Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland

YOUR WINTERY MOMENT

2012-01-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

Every day should have it's golden moment. Millions of tea drinkers all over the world know this very well indeed. It is in fact the tag line for 'Barry's Irish Tea'. Founded in 1901 by Cork man James J BArry, it remains to be run by the Barry Family. Their tea is sourced from India, Kenya and Rwanda. Tea is a very important thread in the tapestry that is Ireland. Their tea and their adverts invite warmth into your life. Life throws many curve balls our way and when it does, the first thing you should do is have a cup of tea , nay a cup of 'Barry's Tea'. To some this may seem a little absurd to suggest such a thing. The ritual involved in making a proper pot of tea, sitting alone or with friends to enjoy this amber nectar induces a moment of relaxation. It is difficult not to feel just a little calmer as this tea warms you within. I asked people to submit photographs of their 'Wintery Moment' and the winners will receive a box of 'Barry's Irish Tea'

'BASILICA AT UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME' from Michael Low, Southbend, Illinois

'OUR FIRST SNOWFALL' from Diane Perry, Colbert, Georgia

'MOON PINK CLOUDS' from Patricia Shea,

'BUNNYCONNELANS IN THE SNOW' Cork, Ireland from Eamon O'Brien, Germany

'SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE' from Monica Tampa Bay, Florida

IRISH LINEN TEA TOWELS

2011-12-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

I picked up some of these tea towels, when I was in Ireland. I particularly loved the pair of 'Irish Linen & Cotton' tea towels. The border is so beautifully done, with a very subtle pattern taken from the historic 'Book of Kells'. I have some of these left, although they have been a very popular item I believe at this time there may only be 15 sets remaining. $25 for the pair.

'The Doors of Dublin' is another in the range. This tea towel is 100% linen and simply gets better with age ! It holds water so well....of course you could simply frame it for something a little different !

SOME CHRISTMAS GIFTS PERHAPS ?

2011-12-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

Giving Life to Seaweed

2011-10-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

I remember only all too well my week at 'Knockadoon Marine Camp' located in Cork. I was fourteen years old, and to this day it still ranks as one of my all time favorite holidays. I learned about seaweed, upper, middle and lower zones and foraging for seaweed. Now, twenty seven years later, living in Dallas, I have rediscovered the wonders of Irish seaweed through a book called 'Irish Seaweed Kitchen' by native Irish woman, Dr Prannie Rhatigan. This book is a veritable feast for the eyes. Packed with incredible recipes, photographs and nutritional information on seaweed. Prannie was born and raised on the west coast of Ireland. In this book she reveals her experiences harvesting seaweeds with her family and explains their vital nutritional importance. We all like to eat seaweed when we dine out in Sushi Restaurants and have accepted the wide use in Asian cooking, but have we ever really given thought to the widespread availability of seaweed coming from Ireland, after all it is an island. Reading this book, Prannie's passion for this ancient source of nutrition, jumps off the page. I contacted a man in Ireland by the name of Ger Talty. Ger lives in Quilty, County Clare and is a third generation seaweed forager. I had a group of eight people from Dallas visiting Ireland and as part of their 'foodie' day in Clare, they spent the day foraging with Ger and learning how to cook with this incredible product. Ger and his family own a company called 'Spanish Point Sea Veg'They forage, dry and package the various sea weeds for consumption. As a child we used to eat dried seaweed. There was nothing unusual in that. However, I did not ever really cook or bake much with it. I simply had to try. Thanks to Ger, I had seven different bags of his 'Spanish Point Sea Veg ' and so I set about baking in my kitchen.

Leafing through Prannie's book, which has become a very good friend of mine now, I landed on her recipe for 'Banana and Alaria Loaf'. It was a Saturday morning, busy day ahead with my oldest going to his Sophomore homecoming dance, corsage to be picked up, errands to be run , all the while knowing that my boys are always hungry ! This was the perfect recipe.For those of you who love to eat Japanese wakame, then you will find this Alaria very similar. This seaweed is high in calcium and B vitamins. (wakame is used in miso soup). First I placed the Alaria on a baking sheet and dried it in the oven for a little while. In Prannie's book, there is the most beautiful bookmark, offering different suggestions for preparing the seaweed. All very easy.

For the loaf, I needed the following ingredients:3/4 oz dried Alaria2 eggs4 oz golden raisins2 tablespoons local honey (which I only use to help with allergies)3 oz Kerrygold unsalted Irish butter, melted2 tablespoons raw organic sugar8 oz all purpose flour ( I like to use King Arthur, unbleached & unbromated)2 teaspoons baking powder3 bananas, mashed

The Alaria was soaked in 1/2 pint of water for 20 minutes, covered , then simmered over a low heat for 40 minutes. Then cooled slightly.Oven was pre heated to 350 degrees F.- First the eggs were beaten in a small bowl, raisins added, allowing them to plump.- Honey was added to the seaweed and cooking liquid- Butter was melted in a saucepan , sugar added, then cooled. Honeyed mixture and soaked raisin with eggs were added.- Flour and baking powder were mixed in a large bowl.- A large tablespoon of the flour was added to the wet mixture, then the remainder was gradually folded in.- Finally, mashed bananas were added.- Mixture was poured into a 1lb loaf tin and baked for 90 minutes.While the loaf was still hot, I drizzled a little mixture of water & confectioners sugar over the top. Mmmmmm

AN IRISH SUMMER'S EVE IN DALLAS

2011-08-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 31st, the feast of St Ignatius, (the founder of the Jesuit Order) was the date for 'An Irish Summers Eve in Dallas . It was the last supper of sorts for the outgoing President of Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Rev.Philip Postell, who was moving to Arizona. Ten couples gathered on a hot summers evening. They had seen their kids through elementary school together, endured tough times, watched their boys play football, struggle with homework, succeed at homework, watched their boys discovering their passions and finding themselves. And through it all with the strong guidance from this very special man. So, as you can imagine this was a bitter sweet evening but nonetheless a special evening.

Now ,salmon is widely available here in Dallas but Irish smoked salmon is not. It seemed only fitting to pull out all the stops for this very special evening and contact a few friends. Birgitta & Peter Curtin, owners of the The Burren Smokehouse came to the rescue. They shipped their organic salmon from Co, Clare in the West of Ireland to Dallas on ice in time for our soiree. This salmon is now available in Dean & DeLuca.

Served with traditional Irish soda bread, a slather of Kerrygold Irish Butter freshly chopped Dill and a squeeze of lemon, makes this smoked salmon a meal in itself....

Before dinner began, Fr Postell gave the blessing and in his own inimitable way was able to rouse the crowd again with laughs all round.

The kitchen was a hive of activity. The way I like it ! For starters we had carrot and coriander soup with pickled carrot, a recipe shared by the 'Wild Honey Inn' in County Clare

MENU

-Roast leg of lamb with an Irish whiskey marmalade glaze
-Fingerling Potatoes
-Grilled brussels sprouts with lemon zest
-Carrot and parsnip smash
-Roasted red onions

While the guests were enjoying their dinner, I whipped up some dessert. Raspberry fool with Irish Butter Shortbreads.

DuMOL 2008 Russian River Chardonnay was poured at 'The White House' in January this year. The guest of honor was, President Hu Jintua, of the peoples republic of China. This was not the 1st appearance for DuMOL wines at state banquets. In fact it has been poured at 'Crawford Ranch' the residence of President George W Bush and at 'Camp David' when Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of England was visiting. Kerry Murphy is the proprietor of DuMOL wines and tells us there in fact over 1,000 people currently on the pre release waiting list.

Thanks to our hosts, Mr and Mrs Tom Codd, they ensured the guests were treated with rather special libations!

2000 Pascal Doquet Grand Cru Champagne
2009 DuMOl Russian River Chardonnay, 2007 Larkin Cabarnet Franc Napa Valley, 2007 DuMOL Syrah & 2009 DuMOL Pinot Noir

The wines were served with love and received with love. DuMOL proprietor Kerry Murphy explains that the berries are very small, with tight clusters of fruit. Their work is labor intensive and costs four times as much to put in as regular vineyards. Their standards are high and as a result are a favored and popular wine among the members of the prestigious 'Wine Geese Society', part of the 'American Ireland Fund'.

The teenagers moved with ease among the guests, serving, clearing and refilling water glasses. Hovering, wondering if they could catch a morsel of lamb, or a lone sprout. Watching them reminded me of 'Oliver Twist' as if they only received gruel to sustain them.

The evening was layered with Irish stories and peppered with anecdotes. Ingredients such as 'Kerrygold' butter and 'Burren Smokehouse' Salmon were sandwiched between carrots and parsnips, sprinkled with Irish methods of bread baking.

Recently I was leafing through Darina Allen's new book 'Forgotten Skills of Cooking' and I came across a recipe for tomato and apple chutney. Laced with childhood memories of eating chutney's and cheeses, I had to make this for our guests. I served this tangy chutney with 'Cashel Blue'Irish Blue Cheese. Now, if you have never had the pleasure of tasting this cheese, then there is a treat in store for you. 'Cashel Blue' is made on the Grubbs family farm in County Tipperary and is available in most 'Whole Foods'stores. As soon as you put this in your mouth, the unmistakable creamy taste of Irish milk comes through, in this blue cheese.

We finished the evening with a glass of 'Coole Swan', made from Irish cream, Irish whiskey, Madagascar Vanilla and Belgian Chocolate. Guests absolutely loved it. The bottle was modeled on the original Irish milk bottle and it got it's name 'Coole Swan' from the poem 'The WIld Swans of Coole' by the great WIlliam Butler Yeats. This glass was but a mere taste and of this award winning liqueur, so when the guests discovered they were all receiving a bottle in their goodie bags, to say they were delighted is a bit of an understatement.

A copy of 'A Kingdom of WIne', which won the Gourmand Award for the 'Best in the World Wine History Book for 2006' was also included in the goodie bag. The author, Dr Ted Murphy is a fellow Corkonian and his research on the Irish and their influence on viticulture throughout the world needs to be shared. When you open this book you begin a magical journey and discover facts and stories about the Irish that will change your view forever.

It was a lovely evening. The guests were wined and dined but most of all, the families worked together and then ate together. This Irish Summers Eve was a peek into my Ireland........

#SOULFODDER

2011-07-31T04:45:00.000-07:00

"Galway Oysters, Kerry Pies, Wexford Strawberries, West Cork cheeses, Dublin Bay prawns, Westmeath Beef, Comber potatoes...these are just a few of Ireland's most famous foods " Georgina Campbell

I came across this beautiful book called 'Ireland for Food Lovers'. It is both a cookbook and travel guide, filled with stories and photographs. Georgina is one of Irelands' leading food and hospitality writers. This was the inspiration for my next chat on Twitter ! Yes, on Twitter. There is such an incredible community of food writers, foodies, food suppliers and food lovers online.

This is my 3rd week hosting this Twitter Party. For the last two weeks I hosted it in the evening and decided to change the time to accommodate our European friends ! If you would like to join in, please do.
WHEN: Tuesday , August 2nd
TIME: 9am CST/ 10am EST 3pm (Irish Time!)
HASHTAG: #Soulfodder

A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER
1) Nothing negative
2) No selling
3) You can join in and follow the conversation a lot easier by going to tweetchat
4) REMEMBER, after the hour is over, you can always go back to the chat by simply typing in #Soulfodder and it will all be there for you.

The topic this week is 'TRAVEL' as it pertains to food. Needless to say, it doesn't have to be about 'Ireland'!

I will ask a few questions and people can answer and join in on the conversation. This is a great way to connect with people globally, make new 'Foodie Friends' and learn about other food blogs, sites and suppliers.

BIA is the Irish word for Food. Thanks to the folks at 'Bord Bia' (Irish Food Board) they have donated a copy of 'Ireland for Food Lovers' by Georgina Campbell, it will inspire you !

INSPIRED BY SPROUTS

2011-07-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read correctly, the title says 'Inspired by Sprouts' and by sprouts I mean 'Brussels Sprouts'. I cannot honestly remember a time when I did not like them. I can even eat them slightly boiled with nothing but a little white pepper. Now, that is not the case for a lot of people, I understand, so when I come across a recipe for them , especially one that I can share with others I immediately try it out. Yesterday, I was browsing through the 'Huffington Post' on line and came across this recipe for grilled brussels sprouts and they were quite simply delicious.

They were par boiled for a grand total of five minutes, drained, then tossed in onion powder, garlic powder, fresh lemon zest, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

I grilled beef on a charcoal grill, using a marinade that I also found on the same site, that was quite simply delicious. When the meat was cooked, while standing , I grilled the sprouts for four minutes turning for another four minutes, returned them to the bowl, tossed again in remaining oil and added more fresh lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Food52 is the name of this new and exciting site for foodies, chefs, cooks and generally food lovers. I also love their new service called 'In a Pickle'

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

2011-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

For 15 years now, I have been saying how great the food in Ireland is. I have been teaching cooking classes, appearing on television, writing articles and generally trying to spread the word. It is high time I clarified something. Why? In March this year, I did a series of radio interviews with FOX TALK RADIO. The responses are responses I have become all too accustomed to. "Ireland? Good Food?" I suggested a foodie tour and it was received with laughter.

Corned Beef and cabbage is an AMERICAN IRISH tradition introduced in New York. When the Irish emigrated they could not find/afford the quality ham available in Ireland , so they borrowed the Jewish tradition of brining beef. I did not dance at the crossroads and for those of you with visions of 'The Quiet Man'....well, sorry to disappoint you. The Cork Opera House, museums, vacations in Ardmore, Co Waterford were part of my youth. My mum cooked. EVERY DAY.

I will say this however. Ireland does have it's fair share of really bad cooks. Yes, we too have people that simply cannot cook. There, I said it. America has it's fair share of really bad cooks too. Does this make the food bad ?

Ireland , in my opinion , has the finest ingredients in the world. I have Irish American friends in New York who laugh about the Irish food that they grew up on. They grew up in New York. When I ask them to describe the awful fate of their food they describe the bland and boiled vegetables they received. Now, I ask you. Who's fault is that? ....by the way, this is a rhetorical question !

I visited quite a few places in Ireland that served french fries with almost everything. If I didn't ask for them, they offered them !
I visited places that are considered to be the best and let me tell you something...I will not go back.

Then, and this is where it really matters, I visited places and ate in places that make the Ingredients of Ireland so noteworthy.
One of these stops was to a place in Lisdoonvarna, Co CLare. The WIld Honey Inn. The ingredients were the stars. There was no 'personality' selling the lunch. Carrot and coriander soup made from locally sourced carrots. Nothing could be more perfect.
I ordered 'Apple Crumble' for dessert. Locally sourced apples.
I ask you. What is wrong with ordering simple meals from the sixties and seventies? Are we trying so hard to be something that we are not. On the luncheon menu, alongside the crumble was a trifle. A trifle made with local raspberries and white peaches.
This is food. No, this is good food, in fact this is great food. It tasted so good. I wanted to pay for the pleasure of eating these ingredients.

I wonder, have we become so obsessed with TV personalities and reality TV that we need this to make the food taste good?
The market seems to be absolutely flooded with foodies right now. Has it become vogue or have we turned a corner? I don't know, I'm asking you this.
There are two words that also concern me. Artisan and Passionate. They should be rationed. Have you noticed how everyone is an artisan and everyone is passionate about what they do. Some truely passionate people spring to mind for me.
Most believe that being passionate means that you absolutely love what you do. This is partly true but is not enough. I believe that passion is the absolute BELIEF in what you are doing, allowing you to persevere when naysayers let you know otherwise.
We can all look at the ladies I have mentioned below and see their cook books, TV shows, celebrity appearances and be in danger of not seeing the years and years of unwavering belief and commitment. Ladies who were ahead of their time. Ladies who wanted to bring the best of food to us and ladies who wanted to share the truth about food with us (however disdainful the truth may be at times)

Over time, I intend on sharing more about these wonderful women with you. In fact, some of them have even agreed to give away autographed copies of their books !

Myrtle Allen, Darina Allen, Georgina Campbell, Prannie Rhatigan, Suzanne Campbell, Ella McSweeney, Alice Waters to name but a few.

I remember reading this article from Saveur magazine. This was the opening quote. I think it says it all.

I was away at school when my mother told me she was opening a restaurant at our house," recalls Tim Allen, Myrtle Allen's son. "I was very excited. I thought I'd come home and have chips and mixed grills and all. I was so disappointed when I got back and discovered that she was serving the same food I'd eaten all my life." Though he didn't realize it at the time, the food Tim Allen had eaten all his life was something of an endangered species: fresh, honest Irish home cooking based on ingredients grown or raised around the house, or at least in the neighborhood. And his mother was to become the leading light of modern-day Irish cooking, a mentor and an inspiration, as important to her country's cuisine as Alice Waters was to America's.

I don't know Tim but I felt his disappointment when he didn't get the chips and mixed grills !
Every Friday, our fish came from the 'English Market'. Every Christmas we had the famous 'Cork Spiced Beef' from Donovans butchers. Early September we donned our wellie boots and gathered blackberries, went strawberry picking during the summer. My baby brother could not drink dairy so my mum sourced goats milk daily from a local farmer in Cork. New potatoes every Summer. Fresh lamb chops served with mint sauce. No sodas ! Chips were a treat.

Now, I live in the United States where sodas are consumed like water, served with every meal, and are refilled in restaurants without you even asking for it. To some Alice Waters is seen as elitist. To me, Alice Waters and Myrtle Allen are like the child in the famous fable 'The Emperors New Clothes'. Remember when the Emperor was walking down the street naked...the crowds cheering. The one child exclaiming....'But he's naked'
Yes, it really is that obvious.

Ingredients in Ireland really are that good. There are people who CANNOT cook and so give Irish Ingredients a bad name, when all it takes is a few classes !

'Forgotten Skills of Cooking ' by Darina Allen . This book is such a treat. If you want to buy someone you love something special, then look no further. Darina speaks to you in the introduction and for a moment I thought she was speaking directly to me ! You know what though, she was. She is speaking to anyone that wants to reconnect. A marvelous journey. The skills, the photography and the recipes are all waiting for you to explore. Darina is indeed from Ireland as am I but in this book she is speaking to everyone. Whether you are from Sweeden or Finland, Texas or Alabama, we all had people we learned from and still need to learn from.

Georgina Campbell is another leader and who I believe is and was ahead of her time.
'Ireland for Food Lovers' is the must have guide if you plan on visiting Ireland. Also filled with photographs, recipes and introductions to places to eat and stay.
She is a member of both the Irish and British Food Writers' Guilds. She too has written a number of cookery books and is the author of the comprehensive and critically acclaimed independently assessed guides to Ireland's best places to eat, drink and stay 'Georgina Campbell's Ireland-the Guide'

More recently Georgina has launched her own series of apps for the smart phone. By going to her web site you can browse them in the store. One of the cooking apps I urge you to look at, is one with Ireland's very own Neven Maguire. Now, you can call me biased and you would be CORRECT. I just think Neven hung the moon. I would probably buy an app of Neven teaching you how to fold laundry ! He's just a genuine nice guy and I always have time for genuine nice people. Neven Maguire is the owner of the award winning 'MacNean House and Restaurant' located in Co Cavan. He is a huge advocate for locally produced ingredients. In my humble opinion it is only a matter of time before the United States gets to know and love Neven too.

COMPETITION TIME:
Many thanks to Georgina Campbell for agreeing to award one lucky winner an autographed copy of her book 'Ireland for Food Lovers'

All you have to do is share your POSITIVE IRISH FOOD EXPERIENCE in no more than 6 sentences and submit a photo if you have one.
- It may have been during a visit to Ireland.
- It may be an Irish Ingredient you tried
- An Irish recipe you tried
- Something someone else introduced you to.

Send your details to Rachel@Rachelgaffneys.com

Competition closes September 1st 2011

Follow on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/Rachelgaffney

TIME FOR A MAKEOVER...IRISH STYLE

2011-06-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

I , or rather we, have lived in our current home since moving from Chicago to Dallas in August 2001. Over the years I have watched as people have transformed their homes into the most beautiful places to live. I have always had a picture in my head as to how I would like my home to look. I want it to reflect who we are. In other words , I don't like to hang things on the walls that don't have any meaning to us. I want the home to be just that, a home. A place that we live in. A place, that is constantly evolving. I knew I was going to need some help. At the same time, I never wanted to simply pay someone to 'decorate' my home. So, for years it was left on the back burner, ideas simmering. Now that pot has been brought to the front burner !

Throughout my travels over the last few years I have met some wonderful people. One of those people was a fashion designer in New York. Shelly Lloyd is a graduate of 'Parsons School of Design'. She spent two years working and living in Madrid, Spain as a designer for the famous 'Induyco' Brand. I knew that Shelly was very influenced by her world travel. I noticed that she had collected items from her travels and they were showcased beautifully and told a wonderful story, unlike me, where my collectibles are gathering dust! I told Shelly how much I wanted to bring our English/Irish lifestyles into our homes. (My husband being from England !)

Prior to her move to Dallas, Shelly worked for twelve years in New York as a designer for 'Ralph Lauren' sportswear Purple Label and the 'Polo Collection'. Following that, she worked as a designer for the 'Tommy Hilfiger' sportswear brand. When Shelly and I chatted over coffee she told me that she moved a lot as a child and so began her love of house design. Between her formal design education, world travel, experience with famous designers and her experience with textiles mills worldwide, her love of color then developed and evolved.

