WHO AM I?
My name is Niamh Shields. Now, don’t panic, it is just a name (an Irish one at that), pronounced Knee-uv. I am an Irish ex-pat, based vaguely in London (well, I pay rent there). I travel a lot while still keeping up to date with the London restaurant scene. I love to eat, cook and write about it. I love to photograph food, too. In kitchens (mine and others), in restaurants, in markets, at street food stalls. Where there is good food, I am looking to find it. Food is much more than ingredients. It is also about people, place and culture and I like to dip into this as I go. Part of this is uncovering recipes and writing recipes influenced by my travels. My recipes are also influenced by my Irish background and home in London. I also teach cooking classes and lead food tours (in London primarily and on a commission basis).
I write offline also, and have written a cookbook (with a stonking 157 recipes in it), which was published in 2011 by Quadrille. It is called Comfort & Spice, and is available in some bookshops and on Amazon.People said “the writing is inspired… the food is double inspired… here is a book that has been lived in: it’s funny, smart and real, just like the grub it lovingly describes.” (John & Sally McKenna’s Guides, 2011). I am also very excited about the publication of my next book, Project: BACON in Spring 2014.