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Posts Tagged ‘Kim McGuire In an Irish Home’

A Thanksgiving Breakfast: Apple Clafoutis

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 30/11/2013| Leave a Comment »

Michael Chiarello's Apple ClafoutisThe holiday of Thanksgiving does not exist in Ireland. On what is the fourth Thursday in November, adults all across the country go to work, kids go to school, and homemakers go about the business of homemaking. But for those of us with American roots, Thanksgiving in Ireland is more than just a “regular day”…it is THE day we long to reach across the Atlantic and touch a bit of home.

Yesterday morning our little family began the day with a celebratory {but light} Apple Clafoutis for breakfast, courtesy of Michael Chiarello. For those not familiar with him, Michael is an award-winning American chef and restauranteur. His hugely popular Bottega Restaurant in Yountville, California (Napa Valley) serves up rustic, inventive, delicious food. The decor, which in my {humble} opinion is just as important as the food, is sexy and intimate, and not at all claustrophobic. Note to all you single-but-dating travel bugs…Bottega would be an ideal place to pop the question, if you can get a reservation!

Anyway, I digress, the point is yesterday morning I wanted to give my family something light with a bit of sweetness…something reflecting the mood of the holiday but not heavy. After all, we were going to eat a HUGE meal when everyone finally got home.

Michael Chiarello’s Apple Clafoutis, which is technically a dessert, was the perfect dish for our Thanksgiving breakfast. Michael says on his own website that this dish, “is a French-country farmers favorite”. True or not, it certainly will be in our Irish home for years to come. I hope you will enjoy it too. Belated Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Michael Chiarello’s Apple Clafoutis

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Batter:

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup milk

Apples:

1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apple (1/2-inch dice; about 1 large apple)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grappa, Calvados, or other fruit brandy (I substituted apple juice)

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1/3 cup crème fraîche

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Make the batter: Sift the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and milk until well blended. Add about one-third of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to form a paste, then gradually incorporate the remaining egg mixture. Whisk until well blended.

3. Cook the apples: With the tip of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds from the pod into an ovenproof 10-inch cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet. Add the pod and the butter and cook over moderately high heat until the butter turns nut brown. Add the apple and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes to soften them. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard. Sprinkle the apples with the granulated sugar, reduce the heat to moderately low, and cook until the apples are about three-fourths done and the sugar has melted and is coating the apples in a light syrup. Add the grappa or other brandy, swirl the pan briefly, then spread the fruit evenly in the pan.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Working quickly, pour the batter through a sieve evenly over the fruit. Bake until the edges of the clafoutis are puffed and browned and the center is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Put some confectioners’ sugar in a sieve and generously dust the surface of the clafoutis. Serve warm directly from the pan with a dollop of crème fraîche.

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There’s Something for Everyone in Salt Lake City

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 25/11/2013| Leave a Comment »

A montage of Salt Lake City photos. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Mormons, Donny and Marie Osmond, confusing liquor laws, polygamy…welcome to Salt Lake City, also known as the City of Saints and the Crossroads of the West.

One rarely reads good things about Salt Lake but having spent the better part of a week here, I most assuredly can tell you that this town is one of the best kept secrets in America…shhh, don’t tell anyone!

Before getting to the good stuff, let’s dispel the misconceptions I started this post with.

1) There’s too many Mormons. Fact: While Salt Lake City is where the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ is headquartered, it is not the most highly concentrated Mormon city in America. With just over 50% of the population claiming to be LDS, the honour of being the most Mormon city belongs to Franklin, Idaho where a whopping 90% of the community declares itself so.

2) Donny and Marie Osmond are Salt Lake City’s most famous residents. Fact: The toothy duo are not from Salt Lake. Technically they were born a short distance away in Ogden, Utah. They may hail from the Beehive state but there are many other famous people, including Robert Redford, Katherine Heigl, Ty Burrell of Modern Family, Roseanne Barr, Julianna Hough, Steven Covey, David Archuleta, and Jewel, to name but a few, who call or have called Salt Lake City and the surrounding area home.

