My Italian Fix at Eataly in New York

Back in 1989 I was in my third year in college and I was lucky enough to spend the year abroad - from The College of Wooster in Ohio and spend the year studying Italian and Art History at the Syracuse University program in Florence, Italy. I've been obsessed with Italy ever since and completely fell in love with the food, the architecture, the art and well the men weren't so bad either...but that's a story for another day.

Anyway, on my recent trip to New York for a brief 48 hours a PR friend of mine was free to meet me for lunch and she suggested we meet in Eataly. Having  moved out of New York over 5 years ago - I've been bad about keeping up with the latest and greatest but of course like to visit something new every trip.

Well I was delighted and arrived in early from the hot and stickiness of the New York summer streets. A cool oasis filled with the tastes and smells of Italy everywhere. I was back in Florence all those years ago - walking around watching one person making mozzarella another young man was cutting a huge wheel of parmesan. In La Piazza (above in the middle of the space) you can sit at high table and sample foods from the myriad of stalls around you.

The cheese counter with salami and prosciutto hanging overhead.

 My friend and I ate in Manzo a restaurant inside the cavernous space - which was handy as we knew we had a place to sit. Eataly was founded by Oscar Farinetti and his partners include Mario Batali - renowned chef - author of 8 cookbooks and owner of 15 restaurants plus a slew of televisions show Italian cooking is synonymous with Batali. Also a big name with Italian cooking is Lidia Bastianich - she too is an author, restaurateur but also owner of a food and entertainment business. Her son Joe Bastianich, also a partner, has followed close behind her in the same footsteps -additionally Slow Food Italy and photographer David Gallizio are key partners. Slow Food acts as a consultant for Eataly - helping the establishment keep their quality control up to standard while continuing to provide delicious Italian food at reasonable prices.

Fresh Pastas.

Visiting Eataly made me yearn to return to Italy even more. It's been 22 years since I left Florence and I still pine for the place. I'm hoping next summer our family can get to Italy as I'd love to show my husband and daughter the magic and wonder of all that it has to offer. 

The pasta aisle.

Fish Market.

The Piazza  again.

Fruit and fresh vegetables.

If you are in New York and craving an Italian fix - don't forget to visit Eataly conveniently located on 23rd Street and 5th Avenue.

Many thanks to my dear friend Jeanne Byington - who has a lovely blog of her own - and grazie mille for the delicious Italian lunch at Manzo. Bellisimo!! 

Curry - Perfect for Rainy Irish Summers

Before I moved to Ireland - I really had no idea how big curries were in this country. Sure I knew about curry and chips - especially after a long night out on your way home but curry in Ireland? It never really made huge sense to me. And I'm sure one of you can tell me why curry is so popular here but I'm convinced it has something to do with the weather. The damp chilly evenings we get - all year round mind you - not just in winter - today being a prime example of a miserable summer day and to me nothing feels more comforting than a spicy warm curry to get right into your bones.

I'm not particularly partial to curry sauces in a jar - I think it has something to do with my age - my body craves much more natural food - less processed and also I love making my own dishes - the process the smell of onions frying up in a pan and then adding in spices and coconut milk and all the other ingredients. One of my absolute favourite ingredients to add into many dishes is fresh ginger - I buy it fresh - peel it and then keep the chunks in a Ziploc back in the freezer. When I need a piece - I pop in the microwave for about 10 seconds and it's immediately ready to use.

So while I love making my own dishes from scratch - perfecting the right spice mix to make a truly delicious curry does not come easily and that is where the company Green Saffron comes to the rescue. Green Saffron is an Irish company based in Middleton, Co. Cork.

Green Saffron has a stand set up in the Limerick Milk Market on Saturdays and I've become quite addicted to their convenience ready made bags of spices including Rogan Josh - Tikka Masala  and Korma among others. Not only do they have the most charming Frenchman working on the stand - Sophia and I have had long conversations with him about food and cooking but also when you buy these mixes you get a recipe to go with it so it is super simple. They also sell other spices such as star anise - cardamon and cloves which are always good to have on hand in the larder.

