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IRELAND
In Search of Chef’s Noel MacMeel’s Cheesecake
wo years ago, Chef Noel McMeel, we traveled offered unending views of
known as the King of Northern rolling green hills dotted with sheep and
Irish cuisine, served a melt-in- cows or country lanes shrouded by
T your-mouth luncheon at a confer- canopies of leafy trees. I wanted to take
ence in Ireland I was attending. Unfortu- photos constantly, but there was no place
nately, I had to leave to pull over. Plus, a
for a meeting, so I two-dimensional
missed his you’ve- photo cannot possibly
never-tasted-any- capture views only the
thing-this-good eye can see.
cheesecake. At dinner, I hadn’t had a
everyone was still rav- chance to talk with
ing about it. As they Chef Noel at the con-
say in Ireland, I was ference, but I know
pretty down in the that before he arrived
mouth I’d missed it. on the scene in North-
A year later, ern Ireland, people
with cheesecake as thought Irish food was
my excuse, I recruited mainly cabbage and
my friend Hilary and potatoes. Chef Noel
returned to Ireland. introduced only sea-
My plan was to go to sonal, local products
Lough Erne where including bacon from
Chef Noel presided local black pigs and
and finally try his fa- cheese from local
mous cheesecake. To cheesemakers. I was a
get there, every road little intimidated to
By Margie Goldsmith
WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 193