There is a certain quiet that blankets Dublin in the wintertime. People seem friendlier and less argumentative. Maybe everyone is too busy rubbing their cold hands together for warmth or walking a bit faster to get out of the chill as quickly as possible – no time for quarrelling, just a swift “hiya” and a gracious wave.

The streets are hushed as well. Icy roads warrant a slower, perhaps more gentler slog to school and work. Drivers wave two, maybe even three cars to go ahead in the queue down the one-lane streets and appreciation is shown with a little flash of emergency lights – a sort of lit-up wink for their kindness.

It could be that people want to slow down so they can take a look at the Christmas decorations in the villages around Dublin. Each seems to have its own big pine tree, decorated with long strands of golden lights and a few rustic ornaments. Some have a nativity set or a Santa Claus while others roll out the enormous candy canes and sleighs packed with gift boxes. The morning frost makes everything glisten as if it had been designed that way. And in the evenings the twinkling lights emit a soft glow, giving the impression of warmth on a cold, dark night.

When it snows, as it did the other morning for the first time this winter, the pace slows even more. Pedestrians walk gingerly along the dusted footpaths and a few even stop to look up, extend a hand and catch a few falling snowflakes. When it gets heavey, there’s no better place than a cosy pub to warm up with a few pints or some mulled wine. There’s just something magical about a dimly-lit tavern, complete with a roaring fire and a friendly barman.

There’s just something naturally Christmas-y about Ireland in winter, and I feel more in the holiday spirit than ever before. Mountaineering Man and I bought a little tree and a few ornaments and a some sparkly candles – it’s our first Christmas living together so I really want to make our home as festive as possible. And since ‘tis the season, I made a very celebratory breakfast this morning: Panettone French Toast. Panettone is an Italian Christmas bread that’s buttery and rich and light all at once. It’s a brioche dough studded with dried citrus peel and it’s very popular around this time of year. We topped ours with a little cinnamon honey but you can use maple syrup, icing sugar or even whipped cream.

Panettone French Toast

2 eggs, beaten

200 ml whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon honey

6 thick slices of Panettone (I got ours at Carluccio’s, which has small and big ones – one small round is perfect for this recipe!).

1 tablespoon butter

In a shallow, large dish, beat the eggs together and add the milk, vanilla and honey and whisk until blended. Now heat up the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Take each slice of bread and put it into the egg/milk mixture – just lay it down quickly and remove it, then do the other side but don’t let it soak up too much of the liquid. Place the bread slices in the pan and cook for about 2-4 minutes on each side, or until it starts to get golden brown. Serve with honey, maple syrup or whatever you want.

Back in May I left my humble little apartment in Drogheda and moved into Mountaineering Man’s humble little apartment in The Coombe. And then a couple of months ago we moved into a bigger apartment, a place that we can truly call our own.

We spent several weeks looking around at various Dublin neighborhoods, which I will admit was quite frustrating for me as I was still unfamiliar with many areas of the city. MM patiently drove me around Blackrock, Sandymount, Ballsbridge – all desirable areas on the south side – and then to a few of his favourite north side areas including Clontarf, where he once lived while still in college.

And then one day MM slipped in another neighborhood on our Daft.ie search list: Raheny. “Where is that??” I inquired, admittedly a bit annoyed. He explained that it was just north of Clontarf, on the DART line and close to the sea. Sounded nice enough, but I was exhausted from trying to educate myself on the 6-8 areas we’d already chosen and wasn’t keen to add another to my to-do list.

However a week later the most beautiful apartment came up in Raheny, and within minutes of viewing it I breathlessly rang MM and told him he had to view it as soon as he was off work. I literally left the viewing, collected him from work and drove him right back to the residence (the letting agent actually waited in the apartment the whole time). He loved it as well and we signed the lease two days later.

Two months in and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with Raheny. We’re right across the road from St. Anne’s park, which offers miles of beautiful greenery, two rose gardens and a Saturday farmer’s market. We’re right around the corner from a great butcher (JW Smyth), a newsagent, three pharmacies, and a SuperValu. There’s also an auto-repair shop within walking distance and the DART station is just up the road. Of course there are a few pubs as well, though we’ve yet to try any (I’ll report back when I do!).

We’ve become regulars at a few local businesses. I  am in LOVE with my new gym, which is just around the corner from our place. It’s called Slender Health Gym & Beauty and offers about 120 classes per week that range from 20 minutes to 40-45 minutes. Though I was a complete class novice (at previous gyms I always felt too intimidated to join in and stuck to the treadmill or cross trainer!), I take a class 4-5 times per week here. The instructors are fantastic and everyone who goes there is friendly and supportive. There’s also a beauty salon next door (hence the Beauty part of its name) that does everything from waxing to facials.

MM and I also spend far too much time at Mulino’s, a little Italian bistro on our street. The prices are reasonable and the food is solid, though I can’t vouch for much more than their pizza as that’s all we eat when we go! A wonderfully thin-crusted margherita for me, an anchovy pizza for MM and a bottle of house red from Montepulciano runs us about 45 quid – and we can walk home! We also love McHugh’s Wine & Dine, which is a quick taxi ride away. The restaurant has an inviting interior, friendly service and top-notch food that’d give any big-name city centre restaurant a run for its money. For coffee, there’s the quirky and adorable Perk-u-licious coffee shop that sells lovely fresh-baked scones, cupcakes and homemade sandwiches.

