In this episode of Off Topic Hugh Linehan and Fionn Davenport explore hispter foods and their discontents with food writer Catherine Cleary and DIT lecturer in Culinary Arts Dr. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire.

Later in the podcast they discuss the place of philosophy in Irish life with Joe Humphreys and Cathy Barry from NUI Maynooth and whether Irish people are more comfortable to engage more deeply with issues within an artistic context only.

Finally Fionn and Hugh celebrate the launch of Facebook's Impressions and Nobel Prize for Literature Winner Svetlana Alexievich.

Off Topic is a weekly culture and ideas podcast. It is researched by Declan Conlon and produced by Sinead O'Shea.