tinpanalley

Thank you so much for the recommendations! I ended finding a lovely first edition of "The Cookin Woman" and ended up getting "Forgotten Skills Of Cooking" which has been wonderful. It's incredible how many cookbooks there are among the Ballymaloe crew. And each one is so expansive, I can't imagine how they could have filled so many volumes? Anyway, thank you, I'll definitely also look into the Scottish book. Curious if there's anything Welsh out there.

I'm trying to get myself the closest thing I can to a definitive traditional Irish recipe cookbook. Not modern fusion 'expressions' by bored chefs, I mean really simple home-cooking recipes for all the Irish essentials and forgotten classics. Asking some food writers and culinary historians I know, two titles popped up: 1. "The Cookin' Woman" by Florence Irwin (definitely getting this) and then 2. People have varying opinions on different books by Darina Allen. Primarily I am recommended "Forgotten Skills of Cooking". But I keep seeing "Irish Traditional Cooking" showing up as well. Can anyone tell me about these two Allen books and how they might differ? My goal is traditional, authentic, home recipes, culinary history, techniques. Not an Irish person doing pot au feu and Carbonara. I want things people have been cooking for 100 years without embellishment and as little modernising as possible. Thank you!!