I had my first encounter with an Irish coffee cake while we were living in Adare, County Limerick in 2005. We had been renting a sweet little bolthole in the village during the construction of our new home on the farm. There used to be a charming little café + deli called Lloyd’s just up the lane from our place, which was run by a lovely woman named Anne Lloyd.  I believe Lloyd’s even made the esteemed Georgina Campbell’s Blue Book of Ireland’s Best Places, and if not, it should have because it was a very special place and everything that came out of her kitchen nearly melted my heart.

Lloyd’s was literally where I first sunk my teeth into many gorgeous Irish dishes and baked goods. Almost everything on Anne’s menu was exciting to me, not because the ingredients seemed foreign, but because the ingredients were put to different uses than I had ever previously experienced. Chocolate biscuit cake (digestive cookies stirred into chocolate), flapjacks (big square honey oatmeal bars), painstakingly stirred scrambled eggs with a sprinkle of curry, a certain carrot and coriander (cilantro) soup, the perfect Irish stew topped with a splash of white wine and freshly chopped parsley and that oh….so…..wonderful warm brown bread that is essentially an Irish “brand”.  Still, more than anything, I was in very much intrigued by her sensational coffee cake and went on to have an endearing love affair with this cake that still lingers on to this day.

In America, coffee cake takes on a whole different meaning. “American” coffee cake is not an iced cake-y cake at all. Coffee cake in the USA is often more of a cinnamon streusel, bundt-like pastry that is traditionally meant to be eaten while sipping a hot cup of coffee {hence the name “coffee cake”.} While the American version is different than the Irish coffee cake, it is absolutely delicious and also one of my favorite treats. I grew up with a mother who liked to bake coffee cake in the morning and have the neighbour ladies over for coffee and gossip. And I will never forget the incredible poppyseed coffee cake that my grandmother sourced from her local Eastern European bakery and always, always had on hand whenever we visited.

So, at first, I didn’t know what to make of this new idea of coffee cake which is basically a coffee-flavoured sponge layer cake slathered in coffee-caramel-y flavoured icing. But, over time, this cake has become one of my all-time favorites….

First, you must find coffee/chicory essence.  Strong coffee or espresso would work, but would likely produce a flavour that is not the same as the sweet caramel coffee taste of the chicory/coffee essence used in this recipe. In Ireland, look for IREL (In England it is called CAMP and in the USA you can use Coffeol)

After you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, split the batter evenly into two lined, buttered and dusted sandwich tins (layer cake pans)

When the cakes are done and cooled, frost the first layer.  Because I love a caramel-coffee-nut combo, I decided to top the frosting with a handful of toasted pecans.

Sandwich the cakes together, pour over the icing, and tuck into a slice!

I truly hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do on the farm!

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photos by Imen McDonnell. Recipe adapted from Darina Allen’s “Forgotten Skills of Cooking”

Tags: Camp, Coffee Cake, Coffeol, darina allen, farm, food, foodies, Imen McDonnell, Irel, ireland, Married an Irish Farmer

I know this is a little late for Valentine’s Day, but I have a perfectly good excuse. I planned on making these sweet heart-shaped deep chocolate Guinness cakes for my special ♥ post, but as luck would have it, I came down with a terrible, knockdown cold this week and was quarantined to the bedroom until today. This illness came shortly after I finally recovered from the worst jet lag I had ever experienced coming back from America on the 6^th.  Note to self: don’t forget sleep tabs for flight next time!

The good news is even though I was under the weather, I still managed to have a pretty good week. We’ve welcomed at least 15 new calves since the weekend, which always makes my heart smile and when I checked emails on Valentine’s morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this blog has been nominated in four categories for the Irish Blog Award this year! The categories are Food, Photo, Personal and Specialist. Am deeply flattered by this although I have to admit that I am not quite clear on what exactly I “specialize” in just yet! Check out all of the great Irish blog nominees here.