3. Utah has the weirdest alcoholic beverage laws. Fact: It’s true, Utah liquor laws are famously strict but they are relaxing. The three things visitors coming to Utah should know are 1) there is no longer a private club system and membership requirement; 2) at the discretion of the establishment, patrons may bring their own bottle of wine into a licensed restaurant or private club for on-site private consumption if they pay a corkage fee; and 3) patrons may carry out unfinished wine from a restaurant or private club provided that the bottle has been re-corked.

4. Polygamy is rampant everywhere in Utah. Fact: While it may be fun to debate the pros and cons of having a legal second spouse or two or three, polygamy is illegal in all of Utah. Popular television shows like Sister Wives and Big Love have stoked the public’s interest in plural marriage but the only polygamy I’ve seen in Salt Lake City has been served up in a tall bottle with a half-naked man on it surrounded by women with a slogan that reads, “Why just have one!”.

Now, having dispelled the biggest myths, let’s delve into the truth about Salt Lake City…there is literally something for everyone to do. Here’s what we’ve discovered this week…

For the foodie there are many terrific restaurants to try like Frida’s, Cafe Niche, Trios, Copper Onion, Finca, Vinto, Pago, Forage, Bambara, Les Madeleine’s and Red Iguana. Be sure to check out Salt Lake magazines 2013 Best Dining award winners for a more complete list of restaurants and cafes.

For the shopaholic there’s plenty to purchase in boutiques like Hip and Humble, The Children’s Hour, The Sundance Store, Apt. 202, Whimsy, Bella Forte, Babinski’s, Bloomingsales, The King’s English, Four and Twenty Sailors, Haroons, The Tutoring Toy, and Solissa. And, if you’re in the mood for a mall check-out The Gateway, City Creek, and Fashion Place.

For the lover of culture you can while away the hours in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Ballet West, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Arts, the Gilgal Garden, the Capitol Theatre, Abravanel Hall, the Natural History Museum, and the Leonardo.

For the garden enthusiast hours can be spent walking around Red Butte Gardens and Thanksgiving Square. One tip, bring comfortable shoes…both gardens are big.

For the young at heart killing time feels more like play time at This is the Place, Lagoon, Discovery Gateway, Hogle Zoo, Clark Planetarium, the Tracy Aviary, and Wheeler Historic Farm

For the historian there is lots to learn at Temple Square, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the State Capitol, the University of Utah, and the Great Salt Lake.

For the genealogist there is only one place to visit…the Salt Lake City Family History Library…end of story and in the words of Brigham Young, “This is the Place”.

For the wanderer there are terrific neighbourhoods and villages to visit including the Avenues, Rose Park, Capitol Hill, Marmalade, Glendale, Foothill, and Sugar House. And, within the villages, there are neighbourhoods like 9th & 9th, 15th & 15th, and 21st & 21st where one can stroll around and enjoy a bite to eat and a bit of shopping.

And, finally, for anyone willing to drive an hour or so away there’s beauty and adventure in Park City with its three world-class ski resorts, Robert Redford’s Sundance, Snow Basin, Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude, Provo, and Ogden.

This week we’ve learned a lot about Salt Lake City and we think it’s a pretty cool place for families everyone to visit. Next stop – home! We’ll continue heading east, unpack and clean out the car at our little home on the edge of the Rockies, and then fly through New York on our final journey across the pond.

At long last, we’ll be back to Ireland. It was fun, interesting, educational, and enlightening taking this epic road trip across North-West America. We’ve discovered a lot about ourselves, each other, and parts of America that are not often visited. I hope you’ve learned a little too about traveling this section of America. Perhaps you’ll consider making it a road trip route for one of your upcoming vacations. If so, please do write me for advice or to share your stories.

My parting advice for this holiday is this: don’t do as we did and “wing it”…take time to really investigate possible site-seeing stops and dining options. Whether you stop or not is up to you on each individual day. Overall, I feel our biggest mistake was not knowing where our next good meal would be…otherwise, it was nearly all good!

