Meet Monica Sheridan, Ireland's feisty first celebrity chef. This photo seems to convey a sense of her personality, doesn't it, positioned in Ireland's version of the Brady Bunch house, smoking a cigarette and swinging a large alligator bag?
Here are a few more shots of Monica.
Monica is quite young in this picture.
And still looking wonderful lifting lids in this one.
There aren't a ton of videos available for Sheridan, so I'm not sure if the sassiness in this one was typical, or if she just got fiery with age. But if you watched it, you'll hear her complaining that she was stuffing the worst, purplest, most disgusting turkey she'd ever encountered. Clearly not the charmer of the previously noted bird.
But what's the story about getting fired? This video hilariously tells the tale 20 years after it happened.
And after manhandling it, I certainly hope she didn't lick her fingers.
In the video, Sheridan says she got sacked for doing just that on her show, but according to this story, she was fired for other reasons.
Apparently supporting Pigs and Bacon was controversial.
But that didn't stop her from seeking other sponsorships, though Cup-a-Soup feels controversial for other reasons. (I mean...she's a chef, for crying out loud.)
You can watch a video of that ad here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/royco-soup/
I encountered Sheridan's work through a wonderful old cookbook titled The Art of Irish Cooking.
It was an entertaining read, but I never expected to discover that the author was a rebel, a pioneer, and a dedicated finger licker.
