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Kale and Hazelnut Salad with Sesame-Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe

October 28, 2012

Several months ago I was asked to contribute one of my recipes to a new cookbook. I took a look at the project and I was immediately drawn to the theme – recipes from different regions across the US. I gladly took part by sharing my Banana-Bourbon Scones with Walnuts.

After much anticipation, Country Comfort: Cooking Across America by Mary Elizabeth Roarke and Chef Nicole Roarke became available just a few weeks ago!

This is such a fun cookbook filled with recipes from chefs, bloggers and home cooks across the US, along with delicious recipes and tips from Chef Nicole. The book is split into 5 regions, and each has recipes for main courses, salads, sides and desserts.

This cookbook does not contain photos, and you know how much I love my photo-filled books. But honestly, it was easy for me to overlook. There are so many creative recipes in it that the more I read the more I have to make.

My scones can be found in the Southeast section, and my good friend Andrea’s (of Food Embrace) Summer Corn Chowder and Kale Hash can be found in the Midwest. A few others that caught my eye – Shepherd’s Pie with Herbed Mascarpone Polenta (Northeast), Carolina Sour Cream Pound Cake (Southeast), Chilled Pinot Noir and Door County Cherry Soup (Midwest) and Fingerling Potatoes in Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce (Northwest).

I was excited to receive my copy last week. I quickly set out to make one of Chef Nicole’s recipes from the Northwest featuring the state nut of Oregon, filberts (hazelnuts). This is the perfect winter salad. The spicy flavor of the fresh ginger in the dressings will warm you right up, while the kale and broccoli feel light and healthy. In addition to this salad, I can think of so many uses for this dressing. I loved it.

A couple notes. The recipe calls for blended oil which is explained more in the cookbook. It’s basically two oils blended (such as soy and olive oils). Blended oil can be purchased or made at home. There are only a few oils I use in our kitchen (olive, virgin coconut and sesame) so I stuck with all olive oil along with the sesame the recipe calls for. And as hard as I try, I just don’t like raisins in anything other than a baked good. I substituted dried cranberries, but I’m sure the golden raisins would be delicious if you enjoy them.

Kale and Hazelnut Salad with Sesame-Citrus Vinaigrette

Reprinted with permission

Serves 2; yields 1 cup dressing

Per her sister Liz’s request for a healthy lunch, Chef Nicole created a salad inspired by Oregon’s state nut, the hazelnut, also known as a filbert.

Dressing

¼ cup sesame oil

½ cup blended oil (see my note above)

Paste from 1 clove garlic

Zest of ½ orange

Zest of ½ lemon

¼ cup segments and juice of 1–2 oranges

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon turmeric

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Salad

1 head kale, washed, ribs removed and discarded, and leaves sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 cup broccoli florets

1⁄8 cup thinly sliced red onion

¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

¼ cup golden raisins

Dressing

Combine both oils in a pourable liquid measuring cup, and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. To emulsify the dressing, vigorously whisk the mixture while slowly pouring the oils in a constant, steady stream (see tips on emulsification with Chef Nicole Roarke on YouTube).

Salad

Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Prior to serving, add dressing to taste.

Mint Julep Blondies (Pecan Blondies with Bourbon Mint Buttercream)

May 4, 2012

When people tell me they want to visit central Kentucky, I always say — come in April or October. Not only is the weather gorgeous, but the horses are running at Keeneland in Lexington.

The exception to this rule? You want to experience the Kentucky Derby. Then you’ll need to visit the first week in May.
Derby week is one of the best times to be in the state. There is a spirit of excitement in the air, and everyone is focused on everything Kentucky from food, to bourbon, to hats, to horses.

We’ve never been to the Derby, but we take part in the celebration. Last Saturday my husband and I ran the Kentucky Derby Half Marathon, an event that kicks off the week’s festivities.

To further celebrate the big day, I’m always on the lookout for ways to recreate Derby favorites. Last year I went with Mint Julep Scones and Bourbon Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies with coconut oil.

The Mint Julep is the classic Derby drink that combines Kentucky bourbon with mint-infused simple syrup. Chocolate chips, pecans and bourbon are the traditional ingredients in Derby day pie.

