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Community Corner

Westhampton Beach's Own Irish Cook

Local cookbook author celebrates the Emerald Isle.

Whether you need a suggestion on how to perfectly poach shrimp and scallops in Irish whiskey for your St. Patty’s Day Celebration, or you want to use proper etiquette when serving afternoon tea at a baby shower, Margaret Johnson, who has been a member of the Westhampton Beach community for more than 25 years, can help. 

Johnson, who in 1982 moved from Smithtown to Westhampton Beach with her husband and two children, has written several books. 

In 1992 she wrote her first book, Festival Europe: Fairs and Celebrations Throughout Europe, a guide to folk events, historic pageants, food festivals and fairs in 21 European countries. 

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“I really wanted to write about Ireland first, and then when I discovered no one in the U.S. was writing about Irish food I figured that might be a good niche to fill,” she said. “Irish cooking is my speciality because it's a novelty to most people, so I think I educate them in a way.”

With that, Johnson became a cookbook writer. In 1993 she published Ireland: Grand Places, Glorious Food, and two years later, she wrote Cooking with Irish Spirits.

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Soon there were five more cookbooks, including her most recent, Tea & Crumpets, which has recipes from famous tearooms, hotel dining rooms, French patisseries and confectioners.  Flavors of Ireland, Johnson’s latest, will be released in October.  In addition, Johnson’s first article for Intermezzo magazine was recently published. It discusses Amsterdam. 

However, The Irish Pub Cookbook, which she published in 2006, is her, and her husband’s, favorite. 

She said, “This is because pub food has always been popular in Ireland and most of the pubs are really colorful and interesting places to visit. It's also been the best seller of my five Irish cookbooks.”

Johnson says she has always been fond of writing. 

For nearly 32 years, she taught English and journalism; 26 were spent in the Central Islip School District.

When asked what she most enjoys about writing, Johnson said, “I enjoy the traveling first and then when it comes time to write about it, you actually take a second trip."

Added to her list of accomplishments is a series of cooking shows for Comcast Digital Cable and two segments on Irish cooking for Push-Pause TV for Verizon Vios. 

On May 17 at 6 p.m., she will be doing an afternoon tea segment to be filmed at Sachem Library. 

In addition to her books, Johnson has given many lectures and food demonstrations, written hundreds of food and travel pieces for newspapers and magazines and worked as travel editor for House Magazine. That job led her to many places, yet Ireland is her "first love".  She has been there more than 50 times.  France and Italy are her other favorites. 

Johnson laughed when asked if she makes fabulous meals at home. 

“I cook every night, but fabulous?  Not really. In fact, sometimes when I mess up a recipe, like I did while making three batches of Irish soda bread for a library program I was doing, I thought I should make a YouTube video to show how even the ‘Irish Cook’ can screw up.”

Locally, Johnson is the editor of The Westhampton Woman's Club’s member directory and its former president.

When Johnson is not traveling or writing she enjoys spending time with her children, Mark and Catherine, and her grandchildren. 

Visit Johnson's website for recipes including ones for sandwiches, scones and teatime sweets. 

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