Because I'm Still Irish the Other 364 Days

Medallions of Beef with Port Sauce & Cashel Blue Cheese

Everyone was making their colcannon & stew & lamb for St. Patrick's day...only my second-favorite holiday of the year (go ahead, guess what took the #1 spot?).

Meanwhile...everyone in our house was sick. So, no celebrations on the 17th for us.

But seriously, I don't need a special day to celebrate Ireland or my Irish-ness. I'm about half-Irish, thought honestly I'm not sure which parts...

So, I went ahead & made something a week or so later. And because Ireland is not about green beer, I decided to celebrate the amazing culinary strides being made across the country.

For Matt, a gorgeous piece of beef, seared on both sides, put into a baking dish, topped with minced shallots, a Port reduction sauce, pine nuts, S&P, lemon juice & crumbled Cashel blue; place under the broiler till the cheese is bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

(We also did this using Morningstar Farms 'steak' strips for the vegetarians, & it worked just as well.)

Was it good? Matt could barely talk; he practically inhaled that thing. So yeah, it was good. The Port reduction was amazing, even the non-meat version.

Boxy Potato Cake

Grated potatoes, mixed with some chopped & cooked bacon & scallions, an egg yolk, a little flour & S&P; mix till combined.

Using a biscuit cutter or crumpet mold, portion the mix & make rounds. Cover with plastic, chill at least an hour.

Heat first oil, then butter as well, in a frying pan, cook potatoes on each side till golden & warmed through. Top with slice of crisp pancetta.

What's there to say? Potatoes! Fried! Of course it was delicious. Stereotype or no, the Irish know their potatoes.

Cookbook Spotlight: Gale Gand's Brunch!

Sometimes, you just know when something's a good fit for you.

A style of jeans, a radio station, a restaurant...you realize 'this is it; what I've been waiting for'.

This can happen with people, as well.

When Cath & I first 'met', by way of Blog Party, I knew. And when I discovered her OCF (Obsessive-Compulsive Foodieness) during the first Brunch party, it was a done deal. I'd found my soul mate.
Friend, sister, cheer squad, sounding board...I'm lucky to get all that, because we both realized we 'fit'.

It can happen with chefs, too!

The first time I watched the now-defunct "Sweet Dreams" on television, I knew Gale Gand was a perfect fit for me, as well.

She looked like someone who actually ate the foods she made. She was sweet & funny & kind of dorky, which I can relate to.

And the food? Oh, yes, the food. All those pastries & candies. I was in love.

It wasn't until later that I learned about her restaurant, and her 'savory' side, if you will.

And I thought 'this just keeps getting better & better!'

Since then, I've bought & baked from her cookbooks. Loved everything I tried. She was still a good 'fit' for me.

So when Cath suggested we dust off Cookbook Spotlight with Gale's new cookbook, I was all for it.

I mean...it's a cookbook about brunch by Gale Gand. Falls under the heading of 'no brainer'.

And that was more or less the response I got from those I asked to join Cookbook Spotlight.



Deb was not the first one to lament the unreasonable task of choosing just one recipe to test.
But she managed to narrow down her options & baked up these beautiful Cranberry Angel-Food Muffins.
According to Deb, they were light, sweet & deceptively good. Perhaps the name should be changed to 'Devil's Food'!




Ashley had mixed results, despite trying out two recipes.
Admitting her preference for cooking versus baking, Ashley made both Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake Muffins & Corn & Parmesan Fritters. The muffin tops were a hit, but the base not as much. The fritters, apparently, were 'OK', but she's not sold on them.



Erin scratched an item off her culinary to-do list as she baked up scones for the very first time.
With the help of her trusty Kitchenaid, she tried out the Ginger Scones with Peaches & Cream. Knowing her as I do, it was no great surprise to learn she loved them. Girl loves her ginger.



Judith didn't let Cookbook Spotlight falling in the middle of Passover stop her from making something tasty; turns out Gale included a very good recipe for Fried Motzah.
Despite insisting it's not the most photogenic dish, her Matzoh Brei looks good to me.



Abby was very excited to test this book; seems she's as big a fan as I am!
Going with the Basic Waffles, because how can that be wrong, she was very happy with the finished product.



barbie2be invited a few friends over, to help her try out the book. Selecting the Asparagus with Poached Eggs & Parmesan (as well as the Bacon Scallion Scones), it was declared a success, even by a nine year old! High praise, indeed.



Bellini Valli echoed a common response among those asked to join Cookbook Spoltight...overwhelming enthusiasm.
And like most of us, she struggled to pick just one recipe to make, finally settling on Spiced Apple-Raisin Turnovers. Let's just say...she's loving this book!



Melody was just one more enthusiastic tester, and I recognized those all-too familiar sticky tabs blooming a-top her copy.
Proving how easy it is to use, she was able to whip up these Caramelized Apple Crepes with ingredients she had on hand.
And yes, she really really loved them.



girlichef overcame obstacles of almost-comedic proportions to join in, but it all worked out in the end. And her reward? A steaming hot cup of White Hot Chocolate! Much better than devouring the book...



Natashya, like everyone else, wondered what one dish to make...but made an excellent choice in the Cucurumao; a baked egg dish. Yes, she loved it. And yes, she's hanging on to that book.

Someone smack me! How could I forget about my own book winner?


Pam couldn't help herself; she tried out three different recipes. And every one was good. Strawberry Lemonade, Frittata & Hand-Formed Pear & Almond Tartlets made for an excellent dinner! Hey, we do breakfast for dinner, why not brunch?



Ok...I couldn't do it. I couldn't make just one recipe. Because...see? It's me. Cath knows this!