I find that mint rarely has it’s time to shine, especially right now when it’s at peak season in the herb garden. In order to give it the attention it deserves, I stuck with the Mint Julep theme again this year, but I decided on a dessert.

These pecan blondies have a touch of mint-infused simple syrup in the batter, and then they are topped off with a bourbon mint buttercream frosting!

Whether you prefer drink or dessert, enjoy your Mint Julep and celebrations of the Bluegrass State!

Mint Julep Blondies

2018-05-03 09:46:20

Makes: 9 blondies

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Pecan Blondies

½ cup (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup mascavo/muscovado sugar*
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon mint-infused simple syrup**
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped raw pecans

Bourbon Mint Buttercream Frosting

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 ½ tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
2 leaves fresh mint, very finely chopped
Pinch of salt

Blondies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease an 8x8 inch pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the egg and continue to stir until it is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and simple syrup. Stir in the salt.
Gently fold in the flour. Mix just the dry ingredients are blended in. Finally, stir in the pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the center is firm. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Frosting

Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is distributed throughout the sugar. Add the bourbon and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the mint and salt, and beat about 30 seconds more.
Frost the blondies and serve.

Notes on ingredients

*Brown sugar can be used in place of mascavo sugar, but if you can find mascavo, I encourage you to try it. I still have friends from Brazil bring it to me when they travel to the States because it is so affordable there. I did recently find it at our Asian market here (more often called muscovado). It is much less expensive in an international market, and in a larger quantity than what you will find in a health food store.
**You can make mint-infused simple syrup by combining 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, and place several sprigs of fresh mint in the syrup. The mint will infuse the syrup as it cools. Once cooled (it's best when left to infuse for several hours) remove the mint and store the syrup in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

By Lori Rice

Adapted from Basic blondie recipe originally adapted from a recipe Smitten Kitchen

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Irish Boxty

March 17, 2012

Despite multiple trips to Ireland, I have failed miserably at taking an important culinary opportunity. I’ve read about it, and put it on the agenda, but pudding, scones, and chips always get in the way of Irish Boxty.

This week, as I thought about what Irish food to make in celebration of March 17, I found a beautiful Instagram photo by Edible Ireland. Just like that, my plan was made.

Boxty is a potato pancake. I know that sounds simple enough, but with the right ingredients it is so flavorful and comforting that you may never turn back to baked potatoes or fries. I hate that I missed the opportunity to try authentic boxty in the past. It prevents me from being sure if I have really nailed a recipe, but that doesn’t stop me from giving it a try anyway.

Irish Boxty | Fake Food Free | An easy dish to make for St. Patrick's Day!

We had potato cakes made from leftover mashed potatoes growing up, but now I know – boxty is different. The shredded raw potato mixed with the mashed potatoes gives it texture, and after pan frying there is a crispy, golden edge that is rich with butter flavor. Our version was meat-less, but I have no doubt bacon would make these even better.

I decided not to adapt the recipe at all other than leaving out the bacon, so you can head over to Edible Ireland for the Boxty with Bacon and Scallions recipe. While you are there, take a look around. It is one my favorite new-to-me blogs in 2012.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes or images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Kentucky Maple Syrup

March 10, 2012

My interest in maple syrup started in my high school anthropology class when we watched a lengthy, black and white, film documentary about maple syrup production in the northeast U.S. I’m not sure why I thought the production was reserved only to that area and Canada. We have plenty of maple trees around.

Apparently people here have been thinking the same thing. Over the past few years, Kentucky maple syrup has been stocking shelves of local food markets right next to sorghum and honey.

This morning we headed out the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, a historic attraction in nearby Harrodsburg, Kentucky. What is a tourist attraction today was a site where the Shaker community once lived. Roads and buildings have been preserved and turned into education centers, shops, and museums.

Animals are kept on site and represent specialty breeds owned by the Shakers. Milking Shorthorn Cattle are one example, and we were told this trip that with over 300 head, the Shakers once owned the largest herd in the US.

There is an inn on site as well as a restaurant, and that is the reason we made the visit this weekend. The special Maple Syrup Breakfast to be exact. We were able to dine on a breakfast buffet of pancakes, cornmeal cakes, bacon, sausage, and fried apples. Served alongside was maple syrup made on site. After breakfast, it was time to learn about the syrup making process.

