Easy, Easy Quiche ala Donna

Cooking Irish can also be found at PETITCHEF and Pinterest.


Donna S. Devaney  [14 July 1948~~27 December 2004]

This quiche has been around for many, many years. It makes for a really quick meal from just about any left over meat, cheese, and/or veggies in the fridge. Instead of ordering pizza, you can make a quick meal of quiche and salad in the time it would take for delivery. And it is such a simple recipe that it is great for a child just learning to cook. Donna, a dear, dear friend, shared this recipe with me, and it was the first recipe my daughter Erin cooked. It uses Bisquick® though I have never seen it in any of the Bisquick® cookbooks I have. Donna had a degree in home economics and knew every trick in the book so maybe it was something she learned at school. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker. Everything she did was done perfectly with joy and great love for her family and friends.  This post is dedicated to Donna Steinhorst Devaney.

My friend Donna with her daughter Kerry at their home in East Aurora, NY

 

 

Donna with her son Chris

 

I remember the day I first met Donna. It was late spring in 1978. I had two young children, and my husband and I had just separated. I was in the backyard planting vegetable seeds thinking I could save money growing my own vegetables. I never added any nutrients to the soil and was planting vertically on a hill. You learn not to do that in grade school science class. It was indicative of my state of mind at the time. Donna was going for a walk around the block. Having just moved to Delmar, she was getting her bearings and a feeling for the neighborhood. We sat and talked on that hill behind the garage all afternoon. She helped me put the seeds in--that would eventually wash down the hill and never produce one vegetable--and never said a word about my stupidity. We laughed about it many times later. It was an instant connection. And I knew in that instant that I had made a friend for life. A nonjudgmental friend. A kind friend. An understanding friend. A generous friend. A friend who taught me so much. We were like sisters--together so much of the time during those years.

In most of my relationships with family and friends I am always the giver--the one providing support and information. Donna was my only friend who gave to me all the time. She cooked for me. She did my taxes. She took my kids. She made suits for me for work. She stenciled my kitchen. She could do everything. She motivated me to complete an unwanted task. She listened to me. She forgave me. She encouraged me. We would sit and drink coffee for hours on end. I would go to her house after work as much as I went to mine. We would laugh that my car just gravitated to her house at 3 PM. It was like the bar downstairs from Ally McBeal's law firm. It was a great place to end the working day. I cannot think of anywhere I would rather have unwound. We literally played thousands of games of Scrabble. And she always beat me. She was so well-read. And I was the one with the masters degree in English. I came across our running score sheet, and she was ahead 36,844 to 35,748. I was 28 at the time and had never read a romance novel. She introduced me to so many great writers of the genre. They filled such a need for romance in my life at the time; I remember devouring all the books she would lend me. When I think back, I don't know why she was my friend. I ask myself what did she get from our friendship, and I weep.

Donna was a large part of the best birthday I ever had. My daughter Erin was 13 and my son Eli was 9. They decided to give me a grand surprise birthday dinner for just the 3 of us. I was a single mom, and it really meant a great deal to me that they put so much of their time and effort into the dinner and decorations. Erin did not cook so Donna gave her an easy recipe--this quiche. She had learned how to make a simple cole slaw in a middle school home economics class. They must have spent days preparing the decorations for there were posters and drawings and balloons everywhere throughout the house, not just the kitchen. Donna's job was to get me out of the house so they could decorate and prepare dinner. She took me to a local pub for birthday drinks. It was a wonderful surprise and a wonderful day.

Because of the divorce, I knew Donna at the most difficult and self-absorbed time in my life. I have always wanted to give to her as she had given to me. This is one of the major regrets of my life. Donna, when we meet again, I will give to you so be prepared to switch roles.

Donna moved with her family to East Aurora, NY and I would continue to see her for years. I would go out every February, and she would faithfully do my taxes until I learned to do them myself. Every summer I would visit her camp at Piseco Lake in the Adirondacks and stay for a week. One year she came for the Irish festival outside Albany, and we laughed and laughed and laughed the night away. It was as if we had never been parted. It was the last time I ever saw her. Donna died of cancer on Monday 27 December 2004 at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, NY.

She said she was going to write on the 2002 Christmas card and then on the 2003 card, but knew she had to tell me in the 2004 card.  Donna, I was so angry with you for not telling me sooner. We could have spent time together. Why didn't you tell me? You were a very private person I know. And why didn't I live--instead of getting everything ready to live? Why didn't I call you? Because the perception of reality got in the way of reality. My hope is that this is your legacy to me. That I will begin to live instead of preparing to live, and that I will teach others this important lesson.

I loved visiting Piseco Lake. Those are some of my favorite memories of Donna. Sitting on the beach listening to golden oldies on the radio, playing cards at night, sitting by the fire just talking, reading those wonderful romance novels you introduced me to till late into the night. Of all the places I have traveled in my life, I have felt the most relaxed there. And you were always the most important ingredient in that recipe of peace. Donna, you are now at peace. Study The Scabble Dictionary®. Get ready for me. When we meet again, I am going to beat you silly. I love you, Donna, my friend. I miss you so very, very much.  

