This Paddy’s Day I made Chocolate Guinness Cake, one of my favourite recipes from Nigella’s Chocolate Cake Hall of Fame. Every year around this time I see it posted all over the internet, and with good reason. It is a low risk recipe which makes it perfect for entertaining -the inclusion of Guinness in the recipe means there is zero chance of dryness.

St. Patrick’s Day itself was cold, rainy and windy. So basically just another day in Dublin. I went to a friend’s house for a potluck lunch and brought Broccoli Slaw and Moroccan Carrot Salad. It wasn’t intentional but once they were ready I realised just how patriotic they were!

A few days before St.Patrick’s Day we had one beautiful sunny afternoon. I finished work early so I decided to stick to my resolution of living like a tourist at home. I had a picnic lunch in Chester Beatty Library and then cycled down to Poolbeg Lighthouse. It was so gorgeous, like a little two hour holiday in the middle of the week. Dublin is not always  my favourite place but sometimes I really appreciate how lucky we are to live in such close proximity to the sea and mountains.

I also went to eat in Moro twice this week. I like the food  but what I really like is the decor. It’s quite new and I think a lot of people don’t know about it yet so both times have felt like entering an oasis of calm on Camden Street.