May 01--James Beard came from Portland, Ore. Which is culturally prescient. He had his pretensions; his first book extolled the value of pint-sized cocktail-party creations. But the man also liked to camp. He retained fond memories of pulling shellfish from the Pacific with his parents, cooking chowders and salmon over…

Several signs herald the beginning of an Irish summer, including the national tendency to reveal an inordinate amount of flesh, often minus sunscreen application, at the first promise of sun. The other main indicator is the smell of meat cooking in the open air and wafting across the back gardens…

Several signs herald the beginning of an Irish summer, including the national tendency to reveal an inordinate amount of flesh, often minus sunscreen application, at the first promise of sun. The other main indicator is the smell of meat cooking in the open air and wafting across the back gardens…

For Roger Beck, who lives in Limerick, barbecuing is not just a way of cooking, but also a way of life. "I barbecue 52 weeks of the year and I would normally barbecue three nights a week in winter and six or seven a week in the summer," he says.

For Roger Beck, who lives in Limerick, barbecuing is not just a way of cooking, but also a way of life. "I barbecue 52 weeks of the year and I would normally barbecue three nights a week in winter and six or seven a week in the summer," he says.

Is coq au riesling a fresher alternative to coq au vin or its poor northern relation? Would you add black pudding, grapes or even dill – and where can you find good-value riesling?