Donna's Easy Quiche/Children Friendly/Diet Version Too 

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 cup of Bisquick®
8 oz. of your favorite cheese, sliced or shredded [I like white extra sharp cheddar]
1 cup of your favorite meat, cut into bite-sized pieces [I like ham and sausage]
1 cup of your favorite veggie/s [I like mushroom]
¼ tsp. of nutmeg

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 400°.  Lightly butter a 10-inch pie plate.  Beat the eggs, milk, and Bisquick® for 15 seconds in a blender or 1 minute by hand.  Place the cheese, meat, and veggie/s into the pie plate.  Pour the mixture into the pie plate covering the cheese, meat, and veggie/s.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

[For a 9-inch pie plate, reduce the ingredients: 3 eggs, 1 ½ cups of milk, ¾ cup of Bisquick®.]

[To make a diet quiche, use egg substitute, fat free milk, Bisquick Heart Smart®, low fat cheese, and more veggies instead of meat. Grease pie plate with a fat-free spray.  It is still yummy!!] 

Donna S. Devaney  [14 July 1948~~27 December 2004]

Irish Scallop Stew [Really a Chowder]

Cooking Irish can also be found at PETITCHEF and Pinterest.

 

We had this wonderful soup when we stopped for lunch at a pub in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. Pub lunches in Ireland were wonderful because most offered a daily special. The regular menu items were rather mundane so we always ordered the specials. This particular "stew" as it was listed on the menu was particularly delicious. I got lucky that day as the lunch cook shared the recipe with me so I am able to share it with you. It features Ireland's best: seafood, cream, butter, and cheese.

 
This is a group of boys at St. Michael's Christian Brothers School in Trim in the spring of 1985.  My son Eli is the blonde in the center of the photo fighting for his life.  They were a wild crew, and Eli certainly had some adjustments to make.  Every time I visited the school or his classroom, I thought I'd entered an old English movie of a boy's boarding school where the kids were uncontrollable.  A usual occurrence would be me speaking to Brother Breheny outside the classroom and looking through the door window at the boys climbing the windows from the radiators. I felt guilty leaving Eli there as I left the building. It was very different from Hamagrael, his Delmar elementary school.  Eli was in fifth grade and would come home and say, "Why don't they just do what the brother asks?"

County Armagh is one of the traditional counties of Ireland.  It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland.  It was named after the town of Armagh, its county town or capital.  County Armagh is known as the "Orchard County" because the land is so fertile for apple-growing. It is situated directly south of a freshwater lake Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles. 

Lough Neagh attracts bird watchers from many nations due to the number and variety of birds that winter and summer in the boglands and shores around the lough.  Eel fishing has been a major industry here for centuries.  Today Lough Neagh eel fisheries export their eels to restaurants all over the world.  Alas, I did not partake of any el dishes during our visit in the county.

There are also a number of uninhabited islands in the county's section of Lough Neagh: Coney Island, Coney Island Flat, Croaghan Flat, Derrywarragh Island, Padian, Phil Roe's Flat, and the Shallow Flat.

Armagh has been Ireland’s spiritual capital for 1,500 years and the seat of both the Protestant and Catholic archbishops.  The venerable city of Armagh predates Canterbury as a Christian religious site.  Armagh was also the legendary seat of the Celtic kings of Ulster.  It's a vibrant city, with hospitable people and great attractions.  When Christianity spread to Ireland during the mid-400s, Armagh became the island's "ecclesiastical capital," as St. Patrick established his principal church there.  Thus, Armagh was the seat of St. Patrick, and in Catholic tradition, continues to be his see.  County Armagh is one of four counties of Northern Ireland to presently have a majority of the population from a Catholic community background.

It is also an ancient religious site of worship of Celtic paganism.  In 839 and 869, the monastery in Armagh was raided by Vikings.  As with similar raids, their objective was simply to acquire valuables such as silver, which the churches and monasteries often kept.  The Book of Armagh came from the monastery.  It is a 9th century Irish manuscript now held by the Library of Trinity College, Dublin.   It contains some of the oldest surviving specimens of Old Irish.
 
The city of Armagh has been an educational center since the time of St. Patrick, and it has been referred to as "the city of saints and scholars."  Among the city's chief glories is the public library on Abbey Street.  Founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson (later Lord Rokeby), using his own library as its nucleus, it is especially rich in 17th and 18th century English books, including Dean Jonathan Swift's own copy of the first edition of his Gulliver's Travels with his manuscript corrections.  Brian Boru is believed to be buried in the cemetery of the St. Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral.  After having conquered the island during the 990's, he became High King of Ireland in 1002, until his death in 1014... And now that amazing soup or stew as it was listed on the menu.
 