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Guinness Stew in Ireland’s Fifth Province

Posted in Recipes, Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 28/10/2013| Leave a Comment »

Guinness Beef StewWell, it finally happened…

After four long weeks on the road, we finally found GOOD food. I mean REALLY good food.

Up till now we’ve been subsisting on fast-food, chain-food, and any and all kinds of rubbish-food. It’s been awful and we’ve become increasingly crankier by the day. The final straw came this morning, when we decided not to visit Yellowstone National Park because the traffic jams and crowds felt too overwhelming. You could say we didn’t have the stomach for it.

We needed real food…and soon…but where?

Heading into Butte, Montana, last night, I felt certain we weren’t going to find what we were looking for…sustenance. Aging headframes, derelict buildings (complete with ghost signs), and a 90-foot statue of the Virgin Mary glowing eerily in the distance doesn’t exactly scream, “Good-food served here!”.  But in Butte, the uptown is the downtown, the high is the low, and the locals know there is plenty of great-food ~ from Irish Pasties to creamy Guinness Stew ~ ready for the eating.

Known as “The Richest Hill on Earth”, “The Sodom of the West”, “Ireland’s Fifth Province” and, more recently, the town that is “A Mile High and a Mile Deep”, Butte was once a rich mining community filled with immigrants from around the world, particularly Ireland.

Butte Montana MinersThe first to arrive hailed from Mayo, Donegal and Cork, especially, the Beara Peninsula. By the early 1900s, Irish immigrants, mostly Catholic, made up one quarter of the population. Remarkably, by the turn of the last century, Butte was the most Irish-populated city in America. Almost every able man made his living in the mines, including Marcus Daly of Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, who was known the world over as the Copper King. As co-owner of the Anaconda Mine, Daly was second in American wealth only to Rockefeller.

Though they came for the chance to strike it rich, the Irish never truly left Ireland behind. In Butte, they arrived and promptly built neighbourhoods with names like Finntown, Corktown, and Dublin Gulch. They kept their cultural and ethnic traditions alive through language, celebration and food.

It is the food, in particular, that interests me. As you recall at the start of this post I was lamenting our need for good-food on this road trip. To find it…and then have it be Irish-food…in the middle of Montana…is, well… fascinating. The meal we ate last night at Casagranda’s Steakhouse was as good as any I’ve ever had…and that’s not just hungry road trip talk!  Casagranda’s is known for its perfectly seasoned, hand cut, Rocky Mountain grown beef {which by the way is delicious} but it was the Guinness Beef Stew that bowled me over. Creamy, rich, hearty, and ever-so-slightly sweet, this stew is not like any other I have ever tasted.

The Bertoglio Building, Home of Casagranda’s Steakhouse

I spoke with Lisa Casagranda Randall, co-owner of Casagranda’s Steakhouse, by phone to ask her for a copy of the recipe and to ask if, by chance, she had Irish roots running through her family. Her last name sounds Italian but it turns out Lisa’s great grandparents were both from Ireland, Cork and Donegal to be exact. They came to Montana for work and ended up building a life. Lisa spent many of her summers in Butte visiting family and eventually moved permanently to the area. With her sister Carrie Casagranda Leary, Casagranda’s was born 11 years ago. The Guinness Stew I had last night originally started out as an appetizer served on bread. People liked it so much however, that it eventually became a permanent dish on the menu, with bread served on the side. And though she hasn’t had the chance to visit herself, Lisa hopes one day she’ll make it back to the home of her ancestors across the sea.

Truth be told, from what I saw of Butte, Lisa is living as close to Ireland as someone in America can. It’s very hard to put into words but Butte feels more authentically Irish than any place I’ve been: it’s not like Boston or New York or Chicago. I, for one, hope to make it back soon: perhaps for St. Patrick’s Day 2014. It would be great craic (fun) to see how they do it there. In the mean time, if you are on a road trip and going through Montana, be sure to call in to Butte. Not only will you get a delicious meal at Casagranda’s but also you will find lots of Irish charm, history, and culture at every turn.