Trees were tapped all along the paths within the village. According to our guide, sugar maples and black maples make the best syrup, and those were the trees we saw strapped with buckets.

I’m sure you’ve heard that it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. This means that the sap is about 3-5% sugar. Weather plays a role in yield and in sugar content. Ideal temperature is 40 F degree days and 20 F degree nights, and we haven’t had many of those in Kentucky this winter.

We were able to watch the process in the wood burning evaporator. The sap goes into the top metal box, and is drained through the spout.

Then it is boiled, and boiled, and boiled until liquid is evaporated and the sugar syrup remains.

I still hope to see the process in person in the northeast someday, but for now I’m content with adding maple syrup to my list of local foods.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes using Kentucky maple syrup.

Wheat Berry Salad with Fresh Cranberries and Orange Maple Dressing

Banana Bourbon Scones with Walnuts

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Butter

Butternut, Flax and Walnut Bread

Cranberry Pumpkin Granola

Sweet Potato Date Bars

Coconut Lime Granola

January 25, 2012

This is how it goes down.

You open the webpage and think to yourself – what is this? You scroll down the page, and you spot something. Your brain says – oooooohh, pretty!

Click, repin, and you’re a goner.

The next thing you know two hours have passed, and you have a visual list of things you want to make, how you want to decorate, and where you want to travel.

Yes, this is Pinterest.

When I was younger I used to carefully cut photos out of magazines and paste them on the pages of notebooks. These were my plans, my inspirations, and they most often had to do with fitness goals or dream houses.

It dawned on me today that Pinterest is my modern version of this; the adult me keeping dreams and inspiration alive. Note: This is my positive spin on the fact that I’m addicted.

I’m not quite sure how to create a natural transition from Pinterest to granola; other than the fact that I probably have some granola recipes pinned on my boards.

Here it goes anyway.

Limes are one of the things I miss most about Brazil. I used to go to the market and get a bag of 10 or 12 of the best tasting limes for about 44 cents U.S. Needless to say, 44 cents per lime was tough to handle when we returned to the U.S. So when they are on sale, I stock up.

I love the combination of lime and coconut, and have included it in breads, but never in granola. So I tried it. Aside from it being a fabulous way to use up some limes, it’s also the perfect excuse to bake with some coconut oil. The flavors came out so well, and it has added quite a positive spin to my yogurt this week.

Coconut and Lime Granola

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup maple syrup

Juice and zest of 2 limes

¼ cup virgin, cold pressed coconut oil, melted

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

½ cup raisins

½ cup raw almonds, chopped

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

½ tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, maple syrup, lime juice, lime zest and coconut oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds, coconut and salt. Pour the molasses mixture over the oats and stir to coat.

Turn the granola out onto an ungreased baking sheet. Spread in a single layer. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and store in an air tight container. Makes about 6 cups. (I like to stir in a little plain coconut before serving to add some color and a different texture.)

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Dublin: Food Bloggers and L. Mulligan Grocer

August 10, 2011

A recap from a quick trip and an outstanding meal in Dublin, Ireland.

We were in Dublin for all of about 15 hours. A short stop, I know, but fortunately I’d been there a couple times before.

Enough times to realize just how international the city feels. Enough times to discover some of my favorite green spaces in the world. Enough times to immerse myself in the history of attractions such as Trinity College and the Book of Kells.

And finally, enough times to know that it’s difficult to find really good food in the city center. In saying that, I mean the kind of food that doesn’t have a sign out front beckoning tourists and promising to serve real Irish cuisine.

Now, I’ve had some great food and drink in Dublin from coffee and chocolates at Butler’s to Leo Burdock’s Fish n’ Chips to scones from Queen of Tart. I’m just saying it’s difficult to find a unique dinner in 15 hours.

Unless, of course, you know a food blogger.

And I just happen to know a food blogger.

It was my pleasure to spend one of my 15 hours in Dublin with Aoife of The Daily Spud. The Daily Spud is one of those blogs I’ve been reading since my own blog began. For me, one of the originals, and one of my favorites.

During our conversation, you might expect that one of my questions was – where should we eat dinner?