Irish Scallop Stew   [Makes 4 dinner-sized portions]
 
Ingredients:
 
4 cups of fresh bay scallops [Bay scallops are perfect for this dish.  The more expensive sea scallops would need to be cut anyway.]
6 tbsp. of butter
1 tbsp. of fresh chive
Salt and white pepper to taste [I use black pepper. During the 80s in Ireland black pepper was much more expensive than the white so the Irish always used the white.  I don't mind a little fleck of black in the white soup, but if you do, use the more expensive white pepper.]
3 cups of whole milk
3 cups of heavy cream [I subsitute light cream.]
3 tbsp. of butter
8 oz. of Swiss cheese, shredded
½ cup of sherry or dry white wine
Fresh flat parsley sprigs for garnish, coarsely chopped
 
Preparation:
 
Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the scallops, chive, salt, and pepper.  Cover and heat on low for just a few minutes without stirring.  Be sure not to overcook the scallops as they can get rubbery very quickly.  Let set.  In a large sauce pan, heat the cream, butter, milk, sherry, and half the Swiss cheese stirring constantly to avoid the bottom scorching to just below boiling.  Do not boil as it might curdle.  Remove from heat immediately.  [If you desire a thicker cream broth, you could make a light roux in the saucepan--for novices: melt 3 tbsp. of butter with 3 tbsp. of flour to make a paste before blending in the liquids.]
 
Assembly: 
 
In large individual soup bowls, place ¼ of the scallop mixture and pour the cream broth over the scallops.  Garnish each with the remaining Swiss cheese and chopped parsley.

Irish Caramel and Ice Cream Shortbread Dessert

Cooking Irish can also be found at The PETITCHEF and Pinterest.

 

This is Special Agent Dale Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan in Twin Peaks pie. Do you remember the episode in the coffee shop in which he said how important it is to just take a moment during each day to relax, have a piece of pie and coffee to make that moment in time special? It may just end up being the best part of the day. Surreal like all of Twin Peaks, but something that has stuck with me for all these years. This dessert shared with friends ended up being the best part of that day in 1985!

This is my neighbor Gerry Argue in his back "garden" as the Irish call their yards. I'm so glad he and his wife Margarette invited me to go on their spur of the moment shopping spree to Mullingar. We lived in the last two Georgian townhouses in the village limits of Trim so we had a huge field of cows in our back "gardens" and a huge field of sheep in our front "gardens." I LOVED it. I would moo to the cows out my kitchen window when doing the dishes and baa to the sheep sitting in the "parlor."

I had this ice cream treat at a typical, small Irish restaurant in Mullingar in County Westmeath.  I was shopping for the day with my Irish neighbors from Pinebrook in Trim, and we took a break to enjoy a "sweet" moment.  I still remember how all the flavors melded together to create this perfect taste sensation.  And each ingredient was perfectly chosen to complement the other.  What made it memorable also was each ingredient was the best I had ever tasted: the best caramel sauce, the best butter pecan ice cream, the best whipped cream, and the best shortbread.  I did get the recipe for the shortbread, but alas not the ice cream or caramel sauce. Now I have to improvise or buy already made.  If you don't have time to make the caramel sauce, I really like the one you can purchase online from Sweet and Saucy, Inc. located in Centennial, Colorado.  They sell wholesale and retail. Currently, a 12-oz. jar is selling for $9.99.  I also like Ben & Jerry's butter pecan ice cream for this recipe.  I always make the whipped cream from scratch, but I cannot duplicate the Mullingar whipped cream since I cannot get the rich creamy flavor only found in Irish dairy products.  There is no alternative for that.  I hope this recipe will create a luscious and memorable moment for you and your friends as well.  It always takes me back to 1985 Mullingar, a wonderful little Irish town.

[Author's note from 7 July 2009:  My sister Paige has been doing extensive and intense genealogical research for many, many years and recently discovered that our great great grandfather Richard E. O'Brien was born in Mullingar.  No wonder I fell in love with it. His grave is in the local cemetery here, and I place a small geranium on his grave each spring to thank him for moving to this beautiful part of New York to farm the land.]  

Irish Caramel and Ice Cream Shortbread Dessert
Ingredients:

Shortbread [Recipe below]

Pecan Ice Cream

Caramel Sauce [Recipe below]

Whipped Cream

Smoked Almonds

Mullingar Shortbread

Ingredients:

½ cup of unsifted flour

1 cup of warm butter [do not substitute margarine]

½ cup of super-fine sugar

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients and knead the mixture until free from cracks. Roll out to ¼-inch thickness under waxed paper on a cookie sheet.  Prick lightly with a fork.  Bake in a 325° oven for 40 minutes until brown.

Easy Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

¹⁄₃ cup of water

1½ cups of heavy cream

1½ cups of sugar

½ teaspoon of good pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Mix the water and the sugar in a saucepan.  Cover the saucepan cooking over low heat.  When the sugar dissolves, increase the heat.  Boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, usually about 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.  It can burn very easily toward the end of the cooking process so watch it very carefully.  Slowly and gradually add the cream and the vanilla extract.  Simmer until the caramel dissolves, and the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.  Serve warm.  [If you have fresh vanilla bean, you can substitute ½ a bean for the extract.]

