I know its been quite a while. I've been very busy. I can now say that I have seen a lot of Ireland. I've been trying to go on at least one trip within the country every week. This past weekend I made a spur of the moment decision to go to Galway...one of my most favorite places that I have traveled to here so far.
I woke up Friday morning, packed my bag, walked over to campus and passed in an essay, then walked into the city to catch a bus up north. The ride was 4 hours northwest of Cork. On the busride I read a considerable portion of "The World is Flat," an excellent book about globalisation. I highly recommend it.
We pulled into Galway around 4 pm. I called my friend Courtney and met up with her to get dinner. We ate a small place called Finnigan's pub (the name reminded me of Finnigan's Way). We each ordered the soup/panini special for only 6 euro. They love panini's here they're all the rage in the culinary sphere right now. The soups are all thick, delicious vegetable purees...they're not watery with chunks like the soup I'm used to. So we had a nice little meal and then decided to explore downtown Galway a bit.
Galway is a very cool place. I would call it more of a town than a city. It's much smaller than Cork. The upper part of the town is centered around modest park with a giant fountain in the center. Everyone hangs out around this area and we laid on the grass in the sun playing cards for a long time. The streets all lead from this upper area down to the ocean.
We walked downhill on Shop Street...a very exciting, pedestrian-friendly area. Cars are not allow
ed on Shop Street, so street performers are everywhere on each side of the street playing traditional Irish music, guitar, juggling, and dancing with fire (an art form called boi). Pubs with outdoor cafes were everywhere as we walked along, and lots of people were sitting outside enjoying the sun and a tasty pint.We went back to Courtney's hostel for a while to hang out with some friends and I talked to a German girl for a long time. She was interesting, but seemed surprisingly isolated. She said she had only left Germany twice, both times to visit Ireland. She also was traveling alone which was definitely daring for a young girl. The hostel was small, quaint, and friendly. It only had two bedrooms filled with bunk beds. Most hostels that I've had to stay in so far are not nearly as nice...and they're always a bit "dodgy" as the Irish say.
The sun set behind the distant mountains and we decided to go downtown and check out some pubs. We went to The King's Head, a huge, raging pub filled with a jolly lot. The pub had a downstairs with a dance floor and an upstairs with a lounge. After enjoying some healthy socializing I called my friend Libby from UVM who was attending UC Galway for the semester. I found my way to her place...about a fifteen minute walk outside of town. Her suitemate had gone home for the weeked so I got to sleep in a bed which was amazing.
The next morning I awoke to find a beautiful Fender Jaguar in the common room, which I decided I had to play for a while. It was great picking up the electric for a change. I currently have an acoustic guitar that I purchased from a luthier in Cork. I walked back into town and Courtney, the girls and I had a delicious breakfast at a little coffee shop. I ordered the breakfast sandwich and they gave me a massive sandwich with eggs, sausage, cheese, and relish on a big ciabbata roll. It was incredible.
Courtney took a bus to see the Cliffs of Mohr, which I had seen earlier in the week on Wednesday, so I stayed in the city and explored with my friend Ruthie. We walked down to the waterfront and went for a walk along the ocean. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was absolutely beautiful. We saw a bunch of
large fish in the water but I wasn't sure what kind they were. Consumed in the euphoria of the ocean air, we decided to get fish & chips at Macdunnagh's, Galway's most famous seafood restaurant. We ordered our meals to go and ate our fish & chips down by the water sitting on a large stone wall.After lunch we went to an outdoor cafe and sat in the sun with a couple of pints. It was an incredibly fun and relaxing day. Shortly after dinner we took the bus back to Cork.
P.S. Please post recipe ideas. I love cooking now that I'm living off campus.
3 comments:
Nige:
I am so happy you are on this most excellent adventure and are embracing it with wide open arms and mind. Breathe it in and enjoy !
Love you lots
Auntie Mi
xox
Oh, forgot about the recipe !
This makes enough for 2-4. You may want to double it. Just make sure you have a big enough pot!
Ingredients
1 med onion
1 lg Butternut Squash (or any squash)
1 lg Sweet Potato (Yam)
1 Ltr Veg or Chix stock
1 tsp Fennel Seed
1 bunch corriander leaves
Salt / pepper to taste
1/4 tsp crushed dried chillie
200ml heavy cream.
Directions
Finely chop onion and saute in a lg pot until translucent. Peel and chop squash and yam and add to the onion. Fry about 5min until nicely browned. Pour in veggie stock. If needed add in water to cover the veggies. Simmer until the squash and yam are tender. While cooking, you will need to "crush" the salt, pepper, fennel seed into a fine powder. (if you don't have a pestle and mortar - add the spices to a baggie and beat with a flat rock) Add the powdery mixture to the liquid. Pour the liquid into a blender and blend until smooth. (if no blender - use a whisker or fork to get as smooth as possible) Once this is done, return to the stove over low heat, add the cream. Careful not to have too hot as you want to avoid "breaking" the cream. Once all ingredients added, bring temp up. Enjoy with a large loaf for hearty bread, friends and a Medium Ale !
Hi Nige!
So glad to know you're enjoying everything about your life in cork...including cooking.
When Sheldon and I visited England a few winters ago, we fell in love with Steak-and-Ale Pie, a comfort-food staple at every pub. Each had its own recipe, of course, and we loved trying and comparing them all!
When we returned home, we felt homesick for England and steak-and-ale pie, so we had to look for a good recipe. We found this one, and we adore it. It's fun to make and oh-so-good to eat.
Enjoy with all your friends over there (oh, my, but they'll miss you when you return home...).
We miss you, too, and look forward to having you back!
Lisa
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STEAK-AND-ALE PIE WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING CRUST
Recipe from Pot Pies by DIANE PHILLIPS
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com
London broil cooked in dark ale with earthy Portobello mushrooms then topped with a Yorkshire pudding crust literally rises to great heights in a very hot oven.
The steak and ale benefit from being made ahead of time, allowing the flavors to get to know one another. Make the Yorkshire pudding batter in advance and refrigerate it, then blend in the egg whites just before you are ready to bake it.
Servings: 6 to 8
STEAK AND ALE FILLING
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds London Broil, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces (about 3) Portobello mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup dark ale or Guinness
3 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried sage
YORKSHIRE PUDDING CRUST
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites (keep separate to beat and fold into batter)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the beef a few pieces at a time, making sure that the meat is coated on all sides with the flour.
4. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil, add the meat, a few pieces at a time, and brown it on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
5. When all the meat is browned, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms begin to give off some of their liquid.
7. Add the ale, stirring to loosen any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the broth and sage, and bring the mixture to a boil.
9. Transfer the casserole to the preheated oven, and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is tender.
10. Meanwhile, make the crust batter and refrigerate.
a) Place the whole eggs in a blender or food processor and pulse on and off three times.
b) Add the salt, flour, and milk, and blend for 45 seconds.
c) Refrigerate the batter for 45 minutes.
11. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
12. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold them into the pudding batter.
13. Cover the hot stew with the pudding batter
14. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400ºF and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the crust rises and turns golden brown.
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