Casagranda’s Steakhouse Guinness Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

900g/2 lbs stewing beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 2” (bite-size) pieces

50ml/¼ cup canola oil

2oz/¼ cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can Guinness Draught (not Guinness Stout, which is too bitter)

500ml/2 cups beef broth

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1oz/ ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

80ml/ 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Spread beef evenly across a sheet pan.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sift flour over both sides of meat and evenly coat.

3.  Heat canola oil in a cast iron casserole dish until very hot.

4. Add the floured and seasoned beef and sear until golden brown on all sides.

5. Combine Guinness, stock, mustard, sugar and vinegar and mix well. Pour over beef and bring to a rapid boil.

6. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is very tender.

7. Serve on its own or “traditional style” over mashed potatoes.

 

Related Articles:

Great Photos and a list of things to do in Butte at: http://theroadtriphound.com/2013/07/29/when-an-uptown-goes-underground-keeping-the-history-alive-in-butte-montana/

An Irish Times article about Butte at: http://www.ktvq.com/news/butte-most-irish-town-in-america-/#_

A road trip guide to Butte at http://biggestballofstring.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/36w-jan-9-butte-montana/

More great photos and information about Butte at: http://www.ramonaflightner.com/2012/09/04/butte-montana/

Butte’s Irish Language Immersion Programme at http://uhblog.ulsterheritage.com/2010/04/loading.html

An Irish woman’s view of Butte at http://missoulian.com/news/local/an-irish-woman-s-story-of-chance-leads-to-butte/article_59bef3f6-8eb7-11e2-b714-001a4bcf887a.html

The life and death of an Irish copper heiress at http://observer.com/2013/09/odd-but-not-out-of-it-eccentric-heiress-huguette-clark-had-her-wits-about-her-says-new-book/

Marcus Daly at http://dalymansion.org/history/mrdaly.php

NY Times Death Notice for Marcus Daly at http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10F1FF73B5E14728FDDAA0994D9415B808CF1D3

Butte Today at http://www.mainstreetbutte.org

Interior designer, Bob Richter visits and reports on Butte for the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-richter/rich-in-history-land-and-_b_4095295.html

Timothy Egan writes about his recent trip to Butte for The New York Times at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/true-irish/?_r=0

Rants and Reflections on Butte at http://fl250.blogspot.com/2006/06/butte-montana.html

Tried and True Recipes from Three Sisters from Butte at http://tseas.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/tried-and-true-recipes-of-butte-montana.pdf

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Five White Dresses

Posted in Kids' Activities, Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 16/10/2013| 7 Comments »

IMG_4192As we round out week three on our epic road trip across North-West America, our foursome has become a threesome. My wonderfully gifted, beautiful, sweet, funny, eldest daughter is staying at Concordia for an extra immersion experience. She loves languages and has proficiency in three of them, including Irish. We’ll pick her up in less than ten days and return home to Ireland, but it was with a heavy heart that I kissed her today and said good-bye.

She’s growing up fast…this baby girl of mine…faster than I expected. Not yet a real teen, she is looking beyond the safety of our home and wondering about the world around her.  Secondary school, boys, make up, fashion, parties, dating…I can hardly believe it’s time for us to address these issues in depth. Heck, what I mean to say is it’s hard to believe we’re actually having to LIVE these issues in depth. We’ve talked about them plenty. The dress rehearsal is over and the real show is just beginning. Where has the time gone?

DSC_0100I remember her Baptism day like it was just yesterday. She wasn’t even a month old. I was doing up the pearl buttons on the back of her Irish Christening gown, while my husband held her to his chest. “Why are you crying?”, he asked. “Are you ok?” My lovely husband…so concerned and so bewildered at the same time. “No, Love. Don’t you know? This is the first of her five white dresses.”, I choked out between sobs. “Her what?!”

Her five white dresses.

Growing up a Catholic girl, I can define my life in a series of dresses…all of them white. There’s the Baptism gown, followed by the Communion, Confirmation, graduation, and, finally, the wedding gown. On that special day so many years ago, I realised that our daughter’s Baptism day was the beginning of the end. The first time I understood that precious babies, placed carefully in our arms, are only ours on loan for a {brief} period of time. These amazing children we so desperately want and love are ours by the grace of God and we don’t get to keep them. He gives them to us and then demands we let them go.