Assembly:

Place the warm shortbread on the center of the plate.  Add two scoops of ice cream.  Cover with a liberal amount of caramel sauce and whipped cream.  Top with smoked almonds and be ready for your mouth to pucker in pure joy.   Now that I know some of my Irish roots were in Mullingar, I want to visit again and see if that café is still there. 

Irish Crab and Cheese Open-faced Sandwich

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

County Offaly in the Province of Leinster is in central Ireland. These central counties traditionally have not been tourist areas. They contain many peat bogs, and though it is very interesting to see how the peat is cut, they have only become tourist sites since the Irish economy has flourished. We wanted to visit all 32 counties so set out to tour County Offaly. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Tullamore, Offaly's county town. We all chose the crab and cheese open-faced sandwich. Today it would be called a crab melt.


 

 

  

The southern part of the county is occupied by the Slieve Bloom Mountains; the northwestern part is the floodplain of the River Shannon,and the remainder consists of large bogs including the Bog of Allen and Boora Bog. Barack Obama's great-great-great grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, was born and raised in Moneygall, County Offaly. A notable tourist attraction is the narrow gauge Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway in Blackwater Bog. Birr in the south of the county is best known for its castle and gardens. Birr Castle is owned by the Parsons family, [the family bears the title: Earl of Rosse] and is best known for its 19th century telescope. 

Tullamore is the centre of a district the population of which totals around 15,000. Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial center in the region. Major international employers in the town include Tyco Healthcareand Boston Scientific. The town's most famous export is Tullamore Dew, an Irish whiskey previously distilled by Tullamore Distillery, that can be traced back to 1829. The distillery closed in the 1950s, but its traces are still visible in the town.Tullamore Dew is now produced by Irish Distillers Ltd. in Midleton, County Cork, and marketed by Cantrell & Cochrane. The Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre on the banks of the Grand Canal focuses on the distilling, canal and urban history of the town. Audio visual and self guided tours are available daily. 

Tullamore Phoenix Festival, an annual celebration of extreme arts, culture, and heritage, was first held in August 2000. The festival celebrates Tullamore's resurrection from the ashes following a hot air balloon accident in which part of the town centre was destroyed by a wayward balloon on May 10, 1785. It is recognized as the world's first aviation disaster. The festival holds many events including hot air balloons, sky diving, live outdoor concerts, street entertainment, fire parade, and fireworks.

 

The town and its community received a bronze medal in the Government's National Tidy Towns Competition in 2004 and also played host to the World Sheep Dog Trials in 2005 which attracted huge international interest in the region. The Tullamore Show is held in Charleville, Tullamore every year. 

Charleville Estate and Castle, located on the edge of the town, is one of Ireland's most splendid Gothic buildings. It stands in beautiful parkland which contains the Charleville oak, one of the biggest and oldest in the country. The castle is said to be haunted and was featured on Living TV's Most Haunted series. The oak woodland is beautiful and botanically an important survivor of primeval stock. 

 

Erin and Eli on a day trip into Dublin.  We wore our woolen coats, scarves, and gloves almost every day we lived there.  We left in July and were still wearing our winter gear that day and had coal and peat burning in the fireplace. I do not miss Irish weather.  I have never been so cold in my life even in these Adirondack winters.  Ireland is a temperate zone so never gets much below 40° but it is so damp it chills to the marrow.  The only heat was from the one fireplace which I had to keep stoked 24/7.  The fire heated the immersion--the hot water tank which was in a closet near the bathroom.  That was really nice since the towels were always warm.  A nice comfort after a bath.  I would put the kids' school clothes in there so they could get warmed more quickly in the frigid upstairs before school each morning.  Another nice part of Ireland was the hoarfrost on the flowers every morning even in winter--roses all year round.  And lastly, the only good thing about rain five times a day was the five rainbows that followed.  I saw many full triple rainbows and once I experienced one with four full arches--truly a spectacular and beautiful event.

Now that you are a little acquainted with County Offaly, here is the recipe from that restuarant in Tullamore from so many years ago.  I hope you enjoy it.

Irish Crab and Cheese Open Sandwich [Serves 6]

Ingredients:

3 T. of all purpose flour
3 T. of butter

1 tsp. of chicken-flavored gravy base [Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base is a good choice since they stopped making Croyden House.] 
1 tsp. of dry mustard
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
Pepper to taste 
1 3/4 cups of milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese 
1 lb. of large chunks of fresh crab [scallops could be substituted]
6 ½-inch large slices of an artisan bread of your choice or 12 smaller slices

Preparation: 

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, chicken-flavored gravy base, dry mustard, and salt and pepper. Stir to make a light roux. Stir in milk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles; cook two minutes more. Remove sauce from heat and add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Lightly toast each piece of bread. Arrange on individual oven-proof plates or small platters. Top each toast with crab and cover with cheese sauce. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until hot and bubbly, but not browned. Serve these open-faced sandwiches immediately. 

