July 14th

Mum & I went on a whirlwind road trip this weekend around Ireland. If you drew our route onto the map it would look like a big butterfly, the southeast butterfly wing was Saturday, comprising of, the Ahenny High crosses, Nicholas Mosse Pottery. Bennetsbridge, Kilkenny and the Kilfane Gardens & Waterfall. and Sunday, the southwest butterfly wing was Cork, Bantry, Muckross, Killarney, Adare and, the once a year, Irish Horse traders faire and races in Buttevant (this was accidental on our part, they were in the road we were on and we had to wait for them to move to continue…not to be missed mayhem!) Actually, I have forgotten for the moment some of the things we did, but this morning, when I told Maime, a teacher here at the School, what we did over the weekend, she sighed and said I have seen more of Ireland than she has and she has lived in nearby Midelton her whole life! the weather is of great concern to the Irish and everyone we meet on the road or at school is apologising for the "bad" weather. we are totally happy with the weather but no one believes us. It has made, and will continue to make, for some very odd ocnversations.

Today’s one-day class was presented by a Michlen star guest chef from London. Irish born Richard Corrigan. He has a large reputation in the British Isles because of some notorious past t.v. appearences that made quite a bit of news and caused quite an uproar. Not having seen the appearances myself, I’m told, he bad mouthed the chickens being sold at a major local market chain and the market chain got offended. A very nasty public war between the two erupted with, by all reckoning, Richard Corrigan the victor in end. He was very charming and his food was delicious. \i learned a lot.

Today as I tasted Richard’s cooking, I ate gooseberries, elderflowers, mussels, oysters, pigs feet in his homemade grubeen sausage, smoked eel, langostines, fresh from the sea this morning cod and that’s only the start! Beside how to make those previously mentioned things, I also learned to make tempura batter for vegetables and fish, I learned to make fresh fruit gelatines using sheet gelatine instead of powder, i learned to make seafood bisques, and on and on… it was a banner day with so much to take in and so many new foods to taste. BTW-i loved the the gubbeen sausage the best.

tomorrow starts a new course…so i’ll report in again soon.

bye for now, Karen O’American