Giving the Butter a Night Off

If you knew the amount of candy and beer my husband consumes on a weekly basis you might be surprised to know that he does not weigh  28 stone, or 400 lbs, depending which continent you are on! He may not be a strict health nut, but he does work hard to stay fit and sometimes my cooking makes that difficult for him. He was taking the piss out of me (Irish phrase) last week after I used the crummy weather here in Ireland as an excuse to cook comfort food, as seen in this post.  

In truth I don't actually need an excuse. I am not ashamed to admit that I love to cook with butter, indulge in potatoes and creamy sauces, and the thought of becoming a vegetarian has never EVER crossed my mind.  Nothing wrong with the vegetarian lifestyle whatsoever, simply a personal choice.


So even though I admit to being a bit heavy-handed with the butter,  you should know that it is not an everyday occurrence. I do try and create balanced menus throughout the week, and veggies are always a part of our meals.  From time to time they are even the star of the show, as was the case with last night's stuffed peppers.


I typically make stuffed peppers with ground beef, rice, and a rich tomato sauce, but I came across a recipe on epicurious.com for couscous and feta stuffed peppers and thought I would give it a whirl, and give the butter a night off.

I made a few changes by omitting the squash, and fennel, and upping the spice quotient.  I added lots more oregano, some cumin, and a healthy does of minced garlic as well. Chickpeas, couscous, and feta, bulked up the filling and added a creamy salty zing!  Served up with a simple salad and some tasty naan bread and Adam and I didn't even miss the beef.  

And now believe it or not I'm off to the gym, because I'm not giving up the butter anytime soon, especially the Irish Butter!  Have I told you how good it is?  And I am not just saying that to keep my husband in business, but really you should try it! :)

An Artful Weekend.

This past weekend the mercury crept up to 21 C which is just about 70 F, and the best part is not a drop of rain in the forecast!  A perfect weekend to get out and about and take advantage of local events.  

Up and out of bed early we started Saturday off with a bit of culture by attending the senior art exhibition at The Crawford Institute of Technology College of Art and Design. Then it was onto the culinary arts!  The annual Taste Fest Cork was on in Fitzgerald park where we met up with some friends and sampled cuisine from some of the best restaurants in town. Post food indulgence, a little shopping, and a few beers at the Franciscan Well Brewery rounded out a lovely Saturday. 

A large majority of the student exhibition seemed to be installation pieces. Many utilized video, lighting, and sound to convey the artist's "message". I am in no way saying that it is not art, because who am I to judge what is art. I just personally do not enjoy having  to search for meaning in a pile of rocks on a gallery floor. I guess I am just more of a canvas and paint kind of gal.  I simply gravitate towards more traditional art in regards to subject matter and medium.  Maybe that is boring, maybe landscapes and still life aren't your thing, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion right? That subjectivity is what makes art, any art, intriguing.

My favorite piece of art was not even a part of the exhibit!  There happens to be a nice view of St. Finbarrs Cathedral from one of the third floor windows, and some creative student thought so too!

Going from art to food was not such a stretch.  Most chefs are artists in their own way, and the appeal of their craft is largely subjective. Fortunately this is Ireland and not Paris or LA, and the majority of the food at the Taste Fest was unpretentious and didn't leave me searching for meaning like some of the art we viewed earlier in the day.  Rather it left me scraping my plate and searching for seconds instead!  

Don't misunderstand when I say unpretentious. The Irish are not all cabbage and potatoes as many Americans have been brainwashed to believe.  Most of the participating restaurants at Taste Fest were upscale and quite gourmet.  I simply mean that the majority of the dishes utilized locally sourced ingredients, flavors were thoughtfully paired, and plates, albeit paper ones, were served with pride. 

herb goat cheese crostini and spiced beetroot relish.

Maire enjoying a lemon lime custard with honeycomb and mint.

saffron risotto with peas and chorizo

Overall, it was a wonderful way for us to familiarize ourselves with some of the local restaurants, especially some of the pricier ones that we might not normally visit. We shared a bottle of wine with friends and made our way around the park sampling some tasty treats!

