D inah was not a Christmas cook. Her ...

This time of year represents big business–and exhaustion–for the producers of festive fare, from crackers to hellebores to ham. Jane Wheatley visits six stalwarts who are flat out right now

LEISURE

We dig into the surprising journeys and quirky facts behind the crops that star in our festive feasts

Our columnist fondly recalls her childhood Christmases – apart from the time the milk ran out!

To truly understand Irish food you need to cook with what’s around you in the hedgerows, gardens, fields and ocean. Irish cooking is rooted in simplicity, shaped by the land and sea, and passed down t