Irish Cream of Celery and Olive Soup

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

I attended the Ballyshannon Folk Festival one year in Donegal, and loved the county so much, I returned one winter.  We stopped at a pub for lunch hoping to get a bowl of soup to warm our frigid bones.  Pub grub in small Irish towns can have some great offerings at reasonable prices.  The menu often varies each day.  The only soup listed was cream of celery and olive which did not seem very appetizing.  But we both ordered it and were pleasantly surprised.  It was hearty, flavorful, and rich.

                        Erin and Eli on a tour of Dublin 1984

County Donegal is located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland. It is the most northern county in all of Ireland and is part of the Republic of Ireland. County Donegal is the fourth largest county in Ireland and the largest county in Ulster. The name 'Donegal' comes from the Irish, meaning 'The Fort of the Foreigners.'  County Donegal is famous for being the home of the Clan Ó Domhnaill, better known today in English as the O'Donnell Clan.

This is the closest recipe I have found that duplicates that soup enjoyed in Ballyshannon. It is from an old NYS cookbook published to promote state products. Quite a good cookbook actually. Homemade soup in 15 minutes. What could be easier. So on a cold winter afternoon, make a pot and with a creative imagination you can have luncheon with the O'Donnell clan too. [In that Ballyshannon pub, it was served with a cheese and bacon bread, and I have included this recipe as well on the website.]

Irish Cream of Celery and Olive Soup [Homemade soup ready in 15 minutes]

Ingredients:

2 c. of celery with tender leaves, diced
1 small onion, minced
1 and 1/2 c. of salted water
1 c. green olives, chopped
1/3 c. of flour
3 c. of heavy or light cream

Directions:

Cook celery and onion in salted water until tender.  In another pan, sauté olives in butter for 2 minutes.  Add olives to the celery and onion pan.  In the buttery pan, add the flour and make a roux.  If the olives soaked up too much butter, you may need to add some.  Add the cream slowly to the roux, until it is blended and thickened.  Add the olives, celery, and onion.  Reheat but do not boil. 

Irish Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.



William Butler Yeats is my favorite Irish poet. He was raised in County Sligo and always said the county was his source of inspiration. I wanted to see his grave near Drumcliffe so on a very cold winter's day we drove to that isolated area. We stopped at a local pub in Drumcliffe for a pub lunch and to warm up and had the most incredible cheese soup I have ever tasted. Again, the quality of Irish dairy products made a dish like this exceptional. The cheese was so sharp it made my mouth pucker.

County Sligo is not as isolated as it once was, and tourism has flourished now for the past decade.  Musical festivals abound. Its most famous citizen was, of course, Yeats. Having suffered from a variety of illnesses for a number of years, he died at the Hôtel Idéal Séjour, in Menton, France on 28 January, 1939. He was buried after a discreet and private funeral at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Yeats and his wife George had often discussed his death, and his wish was to be buried quickly in France with a minimum of fuss. According to George "His actual words were 'If I die bury me up there [at Roquebrune] and then in a year's time when the newspapers have forgotten me, dig me up and plant me in Sligo.'" In September 1948, Yeats's  body was moved to Drumcliffe, County Sligo, on the Irish Naval Service corvette L.E. Macha. His epitaph is taken from the last lines of "Under Ben Bulben," one of his final poems:

"Cast a cold Eye

On Life, on Death.

Horseman, pass by."

Just a little literary and history lesson! An interesting tidbit is that Yeats's father moved to the US and is buried in a cemetery in Warrnesburg, NY. My sister took a picture of me at his gravesite so I would have "matching Yeats graveside photos."



Yours truly at the grave of Yeats in Sligo.

Now on to that great cheese soup recipe.

Many cheese soups start with chicken stock and are still very rich.  Not this soup.  It is all cheese, and sharp, sharp cheddar .  That's why your mouth will pucker from the sharpness of the thick stock.  This recipe is the closest I have found that duplicates that rich, delicious soup savored in the Drumcliffe pub so many years ago.

Irish Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

½ cup of flour

1 quart of whole milk

1 cup of heavy cream

1½ lbs. of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. of salt

½ tsp. of white pepper

1 tsp. of nutmeg

1 cup of dry white wine [beer may be substituted]

Crumbled bacon, grated cheddar, fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

In a 6-quart dutch oven, heat the butter until melted.  Add garlic and stir over low heat for about 2 minutes.  Do not brown garlic as it will turn bitter and ruin the dish.  Add the flour and stir constantly making a roux until smooth.  Again, we want a light roux so do not brown it.  Add the milk and cream stirring until it comes to a low boil.  Immediately stir in the cheese and spices and heat until the cheese melts stirring constantly.  Add the wine and heat through.  Do not boil. Garnish each bowl with the bacon, grated cheddar, and parsley. Enjoy with a nice loaf of crusty bread and a glass of white wine.  Close your eyes and you too can see the grave of Mr. Yeats. 