So for Easter, I made Brunch!

I made too much food, as is customary in this house, but every single thing was a hit.




Peanut Butter & Jelly Turnovers

Crunchy, flaky outside, the peanut butter & jelly worked very well, & the thin glaze on top gave it enough sweetness to be a dessert without being overly so.







Cheddar, Pancetta & Spinach Frittata

Just enough prosciutto to make itself known without overwhelming the other flavors, & substantial without being heavy.







Ginger Scones

Mmmmm....Ginger. Scones.



Basic Waffles

Light & flavorful.



Goat Cheese & Chive Hash Browns

Excellent crunch, lots of flavor. The goat cheese is unexpected, but goes surprisingly well with the latkes.

So, my take on Brunch! It rocks. It's great. It's heavily sticky-tabbed. I'll use it again & again, because even here I had to limit myself to what I could make in a few hours.

Everything is easy to make, nothing too complex. It's a book anyone can use, and should. Wide range of recipes, so if you can't find something here to make, I'm afraid the fault lies with you.

Be sure to visit Cath to read about the other half of the Cookbook Spotlight reviews.

Wonton Noodles with Chicken & Thai Peanut Sauce

Oh hey...look! Another Asian noodle dish. What are the odds...

This is a recipe that called for spaghetti (heck, it's in the name), but I have issues with thin pastas so we opted to use a wonton noodle instead.

Turns out, it wouldn't have mattered. The way the dish is prepared, still got soggy noodles.

Anyway...chicken (or Quorn) gets briefly marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, lime juice, oil, garlic & ginger.

Meanwhile, more soy sauce & lime juice, peanut butter, broth (we used veg), sugar, salt & pepper flakes simmer.

Grill the chicken (recipe says about 5 minutes per side; it took a lot longer when we did it); let it rest, then slice.

Cook & drain noodles, toss with sauce, chicken (which...uh...we forgot to do), & scallions (which...uh...we neglected to use); top with chopped peanuts.

Matt liked it. Alex inhaled it. I, of course, had noodle-texture issues, so Matt very sweetly dumped mine into a skillet & gave it a quick fry.

Strongest flavors were peanut & soy, so if you like that sort of thing & can handle very soggy noodles, go for it. Otherwise...maybe not worth your time.

Vegetarian Pad Thai

And yes, I mean it. Vegetarian. That would be 'faux' shrimp in the photo!

Mmm...BurnedMeat Flavor

We have a new Asian grocer in town; one that is very much like a 99 Ranch Market...something we've missed rather terribly since leaving California.

Well, it's like a 99 Ranch, except it's clean. And organized. And has less of that overwhelming fish smell...but otherwise, exactly like a 99 Ranch.

I had great fun roaming the aisles, grabbing various things, whether to restock, try or get simply because it looked interesting.

But when I came upon this, I had to pull out the camera. I don't feel I need to explain the 'why'.

Vietnamese Steak Sandwich

It was a sandwich. Southeast Asian flavors. Matt & I thought it just 'ok', but Alex loved it.

We love how much Alex goes for Asian flavors.

He & I, of course, were eating a vege-fied version of the recipe; using Morningstar Farms Meal Starters 'steak strips' in lieu of actual beef.

Really not much else to say...









This month, Blog Party's a little bit naughty as we indulge in our most favorite, uttermost cravings...for April, we're giving in to Devil's Food!

You have till Friday, 17 April to join; so go on...give in, you know you want to!

Spicy, Crisp Tofu on Mint-Avocado Salad

No deliberate attempt to 'eat healthy' or anything like that, but the weather (prior to these past two days) has been very spring-like & a craving for something light & fresh came a-knockin'.

As it happens, I had this salad recipe bookmarked; it seemed as good a reason as any to give it a try.

Tofu, pressed then dipped in chile sauce & dredged in panko, and fried till crispy (hang on, I know what you're about to say: but remember, if your oil is at the right temperature, very little oil is absorbed by the food).

Toss torn butter lettuce & whole mint leaves with a dressing of chile sauce, orange juice & zest, olive oil & salt.

Plate a large handful of salad, top with thinly sliced & fanned avocado, serve tofu on the side.


This was really quite good. Tasted like 'Spring'; although admittedly we were hungry a few hours later. Perhaps better suited as lunch dish than dinner.














This month, Blog Party's a little bit naughty as we indulge in our most favorite, uttermost cravings...for April, we're giving in to Devil's Food!

You have till Friday, 17 April to join; so go on...give in, you know you want to!

Blog Party#45: Devil's Food

No joke, it's time to announce the next Blog Party theme...where I play advocate.

Devil's Advocate, that is.

Because this month, we're being wicked & giving in to our most tempting dishes.

For April, it's all about Devil's Food; the things you love most & tell yourself you shouldn't have...but want desperately.

You know what I mean. Your 'forbidden fruit' foods. The ones, if given the chance & a magically shrinking waistline, you'd consume with glee & abandon.

For me, it's cheesecake. Hands down.

So, let's have a little fun this month..it's only one night. You know you want to...

Turn your most desired foods into miniature form, mix up your dangerous drinks, and join the party!

To RSVP, send your entries to thehappysorceress at gmail dot com no later than Friday, 17 April; I'll post the round-up as close to that Sunday as I possibly can, allowing enough time for a proper penance.

Questions about Blog Party? Visit our fact-packed info page.

And I hope to see you all there!!



Tagged with: Food and Drink + Blog Party + Events + Appetizers + Cocktails + Canapes + Parties + Finger Food + Mocktails + Temptation + Blogging