Now, Shelly has begun a new chapter of her career setting up her own design company. Allow me to introduce you to 'LEDAIRE INTERIORS'
Shelly has a different view of how it should be done. When I asked her what she was going to do differently, Shelly told me that just like fashion and style, it is always moving,changing and evolving. Shelly loves to "find new ways to bring things together"
I knew that Shelly could help me. We have already had our first two meetings. What I wasn't prepared for was that her process was just like the process I went through ten years ago designing my company logo. Back then the designers spent a lot of time asking me about me. Where I went to school, my pastimes, my summer vacations etc. Shelly spent a lot of time learning about me. Afterall, this home is for us ! Shelly has just completed projects in Florida and California for clients with South American and European backgrounds that like me want to carry their cultures and traditions into their homes in an understated way.

I am going to Ireland in June and I have been assigned a task by Shelly. To look for anything that catches my eye, a fabric sample, an Irish design, a pillowcase, ribbon, old blanket, picture.......you see? ANYTHING that catches my eye. Shelly has already prepared a mood board and design for my home, so I cannot wait to see this. I also have another task, which I hate doing, but that is for me to start the clearing process, get rid of what we don't want, either donate, sell on Craigs List and to gather all the items we may want to repurpose ! In order to be accountable I have agreed to document and photograph this process. June 13th is my next meeting with Shelly Lloyd and procrastination and I are very good friends so I had better get to work !

A FRENCH 'UNICORN' IN IRELAND

2011-05-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

It was my last day attending 'Showcase Ireland' held in Dublin last January. Hurriedly I made my way through the RDS . Walking a straight line is nigh on impossible for me. One almost needs to wear blinkers to make it through ! This , however is not a bad thing as the 'Creative Island' is a veritable feast for the senses.
One of the hidden gems in this treasure trove was a company named 'Unicorn'. The founder and designer, Sophie Rieu was born and raised in France and now resides in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Wicklow is also known as the 'Garden of Ireland' . I stopped to chat with Sophie and learn the lovely story about her designs.

Sophie was born and raised in Volvic, France. Volvic is located in the Masif Central region, (South Central France). In 1994 she moved to Ireland working as an au pair for an Irish family for ten months. An English and history degree followed and from 1994-1996, Sophie studied journalism which led to a career in public relations for Patricia McKenna, MEP for the Green Party.
Sophie's love was fashion and not surprisingly she studied Fashion Design at Grafton Academy for another 6 years or so.

I asked Sophie if this was something she always wanted to do and if she was influenced by anyone. Her answer was not surprising as most people who pursue their passions tend to have been doing it somewhere from the ages of 8 - 14 years of age. Sophie knitted as a teenager, making dolls clothes and clothing for herself. I suppose it was only a matter of time before her love became a career.

Sophie and I had one thing in common, ( actually we had a lot in common) both of us learned a lot from our grandmothers and great grandmothers. Sophie's great grandmother 'Marguerite' is the inspiration for one of her pieces. Her love of fabric and accessories shine through in this beautiful piece. A time to be a lady.

The brand 'Unicorn' is a label with a conscience, using natural fibers. Donegal and Kerry Tweeds are used as these manufacturers use yarns from sheep bred in Tipperary. These magnificent pieces of art are then lined with silk.

Is it any wonder the Crafts Council of Ireland selected 'Unicorn' to be featured on the 'Creative Island'. If you are a buyer and are looking for unusual, classy pieces for your customers then a visit to 'Showcase Ireland' and to 'Unicorn' is a must.

QUEEN ELIZABETH IN IRELAND

2011-05-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

Cork City, Ireland's 2nd City and my home plays host to Her Majesty the Queen on Friday May 20th 2011. Although I am many many miles away from home living over here in the United States, I am brimming with pride, bursting with joy and so incredibly happy for the people in Cork. The Queen will visit the historical 'English Market' located in the heart of the city. Doors opened to this market over 223 years ago in 1788.
During my final year in school, I attended a school in Washington Street Cork, known then as Doctor Paye's and every day I walked along the Grand Parade, through the doors of the 'English Market' to use it as a shortcut to get to Oliver Plunkett Street. I have to admit, there were days when the smell of the fish just made me move a little faster. Stalls were brimming with fresh produce, fresh eggs, butcher's counters , breads, poultry , home made sausages and cheeses. This was, as I mentioned, an everyday occurrence , so the word 'Foodie' was never uttered. It didn't even exist back then. No, indeed, this was the norm !

Last June, I revisited and spent the afternoon browsing, smelling and sampling. What a difference a decade makes......oh ok then a few decades make ! I ate lunch upstairs in the famous 'Farmgate Restaurant' . One thing I always notice and indeed miss when I return home for a visit is the incredible vibrancy in Cork City. The streets are always busy, and on this day the English Market was equally as busy. You know that lovely sound of people chatting, bustling, vendors calling out...life is simply happening.

The Queen will tour this historic place and be presented with a basket filled with goodies from the 'English Market'. Would you like to know whats in the basket.................?

YEAR OF CRAFT 2011

2011-02-24T05:50:00.000-08:00

"The Crafts Council of Ireland and Craft Northern Ireland have designated 2011 as Year of Craft. The year marks the 40th anniversary of the Crafts Council of Ireland and will be celebrated through a diverse range of dynamic events and programs to showcase the very best of craft made on the island of Ireland" ~ CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND.

Showcase Ireland is Ireland's largest international trade fair and this was the venue for me to launch my line of Irish kitchen textiles. Almost a year in the making , working across time zones , it seemed almost surreal seeing the textiles come to life.
I wanted to work with an Irish company, one that also makes the products in Ireland (Not China). Charles Gallen Irish Linen was that company.

Charles Gallen enters it's 141st year as a family linen business. The company has seen it's way through the empire, world wars, uprisings, depressions and the occasional boom. The company bears the name of the first owner who purchased what was then called 'The Drogheda Linen Company', in 1870. The firm remains in the hands of the Gallen family today. Their cloths cover the tables of Irish Embassies worldwide, and their pure Irish Linen sheets and pillowcases grace the beds of fine homes and exceptional hotels. When I was invited to be a guest on 'The Martha Stewart National TV Show' here in the U.S in March 2010 I was contemplating what to give Martha as a gift. I presented her with a Pure Irish Linen Damask tablecloth. She was delighted and told me how much she loves Irish Linen.

I wanted designs that were indicative of the Ireland I know, as I love to say 'My Real Ireland'. The' Boyne Spiral' was inspired by two things, my logo and company colors and a visit to the historic Newgrange in 2010. The Irish Castle was a must. The number of castles located around Ireland is staggering. From ruins to 5 star properties. The third pattern 'Irish Cupboard' features many of the ingredients I use in my cooking classes from mussels and turbot to carrots and leeks.
As I write this the prints are currently being assembled in Ireland and will be winging their way to the U.S market soon in the guise of aprons, tote bags, tea towels, oven gloves and even the long forgotten tea cosy.

I hope you enjoy.

ONCE UPON A TIME

2011-01-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

Once Upon a time there was a girl who lived in Boston...............Before I proceed, let me explain. In this day and age of negative press, recession and reality shows that tend to thrive on humiliating people there are so many people out there working extremely hard , being kind and simply sharing with others. This is one of those stories.
This time last year I met Ann Marie Maxwell from Enterprise Ireland. A government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish Enterprises in world markets. I had begun my business in 2001 here in the U.S with the plan to build a brand. 'Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland' has now become the Irish Lifestyle Company I had envisioned back then, well it's on the right path anyway !
Ann Marie listened over time and managed to connect the dots by introducing me to the people I was looking for.
I know that you all know what I am talking about when you meet people who do their job because it's 'their job' and then people who 'take pride in their work'. Huge difference. Puala Chase and Ann Marie Maxwell are two such people. They worked around the clock, enthusiasm never waning. I loved watching how excited and happy they were for everyone.Their enthusiasm was contagious. Every day I needed to check in to the Media Lounge just to see Paula smile. These two ladies represent Enterprise Ireland well but even more so...they are the ambassadors that Ireland needs today. It was my honor and pleasure to get to know them.

IRELAND JAN 23RD- JAN 26TH

2011-01-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind. I spent the first week in New York attending the Martha Stewart 'Dreamers Into Doers' Entrepreneurial event which was held at The Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Offices. The next few days were spent visiting the 'Enterprise Ireland Offices' and learning all about 'Education Ireland' which I will share later. The following week was spent in Dublin at Ireland's Premier Tradeshow where I launched my line of Irish Textiles, proud to say,'Made In Ireland'. The name of the event was 'Showcase Ireland'. This was a veritable treasure trove where Irelands premier artists,fashion designers and crafts people exhibited. I discovered some wonderful people and products and learned their stories, which I plan on sharing with you.
I need to recover from a little jet lag, compile my thoughts and upload photos & videos ! So bear with me......!

THE IRISH IN TEXAS

2011-01-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 3rd, I arrived in Austin, Texas as I was teaching an Irish cooking class at Central Market. I was early. The Capitol Building was calling me. I had visited once before, ever so briefly but had this urge to go back. Upon entering the building I noticed quite a few tour guides eagerly waiting to share their knowledge. One guide in particular caught my attention. He was talking to two boy scouts with such animation that I knew immediately he was the one ! The child in me needed someone 'who loved' what they do to share this afternoon with. I was not disappointed.

Upon walking into the Senate Chamber, I was struck by the magnificence of two paintings hanging on the walls. As my tour guide continued to talk and ask questions,I participated eagerly. His comment was quite funny ,as he said 'young lady, you must have been a good 5th grade student in Texas History'. Obviously he had not noticed my Irish accent as it was not quite what I was studying at the Ursuline Convent Cork ! However, having two boys being educated here in Dallas helps somewhat when you are helping with study ! I continued to ask more questions as I noticed in the painting ' Dawn at the Alamo'that James Bowie was very much alive and I had thought he was dead or injured by the time battle occured. That was when I learnt about H.A McCardle.

I was right, James Bowie was indeed dead or at least dying at that time but the painter had made changes. This famous battle, (although 'The Battle Of San Jacinto' is more significant) depicted the Fall Of The Alamo in March 6th 1836. There is a somewhat humorous depiction of Santa Anna himself on a donkey as little more than a caricature ! The painter had a sense of humor.

H.A McArdle was born in Belfast in 1836. His parents died when he was a teenager and he immigrated to America. He was a draftsman during the Civil War for the Confederate Navy and later he made maps for Robert E Lee. After marrying he settled in Texas and taught art at Baylor Female College. Later the President of Baylor, William Carey Crane recommended McArdle to the Governor of Texas. He was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jefferson Davis for the Capitol. McArdle moved to San Antonio and painted numerous portraits of Sam Houston. One of his portraits are on display in DeGolyer Library at SMU (Southern Methodist University)

The House of Representatives in the Texas Capitol houses 'The Settlement of Austin's Colony'. More of his work can be found across the street in the 'Texas State Library'and in Baylor University in Waco, Texas. I was so incredibly proud of this Irishman and wanted to see more. It was time to leave for Central Market but you can be sure that I was eager to share this information with all the students in the cooking school. Amazing what you learn when you look around you.............

SHARING YOUR GOLDEN MOMENT...TEA OF COURSE !

2010-12-30T04:27:00.000-08:00

As an Irishwoman living in the U.S, I frequently hear the stereotypical jokes about the Irish and their love of alcohol but rarely do I hear about our love of the other beverage........Tea ! Yes, you heard me tea. Did you know that a cup of tea solves all the problems of the world? It brings us together, we cry over a 'cuppa' and we laugh over a 'cuppa'. I moved to the U.S in 1996. When we bought our first house, needless to say we had various contractors in and out repairing and installing. I would offer them a cup of tea. Some declined politely. Others thought I was crazy offering tea in a cup. "What other way should I serve it?", I asked. "In a glass" was the reply. Of course, I had moved to Dallas, Texas, where the only tea that people drank back then (and even now to be truthful) was iced. More importantly, the difference was not in the temperature of the beverage but indeed, I, the homeowner was offering the hired help a 'Cup Of Tea' I grew up in Cork City, Southern Ireland and everyone had a cup of tea. My mum would put on the kettle to make a 'Cuppa' for the window cleaners. The man fixing the washing machine rarely began his task until he had a nice cup of tea. It's what we do. I sat for countless hours as a teenager with my friends drinking tea, planning our weekends, figuring out who we liked, and who was going out with who ! Tea became popular in 1901 and that was when James J Barry opened his first store on Bridge Street, Cork. Today BARRY'S TEA is still based in Cork and remains in the family. Growing up on BARRY'S TEA is a fond memory. When I first moved to London, I brought my tea with me. My sister now lives in London and packing the distinctive red box is a must in our home. You just can't leave Cork without it. Now, when I teach my cooking classes, I always make a pot of tea for everyone. My preference is to drink tea from a china cup or china mug. It just tastes better to me. The reaction is lovely. Warming reaction. Despite the vast array of teas here in the United States, this golden cuppa is received very well. Simply served with milk, and a spoon of sugar if you like, it is the perfect accompaniment to one of my Irish Butter shortbreads ! By now the customers from the grocery chain 'LUNDS & BYERLY'S in Minnesota know about BARRY'S TEA and I even point it out to them on the shelves. You see, over here, BARRY'S TEA is never where you would expect to find it..........in the Tea & Coffee aisle. No, this hidden treasure is found in the 'Specialty or Imported' section, nestled among products from Great Britain, Germany,France & Denmark. Look for the distinctive red box. In 1986, BARRY"S TEA launched their first TV ad and the slogan 'Every Day should have it's golden moments' was born. It has a uniquely refreshing taste and a bright, golden color. Blended from the high mountain slopes of Kenya and the Assam Valley of India. There are many flavors in the BARRY'S TEA range but I chose to write about my favorite ! Now, I urge you to share your GOLDEN MOMENT with me. Simply send me a photo and a few sentences telling me about your GOLDEN MOMENT, preferably over a cup of tea. You have until Jan 31st to submit. Then I will choose one lucky person and BARRY'S TEA will ship you a basket of goodies to your home. I have received several already on my Facebook page, so please feel free to post there also.

CHRISTMAS BAKING

2010-12-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

It all began November 30th at Central Market Houston and ended Christmas Day. I am referring to Christmas Baking. From cooking Classes to Home Baking my hands have certainly deserved a well earned rest ! Traditional Mince Pies, Christmas Pudding & Brandy Butter, pastry, Cheesecakes and shortbread cookies. My supply of Kerrygold Butter and King Arthur Flour have depleted beyond recognition. So too have my supplies of booze ! Yes, as I mention frequently on my TV cooking segments, I use a lot of booze in my food !

The traditional Pudding is soaked in Guinness & Rum, Brandy Butter is made from Hennessy Cognac , Cheesecake is soaked in Baileys and the mince meat for the mince pies is saturated in Rum & Brandy. For me, the smells of home baking are extremely nostalgic and calming. Walking into a home that actually uses its oven is one of the most welcoming feelings. Funny how many people have such updated kitchens, all the best equipment and gadgets yet you can tell that they are rarely used. How?
It's just like a butchers block. At first it's smooth and new but over time as it is used and treated it becomes a trusted piece, one where you feel confident with your butcher !
A used kitchen is a great kitchen. The aromas become part of this warm place. No matter the size it's still the heart and soul of the home. It's a gathering place and a place to ignite the senses. Over the years kitchen styles change but, thankfully the aromas remain the same...........Comforting & welcoming....

Central Market | Cooking School

2010-11-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

Central Market | Cooking School: "Rachel"

HALLOWEEN

2010-10-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

As I drive through my neighborhood every day, there are constant reminders that I need to buy my candy for the droves of 'Trick-Or-Treaters' arriving this coming Sunday ! Peoples gardens are decorated with pumpkins, giant wall spiders,trees with cob webs,tombstones and cobwebs ! Far from the Halloween I grew up with in Ireland. Costumes are a huge business as are costume parties & pumpkin carvings. An array of action heroes, princesses,fairies & Disney characters will knock for hours and the likleyhood of me seeing someone dressed in nothing more than a black garbage bag is pretty slim ! That was what I wore ! Yes, we had to make our own, so we cut slits in the garbage bag for our arms and made masks in school from empty cereal boxes.....! 'Samhain' was the name given to the ancient Celtic festival on November 1st, the first day of winter. This was a pagan festival as it is believed it began in Ireland around 100AD. 'Samhain' means end of summer and the pagans believed the spirits would return on the eve of 'Samhain', so to stave off these evil spirits they lit bonfires. Back to the pumpkins. There is a myth in Ireland which tells the story of a mean blacksmith by the name of Jack. Jack had drinks with the devil and Jack did not want to pay for the drinks so tricked the devil into transforming himself into a coin ! Jack placed the coin in his pocket next to a cross to protect himself. He bargained with the devil to leave him alone for a year and when he died to not take his soul. When Jack died ,the devil tricked him and not only was Jack refused entry into heaven but the devil also refused him entry into hell ! So, Jack was banished into the dark to forever wander. The devil threw him some burning embers from hell to light his way and Jack carved a turnip and placed the burning embers inside. He was referred to as 'Jack of the Lantern'. The Irish carved potatoes and turnips and placed a light inside to ward off evil spirits. In later years when the Irish immigrated to America they brought with them , this myth and tradition. They soon adapted using the pumpkin instead of turnips !

Centuries ago the poor of Ireland would go door to door collecting money so that when they got home they could celebrate Halloween. Fast forward to today where the kids go door to door 'Trick-or-Treating' getting goodies or loot to have when they get home !
Among the many games and customs was and still is the traditional 'Barm Brack'. In Irish it is called 'Bairin Breac'. Bairin means loaf and Breac means speckled hence the speckled loaf. Among the many games this loaf was used as a fortune telling game ! How? Well, this sweet bread loaf which was made from flour,yeast and raisins was filled with little surprises. When you had a slice there were little trinkets baked inside such as a 'Ring' which meant you would marry and be happy, 'Pea' which meant poverty, 'Bean' which signified wealth, 'Stick' which meant your husband would beat you... Lovely ! Needless to say , we all wanted the ring !
So, this year I made this 'Barm Brack' for my kids. Traditionally this is a bread, requiring yeast but there are many quick and easy recipes which make a delicious treat . Try a slice with slatherings of 'Kerrygold'butter ! .
I soak my fruit in cold tea. Each and every day I still make my pot of 'Barry's Tea',a famous Irish Tea originating from my hometown of Cork. Easy to spot in a red box in most grocery stores over here ! Of course,there was another reason I grew up on 'Barry's Tea', my family...Peter Barry was once upon a time , Minister For Foreign Affairs and my family, The Whelans, were and still huge supporters. Indeed my own mother spent many an evening campaigning for him !
When I travel around the U.S teaching in the cooking schools, I like to scout out 'Barry's Tea' and make a pot for those attending my class. Simply refreshing.
Reserve a cup and a half to soak your dried fruit in overnight.. It serves two purposes. It moistens and plumps the fruit and adds a wonderful flavor. So, later tonight my kids will have a slice of this , but I wonder if the excitement will be the same as it was for me...............?

FOTA HOUSE & GARDENS....CORK

2010-10-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, day 3 and my personal tour guides arrived to take me to Fota House & Gardens! Yes, Ted & Gary Murphy were taking me to Fota. It had been years since my last visit so I was completely surprised when they drove to Monkstown, boarded a ferry and were there in no time at all. Progress !
To be absolutely truthful, at first I simply thought we were in a traffic jam as opposed to a queue for the ferry !

Fota Island used to be a regular venue for school trips and family days out for me, but returning with the advantage of age sheds a completely different light on this magnificent place. As soon as we parked our car, I noticed throngs of kids in school buses had descended also. Had it really been that long ago since I too was a school kid. I remember wanting to get off the bus so that I could find somewhere to run wild not cherishing the idea of touring another historical home ! This time was different.

The history of Fota is intertwined with the story of the Smith Barry family whose members developed the house and estate. They first came to the area in the late 12th century as part of the Anglo-Norman invasion. We walked through the back halls and backstairs of this historical house. Meandering through this house we eventually arrived in the old kitchen, again one of my favorite places to be. There was a carousel in the middle for hanging the game brought in from the estate. In large country houses ,as much food as possible was produced at home. It had a home farm with hot houses,orchards and vegetable gardens. Huge lead-lined boxes were used for salting hams, beef and bacon. This was quite rare and is one of the signs of the outstanding quality of Fota House.

An arboretum was developed at Fota in the 1840's. It coincided with the great plant hunting expeditions that went on around the world bringing back specimens from the Orient, North West America and South America. Fota Island is very well sheltered, has a mean annual rainfall of 41 inches and has an ideal temperature range with frost being rare. A walk through these magnificent gardens is a must.

Three hours had flown by and it was time to move on. We were headed for the city. We had worked up quite an appetite and where better to eat than the 'English Market'.................

BALLINACURRA HOUSE

2010-09-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ted and Garry Murphy suggested we visit 'Ballinacurra House'. "It's just up the road" they said. This is where their son had recently had his wedding reception and they just couldn't wait for me to see this place.

When we arrived at the gates, true to it's word, it was indeed private with a security button hidden amongst the ivy. We decided Ted could do the honors !
Once inside, the drive up the avenue immediately catapulted me back to my childhood. These familiar plants were growing wild everywhere. Ferns and Fuschias in full bloom. Moss covered rocks lined the avenue given it a wooded feel.

As soon as we emerged from this wooded copse, hearing the gravel crunch beneath the tires, this bright and welcoming Irish Country mansion awaits you.

Oscar awaited us too ! Oscar was the Irish Wolfhound, a mere puppy, but to a small child, perhaps he would seem like a horse !

This prestigious 5-star estate sits on 40 acres of woodland and water. It is simply breathtaking. A mere 2 minutes from Kinsale Town, ideally located if you want to play a round of golf at the World Famous Course. 'The Old Head of Kinsale'

We were greeted by the owners Des & Lisa McGahan. They had lived in the far East for a considerable amount of time, returned to Ireland and painstakingly and lovingly restored this estate which was originally built in 1791. They explained that they were preparing for a group arriving from New York in a few days. The week before, the King Of Norway had been their guest.