As we discussed different places, Aoife kept coming back to one of her favorites – L. Mulligan Grocer. With such a glowing recommendation from someone who knows the area (and good food) well, we didn’t feel we could it could pass it up.

The location ended up being about a 20 min walk from Temple Bar. At that point in the day, we welcomed it because everywhere from Grafton Street to Temple Bar was packed with people to the point where you could barely move. It was nice to get out of the crowd.

L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

We got there for an early dinner so we were lucky to get a table. We later found out that almost all were reserved. We must have looked desperate for good Irish food.

And good Irish food it was. I encourage you to head over to their site and read a little about the restaurant to get the full story. To simplify, they use as many Irish ingredients as possible from rare-breed pork, to grass-fed beef, to seafood.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

When we sat down and I found the menus were old books in type-writer print, I couldn’t wait to read through all the selections and decide which of these local foods I wanted most.

They also had a wonderful selection of craft beers, something we were exposed to for the first time this trip. Often we are so enamored by fresh Guinness (yes, it is completely different on draft in Ireland), that we’ve overlooked craft beers on previous trips.

So let’s start there.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin. Craft Beer - Galway Hooker | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

I had the Friar Weiss because, well, I love wheat beers. As you would expect, this was perfect for me, sweet and crisp. My husband tried the Galway Hooker, an Irish Pale Ale that he really enjoyed.

We didn’t consider appetizers to be an option. We would risk leaving overly full in order to try all we could.

My husband had been daring me to eat a Scotch Egg the whole trip, something I had never had before. Mulligan’s version is a free range egg wrapped in delicious sausage and fried.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin. Scotch Eggs. | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

I now love Scotch Eggs.

My husband had the Potted Crab. If you are new to this dish like we were, the best way to describe it is delicious, tender crab with a layer of clarified butter on the top to create a bit of a seal or a lid on the crab. It is chilled and served with bread. It was a really unique dish for us.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin. Potted Crab. | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

It took me forever to decide on my meal, and I mean forever. There were just too many great options.

Despite the fact that I simply cannot make myself like beets, I went for the Lamb Burger which had a beet slaw. I refused to be the picky eater who asked for it to be removed so I sucked it up expecting to scrape it off once at the table.

First, I loved the slaw. It didn’t have that dirty taste I’m used to with beets and it added a gorgeous color. The burger itself was outstanding – juicy, tender, not to mention, wrapped in bacon and topped with goat cheese. The twice cooked chips were my favorite of the trip.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin. Lamb burger with beetroot slaw. | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

My husband went for the Pork Belly. The belly itself was beautifully plated, but what really interested me was the mash which had black pudding in it. It’s taken me a while to get over the idea of blood sausage, but I love black pudding. The dish was matched with a kraut or type of slaw which had a lot of caraway seeds. Unfortunately my husband doesn’t care for caraway seeds and it was even a little overpowering for me, but otherwise the meal was delicious.

A meal at L. Mulligan Grocer in Dublin. Pork Belly. | Fake Food Free | Food and Travel

I’m still so surprised we managed to find ourselves in such a great place considering our short stopover. When in Dublin, L. Mulligan Grocer is a must. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

L. Mulligan Grocer
18 Stoneybatter
Dublin 7

Food and Travel: Belfast and Bushmills

August 4, 2011

We really had no expectations upon our arrival in Belfast. Aside from articles, travel shows and a sampling of random options we didn’t know much about what we might encounter there.

For a travel researcher like me, this was actually a very refreshing feeling. While I’m flexible with my plan and expect it to change, I often over research and a little bit of the unexpected was a nice change.

In this case, it was a refreshing feeling that only got better. Needless to say, I loved the Belfast area!

The minute we stepped off the train it felt different – maybe a bit more reserved, more business-like and, after Kilkenny, a lot less touristy. In an odd way, there were parts of the city that resembled Washington, DC to me. The English influence could be seen in the architecture, but it still felt very much Irish.

The food experience was equally as pleasing and I really liked learning about the differences in foods and food names between the north and the south.

For example, there was no sign of a full Irish breakfast in Belfast, but the Ulster Fry could be found on multiple menus. According to the local guide magazine I picked up the Ulster Fry is a full Irish breakfast minus the pudding, plus some potato bread and soda bread. We also noticed there was no mention of brown bread, but there was always wheaten bread.

