Catherine unties siblings across states through family recipes

Catherine Fulvio has been bringing a burst of foodie passion to our days with her new series of Tastes like Home, one of Ireland's most heart-warming shows. Every year, the Wicklow woman travels around the world to visit Ireland's diaspora and serve them up a taste of home, with the methods and recipes used in their family home.

In tonight's finale, our host travels to Portland, Maine and Pelham, New Hampshire in the United States, where she teaches a brother and sister their mother's beloved recipes, sent all the way over from Grianán of Aileach Co. Donegal.

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Starting off her foodie trip on the scenic summit of Greenan Mountain, Co. Donegal, Catherine meets Ann McClay where Ann tells her about her children, Monica and James. Both now live far away from the sweeping fields of Donegal, in the neighbouring states of Maine and New Hampshire.

Monica emigrated Ireland over 20 years ago and James over 7 years ago, so Ann agrees to teach Catherine Fulvio, how to make their favourite anytime "Apple Pie" as well as their childhood Christmas treat "Snowballs".

Get the recipe for Anytime Apple Pie and Snowballs here.

Recipes in hand, Catherine heads off to Portland, Maine, immediately embarking on a food tour through the Old Port District, which overflows with foodie delights. She tries donuts made from potatoes, lobster rolls and an authentic Maine seafood "chowdah", as well as a truly unique blueberry beer.

"Lobster fishing, lobster roll and blueberry beer are all part of the Portland Maine and New Hampshire experience", Catherine says, so she and James head out on the water to try their hand at lobster fishing for Maine lobsters and, back on dry land, Catherine meets the "bitterest man in the world" in Vena’s Fizz House which makes fizzes, mocktails and cocktails. Catherine went for the non-alcoholic version, can't be losing the head when you've recipes to share!

Proving that you can never run out of great, if strange ideas, before leaving Portland Catherine and James visit a one-of-kind "Inflatable pub".

Up next, they visit Monica in Pelham, New Hampshire. There, they visit the Moonlight Meadery, where over 40 kinds of mead are brewed on site. They take a trip to America’s Stonehenge and learn about the ancient civilisation who built it, as well as stopping at Parlee farms, a charming pick your own farm for flowers and fruits.

There, they picked their apples for the apple pie, an experience Catherine was particularly moved by, coming from a farming background herself.

Get the recipe for Catherine's Beef and Stout Cobbler here.

So ends another fabulous journey across the world through home recipes, but applications are now open for the next batch of homesick foodies. If you'd like to apply for the next season of Tastes Like Home, watch the video below to find out how!

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