My only complaint was that in addition to paying between 2 to 7 euro for each tasting, there was also an entry fee at the gate.  We paid 15 euro a piece to get in!  I would have rather paid an extra euro towards each plate.  30 euros would have gone a long way towards trying a few more restaurant offerings I wish I had had a chance to taste! 

Minor Makeover Cures Sleeplessness

When we arrived in our apartment I wasn't thrilled with these lamps.  I'm still not a huge fan, but when I put one on either side of our bed I couldn't stand the fact that they were not both the same color!  Funny because I am not always a stickler for symmetry.  Don't get me wrong it has it's place, but there is something to be said for it's wacky cousin A-symmetry!  In this case, however, I wanted needed the lamps to be the same color or I was going to start losing sleep over it.

So I took matters into my own hands, and without consulting the landlord  I sanded the metal base of the silver lamp and painted it black. I know I'm such a rebel! My rebellious streak continued when  I decided I should dress up the shades a little too. I brought home a length of grosgrain ribbon, but when I realized that the angle of the shade made it nearly impossible to get it glued on straight I gave up. If you're working with a drum shade the ribbon method is great.  However if you have shades like these then you may have to take an alternative route...which is what I did!

Paint is so versatile!  I didn't even buy fancy fabric paint, I just used what I had on hand which was black acrylic craft paint and a little masking tape!

Sorry it's not exactly an earth shattering before and after, but rather a subtle difference that at least makes me feel better. Satisfactory enough to allow me to sleep at night and I have a feeling the landlord is not going to kick me out for this minor makeover!  Now for some artwork over the bed.

Homemade with Love and Flowers

This past weekend our Irish friend, Ciaran, came by for brunch and like a very lovely guest he brought us a little gift.  Two bottles of his brother and sister's homemade Elderflower cordial.  

I have heard of Elderberry, but have never consumed any products containing the berries, or the flowers for that matter. Elder exists in the US, but is native to Europe and very common here in Ireland. The flowering season is short, typically late May through June; but by making enough of this cordial you can stock it away and enjoy it year round!  

The cordial is made by steeping the flowers in a solution of sugar, water, lemons, and citric acid for a day or two, and then it is simply strained and bottled.  Berries can be added to the steeping process for a little variety!

A small amount of cordial mixed with still or fizzy water over a bit of ice makes for a wonderfully refreshing drink.  Additionally it makes a great mixer when it comes to cocktails!

If you're interested in making your own Elderflower cordial, recipes abound on the web. You can also follow this link to www.cullyandsully.com. This duo from Cork serves up locally sourced meals on the grocery store shelves here in Ireland and know a thing or two about cooking!

Not Exactly Feeling like Summer Here, so I'm Sticking to Comfort Food for Now

Did you know my sister-in-law also writes a blog? Her blog Consuming Croissants is dedicated to the culinary pleasures of both homemade family meals, and out-on-the-town restaurant dishes. She has worked as a bartender for most of her adult life, so a lesson or two on creative cocktails also makes an appearance from time to time, as well as whatever else is going on in her life!

I generally find myself laughing out loud when reading her post. She writes like she speaks, honestly and peppered with smart-ass remarks. Unfortunately, her fairly new blog writing career seems to have come to a screeching halt as of late. It could be because her three children are out of school for the summer. Three under the age of eleven can throw a wrench in any one's plans right?!

However, when I bugged her about the slowdown in blog production she claimed that her attempt to get a beach ready bod has not allowed her to indulge in all the goodness she likes to write about, and therefore no recent blog posts. I suggested she write about the transition from winter to summer cooking. You know, when you put away the stew pot in favor of the grill? That action alone cuts calories!

It was that remark to her that got me thinking about my own transition to summer cuisine. Oh wait... that's right summer does not exist here in Ireland! Even now in mid-June I can't leave the apartment without a jacket, and...forget about sandals. I'm not even sure why I bothered to bring them over! So needless to say it's simply too wet and cool here to grill out every evening, which is something Adam and I typically did back in the states. Not to mention we don't even have a grill!

