Lunch by the Sea

Two of our favorite meals in Ireland were very casual. One was at a picnic table at Loop Head- the sign at the pub said "last pub until New York". It was a beautiful day as we looked westward to the Atlantic. Another day we had lunch in a hotel pub at Killary Harbor during an incredible drive in County Mayo near Westport. In addition to glorious vistas we saw mainly black face sheep high, high up on precarious hills and a black lake. Yes, the water actually looked black. The food was simple- seafood bisque and a grilled cheese sandwich but we didn't need anything more.

More About Ireland and Fabulous Food

Last night my daughter called to report on her trip to Montreal. She and her husband ate at two highly rated restaurants and had the tasting menus at each. One had a seven course and the other a five tasting menu.She had taken notes so she could describe both in detail. They have a wide variety of foods and several courses were developed to highlight contrast in flavors and textures. It reminded me of the fabulous food we enjoyed in Ireland.

At the Lemon Peel in Westport, I had a pumpkin risotto with red onion and a drizzle of balsamic. Mascarpone cheese in the sauce made is very creamy and rich. For lunch one day in Dublin, we ate at Davy Byrne's Pub. I had Dublin Bay prawns wrapped on phyllo, deep fried and served with a slightly sweet spicy chili sauce. My husband had deep-fried brie with cranberry coulis served on a wild greens salad. This is pub food? It was delicious.

Another meal of not occurred at The Winding Stair (it really was a winding stair to the restaurant on the second floor). I sat facing the window looking across the Liffey to Temple Bar and watched the lights slowly twinkle on as the sky darkened. We started with Potted Crab, a classic dish, that really wasn't to American tastes or at least, not exciting to us. I had fresh lake trout from Lough Nenagh that was meaty on flavorful. Everywhere our entrees were served with fresh vegetables. Unfortunately we end the meal with Mixed Fruit Trifle- I asked about the fruit and was told it was apples, pears and plums but it actually was canned fruit cocktail. A massive (we'd say huge) disappointment.

Fall Baking at the Mill City Museum

This afternoon I did three baking demos at the Mill City Museum. I adapted two recipes from Baking Basics and Beyond for samples. I baked the Chocolate Zucchini Bread in mini-muffins pans and baked Cranberry Walnut Tarts as bars (13x9 inch pan) so it was easy to give samples. It was hard to get the bars done for each demo but we made it, although the samples were warm. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Here's the recipe for the Cranberry Walnut Squares.


Cranberry Walnut Squares

As soon as I see fresh cranberries in the fall I can’t wait to start baking. Because they are easy to freeze you can bake with them year round but they always seem to taste best in the fall. These impressive squares are easy to make- and the crust doesn’t need to be rolled. Be sure to try them with crème fraiche- the flavor combination is incredible.

Makes 15 squares

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
Crème fraiche

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil across bottom and up long sides of a 13x9 inch pan. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form and butter is coated with flour. Press the dough into the bottom and slightly up sides of pan. Extending the dough above the sides helps prevent the filling from sticking. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until crust is slightly browned.

Combine the brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Add the corn syrup, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. No lumps of brown sugar or flour should remain. Add the butter, walnuts and cranberries. Stir until the butter is incorporated. Pour the filling into the pan. Gently even out the surface so that the nuts and cranberries are evenly spaced.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the center. Crust should be golden brown. Center will no longer jiggle when the pan is shaken. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Carefully loosen the bars from the short sides of the pan. Lift the all of the bars from the pan using the foil. After placing on a work surface, cut into 15 squares using a large sharp knife. Serve the squares with crème fraiche. Be sure to remove foil after cutting the squares.