Ireland, Ireland, Ireland... & Famous Restaurants (Part II)

So, if you've read my earlier blog or know me... you realize how long I have been planning to make a trip to Ireland. I realized it would be fitting to research some of Ireland's best restaurants and plan accordingly. Enjoy Part II of this series that covers Cork and Limerick. The food is the best part of ANY vacation in my opinion....

Let's start with Cork!!

Cork is the second largest city in Ireland and the third most populous. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a reputation for rebelliousness dating back to the town's support of the English Pretender Perkin Warbeck in 1491 following the Wars of the Roses. As a result, County Cork has earned the nickname of "the Rebel County", while Corkonians often refer to the city as the "real capital of Ireland", and themselves as the "Rebels".

Cork has a large variety of different restaurants, but since I want to focus on the more traditional Irish foods, I am not going to list any who focus on international cuisine. Restaurants in Cork offer some of the finest places to eat in the country. Cork is often regarded as being the Gourmet Capital of Ireland and Europe's Gourmet Riviera. They offer the freshest of Atlantic fish, rivers full of Salmon & Trout, excellent quality beef, organic cheeses and vegetables, and homemade breads to name a few!!!

Greenes Restaurant

Located in the heart of the City, Greenes Restaurant is one of the top restaurants in Cork and is located in a unique setting, underneath a stone archway, overlooking a beautiful floodlit waterfall.

Using only the finest and freshest local produce, they serve up modern and tasty food that has earned excellent reviews from both customers and critics. Although totally dependant on the fickle Irish weather, customers have the option of dining al fresco beside the unique waterfall, which has, along with the food, become a signature of the restaurant.

Some of their entree options sound delish!!

Baked Cod with Parsley Crust served on Fresh Tagliatelle, Frank Hederman smoked Mussels, Cream & Lemon Sauce

Wild Mushroom & Shallot Risotto topped with Ricotto Salad, shaved Parmesan drizzled with Truffle Oil

Desserts are my favorite!!

Millefeuille of Filo Pastry, Lemon Curd, Strawberries topped

with Chantilly Cream, Watermelon Shake Shot Glass

Fresh Raspberry Crème Brulee with Vanilla Biscuits

La Chateau

Established in 1793 and a landmark in Cork city ever since, is the only bar on the main promenade. You can enjoy Irish Coffees as you watch the world of Cork parade by the from the terrazze area. Inside you can choose upstairs or down for comfort or seclusion.

Lunchtime specialties include Traditional Irish Stew & Seafood Chowder. Although they don't have a website, it's rated one of the best pubs in the area and is located at 93 St. Patrick Street! How fitting! =) 

Farmgate Cafe

 Farmgate was established when Maróg O'Brien opened her restaurant and country store in Midleton, County Cork in 1984. Ten years later, in 1994, Maróg's sister Kay joined her, and so the café in the English Market was established. Located in the heart of Ireland's oldest and most historic food market, with an industrious exciting view overlooking stalls and fellow traders, Farmgate Café embraces much of what is unique and traditional to Cork along with new influences in this dynamic multicultural food market and port city.



Centuries old traditional, seasonal, regional, even 'forgotten' foods are at the core of the Farmgate ethos, and also form a visible link between the menu and the wonderful array of produce downstairs. This allows Farmgate Café to provide a uniquely Irish eating experience both reflecting and playing a small role in a vibrant Irish food culture truly embracing how good indigenous ingredients and food products are.

In this way, Farmgate, which draws on the best food producers in the region - many of whom are Good Food Ireland members, along with the market and market traders, work together, collectively, locating Cork and the island of Ireland as a 'food capital' on the culinary map of Europe.

Their menu varies from day to day according to what is available at market. They list a sample menu on their website that includes:

Special 40th Birthday Cake

There rarely comes along a successful surprise birthday party.... much less one involving over a handfull of people and for someone's 40th Birthday!! I had the pleasure of making this cake per the request of a wonderful husband, Frank, for his lovely wife, Diane. He planned her a wonderful surprise party at Harry's Seafood, Bar & Grill in beautiful, downtown Gainesville. It took everything I had to remember on a daily basis not to post anything on-line about this cake, and am glad everyone was able to keep it a surprise for her! I'll share some of the photographs when they are shared by Frank & Diane, but until then all I have is a few of the cake, pre-party and delivery.

