Some people know instinctively how to make table settings and food look effortlessly stylish, and some of us have to learn it. To Jette Virdi, it comes naturally, and the Ballymaloe-trained cook is in great demand as a food and interiors stylist. She is also releasing her own range of homewares later this year.
“Good, clean design for everyday living, made by local makers, has been the inspiration for this collection,” Virdi says. The collection, to be called Created and Found by Jette Virdi, will include linen napkins, aprons and tea towels, hand-carved wooden spoons, ceramic plates, bowls and cups, beeswax candles and chopping boards.
"I wanted to collaborate with the amazing skilled craftsmen here in Ireland to create each piece," she says, "so we've been working hard for the last three months to design and create each individual piece. No one will be identical, which is a beautiful thing.
“It’s been a brilliant experience going to their studios, seeing how they work and creating something together that will add to someone’s eating experience.”
The collection will go on sale in October. “I’ll be selling it online through the website CreatedandFound.com,” Virdi says. “We’ll also be opening a pop-up store at the same time as the launch. The aim is to have some of the makers there, creating the items you want to buy from the collection.”
Virdi, who grew up in the south of France, and ran a hotel in Yucatan, Mexico, before coming to Ireland three years ago, is also working with Bord Bia on its "Lamb – Tasty, Easy, Fun" campaign.
"I do like cooking with lamb. My boyfriend is from New Zealand, so we have a love of lamb in our household. It's versatile enough that it can take strong flavours, and delicious enough that you don't really need to do anything with it if you don't want to."
The recipes for the dishes featured here – lamb kebabs with spices and raisin tabbouleh; Greek salad with lentils and lamb; and lamb cutlets with chimichurri sauce, can be found at irishtimes.com/food
Jette Virdi's top tips for stylish al fresco dining
1 Use fresh, vibrant ingredients Food is the star, and it needs to both look and taste gorgeous. Use quality meats, with a rainbow of colours from vegetables and salads.
2 Mix it up My style is rustic, and I don't like my table to seem too matching. Use different plates, which helps to make a table look really unique. But the trick is to keep it within a complimentary colour scheme.
3 Lighting A variety of light sources adds atmosphere, but you can't go wrong with classic white candles to bring a special intimate light to an outdoor setting. Festoon lighting is a great addition, and if you don't feel like hanging them up, then pile them in the middle of the table.
4 Flowers Flowers give a fabulous, fresh feel to a table, and there is no need to spend a fortune. Simple flowers found in your garden can bring that pop of colour. How about honeysuckle growing in your hedge?
5 Vintage shop props Shopping around at vintage shops can provide a treasure trove of classic pieces at a fraction of the price of new.
6 Flowers in ice cubes Pick herbs or flowers and pop them into ice cubes. They look gorgeous in cocktails or water jugs.
7 Colour Use a calm colour palette as a background for vibrant food. Try a small piece of white muslin as a table runner and use different colour napkins to add colour.
8 Keep it simple Don't over-think the table or clutter it with three different types of glasses. Keep it simple. Give the food room to shine on the table.
9 Easy eats Al fresco dining needs food you can pick up with your fingers, such as kebabs, dips and veggies. Serve things family style, on big platters.
10 Be relaxed Enjoy yourself and your guests will too.