Irish Scallop, Bacon Cheese, Avocado Melt

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

       Irish Scallop, Bacon Cheese, Avocado Melt

   Hillside view south of Portlaoise in County Laois

          Dad, son Eli, Mom, and daughter Erin at Lismore Castle

Laois (pronounced Leash) is a county in the midlands of Ireland. Situated in the Province of Leinster, this small county is landlocked and the only one in Ireland not bordered by another county with a coastline so it is often missed by tourists. It is a county one passes through, but I am so glad we stopped at a pub for lunch near the county town Portlaoise as we were touring to see the Slieve Bloom Mountains. A special on the menu that day was indeed special--a broiled scallop, bacon, and avocado sandwich. When I think back, I wonder where they got the avocado in such an isolated area.

Created in 1556 by Mary I of England as "Queen's County," Laois received its present Irish language name following the War of Irish Independence. The county is home to over 230,000 cattle, four cows for every person.  Much of the non-agricultural area includes considerable stretches of raised bog and the Slieve Bloom Mountains, which are partially covered by coniferous forest.  With the improved Irish infrastructure, many current residents commute to nearby County Kildare and even Dublin.  The county became home to a community of French Huguenots in the 1690s, who were settled in Ireland after their service to William of Orange in the Williamite War.  In addition to this, large numbers of Quakers settled in Mountmellick and developed the area.  One can visit the Quaker museum there today.  An interesting note is that despite the change of name in 1922 as a result of Irish independence from all things English, at a sale of land in the county the relevant title deeds are still updated as being in Queen's County.  Only the Irish!!

Irish Scallop, Bacon Cheese, Avocado Melt

Ingredients:

16 oz. of bay scallops
3 tbsp. of butter for sautéing
Pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
8 strips of bacon, cooked
4 thick slices of artisan bread
3 tbsp. of butter
3 tbsp. of flour
1½ cups of half and half or cream
3/4 cup of Swiss cheese, grated
½ tsp. of salt
¼ tsp. of pepper
4 thick slices of Swiss cheese
Drizzle of good quality olive oil [I only use Colavita Extra Virgin.]

Preparation:

1. Melt 3 tbsp. of butter in a sauté pan over low heat, add the scallops, and pepper to taste.  Cook until translucent making sure not to overcook.  If the scallops do not absorb all the butter, use a slotted spoon to remove them.  Coarsely chop the scallops and keep warm.
2. Melt the remaining butter in the same sauté pan over low heat and blend in the flour.  Gradually, stir in the cream, and cook until smooth and thickened.  Add the Swiss cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until the cheese melts.  Remove from heat. 
3. Lightly toast and butter the artisan bread.

Assembly:

Cover each toast with sauce, scallops, bacon, avocado, and Swiss slice.  Top with remaining sauce and a drizzle of olive oil.  Place 6 inches from the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve immediately.  [Variation: if you want a sharper bite to the sandwich, you could subsitute a cheddar for the top slice. I like the Swiss so as to not overpower the sweet and delicate scallop, but that is just a personal preference.]  And pretend you are stopping for lunch at a pub on your way to tour the Slieve Bloom Mountains or the Mountmellick Quaker Museum on a beautiful autumn day in County Laois listening to the wonderful lilt of all the Irish voices.  Isn't the imagaination wonderful?  It can transport you to any place and time. What a gift.

Irish Eggs with Crab

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

 

This just might be the Irish version of Eggs Benedict. Since seafood and fish are so plentiful in Ireland, it seems an obvious choice to start the day when a more elegant meal than the traditional Irish breakfast fry is needed. We had this breakfast entrée in County Derry in the Province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. We stayed in a B&B just outside Derry. You can tell my allegiance since I refer to the city as Derry and not Londonderry. Served with asparagus and mushrooms, it was delicious.

Derry in County Derry is my favorite town in Northern Ireland. It is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in state care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular. Derry is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw these fortifications breached. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618.

Derry is not only a pretty town, it is rich in Irish history as the city has long been a focal point for important events including the 1688-1689 siege of Derry and Bloody Sunday on 30 January 1972.
In 1921, with the partition of Ireland, Derry unexpectedly became a border city. Amelia Earhart gave the city a much needed boost when she landed there in 1932 becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Her connection with the city is reflected in a display at the Amelia Earhart Cottage at Ballyarnett. Less well-known is its reputation voted by the Civic Trust in London as one of the ten best cities of its kind to live in the United Kingdom. Derry is an old, beautiful city, set in a surrounding landscape of unparallelled natural beauty and diversity. In more recent times the city has become known worldwide on account of the "troubles."
The town perhaps more than any other represents the struggle between Protestants and Catholics today. The nationalists and the Republic call Derry, Derry. The Northerners and Unionists call it Londonderry--town and county. A traveler knows when he has crossed the border for the sign posts change from Derry to Londonderry. Phil Coulter wrote a song about it in the 1980s: "The Town I Love So Well."  It is one of my favorite songs. He ends the song with the "troubles" ending with the Irish giving up the fight for a united Ireland and the north ever becoming one with Ireland. If you hear this song played today, you can tell the political persuasion of the band performing. Many end the song dramatically refusing to sing the last stanza. I will not go hear a band that plays that last stanza. The song also has special meaning for me because it describes so well life in Ireland during the eighties: the way my son walked to school in the dark passing some of the same landmarks. 