Diane's 40th Birthday Cake

Although it took a little work to discuss details about this cake, I finally learned that lavender is Diane's favorite color and that she loves daisies!! I wanted to keep it clean and simple (especially since the last cake I did for this bunch was full of surprises and details)! The top layer is a chocolate fudge cake with chocolate ganache and the bottom layer is plain jane vanilla with almond buttercream.

It was pleasant to finally get my hands on decorating a cake again. Before this cake it has been a loooong month since my last one! No complaints though since things have been busy with school, but its nice to have several more coming up soon!

Anyways, Happy Birthday Mrs. Diane and congrats are in order for Mr. Frank in pulling this party off!! I hear the look on her face was priceless!!

Tentative Ireland Trip (A Work In Progress!!)

June 15, 2011-July 6, 2011

Day 1: Arrive at Dublin Airport

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city brimming with culture. You could spend your time strolling the streets soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in its cafes and bars, or you could check out its myriad historical, literary, and cultural delights. The 8^th century illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells, must be viewed. It is on display at the impressive Trinity College, Ireland’s first university (founded in 1592) in the heart of Dublin. For the rest of your time, it is up to how much you are willing to pack in. Phoenix Park, twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, Georgian Dublin around Stephen’s Green, the National Botanical Gardens, National Museum, Kilmainham Jail, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery are all highly recommended stops on your tour. Then there is the Guinness Storehouse and Jamieson Distillery. A visit to Dublin’s Temple Bar to experience the lively Dublin pub culture is a muse, though many of Dublin’s best bars can be found outside this area in the streets and lanes around Grafton Street, the shopper’s street of choice.



The Temple Bar in Dublin



Day 1 through 3 of your vacation will be spent in Dublin. You will be residing at The Fitzwilliam Hotel. The Fitzwilliam Hotel is one of Dublin’s most luxurious and is located in the heart of the city. Experience the best of both worlds when staying at this chic haven, to one side the tranquility and calm of St. Stephen’s Green and to the other, Grafton Street, Dublin’s finest shopping avenue.

En-route from Dublin to Kinsale, we would recommend visiting:

Blarney: Only a few miles from Cork City, Blarney is a charming village, most renowned for its castle and stone. The impressive castle, perched on solid limestone, dates from 1446, and is situated on magnificent grounds. To acquire “the gift of gab” one must kiss the Blarney Stone, which is located under the battlements at the very top of Blarney Castle. This involves bending over backwards at quite a height!

Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop!!!! December 1st-5th

Another Holiday Event, the Holiday Gift Giving Event will feature more blogs than in Blogmania did last week! This is going to be a huge event. There are already 237 blogs signed up to participate and will be each offering a giveaway of cash and/or gift certificates! This starts December 1st and and runs through December 5th. It will be super easy to enter in these giveaways!! Head on over to Simply Stacie if you are a blogger and interested in participating, or just to keep tabs on the participating blogs for this event!! These giveaways would make awesome Christmas gifts or if you win, just call it a gift for yourself! =)

I am #227 on the list for this hop!! I am looking for sponsors for this event! If you are interested, please e-mail me at ambercscott87@yahoo.com. We can discuss details from there. You'll definitely receive a TON of exposure by sponsoring me in this event!!!!

 

Surprise Me! Secret Santa Gift Exchange

With my newly idea of attempting this blogging world, I stumbled upon this gift exchange just for bloggers! I can't wait to see who I get to be Secret Santa for! =) I am so very excited for this event! If you blog and want to join, just read below!

Surprise Me! Secret Santa Gift Exchange is a gift exchange/swap for bloggers. Each participating blog will be a Secret Santa & also receive a gift from a Secret Santa. There are No Sponsors for this event, it’s just like one big office party. After you receive your gift you can tell everyone all about it on your blog.