What struck me most was that despite the luxurious surroundings, it had a homely feel, not the stifled feeling I have often gleaned from similar properties. Meandering through the house is like a treasure hunt. Truely it is. Each room has been individually designed. Needless to say , I ended up in the kitchen ! My favorite place in any home. The magnificent old dresser that took up the whole wall was filled with delf and I knew instantly that this farmhouse kitchen was well used. Through the kitchen windows, I could see strawberries growing along the rock wall and I couldn't help but feel the desire to work in this kitchen.

Next to the Manor House, is the 4 bedroomed stylish Coach house. If you feel the need to land your helicopter, fear not as there is a helipad nestled away for your convenience. Before I knew , it was time to leave. After thanking Des & Lisa MCgahan for their hospitality, all that remained was to seek out Oscar to bid him farewell......There we found him, on the front lawn , sleeping. After all it's a tough life here in Ballinacurra House for an Irish Wolfhound !

Reluctant to leave, somehow I knew,that I would come back..........one day !

CAISLEAN DHEASUMHAN .... DESMOND CASTLE

2010-09-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Punctual as ever, Ted Murphy and his wife Gary arrived at my parents house in Rochestown to take me around Cork for the day. Born and raised in this city, I was about to see it again through a different set of eyes. We drove the picturesque twenty minutes to Kinsale. Just parking the car took me back ! We had to park on a steep hill and it reminded me of my driving test, where you had to complete hill starts and stops and parallel parking ! As soon as we began walking, people honked their horns, rolled their windows down and wanted a word with Ted. This man was well known here in Kinsale,but as the day progressed and indeed the week I learned that he was well known everywhere in Ireland. He was loved. They loved what he had done for us. He had shown people another side to the Irish.

We sauntered down the streets to Desmond Castle, or Caislean Dheasumhan as it is known as Gaeilge (in Irish), this is what you do in Kinsale, you saunter. I think if I saw someone run, then the thought running through my mind would have to be emergency or burglary! The castle is located on 'Cork Street' in Kinsale. It was built by the Earl of Desmond , AD 1500 as a Custom House and had quite a history after that. This little castle was occupied by the Spanish in 1601 and was known locally as 'The French Prison' in 1747 after a tragic fire killed 54 French Prisoners.

Now here is something of great interest that I discovered while there. During the American War of Independence, it was used by the British to house captured American Seamen. The conditions were brutal and cruel. These American Seamen were trying to stop the British from crossing the Atlantic and in doing so were taken captive. Forton Gaol near Portsmouth and Mill Gaol between Plymouth and Plymouth Dock were the Principal Prisons in England and the 'French Prison' in Kinsale served as the princiapl prison in Ireland. A Presbyterian minister from Bandon,Co Cork, Rev John Hazlitt (originally from Kent,UK) and Reuben Harvey , Glass merchant from Kinsale were among the men who offered aid to the prisoners.

John Hazlitt moved to Bandon,from Kent for a short time and from here moved to the United States. There were many prominent Irish supporters to the American's cause. Edmund Burke, Henry Grattan, Robert Stewart and Thomas Connolly to name a few. These were all Upper Class gentry. Reuben Harvey was a middle class man.
Born on September 29th 1734 in Youghal, Co Cork. Reuben was a glass merchant and indeed was noted for selling huge volumes of glass to New York.
Reuben was instrumental in offering aid and comfort to these poor unfortunate souls.

Hanging on the wall of this little castle, in the back streets of Kinsale is one of the most marvelous pieces of history. It is quite simply put.......A THANK YOU LETTER.

From President George Washington, Head Quarters, Newbourgh,NewYork
To Mr Reuben Harvey , Merchant in Cork, Kingdom of Ireland, 10/8/1783

DAY 2 REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

2010-08-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 15th. This was the day I was spending with Ted Murphy, author of 'A Kingdom Of Wine' and his wife Garry. What a day it was, however I will write about the actual day itself later as I simply cannot launch straight into that without introducing you to this wonderful man.

Rewind back a few months to Dallas, Texas, where I now live. I was having lunch with the 'First Lady' of the American Ireland Fund, Netta Blanchard. I call her that! She is a force to be reckoned with and a networker unlike any I have known. Netta, spoke to me of this famous Cork Man. It wasn't until I was having a conversation with my Uncle that I discovered Ted was one of his oldest and closest friends ! These 2 had played many a rugby match together for Cork Constitution Rugby Club and were on the same team when they won the cup in 1967. So, needless to say when I discovered this about Ted Murphy, it made meeting this author even more exciting.

Ted Murphy is a dying breed in my opinion. Remember though , my opinion and a bus ticket won't get you very far at times, but nonetheless it is still my opinion ! His enthusiasm is contagious. When listening to his stories, they will carry you away and you can't help but want to hear more. He is the Honorary Chairman of The WineGeese Society of The Ireland Funds and founder of the Order of the Winegeese.

www.irlfunds.org/winegeese"

This labor of love was awarded 'Best in The World Wine History Book' by The Gourmand Awards in China in 2006. This book is a treat with a treasure trove of information that will stagger you. This is a must read and is available on www.amazon.com
I traveled with Ted and his wife Garry for 2 days and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. I laughed when he told me of his visit with to Maureen O'Hara;s home, not because of the visit but how his wife tripped on the steps up to her home and he cried "Mind The Wine". After all it was extremely good wine he was bringing to his host ! Garry's broken hand did eventually mend. Ted is a gentleman. Dressed every day in a sport coat and tie. An elegant Irish Gentleman. I am proud that he is an Irishman, A Cork Man and more importantly a friend.

DAY 1 REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

2010-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I had been home so I was to say the least just a little excited. I boarded American Airlines from Chicago to Dublin and the flight was short and enjoyable. Arriving in Dublin Airport , I awaited my flight to Cork to start my adventure. The Ryan Air Flight to Cork was extremely short, 45 minutes to be precise but I have to warn you, be really careful with your baggage. It is not cheap. Would you believe it cost me almost 200 Euro in excess baggage ! Cheaper to send it cargo next time ! I find it hard to fly transatlantic to a country for 10 days with only hand luggage or a small carry on. This was my first negative experience. The staff were unfortunately extremely rude and I began to wonder if this was the new and REAL IRELAND. Thankfully, this was my only bad experience . Taking the train back to Dublin solved that problem really quickly !

Upon arriving in Cork, I was extremely jet lagged and after greeting my parents, having the all important cup of 'Barry's Tea' it was off to bed for a couple hours sleep. It was a beautiful evening. Quite literally the sun was shining and the birds were signing...crows I believe, but still birds !

It seemed only fitting on such a lovely evening to go out to eat and what better than to eat by the Atlantic Ocean. We drove a short 12 miles to my old haunt, Myrtleville. I spent many a day and indeed evening here in my teen years. This is a mere 15 miles from the City and what an oasis it is. It's so true that when you live somewhere you tend to take things for granted. Even the drive to Myrtleville made me realise this. The narrow roads were adorned with ferns, hostas and fuschias. Living in Texas,taking care of hostas can be hard work and to see them in their abundance,so lush and green made me feel so alive.

As we parked our car, I felt the urge to run to the sea like I did as a child. I hated having to get our things out of the car,find a spot on the beach,wait for my suncream to be slathered on (yes, even then my mum insisted on this!)
This time, I simply walked straight to the water. Local teenagers were milling around. The girls were hiding behind the rocks, holding towels around each other for privacy ! I remembered this well, especially clenching the towel between my teeth whilst I wrestled with my togs (swimsuit)! 22 years on and it was still the same.

The smell of the salt water just draws you in. I spotted driftwood which I longed to take back to my home in Dallas but knew customs would not be as easy as years gone by. My brother, as usual, found a dog on the beach and this was his new best friend. The familiar seaweed and rock pools reminded me of our many expeditions on the rocks looking for sea urchins,periwinkles and anything else we could lay our hands on. These were all day excursions and leaving was always sad. This day too was no different. After all we had come to Myrtleville to have dinner in the infamous 'BUNNYCONNELLANS'.Again, I did not want to leave but was hungry and so were my family.

Bunny Connellans was built in 1824. This is a well known establishment among native Corkonians. My mum told us of how she and her friends used to come to Fountainstown for the weekend and go to 'BUNNYCONNELLANS' for the music and dancing. It has stayed in the O'Brien family for quite some time now. Since being there last,I noticed they had renovated it quite extensivley but oh so tastefully.
We sat outside on the patio, perched high up on the rocks over looking the majestic Atlantic Ocean. I sat just gazing out, my family chatting away. Even now, I feel tearful writing this as I miss the simplicity and beauty of this spot. The meal was all that I could ask for and more. Simple,white, clean plates of food adorned our table. For the next 10 days I was going to eat as much seafood as I could, afterall this was the best place in the world to eat fish. BUNNYCONNELLANS did not disappoint.
I ate Pan Roasted Cod with Roasted Rosemary, presented on Spring Onion Mash with Red Onion Marmalade & Chablis Cream. A nice chilled bottle of sparklling water went nicely with this summer fare.

Sitting in this perfect silence (besides the family chatter!)I noticed there was so much going on. It was busy. Isn't this an oxymoron? Peace and serenity, yet life was happening all around. Far away in the distance was the ever watchful 'Roches Point Lighthouse' , teenagers swimming in the sea below, people walking their dogs, men canooeing , cutlery chinking on the plates and all seemed just perfect. This had been a great first day. BunnyConnellans was still the same, just new and improved. I wondered what else would be the same as I traveled through the counties including Belfast over the next 10 days.................

REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

2010-08-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, its been a while since I've written but I have good reason. I decided to go back to my roots, literally go back to my roots and visit my homeland. This was an easy trip to plan with the help of the internet and an extremely useful site. WWW.DISCOVERIRELAND.COM
This is a very well thought out site with many hidden gems. I urge you to peruse.
You know, I think we assume (on both sides of the pond !) that because we speak the same language that things will somehow be the same. WWW.DISCOVERIRELAND.COM explains everything from customs,smoking bans,pets and climate. These all help to make your vacation a great vacation.
There is a tab on this site 'PLAN YOUR VISIT'. Here is where you can plan your adventure. If you go deeper into the site, you will discover
GOLDEN TREKKER . Now here is one of those hidden gems I mentioned above. If you are over 66, wait for it.......you are entitled to free travel across the Island of Ireland on mainline and commuter trains until December 31st 2010. Yes, you read correctly, FREE TRAVEL. You can also avail of the Northern Ireland Golden Trekker until September 30th 2010. I traveled by train and will chat about that later as I write about my two week adventure.
I flew from Dallas to Chicago and from Chicago to Dublin with American Airlines.
Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland but unfortunately there arent any direct flights from Dallas to Ireland.
And so began my journey. Sunday June 13th I set out to quite literally rediscover Ireland and what an adventure I had...........So come join me on my visit to Ireland and hopefully it will inspire you to visit, reconnect or simply learn some things you never even knew about my REAL IRELAND.

WHAT IS REAL ?

2010-04-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

In this fast paced society, we are always trying to 'get ahead'. Ahead of the curve, ahead of ourselves, ahead in school and ahead in business. By trying to get ahead in business we are trying to outmaneuver our colleagues and competitors.In doing so, I think we tend to loose sight of who we truely are and what we are really and truelly about. Recently I have encountered quite a bit of interest in my business. The questions I am asked frequently...."What Is Your Brand Message?" "Why the name Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland?" "What are your core values?" and so on. I understand the neccessity for building your brand or the architecture of your brand so that all who work with you can deliver your message . Whilst branding sessions are important,the simple message is often the best. So what is RACHEL GAFFNEY'S REAL IRELAND?

I was born in Cork City, in Southern Ireland in 1969. As a toddler I lived in Blackrock and was educated by the Ursuline nuns. I wore a navy blue uniform, with knee length socks,wore a gaberdine coat and beret for mass on Friday's. I played hockey and tennis and went on school trips abroad to France & Switzerland. On Saturday's, I took the number 7 bus into town to meet my fiends for coffee. I studied the Irish Language (which was mandatory in schools)along with Biology,Chemistry,World History and French. I was the oldest of four children and we all played an instrument. Not very well but nonetheless music was mandatory for a period of time in my home. I fought with my siblings. My younger sisters were often cramping my style and my baby brother could do no wrong ! I tried to get into bars with fake identification with my friends and loved to go to Rugby matches. We ate fish every Friday (like all good catholics !) and every Christmas our kitchen was a treat for the senses.I had a passion (and still do) for Irish Literature, Speech & Drama and my sisters played the violin and cello terribly ! Every Summer we rented homes on the beach either in Ardmore,Co waterford or Schull,Co Cork. I entered the Young Scientist competition and won my first cookery competition at 11 years old. I made Pineapple Upside Down Cake ! I liked to cause mischief and truthfully still do ! Manners were drilled into us. I picked blackberries in the rain. Ran away from home and only made it to my grandmothers house ! I went to my first concert in Dublin to see David Bowie. I ate raw gooseberries and suffered for it later ! I wandered the beaches looking for shells and was fascinated by tides. I can still smell the sea air. A fond memory.

I tell you this because this is who I am. I never met a leprechaun. I too watched the 'Quiet Man' with an air of nostalgia wondering who these people were !I never saw green beer until 1996 in the U.S ! Whats REAL is whats true of Ireland. The Ireland I know. You may stand at the bus stop and someone will strike up a conversation with you. This is sincere. We are a genuine people. If we are not interested we simply won't bother. Instant Gratification was not something I knew.I worked for what I had. I was by no means poor growing up but that still did not matter. I watched as my mother made one piece of meat last for two meals. This was the smart thing to do.
Although, knowing that every Monday was, 'leftover night' didn't always excite me. Stale bread was made into 'Bread & Butter Pudding' served with hot homemade custard.Education was and still is the cornerstone of the Irish Family (along with religion)

Quality resonated with my mother. I remember every Christmas getting a new 'outfit'. All four of us were fitted for our dresses,coats and trousers. Always in a boutique. My mother taught me this saying which I still live by 'Buy Cheap....Buy Twice'
Think about it for a moment. When I married, being on a bridal registry was not all that common, so I was at the mercy of our guests ! But,oh how glad I am now. This generation somehow knew that the toaster and kettle was not the gift to give. We were bestowed with gifts such as the 'Foxford Car Rug' which at the time, even I thought was a stretch. Now it is a constant companion for me. A company founded in 1892 and one that is truely associated with quality. This 100% Connemara wool rug has been to football games in Soldier Field Chicago, Rugby matches at Twickenham and even Lacrosse games in Dallas. The Pure Irish Linen tablecloth with its magnificent hem stitch has seen many a dinner party and more than its fair share of red wine spills but has washed beautifully and rewarded me with an elegant look each and every time.

Your REAL IRELAND is somewhere within you. It's what your parents taught you. Its the places you visited, the schools you went to. It's how you teach your kids and how you feed them. Its how you take pleasure from the little things. Its back to basics.
So, I guess what I am trying to say is that the REAL IRELAND is the Ireland of today. It always embraces the past and allows it to be intertwined into the present. We have come a long way. We have historically endured so much as a nation. Each and every time we bounce back. My own personal opinion is that it is in our genes. Not only do we survive but we thrive. In the words of William Butler Yeats....BEING IRISH HE HAD AN ABIDING SENSE OF TRAGEDY WHICH SUSTAINED HIM THROUGH TEMPORARY PERIODS OF JOY

Rachel Gaffney's Traditional Irish Shortbread Cheesecake | Belo Interactive Newsletters

2010-04-06T15:42:00.001-07:00

Rachel Gaffney's Traditional Irish Shortbread Cheesecake | Belo Interactive Newsletters

Posted using ShareThis

THE KINSALE I KNOW

2010-04-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Whether born and raised in Cork, Ireland or Dallas,Texas, we all have our childhood memories. At times, we are told that we are wearing rose colored glasses when recalling them but I think Mother Nature has a kind way of helping us remember.

One of my earliest memories, is the 'Sunday Drive' An excursion to break the monotony of the rainy day or a subtle way of reinforcing culture? Who knows what the reasons were for my parents, but they served us well.
Only 13 miles away from our home was the ancient historic town of Kinsale. Dubbed the 'Gourmet Capital of Ireland' this town hosts thousands of tourists each and every month. Known for it's restaurants,beaches, historical monuments and breathtaking scenery, Kinsale for me was the home of the '99' (Ice Cream Cone)and a place to run wild with my siblings . My parents parked the car at 'Charles Fort'and released all four of us. Running wild among the famous ruins, we played Hide and Go Seek, paying little or no attention to the historic significance of this once important stronghold, during 'The Siege of Kinsale' in 1601.
Climbing the walls, weaving through the ruins and all the while taking in the fresh sea air.

Immediately following this ramble was a stop at the infamous 'Bolands craft Shop' on the corner. Here we lined up for our reward. Our 99 ! A whipped vanilla ice cream cone, made from the finest Irish milk, topped with a chocolate flake. Now, a grown woman living in the U.S, I long to roam the store, foraging for Irish treasures !

Moving on, we walked to 'Actons Hotel' Here we walked along the raised walls, jumping from one to the other, ignoring the beauty of this spectacular view. Or did I? The very fact that I can now remember every detail serves me well. Actons is located in Kinsale town, overlooking the harbor. Fishing boats and sail boats fill these waters in every bright color you can imagine.

Kinsale was the town my parents took all visitors to. I have had many a walk with my siblings, my granny, my grandaunts and my French foreign exchange student !
When I was old enough to drive, it became the stomping ground for my friends and I on a Sunday afternoon. When I moved to London and brought my then boyfriend, now husband, to Ireland, Kinsale was a must see. At that time, the Old Head of Kinsale was simply that ! Now it is "The Most Spectacular Course On Earth" according to LINKS MAGAZINE 1999.

It was established in 1997, rising hundreds of feet above dramatic cliffs surrounded by the ocean on all sides. Earlier last month, when I appeared as a guest on 'The Martha Stewart Show' among all the photographs of me as a youth, the producer chose to use a picture of me with my brother, with The Old Head of Kinsale in the background.

If you go to Ireland and I strongly urge you to do so, then Kinsale is a must see. Here you will form your new memories. If you do go, then please share your memories............

FLEX YOUR MUSSELS !

2010-03-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Recently, I visited New York to appear on 'The Martha Stewart Show". March 16th to be precise. http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/traditional-irish-treats
The night before the show,Lauren Braun Costello, friend and Author of 'Notes On Cooking' and 'The Competent Cook'took me for dinner.
What a dinner it was. Our shared love of those molluscs they call Mussels was more than indulged at 'Flex Mussels'
Growing up in Cork,Southern Ireland, mussels were abundant. As a young child I used to throw them against rocks to watch them explode. At times they merely bounced back in to the sea ! Now, living in Dallas,Texas,I cringe at the thought of the waste.
The Blue Mussel is a native of Irish waters. Our temperate climate is ideal for them to thrive in the cold water. Mussels are fast becoming more and more popular,for their sweet meaty taste. They are packed with protein and easy to prepare.

'Flex Mussels'located in the Upper East side is a gem of a restaurant. Lauren and I shared a goat cheese salad with simple greens,roasted beets,candied walnuts,apples and a citrus vinaigrette.
They (Flex Mussels) source their mussels fresh from Prince Edward Island,Canada.
Like Mussels in Ireland,these too are cultivated. Why is this a good thing?
Unlike the mussels I had as a young child, the mussels are grown on a vertical rope/strand which means they do not touch the seabed. They tend to be free of grit and sand !
For my entree, I had Bombay Mussels. They came in a large pot,infused with Indian Curry,garlic,cinnamon,star anise and white wine. An abundant suppply of fresh bread made for lots of dipping !
For dessert we ate their famous home made doughnuts. Rarely does a meal leave me so happy and suffering from such withdrawal ! I urge you to try 'Flex Mussels' 174 E82nd St, NY

An Irish recipe for success: Chef Gaffney's soda bread | Irish Food and Irish Drink | IrishCentral

2010-03-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

An Irish recipe for success: Chef Gaffney's soda bread | Irish Food and Irish Drink | IrishCentral

MARTHA STEWARTS DREAMERS INTO DOERS at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-03-13T07:28:00.001-08:00

From January 2010......Dreamers in New York

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

WHAT IS YOUR BRAND?