Perhaps the best part of living here is the calm and serenity of the place. Step outside and you can smell the salty sea air and hear the birds chirping. MM has the perfect coastal route for his six-day-a-week 10k runs and I have a sense of community for the first time since moving to Dublin. The only bummer is that our new friends and neighbors, The Gunters, have upped sticks mere weeks after we met them! But at least they just moved to Fairview, a quick drive away. Me and MM, well, I think we’ll stay awhile!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

We recently went out to dinner with The Gunters, who moved to Ireland from Austin, Texas four years ago and as they, too, are foodies we got into the inevitable conversation about food! Bill shared some stories on how he’s managed to make some of their Tex-mex favourites here in Ireland and he inspired me to tackle one of my all-time favourite Mexican soups: Chicken Tortilla. Of course you can’t have tortilla soup without cornbread, which I baked up with some chopped jalapenos and cheddar cheese. Needless to say I’ll be making both again very soon!

For the chicken:

2 large chicken breast on the bone, skin on

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube

240 ml boiling water

1 300 gram tin of sweetcorn

For toppings:

3 flour or corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips and baked until crisp (5-8 minutes in 180 C oven)

1 avocado, diced

Grated cheese of your choice

Chopped fresh coriander

Natural yogurt

Lime wedges

To prepare the chicken: Preheat the oven to 170 C. Lay the chicken breasts on a large baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and put into the oven for 20 minutes; remove foil and place back in oven for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through. After cooling, remove the skin and bone and, using your fingers, shred the meat. Set aside.

To make the soup: In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until they start to soften. Now add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and sea salt and toss to coat the vegetables. Add in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, stock cube and water and stir. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the sweetcorn and the shredded chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the soup starts to simmer again.

To serve: Pour into bowls and top with sliced avocado, grated cheese, crisp tortilla strips, fresh corriander and natural yogurt. Serve with a wedge of lime and a big slice of Jalapeno & Cheese Cornbread!

Jalapeno & Cheese Cornbread

1 cup or 225 grams polenta or cornmeal (available at most Tescos and health food shops)

1 cup or 120 grams plain white flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup or 120 ml olive oil

2/3 cup or 160 ml milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/2 cup or 15 grams fresh corriander, chopped

1 cup or 100 grams grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180 C degrees. Grease a pie dish or 10-inch baking pan with some olive oil and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the polenta, flour, baking powder and salt. Now add in the olive oil, milk and egg and mix together until JUST incorporated. Add in the jalapeno, coriander and cheese and stir using a spatula. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and serve!

What does Irish food look like?

That was the question on everyone’s mind at the 2nd annual (hopefully!) foodie photo workshop hosted by Bord Bia last week in Dublin. After viewing the Google images results from an “Irish food” search, we were appalled at what the rest of the world is seeing of our beloved fare.

Unfortunately the websites coming up tops on the image searches are old and therefore enjoy a high ranking; photos of gray, unappetizing Irish stews and painfully plain-looking roasts take up the first page. But the food bloggers in Ireland know better: Irish food is now about artisan producers and organic meats and beautiful fruit and vegetables. It’s about handcrafted cheeses and luscious cakes and biscuits. This is what the world needs exposure to when it comes to Irish food.

We gathered to get some pointers on how we can make our food photos look even better so that we – as the food bloggers of Ireland – can pull together and get the word out. The always enthusiastic and tireless Donal Skehan went over how to use props, interesting backgrounds and perfect lighting to make our food look as appealing as possible; the wonderfully talented food stylist Sharon Hearne Smith (who worked on one of my favourite cookery shows, Barefoot Contessa) showed us how to position and work with our dishes to bring out the best colours and angles. Food photographer extraordinaire Jocosta Clarke reviewed camera settings and photo setups that will guarantee a professional-looking result.

Our own fearless co-leader of the Irish Food Bloggers Association, Kristin Jensen, shared some top-notch tips on recipe writing that was a real eye opener while web guru Damien Mulley shared his secrets on SEO techniques. And the incredible cooks of Bord Bia served up a magnificent lunch of succulent Irish pork, potato salad, garden greens and the most beautiful cherry tomatoes you’ve ever seen. The whole day was organized and arranged by BB’s fantastic Maeve Desmond – a real life Wonder Woman who manages to do a million things without breaking a sweat.

Because we’re all food fanatics who love to cook, everyone brought a treat to share and what a bounty it was! From individually-wrapped brownies and handmade buttery Danish biscuits to an espresso cheesecake and carrot cake, there were so many treats we ended up donating the leftovers to a charity after the day was done. A huge thanks to Margaret of Bord Bia for taking the goodies to some very appreciative folks.

The best part of the day for me was seeing all the food bloggers in one place; last May, we gathered for the first time at Bord Bia and no one really knew anyone else. Over a year later many of us are friends and so many have developed either a career in food or are working on something exciting in the field. Lilly Higgins has a book coming out next month, Donal’s now on his second season of Kitchen Hero, Kristin has launched Edible Ireland and a few are talking to agents about possible book deals. It’s amazing to see how far everyone has come since our first meeting.

I hope when we meet again next year and Google “Irish food,” the images that come up will reflect what Irish food has become: fresh, inventive food made with passion and love.

Lemon Sweet Rolls

My contribution to the day was Lemon Sweet Rolls, an incredibly easy dessert or breakfast treat that takes almost no time to make. I used Ina Garten’s Easy Sticky Buns recipe as a base for this recipe.

