By TAYLOR VAN ARSDALE Special to the Daily Press
VENICE Genial chef, Gavan Murphy is making culinary strides with his guerilla-style online cooking show “The Healthy Irishman.”
“An online cooking show was never what I intended to do, but my wife put me in front of the camera and it’s taken off quite naturally,” said Murphy, who is based in Venice.
Each week’s show features a new ingredient; March, of course, is dedicated to Irish foods traditionally served around St. Paddy’s Day such as bacon and cabbage.
“Healthy and Irish cooking seem a bit of a contradiction,” said Murphy, who grew up eating foods slathered in butter and sugar. He practices simple substitutions, such as olive oil for butter, which reduces the calories without sacrificing the flavor of his favorite dishes.
“Lean toward honey, agave, or even pure maple syrup to get the effect without using refined sugars,” said Murphy. As for parsnips, he advised, “They tend to be sweet on their own so you'll be amazed how easy it will be not to use sugar.”
Murphy attended the Ballymaloe Cookery School in the lush, rolling countryside of East Cork, Ireland. The school is situated smack-dab in the middle of its very own 100-acre organic farm. It was there that Murphy became acquainted with organics, and developed an appreciation for a healthier approach to cooking. He moved to the Santa Monica, Venice area in early 2000 and was quickly hired by EAS to work in conjunction with the “Body For Life” fitness program as a chef for Cindy Crawford. His personal recipes are featured in celebrity fitness guru, Kathy Kaehler’s book, “Fit and Sexy For Life” and Akasha Richmond’s “Hollywood Dish.”
Although Murphy is busy as a personal chef for celebrity clientele, he is always available for catering, special events and private and group cooking lessons. For more information visit: www.thehealthyirishman.com.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 20, 2008. Read the original PDF.