Newgrange Passage Tomb Ireland Older Than The Pyramids

I have been back in New York for a week and trying to back into my work routine. I hope to be back to my food blogging self shortly.I wanted to share a few of my experiences from my trip back to Ireland.
Newgrange on the banks of the River Boyne is thought to have been constructed around 3200 BC. To put this in perspective that would make it 600 years older than the Pyramids of Giza and 1000 years older than Stonehenge. Given the time frame there is only conjecture as to why it was built. It is assumed it was a burial site for an ancient people.During the winter solstice the inner part of the “tomb” by light entering through a gap in the top of the doorway and traveling along the passage. It is quite amazing that such an ancient people were able to figure out the astronomy to make this work.

This is not a very good shot of the doorway but it will give you some idea of what I am taking about.

There is some abstract cave art and again the meaning is lost to history..

Here is an aerial satellite view from Google maps to give you an idea of the scale of the site.


View Newgrange Burial Mound Older Than The Pyramids in a larger map




I stitched some photos I took into a 360 degree view. The People in the shot give you an idea of the scale of the mound. The  inner chamber is surprisingly small.


Here is a video giving you an idea of how the light enters the tomb.

Howth and The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival

My recent visit to Ireland to see family was a bit of a washout weather wise but you have the make the most of any trip. Howth is a great little fishing village in the outskirts of Dublin and is a very easy ride by public transportation on The Dart, the suburban rail service serving the coastal communities from Bray in the Co. Wicklow to Howth in North Co. Dublin  . I decided on a visit  with every intention of enjoying the offerings in the the tent at The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival but the cold wind forced my family and I into one of the local watering holes for lunch. The Abbey Tavern had some really nice comfort food to take the chill away . I did get a chance to check out the festival and drop in on Dorans On The Pier  to check out the selection of seafood.

Click below to explore one of the piers..

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Now This Is The Way To Do a Friday Fast

If you follow the rules of the Catholic Church and abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent you might as well do it in style. Here are some of the Catch of The Day Specials we have been serving.

     

    

     

When it comes to restaurant dishes writing recipes can be very difficult. Each plate can be a combination of several component recipes. In the case of these dishes it is some simple but quality fresh ingredients well prepared and artfully presented. I cannot take credit for these dishes as they are a product of the culinary team. I am much more involved in the catering end of our operation but this is the kind of food that is produced in the main restaurant.

Potato, Leek and Mussel Soup and My Beginnings In Food

Here is another installment in my Irish themed foods for the month of March. This would be a great soup for a Friday in Lent.

According to Wikipedia  The Kish Bank (Irish: Banc na Cise)^[1] is a shallow sand bank about seven miles (11 km) off the coast of Dublin, in Ireland. It is marked by the Kish Lighthouse,^[2] a landmark well known to sailors and ferry passengers passing through Dublin Bay and Dún Laoghaire harbour.
At one time it was very abundant in seafood and was an appropriate name for a seafood restaurant. “The Kish” was one of the restaurants in Jury’s Hotel, Dublin were I started my training at the ripe age of sixteen. There was always a bit of competition to work there as it was where you could learn the most in the least amount of time. It also had the added advantage of having four ten hour shifts in a week and as I was in school one day a week I could still have two days off.

This was one of the soups they served and was probably the first seafood soup I ever made and I will always remember how delicious it was. This was made as best I could remember as it was a long time ago.

Essentially you can use any Leek and Potato soup recipe and steam your mussels in a little white wine and strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve into your soup. Take mussels from shells and use the to garnish your soup. I used a small amount of hot sauce on top just for a splash of color.

Potato, Leek and Mussel Soup

• 8 Medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
  
• 3 leeks, sliced
  
• 3 cups seafood broth/stock (substitute clam juice if easier to find)
  
• 1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in large pan and cook leeks in butter over low heat till soften.
Add potatoes and liquid to pot and bring to simmer. Cover and cook till potatoes are fully cooked.

• 2lbs Mussels
  
• 1 cup of White Wine

Place Mussels and Wine in pot cover and cook over a medium heat till all Mussels have fully opened. Strain liquid through a fine strainer and add into potatoes. Add heavy cream bring mixture back to slow boil. Place into blender and blend till smooth. At this stage taste and add salt and pepper. Be sure to taste before adding salt as it may not need any.
Meanwhile remove mussels from there shells being sure to discard any that have not fully opened. Divide mussels between warmed soup bowls and ladle in soup.



If you are ever in Ireland I have to recommend a Dublin Food Tour I took on a recent visit. Click the image below to see more photos and info from that fun trip.