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/3 cup caster sugar

zest of two lemons

1 cup candied citrus peel, diced

Glaze:

2 cups icing sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (a bit more or less – you want it to be a bit runny but not too thin).

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar using a fork. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the almonds evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup caster sugar and the lemon zest and mix using a fork. This will help flavour the sugar with the lemony essence.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the lemon sugar mixture and 1/2 cup of the candied citrus peel. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sweet rolls.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the sweet rolls are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. While they are baking, combine the icing sugar with the lemon juice in a medium bowl until the consistency is about as thick as syrup. Remove the rolls from the oven. Be careful – they’re hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper and cool for five minutes. Now spoon on the lemon icing glaze and then let cool completely. Enjoy!

Irish Tomato Tart with Corn & Onions

I love love love Irish tomatoes! They are red, sweet and absolutely gorgeous. Inspired by the cherry toms I had at Bord Bia, I made this savoury tart for our dinner the other night and can say it will become a regular at our table. Now *this* is Irish food!

Tart crust – I used this great recipe for a wholemeal and olive oil crust

18-20 cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons of olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

2 large white onions, sliced thinly

1 tin of sweetcorn, drained

1/2 cup natural yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 egg, beaten

3 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 150 C. Slice the cherry tomatoes in halves and lay – cut side up – on a baking tray. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and set aside.

While your tomatoes are baking, heat up the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add in the onion slices and cook until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. You’ll want to stir occasionally but not too much – you want it to get golden brown! Set aside and let cool for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat up on the oven to 170 C. Roll out your tart dough and place in a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. You can also use a regular pie pan as well. Pierce the bottom with a fork to avoid shrinkage while the crust bakes. Place some foil on top of the crust and fill with beans or rice and blind bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooked onions, sweetcorn, yogurt, mayo and egg until combined. Pour the mixture (it will be super thick) into the crust (remove the foil first!). Now sprinkle with the feta cheese. Lastly, arrange the tomatoes in whatever fashion you like on the top. Place back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove, let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

I just wanted to write you a note to say “thanks” for the joy that is dealing with your customer service reps – a delight that I had the pleasure of experiencing for a whole two hours this morning. Of course by “delight” I actually mean an excruciating, dying-a-slow-death type pain that’s about as pleasurable as sliding down a razor blade into a pool of salty lemon juice.

I rang because I need phone service and broadband, which I assumed would be a simple enough request considering you are a phone and Internet company. But as they say, assume just makes an ass of u and me and never has this little nugget of wisdom been more true! I first spoke with a woman named Esther, who went over the offers with me. She said I could get broadband and a landline that covered my needs for €41.99 per month for the first six months and then €46.70 per month afterward. She also mentioned there would be a €29.99 connection fee for broadband, which I thought was rather excessive and that it would take at least 10 business days to connect both the phone and broadband lines and that they’d have to send someone out.

I asked her why it would take so long and she said because no one had ever activated a phone line here, which I found odd as we have an Eircom box right here in our hallway that was, in fact, activated before. She insisted it had not and I decided to try my chances at another company to see if they could do better. She gave me her “direct line” and name so I could ring her back if I decided to go with Eircom.

After ringing a few places, it turns out Eircom does offer the best price – fair play to you (I give credit where it’s due!). So I rang back Esther on the number she gave me; after all, she’d already taken all my details. But an automated voice answered, not Esther. I was hold for 10 minutes. The person who answered had no record of my previous call so I had to relay all my information AGAIN. The new guy, Trevor, had some news for me: My phone line was activated previously so it would only take 24 hours and NO visit from a technician to get it live. He also mentioned that if I signed up for broadband using Eircom’s website, I would not have to pay that €29.99 fee. Clearly Esther does not know about this deal, because otherwise she would have been obligated to share it with me, no? Perhaps she’s suffering from short-term memory loss or plain laziness; either way, it’s time to have a little chat with your employee.

Trevor also shared another gem: Though my new plan offered “unlimited” calls to local numbers, I have to hang up after 59 minutes of talking and ring the person back again if I wanted to get the call for free. I asked Trevor why, and he said – and I quote – “Eircom assumes no one would chat more than 59 minutes on a phone call, that’s why.” A phone company assuming their customers won’t talk on the phone that much? That makes about as much sense as a book on how to read! Great way to make a sneaky extra quid, if you ask me.  In any case I’m glad ol’ Trev gave me that info; now I know to clock watch whilst talking on the telephone so I won’t get charged those hidden fees.

Well despite all the hassle, I signed up and Trevor gave me my new phone and account numbers and told me to go ahead and log in online to order my broadband. Let me just say I absolutely LOVE how you make your customers jump through multiple hoops to save a few bob – us busy folk really enjoy that sort of run-around! I got online and low and behold, my telephone number was not recognized. I rang Eircom yet AGAIN, waited another 9 minutes for a human being to get on the other end and was told it would be another 24 hours before my account was activated. Apparently Trevor forgot that little piece of info but Sarah, the girl I spoke with this time, assured me it always took a day to activate.

I believe trained monkeys would do a better job than your current staff and would certainly provide more entertainment value during the long minutes of hold time. It’s too bad there are so few choices for phone/broadband here, because I guarantee that is the ONLY reason why you’re still in business. My partner had WiMax/Imagine before but they were about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, so you lucked out. At best, you fall in the middle of a mediocre bunch – what a feat! Perhaps you should aim a bit higher.