We’re only two dresses into her life right now, but I am already struggling with the idea of letting go. Three dresses remain. Most likely she’ll leave our Irish home long before she dons the final dress. It makes me sad and I can hardly bear thinking about it. But, I must…for her sake…and for mine.

Little by little, I let the sadness escape. I liken it to fiddling with a balloon. Because you don’t want to let all the air out at once, you pull back on the sides of the mouth piece and let a little out at a time.  Today was one of those times. We hugged. We kissed. I imparted a few gems of wisdom and then turned completely on my heels {with a glance or two back}, got in the car, waved, and drove away. Through tears, I could see her in my rear view mirror, standing in the gravel car park, waving back.

IMG_4142The last few weeks have been tough. Four of us, strong personalities, in a car traveling the highways of North-West America. Those roads are pretty dull, yet our experience has been anything but. We’ve argued. We’ve cried. We’ve shouted. We’ve smelled bad. We’ve been sick. Through it all…we’ve been together. I know it has not always been easy but it has been special. There’s still several hundred miles ahead of us. I don’t have to wonder any more whether this adventure has been worth it. I already know that it has.

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Trying Out a New Language

Posted in Recipes, Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 07/09/2013| 1 Comment »

Gathering round the evening campfire.

Gathering round the evening campfire.

It has been several weeks since I last blogged but you’ll understand when I explain that our traveling four-some has been deep in foreign-language country.

Technically we were in north-west Minnesota, at a camp run by Concordia Language Villages, but the immersion of the camp was so deep that we might as well have been abroad. From food to spoken word, we were in another world.

Language learning through crafts.

Language learning through crafts.

So how was it? It was wonderful. Interestingly, each of us had a different experience. The two girls seemed to thrive because they did what all kids do…they just got out there and spent time with their peers. With no real effort, their language proficiency grew with each passing day.  And God bless my dad, after three years of taking a foreign language at his local university, he had no problems whatsoever with the cultural shift. He found the adult group talks about politics, religion, and social issues a very pleasant and invigorating way to test his skills. Getting sick mid-way through the camp didn’t even set him back much. As for me…I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride of exhaustion and breakthroughs the entire time. For a few days, I was fine and then, suddenly, I was unable to think or speak. Our camp administrator said this was a perfectly normal adult reaction to full language immersion. In other words, “Don’t give up, Love.”  Sure enough, about every three days, I hit a wall and then, after a good night sleep, was able to translate words in my head and speak them with relative ease.

Camp counselors hamming it up.

Camp counselors hamming it up.

If you’re not familiar with Concordia Language Villages, here’s the scoop: Concordia is the premiere language and cultural immersion program in the United States. For 50 years they have helped learners develop a deeper appreciation and skill base for going out into the non-English-speaking cultures of the world. Concordia offers courses in 15 different languages and uses skits, songs, meals, games, activities, class sessions and general conversation as their teaching methods. From the minute you check into a camp, you feel as though you have left the United States and entered into the country whose language you wish to learn. There are programs for youths, adults, and families, and classes are available year round.

Remarkably, few people have heard of Concordia. Case in point, while we were staying in Detroit Lakes we mentioned to people that we were on our way to a foreign immersion camp nearby. No one we spoke with knew there was a clutch of foreign language schools just a few hours away! Such a pity.

Meringues (14)If you’re interested in a foreign language immersion experience that isn’t in the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking region of Ireland), perhaps Concordia Language Villages is the place for you. We certainly enjoyed it.

And, speaking of things this Irish family enjoys…today I am passing along this easy-to-make recipe for mini-meringues. They keep well for weeks in an airtight container or ziplock bag and are a great snack in the kid’s lunch boxes or for when you want a little something sweet with a cuppa. They even make an adorable pudding (dessert) when served sandwich-style with a dollop of cream, caramel or jam between two of them. Mmmmhhh….wish we’d brought some along for this road trip. Enjoy!