Our first night we randomly stumbled upon McCrackens which was tucked away on a narrow side street. It turned out to be one of our favorite finds of the trip. It was a modern bar with the feel of a pub, full of some interesting history. I also had one of the most unique meals of the trip here.

First, I apologize for the bad quality picture, but I simply have to share this with you.

Salmon sausage!

The entire menu here was loaded with creativity and this was no exception. It was sausage made from salmon and it was served over creamed leeks with smoked salmon with potato slices. I’m hungry for it now just writing about it! The flavors were simply perfect.

Early the next morning, we made a quick stop at St. George’s Market on our way to the train station and our day trip to Giant’s Causeway. On our walk there I thought it was so cool to see modern milk jugs that had arrived in the early morning on the doorsteps of both restaurants and what looked to be apartment buildings.

Things were just getting set up at the market, but there was plenty to see. We snagged a blueberry and raspberry yogurt scone for breakfast and ate at the station.

Fresh Fish in St. George's Market Belfast

These were as good as they look. I noticed that the scones here were less of the mildly sweet variety like the fruit scones in the south and more of the sweet, pastry-like version we often see imitated in the States.

Next up was the gorgeous coast and Giant’s Causeway. I’m pretty sure these girls hanging out munching away redefine the term Happy Cows.

After the Causeway we squeezed in an unexpected visit to Bushmills Whiskey distillery. We hadn’t realized it would be so close and it turned out that it was even a bus stop on the route.

Our tour guide was not as informative as the one we had for the Smithwick’s brewery tour, but it was nice to see the grounds and gather what information we could. Of course, it’s never a bad thing when there is a sample at the end. Whiskey distillery tours are hard for us to fairly evaluate because we are exposed to some of the best available with our bourbon distilleries here in Kentucky.

Bushmills Distillery in Northern Irleand

For lunch we headed into the town of Bushmills to look around. We had spotted Hip Chip earlier in the day and lunch was enjoyed on a bench while splitting a take-out order of Fish n’ Chips. This is the way to go for fish n’ chips. It beats a sit-down restaurant order any day. After that we managed to find some whiskey flavored ice cream!

Once back in Belfast, a bit exhausted from our day of exploring, we set out to find The Kitchen Bar which I had read about. What caught my attention was the Paddy Pizza – pizza made with a soda bread crust! The place was packed with lots of people already out to celebrate their Friday night, but fortunately they were still serving food so we got a table.

I went with the Thai Fish cakes. These were tasty, but they had a lot more potato in them than fish. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was expecting from the other fish cakes I’ve had.

My husband went for the pizza. This was an unexpected combo, but a good one. It had a white sauce, chicken, bell peppers, onion and cheese. The crust was brilliant and I plan to give it a shot in my own kitchen.

The next morning we squeezed in a quick walk to Queen’s University campus and the Botanic garden. I’m so glad we did because it ended up being my favorite part of the city. The gardens were beautiful and Botanic Avenue was lined with the cutest restaurants and cafes.

We ended up stopping at a French café for scones and coffee. Believe it or not this was the only place throughout the trip where I finally got my clotted cream. I had been on the lookout, but it just ended up that all the places I had scones only offered Irish butter. The best butter in the world, but butter.

I went for the cherry scone which ended up being made with maraschino cherries instead of fresh or dried, but it was still a tasty scone. My husband went for blueberry. It was the perfect quick stop to break up our walk. There were so many more things on their menu I would have loved to try.

Belfast was the one place that felt the most rushed to me and I think that was because we planned the day trip out to Giant’s Causeway. I wouldn’t trade the day trip, but I would’ve loved to have spent more time exploring the city. The great places we found offered unique food and we were surprised to finally find some craft brews. We did a lot of quick eating, but every bit of it was delicious.

Last stop – Dublin!

Heirloom Tomatoes and Cantaloupe

July 30, 2011

After consuming unspeakable amounts of pork, chips, scones and stout in Ireland, this past week was full of cold grain salads, fruits and vegetables. I was back to my kitchen and garden, and not only was I craving some lighter foods, but what was left of the garden needed to be used up.

