In my career I have, believe it or not, interviewed at least two people who didn’t know how to turn on their ovens.

Small wonder, a generation or two after our grandmothers dressed their own chickens, that people don’t have basic skills in the kitchen anymore.

Enter Darina Allen. Allen, known as the Julia Child of Ireland, has put together a book based on her “Forgotten Skills” courses at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork. In “Forgotten Skills of Cooking” (Kyle Books, $40), you’ll get step-by-step instructions on everything from how to make your own marshmallows to how to pan grill a duck breast.

Allen offers tips on how to use less popular cuts of meat, and gives suggestions for using leftovers. Even the information you’re not likely to use anytime soon is fascinating to read. You’ll learn not only how to hang game, but where to hang it, how long you should hang it, and how the weather affects it.

The book is filled with more than 700 recipes and gorgeous photography that will make you want to book the next flight to Shanagarry.