Best,

Clare – An American in Ireland

Baked Onion Rings with Spicy Barbeque Sauce

I spent much of the day infuriated over my wasted morning, but calmed myself down by spending the evening in the kitchen (I know, I’m weird like that). It’s amazing how much cooking soothes me; half-way into making this barbeque sauce, I felt the stress leave my body. There’s something about creating something simple and good that just takes away the anxiety of the day. And, unlike everything else, cooking is something I actually have control over!  These onion rings are the perfect comfort food, but they’re healthy, and great dipped in this spicy barbeque sauce.

Spicy Barbeque Sauce

1/2 tea cup water

1/2 tea cup of ketchup

6 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

5 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 teaspoons of dry mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons of pure chili powder

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of ground cumin

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons tomato paste (puree)

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat to low and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool at room temp and serve (keeps for 5 days in airtight container in the fridge).

Baked Onion Rings

2 onions, peeled and cut into thick slices (rings!)

4 tablespoons white flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs, beaten

A few dashes of Tabasco

1.5 – 2 cups (just use a tea or coffee cup) of Japanese panko* breadcrumbs

Olive oil or plain oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Put the flour, paprika, garlic powder and sea salt into a large, Ziploc bag. In batches of a half-dozen or so, place the onion rings in the bag, close and shake so that the rings are lightly coated with the flour mixture.

Place the beaten eggs in a large shallow dish and add Tabasco and mix, and then toss the coated onion rings into the egg to give them a light coat. The flour coating has to go on first as otherwise the egg mixture will not stick to the onion.

Put the panko breadcrumbs into another large Ziploc bag. Again in batches, place the onion rings into the bag, close and shake until the rings are coated in the breadcrumb mixture.

Place the rings on a large baking tray and lightly spray with the oil spray. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. Serve with barbeque sauce!

*Panko breadcrumbs are available at most Asian food markets and are essential for this recipe as they are super crispy!

Irish people say the damp air here is what makes you sick. Whatever it is, my body went into rejection mode the moment I landed. My lungs were used to the comforting warm and dry air of Los Angeles, which was only very occasionally punctuated by a rain shower or cooler temperatures. So when my organs were introduced to the cold, wet breezes of the north east seaboard of this island, they were determined to show their misery by inflicting pain in the form of one bizarre illness or another.

First there was the monthly cold with the coughing and slightly-above-normal body temperature. Then came the crazy, head-rattling sneezing and runny nose/eyes from hay fever (thanks, rapeseed plants!). By December of last year, I had contracted some viral infection that left me with painful, swollen glands in my neck and a low-grade fever and headache that lasted over 30 days. So exhausted and weepy was I during our New Year’s holiday in Athlone that Mountaineering Man had to ring a local doctor for an emergency appointment. The doctor told me the same thing my own doc told me, which was that my body was fighting some viral infection and I would just have to wait until it passed. He happily pocked 50 quid for his 5 minutes and I left knowing I’d chosen the wrong career field.

By the time I got back to Drogheda I had also lost my sense of taste; according to my med student friend this is a common result of a bad sinus infection. He told me it could resolve itself in days…or months…or years. I tried to remain optimistic and every day I’d wake up and make my eggs and toast, hoping to be able to sense that lovely yolky flavour on my tongue – with no avail. I was two weeks into hell (I’m a foodie so not being able to taste is as close as it gets!) when I bit into a piece of dark chocolate and realized my taste receptors were alive again. I can taste this! I shouted, alone in my kitchen, before breaking down in a heap of tears.

There’s something about being sick and far away from home that can drive one a little batty. Dealing with a new doctor, a whole new healthcare system and medications with unfamiliar names is enough to do anyone’s head in. By the beginning of this year I was completely beaten down and – to use a cliché – so sick and tired of being sick and tired! I’m fairly certain MM was pretty sick of it as well; every weekend there was a new ailment – some real, some imagined. Sometimes I’d practically want to throw myself on the floor and scream, Health why, WHY do you forsake me? Did I mention being sick tends to increase my already well-tuned flair for drama?

It’s been wonderful to finally turn the corner and feel relatively healthy for the last few months now. Naturally as I type this I’m wondering if I’ve just willed the mother of all jinxes on me but I’ll try not to focus on that. I’m truly relishing feeling well these days and I’m embracing it by getting to the gym four times a week and eating healthy. Though I’m not a vegetarian, I’m starting to cook more veggie during the week (thanks in part to our Home Organics delivery). Both MM and I have noticed a difference in our skin and, er, digestive systems.

It’s great to feel so good.

Roasted Vegetable Tart on Wholemeal Pastry

I won’t lie – this tart is a lot of work but it’s SO worth it. I made it for the first time the other night and MM declared it was one of his favourites. Yes there’s butter in the pastry but it’s balanced with all the lovely veg. You can even skip the Parmesan cheese if you like!

For the wholemeal pastry:

250g  wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon sea salt 
125g cold butter cut into small cubes
60ml cold water

For the tart:

2 tablespoons olive oil plus a little extra for brushing on the veg

3 large white or yellow onions, sliced thinly

2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin

2 medium red-skinned potatoes, sliced thin

1 corgette, sliced thin

Kernels from 1 ear of corn

4 tablespoons of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (I use a microplane to grate my own)

Salt & pepper to taste

To prepare the pastry: In a large bowl, combine the flour and sea salt. Add in the butter and working very quickly, use your fingers or a fork to mix the butter into the flour – you want to end up with a rough, crumbly texture and the crumbles should be about the size of peas. Slowly pour in the cold water and work with your hands or a spatula to bring the mix together to form a dough – do not over work it. When the dough comes together, form it into a ball, wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator.

