Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, there was a dude. He was a British dude. That British dude was captured by Irish bandits when he was a young man, so he spent a long time in Ireland. After his years of enslavement were over, he left and then returned to the Emerald Isle. That delicious […]
Food Culture
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The Last Supper
On your last night of vacation, why not splash out on dinner? Ah, go’wan. Go’wan, go’wan, go’wan. This is how we do it: Beef and Guinness pot pie at the Bayview Restaurant, overlooking Killeany Bay. Crushed meringue with strawberries and Irish cream to finish off. Now. The shuttle to the landing strip comes at 15:45, […]
You Can Take the Girl Out of Japan ….
… and she’ll still find a way to gorge herself on delicious Japanese food. Here, we have a cup of umeshu and the sashimi appetizer at Ukiyo on Exchequer Street : Followed by orders of kimchi, kimchi chigae, rice and bulgogi (which are, obviously, not Japanese, but that’s what we ate after the sashimi. 美味しいかった!) […]
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The Gift of the Pancake
E got off the bus and wandered towards the scent of chocolates and strawberries and caramel and lemons and vanilla and sugar and heaven. Dawson Street was always busy this time of day, but she was being pushed more than usual – jostled by a throng that seemed to be converging in front of a […]
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Eat Irish
My friends and family all want to know how the food is here in Ireland. “How is it?” they ask. “How is it really?” They want to know if I’m suffering, if I’m hiding in bed each morning, frozen by the thought of enduring yet another day of gray meat boiled without salt. Straight away, […]
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The Butcher, the Baker, the Neighborhood Maker
Last April, while Sean and I were touring South East Asia, he asked if I had any book recommendations. We were in Times Square Berjaya in Kuala Lumpur, wandering around the giant Border’s bookstore, and my eyes lit upon a copy of Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I hadn’t read it myself, but every one […]
Un-Turkey Day
Thanksgiving in Japan, 2008: The equipment: Two gas burners, one toaster oven, one microwave, no kitchen counter. The menu: Pan-roasted chicken, Maggie’s World Famous stuffing, mashed potatoes, canned corn, green bean casserole, gravy, dried cranberries, Mon Frere red wine. The Veuve Cliquot Champagne was a congratulatory gift from Nakata-san after Obama was elected. Thanksgiving in […]
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A Penguin, an Italian, and a Llama Walk Into a Bar ….
When Sean was growing up, the prize for finishing all of his dinner was a cookie. Now Sean is a adult and he can have 10 cookies if he wants, any time of the day. He often does. Sean loves cookies. He brings home a new package every week to savor while we have our […]
Please, Sir. May I Have Some More?
My friend Sean’s grandfather is a hale and hearty 80 years old. He talks politics, walks upright, drives at night, and makes his own jam from the fruits and berries in his garden. He serves that homemade jam with his homemade bread when he sits us down for tea. What an absolutely lovely man. We […]
Tourist Yourself
The last days at home must be touristy – getting in everything “classic” before you go from being a New Yorker to being a person who used to live in New York. Strolls by the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, a dip into Bloomingdale’s, and a nice hot slice of ultra-touristy Grimaldi’s pizza. Even so, an […]