Foodie Fun

This blog is a nod to a friend of mine that writes a Foodie Blog. . .right Anne?

What is traditional Irish food?

If you guess fish & chips, Bangers & Mash, Cornbeef & Cabbage. . you'ld be wrong. Try brown soda bread, Porridge, Fat Back Bacon & cabbage.

I have already made you aware of the irish cream on my porridge, a pleasant surprise. But now I can share other food adventures. First let it be known that food on the west coast is more expensive. As we traveled closer to Dublin it got cheaper and better. The fish in the Fish & Chips Jerry has ordered has always been fresh and good. Home made batter. BUT (in his words) "damn the americans for inventing Frozen French Fries." You'ld think they would take the time to make the fish fresh and homemade and do the same for the chips. But no, Tourists want french fries.

Potatoes. . .well how do you like them? First we have to remember that Irish potatoes are not russets nor yukon nor reds. The Irish potatoe is firm, not starchy and small. Which means they do not become creamy when mashed. And they are not good bakers.

So when I ordered baked potatoe with cheese & ham I am sure you, like me, expected a nice big baker with a good serving of stuffing. Imagine my surprise when I got 3 potatoe skins with melted cheese & ham bits. No sour cream, nothing else. And the pototes were day old. Oh. . .and I paid 7.95€ that equals $12.65.

Breakfast in the B&B's can bary dramatically. Sometimes you get a menu you can choose from. Some bring the plate already made to you and there are ones like here in Kilkenny that have you choose your time and what you want to eat, the night before.

Black pudding or white pudding is suppose to be a kind of sausage but after having it on my plate 4 out of 5 mornings. . .I can say that it was like having a meatball sliced and fried on my plate next to the 2 sausages that tasted like hot dogs with thick skin, a fried tomatoe and an egg that had been fried within an inch of being a frisbee. No Cameron, this was not a pokey egg.

Oh forgot the only thing on the plate I did like. . .the bacon.

Jerry chose the poached egg and salmon one morning. The salmon is more like east coast lox. It is cold smoked. In oterwords. . .Sushi at 8:30am

There is always the choice of yogurt & fruit and that yogurt is lovely.

Kenmare provided the first good meal for both of us. Jerry had pork loin and I had roast beef. Both were surved with gravey and mashed pototoes. Yum, not gourmet, but definately good. and each dinner was 9.95€

Guiness stew has been hit or miss. In Dingle it was no more than Dinty Moore with large carrots. But here in Kilkenny it was lovely and REAL. Both were 9.95€ goes to show you where the money is spent.

Highlight to all has been the ialian place in Cahir (pronounced CARE) Jerry had Canelloni and I had Tortellini. So much meet was in Jerry's dish that we were surprised, in the US they would have smothered it in cheese before adding all the meat. We were so hungery and it tasted so good we both cleaned out plates.#And dessert was Banoffi. Hmmmmmm If you have never had it just wait. I'm going to try and serve it at my next gathering. Think shortbread/carmel/toffee/bananas/whipped cream. . YUM

Today brought a mushroom soup from a little whole in the wall. Again. . .lovely with crusty bread. Yes food is getting better the closer we get to the east coast.

As for the pics attached. THE ROCKof CASHEL, great castle/abbey.

A nice row of Guiness kegs outside of a pub in Kilkenny, about 3 ft from the curb of a major street.

For my dear Brother in law. . . Roland. . .we had to put these in for you. (incase you don't know Roland. . he is a mortician down in eugene, his last name is Henderson) And last. . .some fun signs we have seen along the streets of Kilkenny.

No sound bites today. . we have been recording our tours so Claude & Ann can enjoy what we did.

Cheers. ..off to find a pint.