2010-03-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

On days like today, the following scribbling is often a reflection of the swirling activity in my mind and writing it seems to be somewhat cathartic ! As I revisit the world of raising capitol for my business I seem to be faced with many, who really dont seem to understand my brand. Am I not explaining it well? Is it not there in black and white or is customer service something that seems so basic to individuals that it is overlooked?
Born and raised in Ireland, I was never a stranger to hard work. My father ran a chain of 'Newsagents' as they were called then. From an early age, I stocked shelves,cleaned floors, wiped down counters and put out the newspapers. Not so glamorous. I watched or rather lived the customer experience through my father. He was and still is the shining example of what large companies such as 'Nordstrom' adopt for their brand............
One of the shops my father owned was located in the Mardyke Parade, Cork City. Extremely lucrative at the time as it was next to a hospital and University College Cork Campus. These were the days , long before gift shops in hospitals and vending machines on college campus ! Also nearby was a shelter for battered women. I was acutely aware that my father treated every single person with the respect they deserved. The person buying flowers and chocolates for the patient did not take precedence over the homeless woman spending 5p on a lollipop for her child.
Gaffney's in Cork was a brand in my mind like Nordstrom. It was the customers experience.
From here, I worked in a butchers at the age of 18 slicing meat, whilst still studying.My father told me that if you are going to slice meat for a living, "Be the best meat slicer there is" He was so right. Take pride in your work. The customer will feel this.
In 1990, I moved to London and worked for 'The London Tara Hotel' which was owned then by 'Aer Lingus' , the Irish Airline. Standards were high. Training was rigorous. They mirrored the standards my father Tony Gaffney instilled in me.
In 1992, in walked the Director for Marketing Services for Coca Cola Great Britain. It was late at night and my shift was almost over. I remember this American all too well. Tired and agitated. With every reason to be. His family were stranded in Paris. They were being transferred to London and there had been a hiccup with Visas. Not knowing this at the time, I was ready to leave. This man had to be checked in. At the time he did not have access to a bank account etc. I was also a cashier. At that moment in time I made a decision. I did not call a manager. This man needed my help. At best I was going to help him, at worst he was a scam artist and I would be down money in my till.
However , having spent years growing up with my father and working under the management of Eoin Dillon (London Tara) I felt safe to make my own decision for this customer. This is why I mention Nordstrom. 2 years ago when I was struggling to pay bills for my business, I took another job working at Nordstrom working evenings and weekends. Having climbed the ranks in Sales & Marketing over the years, it was at first a little tough to go back into basic customer service training. I decided that I needed to learn something here. I did. I learned that Nordstrom is not a good store because their Chanel make up is better than that of Neiman Marcus !
The customer matters...............End of story. Yes, it really is that simple.
Now as the owner of my own company, Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland my brand is everything to me. My brand will tell a story. The people working for me are my brand. More than the logo and the color scheme. Whilst,these are important to me, the experience my customer receives is in actual fact the brand.

In case you are wondering, the Director for Marketing Services for Coca Cola Great Britain moved back to the United States to become National Vice President, Sales for Hills Pet Nutrition, then Vice President National Accounts for Coors Brewing Company. How do I know this about Peter Leahy? Peter Leahy,is now partner and COO for Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland

DEBUNKING THE IRISH SODA BREAD MYTH !

2010-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

When St Patricks Day approaches, the stores beging to stock their shelves with 'Irish Soda Bread'. Only one small problem..........It's NOT IRISH SODA BREAD !
Nope, sorry to burst your bubble but it simply isn't Traditional Irish Soda Bread! Consider it's origins. We were a poor nation. This was an easy to make all-in-one mixture that was made with buttermilk. Buttermilk being a by product when making butter. Wholemeal flour was more widely available. Baking Soda was added as a leavining agent.
The average Irish home in the 1800's did not have an oven so thay baked the bread in a pot known as a 'Bastible'. This pot was hung/suspended over an open fire and baked.
Raisins were never used. These were imported and if anything were a luxury for the Irish. When white flour was added, this was indeed for a special occassion.
There are various myths/reasons behind the sign of the cross. Some think it was done to "let the devil out". Others say it made it easier to divide and was a symbol for "Breaking Bread". Being a catholic country, I'm pretty sure it did indeed have religious implications, however the baker in me also says it had a lot to do with the chemistry of baking........distribution of heat !

Recently, I gave the recipe to Chef and Cook Book Author Lauren Braun Costello. Lauren has written 'Notes On Cooking' and 'The Competent Cook'. Founder of Gotham Caterers, she has also worked as a private chef,culinary instructor,recipe tester for 'The joy of Cooking' food stylist for 'The Early Show' and has appeared on 'The View'. I asked her to let me know what she thought of this recipe when she made it.
So, true to her word she did !
We both made the bread last week. Lauren in snowy New York and I in snowy Dallas !
Here is what she wrote.

"IRISH SODA BREAD IN THE BIG APPLE............This bread screams 'hearty' from the outside in. It's nutty and earthy flavor is a far cry from the currant and caraway-studded sweet bread we consider, perhaps erroneously, to be Irish Soda Bread. This authentic version has an honest,unambiguous taste of a rugged and rich homeland. Just good,old fashioned BREAD! And with a healthy spreading of salted Irish Butter...lets just say it won't last long. But that's ok. It's easier than pie to make!"

INGREDIENTS
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 teaspoons rolled oats.........plus 2 teaspoons rolled oats for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 quart buttermilk

METHOD
Pre Heat Oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add liquid ingredients. Mix together well, trying not to handle too much. Form a ball gently with your floured hands. Do not work this bread like traditional yeast breads. Sprinkle with remaining oats.Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, make a cross in the bread with a sharp paring knife and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Enjoy............

My Montage 1/30/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-01-30T17:23:00.001-08:00

Click here to view slides from the MARTHA STEWART 'Dreamers Into Doers' trip to New York, Jan 2010

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2010-01-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, food is my love, actually food is my passion. It comes in so many forms. For the most part,my days are consumed with feeding my family and not always 'Dinner Parties' and 'Cooking Classes'! Recently I was in Minneapolis teaching a class and was making 'Lamb Follain' (Follain is the Irish word for wild or wholesome) During this class a gentleman from the front row commented that my husband must be a lucky man ! Of course,he assumed that my husband was indeed being served this food on a daily basis and this man was ready to leave his wife for me !
Not so fast ! I quckly corrected him,and explained that he doesn't receive this food on a daily basis. My family get 'Shepherds Pie', 'Stews'and of course the infamous Take Out'as I have two very active boys and cannot be in the kitchen all the time.
What they do get however, as an ingredient,is me.

To some this may sound a little trite, but I have never been more serious in my life. When you put yourself 'into' something it is always better.You can just taste it.All that matters to me is that the people eating it enjoy it.
Yesterday morning,I decided to start dinner at 8am because I had a busy day ahead which included reading a book that afternoon (reason for this blog post)collecting the kids from school, basketball practise,conference call with New York oh and did I mention that my husband was out of town, wish the gentleman from the front row could have been with me !

In making my 'Shepherds Pie' yesterday morning, I needed black pepper. I had run out so ,when refilling my mill, I got a little carried away. I purchase my black pepper in bulk as I use it constantly,(even my 12 year old is a pepper mill freak) When emptying the pepper corns into the mill, I spilled many. I decided to look through my hoard of empty jars and look for one that would hold them instead of the utilitarian container it came in. The visual filled me with such pleasure. I tell you this because even the seemingly mundane task of filling a peppermill can be something more for me.I loved to see the array of peppercorns layered in my new jar!Do what you love. When you do what you love,I think you do it well.

So, the book. Yes the book. I am going to New York next week and through a friend I was introduced to a lady by the name of Lauren Braun Costello. This is a lady I have not met ,but I feel like I know her well. She was the owner and Executive Chef of Gotham Caterers in New York, Recipe tester for the 75th anniversary edition of 'Joy Of Cooking',culinary producer,food stylist and so on. Her accolades are many.
Yesterday I picked up and read in it's entirity her book 'Notes On Cooking'
I sat in the coffee shop by myself,watched the world go by and read her book cover to cover .This book does not contain recipes ."Notes on Cooking is an essential primer of immediately useful and utterly relevant guidance that can help anyone become a better cook-without a single recipe" as it says in the inside jacket.
Note #16 was it for me "Don't TRY to be different" I love this and live this. Referring to openeing sentence regarding passion,when you are also doing what you believe you really never need to be'on' so to speak.

Why did I waffle along about my peppermill earlier? As I sat there with my coffee I came to #17 "Embrace The Mundane". Lauren tells us to "not bemoan the pedestrian tasks.Find pleasure in peeling a carrot,steaming rice,searing a steak,prepping,cleaning"
CLEANING,CLEANING??!! When I had finsihed preparing my dinner yesterday,I cleaned my countertops with 'Dettol'. For any Irish people reading this,you will know this trusty cleaner all too well! I find it in the import stores and costs more than a bottle of wine,but gives me huge pleasure! It reminds me of the home I grew up in.Quite literally,I inhale the fresh clean smell as I go,igniting my senses.

Our senses reward us when we allow them to. Lauren's book not only made me realise that it was perfectly ok to be excited about peppercorns and a bottle of Dettol! There are 192 notes in this book, and 16 & 17 did this for me,imagine what they can do for you..............I urge you to reward yourself by reading her book.

THE GIFTS KEEP COMING

2010-01-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

This morning,when I opened my email, I received confirmation from ANCHOR HOCKING stating that they had shipped out 3 pallets of product to the 'Safe Horizon' shelter in New York. They have graciously donated 24 sets of Bakeware, 24 sets of Mixing Bowls and 24 sets of glassware. Thank You so much Anchor Hocking. For this cook, I must admit to being more than surprised by the fresh and new updated look to their products. Who knew they had so much to offer. Dont forget to check out their web site. http://www.anchorhocking.com/

Another shout out must indeed go to the fabulous Mike Michalowicz aka 'The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur'. I kid you not. Mike has a wonderful web site www.thetoiletpaperentrepreneur.com. Mike's down to earth and more importantly, very real look at business is refreshing,funny and oh so honest! Mike has been a frequent guest on CNBC's 'The Big Idea' by Donny Deutsch. Mike has been there and done that. Started a business, struggled ,toiled hard and sold businesses.
He too has agreed to donate to the shelter. He has already shipped 55 Inspirational books to the shelter for each and every women to have. He will also be meeting with the Dreamers in New York and giving each and every one a copy also.
This is beginning to look like Oprah's Favorite things !!!!

Lastly,I want to say "Thank You" to Stephen Redford Sales & Marketing Director at the Hotel Indigo in Chelsea,New York for agreeing to arrange a special rate for us Dreamers. Ladies will be arriving at the hotel on Monday Jan 18th and I'm pretty sure more than 1 or 2 will be meeting in the Rooftop Bar...............

ONE LIFE CAN SURELY TOUCH ANOTHER

2010-01-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

Well,the countdown is on. 12 more days before the Dreamers meet in New York ! What began as a simple idea has spun into what can only be described as 'Charlottes Web'
Each and every woman, around the country has toiled away in their own area of expertise. In my earlier ramblings I talked about how this group of 'Dreamers' decided to meet in New York. We are now 12 days away from this event. On Tuesday Jan 19th I will be teaching a cooking class in Martha Stewart Omnimedia's building in Chelsea along with Lisa Umansky from Polka Dot Pound Cake http://polkadotpoundcake.com/
During the cooking class we will be making food that will be served for an 'Afternoon Tea' that afternoon for all 40 Dreamers and for the women from the 'Safe Horizon' shelter in New York.
This afternoon is one that should be filled with promise,inspiration and even a few tears, I should suspect.
Through the Martha Stewart web site 'Dreamers Into Doers'we have all gotten to know each other just a litle bit more.
I know that Terry Grahl, who lives in Michigan,began 'Enchanted Makeovers' ,forsaking her succesful Interior Design business for those that needed a new start. http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/dynamic/?page=87
I know that Peggy Gaffney,my namesake has visited Ireland with a group of nuns and has shared her wonderful memories with me.!I know too that Peggy, who owns Kanine Knits will be speaking at the event talking about her experience , turning a struggle into a profit http://www.kanineknits.com/k_knits.htm
Just yesterday, I spoke with Kathy Hamrick in West Virginia. Kathy owns Ms Mollys Appalachian Salsa. We initially spoke, because I will be using her wonderful Salsa & her hot peppered jelly with nice warm fresh Irish Soda Bread. I think it's ok for me to say that we connected on so many more levels. We are both mothers of 2 boys and Kathy has the years of experience that simply left me wanting more. Kathy has had her hardships too. We have both experienced what it is truely like to stay TRUE to your product. So many ways of making it cheaper, or so they tell us!!! If , of course we dont use REAL ingredients. Kathy has experienced personal injury in her own life, leaving her with a disability and a formidable spirit.
Jolene Mack, located in PA runs many businesses including her event planning business and her infamous Bed & Breakfast bungalow 'Quite The Stir' in historic Gettysburg.
Jolene too, has a formidable spirit. Funny how we are all intertwined, or is it?
Just last December, I visited Minneapolis to teach a cooking class in 'Lunds & Byerly's' culinary school. Prior to the class, I had lunch with the fabulous Kim Lampe aka 'The B*A*G Lady' http://believeactgo.blogspot.com/
Kim is connected to Terry in Michigan etc etc etc...AND NOW we are ALL connected.
OK,I surely met my sister ! The secret is out, I discovered that Kim shares the same fettish as me, yes you guessed it we both have this insatiable desire,need & lust for RUBBER !!!!!!!!!! When I was pregnant with my second, I used to wander through the car tire department in Sears just to touch,feel and smell the rubber. Now, how we discovered this about each other, I will surely never know.
This is of course,is just the beginning of the journey. I have a feeling this will evolve even more. There are more Dreamers, many more Dreamers and donors and sponsors,whom I will get to soon. Keep Dreaming people...just keep dreaming.

DREAMERS HEADED TO NEW YORK

2009-12-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

When I joined the group DREAMERS INTO DOERS through the MARTHA STEWART SITE, I had no idea what was in store for me! All those months ago, I became a member of this group of over 3,800 amazing ladies. A site that promotes dreaming. If you can dream it, then you can surely do it !

As I joined various groups, popping in and out of conversations, looking at other womens web sites, one in particular caught my eye. DREAMERS GETTING TOGETHER started by none other than my now long distance good friend Jolene Mack. Jolene has a passion for the 1940's. This passion led her to open 'Quite The Stir' 1940's inspired bungalow in Gettysburg, PA. You can read her blog and check out her bungalow. http://www.quitethestir.com/

Also an event planner, Jolene thought it might be a nice idea for us Dreamers to get together in New York to meet. And so began the journey. A thread of emails and comments followed between some of us back in September. Back and forth we went coming up with ideas and suggestions as to when and how we should meet. How could we give back? Although all of us own our own businesses and still work hard and continue to strive, we also feel blessed to be able to do so.

So we contacted the producer of the Martha Stewart site, Alexis Tirado and asked if we could get tickets to attend the Martha Stewart show in New York as a group of Dreamers. And so we waited. Finally, the confirmation came through. Yes, we can have tickets to the show and we needed to finalise the number of Dreamers attending. Then along comes another Dreamer, already a member of the site, called Terry Grahl.
Terry began 'Enchanted Makeovers' a registered 501 (c)3 based in Michigan. Enchanted Makeovers transforms shelters for women and children into places of peace and possibilities. They believe that the women and children who go there shouldn't have to sleep in a place that looks like they feel. You must go and check out her site also. http://www.terrysenchantedcottage.com/

Now we have our trio. JOLENE MACK, RACHEL GAFFNEY & TERRY GRAHL.
This trip to New York has taken on a whole new life. It's simply wonderful. The meeting will now span over 2 days in Manhattan. We will all be visiting a womens shelter in New York and sharing our message of hope and giving back. The list of Dreamers is growing and by tomorrow we will have our final number of attendees for the fabulous ALEXIS TIRADO (Martha Stewart). From here, this amazing journey and trip will be documented. I intend on writing about this journey, featuring amazing Dreamers along the way. Our goal and dream is to fill a 26ft UHAUL with goodies for this shelter. We will travel to the shelter after the show and I will co-ordinate the Afternoon Tea for the shelter. We will have tours of the Martha Stewart Studios, offices and will be having Cooking Demos in her Kitchens ! My buddy and mentor Mike Michalowicz, aka 'The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur' will be coming to the Martha Stewart Omni Media offices to talk to the Dreamers about their businesses. www.thetoiletpaperentrepreneur.com
We will be looking for donations of PJ's, Blankets,Pillows,Cosmetics,Hairbrushes etc.
As we receive them, we will give a shout out on the sites as a way of thanking people and their businesses. Jolene, planner extraordinaire will be co-ordinating and Terry will be the Shelter Contact.
So, come follow me and the other Dreamers on this amazing journey to Manhattan in January 2010.
Below, is the release from the Martha Stewart site.
http://email.secureserver.net/webmail.php?folder=INBOX&firstMessage=1

TRADITION

2009-11-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

As we approach Thanksgiving, we are acutely aware, Christmas is following hot on it's tail ! Advertisers will have us all a panic, with the ever popular countdown, reminding us that we can begin our shopping with doorbusters at 5am!
So....we scurry obediently, doing their will, truely forgetting the meaning of Christmas. Now, dont get me wrong, I too love to open those ornately wrapped gifts that I have always thought America does best ! Sorry Ireland, I love you, but remember when we used to save last years paper with sellotape still on it and part of the pattern missing ! Sometimes, if you were lucky you even got a recyled gold bow that looked like someone sat on ! I know, I know,it was and still is expensive, but as a child you just simply recognised a beautifully wrapped gift.

This was especially true for me. My godmother, 'Auntie Pat' was a gift to me. This is my mums' sister who, back then used to travel quite a bit to the United States. I was the lucky one ! She was MY godmother, so I got the beautifully wrapped gifts. It could have had a toothbrush in there for all I cared, all I knew is that it WAS always wrapped beautifully ! Although, there never was a toothbrush in there. They were always special. My first make up ever was from 'Auntie Pat'. Memories. Really great memories.

My mum is a very special lady. She embodies all that is gracious in a lady. She made Christmas so special. Tradition is part of everyone's Christmas and 'Plum Pudding' or 'Christmas Pudding' was and still is one of those very special traditions. Every year she made these from scratch. No fewer than 13 ingredients, sometimes more. Ingredients such as suet,flour,mixed spice, raisins,to name but a few (I will post a recipe later) filled the bowl. This was one of my favorite times of the year. All the dried ingredients were placed in a large mixing bowl and covered with a tea towel overnight. Oh, the smell of the fresh breadcrumbs blending with mixed spice. Next came the wet ingredients. The addition of Guinness & Rum ! No better ingredients....

Once all the ingredients were combined, next came the ceremonial stirring. Yes, you heard me,the ceremonial stirring ! Each and every one of us (4kids) took a turn to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon. When you did this you could make a wish. The direction of the stir also mattered, East to West , honoring the 3 Wise Men.
Some say the 13 ingredients represent Christ and his disciples. Whether it be true or not it's a tradition. Tradition , passing on from one generation to the next. And, if, like my mum you pass on the tradition of family, love and respect then there is no need to rush for your 5am doorbusters!

COINCIDENCE..OR NOT?

2009-11-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, I awoke early and really wanted to read something familiar. An old favorite perhaps. For some reason , I had this burning desire to read one of my favorites. Brian Friel. One of the great Irish Playwrights. Brian Friel was born in Northern Ireland in 1929 and co-founded the 'Field Day Theatre' in Derry.

From a very young age I have had a love of Literature,Theatre and Speech & Drama. So much so that I spent 10 yrs studying with the London College of Music. At 17yrs of age, I fell in love with the writings of Brian Friel. I chose 'Lovers' for my exam. Made up of two parts, 'Winners' & 'Losers'

Here I was, this catholic girl performing 'Lovers'........The story of a young teenage couple in Northern Ireland preparing for their final exams, known then as the 'Leaving Certificate' In this scene, I played the part of Mag, a 17year old girl who was pregnant. Pretty controversial at best ! A piece of writng that is bold to say the least.

According to my mother, I have been somewhat of a recalcitrant from an early age ! I learned from the best.....Who? The Irish people of course. Growing up there, you are part of a mind set that is, in my opinion a gift. Always questioning, always creating and always wondering .

Successful businesses are not created. Like energy, passion and innovation can neither be created or destroyed. I give much deserved thanks to the great artists, playwrights and literary greats that I was exposed to at an early age. Through the medium of the arts we learn creativity, encouragement to think both technically and critically and as a result can apply these skills throughout our daily life.

So, just before I sat to write this blog,( already knowing I was going to write about Brian Friel )I opened a few emails and received one from a friend by the name of Dennis Lonergan in Minneapolis. Dennis was telling me that he was attending the Guthrie Theater that night to see Brian Friels, 'Faith Healer'
Coincidence or not............?
Thanks Dennis, now I'm headed North.........

HALLOWEEN IN IRELAND

2009-10-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Now that I live in the U.S, I think that I must have been deprived as a child ! Costume stores are prolific ! To think that geography deprived me of the ability to be Wonder Woman ! No, I had none of these luxuries. I did my best with the black plastic rubbish bag (garbage)cutting slits in the top for my arms and to think that we were not as inventive as kids today to use pillow cases, to carry a larger loot ! A "Quinnsworth" plastic bag had to suffice (for those of you Corkonians, at the time ,my mum didn't shop at Dunnes Stores!) Although, had we used the pillow cases, I'm pretty sure they would have been pretty empty! Lots of dark houses, where no one was home......

Halloween for me was completely different to the Halloween my kids experience. The history and tradition behind it will explain why. The attitude will be more easily understood.

Samhain, (pronounced Sow-In) was in fact for the Celts the beginning of a new year. November marked , the start of a cold and dark winter. October 31st saw the abundance of bonfires, where the druids or celtic priests wore animal heads and skins as costumes. They believed that October 31st was the eve where the spirits from another world crossed over. They burned crops and often sacrificed animals. On this eve they used this to tell fortunes and try to predict the future.

As time went by eventually the Romans invaded. For those of you who have seen Monty Pythons 'Life of Brian' there is a scene where John Cleese is asking "what have the Romans done for us"? Well, besides education,aquaducts,sanitation etc the Romans celebrated Pomona. She was the goddess of fruit and trees, hence they used apples............Following? Bobbing for Apples ??!!

On Halloween night, Trick or Treating was pretty much shunned, my mother saw it as begging! You see how deprived I was.....
I thought this was absurd as a child, but tradition is a strong thing ! This belief ,in actual fact had merit. Long ago there was a thing called 'Souling' . Generally children and the poor would go from house to house singing a song in exchange for a cake. For every cake received it was believed that a soul was freed from purgatory. The cake was made with raisins , currants, nutmeg and ginger.