Mini-Meringues

Makes 24

Ingredients

2 egg whites, room temperature

½ cup/4oz/100g caster sugar (granulated sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225°F/110°C. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper (parchment paper).

2. In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks. (You know you’ve whipped it enough when the mixture holds a stiff  a peak that looks like shaving foam.)

3. Using two teaspoons, spoon 24 little blobs on the greaseproof paper. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for another 5 minutes, if you like your meringues crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, or 20 minutes, if you like them crispy inside and out.

4. When completely cool, put in an airtight container. Meringues will keep for weeks.

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Multi-Generational Road Tripping

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 16/08/2013| 3 Comments »

Day five of a road trip is a good time to stop and take a break. So today we are resting in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota {which has absolutely nothing to do with Detroit, as my eldest daughter keeps pointing out}.

Image from Detroit Lakes Chamber of Commerce Magazine

Image from Detroit Lakes Chamber of Commerce Magazine

At first glance this little town of 8,600 is another American tragedy, with strip malls and fast food restaurants to greet you as you exit the highway. Head down to the lake shore area, however, and a  wonderful little village of shops and restaurants opens up. Located just 40 minutes east of Fargo-Moorhead, Detroit Lakes is in the heart of Minnesota’s famous “lake country”. There are some 400 lakes within 25 miles. Today, I care only about this one.

Driving with my dad and two daughters across the country has been more difficult than I thought it would be. The moment my father disciplined my youngest with a stern, “Because your mother said so!” and she replied with an equally stern, “I wasn’t speaking to you!”, I wanted to find the eject button in my car and fly myself someplace less stressful. You see, my youngest child and my dad are birds of a feather who definitely can’t flock together for too long. Both are strong willed and short tempered. I have been the little piggy in the middle more than once and I am not sure how much longer I can go on without a burst of tears to clear the air. Family road trips…don’t you just love them?

IMG_4163

Sun Setting Over Detroit Lakes

As I sit here at the lake, watching the sun set, I’m trying to figure out if this family drive was a good idea or a bad one. Are we really only half-way through it? In this exact moment, this trip feels like a bad idea but, maybe {just maybe}, when time has sanded the edges off the harsh reality that is four people, three generations, two kids all in one SUV, I will be glad we had this time together. Thank goodness the car isn’t smaller.

I’m being called for S’mores on the beach. Gotta run. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Just one last question for the night…do you think there’s any chance those S’mores will come with a side of wine?

Related Articles:

Pairing Wine with S’Mores at Sunset.com, Wine and Good Food, and Real.Good.Wine.com

Semifreddo S’Mores Recipe at Food & Wine

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Are we dressing appropriately for an epidemic?

Posted in Kids' Activities, tagged , , , , , on 01/05/2013| Leave a Comment »

As the mother of two daughters, this topic is close to my heart. I regularly give my girls the “parental once over” to be sure they don’t head out the door looking like “hoochie coochie” girls. Sometimes my emphatic “upstairs…change!” is met with an “ahh, mom, but this is what all the girls are wearing!” but I pay that no mind.

In Ireland, however, it’s not so much what girls wear to school that is the problem: most students have to wear long skirts. The greater concern comes with what they wear to the local discos (dances) and in Dublin that means The Old Wesley Disco (Wezz). High heels, short-shorts or mini-skirts are de rigueur and what kids get up to makes the girl in the super market look positively tame.

In part, the problem is role models. Why are we letting the likes of Rhianna and the Kardashians show our daughters how to behave or rather mis-behave? And, since I’m on a roll, when was the last time we looked at our own behaviour? I can’t tell you how many times I see a “yummy mummy” flashing her thong when she bends over to pick something up.

I agree with Stephany (who commented on this post) that the ultimate goal is to raise daughters who feel empowered by their ability to be smart, funny, kind. Turning heads by baring it all cheapens not only the girls we love but girls and women the world over. I really like this blog post because it gets us talking and thinking about our daughters…and our sons…no matter where they are living.

Thanks for writing Campari and Sofa!