To prepare the veg: Preheat oven to 180 C. Heat up the 2 tbs of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the sliced onions and let cook until caramelized. This process will take anywhere between 15-20 minutes; you do not want the onions to burn but want them to get browned and soft. Add a bit of salt and pepper to season.

While the onions are cooking, spray or brush two large baking trays with oil. Lay the tomato, potato and corgettes on the trays in a single layer and brush with just a touch of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven and let bake for 10 minutes or until the veg is tender. The slices should be thin so even the potato will cook quickly. You may need to do two batches to cook all the veg.

To parbake the pastry: Roll out the wholemeal pastry dough so it’s about 1/2 centimeter thick. You do not want this crust too thin as there is a lot of veg on the tart! Roll it so it’s a rectangle about the same size as your baking tray. Place on a greased tray (or use a silicon baking sheet) and then fold the edges in to create a border. Using a fork, pierce some holes into the pastry. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 180 C.

Remove the pastry from the oven – you are now ready to assemble the tart. The first layer is the caramelized onion, so evenly distribute that on the pastry crust. Next is the potato slices, then corgettes, then tomato. Top with the corn and sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. Place it back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and serve!

Potato, Mushroom & Pea Spring Rolls (Vegan)

3 medium potatoes, peeled

1 tablespoon extra plus 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced

4 ounces of frozen peas, thawed

Zest from 1/2 a small lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Package of Spring Roll Pastry (you can buy this in the frozen section of most Asian markets)

Extra olive oil for brushing

Cook the potato either by boiling until soft or microwaving. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes together with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add sea salt and mix. Set aside.

In a medium sauté pan, heat the 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Now mix the mushrooms in with the potatoes and also add the thawed peas. Be careful not to mash the peas – you want them to retain their shape. Add in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Carefully take out one sheet of the Spring Roll Pastry – they should be square and about the size of a tea cozy. Place about 3 tablespoons of filling in the middle (see an easy how-to photo guide here) and roll up, using a bit of water to seal the edge. Continue until all the potato filling is gone.

Place a cooling rack on the baking sheet and place the spring rolls on the rack – you do not want the spring rolls directly touching the baking rack; this method ensures crisping. Carefully brush or spray olive oil on the rolls but don’t over do it – they only need a bit! Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes, turn the spring rolls over, then cook for another 10 minutes. They should start to get brown around the edges.

Serve with your favourite Asian-style dipping sauce: sweet chili, curry, soy sauce, etc. This is a vegan dish – the pastry is made from flour, coconut oil and water.

The summery sun couldn’t have come at a better time as it was the kick-off for Bloom in the Park 2011, an annual festival of flowers, plants and food sponsored by Bord Bia. Mountaineering Man and I made our way up to Phoenix Park for a look-see and we got an eyeful: tents full of colourful, gorgeous floral arrangements, gardens packed with an array of beautiful produce and a food village fit for, well, a foodie!

Thought it was quite crowded we managed to get a few tastes in the Bord Bia Food Village. There was fresh-baked bread from Soul Bakery (including the Obama Bread, “fit for a President!”), doughnuts from Dolly’s Donuts and sausage rolls and salads from Lolly and Cooks. My favourite treat of the day was the champagne and elderflower sorbet from Murphy’s Ice Cream stand, served to us by Kieran Murphy himself, which really hit the spot on such a hot day.

It was wonderful to see attendees basking in the warmth of the sun; many brought picnic blankets and folding chairs and got their fill of Vitamin D on the acres of garden space in the park. We really couldn’t have asked for a better day to showcase some of Ireland’s best produce and food producers – Bloom 2011 was a fantastic outdoor weekend festival and I look forward to next year’s event!

Chana Masala “Bombay” Style

I’m always looking for Indian sauces as I adore spicy food and Indian is one of my favourites. I picked up a bottle of Bombay No. 7 sauce at the Bloom foodstall for Green Saffron Spices and it was the perfect *secret* ingredient addition to my chana masala. The sauce really kicks up the flavour and thickens the texture. This is a wonderful vegetarian dish that even a meat addict would love – it’s very hearty!

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

3 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1.5 tablespoons garam masala

1.5 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 395 gram can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 395 gram can of chopped tomatoes

400 ml boiling water

1/2 bottle of Bombay No 7 sauce from Green Saffron

Handful of fresh spinach

More salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot heat up the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the cumin seeds and let cook for one minute. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garam masala, ground cumin, chili powder and sea salt and stir. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Add in the chickpeas, tomatoes and boiling water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the Bombay No 7 sauce and spinach. Cook for a few minutes and add salt/pepper to season. Serve over couscous or rice or on its own! Top with a dollop of natural yogurt to cool things down.

It’s no big secret: I love to cook. And lately I’ve found my passion for cooking again, thanks in part to having someone else to cook for (co-habitating with Mountaineering Man). I’ve been having a great time making our weeknight meals and have been inspired by a variety of factors like our weekly veg/fruit bags delivered by Home Organics and the local butchers and fishmongers in my new neighborhood.

