Rice paper rolls

Made rice paper rolls with fish dipping sauce again for a couple of lunches, mentioned it before, I thought it was time to add the recipe:


Bought the rice paper rolls in the wonderful Spice Bazaar in Swords - I love this shop, like a real old skool Indian shop when I lived in Rusholme in the 80's and 90's.

It is all about prep, anything can go into to them, noodles, bean sprouts, veg, meat, fish

Soak a handful of glass noodles in boiling water, then drain, handful of bean sprout (I blanch and freeze then as I never use a whole tray and they don't last long).  Peel carrots with a potato peeler, then thinly slice for very fine batons, thinly sliced spring onions and mange touts.  I had half a dozen small crayfish tails in the freeze, they went in, we had roast pork yesterday, so sliced up a bit of the leftovers.  Into a mixing bowl with a couple sliced fresh chillies, lemon juice (ginger and garlic optional - not this time), a splash of soy sauce and mixed it.

Assembling is a process (and San is way better then me, so I outsourced the hard bit) - YouTube has plenty of examples to watch.

Pour slightly cooled boiled water ( or add cold to boiled water) into a shallow bowl, immerse a sheet (they start like brittle plastic) for about 30 seconds, then do a second, overlap them by an 20%, like a Venn diagram, put a cabbage / lettuce / Chinese leaf / pak choy onto it, add filling, not too much.  Fold one end over and then roll into a cigar - as I said YouTube is your man.  I wrap then in greaseproof paper to stop them sticking

For the sauce, sugar, chilli, fish sauce (I have always used Squid brand), lemon juice, spring onions, basil, mint, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger.... whatever you have and like - mine has a lot of birds-eye chillies in it.  I have a dinky little screw top plastic container that is great for dipping sauce / salad dressing / parmesan for lunches at work - that will do for today and tomorrow

Town, Art, food and drink

Went in to the Dublin yesterday - there again today at work :(
It was People's Art day on Stephen's Green, saw some great picture, we already have pieces by most of the artists we really liked!  We went to the National Gallery, first time since it re-opened, fantastic new space, loads of great pictures (the Caravaggio is out on loan).  It was also Gay Pride day in Dublin, so loads of stuff going on and full of people in rainbow colours.

Had a few nice pints in Porter House Temple Bar and then to the Liquor Rooms, great little underground bar.  Had dinner in Cleaver East  - excellent value, if not spectacular, bit hit and miss on the temperature, but for the price well worth it. 

Need to cook a few lunch this afternoon, maybe rice paper rolls, as I should have a bit of roast pork left over from today's dinner

Fennel, Sunday and lunches

Went to Fennel in Drumcondra for dinner last night, been 4 or 5 times before, service was sometimes a bit hit and miss, but food always been excellent - unfortunately not this time, service again was iffy, food was no more than average, if it was a new place we hadn't been before, we might of been happy enough, but  such a let down after previously raving about the place.

Family dinner today 12 - 15, lasagne, chicken pasta, banoffee, we made the ragu Friday night, will roast veg for chicken pasta and make bechamel this morning, chairs out of attic and table from spare room.  Everyone here to see C on her flying visit and San's birthday.

Need to make some lunches for the week - I have some chilli in freezer, but had that twice last week - will have a root around and a think

Lunches and things to do

Made a very hot minced beef, lentil and sweetcorn chili yesterday, baked in a couple of tortillas - will do for a few lunches, weather not salad-y enough!

We were in Fennel a few times during my hiatus, back there on Saturday, so hopefully will put something here - as good as Vintage Kitchen, been there another couple of times, Kajal also this week

Need to update recipes, got a couple more, so will try and do that this week amongst all the other stuff am trying to do / catchup on this week or so.  Hopefully will not leave too big a gap

Back in Dublin

Of all the lovely food I had in Catania the standout was the sardina a beccafico in the Sicilian Fish Lab - fresh sardines stuffed with a breadcrumb, pine nut, capers and maybe raisin, crumbed and deep fried.

Home late, weather rubbish, cool and raining, greenhouse plants stayed wet enough, took triffid like tomatoes out of green house and pruned them, changed the bamboo sticks.  Hopefully the won't get as drowned as last year, but too big to stay in greenhouse.  Courgette plants doing OK, herbs fantastic, raspberries and onions only starting.  Might plant some garlic today, got some cloves over from Sicily

At a family birthday yesterday, pub platters, not my sort of thing, but OK, homemade cakes, very good, but sweeeeet.  I was asked by a niece about cooking, so I was going to dredge up my recipe book I'd done for step-monster years ago.  Looking at it I should really update it.  But not today.

Make some lunches for week and a roast chicken tonight - all back to normal

2 months until next holiday - got to set something up in between.  Lots on the next couple of weeks, some good food out planned

Last day in Catania

Great meal out in Restaurante Royal Ceres, food and wine excellent - fried fish, gnochi.  Had some nice beers and wines beforehand, had an ice cream later and went back home.