As I got older, I could put all the pieces of this puzzle together. We ate "BARM BRACK" and "BOBBED FOR APPLES" but were not permitted to Trick or Treat.
"BARM BRACK" was and still is a wonderful tea loaf. It is made by soaking the fruits overnight in tea. The really special thing about this BARM BRACK or as it is called in Irish "Bairin Brack" (Bairin meaning loaf & Brack meaning speckled) were the surprises inside.

When you had a slice, there was a surprise baked into the loaf. A Pea,Stick,Coin,Ring,Piece of Cloth and sometimes a medallion with the Virgin Mary on it.
They all had a meaning.

Pea- You would not marry
Stick- To Beat Your wife with (indicating strife)
Coin- Rich
Ring- you would marry or find your partner within the year
Piece Of Cloth- Poverty
Medallion- you would join the Priesthood or Convent.

Funnily enough I never got the medallion ! We all know from one of my recent blogs, even the nuns didnt want me!! We waited with baited breath to get the ring...........!

So, even though I never got the chance to be "Wonder Woman" for Halloween, I am indeed such a happy woman to understand the meanings behind "Bobbing For Apples" ,"Trick or Treating" and "Barm Brack"

DREAMERS INTO DOERS

2009-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago, I joined a group called "Dreamers Into Doers" through MarthaStewart's web site. This has been a great place for me to meet other women who have , like me , started their own business. From here there are sub groups. One of which I have started, looking for Irish stories and experiences. The group I want to tell you all about today is the group of 17 of us that all want to meet together in New York sometime in January or February.

The plan is for us all to meet as a group of Female Entrepreneurs at the Martha Stewart Studios in Chelsea, New York. Makes sense, as we all met through her Omni Media site.
To do this of course, takes some considerable co-ordinating, to say the least.
North and South will meet East and West ! From here, my goal is to document this journey, along the way looking for help & advice and hopefully we can inspire other women to get up and just do what they love.

We have already requested tickets for the show and as soon as we secure these.....Wer'e off.................Oh and did I mention ? We are all TRUE ENTREPRENEURS, roughly translated we are doing this with little or no money ! Lets see how we can all help each other. I will start writing about all the members of the group, their journey,their business and how we are all helping each other. If you want to be updated, just register as a follower below and you will be informed. Lets continue dreaming and doing !..............
Slainte..........(Irish for your good health)

Rachel Gaffney

HEART & DRIVE

2009-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

This week saw yet another meeting with investors. This has been an ongoing experience and whilst each time , each is just a little bit different, they are essentially all the same. An investor, rightly so , is investing in a business , to make money. Thats why they are called Investors!
The bottom line is the only thing that matters. This is merely a statement of fact.

This week I was faced with the statement that a 50% margin is optimum. My arguement is that 40% of $6, is better than 50% of $3. The retort was that they would prefer the 50 margin. Volume. Volume is the reason. Volume based business produces the margins that people want.
To achieve volume, something has to give. In my experience it is ALWAYS quality and integrity.
I would have to compromise on quality of ingredients used, ink on the packaging,faster baking times etc etc etc. The end result will indeed be a much cheaper product with a 50% margin but nonetheless a new product. Now you will have an institutionalised, generic product. Oh, and one that tastes pretty bad, with ingredients that are also known to be throughout the rest of the world as carcinogenic, but can still be used legally in the U.S. I talk about flour. Yes flour.

My passion for my business is about Ireland. To Educate & Entertain the U.S about Ireland. The REAL IRELAND, through the RACHEL GAFFNEY BRAND of products. To do this, I need to stay focused and committed to my original plan. Passion is indeed a great trait and one that is often overlooked. To me, passion is belief. Belief in your message and how you achieve this goal.

Money is of course one of the very neccessary components to this business and finding the right investor is key. One that gets it. One that understands that true committment to quality means you cannot take shortcuts. These are not common but are however out there. I know it.

To be successful you must also surround yourself with good people. People who are good at what they do. People who inspire and motivate you. I have done this. Every time I feel just that little bit down, dejected or hopeless, I turn to them. They come in many forms. From my colleague Peter Leahy, who has over 30 years in consumer goods from Coca Cola to Coors, but has this unwavering loyalty and belief in what I do. And so , for him, I must keep going. The Culinary Shop Manager at Lunds & Byerly's in Minneapolis/St Paul who loves my product and talks about it with such fervor. To Laura Vella, ex procurement for Whole Foods/HEB & Central Market who is now with Bloom stores and supports me 100%. To the buyers around the U.S that wish to purchase the Irish Butter Shortbreads. For these too, I must continue.

Heart & Drive are at the core here. Once upon a time a French Priest by the name Fr Edward Sorin and 7 others purchased 524 acres in Southbend Indiana in 1842. Between 1830 and 1844 the Irish endured Anti-Irish riots and prejudice. Such Catholic Colleges and Universities as Fordham, Villanova, Holy Cross and Notre Dame would ensure that the Irish, who were finding their way in the U.S , would receive a world class education, as too would their children and grandchildren.
We all know the infamous story about Rudy Ruettiger. At 5' 6", lacking talent,position,grades and money managed to live his dream of going to Notre Dame.
That very same University was destroyed by fire in 1879 and Fr Sorin's indomitable will told him to rebuild and continue. He too was faced with obstacles. Huge obstacels.

In business my mentor ( and who I know call friend!) Mike Michalowicz, author of "The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur", refers to this as tacking. He describes this in his book, which is now my bible. Here he relates it to sailing. A sailor needs to know where he is in relation to his destination. He has to overcome winds, other boats, no wind etc and tack accordingly. Mikes Heart & Drive is almost tangible in this book. This is indeed the reason I was drawn to him and consider him to be one of the people I surround myself with. http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/

Septembers, edition of "Forbes Life" , "The Style Issue" has a very poignant Editor's Note. In it, Gary Walther discusses how they "unveiled a magazine with an editorial and graphic format that conveyed our new emphasis on luxury lifestyle." One year ago this was not a good time to be spending more when others were spending less! Here is an example of Mike's "Tacking"
December of 2008 , the cover said "Quality Still Counts."
http://www.forbes.com/forbes-life-magazine/2009/0921/editors-note-one-year-on.html
This is a MUST READ article. He talks about "goods that have staying power because they're made of superior materials, are well crafted,embody tradition and pedigree................"

I couldn't agree more. My mother always said "Buy cheap, Buy Twice" Thanks to Margot Gaffney !!!! My mission is to bring products that are of superior quality to the U.S.
The Traditional Irish Butter Shortbread is merely an entree for this emerging brand. It will take a lot of work (4 years to date) perseverance, refusal to compromise on standards, strong will, mistakes, guts, and determination. Frank McCourt, the brilliant English high school teacher, also author of "Angelas Ashes" "Tis" and "Teacher Man" said "Doggedness is not as glamorous as ambition or talent or intellect or charm, but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights"

We live in a society of instant gratification. Work ethic is diminshing. Credit is high. Have we lost our Heart & Drive? Is this what the Irish Diaspora's legacy is to be? We have seen what has happened when people have made decisions at corporate levels that were based on immediate needs and wants. Taking on loans etc that they knew could be passed on. We must not expect anymore. It cannot simply be given to us. We are becoming a generation of 'handouts'. Simply put , we need to work. Get up of our bums and work hard. It takes time. It takes "Heart & Drive". For Gods sake, how do we expect our kids to get it if we don't set the example. Is this how we are to honor generations before us? I need to be careful here, almost becoming a political rant!!

Heart & Drive is at the core for me. This is, in my opinion , what separates failure from success. Always dreaming, always thinking, always doing and always tacking.......................................!

ARTHURS DAY

2009-09-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today, celebrations have been planned in Dublin at exactly 17.59. Why this time? Well, glasses will be raised to celebrate the historical signing of Guinness' lease at St James Gate,Dublin in 1759.
Arthur Guinness secured its lease for 9,000 years at a cost of 45pounds per annum!
Guinness is now owned by the Multinational company Diageo and they have dubbed today "Arthurs Day" to commemorate 250 years since Arthur Guinness went into business.
Once upon a time, Guinnes used the slogan "Guinness is Good For You"
Nowadays they cannot use that . Since then people have collected old memorabilia from the early 1920's. The original campaign stemmed from market research when people told them that they felt good after a pint!
However, there is some evidence that it is indeed good for you although they cannot , as a drink company say that. It has been proven that there are "antioxidant compounds" that help with heart health .
When I was growing up in Ireland my grandmother told me that they were advised as pregnant and nursing mothers to have a glass of this stout. Not so today!!
However, if you have not made a stew without Guinness, then you simply have not lived.
Simply put it is delicious.

GUINNESS STEW
I make mine with Stewing Beef, Onions,Carrots,rutabagas,Turnips,Parsnips and 2 cans of Guinness.
I make my potatoes separately , by boiling,and mashing because they will only break down and become mealy in the stew. Mashed Potatoes served with GUINNESS STEW is simply the best.

PAST & PRESENT

2009-09-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind. Last weekend I went to Chicago to see U2 launch their 360 tour here in the U.S.
Irish flags were flying high as were spirits! Walking downtown to reach Soldier Field, were reminders of my past and heritage. I came across St Patricks Church just off Adams Street. Why did I never notice this church when I lived in the windy city 8 yrs ago?
This building survived the "Great Fire of Chicago" There it stood among buildings old and new.
What a contrast from the ancient St Patricks to the modern sound of U2. A mix of past and present. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" ever reminding of us our past. "I'll go crazy if I dont go crazy tonight" from the present.
You see this was my reminder of what I am trying to do. Combine the rich cultural heritage of our past with the modern contempoary present.
"An Bord Bia" which means Irish Food Board in Irish ,is also the charging the way with this message. As most of you know I am a huge advocate for using only the finest ingredients. Kerrygold Butter being the main ingredient in my IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS.
Our temperate climate contributes to our fine dairy products.
Mark my words as I continue to say that Ireland the REAL IRELAND that I know is far from Green Beer and Cabbage!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ziqs9DVr6k&feature=channel_page WATCH AND ENJOY................

HOMESICK

2009-08-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

After several problems with the sound on my computer, I finally got it fixed. Oh joy!
Now I can finally catch up on several emails and work assignmentst that require sound. Tonight I had the fortune of sitting watching and listening to my fellow Cork woman Clodagh McKenna on RTE televisions show "FRESH FROM THE SEA"

Now, I'm homesick. Very very ,homesick.........The water is afterall in my blood.........
.http://www.vimeo.com/6081774

HERITAGE WEEK

2009-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Seems as though I fell off the face of the earth and in a way I did! My kids went back to school yesterday and the preparations filled my days. Now that they are back , it reminds me of my own back to school days in Ireland in early September. At this moment in time I know where I would rather be. IRELAND...........WHY? Heritage Week is from Aug 22nd- Aug 30th. So any of you planning a trip to Ireland during this week there is plenty on offer.

The Council of Europe and European Union put together Heritage Week every year. Over 40 countries participate. The goal is to "To build awareness of our built,natural and cultural heritage thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation"

Ireland has its kick off on Saturday August 22nd in "Kilkenny Castle"
This magnificent castle is perched strategically on the River Nore. Built in the 12th Century, it will be home to the opening of Heritage Week. What a week they have planned.
The castle alone is a sight to behold, from touring the castle to roaming the excuisite gardens.

Clodagh McKenna, Irelands Chef and Tv personality will be there to conduct Cooking Demonstrations. Clodagh shares the same passion and belief as me as she is a strong supporter of "SLOW FOOD" http://www.slowfood.com/
Slow Food promotes sustainable agriculture and is a celebration of local food and its producers globally. There is a chapter in almost every city throughout the world now.

Clodagh has recently launched her own line of 50's style aprons in Ireland that are bright , fun and whimsical ! Maybe we should get them here?! Clodagh is a fellow Cork Woman, and was in fact my next door neighbor as a kid !!http://www.clodaghmckenna.com/

If food and cooking is not quite your thing, perhaps pottery is? The famous Nicholas Mosse will be on hand to talk on August 27th about the history of the mill and pottery in Bennetsbridge, Kilkenny.

The week is packed with events such as "Story telling" , Dry Stone walling and Stone Carving, Butter Making (my favorite !) thatching and even Hurley Making (Hurley is a sport in Ireland)
Perhaps Whale Watching? This happens on August 23rd throughout Ireland.
You can go to this web site http://www.heritageweek.ie/en/intro/about_us_introduction.aspx ,
choose the County in Ireland you wish to visit and see the list of events for the week.

If you go............Send me a Postcard !!!

IRISH BUTTER

2009-07-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

The last few days I have been talking about cheese and cheesecake as yesterday was National Cheesecake Day !! There will be a day for everything soon !
The key ingredient or common denominator here is MILK. More importantly IRISH MILK.
As some of you already know I began RACHEL GAFFNEY'S AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS with a passion & mission. To educate & entertain people about the REAL IRELAND that I know and love.

Yes, it is indeed steeped in tradion,history and culture. Films such as 'The Quiet Man' have their place. However, people we are NOT still dancing at the crossroads. We do in fact have running water and electricity. Don't get me wrong, I strongly agree with the words of Edmund Burke "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors"

We are today a product of our past. In getting to this point we have become a nation known for its exquisite natural ingredients. Namely the Land & The Sea. If you have been to Ireland then hopefully you will have tasted for yourself what I refer to. As some of you know one of my products is IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS. I only use the finest ingredients for these. Namely Flour,Butter and Sugar (You always list your heaviest ingredient first for pacaking!)
The butter I use is KERRYGOLD UNSALTED BUTTER. If you have not tried this butter then you simply just have NOT LIVED yet.

The cattle in Ireland are grass fed. We have heard many times about the 'Green Green Grass'
Ireland has a temperate climate,which in turn yields this magnificent pasture. When you open a block of KERRYGOLD BUTTER, you will be blinded by the light!! It is in actual fact bright yellow or GOLD. Perhaps this is the pot at the end of the rainbow, well at least for me it is anyway. March this year I was on SHOWCASE MINNESOTA (KARE11) talking about this butter. Even Rob,the host,noticed the smell and colour. You can watch the video by cicking on the link.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i9467hCvOo

KERRYGOLD has this colour because of the natural beta carotene. It is NOT an additive. You can find this butter all over the U.S now. Whole Foods,Central Market,Lunds & Byerly's in Minnesota. Wegmans,Trader Joes. So you see it is indeed widely available. Baking with it is incredible. Your baked goods will be flakier. Try it and see how people notice the difference. You can get Salted or unsalted. Eating on a slice of toast,Irish Soda bread,Bagutte etc is simply a little slice of Irish Heaven...............Let me know what you think

CHEESECAKE,CHEESECAKE,CHEESECAKE. TO CRACK OR NOT TO CRACK?

2009-07-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

So people, today is believe it or not 'National Cheesecake Day'! Yup, thats correct. Not sure when it began or who came up with the idea, all I know is that today July 30th is the day.
There are so many variations. Cheesecake dates back to 776 BC, where small cheesecakes were served at the 1st Olympic Games. When the Romans conquered Greece, they brought their recipe back with them, making versions known as 'Placenta' and 'Libum'.

Fast Forward to the time of the Tudors in England, 1545, recipes can be found in cookbooks for this tasty treat. The Italians like to use Ricotta Cheese,The French,Neufchatel.....and New York style cheesecake tends to use Cream Cheese. Whichever way you like it....then its good !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPqx55i25XU

Last year,whilst working in Minnesota, I made Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake,using my own Irish Butter Shortbreads, (RACHEL GAFFNEY'S TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS) It was a hit. I also made one on the morning show "SHOWCASE MINNESOTA" In this tv segment I showed how I like to have the crack in my cheesecake.
Who cares? Why does it have to be perfect? Nothing ever is.....We have been conditioned to have ALL FOOD look perfect... Below is a clip explaining how to make the cheesecake and also how beautiful it looks NATURALLY........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPqx55i25XU

TIME FOR CHEESE........

2009-07-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I'm sated....so very very sated ! To me, next to IRISH BUTTER, IRISH CHEESE is the next best. Tonight, I ate or rather devoured my most favourite cheese in the world. CASHEL BLUE. If you have not had this cheese yet, then all I can say is , "You poor poor thing"

Life begins after you have tried this cheese. I regularly make large quantities of Tomato & Ginger Chutney, and when I do a visit to "Sigels" in Addison , Tx is in order to purchase a large quantity of "Cashel Blue".

Cashel Blue, hails from the Dairy farm in Cashel, Co Tipperary,Ireland. This family owned business is owned and run by Louis & Jane Grubb. Just like the Irish Butter I use to make my RACHEL GAFFNEY'S TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREAD, this cheese is made from Irelands finest cows milk. It will melt in your mouth, driving your taste buds wild, leaving you begging for more. I'm serious. I challenge you to try this cheese.

Ireland boasts the finest dairy products in the world. This is due in part to our temperate climate. The cattle are grass fed and the results...well...they speak for themselves.

I suggest you visit your local Cheese shop, Central Market,Whole Foods etc and ask for this cheese. Then I want to hear from you......Let me know what you think....I will publish your findings.......

"GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR ............

2009-07-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the famous exhortation of America "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free"
What other nation offered this kind of sanctuary.............

To date, there are 35 million Americans claiming Irish Ancestory....thats a lot of people ! Considering the population of Ireland is 3.7 million !!!!!! Although during the time of the famine 1845, the population was 7.2 million people.

Times are without a doubt tough again. It is the cycle of life. Sometimes we learn from our past, sometimes we don't. Somehow, being Irish we seem to inately understand this. We have this sense of humour that lives within us even through the darkest times. We only have our past to help us to understand this. We have long been a persecuted country. People like the great Michael Collins emerged as a leader of the EASTER RISING in 1916. In 1921 he led the Irish team of peace negotiators, which accepted peace with the British and the partition of Ireland.

Oscar Wilde, one of our great Wits and dramatists of the English Language reminds us of our endurance, through my favourite quote "Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy,which sustained him through temporary periods of joy" !!!!! Think about it..........

2009. Yet another wave of Irish Hope has arrived in the form of song. CELTIC WOMAN. July of this year saw their tribute and sense of HOPE and support of America . This was featured on my most favourite morning show "Good Morning America"

http://www.celticwoman.com/trellis/flashvideo

Watch,Listen, Enjoy and Continue to Believe.........

REMEMBERING THE TEACHER...FRANK McCOURT

2009-07-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sadly, the great teacher-writer Frank McCourt passed away yesterday Sunday July 19th 2009 at the age of 78, in New York. He had been suffering from skin cancer and subsequently menin- gitis.
Newspapers will write for days about the author of the famed "Angela's Ashes" & "Tis". His Pulitzer Prize winning writing will live on forever. Franks writing involved all of us. We felt as though we knew he and his brother Malachy well!!
He was born in New York, moved back to the slums of Limerick at the age of 4, enduring poverty and rampant alcoholism. At the age of 19 he returned to the U.S. Joining the army, it enabled him to get a college degree.

We are so familiar now with the book and movie. Are we all so familiar with Frank McCourt, the Teacher? He taught in New York high schools for 30 years. He taught English and Creative Writing. Now ,here's where freedom of speech becomes a great gift! I have a huge problem with teaching and education here. Why? I can only speak for my own experience. Both my kids go to a private Catholic School. Standards are high, discipline is great, God is allowed in the school BUT and a BIG but I don't feel like my kids are being educated. Education to me far exceeds the grades on the day. Ask my kids where Cairo is? Ask them about the Outer Hebrides? They are even developing a very narrow minded view of how the rest of the world operates. Some of what they come home with is quite frightening and it is from the teachers!!! Every subject is such a droning chore. Yes, I too went through much of this, I was not educated in Franks era in Ireland,thank God, but a more progressive learning one that Frank himself embodied. Open discussions about the subject at hand,questioning the why? Hating certain lines, loving others. Learning how to THINK for yourself is crucial. Isn't that our jobs as parents? Aren't we supposed to prepare our kids for life? Not just for High School or College? It's all so immediate. Instant gratification.

Frank McCourt was and is the standard for what a great and good teacher should be. Frank was interviewed by EducationWorld.com (Site for School issues and Education News). They asked him "So what kind of teacher did you want to be,then?"
His answer: "I don't know. How do you know anything until you do it?"
"THE MAIN THING IS TO FIND WHAT YOU LOVE" "There were people who liked teaching grammar . Kids are always resisting grammar because of the way that it's taught. But it needn't be like that. I think teachers who love a subject can find ways of making anything attractive"

Isn't this so true of everything. Doing what you love? You see it everywhere. Being passionate about something means you are always on.....it's your belief, it defines you. You live it, because it is you. Frank loved to teach. What a gift for his many students. Only this morning I read an article on one of the blogs that I follow http://www.thetoiletpaperentrepreneur.com/ about starting a business. The main point in there about your success and happiness was THE WHY? Why do you do it? Do you do it because you love it? When you do what you love, it shows.

Frank, rest in peace. May we all continue to learn from you. May I suggest reading his book, "Teacher Man". All of us has a bit of the teacher in us, if we continue to do what we love......

POTATOES.....

2009-07-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, I was trying to think of something nice to make for dinner tomorrow night. Needless to say,I have an abundant supply of cookbooks, but I was trying to just conjur something up from memory. Looking at the bag of "Fingerling Potatoes" in my kitchen, all I could think about was "New Potatoes". If you haven't tasted NEW POTATOES , then all I can say is you haven't lived !!

Being Irish, I am of course, to say the least a little biased, accepting that and moving swiftly on, my opinion is that I have yet to taste potatoes like those in Ireland!! Perhaps OPRAH should indeed pay it a visit !She has been quoted as saying that her idea of heaven was a good baked potato and someone to share it with.....