On a rainy and cold day, which seems to be most days here, I turn to comfort food. One of my favorite comfort food dishes is Chicken Marsala. It's one of those dishes I've made so many times I no longer need a recipe.  

What I serve it with varies, sometimes pasta, sometimes potatoes. So today I thought, why not serve it with both! And when I say both pasta and potatoes what I really mean is - GNOCCHI!

Unlike my Chicken Marsala dish which I've made more times than I can count, gnocchi is something I've never tried my hand at. There are so many recipes out there and each with a different school of thought. So when I came across this one on 101 Cookbooks titled "How to Make Gnocchi Like an Italian Grandmother" it seemed like the obvious choice.

Without further ado here is how the gnocchi making went down! It starts with potatoes, peeled and boiled.  Then mashed so they are light, fluffy, and lump free. Flour and egg bind it all together. Then roll, cut, shape, and you're done!

It took a little practice, and I know these are nowhere near perfect, but hey I'm not Italian, and I am certainly no grandmother! I thought for my first time attempting gnocchi they looked alright.

As for how they tasted, well I can't complain. Adam deemed them to be a little soft, and he was correct; but isn't that better than tough and chewy? The best gnocchi are light and fluffy, so in this case soft is as close as I'm gonna get! Ultimately, they are simply a vehicle to transport sauce to mouth. In this case it was the sweet, smooth, savory sauce of my Chicken Marsala. 

My sister-in-law may be the one writing the blog titled "Consuming Croissants", but she is dieting now so I guess that leaves me to do the consuming!  Mangia, mangia!

Gypsy vs. Gypsy

The USA is chock full of different social groups, ethnic groups, gangs, etc.  In Ireland and the UK things are no different, but there is one group I was not familiar with until our move across the pond.

The Gypsies.

As an American the word gypsy conjures up images of old women in long-flowing skirts, heads covered by scarves, who are often viewed as outcast, beggars, and thieves.

These are Romani (or Romany, Roma) Gypsies, which is not exactly the same type of gypsy I am aiming to inform you of.  While Ireland does indeed play host to these types of Romani Gypsies there is another social group vying for the gypsy title.


I am talking about Irish Gypsies, or Travelers as they are more commonly referred to.  They are also sometimes called tinkers or knackers, which refers to services that were traditionally provided by them.  Tinkering being the mending of tinware (pots and pans) and knackering being the collection of dead or old horses for slaughter.  Pikey is yet another, but apparently more derogatory term for the travelers. Irish Travelers claim to be decedents of the aforementioned gypsies, but they have somehow morphed into something entirely different.

From this:

to this:

Irish Travelers are almost beyond my realm of explanation.  They are not exactly what Americans would call trailer trash, although upon fist glance that's what they appear to be. I had to ask a friend of mine to explain travelers to me.  The long and short of it is they live outside of mainstream society, travelling in caravans and often squatting on public land.  They maintain their own language, practice age-old traditions, and hold religion and virginity to the highest regard.


These apparent high moral standards had me scratching my head when I saw pictures of their children dressed like this:

This is a First Communion dress!!!

Not to mention they condone a practice called "grabbing" in which teenage boys can "grab" a girl and force a kiss upon her, and most are married by the age of 16! Which brings me to the real reason for this post!  If you enjoyed the clips I posted about Jedward a few weeks back you may just like this as well.  It is just as much of a train wreck!

"My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" is a behind the scenes look at the secret lifestyle and outlandish weddings of these travelers.  I believe the show has now made it's US debut, but if you're not interested in frying your brain cells watching this Toddlers in Tiaras meets Jersey Shore trash television let me help you out.  The only thing you really need to see are the outrageous dresses of both the brides, attendants, and even some of the guests. So I've collected a few pictures from the web in order to present you with this Gypsy Wedding (and 1st Communion) photo montage!