When a publicity agent from Hatherleigh Press reached out to see if I would review the cookbook, “A Return to Ireland: A culinary journey from American to Ireland,” by Judith McLoughlin, I immediately responded, “Yes!”
For two reasons, I jumped onboard: First, I wanted to try the recipes out on my family, some who live nearby and others who would be visiting over the holidays and into the new year, and second, because some day I plan on spending time in Ireland. It’s on my bucket list. Having lived in England for three years, I regret that we didn’t make the effort to head over to the east, to visit the Emerald Isle. Now, I am thinking if I were to go, I’d definitely see about asking Judith to be my guide (more about that later).
This cookbook reads differently than most cookbooks. It’s a combination of 100 recipes along with a tale of how Judith came to choose the recipes. It’s an interwoven story of her life – which included ancestors who emigrated to America starting in 1847 and then, moved back to Ireland. She is Irish, but now lives in Atlanta. She feels a kinship to her ancestors for several reasons, including the fact that she, too, came over to this country and brought along her favorite food recipes. Not only is it her history, but also, it is her family’s history.
Judith is a chef and owns a gourmet food business called The Shamrock and Peach, which specializes in Irish cuisine. She has contributed to popular newspapers and magazines in this country and abroad, and hosts discovery tours to Ireland annually.
The book not only has beautiful glamour shots of food. It features stunning photography of Ireland and some treasured family pics, too. Her husband, Gary McLoughlin, is a professional photographer and he lends his expertise to this book.
I like how she organized the recipes into eight chapters:
As a result of her penchant for good Irish whisky, I purchased a fifth of Bushmill’s Irish Whiskey for some of the recipes. Oh, my. (It’s as good outside of a recipe in a rocks glass as inside a recipe.)
During the past few months, I made 7 recipes from the book. I’m not finished yet! (And, all of them are “keepers.”)
It should be noted that Judith is from County Armagh in Northern Ireland. About this recipe, she writes, “The Irish whiskey adds a subtle layer of flavor without taking away from the apples and thyme, and the dish is finished with a crispy fried sage leaf, that adds a final touch of herby elegance.”
The sauce is a mouthwatering mixture of butter, shallots, Irish whisky, apple cider and cream, seasoned with salt and pepper. The apples have been caramelized with butter and sugar.
Imagine my pleasure at finding a bottle of Guiness down in the wine closet! I knew what to use it in – this hearty cake recipe. Judith writes, “Many of our favorite pubs and coffee shops back home feature this delicious stout cake.” It’s one of her family’s favs, and I can see why. My family loved the flavor. It’s not too sweet and quite substantial.
We have family dinner with our daughter and her family on Sunday evenings. It’s a wonderful time to come together before the new week begins, and to hear our little grandchildren say a dinner prayer and enjoy good food. We have been adding gin and tonics and Glen Miller music to the mix for more than 40 years at our house.
About every other month, I’ll make a batch of chicken wings, usually buffalo. This time around, I decided to add this recipe for Sweet & Spicy Beer Wings to the menu.
Judith writes, “The bitter hoppy taste of the beer with the sweet honey and a touch of spice is such a perfect combinations with a pint of beer and improved with great company!”
It was so delicious and we were so involved in the meal that night, I forgot to take a pic, so I snapped one from the book for you to see.
Here we are, hitting the whisky bottle yet again. This recipe was so popular, that it got requested for me to make again, shortly after its debut. Judith explains, “In this chapter, we are celebrating the best of Irish food, and with this more decadent version of the classic bread pudding, we have a dish worthy of a special occasion.”
The bread ingredients, if you can’t find or make Barmbrack Irish bread, include Brioche bread. Next comes a lovely eggy custard, and then, it gets topped with a marmalade glaze after being baked. Finally, an orange whiskey sauce is an accoutrement, a lovely addition to pour over the perfection. It will melt in your mouth.
Since I subscribed to Wild Alaskan Company for fresh seafood, and halibut came with the package, I decided to try this recipe. The sauce makes this fish especially delicious. A garlic and herb butter sauce gets combined with lemon juice, lemon zest and mixed herbs. I even made pickled red onions in advance for the dish.
On Easter weekend, I made these buns. According to Judith, this recipe harkens back to the 12th century. She adds that a famous rhyme goes like this: “Half for you and half for me, between us two, good luck shall be.” I have made other hot cross bun recipes, but for this one, I even ordered mixed peel from Amazon (which got it from Asda, a British supermarket chain). Pricey, yes (at $12.49). Worth it? Yes!
The buns came out hot and hearty. Again, my family gave a great big thumbs up!
We all know about corn beef, but Judith claims she didn’t eat it until she moved to America! When she has leftover corn beef (and really, who doesn’t — especially if you make a big brisket) she makes this delicious crumbled corn beef and sweet potato tart.
We love quiches and tarts and fritattas and all that fru-fru stuff that real men don’t eat. But a real man would love this one, I think! It has a standard piecrust filled with corn beef, leeks, sweet potatoes , sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. It was so good that as I write this, I want to whip it up again. I made two – one for us and one to give away to my daughter. I heard rave reviews from all tasters, and I also ate it at breakfast one morning.
There are more items on my list to make from this cookbook, and I will return to continue reviewing and raving about this book. In the meantime, I’m seriously considering a trip to Ireland next year, and of course, I’m looking at traveling with Judith. I know we’d eat well!
Buy “A Return to Ireland” for yourself. Cost is $28.99 and shipping (at this time) is free.
For more information about Judith McLoughlin, see her website.
Learn more about booking a tour with Judith.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
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