Things are dry and hot and we’ve lost several plants, but there are still some things hanging on. Mainly peppers and cherry tomatoes, and the other tomatoes are very slowly beginning to ripen.

Alma Paprika Peppers

The last of the Patty Pan, Merlot Peppers, Bell Peppers, Poblano Peppers and San Marzano Tomatoes

I’ve also been taking advantage of the great deals being offered by producers around here. This week I picked up white and golden peaches, an outstanding cantaloupe and lots of sweet corn.

So before I continue with more from Ireland (I still have 2 more posts) I thought some recipe posts were in order. Or at least, foods I’m making in my kitchen. I say that because this fresh salad really has no recipe.

We finally got two Mr. Stripey tomatoes from the garden this week. I’m so excited because they are by far my favorite. Since I’ve seen plenty of recipes that use watermelon with tomatoes, I thought maybe my Mr. Stripey would go well with the cantaloupe. If nothing else, I knew the color would be gorgeous.

Turns out that the flavor combination is pretty awesome as well. Just slice up an heirloom, thinly slice some super sweet cantaloupe, add a little sea salt and pepper and then top it with a little basil if desired (I used Thai basil).

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Kilkenny, Ireland: Brewery Tours and Bakeries

July 28, 2011

Ireland is one of my favorite travel destinations! On our most recent trip, we finally made it to Kilkenny, Ireland. This is a recap of the beautiful sights and delicious food and drink!

First let me start out by telling you what we didn’t know. We didn’t know that Kilkenny was such a huge tourist attraction. Silly us, right?

What we did know was that we wanted to visit a smaller town in the middle of the country. Given this criteria Kilkenny was recommended to us so we were all for it.

When I say tourist attraction I mean that Irish residents flock there on the weekends and on bank holidays. During the week, buses line up outside the castle filled with international tourists.

Oh yeah, did I mention there is a castle?

Now, if you happen to be one that steers clear of touristy areas, do not, I repeat, do not, let this keep you from visiting Kilkenny. It is by far one the cutest, quaint, clean little towns I’ve encountered.

Yes, there are lots of people there, but the streets lined with hanging flower pots, the old churches, the architecture, and yes, the castle, is likely what most of us think of when we think of an Irish village.

Before I get to the food, let’s talk about this castle. Welcome to the location for my one and only run during our trip. My husband got in two, but mid-week jet lag hit hard and I caught an extra hour of sleep the second morning.

Kilkenny, Ireland | Food and travel recap at Fake Food Free

The grounds of the castle are gorgeous. Green space in Ireland is nothing short of perfect. It just makes you want to spend the day at the park with friends and family.

Our B&B, the Carriglea House was a two minute walk to the beautiful castle. I always say I need one Full Irish Breakfast each trip so I decided to have it here. Good choice because it was some of the best sausage and white pudding I’ve had. I managed to miss getting a photo of the pancakes which were more like crepes. This was our favorite breakfast of the trip. Well, if you take scones out of the equation.

Full Irish Breakfast in Kilkenny, Ireland | Food and travel recap at Fake Food Free

Our first impression of dining in Kilkenny was that most of the menus were exactly the same. There were also a lot of Italian and Mexican restaurants. Likely very good, we were just in the mood for Irish cuisine. However, we did end up with some delicious meals, stumbled upon the cutest little bakery and drank our fair share of Kilkenny and Smithwicks, both brewed in the city.

We ended up deciding on Matt the Millers for dinner which is located right on the water. Since the selection seemed limited from restaurant to restaurant I decided to stick with an old favorite and one that I hadn’t had until this point in the trip – Fish n Chips. I have to admit that I like the greasy, take-out version better than the restaurant version, but this hit the spot.

My husband had the roast special which screamed comfort – leg of lamb with vegetables and mash. The lamb was tender and the gravy the ideal match.

We had our first Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale at the recommendation of the waitress. I’d had this before in Dublin, but never made the connection that it was brewed here. For dessert I decided to branch out from the Irish coffee and went for a Bailey’s coffee instead. It had been a cool day in the city and this was exactly what I’d been craving.