Here is the recipe from Green Saffron for:

 Rogan Josh - medium

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

500g/1lb onions, peeled, thinly sliced

60g/20z ghee, butter, clarified butter or 3 T vegetable oil

1 packet of Green Saffron Rogan Josh Spice Mix

8 cloves, garlic finely chopped or blitzed

60g or 2 fat inches of fresh ginger, grated or blitzed with skin on

1kg/2lb stewing lamb, cut into cubes (I also use chicken as I did here)

600ml/1 pint (or 4 small pots) natural, plain yoghurt

1 tin tomatoes, whizzed smooth

1 T sugar

600ml/1pint lamb stock (or water)

How To Make Your Meal:

1. Heat the ghee, butter (or clarified butter, oil) in a large casserole dish or saucepan on medium.

2. Next, add the packed of Green Saffron Rogan Josh Spice Mix and fry until you hear crackling (this will be almost instantly), then add the sliced onions and fry until golden

3. Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the lamb cubes and fry for a further 15 minutes.

5. Add the yoghurt, tomatoes and sugar. Simmer on a low heat with the lid off for 30 minutes. 

6. Finally, increase the heat and stir. Then add in the stock and cook on a gentle heat until the lamb is tender (approx 1. 5 hours).

Serving Suggestions:

Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander - or a wild garlic flower (see below) and serve with Indian Basmati Rice.

All the recipes that they give with the spice packets have been tried and tested by the Green Saffron Masaalchi and therefore - pretty much guaranteed. Of course you can make your own variations and do some experimenting.

On a recent trip to the Milk Market I also picked up Green Saffron's Mango Chutney which went down a storm. Fabulous!

I served this up a few weeks ago for a family meal at our house after my father-in-law's anniversary mass. There was pretty much nothing left - young and old inhaled it with relish.

Green Saffron was at Bloom in Dublin this year as well and there I met the delightful Olive who is married to Arun Kapil. His family in India sources the best spices available and they are ground and combined here to make it easy for us all to cook delicious Indian inspired meals.

Please be sure to go to their website - Green Saffron - take a look at their incredible range in their online store - in addition to their spice blends they have fresh spices - rice and even Christmas puddings.

Power of Poetry

This week I received a poem from my aunt in America. She and I have this wonderful bond - like mother and daughter - it's special - unique - I can talk to her about so many different things. We are avid supporters of each other - egging each other on and showing our support with our various ventures. She's always been writing poetry - quietly in the background in her own special way. Marking momentous occasions - the passing of time - the anniversary of the passing of a loved one. This week the poem was about me and my daughter. The story of our two lives weaving in and out of hers - her reflections and observations so diligently and carefully researched. It is not a sad poem but I cried big tears when I read it because I was so profoundly touched by her amazing insight into my life and her incredible observation to detail. 

Here it is for you to read as well. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Replications

The path is long , both real and remembered—

and it winds on into the years ahead.

A little girl takes first steps in overalls

between the snapdragons and catnip—

her Granny and her mother lean with arms

outstretched in glad welcome.   Then baptism

by the family priest with a scallop shell

near the pond with iris and daylilies,

shy deer and bold frogs, when her daddy

returns from Vietnam.  She’s the eldest, who

presides with Bunny over her brother’s

and her cousins’ christenings, in London,

after the whole family moved back.  See, she

holds a tiny fish for her just younger cousin,

because at three he’s overwhelmed by his catch. 

She conducts them all on bumper cars

at a carousel by the beach in Brittany.  Always

their senior, she advises on crossing the street,

choosing a college, finding jobs, then— in a blink,

it is she who is married with a baby girl— herself,

in turn, the eldest of her American cousins—

with dozens more in Tipperary where she lives.   

The path weaves generations across the ocean—

fastening families to their sense of home.

At eleven, our colleen writes a cooking blog,

wears a uniform.   She’s generous like her mother,

shepherds her little cousin to be a flower girl

in her uncle’s island wedding.   An only child,

she adores her role as helper.  Last summer

at her grandparents’ farm, she put the newest

baby cousin to bed, then kept disappearing upstairs

to check her breathing!  When she was satisfied,

she’d come outside to play badminton on the field.

And now she’s packing her bag to return, to watch

the swallows fly in and out of the barn, to shadow

her Maga in art studio and kitchen, and to assist

her Ba, who still tells tales of Vietnam, in his wood shop

and the vegetable garden, with its sentinel hares and fox,

and the gentle guardian rabbit on the gate.

The path is long, both real and remembered—

and it winds on into the years ahead.

Susan V Walton, 6/28/12, v2

Note: Maga and Ba are the names my daughter has given my parents. We are not sure where they really came from but my niece now calls them that too.