Ahhh… San choy bow. The delicious Asian lettuce cups with more names than you can poke a stick at. San choi bao. San or sang. Tom-may-to tom-mah-to!!! It really depends on where you are, where you order it from and perhaps the mood of the menu author at the time. It’s all a westernised version…
Mushroom soup in a bread bowl
Many, many moons ago I briefly lived in Boston, courtesy of a J1 visa. Not long after arriving in Boston I learned that clam chowder or lobster bisque in a bread bowl at Faneuil Hall Marketplace is life! Dipping the lid of the bread bowl into the creamy soup, and cautiously ripping the sides of…
Smoked cheese and pink peppercorn croquetas
My father is Spanish, so growing up we’d always have Spanish food in our house. Chorizo was a staple, tortilla and croquetas would be made regularly and paella would be made over an open fire on special occasions. For me Spanish food is linked to many happy memories. One of those happy memories is visiting…
Review- Bloom by Bord Bia
Bloom is a summer garden and food festival in Dublin that is organised by Bord Bia, the Irish government’s food and horticultural board. It has gone from strength to strength since 2007, with its food village and show gardens gaining recognition on the world stage, and has become one of the jewels in the crown…
Review- Sheridans 8th Annual Irish Food Festival
Sheridan’s Irish Food Festival is held yearly in May in Sheridans Cheesemongers headquarters in Pottlereagh, County Meath. The festival solely focuses on quality Irish produce, with a good emphasis on cheese and dairy, naturally, but also on a variety of products that would suit pretty much anyone regardless of age. The abundance of producers was…
Green mango salad
Living in Ireland, I realised just how spoiled Australians are. We grow so much of our own produce, whether it’s humble, basic fruit and vegetables or more exotic varieties. We have so much on our doorstep! Whereas in Ireland, that isn’t the case, and so much of the produce is imported. Take mangoes for example….
Orange saffron prawn salad
The weather in Ireland is finally warming up and the sun has decided to pay us a visit. At times like this, everyone is out sunning themselves until their pale skin is looking quite pink! With all that sun exposure, the last thing anyone wants is to slave over a hot stove, so this salad…
ANZAC Biscuit cups with gunfire coffee
ANZAC day commemorates those who served Australia and New Zealand in World War I and all wars that followed, and ANZAC biscuits were made during the time of WWI to raise funds for the war effort. Since then, they have become etched into our psyche- they are popular at local fetes, bake sales and are…
Nduja stuffed mushrooms
Nduja is an Italian soft pork salami, hailing from Calabria. I’d love to be telling a story about how I came across this ingredient during my travels in Italy, but alas that is not the case. I have only come across it on pizzas in various Italian pizzerias across Ireland and the UK, so I…
Wild garlic bruschetta
Ireland in the spring is awash with wild garlic. The white flowers and heady aroma fills the understory of the forests scattered around the country. And as quick as they arrive, they disappear for another year, so catch them during March- May and make the most of them. They are perfect when paired with tomatoes,…
Food Tourism: Dungarvan, Ireland
It’s safe to say that I’ve seen a fair amount of Ireland during my almost eight years living here. I have been to every county besides one during that time. Elusive Waterford. Somehow this county had escaped from ever being visited, I guess because it is a place where you have to go directly there,…
Slow cooked Beef and Guinness Stew
This recipe is a little nod to my very first meal in Dublin. I had tried Irish stew many times before in Australia, and to be honest, I was just never a fan of stew so it never made much of an impression. My Mum used to make variations of it growing up, and well…