We are all aware of the Great Potato Famine of 1845, brought on by a blight. An airborne fungus that indeed originated in North America, carried in the holds of ships traveling to England. From here it spread across to Dublin. In September 1845, Ireland saw the leaves on it's potato plant turn black,shrivel and rot. We all know what followed.....................

Through Famine, Death and mass Emigration we managed to survive as we always seem to do.
In the words of the great WB YEATS "Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which sustained him through temporary periods of joy" !!
That , has NOT changed.............NOT one bit.....

Anyway, back to my potatoes. NEW POTATOES in the summertime in Ireland are such a treat. They are boiled in their skins. When cooked the skins crack open, leaving a floury inside. A knob of KERRYGOLD butter, a little sea salt and some fresh parsley......mmmmmmmmm
There are numerous potato recipes out there. Some such books are written here in the U.S
Margaret Johnson, a friend of mine, who lives in Long Island, has written several Irish Cook Books. "The Irish Spirit", "The Irish Pub cookbook" & "The New Irish Table". Her books are beautifully written and filled with beautiful stories and photographs. You can check her out on her web site http://www.irishcook.com/

CHAMP & COLCANNON are Traditional Irish Potato dishes. Champ is a Northern dish and Colcannon more of a Southern dish. Champ is made by boiling potatoes. Next combine,milk and butter in a saucepan. Put chopped scallions into the warm mixture and let sit for a bit to soften the onion. Then, pour onto the potatoes and mash together.

Colcannon is made using finely chopped onions, cabbage and potatoes. In a pan , add a little water,chopped cabbage,salt & pepper. Lightly fry for 5 mins,tossing frequently. When the potatoes are cooked add them to the cabbage, along with chopped parsley and milk. Serve with lots of KERRYGOLD butter.............

RACHEL GAFFNEY MAKING BAILEYS IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE ON TV !!

2009-07-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPqx55i25XU

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

2009-07-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS..........Never could a truer word be spoken... I just love all the old and ancient sayings. They are so wise. I don't think I have heard of a great modern saying yet ! even the Chinese have to rely on their ancient ones.

This morning I was noticing some construction on the roads . Made me think about the construction of the roads at home.! Odd, I know, but here in texas it is flat,flat,flat. Sure they have their challenges.extreme heat for one. I am from Cork City. The Irish for the word Cork is 'Corcaigh' which means bog. The centre of Cork is built on mostly islands in the tidal estuary of the River Lee. Channels of the river separated the islands, some were spanned as early as the 18th Century to form our principal Street, 'Patrick Street' or as we Corkonians know and call it affectionately 'Pana'

The 1st plan of Cork City dates back to circa 1545. St Patricks bridge was built in 1789 and was damaged by flood in 1853 when it was rebuilt.
I remember crossing this bridge every morning when I went to school , 'St Angelas, Patricks Hill' (Ursuline). Now ,there was a hill to climb every morning ! The view from the top was and still is quite simply, spectacular. The view has indeed changed ,of this ever evolving Street over the years. It has seen battles , Tall Ships, even embraced a young Margot Whelan aka MY MUM whizzing down on her bike, in the days when traffic was not a concern. It has seen my friends and I meander up and down hoping to get a look at our latest crush ,in the walls of 'Christian Brothers Boy School'.

This Street is ALWAYS alive. Even now. A street that meanders around to the GRAND PARADE. This is a street that was built over a river and when looking from 'Patricks Hill' the reminder is ever present. It is buzzing with people. Since leaving Ireland and living in major cities such as London,Dallas,Chicago...I am still amazed at the amount of people that are on the streets. Taxi ranks are busy, buses pulling in and out,buskers singing,sometimes well...sometimes not so well !! People congregating to meet outside 'Cashs' now 'Brown Thomas'.
Newspapers being sold on the streets. I can still remember the cry for the 'Evening Echo'. A Cork Institution, if ever there was one. Each and every day,rain or rain !! The papers were being sold....'ECHO....EVENING ECHO '......Sort of like a town crier........

So, from looking at parts of Preston Road in North Dallas roadworks to remembering HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS............It always is.

ANYONE WANT A 99 ?!

2009-06-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Life with 4 kids did not mean that my parents were our entertainment committee during the summer months. When my father finished work, he often piled us and any of our friends that wanted to join us ,in the car, and off we went to either Roberts Cove or Rocky Bay for an evening swim.

The drive was approx 30 mins from our house. We drove through Carrigaline,on past Minane Bridge and then waited with baited breath for that bumb in the road where Dad would speed up and drive the car as fast as he could, so that we flew over it and felt the feeling in your tummy like that on a Roller Coaster ride! Cheap thrills. We also had it to look forward to on the way back !!

I still remember him saying the same thing each and every time we approached any beach. "Lets see who is first to see the sea" Craning our necks,we all wanted to be the first to see that familiar sight in the horizon. Honestly, I still love that view of the sea coming in to view. The endless beauty,that is the Atlantic.

Whoever came up with the idea of dressing at the beach? What a feat. Even the infamous Rowan Atkinson aka MR BEAN had trouble undressing at the beach. Remember that scene?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8pJIiV9KWo If not , you can watch and enjoy here!!

Anyway,I used to hold the towel between my teeth and try to to pull the skintight SPEEDO up without letting the towel drop! I used to imagine people hiding in the cliffs. You know how it is, there were hoards of Irish people roaming the cliffs to get a view of my bum , or indeed my THEN 2 pancakes !! (my how I made up for those !)

Swimming in the evening was, I must admit, even then a serene time. The stillness was almost tangible and peaceful. Water temperature was at best frigid, but we thought for some reason that it was bath water ! After the evening swim, the task of getting dressed again became a feat soon mastered. After all...necessity is the mother of invention !

On the drive home,we would stop at Collins SuperValu in Carrigaline for a 99.
Yes, I said a 99, not any other number !!!! The 99 was and still is ,a soft whip ice cream cone with a Cadburys flake stuck in it .........Mmmmmm
To this day, no one knows where this name came from. Many theories. Some say it was an advertsing campaign by Cadbury's back in the 1930's in the UK. Theories that it originated back to Italy,and the most recent was in Edinburgh claiming its invention. Either way, I don't really care. I love 99's !!

BLACKBERRIES

2009-06-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I made myself a bowl of granola with natural yoghurt and a handful of blackberries. I say handful as I have to compete with my oldest son James for the berries ! He simply devours anything with berry at the end ! Now, my husband doesn't much care for them. If he does,then it has been a great secret in our almost 16year marriage... So, I guess I have to conclude that James gets his taste buds from me!

I LOVED blackberries as a kid also. However,ours did not come in 8oz plastic containers for $3.99. They came in empty cans, buckets, basically any container you could get your hands on !! We had to pick them ourselves. Normally found sometime in late August or early September. The height of my blackberry picking happened between the ages of 9 and 12. After that I was far too mature to bother with such childish skirmishes.

To think slavery had been abolished. WRONG. My mother knew fine well what she was doing. Sending us poor innocents out amongst the brambles to pick her fare ! Now,as time goes by ,you become experienced at this prickly task. Initially , I would pick just after the rains. NOT a good idea. You see,one of the perks of blackberry picking is eating as you go...kind of like the old fashioned version of a drive through ! After the rain, the blackberries house tiny little worms!! mmmmm

Now,some of you may prefer to purchase yours in the stores and you may even have picked them yourselves in your past. What a pity our kids don't have the pleasure of foraging through the bramble and understanding where everything comes from. There are times during our early years,when we don't understand why we have to study and learn what we must study and learn. Later, it all becomes clear. During my years of studying Speech & Drama with Mrs Bracken ,as an extra curricular activity,some of the poetry and literature would escape me. Now , I can recall whilst writing this, studying some of the works of Seamus Heaney. His poem BLACKBERRY PICKING has never been so poignant as it is now.

" Late August,given heavy rain and sun
For a full week,the blackberries would ripen
At first,just one,a glossy purple clot
Among others,red,green,hard as a knot"

I think Mrs Bracken would be proud!

NATURAL IRELAND !!

2009-06-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

During the secondary school years , I had the fortune and yes I say fortune not misfortune to study the autobiography of PEIG SAYERS. Peig was born in Co Kerry in 1873. She is probably one of Irelands leading female Seanachai's....(storyteller). Most students, who remember this book being on the curriculum for the LEAVING CERTIFICATE, will probably roll their eyes. It was written in Irish. Therefore, we studied,discussed and wrote in Irish. All you eye rollers out there......halt. The great William Burke said " People will not look forward to posterity who ,never look backward to their ancestors" I believe also that we need to know and understand where we are coming from to know where we are going.

Peig lived a hard life. She was born in Dun Chaoin,Co Kerry (Dunquin). She married a fisherman and moved to the formidable Blasket Islands. A harsh existence. Her autobiography depicts tales of rural hardship. Devout catholics,still reeling from the aftermath of the GREAT FAMINE of 1845,and still recovering from penal laws. What can you expect? Her story is rife with tales of tragedy.

Life on the Blasket Islands was so tough that eventually it became uninhabitated and she moved back to the main land where she later died in 1958.

Fast Forward to today. 2009. I wonder what Peig would think of the progression to the infamous "CELTIC TIGER" economy and along with it comes politically correct beliefs . So much so, that her beloved Dingle coastline is now host to one of Irelands NATURIST beaches !

INCH BEACH in Co Kerry,is one of the best beaches in Ireland. If you go to http://www.irishnaturist.org/ , this is the description....

"It is one of the best in Ireland. It is more than 2 miles long and is backed by sand dunes. Walk for about a half a mile until you are past the textile bathers" !!!!!!!!!! I love that. TEXTILE BATHERS.

I used to walk for miles along the beaches with family on Sunday afternoons, rain or shine. I'm just picturing the walk today with the very same family members !! Namely Auntie Nora, Auntie Madge, Auntie Mary (Sr Mary that is) Gran, Mum ...........!!!! I'm sure Peig might find it somewhat of a shock to the system when mooring your boat after coming in from the Blaskets!
What an eyeful...is this what William Burke had in mind?!........

STILL WITH THE MUSSELS !!!

2009-06-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

So, I wrote about Molly Malone and her wares last week and wouldn't you know I somehow manged to show my own wares ! I entered a competition sponsored by the FOOD NETWORK & COLUMBIA CREST WINERY. The task here is to create a recipe inspired by a Columbia Crest Grand Estate Wine. The rules state that you must use at least Washington State ingredient. Having just written about Molly Malone and her cockles and mussels, it seemed only fitting that I cook with them. Well at least the mussels anyway........

I can't believe how an exercise like this just takes me tripping almost falling down memory lane. The Atlantic Coastline has an abundant supply of these mollusks. Of course , as a child ,roaming the beaches in Schull Co Cork, Ardmore,Co Waterford and Derrynane,Co Kerry I used to try to remove the mollusks with sharp rocks and simply try to skim the water with them,step on them or anything else rather than cherish them as I do now !

The beaches there are just endless. I always tell people here in the States,when going to Ireland ,not to go for the weather. If you get great weather then that is a bonus! Don't expect and you won't be disappointed. You don't visit Ireland for the weather ! You go for an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.

So, last week armed with a home movie camera and a crazy friend of mine, Laura Vella, we embarked on our first production. The video is now uploaded on the FOODNETWORK SITE.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/flayvors-of-washington-contest/package/index.html?pn=3&pageref=Photo_Video-1025410&vw_arrange_order=ASC&vw_sort_order=MOST_RECENT

20 of the top recipes will be announced on June 18th. Then the public votes.
I think Laura was trying to liken me to the infamous "Molly Malone" . You may notice our similar attributes in the video...............

ENTREPRENEURIAL LESSONS FROM A CHILD

2009-06-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

Some days you just have to end your day,throw your arms up in the air and say.............!!

Well, I'll just leave that to your own imagination !!!

Welcome to the life of an ENTREPRENEUR....but not only that ,welcome to the life of RACHEL GAFFNEY,the mum of 2 boys,as an ENTREPRENEUR !!

There are people in business, people that work, business owners and then there are what I call the TRUE ENTREPRENEURS. These are the people that are true innovators. Wont take no for an answer. Want to find a bigger,better perhaps simpler way. Bootstrapping their way along and dealing with challenges and obstacles that business books and classess quite frankly DO NOT prepare you for !!

I am entereing a recipe contest sponsored by the FOOD NETWORK.Deadline is this weekend.

So,time is of the essence here. I really didn't need any distractions. Being a Mum there are many.
My youngest, Matthew is 11 going on 94 ! Somewhat of a Recalcitrant....!! I wonder where he gets that from..!!
He is a great example for up and coming sales people. He just DOES NOT know how to take no for an answer. Constantly renegotiating,handling objections extremely well and creatively !
He wants to make his own smoke bombs. He needs to use Potassium Nitrate.
He has asked his father if he would buy him some. The reply from my British husband was "Not if he wanted his father to be listed as the new unibomber !!'

We explained and that was it. Or so we thought. He went on a bike ride the other day to CVS. He met with the pharmacist and chatted with him. He then came home and asked if I needed to purchase more heating pads for my next ski trip as there were only 2 left on the shelf at $7 a piece. Ah the innocence and the logic. Perhaps I should stock up now?
You see, when split open and separated from the liquid...what do you find? Yes,Potassium Nitrate . Proud that I had uncovered and foiled his plot I moved on.

That weekend I spent time in the Garden removing old debris,shrubs and weeds. Matthew wanted to come with me to the Garden Centre. Being the good boyscout he wanted to help me. Knowing the workings of this criminal mind (takes one to know one !!) I asked why.

He thought I should buy some Stump Removal. Good Idea. But why?
Because,it is 99% potassium Nitrate.
Now, if that doesn't speak to ways of engaging the brain,doing your research and finding a better way, then I just dont know what is! It is my job as his parent to harness and guide this gift for the better use of us all. Although,not a straight A student, I will take this creative intelligence anyday. He is without a doubt my little man, whom I adore. He is Matthew.

Oh and by the way I did also manage to complete the cooking segment for the competition. Another reason why mums make it happen !!!

CRYING COCKLES AND MUSSELS ALIVE,ALIVE,OH !

2009-06-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

1988 saw the Millenium year in Dublin, IRELAND. Among the many celebrations and commissions, one of the more memorable ones for me was the commissioning of the bronze sculpture of the infamous "MOLLY MALONE" The sculptor was none other than Irelands foremost living artists, JEANNE RYNHART. At the time I was finishing my senior year in school and dating her son Barry ! Of course back then, I was probably more interested in her son than her obvious talent! Now I am grown up (although open to debate !) I am in awe of her talent. Molly Malone died on June 13th 1699 and now June 13th is known as Molly Malone Day in Ireland !

"As she wheeled her wheelbarrow
Through the streets broad and narrow
Crying "Cockles and mussels,alive,alive,oh!"

Irreverantly,as the IRISH only know how,she is also known as "The Tart with the Cart" and "The Trollop with the Scallops" She is also displaying her own personal wares !!!!

Ireland has an abundant supply of assorted mollusks. My personal favorites are Oysters,Clams and mussels. Every September,Galway City hosts the famous Oyster Festival.
Collecting these delectable shellfish is a treat. If you live along shores that provide these treats then I beg you not to take it for granted as I did. You are very lucky. Living in Dallas has taught me that lesson! Washington State is famous for its mollusks,namely those found along the PUGET SOUND.

This week I will enter a contest with the FOOD NETWORK using mussels found in Washington as my main ingredient. It is very important to choose the right ones and to prep them properly.

1- Try to purchase Fresh Mussels
2- The shells should be tightly closed if they are still alive
3- Dont forget to DEBEARD them before cooking
4- This is done by tugging the stringy material towards the hinge edge.
5- Soak them for approx 20/30 mins in fresh water before cooking
6- Hand or brush clean them under running water to remove any extra barnacles,sand etc

I will be posting a video later this week of my recipe,with an IRISH TWIST on line.
There are similarities between Molly Malone and myself ! Although both of us are indeed blessed with buxom qualities, I doubt that I will dress the same !!! Might be a little cheeky !!

CARRAGEEN MOSS

2009-05-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

I began my day by sitting with a coffee by the pool. Far cry from the mornings in Cork ! From here, I spotted a little weeding that was crying out to me. Somehow,whilst lost in thought I was thinking about seaweed !

When I was 13 years old I spent 1 week in Knockadoon camp. Located in Ballymacoda, 30 miles from Cork City. Primitive conditions at best, this Dominican run facility provided a lifetime of memories for me. Here, I learned all about the various zones in the sea shore. Daily, we pottered around in rain and shine looking through UPPER, MIDDLE AND LOWER ZONES. We slept in bunk beds in army style barracks, and ate God only knows what. At 39, I still remember this as one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life. Think about it. Children, sea shore and friends. Could you really ask for more ? I only wish my kids could go also.

Speaking of kids, seaweed seems to be their dreaded enemy ! Happening upon some whilst swimming conjures up thoughts of some slimy serpeant around your legs ! Well it did for me. I hated the feel of it around my legs.

Todays trend is to call marine algae "Sea Vegetables" .Carrageen Moss is a very popular seaweed found in rocky parts of the Atlantic Ocean, especially in Ireland and North America namely Massachusetts. When fresh, this seaweed is generally a green to purplish/brown color. Used also for medicinal purposes, for its anti viral properties, it is used in Ireland and Brittany (Western France) for respiratory problems.

It is actually used in cooking in Ireland. During the famine, it was used as a primary food source. It can be used in Stews, Soups and Puddings. Yes puddings, you heard me. It has a gealatinous quality when blanched in boiling water. Some of my favorites include the following:

Guinness battered oysters in Carrageen moss

Carrageen moss pudding (using vanilla a vanilla pod and Bailey's Irish Cream )

So, the next time you are swimming in the Atlantic, and something snarls around your limbs just ask your self "Whats for Dinner?" !

CELIACS EAT TOO !!!! REALLY , THEY DO....

2009-05-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Over 7 million Irish people emigrated to the US during really hard times , especially during the famine. We brought all sorts of talents, gifts and a strong work ethic. Removing my rose coloured glasses for a moment, I have to admit that along with the good came some of the not so good, including celiac disease. Yes, we Europeans have a really high intolerance for gluten. This disease is very common in countries such as Ireland,Italy,Sweeden and Austria. 1 in every 300 in Ireland are said to suffer from this and it is estimated that 1 in every 250 are intolerant in Itlay.

It is estimated that almost 3 million people in the United States have celiac disease but only approx 100,000 have been properly diagnosed. It is often confused with IBS and other gastric problems. Celiac disease is hereditary. Plain and simple. We have our ancestors to thank !!!

As a baker, I am extremely particular about the flour I use. Personally,I am a HUGE KING ARTHUR fan. My reasons for using these products are many and will blog about that at a later time. Freshly milled wheat flour DOES NOT actually contain gluten. It contains 2 proteins. Glutenin & Gliadin, which turn into gluten when mixed with water. It is this protein that celiacs just cannot tolerate. That being said, a celiac has to be ever so vigilant with their diet, including breads,pastas,cereals,grains and processed foods. Thats a lot. Which brings me to my title.
CELIACS EAT TOO......!!!

Looking through the aisles over the weekend in the stores, I have noticed that the section given to Celiacs is pitiful !! Whilst admirable, vogue and politically correct, you would think that celiacs were a cult. A group of voodoo eaters !! A space on the shelf donated to these special people! Come on. I purchased some products and brought them home. The packaging was not what I would have called enticing or alluring. The taste.... YUCH! In essence, if you are celiac, most of the foods I tested are quite simply devoid of flavor. We cater to people who eat too much rather than people,who cant eat too much!!!

I happened upon a wonderful guy by the name of Wes in Whole Foods, Park & Preston,Plano,Tx.
During our conversation, I learned that he too was indeed Celiac. I was there to purchase gluten free flour to experiment in my own kitchen for 2 of my friends Cindy, in Dallas and Sean in San Diego. I baked Traditional Irish Butter Shortbread using gluten free flour. It was a hit.
You see, just because your body develops an intolerance for a certain protein DOES NOT ALSO MEAN YOUR TASTE BUDS DIE !!

I intend on pursuing this further. Any comments, suggestions are welcome. Please email me at Rachel@RachelGaffneys.com.

IRISH DESSERTS

2009-05-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

This morning, I was already thinking about what I would make for dinner tonight.Full day. Sprinklers being repaired. Board meeting at noon. Working on casino night for HELPS INT charity event. Finalising business plan and pick the kids up from school. All by 3.30 !! Typical day in American Life!!
So, to put a twist on my day, I need to return to my roots. Simple & Basic. That being said,have you noticed how ORGANIC and ALL NATURAL are vogue ! I was watching a segment on grass fed beef the other day. How this was better for you !! Do any of you remember the fable "The Emperors New Clothes?" Written by the Dane ,Hans Chrsitian Andersen. The little boy who watched the King parade naked? "But he's naked?"......Well this is how I have felt for years... I am that little boy! COME ON PEOPLE....Do we really need scientists and researchers to tell us this? Didn't your mother or grandmother ever teach you anything??? FRESH IS BEST.....
I wonder what Hans would think today?
With that vein of thought,thinking about fresh,this is the season for berries. All kinds of wonderful berries. For me,growing up in Cork, gooseberries were in plentiful supply. My Aunt Nora lived in this austere property perched atop STRAWBERRY HILL,overlooking Cork City.
Surrounded by acres of gardens,we frequently pretended to be characters in "The Secret Garden" !! Hiding from My Uncle Paddy, who was not by any stretch of the imagination a friendly character,I snacked on gooseberries ! Green,hairy,tart gooseberries.....
A fruit that grows in abundance in Ireland, due to the lack of sunlight needed to grow these !! Typically they were harvested earlier in the year. Although tart, there are other varities that can be eaten straight from the bush. These are red in color.