My daughter Erin Megan in her school uniform. She attended the convent school run by the Sisters of Mercy in Trim, County Meath in '84 and '85.

My son Eli Zachary in his school uniform. He attended St. Michael's, a Christian Brothers' School also in Trim in '84 and '85.

 Some lyrics:
"...In the early morning the shirt factory horn called women from Creggan, the Moor and the Bog. While the men on the dole played a mother's role, fed the children and then walked the dog. And when times got tough there was just about enough. But they saw it through without complaining. For deep inside was a burning pride in the town I loved so well. There was music there in the Derry air, like a language that we all could understand..."

—Phil Coulter, "The Town I Loved So Well"

Irish Eggs with Crab

Ingredients:  Serves 3

6 eggs
3 buttermilk biscuits [recipe included]
1 lb. of fresh crab heated in lemon butter
Salt and pepper
Cheese sauce [recipe included]
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1/4 cup of white wine
1 lb. of fresh asparagus
12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
Fresh dill or chive for garnish

Buttermilk Biscuits:

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/4 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of baking powder
3 tbsp. of shortening
Milk

Preparation:

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Work in the shortening. I always use my hands to work the dough. Add enough milk to make a soft, workable dough. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet with edges barely touching. Bake in a preheated 400° oven until puffy and golden brown.

Cheese Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. of butter
3 tbsp. of flour
1 tsp. of chicken-flavored gravy base like Croyden House if you can find it or Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
3/4 tsp. of dry mustard
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 3/4 cups of milk
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour, chicken-flavored gravy base, dry mustard, and salt. Stir in the milk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, and add the cheese stirring to melt.

Final Preparation:

Poach the six eggs. Heat the fresh crab in butter with some of the fresh lemon juice and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. After removing the crab from the skillet, cook the asparagus and mushrooms in the butter and wine. Add more if needed. Do not overcook. 

Assembly:

Cut the warm biscuits in half, butter each half, and place both on a small china platter. Using a slotted spoon, top with one-third of the warm crab. Place a warm poached egg on each biscuit half and cover with the cheese sauce. Place the asparagus and mushrooms on the side and pour covering with the buttered liquid. Another variation is to place the asparagus and mushrooms on top of the crab before the eggs. Either makes a beautiful presentation. Garnish with fresh dill or chive. I hope your family enjoys this wonderful Irish breakfast.

[To save time: instead of making biscuits, you could toast English muffins to use as the base for this dish.]

I am happy to say that Cooking Irish has been accepted on the American version of the French website: www.petitchef.com.

Irish Crab Chop Biscuit Sandwich for Breakfast or Lunch

Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.



I found this sandwich to be something different. I encountered this "find" in a small, local pub in County Fermanagh in the Province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. We were on a day trip to tour the Belleek factory near the island town of Enniskillen stopping on the way for lunch. The menu called the crab cake a "chop," and that piqued my curiosity. It does look like a crab chop and combined with a buttery, homemade biscuit makes for a delicious and unique sandwich. It is even made in an odd way. 

 

County Fermanagh is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland. It is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District, together with neighboring County Cavan. It is one of four counties of Northern Ireland presently to have a majority of the population from a Catholic background according to a recent census. 

Agriculture and tourism are two of the most important industries in Fermanagh. The main types of farming in the area are beef, dairy, sheep, pigs, and some poultry. Most of the agricultural land is used as grassland for grazing and silage or hay rather than for other crop.
 The waterways are extensively used by cabin cruisers, other small pleasure craft, and anglers. The main town of County Fermanagh is Enniskillen. The island town and surrounding area host a range of attractions. You can visit Castle Archdale, Devenish Island, and the Crom Estate. If you are not fishing or cruising or enjoying the water in one way or another there is plenty to do in Fermanagh. A major attraction is the Marble Arch Caves with a 90-minute guided tour that includes an underground boat trip on a subterranean lake and exploration of stalactites and stalagmites in these underwater caves.

There are two stately homes, both in National Trust care, open for touring.  One is Castle Coole, the Palladian mansion house designed by Jarnes Wyatt for the Earl of Belmore at Enniskillen and completed in 1796. It contains magnificent woodwork, fireplaces, furniture, and a library. Florence Court, seat of the Earls of Enniskillen, has sumptuous rococo plasterwork; in the gardens is the original Florence Court yew tree (taxus baccata fastigiata) now found all over the world. Enniskillen Castle is home to the museum of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.
 