Kilkenny beer in Kilkenny, Ireland | Food and travel recap at Fake Food Free

Bailey's Coffee in Kilkenny, Ireland | Food and travel recap at Fake Food Free

The next day on our walk to see some of the attractions we found a bakery and a very interesting bread caught my eye. It’s called a Turnover Bread. I asked the clerk about it, but she didn’t give me quite the history lesson I was hoping for so the picture will have to do.

They also had these gorgeous dinner plate-size meringues. We went back later in the day for a chocolate jam cake roll and a petite four.

I’ll also throw in here that any trip to Europe requires a doner kebab stop for us. We picked them up for an early dinner one evening. Lamb for me, my favorite. My husband always goes for chicken.

Next up is the Smithwick’s Brewery tour. This one was a lot of fun. We didn’t get to see any production, but St. Francis Abbey is on the site so the tour was full of beer history. The kind of history that draws my husband and I to it in the first place, such as stories of monks brewing beer as a means of nourishment and hydration. The most interesting to me was that Smithwick was Catholic so the beer was brewed under the cover of a non-Catholic friend. The Smithwick name couldn’t go on the label for years.

Smithwick's Brewery in Kilkenny, Ireland | Food and travel recap at Fake Food Free

We had a drink in the cellar bar, which is rumored to be haunted. Our tour guide, who was cute as could be, told us she works with guys who will never go in there at night.

She spent an exceptionally long time pouring our samples – the art of getting the head to rise above the glass without spilling over. Smithwick’s is good, but I have to say I prefer the nutty flavor of Kilkenny much better. I also love the picture of the Abbey on Kilkenny logo.

On our final morning, I got a great surprise. It just happened to be Thursday, the day the Farmers Market sets up outside the castle. I had an informative conversation with the owner of an organic farm. He had such a unique spread of produce including these Mirabelle Plums from France, cherries from Italy and my husband’s favorite, the Zespri Gold Kiwi.

He was so excited for me to try these after seeing them at a trade show and reading a case study on the company earlier in the year. I have to say, I like them even better than the green variety. They have such a sweet, mild flavor. We’ve heard they carry them at our Fresh Market here, but we haven’t come across them yet.

We snagged a bag of fruit for our train ride and balanced things out by getting some amazing fudge as well. This little truffle and fudge shop was amazing. We tried the Orange Chili Dark Chocolate Fudge, Cranberry Walnut Vanilla, Vanilla Cinnamon and the Ginger Lemon. I think these may be calling for a recreation in my kitchen.

So after our first impressions, I think we managed to find some great food (and drink) in Kilkenny.

I think we may have eaten a little too much this trip. Still not done sharing our finds – Belfast and Dublin to come!

Food and Travel: Cork and Kinsale

July 26, 2011

A travel recap for Cork and Kinsale, Ireland — where to go, what to see and what to eat and drink!

As I start this mini-series of posts about our recent trip to Ireland, I have to admit I typically don’t travel there with high expectations for food. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like Irish food. I do. There are also specific types of foods and drinks that I always look forward to having – scones with clotted cream, brown bread, Irish coffee, the perfectly poured pints of Guinness.

It’s just that we often find it difficult to get out of the touristy areas and find something truly outstanding. There have been exceptions, but in general I don’t view my own foodie travel to Ireland as a mission to find new, creative foods, but rather to enjoy some expertly made favorites.

I’m happy to say that my expectations were blown out of the water this trip. Among a growing number of restaurants using amazing Irish ingredients, we also stumbled upon food creativity that inspired me. This year we had some of the best food we’ve experienced during any of our trips to Ireland.

I have so much to tell you about that I thought it would be easiest to share our adventures separated by the different areas of the country we traveled to this time. We set out to explore a few new spots including Cork, Kilkenny and Belfast. In each place we found markets, delicious food and even new ales and stouts.

We arrived in Dublin on a Sunday and immediately hopped on the train to Cork. We stayed in a quaint little B&B there with the friendliest of hosts, the Fernroyd House. We don’t have much experience with B&Bs because we tend to enjoy the amenities of hotels, but we decided that it was a good time to try out this type of accommodation.

Irish Scones | Fake Food Free | A trip to Cork and Kinsale, Ireland

We were greeted with freshly baked scones which we also had each of our two mornings there. These are 100% worthy of all the compliments they receive by previous guests. I later learned they use the recipe from Ballymaloe Cookery School, a place I really wanted to visit, but it was just too far out to fit it in this trip. They also source their jams locally. One variety we got to try was Blackberry Apple.

