Hungry Breton

Left Overs Irish Bacon Fusion

Well, to be fair, there is so much Bacon and Cabbage one can eat, and those of you who read my Bacon and Cabbage post will understand. I am a busy guy, and Friday is a big day for me and my lovely colleagues as we have to get the place ready for a busy Saturday; once home, I normally go for something quick, but tasty. I had some of my lovely roast bacon left and I decided to go “fusion” with the left overs. Was I inspired by the fact England is about to “sign off” from the European Community? Maybe or “surely” like they say in “The North”( my Belfast friends get very upset when I call it “Northern Ireland”, keep that in mind). Saying that, we all need a bit of comfort and humour, especially when things are about to hit the fan… My God!!! I am becoming way too Irish!

Continue reading “Left Overs Irish Bacon Fusion” →

Bacon and Cabbage

Recipes

Well I don’t know what took me, I mean the weather was beautiful and all, maybe it was the long walk in Mullaghmeen forest with Doggie Woggie that gave me the Munchies, or the fact that Ireland was playing Italy, for an ultimate football showdown in France that evening, but I started to develop some serious cravings for a good auld bacon and cabbage… I know, I know, it is one of them self satirical and self derision thing the Irish enjoy so much. The funny part is, Brittany has very similar dishes; not one, but several! ( some are frankly gross, like that one rolled in bread dough and then boiled in a cloth, from an Island where I used to work). Some of France’s most famous traditional dishes, like Choucroute, Potée or even Garbure are just different versions of Bacon and Cabbage… Here is the way I make mine…

Continue reading “Bacon and Cabbage” →

Killybegs To Differ

Stories

I have that calling for the sea, I can’t help it, and it haunts me from time to time. Not that I dislike where I live, not at all, but when you spend over 30 years in full view of the Atlantic, it is like an old friend you enjoy sharing a moment with, paying that friend a visit sometimes, that is what friends do I guess, communion with a wordless and reassuring company. So when my Italian pal Marty rang last month, expressing the wish to visit Ireland again for a very short weekend in June, I knew I had to do something special. As a former gastronomy student from Turin, she enjoys real local food, and there were a couple of home cooked Irish dinners on the cards. But for our escapade, I wanted something a bit special, not only for the food, I wanted it to be a feast for the eyes and the senses… Unlike most of Europe, Ireland was under clear blue skies,flirting with mid-twenties temperatures… The perfect plan was unfolding itself nicely…

Continue reading “Killybegs To Differ” →

The Uprising

Stories

It never ceases to amaze me; year after year at this time of the season, more and more food related festivals are sprouting all over the country. With more and more interesting producers entering the race. From seaweed cookies to cider, chocolates ( for a small country, there are a lot of chocolatiers on the Island) the craft beer scene is “doing 90” and of course it is a great time to be a cheese lover in Ireland! The other day, a Spanish tourist came to visit, he wanted to try some Irish cheese, anything at all but No Irish Cheddar! The request was straight forward, so I gave him a slice of Hegarty’s, from Cork. He closed his eyes with delight and approved by saying: ” this is good, what is it?” I just said: “Irish Cheddar”. My remark or rather the slight poke at his Ibernian pride made his eyes squint, but the guy took it well. My point is, Ireland when it comes to Artisan food, or whatever you want to call it, is now playing in the big kids’ yard!

Continue reading “The Uprising” →

Roquefort Salad

Recipes

What a wonderful morning it was in Co. Meath ! Once a year, I lead a Birdwatch Ireland walk with a couple of friends to celebrate the “Dawn Chorus”, an outing starting at 4 am, welcoming the sunrise of what could be “our summer” ( every time we a get a couple of days of sunshine on a row in Ireland, that is what we call it), we listened to the first song birds while light pierces through the darkness of night, making it a fine communion with nature and history as our early Dominical procession made its way quietly, by the neighbouring passage graves of Knowth and Newgrange, overlooking the Boyne river’s meanders.

Continue reading “Roquefort Salad” →

First Interview

story

Just a quick one to share the fact that I’ve had my first interview published in the French Online Newspaper for expats lepetitjournal.com/dublin about Hungry Breton. It feels kind of nice I must say. It’s in French but hey, I’ll give it to you anyway 😉 http://www.lepetitjournal.com/dublin/communaute/portraits/247038-paroles-d-expat-un-breton-jamais-rassasie

Slán Tamall

Keep Well and Eat Happy

Franck

St Tola and Beetroot relish Quiche

Recipes

The sun is shining today on the isle or Ireland, gently flirting with a 19°c. The Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and all the Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins) are back from Africa. My blind cat “Wilson” decided to make friends with my neighbours cows and after two months, we finally have a Government that nobody really wants or democratically voted for. An Independent politician from Co. Kerry has joined the climate change deniers’ list with a fine statement that I expected to hear from a pub pillar after a couple of scoops, just not in the Daíl (National Assembly). As you can see, all is good in “Iwerzhon”, so good that I decided to turn off the radio, enjoy watching my cat making new friends and make a quiche… Just like that!

Continue reading “St Tola and Beetroot relish Quiche” →

Eggs Meurette Style

Recipes

The last time I did this traditional recipe from Burgundy was a couple of years ago, around this time of year… It was for an idea of a post for work, my vision of celebrating Easter I guess, with the whole egg thing and all that. Unfortunately, I did it on a “Good Friday”, where the whole of Ireland goes dry. The pubs are closed, no one drinks alcohol and meat especially pork is absolutely forbidden… Hahahaha… Hum… Sorry, I just had a moment here. So as I said, I meant well, but since my religious education is literally inexistent ( I have culture about religions, just no education), I unleashed the ire of Mujahideen of the Holly Bible… I failed twice, with the bacon and the wine… They came down on me frantically and verbally gesturing on the web like a bunch of sweepers around a Curling stone… Guys , I meant no disrespect, so sorry again hey?

Continue reading “Eggs Meurette Style” →

The Canteen

story

The great thing about schooling in France has to be the canteen. No lunch box here, I am talking proper refectory, with chefs, commis and a couple of lovely dinner ladies. Believe me; I have eaten in worse restaurants, with worse service! The head chef, Mr Raymond, was a big brash colourful character, quite partial to kids who acknowledged and complemented on his trade; as a reward, he would look at you with a doubtful pouting frown and a raised eyebrow, before topping your plate with extra sauce or roasted potatoes.

Continue reading “The Canteen” →

Conchiglioni Al Forno

Stories, story

Sometimes, dinner ideas come in the weirdest kind of ways. For me, it happens at night, when my mind rambles between two dreams, remembering an anecdote or feeling a story germinating; I must admit, I have found myself waking up and typing a few ideas on my phone, fearing dawn would wipe them all out of my mind. “is it serious Doctor?”. But not this time. Last week, I was an absolute horror to be around, grumpy,grouchy, frustrated and ready to set off like a trapped animal. That is the consequence – at least for me – of tempering with the clock. “Putting the clock forward”, “summer time”, saving day light… What a lot of rubbish! And for 40 years, we have been, like sheep, putting our clock forward of one hour, for the next 6 months. The result? 4 days of pain, at the border of depression. On the third day, I decided that staying around wouldn’t do any good so I took my car, my camera and I headed west toward Sligo…

Continue reading “Conchiglioni Al Forno” →