GOOSEBERRY FOOL. One of my favorite desserts. Serve this with one of my RACHEL GAFFNEY SHORTBREADS.

1lb of gooseberries (take tops 'n tails off !) Half them
3/4 cup of sugar
Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 Cup of sugar
Rachel Gaffney Irish Butter Shortbread.

In a medium saucepan,place gooseberries and sugar on low heat. Stir from time to time until soft. Then mash with a fork and cool completely. Next chill for an hour or so.
Whip cream and sugar together. Fold berries and cream.
Place 1 shortbread on a plate and spoon Gooseberry Fool on top.Top with some Rasperries/Strawberries for some color. Mmmmm Enjoy.

STAYING ON TRACK

2009-05-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes,writing this blog is simply cathartic. For this Female Entrepreneur , it is a way to clear the cob webs . Yesterday, I had the gruelling task of editing and updating my business plan. How I hate doing this. I know only too well whats in my head but of course others DO NOT and I need to constantly remind myself of this ! The VISION is still the same. So it should be. After all, thats why I started RACHEL GAFFNEY'S AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS.

I think, as an entrepreneur we are in danger of letting the wheels fall off the track at times ! Its only natural really...we are after all "A JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE" in the beginning ! My love and passion for my homeland IRELAND is the driving force here. MONEY DOES NOT MOTIVATE ME. IT NEVER HAS. If I have to explain that last statement to you then you are probably not running a business that you are PASSIONATE about. Passion is about belief. The BELIEF that you can find another way to make it bigger,better,tastier etc. Please bear in mind that I have said this is indeed a business !! I have that belief.

I want to Educate and Entertain people about Ireland through Food,Drink,Travel,History,Clothing and Culture. This is what I set out to do. My vision is to create a lifestyle brand , the RACHEL GAFFNEY BRAND that will deliver that message with a little bit of IRELAND in every thing we do. The TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREAD is currently leading the way for this journey.

That being said, understanding that there are formalities and procedures that are part and parcel of running a business. Like NIKE says JUST DO IT ! There are core values,strategies,budgets etc. This morning I logged in to one of my favorite web sites http://www.savorthesuccess.com/ . This is a networking site for female entrepreneurs and business professionals, co-founded by Angela Jia kim. Today,sitting with my cup of coffee,listening to the rain outside,I watched and listened to her VLOG. Todays title "What Are Your Rules?" Simply go to http://www.savorthesuccess.com/ and check it out. My mother used to say to me as a child (still does in fact!!) SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS & I'LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE......
Now I know why I like Angela and her web site. Although today she speaks of Give,Give,Get, the time preceeding this vlog had already communicated this message to me about her. It was something viceral & intuitive. Her message and core values were already being communicated through her previous endeavors. Running events like ROCK THE WORLD IN NEW YORK.

The point to all of this? Staying on track,staying true to yourself keeping with your original vision and value system works.....

DONT COMPROMISE

2009-05-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

People ask me on a regular basis about the ingredients I use to make RACHEL GAFFNEY IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS. It's very simple. I use 3 ingredients. Easy right?
Flour,butter and sugar. How hard can that be?

Shortbread is one of the oldest recipes, one of the simplest and also one of the hardest to get right. Trust me on this ! Whatever your product or service , a really good product or service uses the very best.

There is a saying that mum used all the time "Buy cheap,buy twice" How true. How many times have you experienced this with a pair of shoes, or handbag etc. It looks good, its the right price but in a short time its broken. Well, the same can be said for your ingredients. When making shortbreads, I only use UNBLEACHED,UNBROMATED flour. No compromise. Why unbleached,unbromated?

Bromated flour is flour that has been enriched with Potassium Bromate. This promotes gluten development and is frequently used by bread bakers. Potassium Bromate is classified as a potential carcinogen. Whilst it is still legal in the U.S it is banned in most countries in Europe.
Bleaching flour is also common. Chemicals such as Chlorine Dioxide and Benzoyl Peroxide are added to bleach flour. Unbleached flour is matured and unbleached naturally by oxygen merely being present in the air. Another old saying TIME IS MONEY. Well it certainly applies here. To unbleach naturally ,it takes months. The product then occupies valuable warehouse space. Now manufacturers bleach the flour in minutes by adding the above chemicals.

I began making TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS using only the fnest ingredients and will continue to do so. Thanks to the AIB (American Institute of Baking) for helping me through my years of research and a special thanks to Tim Huff of General Mills for his patience a few years ago when I flew to Minneapolis to learn about flour !

RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST....DAY3

2009-05-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday I had to work. Like everyone else, I too have children with doctors appointments, dental check ups and baseball games !!
The ocean is calling. As of today, I am looking at OGUNQUIT, MAINE. Named one of the TOP 10 BEACHES in the US. The warmer water seems to be the current attraction for me, hoping my boys will spend their days enjoying its natural beauty.
I noticed yesterday that MAINE TOURIST OFFICE has posted my progress on TWITTER. You can view their posts under "visitmaine".
AMERICA TONIGHT is a nightly radio talk show syndicated in over 90 US Cities and together we are going to document this MAINE QUEST.
My boys, 13 & 11 are beginning to get a little excited about spending time in Maine. Along the way, my hope for them is to gain the love and respect for the natural beauty that is THE ATLANTIC .

This MAINE QUEST will be a social/business experiment and local businesses in the town we decide upon will be featured/interviewed regularly on radio. Internet access is a must.
I will be looking for people who would like to participate in Irish cooking classes,cross marketing with Irish Companies, people who can share their success stories and struggles in business. This will be a THINKING OUT OF THE BOX exercise, so get creative. if you would like to offer services in return for FREE PUBLICITY then email me at Rachel@Rachelgaffneys.com....

RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST....DAY2

2009-05-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, perhaps the ocean is in my blood ! Whatever the reason , I feel the need for the ocean. So, yesterday I set about my quest....calling it RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST.
I have decided to try to navigate my way to Maine on a budget with 2 boys,who are firmly embedded in a society of electronics, grade driven schools and organised activities!!! I wonder what it would be like for them without it ? This is not to say, by any stretch of the imagination that going to Maine is without such trappings either !

Yesterday morning through the world of TWITTER, I came across TIMBERCLIFFE COTTAGE B&B in Camden Maine, (actually we had been following each other for a few weeks now) .At 10.11am I spoke with Karen (The Innkeeper). We shared our ideas and thoughts on how we could help each other in our businesses. As some of you know I own RACHEL GAFFNEYS AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS, including Traditional Irish Butter Shortbreads. Within an hour, I was introduced to Dana Moos, a fellow foodie ! Dana is also an associate broker at THE SWAN AGENCY SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY.
Cooking classes together are indeed on the horizon !!

At 6pm Central time,I took part in SOCIALBEES,(Ca based company) AWESOMEHR TWEETCHAT. During this hour I met Kathie Papera founder of LILYPAD BABY ,based in Manhattan Beach,Ca. Kathie has a contact for me in Maine also and hopefully today I will continue to research that avenue.
Now here comes the interesting part. For those intersted in an opportunity to get FREE PROMOTION for their business,I have teamed up with a radio talk show and will be talking about this regulalry on national radio......so fellow entrepreneurs contact me...more to follow.......

BACK TO BASICS

2009-05-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I grew up in cork,Southern Ireland. Summers were spent in places like,Ardmore,Co Waterford and Schull,Co Cork to name a few. They were not by any stretch of the imagination extravagant,but were nonetheless extremely wonderful holidays.
My parents would rent a house for a month at a time,and basically move there. My dad would indeed take some time off work,but for the most part it was just the four of us and Mum !
Ardmore, Co Waterford. I can still see the house we rented,as if it were just last week. It was not on the beach,but it did have an incredible view of the beach. If we did not want to wait for a drive in my mums car then off we set,which invariably we did, by foot to the beach daily. Rain or shine!!
There were no organised activities except for Lifesaving classes. No , not with swanky swimsuits and goggles. You jumped off the pier,where the boats were moored. Lovely,just lovely. Dead fish,fishing nets,bouys etc. You had to go in at times in your jeans,learning how to take them off in the water and use them to indeed save your life.
Perhaps it is because I am going to be 40 this year or perhaps the ocean is still in my blood,that I FEEL THE NEED and urge to simply go back to basics. I now am a mother with two lovely boys of my own but don't feel like they are in fact being educated. They go to a private school and don't have any knowledge of world geography. My thirteen year old is still studying Texas history. Don't get me wrong,we live in Texas,but even his general knowledge about the rest of this country is worrying to me. This is by no means a slight on the school,but even they don't see how grade driven they are. Losing sight of true education. Even schools can loose sight without it being intentional.
NOW, I am on a quest. I want to leave Dallas for a month or so this Summer. I want to take my kids to Maine. Live simply. No organised activities for them. Leave behind country club activities,organised sports,team uniforms,air conditioned buses for field trips and let them figure out how to get along without dare I say it PS3 and XBOX. I want to live there. Not vacation. I want to see if I can continue to run my business from there whilst my kids get their education. Can I continue to sell RACHEL GAFFNEY IRISH SHORTBREADS from there? EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN people about Ireland and in turn my kids can be educated about Maine. I can offer Irish cooking classes. Anyone out there have any ideas?Looking to partner with hotels,cooking schools,B &B's,culinary shops,radio stations.Portland,perhaps?2 bedrooms. Electricity etc of course. I want my kids to be able to get around without cars. I look forward to hearing from anyone. I will start documenting this journey.

SALMON NOT CORNED BEEF !!

2009-04-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not attempting to be a party pooper here....but people, CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE really isn't traditionally Irish ! Well of sorts. Corning beef was a way of salting beef long ago to preserve it. Again, the great City of Cork, (my hometown) was famous for its production of Corned Beef in the 1600's -1825. It was exported all over the world, mostly in cans. Beef was traditionally served as a delicacy,so ham (gammon) or bacon was more common in Ireland. In the mid 1800's when the Irish emigrated,they looked around for a similar bacon joint,couldn't find one and discovered Jewish Corned Beef. This was closer in texture. This is where the tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage began.
Now SALMON, thats a whole different story. That is very common in Ireland. I qute literally grew up on this and loved it. It was always wild salmon and not farmed salmon. Big difference. Of course the famous BLACKWATER flowed right through Cork,onto Waterford entering the Atlantic via Youghal harbour. It originated in Kerry. This is the delight for Salmon fishermen.
Last Sunday I made salmon for my family and again used it in a completely different way on Monday. Thats being frugal !!!

So here it is"
Sunday: I grilled a salmon in fresh lemons,sea salt (a little) bay leaves and peppercorns. This we had with a nice salad.
Monday: SALMON CAKES......My kids LOVED THEM
You will need:

Mashed Potatoes
Cold Grilled Salmon
Cayenne Pepper
Green onions finely chopped
Bread Crumbs & Crushed Cornflakes

Chop up the salmon , in a bowl and add mashed potato,chopped green onions,cayenne pepper.
Mold into a ball then roll in bread crumbs & crushed cornflakes. Next lightly fry in olive oil,turning occassionally. Serve with mesculin mix. I also like to serve some Irish Soda Bread with this. Enjoy

4 LESSONS I AM APPLYING FROM YOGA TO MY BUSINESS

2009-04-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Going to bed with worry on your mind,stress,your next move etc can take its toll. I know only all too well !
Exciting as it is, running your own business, it comes with all the other baggage you would rather do without !

So last Friday,this 5ft 8 Red Head decided to take yoga a little more seriously.
It was WONDERFUL. So much so that I felt it necessary to return Saturday morning to a "Hip Opener " class.

I learned that yoga taught me so much about my business or rather how to cope with stress. I don't mean relax, I mean I LEARNED a lot.

1) By exhaling with absolute and definite sound/noise , you are in fact ridding yourself of the buyer who was un-neccessarily rude to you, the lost package, the unpaid bill, the customer who has folded etc. At first I felt ridiculous !! Everyone else was doing it so I did it more and more and then found I didn't want to stop.!!

2) During one of the poses (don't ask me which one !) Suze, our instructor told us to hum, or at the very least to make a vibrating noise in our throat. This is really good for your heart. When you do this, you release Nitric Oxide. This is essential for healthy blood flow. It feels really really silly at first but really really good!

3) One of the people in the class gave Suze a glaring look as she did not like the pose and she simply said to her "Your look is bouncing off me, I'm in a bubble" Great advice. Acknowledge,how you are feeling during that sticky situation and then let it pass on by.

4) Hip Openers.....ow !! Boy did I have vivid dreams !! I had to remain in some pretzel like position for 5 mins. It was so uncomfortable (not painful) that I was about to stop and take a rest when as if by witchcraft Suze came and stood by me and said that we were to acknolwdge the discomfort we were feeling and to continue to feel it...just like in life we want to run away from feeling unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings. We prefer pleasure. Of course! This time we need to stay in the moment,feel the discomfort,face it ,if you will, then when its over we enjoy the pleasure. This is my goal for the next few weeks..........Facing my DISCOMFORTS in my business...feeling them,dealing with them and then moving on to the next adventure.

5 THINGS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY !!!

2009-04-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

1- Spiced Beef is a very traditional dish , especially around Christmas Time in Cork. I loved it so much that when I lived in London,I decided to make it myself. Saltpetre is a must for this. Of course only available in chemists as it also used for making explosives. So here I was, an Irish woman,in the height of the IRA bombings looking for SALTPETRE in London ! "Honest,I want to cook with it "

2- I asked my teacher Sr Rosario, when she was giving us the talk about vocations what to look out for if we thought we wanted to become a nun. She told me, if I thought God was calling me, to run away! Refused by the convent at a time when nuns were in extremely short demand!

3- My mum was very determined that we read a lot. Quotes were also very important as she thought they would be of great use for essay writing. I found an old book in a box in the garage. I found a quote and decided to learn it and impress her. Boy did I impress her....
" A man in the house is worth two on the street" Mae West.

4- In English class the teacher asked us to use gossamer in a sentence. I did. I said it was found in a little packet , often in your medicine cabinet . Again, I had no idea what it was but upon revealing to my mother that I had announced this in Catholic school she was horrified.!!!

To put the record straight,she had been given them by a doctor after child number 4 and never used them !!!!!!!

5- On holiday in Ardmore,Co Waterford, my friend and I had been out late one night. Lets just say a little TOO late! Sneaking back in without anyone hearing us was short lived. I discovered that bats like to use the eaves of our porch !

RACHEL ON YOU TUBE.......

2009-04-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit2?video_id=-i9467hCvOo&ns=1

BECOMING A NUN !!!

2009-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Real Ireland....My Real Ireland.........
I was educated by the nuns, the Ursuline nuns to be more precise. I can remember each and every one of them like it was yesterday ! One nun in particular was called Sr Rosario. We called her "Sarge" as she walked like a Seargent ! Bless her heart. She was indeed a kind and sweet lady.
Its a little difficult to be taught by nuns that also taught your mother before you, especially if your'e mother was a good student and was always well behaved ! Yes, that was me. Sarge had also known my mum.....
The day came when Sarge talked to our class about vocations. Here we all were listening intently about joining the convent. I could think of nothing less that I would like to do. However,if god was calling you then you had to listen. She talked about hearing his call and that you must do his will. Now I was confused. I didn't want to be a nun. But,if God was calling me,being a good catholic, I just couldn't refuse. How did I know if he were calling me ? I knew it wasn't going to be an invitation in the mail !
I waited until after class. I was racked with guilt at knowing I couldn't ignore his call but now all my plans for the future were going up in smoke ! I asked Sarge how I would know. What were the signs? I knew the catholic church was in desperate need of fresh blood.
Sarge told me this........
"If you THINK you hear God calling.... he's not....Run....run away"
She said this with a knowing wink and smile.......I think she knew me only all too well !!!

TOUGH TIMES

2009-04-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy" I just love this quote courtesy of William Butler Yeats !

I think I can identify with this all too well. We have such a long history of tough times. Even St Patrick had tough times ! Back then he was quietly minding his own business when NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES,KING OF IRELAND,decided to kidnap he and his 2 sisters from the United Kingdom and bring them to Ireland as slaves. My family tree points to this very King !

So are some of us just better at enduring really tough times than others? This surely is a rhetorical question. I personally like to take the NIKE approach to everything....Just do it !
What is the worst that happens from trying something? it doesn't work? or its just another stepping stone to reach your destination. These are exciting times. People can re invent themselves,clean house,get rid of the old,bring on the new. Our kids can learn from us and we in turn can learn from ourselves. St Patrick,who was originally living in Pagan Ireland as a slave obviously would agree with me..............!

FABULOUS WOMAN NETWORK

2009-04-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.thefabulouswomannetwork.com/profile/RachelGaffney

Today,I decided to join THE FABULOUS WOMAN NETWORK....Check it out on the link above

KINSALE

2009-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

My father always said that the people that lived next door to the church had a tendency to be late for mass !!! I knew what he was saying...he was right. You take it for granted sometimes when it is right on your doorstep!
Now that I live in Dallas, I would love to have somewhere like KINSALE to take my kids to.
Sunday afternoon drives were extremely popular in my house when I was a kid. Dad,Mum my two sisters,my brother and myself begrudgingly piled in to the back of a four door sedan and drove 20minutes (often in the rain) to nearby Kinsale. Moaning and complaining that we had to spend even more time together, we drove to historic and beautiful KINSALE. As if like puppy dogs,upon arrival at CHARLES FORT,my father opened the car door and let us run ! He probably couldn't wait to get rid of us ! CHARLES FORT is a fine example of a 17th Century Star shaped Fort.
Now,KINSALE is the culinary capital of Ireland,with its numerous award winning restaurants. The town is twinned with ANTIBES (South of France). For golfers,THE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE is a must,with its majestic views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Kinsale is full of historical buildings,cobbled streets,wonderful pubs and restaurants and magnificent scenery.
Oh how I wish now that I lived next to the church !.............

RAINY DAY

2009-04-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

A dull miserable morning here in Dallas, reminding me of the weather I was only all too familiar with in Ireland. I remember setting off to school on my bike ,with my school bag strapped to the back of my bike. Without warning , ten minutes into the journey,the heavens would open ...........I worried about my books and my lunch getting wet,and of course they did !
I wore a royal blue skirt made from gaberdine and a wool royal blue sweater. Well, you can only imagine the smell from wet wool ! Oh,these were the days. The days that build strength and endurance,I suppose. No cars for us when we turned 16 ! Now we could ride our bikes to school or take the bus.

The number 7 bus schedule was always in my pocket. This was the bus that passed through Douglas to the City Center. I took this bus almost every Saturday when I met my friends in town. We browsed through the shops on Patrick Street. Roches Stores Department store,which is no more,was a firm favourite,along with 'The Moderne' 'Benetton' and 'Easons'. We would meet at the 'Queens Old Castle' which was a shopping arcade and have coffee there. Seriously,coffee and tea !! Hard to imagine in this day and age !!

Patrick Street as I knew it has changed quite a bit since then. Change of course happens all around us. Several streets have been pedestrianised and there is a spectacular array of shops and restaurants. The traditional street buskers still remain,and the buses still pass through. It is still as vibrant a city today as it was in my day,even in the rain....................!!!

IRELANDS OLDEST STOUT BREWERY TO CLOSE

2009-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

As some of you already know I was born and raised in Cork City. Then you will understand why I am feeling a little melancholic today. Ireland's oldest Stout Brewery located in the heart of Cork City is to close. Now in the hands of HEINEKEN,it will close its doors by the end of May.

I remember this place well. This 4 acre site is to be sold once it is decommissioned in a year or so. BEAMISH & CRAWFORD was founded in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford.
It was an existing brewery when they bought it and had been there since 1650,although whilst growing up in Cork, many historians there say it dates as far back as possibly 1500 !!

It is said to be the most ancient porter brewery in Ireland. Irish or Dry stout is a dark ale. The word stout also meaning strong,refered to the strength of the ale. 'Leann Dubh',is the Irish for 'Black Ale'

Located near the South Gate Bridge,in the medieval part of Cork City,I sincerely hope that this place will be preserved. The National Conservation & Heritage Group,has in the past had success in persuading GUINNESS to develop the GUINNESS STOREHOUSE in Dublin. I pray they have the same success in Cork with BEAMISH & CRAWFORD. They want the owners...HEINEKEN to develop a micro-brewery style tourist attraction there. Perhaps by passing this information along, the viral marketing magic of the web may help. This Cork woman is also concerned and would love to see this preserved and hold on to the historic Tudor Counting House.

REALITY OF RUNNING A BUSINESS

2009-03-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Blogging,writing is somehow cathartic for me. Its a way of starting or ending my day with some form of clarity. Clarity can sometimes be somewhat of an oxymoron for this Irish woman running her own business ! In a world filled with business plans , these can,literally suck the life from me !! funny but oh so true. Since starting my business I have taken the NIKE approach to it..."Just do it".... For me it works but not for all.

I trust my instincts . I wish more people would. I have trusted my own moral compass and let it guide me. I still have not paid myself and have even refused a few investors ....Some might think I'm crazy but there are reasons behind my decisions. I believe there is such a thing as THE RIGHT INVESTOR. Still looking for the right one. Although an investor would offer a safe haven by providing money,what happens after that? Are we on the same page? Does he/ she work with the same integrity? How does he/she treat other people? These are very real topics for me. They are equally as important , if not more important than Cost Of Goods, Sales, Budgets etc

Along the way,I have met people in business who are very good at what they do,without being rude. I say that without writing the words I really want to write !!! Such people are still successful. You DO NOT need to be on an almighty power trip. For me,I experience this regularly when I meet buyers. I understand they are buyers and ultimately DO have power but we can benefit each other. This should be viewed as a symbiotic relationship that can be built upon. Those that want instant gratification ultimately fail.