Related Articles:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/rihanna-goes-topless-shocks-farmer_n_982766.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/family/ask-the-expert-have-you-a-query-is-my-daughter-too-young-for-teenage-kicks-1.961447

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/teen-disco-advice-769819-Apr2013/

sofagirl's avatarCampari and Sofa

vagendaskirtI was standing in line at my local supermarket the other day when the man behind me gasped. I looked up from the mag I was browsing, to see what had got his goat.

At the check-out till ahead of us was a young girl – bending over her groceries. Her dress had hoiked up so far, we could see where her sun doth shine.

I just shook my head – thinking, “Seriously girlfriend – at the supermarket” but then I realised she was her school uniform – and she was definitely not wearing regulation panties.

The girl was gorgeous in a Jerry Hall kind of way. Long, lean legs, tousled blonde mane, heavily mascara’d eyes. She would have looked fantastic in a flour sack. Yet here she was a sliver of a school dress. Buying chips and dip and coca cola. And flashing the shoppers.

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Lenten Challenge: Friday Meat-Free Meal

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 01/03/2013| 2 Comments »

Photo from Giada at Home Cookery BookLast week’s post on what Irish Catholics eat during Lent was a big hit. Seems there are quite a few of you out there who, like me, need a warm meat-free meal at the end of a Lenten week.

With that in mind, I offer you the following recipe for Pasta Ponza. It comes courtesy of the bright and beautiful Giada De Laurentiis and is found in her cookery book Giada at Home. You’ll forgive me for saying so but I turned instinctively to this particular chef after watching Pope Benedict XVI resign yesterday. The news from Rome and the beautiful images of Italy made me think Italian food seemed appropriate for this Friday’s Lenten Dinner Challenge. Giada herself was born in Italy but was then raised in Los Angeles. Stylistically, she reminds me of our own Rachel Allen.

This recipe is molto bene! Enjoy.

Pasta Ponza

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing

2 cups/12 oz red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups/12 oz yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

½ cup/1oz Italian-style seasoned dried bread crumbs

1 pound/16oz ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta

1 ½ cups/8oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas mark 5. Butter an 8×8-inch baking dish. Set aside.

2. Combine the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat.

3. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture over the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. If needed, thin out the sauce with a little pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

* Note: Photo was taken from Giada De Laurentiis’ cookery book Giada at Home.

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Irish Film The Summit Wins Sundance Award

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 28/01/2013| Leave a Comment »

Irish Producer/Director Nick Ryan won the Sundance Film Festival Editing Award for a World Cinema Documentary this past weekend in Park City, UT for his thrilling film The Summit.

Flying to an altitude of 23,500 feet (7,162m) on K2, a mountain more challenging and dangerous than Everest, Ryan operated a Cineflex camera system mounted to a Pakistani Army helicopter, filming aerial footage of the shoulder above Camp 4 and the Serac. His film chronicles “the deadliest day in modern mountain climbing history,” and sheds light on the still-unresolved 2008 expedition in which 11 of 25 climbers died. The story focuses on Irish climber Ger McDonnell, originally from Kilcoran, Co. Limerick, who risked his own life to save others.

The Summit will première in Ireland at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on Sunday, 24th February, at 2.30pm at the Savoy.

Praise for Ryan’s film includes:

“This remarkable film puts us in their shoes – literally between the world’s most ferocious rock and the icy hard place of imminent death. As such, The Summit dignifies the actions of the surviving climbers by putting their earth-bound detractors in their precipitous plight. Similarly, the technical contributions merge in ferocious splendor: Howling winds, topped off by Nick Seymour’s edgy musical score, acclimatize our senses to the deep drops and harrowing heights of The Summit.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Remember Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 action film Cliffhanger? Well, it’s nothing like that. The Summit is a hell of a lot more intense, and it’s a way better all around film with an intriguing story.” – Geektyrant.com

“The Summit…, it’s well worth catching on the largest screen you can find. A fascinating insight into the lives and deaths of those driven to conquer the world’s most ‘perfect’ extremes…The Summit is informative and diligent film-making. it’s never less than engrossing.” – Twitchfilm.com 

