For the Love of Food

I had my first scone in Ireland…I believer we were stopping for lunch somewhere on the northwest shore of Ireland. They were delicious – studded with little pieces of dried apricot and raisins.

So, for St. Patrick’s day, I want to share with you one of my favorite food-memories of my trip to Ireland a year and a half ago. Continue Reading »

A year and a half ago I found myself in one of the greenest countries I’ve ever visited. And, this week is all about the Irish and their patron Saint: St. Patrick.

Being someone who pays quite a lot of attention to food, while in Ireland I noticed that food in Ireland is predominantly NOT green. Rich browns, oranges, and yellows adorn most plates nation-wide. And, especially in pubs, the leafy green salads that many of us are used to are few and far between – and sometimes non-existent.

So, what does a typical Irish meal consist of? Potatoes, meat, cooked vegetables such as carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower, and more potatoes…they sure do like their potatoes. I remember once when we stopped for lunch at a cantina and my husband was served two types of potatoes with his spaghetti!

Bread is also an integral part of daily life on the Emerald Isle. They have everything from scones to brown bread to soda bread. While we were staying at Stanley House in Schull, we fell in love with Mrs. Brosnan’s fabulous homemade brown bread. So much so that I asked for the recipe and have been waiting for a while now to try it out. But, since all my baking supplies are backed away in boxes, it may just have to wait for next St. Patrick’s day. Continue Reading »

It is hard to believe that I have been blogging for five years now.  I have also been living overseas for just as long.  And, to be honest, if I hadn’t moved overseas, this blog may have never happened.

Originally I started For the Love of Food to share vegetarian recipes with friends who kept calling up to ask me for my recipes for their daughter or sister or loved one who just turned vegetarian.  I got tired of emailing out (and in some cases – hand writing) tons of recipes.  So, when my husband suggested a blog, I thought it would be a fantastic idea because my family could just go straight to the blog for the recipes instead of constantly having to ask and wait for me to reply…sometimes weeks later.

Later on, For the Love of Food developed into a place where my family, an ocean removed, could read-up on what I was cooking on a weekly or daily basis.  And, now I use it to share with the world the many dishes that I make from scratch…mostly American food made with German ingredients.  Which takes me back to my previous statement of this blog possibly never happening had I not moved overseas.  Moving overseas and far away from home creates a void in the heart that can often only be filled with a slice of homemade goodness reminiscent of happy childhood days.  The search to fill this void and bring home a few kilometers miles closer is what currently fuels my beloved blog.  Everything from ketchup to ice cream to salsa can be found here and has been part of my many hours of searching Google (and your lovely blogs) and my many trials (and just as many errors) in cooking.  Basically, since I couldn’t find the foods I loved at my local supermarket, I was “forced” to learn how to create them from scratch with the raw ingredients at my disposal.  And, in 2007 I was able to take this a step further when I got a small garden plot in my local Inter-cultural garden by planting many produce that are unavailable to me here (tomatillos, jalapeños, really sweet corn).

In 2007 I was also able make great leaps and bounds in my food photography attempts with the purchase of my first digital SLR camera, and later on improve even further with the purchase of an even better lens.

I know the last year the blog has been flaky – which my very tiring pregnancy and birth of our second son and now the move…that I am going to have to repeat in another 7 weeks  (I will tell you that long story when it finally has an end).  Luckily, unlike originally thought, I now have fantastic internet access thanks to a kind neighbor.

On to happier thoughts…and those mini cupcakes on lollipop sticks that I promised earlier…

I don’t have any possibility to bake anything that doesn’t fit in a toaster oven until I am finally in my new home with my new kitchen, but I can share these really cute cupcakes that I made for my son’s 3rd birthday for him and his preschool friends.  It was his request…I just made it happen.  It was a lot of fun, easier than I thought it would be, and delicious beyond my wildest dreams.  So delicious, my husband suggested that I should open an American bakery here in town staring lots of cupcakes.  One day….

Until then, I will share the recipes with you (especially the frosting!!) so that you can recreate these at home.  I already have big plans for these babies….think 4th of July party in our garden with other Americans we have met in my son’s kindergarten recently…it is such a small world!

For the cupcakes I used this recipes that was such a big hit last year and a Pillsbury recipe that my mom shared with me.  And, for the frosting I used this DELICIOUS and EASY Wilton Buttercream Icing and a whole tube of red food coloring.  For the frosting I suggest a good quality reusable piping bag with different tips. Continue Reading »