Must see ST. MALACHY'S CHURCH in BELFAST . . . and Irish Cheddar, Bacon, and Swiss Chard Tart

I put St. Malachy’s on my MUST SEE list when I found it in an old list titled “The Best of Ireland”.   There are only 18 Irish churches on the list. 

A guidebook informed me that St. Malachy’s in Alfred Street “was built in 1844, the plainish red-brick exterior of this Roman Catholic church disguising a glorious inner riot of plasterwork in Strawberry Hill Gothic style.”

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Irish Cheddar, Bacon, and Swiss Tart:

a delicious main dish pie on p. 36 in:

Or follow this link: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/irish-cheddar-bacon-and-chard-tart/article650389/

Vegetarian COSSACK PIE . . . and a Ukrainian Pioneer's Garden

I am doing a fair bit of vegetarian cooking now, and in the Moosewood Cookbook

I found "Cossack Pie", a name which, of course, was irresistible for me.

  First layer:  onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, eggs, and cottage cheese.

Cover with sour cream and yogurt.  

Decorate with sauteed mushrooms.   DELICIOUS!

When I was growing up, Mom planted, tended, and harvested two huge gardens . . . one almost a mile away from our house.  Here, at over 75, she was still gardening. 

Marilyn said:

Baba's whole yard was a garden in Gilbert Plains before Dad moved the house .. plots of vegetables not rows!

Turkey Leftover? So QUICHE! . . . and some good old books

Start with Mary Stadnyk's pie crust.  Roll it out to fill one 9 inch pie plate.   See:

 http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.com/2013/06/company-and-pie-crust.html

TURKEY QUICHE (9 inch pie)

6 to 8 ounces roasted turkey breast

1 green onion

2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno

2 tbsp finely chopped green pepper

1 cup diced white mushrooms (about 1 large mushroom and 1 medium)

4 ounces mozzarella

4 eggs

1 ½ cups whole milk

¼ cup sour cream or yogurt

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

-         Start preheating oven to 425.

-         Cut turkey into small cubes.  Put into unbaked pie shell.

-         Chop green onion, jalapeno, green pepper, and mushrooms.  Add to pie shell.

-         Grate mozzarella.  Add to pie shell.

-         Beat eggs.  Stir in milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

-         Bake for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 more minutes.  Test with knife to see if center is set.

SERVE with a salad.

   

REHEATING:  20 to 30 minutes in 350 oven. 

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January’s been mostly grey and wet . . .  and great for reading and wearing Christmas gifts.

Cruising into the New Year, 2020

Date

Port or Activity

Arrive

Depart

Sat, Dec 28	Fort Lauderdale, FL		4:00pm
Sun, Dec 29	At Sea
Mon, Dec 30	Cozumel, Mexico	7:00am	6:00pm
Tue, Dec 31	At Sea
Wed, Jan 1	Nassau, Bahamas	9:00am	6:00pm
Thu, Jan 2	Fort Lauderdale, FL	7:00am

Line:	Royal Caribbean
Ship:	Majesty of the Seas

Nassau was where we were supposed to go, but just a day or two before the cruise we were informed that, because of speed regulations, we would be going to Coco Cay’s Perfect Day instead.  So – good sandy beaches, iguanas, and great, free food. . .  no complaints, here.

Christmas Conversation

Back Row: Me, Nestor, Cousin Marilyn, Diana

Front Row: Cousin Vernon, Cousin Pat, Cousin Gerald, Cousin Ernie

Marilyn:  What dishes did your Mom prepare for Christmas eve..

What fish  did she prepare

Me:  Hi Marilyn,

Here's what I remember:  kutya, sauerkraut pyrohy, potato & cot cheese pyrohy, studenetz (jellied fish), Holobtsi, nuts, candy, Christmas cake, Aunt Mary's cookies, gingerbread cookies, and vinerterta.  

I have no clear memory of vegetables because I was a picky eater so I filled up on things I liked. . . potato & cot cheese pyrohy! 

What did your mom make? 

 Marilyn:  Yes, it was the same dishes for my Mom.. our Baba made borscht, clear with little mushroom dumplings.  Her meal was dairy less as well as meatless.  Baba did a blackened flour mushroom sauce

Mom made mushroom soup, in place of Borscht.. in the seventies she only did meatless not dairy less.  And also did a mushroom sauce but in cream.

Serge makes a beautiful beet salad as does Father Oleg’s wife in Dauphin.. "Herring under a coat".. looked like a pie so i didn't taste it then it was gone before dessert! LOl

Auntie Marion pan fries fish no aspic fish. and does a pidpanki sauce. 

No one likes fish aspic, so I have been doing Fish balls 

                                                                  Gedo and Baba

                                                                     Mom and Aunt Nellie (Marilyn's mom)

                                                Cousins Daniela, Andrew, and Serg

                                                                 Mom and Aunt Marion

Mom made her own syr (cheese) for vareniki.  

I was intrigued as a child by the references to food in Nursery Rhymes, but 

I was surprised when I learned that Little Miss Muffet’s ‘curds' were like Mom’s syr and Miss Muffet's 'whey' was the pale, sour liquid Mom would pour into the slop pail for the pigs.

******

                                       Wonderful movie:  Funny & sweet

My Birthday in 2019

Perfect gifts from Bryan and the girls:

and lots of time to just relax and enjoy what I love to do: 

*********

73 now

Season of the turkey . . and the Barefoot Contessa's TOMATO SOUP

Leftover turkey?

Make:

Ina Garten’s TOMATO SOUP

Serve with a small Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich and Turkey Salad p.50 in SAVORY SALADS by Tupperware

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

3 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken stock

1 large can crushed tomatoes:  28 oz

¼ tsp saffron

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

½ cup uncooked orzo

½ cup cream:  18% or whipping

1.      Cook onions in 2 tbsp oil for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and very tender.

2.     Add garlic.  Cook one more minute.

3.     Add chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, salt, and pepper. 

4.     Bring soup to boil.  Then simmer for 15 minutes.

5.     Cook orzo for 10 minutes.  Drain.  Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil.  Set aside.

6.     When ready to serve soup, reheat it.  Stir in orzo and cream.