Today is Blog Action Day and because it coincides with World Food Day- the topic is, of course, on food. This is a topic I don't have any problem discussing but I've been thinking of the angle I was going to take all week. Food is an important part of our lives and for those of us who are lucky enough not to worry about where our next meal is going to come from- we do, without realizing it, take it for granted. I consider myself and my family so lucky that we do not have to struggle with this in our lives. And we are also lucky in that there are so many fantastic food producers here in Ireland so we are additionally spoiled for choice. Many years ago, we went through a very tough stage in our lives when both my husband and I were out of work- we had to cut back to the bare minimum on our food budget and I remember that while it was very tough- we adapted for the time we needed to. I wouldn't relish going back to really cheap loaves of white bread and eating loads of chili, beans and rice to fill us up but we did it and we saved a considerable amount of money. This experience taught us all a great deal and now we are still careful in how we spend our money. Going out for meals is saved for special occasions or when people visit from America. And because we go out so seldom I find my husband and I expect things to be top notch not just for the food but also for the service.
When my parents visited at the end of August, Sophia and I went down to Kinsale with them for the weekend. We stumbled across the Lemon Tree Cafe and had a fabulous dinner there during our stay. I loved the simple furnishings, atmosphere and the menu had a wonderful selection of delicious dishes. You can find the Lemon Tree Cafe on Facebook.
I find many memories revolve around food in our family. My mother is a fabulous cook, my grandmother was as well and I am trying to create food memories in our own small family. When my parents visit from America, we often go out for meals but we also make lots of meals at home. Many of them are simple such as a home-made soup with some home-made brown bread and some cheeses. We often make risotto dishes or roast a chicken.
This was a local cheese wrapped up on a pastry and then heated - the cheese oozed out onto the plate and the balsamic drizzle just made the dish.
I've always loved mussels and these were particularly good and local. They came in a wine/cream sauce.
I had this huge Caesar salad as well with loads of a bacon on it and good slivers of Parmesan cheese.
And my father had this lasagna. I found all the dishes very well presented, great portion size and everyone was happy with what they ordered.
The next big family meal I am looking forward to is Thanksgiving. Here in Ireland we celebrate this American Holiday every year with all the family that lived in America. I love it because it is non-religious. We enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and vege. I love having cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches for days afterwards.
Food creates good memories for me and my family. We use food to celebrate milestones, birthdays, new jobs, anniversaries, visitors and much more.
How does food play a role in your life?
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