Escape To Paradiso

This month we catch up with Denis Cotter and share recipes from his new cookbook Paradiso: Recipes & Reflections

Just launched in May, Paradiso: Recipes & Reflections by Denis Cotter of iconic Cork vegetarian restaurant Paradiso is his first cookbook in twelve years and it's simply stunning.

We've always had a cookbook that reflects what we are doing here at the restaurant, comments Denis Cotter, owner and executive chef of Paradiso, whose previous cookbooks include The Café Paradiso Cookbook (1999), Paradiso Seasons (2003), Wild Garlic, Gooseberries...and Me (2007) and For the Love of Food (2011).

'I never produce a book simply for the sake of it, but the time had come to look at another one, and although a long two-year process, I am delighted with the finished result. I feel that the content and design is a true reflection of the restaurant and how it has changed since 2021,' explains Denis who switched from serving an á la carte format to a six-course seasonal menu of smaller plates.

'For this reason it could not be called anything other than simply Paradiso because that is what it represents. It is us now. It is our manual for today and, with just a glance at and a nod to the past, it is what the future is always being built on,' he adds.

'When I first opened the restaurant back in 1993 I never thought about the future or the bigger picture. The fact that plant-based food is so prominent and relevant today was never anything that I foresaw, I simply had a passion for inventive and flavour-driven vegetable cuisine and wanted to share it with others. However, as a restaurant, we've recognised the importance of staying relevant and ahead of the game. I work with lots of talented young chefs who have brought their ideas to Paradiso and over the last decade we have tweaked longstanding dishes and developed new ones.'