$15 gift(s) + shipping = $20.00

Each Secret Santa will spend $15 on their gift. This can be one item or multiple items that total $15.  To ensure that everyone enjoys their gift, there is an option to select what category of gift you would like to receive! This way it helps the Secret Santa have an idea of what you like and so that everyone enjoys their gifts.

Sign up will be open for 2 weeks and will end on Wednesday October 6th.

If you are interested in participating in the Secret Santa Gift Exchange simply go to Simply Stacie and read her blog and fill out the form and they will add you to the list.

After you sign up snag the button on her blog and let your readers know that you are participating & that they can too!  After sign up closes they will notify everyone by email to let you know :

• Who to ship to
• What gift idea they like
• When to ship by
• Where to ship gift to..

They will email you updates, shipping deadlines and all other information needed after the list is closed.

No one will know who is who’s Secret Santa is so shhh…it’s top secret!!!

Who knows... maybe I will be your Secret Santa! =D  

Liquid Ginger Inspired Meal!!

If you are from Gainesville or in its vicinity, then you MUST go and try out Liquid Ginger. It's in downtown Gainesville and located sorta behind the Hippodrome and by the Sun Center. It is my favorite place to eat in Gainesville!!!! It's an asian thai tea house and the atmosphere is so very relaxing!

Here is what I normally order at Liquid Ginger:

Appetizer

Buddah Rolls

Drinks

pot of hot tea (I change it up every time!)

often a glass of plum wine

Entree

I ALWAYS order the Spicy Cream Shrimp. These shrimp are HUGE, breaded and covered in a spicy mayo sauce. All of their main entrees include a side salad, bowl of miso or spinach & tofu soup and an assortment of sides. My favorites are the cold ginger noodles, pickled cucumbers and curried potatoes. They also include a dessert that vary, but my favorite is the strawberry cheesecake ice cream! My dinner guests also rave about the green tea and red bean ice cream.

Now to the semi-bad part. Liquid Ginger is not one of those restaurants that you go to once a week. I usually get out the door with a $20-$30 bill. Now, when I am short on extra cash and am craving Liquid Ginger... I usually hit up Bento for their Spicy Cream Chicken. Bento is much more affordable and offers a more casual dining atmosphere.

Now to the really good part!!! I have come up with a homemade inspired version of a Liquid Ginger meal. This post is to share my recipes with you all and hope to save someone else a little money from time to time!!

Pickled Cucumbers

diced cucumbers; I prefer to leave the skin on IF they are in season

minced garlic

minced ginger root

salt and pepper to taste

sesame oil

toasted sesame seeds

red pepper flakes

chile paste

rice OR white vinegar

splenda

Now for these delicious pickled cucumbers I have found that you CANNOT leave the vinegar on them for more than a day without them turning into, well, pickles.

I dice my cucumbers, toss them into a bowl, and add all of the above ingredients. I don't measure, I just eye ball it. You will need to have enough liquid to almost cover your cukes. Go LIGHT on the chile paste, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Best if made an hour in advance and then chilled, but I wouldn't recommend making them the night before since they lose a ton of their crunchiness by then!!

ignore the Kikoman's Terriaki Sauce Bottle, I used this later!

Toast the sesame seeds in a tablespoon or so of sesame or vegetable oil!

sesame seeds, chile paste and red pepper flakes

Mix it all up, snap on a lid and into the fridge they go!!

Cold Ginger Noodles

any thin noodles

minced garlic

minced ginger

2 T ketchup

1/2 c soy sauce

1 t chile paste

2 T water

2 T sesame oil

2 T lime juice

toasted sesame seeds

I usually use angel hair, but would love to try this with udon noodles!!

most of my ingredients!!

Add all ingredients but the noodles into a sauce pan and simmer for approximately 15 minutes!!