Last trip to bakers for bread for brunch, last of the ham, bresola and cheese for brunch.  Flying late tonight - cannot recommend Sicily high enough :)

Friday morning

Sitting on the balcony having a lovely coffee after a big bowl of cherries (my life!), noise from alley below of a very fucking loud radio - sort of an ice cream van, he stopped every 20 or so yards and rang a hand bell, people came out to buy granita (local specialty), ice cream or cake - those on second or third floor lower a bucket down on a rope with a order and money, he puts food and change back into bucket - everybody shouting a each other, it is a very noisy place, but fun.  Apartment have very heavy french windows, so probably went past each day, but didn't hear him. 

We have prawns from market with pasta and sauce I made earlier in week last night, eating out tonight, leftovers or breakfast and lunch today, last meal at teatime tomorrow then late flight back to Mordor

More sicily, why the gap and drinks

Feast or famine, after writing a bit this morning, I'm back, as it is too hot to sit outside.

Went shopping this morning, prawns for tonights pasta, bread to have with some if the gorgeous Sicilian sausage I cooked a couple of days ago reheated for breakfast and cherries - markets were great again - I often walk around markets in Spain, but rarely buy, feel too intimidated - here with zero language skills, bought a good few things, I will try when in Spain in August!  Caprese salad for lunch shortly

I was trying to think why I have let the blog wither over the lat year, I came up with a few reasons:

• Practice / habits - I only do things I do regularly, very much a man of habits, I go to the gym each working day or any day I'm in a hotel, but fear missing out for a week or so (like now, no gym) will I go back next week?
•  Not cooking as much, my partner took a year off work, I'm working longer hours in this job than I did in my last one and she can cook well, so I only cook at weekends doing a couple of main meals and a few things for lunch in the week - rice paper rolls and jeweled couscous need to be added here  - will do if I keep it up...
• Time - working long hours, passion for podcasts, primarily history also cooking and a bit of comedy and quizzes, reading, cooking and trying to learn Spanish - allotment gone and blog withered

Drinks
I was thinking about drinks today, I don't like black tea, generally not taken with any hot drink - I drink peppermint and camomile  teas, sometime summer fruit and roibus at work but happy to let them go cold, only started since I gave up squash and pop.
I have never been big on coffee, used to drink it at work, but stopped maybe 10 years ago, happy not to have much caffeine and much much better when I finally kicked Pepsi Max last year. I like the odd one for breakfast or after a meal in Spain or here in Italy, but only when out.  However there is a cafeteria and good ground coffee here in the apartment, so I've had it two or three mornings and really enjoyed it.  Don't think I will buy the paraphernalia but nice for a change, but as I said above I'm a bugger for habits and don't want to get back into caffeine :)

The other point on drink - beer - that I have far too much of, is so much improved.  I grew up with plenty of good local beers, these died out and I ended up with anodyne beers and lagers as I was in my early adulthood.  I always liked CAMERA and am so glad over the last decade real beer is back, Germany was always great, as was most of Eastern Europe, USA and Australia used to be dreadful, Spain and Italy weak, but with great wines. However USA turned the corner in the last 10 years, time before last I was in Oz, it was still mostly rubbish, but this year, complete turn around, as with UK and Ireland, never dies out completely in UK, but back with a vengeance.
I've had great craft beers in Spain and Italy in the last couple of years as well.

When I spend a few days in South Africa last year, only rubbish, but A tell me she has seen plenty on here frequent visits from Mozambique (too poor for a trendy micro beer scene, but 2 or 3 great local beers there already) 

I love strong beers, Dubel, Doble Malta, Imperial Stouts, most of all IPAs, but like to try lots - big shout out to Wetherspoons - while only a few in Ireland, following their tradition of cheap good beers for the masses - if shite food

sicily and a long time missing

So...
In Catania in Sicily, with a bit of time so I thought it was worth doing a bt.  No real reason for not, just busy and uninspired.

Since I last updated I've been to Boston, Madrid, Melbourne, Sydney and Cologne.  All good, from a food point of view Melbourne was the stand out especially Rice, Paper, Scissors

Sydney was a lot of cooking in for the family,  Madrid, Boston and Cologne are all places I've been a lot, so while we always find new places

Never been to Sicily before and not in Italy that often, so new adventure.  Weather in May / June is fantastic, Catania is a bit run down in places, but expected, as it is a large poor industrial city - my sort of place, staying in a lovely apartment, so eating in and out, which is always our favourite.

From the lovely doughnuts brought to us by the renter on the first morning, the huge arancini, perfect fried fish and the great produce from the market food is superb.

Plan on cooking prawns in tomato sauce and pasta tonight, will be going to fish market to look for some shortly.  Need a bit more fruit, cherries are particularly good, pears, apples, persimmons, strawberries.....

Might even try and update this now and again, when time permits.  Still working, going to gym and feeling great