                                        http://www.theculinarylens.com/2011/05/fabulous-food-trails-dublin.html

Cioppino A San Francisco Treat

Cioppino may have it roots in Italy but San Francisco has made taken it as it's own. The football game tonight triggered memories of this dish. A wonderful seafood stew for which there are many recipes but this variation turned out very well. I posted this photo some time ago but never added  a recipe. I have had several requests and have finally gotten around to putting a recipe together as best I could remember.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large Head Fennel
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 Large Can of Tomatoes (Crushed)
• 2 cups fish stock
• 2 cups white wine
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1  crab (about 2-lbs.), cracked and cleaned, or 1-lb. frozen crabmeat thawed
  
• 2 pounds firm fleshed fish cut into dice (halibut is what I use)
  
• 24 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  
• 12 mussels
  
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• A Crouton made from a baguette

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the fennel and diced onion and garlic till soft. Add tomatoes, white wine and fish stock and simmer together for around thirty five minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper flakes to your liking. If sauce is too thick thin out with stock or water. Add all remaining ingredients except mussels and allow to cook for five or six minutes finally add mussels ad cook until mussels have all fully opened. Serve in a large bowl with crispy crouton.

I know in Italian cooking adding cheese to a fish dish is just not done put I put some shaved Parmesan on top and garnished with flat leaf parsley.

I realized after posting there are no mussels visible in photo (you can see one peeking from under the crouton).

Lobster, Garden Pea and Baby Fennel Risotto: Delicious Decadence

Risotto is one of my favorite food items. It’s versatility knows no bounds. Several weeks ago I posted a pumpkin risotto and wanted to post another recipe  that was a complete contrast.

The pea risotto is just a basic risotto using fish stock. The peas were added at the end. It was topped with cooked lobster and a salad made with shredded baby fennel in a very light vinaigrette made with cider vinegar.

• 1½ cups arborio rice
  
• 1 qt Fish stock
  
• ½ cup white wine
  
• 1/2 Finely Chopped Small Onion
  
• 1/2 Stick unsalted butter
  
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 Cups of Cooked Peas

Begin by putting the fish stock to boil. Melt butter in large pan and cook onions till translucent. Put rice into pan and coat with butter. Pour white wine onto rice and allow to evaporate. Ladle enough hot fish stock into pan to cover rice. Stir constantly until fish stock is absorbed. Continue to add hot stock a cup at a time stirring constantly allowing stock to absorb between each addition.   When rice is cooked add cheese and stir. Add salt and pepper taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Lastly mix in cooked peas.

Top your risotto with the lobster which you warm in butter. And finish with the fennel salad


This was so good followed by a small slice of flourless chocolate cake.
Here is my Pumpkin Risotto post to see the comparison.

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Sea Bass With Stewed Lentils For A Taste Of Autumn

With colder weather just around the corner making seafood and fish dishes that are a little more hearty is probably a good way to go.

Sea Bass served  with lentils, sautéed spinach and a little garlic mashed potato was one of the latest specials we served at the restaurant. It went over very well and as you can see very easy to put together.

Typical of a restaurant dish it is very difficult to supply a recipe as it is really an assembly of recipes. In this case each component is quite simple to prepare.
A very basic lentil stew which is really just a slightly thicker lentil soup it even had bacon in it. The garlic mashed potato and sautéed spinach speak for themselves.
This is a dish is delicious and is  much greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Thai Red Curry Mussels With Coconut Milk

Browsing around  I had seen variations of this dish and wanted to create it or at least something similar with what I had on hand. This is one of those dishes which surprises you at how well all the ingredients come together. Not wanting to blow my own trumpet too much but I urge you to try this it is delicious.

Once you have your preparation in place this dish cooks so quickly. In France mussels are quite often served with Pomme Frites (French Fries to the rest of us). I decided it might be fun and colorful to serve this with prawn cracker.

Thai Red Curry Mussels Recipe

• 2lbs Cleaned and Bearded Mussels
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped onion
• 1/2 medium red pepper chopped
• 1/2 medium green pepper chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste
• 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 8oz Coconut Milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Scrub mussels and remove beards also pick through to make sure mussels are alive and discard any which are not. If any are open rap them with the back of a knife if they do not close discard them.
Start by heating olive oil in a large pan and sautéing onions and garlic till they begin to brown then add in peppers and cook till soft. Add in curry paste and fish sauce and stir in. Pour in coconut milk and bring to boil next add in mussels and put a tight fitting lid on. Allow to cook for three minutes or so. Believe me when you lift the lid you will like the aroma. Serve in a large bowl  be sure to mix well and share the saucy goodness and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
There was enough here for two good main courses or you’d get four appetizers. I actually used a wok because you need plenty of room.