As I whipped up another weeknight dinner the other day, I started lamenting over the fact that my visa here in Ireland only allows me to work as a freelance journalist because I would absolutely love to cook somewhere. Don’t get me wrong; I love journalism and I’ll always be a writer no matter what. While I don’t necessarily want to be a restaurant chef (plus I have no formal training) in an ideal world I could see myself cooking at a small breakfast/lunchy cafe type place, one that specialises in fresh and locally-sourced ingredients.

And since we’re fantasising here, I might as well go into detail. I can see myself at the aforementioned cute breakfast/lunchy cafe type place, creating relatively healthy and wholesome meals that would make good use of Irish produce and products – showcased with a slight LA-influence. Instead of typical turnip mash I’d make a lovely, hearty turnip, caramelized onion, potato and goat-cheese gratin – golden on the top and oh-so-creamy on the inside. I’d use day-old brown bread for a fantastic savoury bread pudding chock full of sauteed onions, sausage, sweet red bell peppers, finely-chopped broccoli all set with egg and a smattering of Irish cheese.

I would make use of my Japanese background and create some childhood favorites I think the Irish would just adore. One would be the potato korrokke, which is essentially a hand-held, crispy-on-the-outside potato cake flavoured with curry. It’s the perfect quick bite and I think Irish folk would go nuts for it – basically it’s all the flavours and texture of curry and chips but far better!

I’d do a healthy fish pie that had all the flavour but less than half the fat of the typical variety by making a dairy-free roux of light margarine and flour and combine that with silky soy milk and a dashi broth for a rich but waist-friendly white sauce. Combined with smoked Coley, grated carrots, broccoli, and spinach it would make the perfect base for a fish pie that’d be topped with a turnip and potato mash. Served with a fresh, crisp side salad of greens and cucumbers dressed with a tangy yogurt dressing, it’d make the ideal meal for the health-conscious lunch crowd.

When I see how many restaurants and cafes in Ireland are desperate for cooks, it makes me all the more frustrated that I’m not allowed to apply for such jobs. The only way I could work as a cook is if the restaurant sponsored me, and to be fair that’s a lot to ask considering I have no kitchen experience. I did run my own from-home catering business in Los Angeles and made food for upwards of 250 people at a time (I don’t recommend it!) but that’s the extent of it. All I can offer is my creativity, determination and dedication…and my crazy-mad skills, naturally!

They say “if you can see it in your mind, you can find it in your life.” I can definitely see it…can you?

Healthy Fish Pie

400 ml plain soy milk plus a bit more for the mash

1 bay leaf

8 ounces of smoked Coley

2 onions

300 ml warm water

1 teaspoon dashi (you can find this at most oriental/Asian markets in Ireland)

1/3 of turnip, peeled and cut into cubes

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

4 tablespoons margarine

4 tablespoons plain white flour

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 head of broccoli, chopped into very small pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 bag of fresh spinach, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Cook the fish! Pour the 400 ml of soy milk into a medium sauce pan. Cut one of the onions in half and place into the milk, along with the bay leaf. Cut the Coley into big chunks and place into the soy milk. Cook over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer; let simmer for about 8 minutes or until Coley is cooked through. Strain the mixture through a sieve and save the soy milk and fish; discard the onion and bay leaf.

Step 2: Make your mash! Place the cubes of turnip and potato into cold water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes or until the turnip (which takes longer to cook) can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain. Mash with a masher and pour a bit of soy milk and add salt and pepper to the mix until it’s smooth but not too watery/creamy. It has to stand up on top of the fish pie so you don’t want it too runny or thin. Set aside.

Step 3: Make your white sauce! In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Add the flour and mix until incorporated – it’ll form a little ball or a few little balls of flour/margarine mix. Cook for another minute so that the flour taste can cook off. Mix the dashi with the 300 ml of warm water until the dashi is dissolved, and then add it to the Coley-infused soy milk. Slowly add the warm Coley-infused soy milk/dashi water mixture, just a little at a time, while whisking briskly. Turn the heat up to medium and continue to stir – the mixture will thicken as it heats up, which will take 3-4 minutes. Once it’s to a thick consistency, remove from heat and set aside.

Step 4: Cook your veg! In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Chop the remaining onion into small dice and add it to the pan along with the broccoli, carrots and spinach. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to season while cooking.

Step 5: Put your pie together! Place the Coley pieces together in the pie dish, using a fork to break it up into small but not tiny pieces. Add in the cooked vegetables. Pour the white sauce over the whole lot and mix together until fully incorporated. Now pile the mash on top of the mixture until the whole pie is covered. Then using a fork, make little marks on the top – this will help create little brown edges along the top of the pie. Bake in a 180 C degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated completely through. Serve hot!

Secret Supper Clubs have been all the rage in Los Angeles for the last few years, so when I heard about one being done in Dublin I jumped at the chance to enjoy a multi-course meal cooked and served in the comfort of a private home with complete strangers.

But unlike the one Supper Club experience I’d had in LA (which was a fun experience but food-wise was lackluster), this wasn’t about secret passwords and going to great lengths to secure a precious invite. The Loaves & Fishes Supper Club, organized and hosted by foodie and baker Lilly Higgins and her sisters, is all about delicious, homemade food created by people who truly love to cook for others.

The venue was a beautiful private home in the Kilmainham district of Dublin and the minute Mountaineering Man and I walked in we were greeted with a warm hello and an offer to take our coats. The main sitting room area featured several communal tables adorned with candles and a view of the open kitchen, an incredibly brave set-up as we could see all the cooking front and center. Lilly and her sisters were working away but looked quite calm and very organized; a good thing considering they were feeding a good 30+ people that night.

