So how far back does the love of food and baking go back? Is it solely from my youth? Or is it perhaps in my blood?
The Gaffneys traced their lineage to Niall of the Nine Hostages,King Of Ireland 379-406. In medieval records these septs appear as McEngowny,McNegowny (and to think only people funnelling through Ellis Island thought their names were changed !!!) My name in Irish is in fact Rachel Ni Ghabhna . On further research Darby and Michael Gaffney of Dublin (1720s-1730s)are recorded as 'cakemen' (or bakers) . So there it is.....perhaps it is in my blood after all !!!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
I was born and raised in Cork,Sothern Ireland. An Ursuline girl,educated by the nuns,what more needs to be said there?! Irish,English,Maths,Physics,chemistry were a must but so too were home economics...What an archaic name but oh so neccessary !
At the age of 9,I won the Cork Gas Cooking Competition,making a Pineapple Upside Down Cake...very tropical for Ireland !!!! And so began my love of baking...Going to City Hall and receiving my prize from the Lord Mayor of Cork was the pinnacle for my 9th year of life.
You see,I still cherish that memory .
I loved to eat and frankly still do ! what a gift good food is. My mum made homemade brown bread and marmalade. She even went so far as to send us out in wellington boots every September with a large bucket to gather blackberries. We ate copious amounts of jam and blackberry crumble. mmmmmm
Sounds so romantic,but it rained a lot in Sept...so we sludged through fields,fell into brambles,turned our fingers purple and ate half before we made it home. Oh but those really were fun days. So thanks to my mums slave labor laws,so began my love of food....Thanks Mum..
At the age of 9,I won the Cork Gas Cooking Competition,making a Pineapple Upside Down Cake...very tropical for Ireland !!!! And so began my love of baking...Going to City Hall and receiving my prize from the Lord Mayor of Cork was the pinnacle for my 9th year of life.
You see,I still cherish that memory .
I loved to eat and frankly still do ! what a gift good food is. My mum made homemade brown bread and marmalade. She even went so far as to send us out in wellington boots every September with a large bucket to gather blackberries. We ate copious amounts of jam and blackberry crumble. mmmmmm
Sounds so romantic,but it rained a lot in Sept...so we sludged through fields,fell into brambles,turned our fingers purple and ate half before we made it home. Oh but those really were fun days. So thanks to my mums slave labor laws,so began my love of food....Thanks Mum..
Monday, January 5, 2009
Since moving to the US in 1996 I noticed that peoples perception of Ireland was not what I knew and know it to be. Movies like "Far & Away" and "The Quiet Man" still remain fresh on peoples minds!! Whilst there was a time and a place once upon a time,the Ireland that I was raised in was and is a very different Place. My hope is to take you somewhere that is beyond Green Beer and Cabbage !! This is intended to be a fun & informative site. I invite you to share your experiences and views with me and others. I will invite friends who are writers,cooks,cookbook authors,to write along with me sharing their experiences with you.
In 2004 I started RACHEL GAFFNEYS AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS. My idea was to educate people about Ireland through my products and events.More about that later.....
In 2004 I started RACHEL GAFFNEYS AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS. My idea was to educate people about Ireland through my products and events.More about that later.....
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