aged. Mentioned in this episode: Nicola Humble, Cake, A Global History www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7631625-cake Euzana Foran: Bola de Fubá www.spicebags.ie/post/bolo-de-fub%C3%A1-brazilian-cornmeal-cake Graham Herterich, Bake   www.ninebeanrowsbooks.com/products/bake thecupcakebloke.com/ Honey Bun www.honeybun.ie Aran Bakery: www.arankilkenny.ie Theodora Fitzgibbon: Gur Cake www.facebook.com/donalskehan/photos/a.184230568281714/686215414749891/?type=3 Maida Heatter and Book of Great Desserts www.amazon.com/Maida-Heatters-Book-Great-Desserts/dp/0836278615

Blanca, Dee and Mei recorded this special live episode in Kells Courthouse, Tourism and Cultural Hub at Samhain Festival 2022 – Celebrating 5,000 years of Food and Culture.  Samhain is such a special time of year and the ladies were delighted to be invited to be a part of the festival in County Meath celebrating it and highlighting incredible Boyne Valley food and drink. They kicked off this episode by delving into the traditional foods and feasting associated with this Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker half of the year. And speaking of darker, they also explored other festivals connected to this time of year when the veil between the spirit world and ours is at its thinnest... Halloween, Dias Los Muertos in Mexico and Día de Todos Los Santos in Spain.  The stars of this episode however are Allen and Lorena Krause, the couple who have beautifully restored Killua Castle in Clonmellon, County Westmeath. Allen was born in Mexico of Austrian and Spanish ancestry and Lorena is also from Mexico. They have spent 21 years renovating the castle and land where they now use regenerative agriculture and have red deer, Irish moiled cattle, old Irish goats, Jacob sheep, Kerry Bog ponies, geese, ducks and hens. Plus they are in the final stages of their own restaurant on-site, which they hope to open soon.  Their story is fascinating and unfolded in the most charming way with our Spice Bags hosts before a live audience at Samhain. Tune in to hear it for yourselves!   https://boynevalleyflavours.ie/collections/boyne-valley-shop https://killuacastle.com/ With special thanks to Samhain Festival and Boyne Valley Flavours for including us as part of this year's line up.