After you cook your noodles and simmer your sauce, mix them all in a bowl together after cooled and pop them in the fridge! Make sure they are nice and cold before you serve them!!! If they look a little "dry" just pour in some more soy sauce and mix well with the noodles!

Stir Fried Green Beans

Hear 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a wok

Add green beans and cook for three minutes

Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for two minutes

Add stir fry sauce, recipe below, and cook for another five to six minutes until they reach desired tenderness

Throw in a few sesame seeds in the last few minutes of cooking so they won't burn!!

Stir Fry Sauce:

minced garlic

minced ginger

2 T sesame oil

2 T splenda

1 T water

chopped scallion to taste

1 t chile paste

sesame seeds

Terriaki Chicken

Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

1/2 c water

1/2 c soy sauce

2 T olive oil

4 T sugar

2 T sesame oil

1/4 c Kikoman's Terriaki Sauce

3 T dark brown sugar

minced garlic to taste

minced ginger to taste

salt and pepper to taste

-Best if chicken marinated overnight!-

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and baste every 5-8 minutes

Baste:

all ingredients of marinade

2 extra T soy sauce

2 T honey

Sweet Soy Sauce

3/4 c soy sauce

3 T sesame oil

2 T water

1 c sugar or 1/2 c sugar & 1/2 c splenda

minced garlic to taste

minced ginger to taste

-Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, and then chill until cold and thick!

I usually serve this over jasmine rice!

The Full Meal:

Terriaki Chicken, Pickled Cucumbers, Stir Fried Green Beans

Cold Ginger Noodles, ready for my tummy!!

Side salad topped with fresh ginger root and an asian ginger dressing

Yum! I also added a spoonful of jasmine rice topped with sweet soy once I remembered I was missing something!! It was so very yummy and the noodles are DIVINE as leftovers. Definitely something I don't mind grabbing out of the fridge for a quick lunch. Next down will be to learn what is in their spicy mayo sauce and whip up some spicy cream shrimp Liquid Ginger style!!

Regions of Ireland

With my recent blogs about my upcoming trip to Ireland, I felt it was fitting to give a brief descriptions of the major regions of the country. Upcoming blogs will feature more restaurants and a tentative itenerary and planning guide for my trip!!

Ireland is a wild, wonderful country inhabited by 4.1 million people.  Almost one-third of the people live in Dublin or in its suburbs.  This means that the rest of Ireland is comfortably populated, each area retaining its own distinct personality, wildlife, animals, trees, flowers, craggy cliffs, rich pastures, charming villages, ancient sites, craft centers and rambling castles.  Ireland has six main regions: Southwest, West Coast, Dublin, East Coast/Midlands, Southeast, Northern Ireland. Within each of these regions are counties. There are 32 counties in total; The Republic of Ireland has 26 counties. Northern Ireland, part of the UK, has 6 counties.

 The Southwest

This was the playground during the Victorian era, a good escape from London.  White sand beaches dot the coast, and rocky precipices fall into the wild Atlantic.  Quaint fishing villages huddle together in the sheltering embrace of bays and inlets.  County Kerry not only offers breathtaking landscapes, there are also an enormous number of prehistoric and ancient Celtic sites in this area. 

Many short-term visitors have been lulled into taking up permanent residence in County Cork!  West Cork is a haven for artists, writers and actors who love its gorgeous scenery and laid back quality of life. Back in Kerry, Kenmare has one of the finest spas in Ireland.  Killarney is a must-visit for the first-time visitor and the seasoned Irish traveler. The Ring of Kerry, the Blarney Stone, and the most Irish village of all, Dingle are in Southern Ireland.

West Coast

Western Ireland, with the outstanding Galway port, has been continuously inhabited for 5,000 years.  It is also the home of the Aran Islands, actually part of the Burren as it dips into the ocean and rises to form those islands.  The Aran Islands are truly traditional—this is what you think of when you see old movies with peat farmers and friendly fishermen.  Life here wasn’t easy, but it was rich with family ties and magical beliefs.  It still is. 