“The alluring imagery, thorough research, and emotive content does ensure a gripping and distinctly human story. The result is a brutal but fascinating affair. – Thehollywoodnews.com

“The project attracted some of the most talented names in documentary filmmaking. Writer Mark Monroe (of Academy Award-winning The Cove and The Tillman Story,) and Academy Award-winning executive producer John Battesk (Searching for Sugar Man, Restrepo, The Imposter). – Siliconrepublic.com

 

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The Irish and Sundance 2013

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 25/01/2013| 6 Comments »

Still from the Irish film, The Summit, directed by Nick Ryan.

Still from the Irish film, The Summit, directed by Nick Ryan.

“Curiosity will conquer fear more than bravery will”, so said Irish poet and novelist James Stephens.

Yesterday I was curious, fearful and brave nearly all in one breadth.

Here’s what happened…Around lunchtime it occurred to me that I was blessed to be in Park City, Utah attending what is, without a doubt, one of the most prestigious film events in the world. Enjoying films, educating myself and attending some parties is absolutely brilliant but I started thinking about what a waste it would be to not use this opportunity to reach out to the Irish community at Sundance. What a bigger waste not to tell you, Dear Readers, about the cinematic work the Irish brought to Sundance.

So, I wrote a blog about the “short” film called Irish Folk Furniture. I linked the story to YouTube so you could see the film and mentioned how director Tony Donoghue had won the Short Film Special Jury Award in Animation.

Next, I set my sight on the other Irish entry, The Summit, which has been nominated for the World Cinema Documentary Award at Sundance. It’s been a good year for the Irish at Sundance!

http://vimeo.com/53331644

Figuring out how to see The Summit and meet director Nick Ryan had me stumped. I tried to purchase tickets to the film weeks ago but had been unable. It was completely sold out. I even went to the Sundance Box Office on several occasions and had been told “not a chance”. Seeing the film wasn’t my only desire, however. I wanted to meet Nick Ryan. I wanted to interview him for In an Irish Home. I wanted for you to learn something about Nick and The Summit that wasn’t already printed somewhere else. That was my curiosity.

My fear is that I don’t see myself as a journalist. I see myself as a writer. Even if I could get an interview with Nick Ryan, would he see me as a joke? Would he feel I was wasting his time with my trite questions? Is my blog too small for someone who’s achieving such big success? Doubt filled me with fear.

Then something happened. I decided to let curiosity win over fear. Bravery stepped in too. I decided what I needed was to try and, if necessary, fail. After all, isn’t that what I’m trying to teach my daughters? So I went back up to Park City’s Main Street and marched into the Sundance Box Office once more. While I walked I asked God to “please let me meet a ‘real’ journalist so I could pick his or her brain and learn {quickly} how to be a good interviewer”.

Once again the Box Office told me “no dice”. So, somewhat dejected but also very determined, I did what any Irish writer might do…I headed to the nearest Irish pub. In this case it happened to be Flannigans. I marched up to the bar, ordered myself a Baileys on ice and, quite by accident, sat down next to my friend David Germain, from Associated Press! Wow…God could I also have a million dollars?

David is a dote. He listened as I shared my curiosity and my fear. He encouraged me to keep trying and then he did something utterly wonderful. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Nick Ryan’s publicist asking her for a ticket to the film for me and, better still, asked if Nick had time to meet me.

I was gobsmacked.

The next few hours flew by and before I knew it, I was offered a ticket and a meeting for Friday evening.

As any Irish story goes, this one just gets better. While at a party last night I was talking with photographer Michael Coles. And, after hearing my story, Michael asked if he could come along and photograph Nick for the article.

And so, Dear Readers, I think James Stephens was nearly right…curiosity did conquer my fear but bravery definitely helped. I am terrified to meet Nick but I’m going to do this for me and for you. I’ve got my questions ready and a world class photographer to hold my hand. Wish me luck and say a little prayer for me, won’t you?

I’ll follow up with a post on Saturday and let you how it went.

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