Despite the fact that I was bed-bound, I was able to have a little fun as evidenced by the #foodiefridgeflash that I jumpstarted in the Twitterverse on Wednesday. I like to call it an international flash mob of fridge innards. It was loads of fun watching the twitpics stream in all day on my laptop from the comfort of my bed. Have a peek at some of the photos here.

I also received my long awaited new P. Allen Smith, “Seasonal Recipes From The Garden” cookbook. If you have not heard of this gardener extraordinaire who has been deemed the “Martha Stewart of the South” by the New York Times, I highly recommend adding this book or any of his previous gardening books to your library. I turned on the kettle, lit my  favorite candle, slathered on some happy hand cream (I truly believe that aromatherapy heals) and proceeded to turn page after gorgeous page of inspiring seasonal recipes. I put the beautiful book down with fresh anticipation for the spirit of spring and getting into our garden again. I mean, poached egg & spring spinach salad? Delicious!

To top the week off, I was invited by Donal Doherty and the Irish Food Bloggers Association to share some of my butter-making love for their “foodies on tour” event next month at Harry’s Restaurant in Donegal. I will be presenting in the esteemed company of Ed Hick and TJ Crowe who will also be sharing their skills on the day. Donal says he has even more surprises planned….Burren Salmon? Artisan Chutney? You never know, as he’s always got something exciting up his sleeve! I am really excited to meet Donal, whom has really made a name for himself here in Ireland for his unwavering support and use of local (sometimes unsual) ingredients at Harry’s. If you are foodie, we welcome you to attend. You can find all the details on the IFBA website here.

So, the moral of this story is that sometimes being sick and in bed isn’t the worst. Except for physically feeling quite awful, I had a fantastic week. And, it’s all really because of this blog and those who follow along, so big thanks to you!

Happy {belated} Valentine’s Day.

Here’s that little Irish chocolate cake recipe I wanted to share with you…

Enjoy!

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photo by Imen McDonnell. Photographs in P.Allen Smith’s book by Ben Fink.

Tags: Burren Salmon, butter, Crowes Farm, Ed Hick, farmer, food, foodie, Guinness, Harry's, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, Irish Food Bloggers Association, married, Martha Stewart, P.Allen Smith, Royal Apothic, Valentines

I have a confession. It was not until I moved to Ireland that I tasted or even heard of Shepherds’ Pie. And really, I never attempted to make it until I had a bambino and it seemed to be the dinner of choice amongst many in the mummy set because of its ease, nutritional value + the fact that it’s basically mushy yummy goodness that all bubbies go ga-ga over.

The history of this gorgeous potato-crusted meat pie dates back to the late 1700’s to early 1800’s and most accounts claim that the pie was created by frugal housewives looking for different ways to serve leftover meat to their families on the British Isles and throughout Ireland {some things never change}. It is also generally agreed that the term “Shepherd’s Pie” originated in the north of England and Scotland where there are large numbers of sheep. If you prepare the pie with minced beef, it is then referred to as Cottage Pie.

Back home, I grew up on casseroles and hot dishes {there is now even a fabulous restaurant dedicated to hot dishes only, appropriately named Haute Dish}, but Shepherd’s Pie or it’s beef version, Cottage Pie, were definitely not de rigueur at the time. Of course, now everyone from Rachel Ray to the Barefoot Contessa has their own version of Shepherd’s Pie in America.

While I love a traditional recipe like this one from Darina Allen or Donal Skehan’s lovely roasted garlic version, I like to experiment a little and tailor the recipe to the flavours that we prefer in our home.

In all of my pies, I try to spice it up with a sprinkle of fennel seeds perhaps, or maybe a few generous pinches of herbes de Provence, Moroccan seasoning or just simply a shake of chili powder….depending on the mood (and the weather!) that day.

Pie #1 (Top) I’ve used mashed cauliflower instead of potato, giving it a subtle flavour difference and a significant carb cut down. Also, since lamb mince is not readily available in most American supermarkets, I substituted ground round steak on this pie.

Pie #2 (Middle) For a veggie version, you can replace the lamb or beef with Quorn or another type of veggie mince and it is just as protein packed and tasty!