Western Ireland is an important part of Irish history.  County Galway has two faces.  Almost half the county speaks Gaelic as a first language.  Galway itself is a city that’s lively with music, shopping, festivals, and sailing ships. It lies book-ended between the calm lakes of Roscommon and the remote Aran Islands.  As for Connemara?  It is a wild nature lover’s paradise with splendid mountains, lakes and big skies.

Dublin

Dublin is probably best explored on foot, as are most glorious cities. Dublin has a unique personality among European cities and great vitality. Artistic and architectural renewal has created ever brighter levels of energy. Its history still flows down the streets and whistles through the doorways. The Dublin parks, sculptures, monuments, culture, literature and contribution to the arts, business and science is understated and underrated. And, held between the sea, mountains, and rivers, Dublin’s natural beauty is unparalleled.

While walking, take in O’Connell Street, the Abbey Theater (founded by Yeats!!!), hear the newest in music and the most traditional. Visit Trinity College and see the Book of Kells. Wander eclectic Grafton Street, the National Museum containing thousands of years of Irish history, and relax in the wondrous park, St. Stephen’s Green. Peruse the pulse and the throb of the Temple Bar area for lively conversation and good music. Shop to your heart’s delight, indulge, explore, and feel the layers of time that exist in this flourishing city, voted the friendliest city in Europe.

  

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Southeast

Looking for the warmest weather in Ireland? Come to the Southeast. Rolling hills bless these counties, and idyllic farms fill the countryside with peace.

To Love Leftovers, To Hate Leftovers

I actually hate leftovers... well, unless you count cold pizza. Cold pizza for breakfast is up there on the top of my favorite foods. I only know a handful of individuals who actually enjoy leftovers more than they do regular meals (aka my brother-in-law, Scott). Let's face it, we all have leftovers and I would guestimate that 75% of the time they get thrown out the few weeks later that we discover them in the far, dark corners of the fridge.

*YUCK!*

I would rather scrub the bathroom from top to bottom than clean out old leftovers... talk about GAG city. Plus, now-a-days everyone is about saving money and time. It seems that these leftovers should be put to good use. Tonight, I have become investigative detective Amber and I am hunting for ways to use the "blah" leftovers and turn them into a fresh, new meal that anyone would love to sit down and fork into!

*Leftover meat and vegetables can be thrown into any type of noodles. Throw in a can of tomato sauce, spice it up with seasonings, and top with shredded cheese, and you've covered all of the food groups!

*Leftover mashed potatos can be formed into patties and fried!! Scramble up a few eggs and you have instant breakfast for dinner!

*Leftover spaghetti noodles can be used in Spaghetti Frittata! Here is this recipe. I'm actually thinking about trying this one non-leftover night!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked spaghetti
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tomato, diced (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and refresh with cold water.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Wipe out the pan.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg whites and milk in a large bowl. Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Add the spaghetti.
4. Spray the pan well with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and distribute evenly in the pan. Cook until the underside is golden, moving the pan around on the burner to ensure even cooking, about 6 minutes. Invert a large platter over the skillet, grasp the platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over. Lift off the skillet and spray it again with nonstick cooking spray. Slide the frittata back into the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden. Slide the frittata onto a platter. Garnish with tomatoes if using. Makes 6 servings.

*Leftover chicken, beef or tofu can be used in fajitas or soups! Or even freeze the leftover pieces to be used to season your dishes at a later time, when cooking one piece of meat is just inconvenient!

*Leftover baked potatos can be used to make home fries! Just slice and dice and throw them in a skillet to brown with your favorite seasonings and bacon bits!

*Leftover pastas, soups, and even entire meals can be frozen. Put what you would normally eat in a Glad container and stick a label on it. Now you have your own $2.50 meal to take to work or eat when you're too lazy to cook!

*Use leftover grilled chicken to make chicken and rice OR chicken and dumplings! Those two entrees are meals in themselves!! Who ever said chicken was BORING?



What are some of the ways you spice up your leftovers in order to get them in your bellys instead of the trash bin? Let me know your ideas!!