In Praise of the Irish beach

Apparently, there is a perception out there that Ireland doesn't have any nice beaches, or so Eric tells me. And in fairness with our weather I can understand that point of view.

View of Barleycove Beach

But after our visit to West Cork I thought it only fair that I post a few pics of some of the beaches that we had the pleasure of paddling in (no swimming for us - beautiful as it was, the water this time of year is somewhere between cool and brainfreeze).

Eric at Inchydoney Beach

Also, because we arrived at the end of season we had the beaches mostly to ourselves, save for a few odd people here and there. I have to say when the weather is nice, there is no place I'd rather be than Ireland.

Brave Eric going over the ankle at Barleycove

Wonderful West Cork

We are just back from a short break in wonderful West Cork, where we had four days of fresh air, amazing scenery, good food and most importantly, pure unadulterated sunshine. It seems, for all the crap weather we have been having, that summer has arrived at last.


The reason we went down to Cork in the first place was because Eric was playing a gig at a well-known music venue in Clonakilty called De Barra's. It was a small place but the stage was done up really nice, like someone's sitting room and the gig went very well. The place was packed out and the crowd were very attentive and appreciative of Eric's music. The organiser was a guy called Gavin Moore, who turned out to be a supernice fella as well as a great singer.


We then went on to stay in Toormore, near Schull on the Mizen peninsula. Neither of us had been down to this part of the country and we both fell in love with it. The scenery is stunning - sandy beaches, craggy cliffs and lush greenery. It literally was one amazing vista after another.

On one of the days we made a trip out to the visitor centre on Mizen head. Above is a pic of Eric with a dummy from a display in the visitor centre having a grand ol' time. The dummys were actually not that lifelike but were very well done, if not a little creepy.

On our last day there we went over the next peninsula up called 'Sheep's Head'. This peninsula had its own charm, not as dramatic a landscape as Mizen, but still beautiful. The photo above is from a memorial garden in the village of Ahakista, which is dedicated to the victims of an Air India plane that was bombed nearby in the 80s. It was right here that our car decided to break down after bravely trudging on for most of the holiday. More on that in another blog.

I have to say that it was one of the best holidays in Ireland I've had. I know the sun helped immensely but I reckon West Cork is a beauty spot, no matter what the weather's like. I have a more photos up on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/kusieric/sets/72157601936310524/detail/ if you want to check them out. I don't think it's possible to do the place justice but I think they give a feel of the place.

Pasta with fresh tomatoes with basil

I know I'm just after posting up a food blog but I thought I put one up for all you vegetarians out there. I have to confess that though I am a meat-eater I have vegetarian leanings and have, a couple of times in my life, even been one. As Joe Eckhart says 'I'm a sympathiser'.

So I'll usually try to mix in some veggie meals during the week, though I know Eric would be happy to eat meat every single day, no problem (he is a carnivore, through and through). We will usually make something Italian or Indian because with their vegetarian dishes you don't really miss the meat.

We also try to get free-range and organic when we can. It's not always possible with the meat, and sometimes the prices can be prohibitive, but it's nice to know that the animals were treated a bit better. When I get into my philosophical mode I often wonder whether evolution promoted the right species. I mean I know that we are at the top of the food chain and all that and have opposable thumbs yada, yada, yada but I'm not quite sure if that means that we're really the brightest (see Gary Larson cartoon above).

Anyway, below is a lovely vegetarian pasta recipe that comes courtesy of Eric's Mum Nita. It's a great one for when you come in from work, or if you want something a little lighter. I have also left in her notes 'cause when it comes to cooking Nita is usually spot on.

Pasta with fresh tomatoes with basil

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped ( I use 2 more tomatoes at least and only worry about seeds if they are very seedfilled. Like the ox heart has few seeds. I blanche and remove skin.)
2 garlic cloves ( I use 4) minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces angel hair pasta
shredded parmesan cheese

1. Saute first 8 ingredients in hot olive oil in large skillet over low heat, stirring constantly for one minute or until thoroughly heated.
2. Spoon over hot cooked pasta; sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

You can cut up tomatoes, chop parsley and basil ahead of time, and squeeze lemon, making this a really fast meal to put on table.

Clam risotto

We just had the nicest meal tonight. So nice that I've decided to share it with you all. It was really more of a weekend dish but I got it into my head I was going to make 'Clam risotto', and so I did.

You see, we had brought back a suitcase full of clams from our trip in America (honestly, we had brought an extra suitcase specially!) I know it must seem weird but honestly American clams are the nicest we've tasted - big and sweet. Anyway, ever since Eric introduced me to 'Linguine and clam sauce' we have been hauling back cans of clams from America to feed our habit.


Our clams of choice at the moment are Snow's chopped clams. Unlike some of the others we have tried they are relatively shell free and the juice is delicious We get them in Walmart (no, we are not proud) for a really good price.

Anyway, the clams worked their magic tonight and gave the risotto a touch of something special. We also had a glass each of an Italian rose wine we had been saving with a side salad made from our homegrown lettuce. Not bad for a Monday night!

Recipe below adapted from Giorgio Locatelli's book Made in Italy, which has to be one of my favourite recipe books, full of lovely stories of growing up in Italy:

Risotto alle vongole
Clam risotto

2 cans of clams, drain the clams and reserve the juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 good swig of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
1 large tomato, chopped fine
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 cup of arborio rice
rind of parmesan, a good use of the stubby end of the cheese
1 handful of fresh basil and parsley, chopped
Some freshly grated parmesan

1. Heat the butter and the olive oil. Then gently fry and the onion and garlic. Be sure not to brown.
2. Then add the chopped tomato and chilli flakes and fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the rice now until it is fully coated. Giorgio calls this 'toasting' the rice. Throw in the rind of the parmesan.
4. Slowly add the clam juice and stir constantly until the risotto reaches the al dente stage. Add water if necessary.
5. Add the clams and heat through.
6. Throw in the chopped fresh herbs.
7. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.