Pie #3 (Bottom) Traditional Shepherd’s Pie made with lamb mince and whipped potato topping. Perfection.

I find that it’s nice to make individual ramekins, or “shepherdettes” as I have affectionately named them so you can freeze and take out one at a time as needed for a quick meal for one (or five) after a busy day.

Enjoy,

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photo by Imen McDonnell in all-natural Irish light. Assisted by Master Geoffrey McDonnell.

Tags: beef, casserole, Cottage pie, England, farm, food, foodie, hot dish, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, lamb, Married an Irish Farmer, Scotland, Shepherd Pie

Foreward: This is a continuation of “From Jet-Set to Farmette, Part I and II”, which you can read here and here. Often people ask just how exactly myself and himself met, so I thought it would be handy if I put together a little series of posts laying out the low-down with as many details as can tastefully be shared. If you are not into sappy love stories, I’d give it a skip.

Over the next year, I racked up many frequent-flyer miles travelling to Ireland where I was introduced to MDF’s* wonderful family and the farm. The farm was at once traditional and modern, with old stone buildings as well as Lely dairy milking robots. Despite becoming familiar with a whole new set of “fragrances”,  I was fascinated and felt great admiration for how their family farm worked as well as its deep history.  We toured all around the magical and extraordinary island of Ireland, which captured my heart just as much as the farmer himself.  During this time, we also spent two weeks together on the Amalfi Coast and Rome, Italy where we had unforgettable adventures and the most delicious food either of us had ever experienced.

Then it was his turn. He traveled back to my neck of the woods to meet family and more friends. Complete adoration. My father especially took a shine and told me that I was beginning to resemble the Cheshire Cat, which pleased him very much. My sweetheart even made his way to the Rocky Mountains for a long weekend to attend a friend’s wedding with me. It was official: we were in love.

Eventually the big decision had to be made. Who was going to relocate and when? If we were to continue our relationship, which we had every intention of doing, someone was going to be ousted from their secure little nest and make the move. As it turned out, that someone had to be me. My farmer would never leave his family business, which had been in existence for decades. He actually never told me he wouldn’t leave, but I felt couldn’t ask him to risk giving it all up and come to America to be with me in my rented, unstructured {i.e. crazy-fabulous} world. What if it didn’t work out? I couldn’t bear the thought of those consequences. Besides, I was a producer; surely I could get freelance work wherever I lived, right? {yes, this is where the love blindfold steps in}.

I felt sure that I would settle right in since I was a well-travelled and very adaptable person who treasured new experiences. There wouldn’t be a language barrier and I had finally become convinced that I was ready to trade my hectic life for a quiet life in the Irish countryside with my beloved farmer. We agreed that I would move to Ireland and if it didn’t work out he’d give it try in the USA. There was no choice, we could no longer live an ocean away from one another; we just had to be together.

One weekend, as we were enjoying a lazy loved-up Sunday afternoon in the Twin Cities, he lured me into Tiffany’s “just for the craic of it” and began asking me what type of rings and jewelry I fancied.  When we walked out of the store, I was giddy with excitement and couldn’t help but wonder what he had up his sleeve.

The next time I would see him, it would be in Manhattan. After a somewhat disappointing meal at Tavern on the Green, we decided to head back to our hotel.  I walked to the closet to hang up my coat and when I turned around, there he was, on one knee, with a ring box in hand. He proudly and nervously proposed to me, quietly and privately, right there in our room at the Tribeca Grand . I was smitten and stunned, and there was absolutely no question in my mind, so with tears in my eyes, I said, “yes, yes, yes!” {Remember that recent gallivant in Tiffany’s?}

We spent the rest of the weekend starry-eyed….discussing our amazing plans, hopes and dreams for our future together.

When I boarded the plane back to Minneapolis, I was the happiest girl in the world.

End of Part, III

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Imen

MDF = My Dashing Farmer

Tags: cheshire cat, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, Manhattan, Married an Irish Farmer, Metro mag, New York, Tavern on the Green, Tiffany, Tribeca Grand, Twin Cities