The dinner started off with a gorgeous and silky potato and leek soup, served in an array of colorful bowls. I loved the variety of flatware, wine glasses, plates and cups on the table; while they all kept in the shabby chic/country theme, they were not matchy-matchy which added to the comfortable, homey atmosphere. Next up was a lovely salad and toasts topped with tangy goat’s cheese, which had been put under a broiler and given the melty treatment (YUM!). In between courses the sisters, including Maeve (who along with Lilly used to have the hilarious RTE show, Fancy Vittles), kindly cleared the plates and asked if we’d enjoyed everything so far. Fellow food blogger and tablemate Deirdre and I exchanged many “NOM!” looks all night and expressed our excitement over the courses to come.

For our main course the sisters served up a light and lovely root mash, which I believe consisted of butternut squash, sweet potato and lentils. As it was slightly sweet and earthy, it was the perfect accompaniment to the hearty beef and chorizo stew. MM isn’t usually a fan of beef but even he scoffed up the stew, nodding with approval as he ate. I had to struggle to leave some mash on my plate, as I knew what was coming up for dessert and my stomach raised the white flag half-way through my main begging me to save room for what was to come next.

To say I’m a fan of sticky toffee pudding would be an understatement. If given the choice between an evening with Ryan Reynolds and one with a plate of this classic pud, I would probably pick the latter (of course ScarJo’s ex feeding me sticky toffee pudding would be the ULTIMATE! [editor’s note: MM’s fantasy would involve ScarJo so it would be very convenient for both of us and relatively guilt-free!]). Needless to say, I’ve had a good few in my lifetime and I can say hand over heart that Lilly’s is the best I’ve ever had. It was rich and warm and sweet but not overly so; the toffee sauce was buttery and glossy and I’d be very happy to bathe in the stuff. 

To end the already-extravagant evening we were served plates of peanut butter and sesame biscuits (Lilly, I want the recipe!), little fruit-studded chocolates and tea and coffee. Lilly, Maeve and the sisters walked from table to table, taking a well-deserved break and chatted warmly with their guests. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we left with full bellies and big grins on our faces. Thanks to Lilly and all the Higgins’ sisters for a truly wonderful night!

When I visited friends in this area October of last year, the idea of actually living here was barely a twinkle in my eye. I’d wanted for some time to move abroad, and as a travel journalist doing a fair amount of globetrotting I was always considering the various places I visited as a potential place to land.

About half-way through my 10-day visit, it dawned on me that maybe Ireland could be the place. After all I have a good number of friends here (when I was in college in San Francisco I lived with a gang of Irish and we kept in touch all these years), it is an English-speaking country and it’s in Europe. It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day and I was sitting with my friend Sinead on the lovely patio of her cosy Irish country house when the idea first sprang to life. Maybe I could move here, continue my freelance writing, and get a little apartment in town…my brain buzzed with the excitement of possibilities.

The very next night, it started to rain. I remember being in the back of my friend Trevor’s Land Rover as he sped through the dark, country road in the lashing rain and feeling physically scared. It wasn’t his driving; it was the eerie darkness that enveloped us as we drove. There were scraggly tree branches hitting the windshield and nothing but pitch blackness all around. The wind howled and there was no trace of life or light anywhere on that road. It was as if God himself had snatched the stars out from over us and the whole vibe reminded me of the scene in An American Werewolf in London right before the two hikers get savagely attacked by the beast in the countryside. I remember thinking there was no way I could ever drive these roads. Too dark, too narrow, too isolated and driver side too right and driving side of road too left!

Later that night as I tried to get to sleep in Sinead’s guest room, I felt doubt and anxiety set in. I peered out from under the covers and tried in vain to get my eyes to adjust to the darkness but I could see nothing – it was that dark. It was jarringly quiet…the only thing I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the ringing in my ears, which was starting to sound a bit like a shrill, menacing soundtrack to a slasher film. Being from Los Angeles I was used to the sound of helicopters swirling overhead, traffic noises and the muffled sound of neighbors’ talking and walking around their apartments. I always found these noises to be of great comfort to me as it made me feel I wasn’t totally alone. Here, I felt I was the last person alive after a world-obliterating natural disaster. Well, the last person along with the ax-wielding psycho who was going to burst through the door at any moment and turn me into mincemeat.

Of course nine months into living here, I effortlessly navigate the shadowy country roads that I now know like the back of my hand. And while I ended up in an apartment right in the middle of town, I thoroughly enjoy the undisturbed quiet and inky darkness of a country night and have experienced some of the most peaceful sleeps of my life when I stay at Sinead’s or at my friend Imen’s, who also lives out in the countryside. It’s hard now to imagine the fear I felt then. What seemed so unfathomable only one year ago is now my life, and as the American Thanksgiving holiday approaches I just want to say how grateful I am for that.

Two Thanksgiving Recipes: Uncle Richard’s Sweet Potato Pie & Amy Vanderbilt’s Oyster Stuffing

This is the first Thanksgiving that I’ll be away from home in many, many years, so I was thrilled to get an invitation from my friend (and fellow expat) Imen to celebrate an early Thanksgiving feast at her house in Limerick. My contributions were this sweet potato pie, which is adapted from a recipe by one of my favorite bloggers, Homesick Texan. It’s incredibly easy to make and is made with very available ingredients. I think the Irish would love it too – after all, it’s made with potatoes! The other dish was a favorite at my family’s Thanksgiving, which is Oyster Stuffing (my dad makes it every year!). It’s also quite simple but absolutely delicious – IF you like oysters!