The Belleek Pottery factory provides visitors with a close-up look at the firing, glazing, and decorating of this world-famous porcelain. Belleek was established in 1857, and its craftspeople still employ 19th century techniques.

                          
                            Belleek Cup and Saucer

County Fermanagh boasts the home of two famous literary figures. Samuel Beckett, (1906–1989) author and playwright, was educated in the Portora Royal School. And Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900) also an author and playwright, was too educated at the Portora Royal School.Now let's get to that crab chop.  

                    Eli and Erin, Phoenix Park, Dublin 1984

Irish Crab Chop Biscuit Sandwich:
 
Ingredients for Crab Chop:


1 stick of butter
½ cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
½ cup of sweet white onion, finely chopped
½ cup of green pepper, finely chopped
½ cup of celery, finely chopped
5 T. of flour
3 cups of milk
20 oz. of fresh crab [canned would do in a pinch]
2 tsp. of seafood seasoning, like Old Bay® or Phillips® 
1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. of dry mustard
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread crumbs may or may not be needed
Ripe, large tomato, sliced
Bib lettuce 

Preparation:

Melt the butter in large frying pan. Saute the parsley, onion, green pepper, and celery until soft. Add the flour and the milk slowly and stir constantly to make a light roux. Add the crabmeat, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Taste and add seasonings accordingly. Let rest for a minimum of two hours and reseason if necessary. At this point, if the mixture is not set enough to form a "chop," then add bread crumbs. Form into chop-like cakes so they almost look like pork chops. Place on lightly greased or sprayed baking dish or cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 10 to 20 minutes until browned and crisp.  Place on biscuit bottom. Add tartar or remoulade sauce, bib lettuce, and tomato slice. Cover with biscuit top.  Best served when biscuits and crab chops are still warm.

Ingredients for Biscuit: 

2 cups of flour
¼ tsp. of salt
4 tsp. of baking powder
6 T. of shortening
Milk as needed
1 stick of butter, melted 

Preparation:

Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With your hands work in the shortening. Add only enough milk to make a soft, workable dough. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a ½-inch thickness. Cut with a large biscuit cutter and place on baking pan with the edges barely touching. Bake in a preheated 400° oven until puffy and golden brown. Slice each biscuit and brush melted butter on the insides of both the top and bottom of each biscuit.

Why not place each "chop" sandwich on a Belleek luncheon plate and pretend you are in that local pub enjoying the Irish wit and music and a pint of Guinness®?

The Mountain of the Women Carrots

Irish Cooking can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

This a great recipe for carrots and a typical Irish recipe--it doesn't skimp on the butter and cream. In Irish it is called "slieve na m ban carrots." I like to serve this vegetable side just so I can repeat its name to my guests. I love how it rolls off my tongue. Some words are like that. I love to say thwart and svelte and pithy.They make my mouth feel sensual and smart at the same time.

Kind of like how Irish butter truly melts in your mouth. Creamy Irish butter is simply wonderful. When I lived in Ireland in the eighties, I was surprised to learn that at the end of the year, butter was really inexpensive. They would reduce the price for the month of December. I don't really remember why. Something to do with amount of production for the year. I just remember how great it was to get all this incredible butter so cheaply. My cholesterol probably started climbing then!

I had this carrot side at a restaurant in Longford Town in County Longford in the Irish Midlands in the Province of Leinster. I asked the chef for the recipe, and he cordially obliged my query. Longford is Ireland's third smallest county. Bordered to the west by the River Shannon, it is a quiet farming county of rolling plains and picturesque stretches of water and is a focal point of the northern midlands where the provinces of Leinster, Ulster, and Connaught meet.

Of archaeological interest is the Irish timber trackway on view at the Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre southwest of Longford town while in the other direction is the 19th century Carrigglas Manor, an imposing Gothic manor house that includes a costume and lace museum.

Fishing opportunities around Lough Ree and Lanesborough make Longford attractive for anglers, but walkers enjoy the extensive towpath along the Royal Canal while those interested in times past are drawn to the large portal dolmen at Aughnacliffe, which is thought to be 5000 years old. Elsewhere, visitors are attracted to charming villages and towns such as Ardagh, Abbeyshrule, Newtown Cashel, Ballymahon, and Granard.

            My friends Anne and Eddie and their boys in Trim, 1984.

 The Mountain of the Women Carrots

Ingredients:

12 young carrots with tender greens
3 T. of  butter
½  cup of milk
½ cup of heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. of finely chopped flat parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Trim and wash the carrots. Halve lengthwise. Melt the butter over moderate heat. Add milk, salt, pepper and carrots. Cook gently until carrots are tender and have absorbed the butter. Stir together the cream and egg yolks and add to the carrots. Reheat, but do not boil to avoid curdling. Stir until thickened. Add the parsley and serve immediately.