Sharon Hearne Smith on "no cook" cooking, confidence and building her brand

For someone who has had just three hours’ sleep, Sharon Hearne Smith is rocking an immaculate beehive.

“I am getting more used to doing it with children at my feet as well,” laughs the mother of two, as she monitors a batch of banana, raspberry and pecan breakfast muffins in the oven, spoons a ricotta, mascarpone and parmesan mix into mini pastry cases, and somehow also manages to give her nails a quick lick of polish for Irish Country Living’s shoot in her home to coincide with the launch of her No Cook Cookbook.

Her kitchen-dining room is a photographer’s dream – many of the furnishings sourced from the Herman Wilkinson Auction Rooms in Rathmines – though it is most definitely a family space, with Sharon cheerfully pointing out the “fork stabs” on the table from daughters Pearl (five) and Poppy (18 months).

Motherhood

“One thing I’m not a perfectionist about is the chips and the dents on the furniture,” she says, as she strikes a pose in her Om Diva vintage dress.

This is the second time that Sharon has graced the cover of Irish Country Living – the first time was back in 2011 when the former home economics teacher from Carne, Co Wexford, was one of Ireland’s most in-demand food stylists, having returned to Ireland after 10 years working in both London and internationally with the likes of Jamie Oliver and Lorraine Pascale.

At the time, she was also seven months pregnant with Pearl and she knew something would have to give when she became a mother. But she did not expect that it would be her confidence.

“You’re a different person all of a sudden – you’re a mother – and you’re responsible for this baby and that’s your priority in a way and suddenly your career is not your priority and it’s just different,” she explains.

“You’re stepping on uncertain ground and you just have to find your feet again.”

However, it was actually motherhood that gave Sharon the push to step out from behind the scenes and start to build her own brand.

No Bake Baking

Having tearfully turned down an offer to work on a book with UK TV presenter Fearne Cotton, as it would mean time away from Pearl, the publishers then approached her to see if she would be interested in doing her own book, No Bake Baking, which was released in 2014.

“The first time I had to say no to a really good job, it actually opened up a new world for me,” smiles Sharon, though recalls feeling rather overwhelmed the day of the first shoot for the recipes, which she developed, wrote and styled herself.

“I actually felt massive pressure the first day because I felt, ‘this is me now, this is my style, it’s my food styling, it’s my recipes.’”

Not that she needed to worry, as this summer sees the follow-up, The No Cook Cookbook. With 100 recipes that don’t require conventional oven cooking, including those employing supermarket “cheats” such as ready-made pastry cases or rotisserie chicken, or genuinely quirky ideas (watermelon pizza or apple doughnuts anyone?) Sharon hopes that the book will appeal to everybody from confident cooks who want to think outside the box to complete novices who are afraid to even boil an egg.

“By taking the cooking element of it out, they’ll think: ‘Well, I can’t overcook my meat and I can’t burn a cake in the oven,’ – so it just takes that element of fear out of cooking for people,” she explains.

I needed to let go of clients and make space for my own brand

Sharon worked on the book late at night over five months after Poppy was born last year. As with the arrival of Pearl, it proved a catalyst for change – this time with Sharon deciding to take another step back from working with other chefs in order to bring her own brand to the next level.

“I knew in the lead up to having Poppy that I needed to let go of clients and make space for my own brand – stepping out a bit more – because otherwise it’s not going to happen,” she explains, admitting that as a perfectionist and a planner, the “fear of letting go” was real.

“So, again, being on maternity leave was a great excuse because I literally went underground and I had my maternity leave message up on my mail and I just said to clients: ‘Sorry, I can’t work for you because I’m on maternity leave.’ And I just left that go on longer and longer and things like the SuperValu job just came to me then.”

Practical planning

Alongside foodies like The Happy Pearand Kevin Dundon, Sharon was recently appointed as an ambassador for SuperValu’s “Good Food Karma” campaign to encourage people to cook one more meal from scratch at home a week. Her role has been to develop recipes for busy families; a pressure she is more than familiar with, despite the fact that she is a professional cook.

“Because I struggle at times to get dinner done, especially with Poppy being so young,” she says, explaining that, as a home economics teacher, she believes in practical meal planning, such as whipping up a big batch of bolognese, but also using the mince to make a chilli for another night, or to fill pastry cases for lunch.

What is next?

Between promoting the book and working with SuperValu, it’s set to be a busy summer, but what is next? A devotee of lifestyle guru, Martha Stewart, Sharon says she would love to explore opportunities in crafting, interiors and fashion.

“I’d love a TV show like that,” she says. “And I’d love to have homeware ranges and a clothes range; I’d love to design all of those.”

Watch this space – and that beehive.

For further information, visit www.sharonhearnesmith.com.

Makes 12 (V)

Ready-made mini pastry cases are available in supermarkets or speciality food stores and come in a good variety of flavours and interesting shapes, making them a great no-cook shortcut. Be sure to stir the sundried tomatoes into the mixture last, and as lightly as possible, or they tend to squish and discolour the cheese.

1. Mix the ricotta and mascarpone together in a medium bowl until well blended. Add the parmesan and nutmeg. Reserving 12 small basil leaves, finely chop the rest and add. Stir everything together until well mixed.

2. Finally, add the sundried tomatoes and stir very lightly into the mixture. Season to taste. This mix can be made two days ahead and kept in the fridge.

3. Arrange the pastry cases on a serving platter. Divide the filling evenly between the cases (about 15g per quiche). Arrange the pine nuts and one of the reserved basil leaves on top of each one to decorate, add a twist of pepper and serve. These are best assembled no sooner than a few hours before serving so that the cases don’t soften.

For a twist

Serves six (V, GF)

This no-bake tart is gloriously sticky and yet is completely free from refined sugar. It’s also super easy to make, with just three ingredients each in the base, filling and topping, most of which can be prepared in advance. For a speedier but naughtier option, you can use a 400g can of caramel as the filling if you prefer.

Base

Toffee filling

To finish

Essential kit

1. First, make the base. Place the almonds in a food processor and blitz until fairly fine. Add the dates and cinnamon, and blend again until combined. The mixture should come together easily when squeezed.

2. Place the mixture in the tin and, using dampened hands, press it in evenly all over. Cover and freeze for 30 minutes, or chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight, until firm. This can be made up to a week in advance.

3. Meanwhile, make the toffee filling. Place the pecan nuts in the food processor and blitz until very fine. Add the dates and maple syrup and blitz again, scraping down the sides as you go, to give a smooth, thick toffee sauce. Set aside until ready to assemble.

4. This can be made up to a week in advance and kept covered in the fridge.

5. When ready to serve, prepare the apple topping. Pour the lemon juice into a medium bowl and mix in the maple syrup. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, very thinly slice the apples horizontally across the core. You can decore the apples beforehand but leaving the cores in gives a cute star pattern in the slices – just pick the pips out as you go. Gently toss the slices through the lemon and maple syrup mixture until well coated.

6. To assemble, spoon the toffee filling into the base and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Carefully remove the tart from the tin, sliding it onto a serving plate.

7. Drain the apple slices well from the syrup and arrange them decoratively on top of the tart. Dollop the crème fraîche into a small bowl, dust with a little ground cinnamon, and serve on the side.

For a twist

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