Uncle Richard’s Sweet Potato Pie

15 ounces of mashed cooked sweet potatoes (without the skin)
3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
12 ounces of evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 190 C degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth (it’s OK to have a few bits of sweet potato, this actually makes it better!). Pour mixture into one, ten-inch pie shell (I use a basic shortcrust recipe, feel free to use whatever you’d like).Bake 55 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before serving. Garnish with whipped cream as desired.

Amy Vanderbilt’s Oyster Stuffing

15 fresh, shucked oysters or frozen and thawed oysters plus at least 1 cup of oyster “liquor” (the liquid that the oysters come in)
8 large slices of crusty white bread, pulsed in a food processor until chunky (you may need more so have some handy)
1 ½ tbsp melted butter or margarine per cup of oysters
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 165 C. Combine the bread chunks with a sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large casserole dish (15 inches or so). Add melted butter, oysters, oyster liquor and milk and toss with your hands until the bread is nice and wet but not overly soggy. Add more milk/liquor if too dry and more bread cubes if too wet. Bake for 45 minutes and serve immediately.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Though the Irish tend to wax ad nauseum about the weather, they don’t let it get them down. They don’t avoid going outside when it’s freezing cold or when it’s raining because if they did, they’d never leave the house. Irish people just put on a bigger coat, whip out the umbrella and get on with their lives.

Strangely enough, I’ve noticed as the temperature goes down people seem to get more chipper around here. In Dublin last weekend it was probably about 4 degrees Celsius (that’s 39 degrees Fahrenheit for all my American friends) and I witnessed the most cheerful exchange between a visibly shivering elderly man and a store clerk. The clerk asked, “How’s it going?” and while the old man could’ve gotten away with a smarmy remark he answered, “Ah, not a bother at all! Not a bother!” complete with a huge grin and a boisterous cackle. I think I was in the middle of whining about how cold I was when I caught that little burst of positivity. Then I passed the guy whose sole job is to stand in the driveway of the car park and wave cars in and out. For hours, he stands out there in the freezing cold, sporting his high-vis jacket and a genuine smile.

Admittedly, adjusting to my first autumn and pending winter in Ireland hasn’t been easy. In balmy Los Angeles, November still sees temperatures in the 90s (that’s the 30s for my European friends). Christmas is typically anywhere between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit (16 C) and no matter how many films portray the “surprise” LA holiday snowfall it’s never happened in my lifetime. In fact, the last recorded snowfall in LA was on January 22, 1962 and it was so light it evaporated before touching the ground. Last year it rained a little, which we thought was nice as it made Christmas feel more “festive.” Here, I feel cold to the bone and all I want to do is curl up in a Snuggie (despite its universally-dorky rep), read Robert Frost poems, drink hot tea, and feel sorry for myself.

But as I witness more random displays of positivity in Ireland, my attitude is shifting. Today as I schlepped down the main street in town, I let out a big, depressing yawn. “Get home and take yourself a nice nap, pet!” called out a male passerby, all smiles. “You deserve it!” It actually made me laugh out loud and immediately jolted me out of my gloomy mood. While a comment like this would be highly unusual coming from an Angelino (with the exception of drunk vagrants and liquored-up douchebag hipster types, of course), it’s really not that uncommon around here. Strangers often say “hello” to me as I walk down the street, and it’s perfectly normal for someone behind me in the grocery line to strike up a friendly conversation. Even when there’s plenty to complain about, like the feckin’ cold weather!

Winter Warmer Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce

Nothing comforts me in cold weather more than a huge bowl of pasta, especially when it’s spaghetti Bolognese. My mother used to make hers with the tiniest, most perfectly-cubed vegetables like carrots and onions – I remember they looked like little jewels in the pot as she sautéed them. Though most “spag bol” includes beef, I made mine with minced dark-meat chicken. It’s my submission for the Irish Foodies monthly cook-along, as this month’s theme is Winter Warmers!

3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled

1 medium white onion

½ red bell pepper

½ green bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 lb. dark-meat chicken (legs/thighs) mince – ask your butcher!

2 cans (142 grams each) tomato paste (called “puree” in Ireland)

1 ¼ cup of dry red wine

Water

4 twigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 beef bouillon cube

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

5 fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, chop the carrot, onion, bell peppers and garlic together until they are a very fine dice (you can also do this by hand). In a large pot, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and then add the vegetables. Cook until almost “melted” or very translucent and soft, about 15-20 minutes. Spoon the cooked vegetables onto a plate and then add the other 2 tablespoons into the same pot and add the chicken mince. Brown the chicken, stirring regularly, for about 15 minutes. Add the vegetables back into the pot with the chicken and stir together, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 15 minutes – it’s all about building flavor here!

Add in the two cans of tomato paste and mix together with the veg/chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add in the red wine and stir until well incorporated. Bring to a simmer then lower the heat to medium-low and let the wine reduce by ½ (10 minutes or so). Now add in about 2 cups of water, or until the water goes to about 1 inch above the meat/veg, and add in the leaves from the thyme stems and the bay leaves, chili flakes and beef bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 1.5 hours or until the sauce becomes thick. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and tear the basil leaves and throw them in as well. Serve with your favorite type of pasta and enjoy!