I feel it only right to point to some GREAT experiences. Once such client is in Minnesota. Lunds & Byerly's grocery chain in the Twin Cities. What a wonderful experience for me as a vendor. The experience ALL ROUND reflects the type of management that a company such as Lunds Food Holdings has. I knew this from the very first meeting I had with them. Now we all benefit from our relationship. I say RELATIONSHIP because I mean it. For me,working with them is such a pleasure. They have treated me well and with respect.

Lately I discovered "The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur" by Mike Michalowicz. Yes,I know I'm a little late to the party !!! However lately he writes about women being the latest wave of Entrepreneurs being the next wave of leaders. Mike talks about women INCLUDING whilst still competing (it is afterall business!) but growing at the same time. Check it out.
http://www.thetoiletpaperentrepreneur.com/ Again, apologies for being so late !!!

Today I am menu planning for an Irish cooking class in Byerly's St Louis Park in April.
I also have to pay bills, negotiate with a distributor for Southern California, research new packaging for a large client around the U.S, send samples to a potential client in Upstate New York,filling out bio terrorism forms to accompany it,open a new bank account,have 1 appointment , then pick the kids up from school at 3.30,followed by Lacrosse practise and dinner and homework !!!! THATS THE REALITY OF RUNNING A BUSINESS...whilst all the time owning the worry and the debt,the sleepless nights and the countless stepping stones you have to cross to get to the other side, but somehow ploughing forward..............KNOWING & BELIEVING in why YOU started this business.

CORK

2009-03-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was born in the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork in 1969. This magnificent building opened its doors in 1915. By the age of 5, I was attending school in another magnificent building. Ursuline Convent,Blackrock,Cork. I remember the walk up the sycamore tree lined avenue every morning,often collecting "conkers" (chestnuts ) to play with at lunch time.

Things have changed since then. The Bon Secours is still operating as one of the largest Catholic hospitals in Europe but the Ursuline school I attended is now a listed building with a new school built on site. People and traditions however have not changed.

Irish people are a passionate people. Consistently passionate ! So of course it can be good and it can be not so good !! We love ,fight, argue, write and feel passionately........Giving it our all. To some this is difficult to understand. Perhaps it has something to do with our history of national struggle. I still remember the street vendors and shop owners in Cork to this day. The ENGLISH MARKET is an everlasting memory and is among the many influences that formed my passion for food. Located off Princess Street,this pedestrian market opened its doors in 1786. In 1980 it was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt. Walking through there , is a delight for the senses. Butchers, Fishmongers, bakers and Cheesemakers all sampling and selling their wares. Fresh eggs were a staple in our house. Every Friday I remember my father getting fresh Cod or Plaice from the English Market. My mother would bread and fry it and serve with a bechamel sauce. Floury white potatoes and fresh garden peas accompanying the fish. Mmmmm

2009-03-28T07:38:00.001-07:00

Last night I met a lady from California. She was telling me that she and her family were applying for citizenship for her mother. They hail from Sligo and Cork. Its funny that to be in a country this size with a population of over 250million people, almost everyone I speak to has an Irish connection ! I wonder will my youngest,the only one of us born in the United States,be as excited as the people I meet want to connect to his Irish roots? Why?
My youngest couldnt be prouder of being American and frequently likes to point that out !!

IRISH SODA BREAD

2009-03-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sure its because its been that time of the year (St Patricks Day) that the demand for Irish Soda Bread has been pretty high. However,there are many different versions of this bread.
Some people use currants or white flour and/or caraway seeds to enhance the flavor,but the original Soda bread contained flour,buttermilk salt and soda. In the early 1800's ,yeast bread making was not that popular,so Baking Soda was used as a leavening agent.

Here is a recipe for my mums soda bread.

3 1/3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
3 Teaspoons Rolled Oats
1/2 Quart Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Form into a round loaf on a baking sheet. Cut a cross on the top of the loaf and bake for approx 40 mins... Enjoy

2009-03-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.wfaa.com/video/gmtgeneral-index.html?nvid=343634&noad=yes

Last Monday I spent the morning at the WFAA studios. I prepared an Irish Cheesecake,using Brady's Irish Cream. First I ........well,why don't you just watch the clip above ! It explains all.
This weekend I am attempting to build a web site with ecommerce so that people can buy RACHEL GAFFNEY'S TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS....

This should be an interesting challenge,as I prefer to work with food...!!watch this space..I wonder how long it will take this Irish woman?

ST PATRICKS DAY

2009-03-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

LA FHEILE PHADRAIG.........HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY .... in Irish (as gaeilge)

Lovely sunny day here in Dallas. A little different to the weather I remember growing up in CORK ! However, although generally wet and cold,we still had a day off from school and for that we were always grateful . Lent was strictly adhered to in our house but on this day it was a day of feasting, special dispensation from the church.

As I mentioned before,the name GAFFNEY goes back to the King of Ireland in the 400's,known as NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES. Niall was a pagan king,and invaded England. During this time he kept a young man named Sucrat and his two sisters hostage. Sucrat was a christian boy. Later he became known as Patricus. He would introduce chrsitianity to Ireland and become our patron saint. Although never really proved the myth about the shamrock still lives on. It is thought that St Patrick used the three leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The stem representing God,and each leaf representing God the Father,God the son and God the Holy Spirit.

Today,I spent with my kids. No bacon ,cabbage or green beer! We did however cook and I made traditional Irish butter shortbread with a GREEN icing !! We ate Shepherds pie with creamy mashed potatoes,along with real Irish soda bread and KERRYGOLD IRISH butter.......mmmmmm.

All in all a perfect day. My days of wild parties seem to be replaced by a very satisfying feeling of watching my boys run and laugh......

GOOD MORNING TEXAS

2009-03-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining here in Dallas. The Day before St Patricks Day. This morning I did a cooking segment with WFAA channel 8. Gary Cogill, the host and I , showed people how to make "Irish Cream Cheesecake" with a Rachel Gaffney Shortbread base.

http://www.wfaa.com/video/gmtgeneral-index.html?nvid=343634&noad=yes

Just click on the above link to watch..............

2009-03-15T10:29:00.001-07:00

What a game !!! Yes , Ireland beat Scotland yesterday at Murrayfield. The pitch looked like a herd of cattle had run through it before the game began !! Talk about mud.

Slow first half,but in typical Irish fashion the heart took over and it was evident to those of us who were watching via big screen tv in Dallas. Sorry Scotland. We love them really,after all they are our family. Edinburgh had to be a fun place last night.

Next week we take on the mighty Welsh. Now that promises to be quite the game.........

2009-03-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

The air seems to be thick with tired,angry,frustrated people. These are indeed tough times.
Haven't we been here before? In some shape or form?

Remember the famous exhortation of America "give me your tired,your poor,your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" What other nation offered this kind of sanctuary....
Over 35million people came.

Now,it is time to give back. Whether you are Irish like me (after all, 7 million of them were Irish) Polish,Italian,French,German,Sweedish...the list goes on. We can do this again.

With a strong worth ethic and integrity,it can and will be great again. So lets move on, so much talk. Lets work. Its what our ancestors did.

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best"
This has to be my all time favourite quote ! The great OSCAR WILDE.............

And on that note ...being satisfied with the best....Today IRELAND V SCOTLAND at MURRAYFIELD. I will be watching my brothers friends play their hearts out for Ireland. Namely ,Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara. Lets beat the scots,then the Welsh and bingo...Grand Slam..........I'm off to TRINITY HALL for some Irish Breakfast and to watch the match with my English husband and some other Irish friends.........GO IRELAND GO..... I see my name sake Alan Gaffney is the assistant coach for the Irish Rugby team ! It just had to be a GAFFNEY !

2009-03-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

What a day. I suppose you could call this my SUPERBOWL !! St Patricks Day....
My childrens school host faculty lunches once a month for the staff. Today they had an Irish theme and me being the resident cailin was aked to help !

I baked fresh Irish soda bread and served it with Kerrygold Butter. For dessert I baked Brady's Irish Cream Cheesecake with a RACHEL GAFFNEY SHORTBREAD base.
Main course,I hear you ask? Well they served Shepherds Pie and Rueben Casserole !!!
Shepherds Pie hails from the U.K. For those of you who are unfamiliar with geography,England and Ireland are in fact separated by a body of water known as the IRISH SEA !!

Tonight I am chatting live with KATE DELANEY,who tells me she hails from Cork. Kate is the host of AMERICA TONIGHT. 1160am Talk Radio. We will be discussing Irish Food & Drink. I am really looking forward to this. This show is syndicated around the country,so the American public are just going to have to endure me.............Tune in tomorrow for more........

2009-03-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

In my spare time I try to look after my family ! and in doing so I have to feed them also !! So today I have been to multiple grocery stores and I am now more motivated than ever about my mission......I don't think I can handle seeing any more green sprinkles on cupcakes, or groupings of wasabi peas with green bottles of water !!

Today,I chatted with a lady by the name of Kate Delaney who is host of the syndicated talk radio show "America Tonight". Originally from New York,living in Dallas,Kate's family hails from Cork,Ireland. So tomorrow night she and I will be chatting live on her radio show at 11.15pm,
1160am. Tune in...and dont forget to join the blog !
Rachel

2009-03-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

St Patricks Day is almost upon us. I am already in the mood. I have been cooking Irish food for the last 3 days ! What fun. On friday Morning March 6th,I appeared on "Showcase Minnesota" preparing Celtic Crossing Ice Cream Cake. I spent Friday & Saturday cooking in the culinary school in Byerly's,St Louis Park. Its official .....I have groupies !!!!!!
One in particular stands out, Mary O'Shea. She sits at the front of the class. Good student! Interestingly enough, Mary told me during class that she had the dilema as a child to decide to be a nun or a Vegas Dancing girl....she decided on neither !!!!

My intent was to dispel the myth about Irish Food. I wanted to bring the Ireland I know to people. Before the class begun,I made my mums Irish Soda Bread. On arrival,it was piping hot and ready to be served with some KERRYGOLD butter. As I have already mentioned,I have spent quite some time perfecting the RACHEL GAFFNEY SHORTBREAD recipe. Its flavor is so unique that we made an Ice Cream Cake from it.
I took 4 cups of RACHEL GAFFNEYS SHORTBREAD crumbs and added 2 tablespoons of melted butter. This was packed tightly into a 9" springform pan. The oven was preheated at 325 degrees and baked for approx 7 mins. Meanwhile I took 1 gallon of Vanilla Ice Cream and mixed 3/4 pint of raspberries,and 3 tablespoons of CELTIC CROSSING LIQUEUR adn mixed together. Next,this mixture was poured in to the springform pan and placed in the freezer until ready to serve.

The rich buttery taste of the RACHEL GAFFNEY shortbread combined with the tart of the raspberries and the sweet of the ice cream and liqueur was something to be savored............

2009-03-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well,today I am preparing for my trip to Lunds & Byerlys in Minneapolis,Minnesota.
Thursday evening I will be prepping for my cooking segment on SHOWCASE MINNESOTA, Friday March 6th. In this segment I will be showing people how to make "Celtic Crossing" Ice Cream cake with my traditional Irish Butter shortbreads as the base.

Following the TV segment I will be hosting culinary classes in the Byerlys,St louis Park.

The Menu is as follows:

-Smoked Salmon and Crab Roulades with Walnut Vinaigrette

-Lamb Follain,made with KNAPPOGUE CASTLE IRISH WHISKEY

-Turnip Gratin

-CELTIC CROSSING Ice Cream Cake made with RACHEL GAFFNEYS SHORTBREAD

My good friend Margaret Johnson is the Author of "The Irish Spirit" Cookbook. "Recipes Inspired by the legendary drinks of Ireland" The photographs are fresh,the history accurate,the recipes depict the Ireland I know to be true. Thank you Margaret for yet another lovely book.

The classes are always fun...we cook and banter .....eat and relax...slowing down just a little to sample a bit of Ireland.....RACHEL GAFFNEYS REAL IRELAND.........

2009-02-09T15:26:00.001-08:00

Perhaps it is no accident that I am making a truely melt in your mouth shortbread, with, what I consider to be one of the finest butters in the world. Irish Butter. I mentioned that I was born and raised in Cork. Back in the late 1770's , Cork was home to the famous"Butter Exchange" This was the largest Butter markets in the world. Every morning the farmers would bring their butters to the market in wooden containers known as "Firkins". These were made of a really good hardwood, often oak. The butter was transported to tropical parts of the orld in these Firkins.

Now, you too, can enjoy the taste of Irish Butter. When I make my shortbreads, the butter and sugar is creamed first. It looks like golden sunshine in the mixing bowl. This butter makes the perfect shortbread. Melt in your mouth shortbreads . I am so proud of them that I have put my name on the box RACHEL GAFFNEYS TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS....

BUNRATTY CASTLE & KNAPPOGUE CASTLE

2009-02-06T08:58:00.001-08:00

In the beginning, my business as I mentioned earlier ,was started so that I can pass along the rich cultural heritage that makes up this fine tapestry that is known as Ireland. It is steeped in history and tradition. When you visit you cannot help but succumb to its power. I own admit that. Fine craftsmanship encompasses all areas. From music to food , buildings to fine crystal &Linens. We are a nation that has a strong work ethic and take pride in what we do. My mother and grandmother took pride in everything that went on the table. I learned from the best. In this world of fast and processed food,people are losing a keen sense of taste. What a dis-service we are indeed doing to that sense !!!! I only use the finest ingredients. No cutting corners. You CANNOT cut corners if you want to deliver a superior product.

I remember going on a school tour to Bunratty Castle,Co Clare when I was 13. What a wonderful treat for ALL the senses. In the grounds of this castle,lies Bunratty Folk Park. Here they have captured the Medieval Lifestlye. As I wandered through the park ,I came upon one of the homes where a woman dressed in medieval attire was baking in the kitchen. She was kneading dough. To some it appeared tedious and boring. To me it struck me as theraputic and methodical. She was a crafstman. The aroma was too much for me. I had the opportunity of wandering on with my friends and escape the nuns or wait to try the bread !!! Well you can guess what I chose.....I can still taste it today at the ripe age of
39. All of these little experiences ,unknown to me at the time of course were going to lead me to my passion. Its not just baking,its craftsmanship and taking pride in what we do. We owe it to our kids to re teach this.

Little did I know then that I would happen upon a castle called "Knappogue Castle" located in Quin,Co Clare. Oh but it wasnt when I lived in Ireland. Ironically it was only in the last few years that I was introduced to this magnificent feat through a working relationship with a company known as Castle Brands here in the U.S. What a wonderful story. Why do I mention this? Because on further discovery I learned that the owners are from Texas and they personally restored a castle to its former glory. I urge you to research and read for yourself the wonderful story about Knappogue Castle. They have fine whiskeys,in fact some of the worlds best and rarest. I cannot do it justice,you must read for yourself. It is inspiring and hopeful. Try a sip while you are reading and re ignite your senses. I dare you...

2009-01-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

So what makes MY IRELAND REAL?????? I get asked questions regularly like ...Is Ireland near Scotland? Is it part of the United Kingdom? What kind of cars do we drive? And my recent favorite...what is the name of the river between Ireland and the United Kingdom?!!!

Come on people....geography ???

So lets put a few things straight here once and for all. The name of this RIVER is actually called THE IRISH SEA !!! Ireland is divided up into 4 provinces namely Ulster,Leinster,Connaught and Munster. Each of the provinces has its own counties (A county being similar to a state)

I was born and raised in Douglas,Cork which is located in the province of Munster. This is in the southern part of Ireland. Northern Ireland (Ulster) is under British rule,and is therfore part of the United Kingdom. The remainder is known as THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. Dublin is the capitol. I hope this helps a little........

My mother Margot Gaffney was born and raised in Waterford. As a child she used to vacation in a place called Ardmore,so as I was growing up,I too used to vacation there. It is a beautiful location just surronded by natural beauty. The beaches are never ending. The tides are calming to the senses. I used to love to watch the fishing trawlers come in,you also knew they were coming in by looking up to see sea gulls circling them from miles out hoping to swoop in and steal a little lunch !!! I used to walk out to the head,and walk to the Round Tower which is an historical site. There are approx 52 Round Towers in Ireland. When you reach the one in Ardmore,the view is magnificent overlooking the beaches and bay below. It once housed 40 soldiers when battling with the English. If only these walls could talk !!!!!!!

2009-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

SHOWCASE MINNESOTA is the morning show for KARE 11 ,a CBS affiliate. I will be doing another cooking segment on March 6th. This time I will be making a Raspberry Ice Cream Shortbread cake,with an Irish Liqueur . I will also be discussing the importance of Irish Butter,namely KERRYGOLD UNSALTED BUTTER. I just love the cold weather in Minnesota !!
No problems keeping the ice cream cold, I shouldnt think............

2009-01-26T15:09:00.001-08:00

So, today we agreed (Joan Donatelle & I ) to have more cooking classes in the Culinary School in Byerlys St Louis Park on March 6th & March 7th.
My good friend Margaret Johnson is a noted cookbook author. She is certainly no stranger to writing,having penned for 'Los Angeles Times',Dublins 'Food &Wine'. Margaret lives in New York and has published several cookbooks including one of my favorites "the Irish Spirit". So that being said I think I will make Lamb Follain. This word is from the irish word,wholesome. Yes,Irish word. This is entirely another language. It is not English with an Irish accent as most people have asked me !!!

Irish or Gaeilge is studied in school in Ireland as soon as you begin school and is a mandatory subject all the way through. There are regions in Ireland known as Gaeltacht Regions or Irish speaking regions. One of such regions is off the West Coast of Ireland. The Aran Islands. I once spent a whole weekend there with friends. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Breathtaking.

So to honour these regions we will make all things wholesome and good................
The up coming menu will be posted soon. Margaret has visited such regions also,perhaps she can share her experience with us??

2009-01-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

The next client was all the way North in the great state of Minnesota. Little shock to the system,living in Dallas and working in Minneapolis/St Paul in the winter !!!
Lunds & Byerlys a chain of grocery stores throughout the twin cities decided to have RACHEL GAFFNEYS TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS grace their shelves.
Their flagship store,located in St Louis Park has become my second home now !
Both staff and customers remind me so much of home.

We have held Irish cooking classes in their culinary school and they have turned in to a fun and educational hour about Ireland. Last time I held "An Irish Favorites " class.
Joan Donatelle (Culinary School) and I cooked up a storm. This is where the Ireland I know and the Ireland of long ago mesh to make a great tapestry. We made Irish Blue cheese stuffed mushrooms,with an Irish Whiskey Marmalade sauce, Guinness Irish stew,followed by my own recipe for Irish cheeseecake using Baileys Irish Cream and RACHEL GAFFNEYS SHORTBREADS CRUMBLED to make a delicious crust. These are fun and interactive....you should try it sometime.........

2009-01-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

With St Patricks Day (March 17th) fast approaching,people will be donning green hats,dying beer and rivers green, consuming vast amounts of bacon & cabbage and looking for Leprechauns!!!
As I discovered in my research, St Patrick was once held captive by "Niall of The Nine Hostages" King of Ireland,379-406. So my family held St Patrick hostage......So,I should make ammends !

HOW? EDUCATE PEOPLE THROUGH A FUN AND INFORMATIVE WAY ABOUT IRELAND.
You see, you have just learned a little history!

St Patricks Day 2006 saw the arrival of RACHEL GAFFNEYS TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS on the shelves of 'Central Market' stores throughout Texas.
I make these shortbreads,using the finest ingredients,including 'Kerrygold Unsalted Butter'
These are preservative and additive free. I want you to experience the same taste I did when my mum made them. With that in mind it took 2 long years to find a bakery that would make them to my specifications, ie using real ingredients. The process was LONG and THOROUGH.
At times disheartning. I remeber flying back to Dallas one day after a day of complete failure at the bakery. All this money for nought. IT WASNT. It was just another way of knowing what did not work and another step to knowing what did work.......2 years later, a lot of travel,late nights,early mornings,cheap hotels,lonliness,worry we had our first succesful production run!!!

2009-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

So, how did I begin this? Why Shortbreads?

Upon moving to the United States in 1996, I simply made them for friends,after all thats what my mum did. I can remember the Friday evenings before my birthday parties (always on a sat !) The smell coming from the kitchen was delicious. Trays of IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREAD cooling on the wire racks. I couldn't wait for the next part.....icing them.! Pink,that was the colour I wanted. Then they were sliced and placed on serving platters. Needless to say they were a huge hit. These became a signature at our birthday parties. Sometimes,mum layered them with caramel and finally laced them with melted chocolate. My mum was and still is a wonderful cook,as were both my grandmothers.. Cooking for the family was as much a part of the day as was taking care of the kids. For that ,I am eternally grateful.

I too, began to make them for every special ocassion. I lived in Dallas until 2000 and then spent 2 very memorable years in Chicago. Soon after,we were transferred back to Dallas! Now both my kids were in school,and lunching was not on my radar for extra curricular activity. So I began a catering business...like you do !!
Rutherfords Interior Design Store, on Lovers Lane in Dallas was one of my clients.
I was to do a High tea for their clients . I did. The shortbreads were a hit. I remember people asking if they could buy them. Robert Rutherford came to me and said that if I made them,he would be my first customer. And true to his word,the gentleman that he is,he was indeed my first customer.

The journey from Kitchen to shelf is quite another one..........