Prepare, Cook, Chew, Eat, Savor, Relish, Taste, Swallow, Repeat

Photo: Sarah Maddy
Guinness, one of the things that Dublin (and the whole of Ireland) is well-known for.

One of the best parts about travelling is the food and drink.  Can I get an Amen?  In fact, I love trying the cultural foods, wines, beers, what have you, of the place I am visiting.  The best thing to do is to learn and try the thing of what the country (or city/state) is known for.  For example, when visiting Wisconsin, go ahead and try some cheese curds.  When in San Diego, take a small detour to Temecula to visit wine country and go wine tasting.  Experience the fullness of the culture wherever you are.  And if that means spending a bit more, split a meal and just do it.

Based on my little traveling, I have created a day’s worth of the best food I have ever tasted, and I will include a few recipes I have been able to try at home.

For breakfast, make a traditional Scottish breakfast.  This includes, but does not require every following component: fried eggs, fried bread (yes, it is bread that is fried – very hearty, but extremely delicious), mushrooms/onions/tomatoes chopped in large chunks and sautéed, slices of ham, baked beans, a sliver of hash browns, normal toast and jam, black pudding and haggis, which I will explain later. And don’t forget the most important piece: the traditional Scottish scone.  Now, most of this is pretty self-explanatory, but a few items I will need to explain.  Black pudding is an interesting component.  Despite the name, it is a savory meaty part made mostly of barley, beef suet, and pig’s blood. Truth.  It is actually not that bad.  And haggis is another potentially disgusting part. I assure you, it is delicious.  Traditional haggis is made of various sheep parts such as stomach, liver, heart, and tongue and beef minced together and cooked with spices and other pieces. Haggis is often eaten with breakfast. For dinner, it is eaten with “neeps and tatties,” which are mashed turnips and potatoes, and make for a delicious meal.  Now for the best part, the Scottish potato scone. It tastes a little like thick, mushy bread that has hints of potato.  It replaces hash browns so superbly, and bonus: you can make it at home!  I’ve tried and succeeded.  Here’s the recipe because I know you’ll want it:

About 2 cups of mashed potatoes
About ¾ c of plain flour
About ¼ c of butter
Pinch of salt

I say about because you have to make sure the consistency is correct.  After boiling and mashing the potatoes, mix them with the flour and butter and salt.  The consistency should be sticky enough to where it can lay flat and stay together but not to where it doesn’t come off your hands.  Roll out the dough thinly, about one cm from the tabletop. Then cut it into small squares or triangles, or whatever shape suits your fancy, and cook them on a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil to grease the pan. Flip over when golden brown and enjoy!

The next part of my perfect day’s eating would be a pesto pizza from Italy.  The best pizza I have ever had in my life is the one I had in Italy.  The pesto was so creamy, green, and delicious. So, I tried my own with my fiancé.  We put artichoke hearts, onions, yellow squash, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, goat cheese, and mozzarella on our pizza.  One word: phenomenal!  Here’s the recipe I like to make at home:

Pesto:
2 cups basil
1/3 c olive oil
½ c finely chopped walnuts
2 sundried tomatoes (with a bit of oil from jar)
2 artichoke hearts (with a bit of oil from jar)
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt

Grind all of this in a food processor. Before you start the pesto, begin to sauté your choice of veggies in olive oil.  When the pesto is done, spread it on the crust, put on the veggies, and spread chunks of goat cheese (if you desire) and mozzarella on top.  Bake in the oven at 400oF for about twenty minutes or until golden brown. Then eat and share. Or don’t share.

For dinner, I would have a dinner crepe from France, called a gallette.  They are like very small pancakes, as was said in Talledega Nights. However, gallettes are savory, filled with eggs, ham, and cheese. Some delectable type of white wine could accompany this, as it is typical in France to drink wine with each meal. Usually, not breakfast, though. This dinner would usually be accompanied by an appetizer, perhaps pieces of baggette, very hard and skinny loaf bread, and pate, a combination of cooked ground meat – often liver – and fat minced together, and perhaps also cheese, all kinds of stinky cheese, and bread.

After dinner, of course, there would be tea and coffee, as is cultural for the Europeans and many Asian cultures too. We would relax and let our meal digest, and at just the right time, we would have dessert.  My favorite dessert I have ever tried is called Banoffee Pie.  It is a Scottish pie, where the inside consists of bananas and toffee goodness, thus Banoffee.  It’s topped with whipped cream and is the perfect amount of sweetness.

Then of course, we would go out to the pub, which is the typical night scene in Scotland and Ireland. I’d prefer an Irish pub because there’s always music and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.  In Ireland, you have to order a Guinness and a shot of whiskey, so be careful. I, however, don’t like those drinks, so I’d get something with Bailey’s in it.  Either way, end the night with friends after a day filled with marvelous foods.  Mmmm!

Photo: Sarah Maddy
A traditional Scottish breakfast, complete with baked beans and black pudding.

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