I might also mention that the rest of our breakfasts were equally delicious – Savory French Toast, Poached Free Range Egg over brown bread with Ballymaloe tomato relish, Porridge with Irish Honey and Full Irish Breakfast. Unfortunately a photo of the scones was all I got. One morning we had a minor malfunction with the camera card and the next day I forgot to bring it down.

We had some great dining and sight seeing suggestions from the B&B owner, Tony. One of them being Scotts on Caroline Street which we found to serve wonderful, locally sourced food. We both enjoyed the Seafood Chowder which included local seafood and Cork salmon.

White Chowder | Fake Food Free | A trip to Cork and Kinsale, Ireland

A trip to Cork and Kinsale, Ireland | Fake Food Free

I’m pretty sure my talk about my next course didn’t stop for two days. I ordered the Bruschetta, but this was unlike any other I’ve had before. This version included toasted baguette with red onion marmalade and a large, slightly warm slice of local goat cheese. It was outstanding and I can’t wait to recreate it.

Irish coffees were on special the day we were there so it was impossible to pass one up for dessert. Not only is this one of my favorite drinks, but I always love how neat they look in the glass.

Irish Coffee in Cork, Ireland | Fake Food Free

I knew that the English Market had to be a stop on our list and we made it there the next morning. It was full of so many beautiful foods – cheeses, fresh seafood with a special emphasis on Irish salmon, breads, marinated olives and meat, meat and more meat.

English Market in Cork, Ireland | Fake Food Free

Salmon at the English Market in Cork, Ireland | Fake Food Free

We didn’t get to eat at the well known Farm Gate restaurant at the market, but we did grab a bite at the café next door – a cheese sandwich (surprisingly tasty) and cappuccinos. There is just something about a good cappuccino in Europe. I have yet to have one as delicious, creamy and expertly made in the States at any location. We ordered many throughout our week, while also enjoying tea with milk and sugar from time to time.

Travel to Cork and Kinsale, Ireland | Fake Food Free

We hadn’t researched much on what to do while in Cork and were surprised to learn we had so many options. We chose to head out to the coastal town of Kinsale (about a 30 min bus ride) to see Fort Charles and eat at the well known Fishy Fishy.

Fort Charles in Kinsale, Ireland | Fake Food Free | Travel

The Fort was beautiful and historically intriguing. In addition, it was a long and hilly hike up so we worked up an appetite for our meal at Fishy Fishy.

We ordered the seafood chowder to start. It was delicious and very different from our first version at Scott’s. This used a tomato stock and was flavored with tarragon and coriander.

Kinsale, Ireland | Fake Food Free | Travel and Food

We followed this up by sharing the Steamed Local Mussels with basil and lemon butter and the Warm Salad of Chili Seafood with monkfish, shellfish and salmon. The salad also had fried potatoes and homemade potato chips on top. The mussels were very good, but still didn’t beat the mussels we had in Howth on the east coast on a previous visit. I enjoyed the seafood salad, I just wish the chili dressing had more of a spicy kick to it.

After a great meal of seafood we just had to stop at a place advertising ice cream made with milk from an Irish dairy – Baldwin’s Farmhouse Ice Cream. We both settled on Caramel Fudge. As far as ice cream goes, it doesn’t get much more perfect than this.

Lastly, I can’t forget to tell you about the stout. We had never heard of Beamish until we arrived in Cork. Apparently it is the original Irish Stout for the area and it’s still brewed there. We both agreed that it doesn’t have the same distinct flavor as Guinness, but it was still a very good beer.

Beamish Irish Stout | Fake Food Free | Travel in Cork and Kinsale, Ireland

As our B&B owner pointed out, it was also 80 cents cheaper than Guinness which meant we would always find locals drinking it. We ended up finding a bar or two in Dublin City that carried it on tap, but there and Cork were the only places we saw it. It seemed to be very unique to that area of the country.

As you can see, I most certainly was not lying about new and exciting food experiences this trip. The mix of old favorites and new finds in Cork and Kinsale exceeded my expectations!

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