Kir Royale – Electric (Ireland)
It’s time to break out the bubbly and toast to the New Year! I bought a big bottle of my favorite Japanese sake, Junmai Daiginjo Mu to say an extra special goodbye to 2012, one of the dizziest years of my entire life. Champagne, beer, sparkling wine, Martinelli’s, sake, soda, tea, cocktails, wine or juice – what are you going to have in your glass as you salute 2013?
Though this picture is now over two years old, I don’t know if I ever properly wrote about it here on my blog. This is the first real breakfast Steffie and I ate at the apartment we rented in Cork, Ireland, back in 2010. It was so good to be off the road, with a place to come ‘home’ to every night after day adventures. Having our own rooms was especially nice, as we checked in on the heels of a three-night camping stint, snuggled up against the cold in a very cozy tent. This breakfast includes proper porridge with butter, milk, fresh blueberries and bananas, Stoneground wheat bread from the English Market, Dairygold butter, raspberry jam and tea with milk. It may seem like a lot, but this was our main meal of the day and kept our energy fueled up for more exploration and adventure!
While dog-sitting for my aunts over the summer, a sudden craving for a strawberry milkshake overwhelmed me. This isn’t entirely unusual; it is my go-to dessert beverage and favorite shake flavor ever since I was a child. I even consider strawberry milkshakes to be the unofficial mascot of Glass of Win, as they were heavily featured in early banners/headers/buttons.
When I was rummaging through the kitchen and pantry for a snack, I came across some French Vanilla ice cream and a basket of strawberries. A light bulb went off, the stick blender was brought out and viola! I classed it up by drinking out of a martini glass. Instant inner-child craving satisfaction.
As I have a very dark and limiting kitchen, I have been unable to really throw myself into the art of caning, but I have tackled a few of the non-caning recipes such as roasted red peppers, oven-dried tomatoes and recipes where caning is optional, such as the orange marmalade. The shelf life is shorter, so you just have to eat it quicker! I’ll not repeat the recipe here (buy the book!), but I was able to actually make three jars worth of orange marmalade (the smallest is not pictured) using the oranges from my aunt’s orange tree. All three jars were gifted to friends and family. Reports back on the outcome have been exceedingly favorable!
Eggs Royale – Liberty Grill (Cork, Ireland)
This is a beautiful Provençal plate made this week last year when I went up to South Lake Tahoe with my friend Natalie and stayed with her family. Her cousin Karen, from France, made us so much incredible food during that fabulous week, but it was this simple dish – aioli – that stood out above the rest. Salt cod, boiled carrots, green beans, and skinless potatoes and best of all, the eponymous aioli. This dish is a staple among the folk of Provence, France. We call aioli “garlic aioli” here in the states but that is a bit redundant since aioli translates to ‘garlic oil’. It was after I feasted on this dinner that I decided I would ask for a pestle and mortar for this year’s birthday, which I did and received. I can’t wait to tackle my own aioli!
I always thought red was my #1 sangria, but after the white sangria at La Luna Negra trumped any red I’ve ever tasted I find myself unable to make a definitive choice. Fortunately, I have sangria enthusiasts in my family so I was able to have both the red and white variety at my family birthday barbecue party a few weekends ago. I tackled this one, using two bottles of a pinot grigio along with some triple sec, peach juice, and probably a splash (or two or five) of brandy or rum. It was cool, refreshing, and light. I sipped on my first glass on the covered patio while enjoying a quiet moment to reflect the joy of being surrounded by my loving family, and to remember my grandmother, whose birthday I was born on. Cheers, gran, this one is for you.