Gimme the Recipe by Sheila Kiely

Posted by WiseMóna    48 Comments    in Reviews

I know, I know, I know…I said I was on a blogging break. But I had to slip this one in before the weekend in a ‘proud-to-be-Irish’ and a ‘celebrate BUSY Mothers’ kinda blog post.

(for all y’all that do not live in Ireland – we celebrate Mothers Day in March (not May like the rest of the world) here on the little green island)

A few months ago  I contacted Sheila, a fellow food blogger, and busy working mother of SIX kids (there are two sets of twins in that bunch so hats off to her!) and asked her if I could interview her about her new book, which is now available to buy on the Mercier Press website.  I hope you enjoy the read and if you are a busy Mum looking for tried and tested recipes that will not break the bank AND food  your kids will eat then look no further. This book is for you.

Also, if you leave a nice comment, and the random gods smile upon you, then you will be the lucky recipient of a copy of Sheila’s new book! So start commenting and tell your friends. We will draw the winner and announce them on Sunday right here on the blog. And yes, of course we will ship worldwide, so y’all are in with a chance to win.

Now before any of you start emailing me telling me how you never win anything and wondering if ‘and the winner is‘ random comment generator is really fair or even random – then here are a few stats to put your mind at ease.

We have had 6 giveaways over the last seven months and the winners have been from USA (twice), Ireland (three times) Canada (once) and the UK (once).

’tis fair and ’tis very random.

An interview with Irish author Sheila Kiely regarding her new book ‘Gimme the Recipe’ which is also the name of her blog!

Enjoy the read.

1.   Tell me about your book. How did you come up with the idea?

‘Gimme the Recipe’ is a book written for every day ordinary busy people like me.  It is written for the type of person who ends up in the aisles of the supermarket surrounded by food but without a clue what to cook for dinner.  It is a collection of recipes divided into three sections ‘What’s for Dinner Mom?’, ‘Baking Day’ and ‘Dinner Party’ with the main focus being on answering the question ‘What’s for Dinner Mom?’

The idea for ‘Gimme the Recipe’ was a gradual dawning that spawned from numerous conversations I had with my running partner Deirdre on the exasperated topic of what to cook for dinner.  I felt that there was a need for a book that was written by a busy person who understands what it’s like to have limited time and choices that determine where they shop and so uses ingredients that are readily accessible.  For most of my peers cooking is often a hurried affair and something may have to be bunged into the oven fairly quickly before a quick dash is made out the door again to taxi a child to their next music/dance/drama lesson or whatever.  There is generally little time to read the ingredients list and do the preparation before starting to cook so I’ve written my methods to include preparation as while it may be admirable/efficient to chop and prepare ingredients into little bowls before you start, for most people I know that’s not how we cook.

2. How did you get interested in food writing?

I’ve always been passionate about food and I am an avid viewer of food programmes and collector of recipes, reading food magazines and recipes wherever they feature.  While I studied English in college and wrote a novel (unpublished) a number of years ago, writing is something that I’ve always enjoyed as a hobby but the food writing only started around three years ago when I got the idea for ‘Gimme the Recipe’.

3. What kind of research did you do for this book?

My research took the form of educating myself in food styling and photography and also food writing by attending numerous courses and workshops in all of these areas.  When it came to recipe writing I was drawing from simple recipes that I use all the time though for the DIY Takeaway section of the book I bought some books on Indian cooking and experimented with various recipes, tweaking and modifying until I was happy that the ingredients were readily available and the recipes easy to follow.

4.  How long did it take you to find a publisher? Are you releasing an eBook version too?

With the experience of an unpublished novel behind me I was well aware of how difficult it is to become published.  However as I had a passionate belief and vision for this book I was determined that it was going to make it to a bookshop shelf somehow and I had more or less decided to go down the self-publishing route. There came a point where I was beginning to incorporate photographs in with the text and I was finding the whole design process extremely frustrating and it was at that stage – about a year into working on the book – that I approached Mercier Press.  Around 6 months after our initial meeting a contract was agreed.  As far as I am aware there are no plans to release an eBook version of ‘Gimme the Recipe.’

5.  How excited are you to be slated in the category of ‘blog to book’ ?

What most people don’t realise is that for me the blog came after work for the book was well underway though undoubtedly without the blog there would be no book.  It was thanks to Sally McKenna (Bridgestone Guides Publisher ) that I started my blog and she gave me positive feedback and direction in my early days of blogging.  The food blogging community in Ireland is an amazingly generous, friendly and supportive one and with the formation of the Irish Food Bloggers Association (thanks to Kristen Jensen & Caroline Hennessy) it has been given a structure and base that has strengthened this community.  I’m naturally delighted to be joining other Irish Food Bloggers who have also been published such as Donal Skehan, Niamh Shields and Lily Higgins.

6. What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Did you set a daily writing goal for this project?

I work in the administration side of our food safety consultancy business – Industrial Management Systems – so when I started to work on ‘Gimme the Recipe’ and previously on my novel the writing was done in the evening time and at the weekends.  I normally write in the office which is at the top of the house and well away from the kitchen where all the hustle and bustle prevails.  I found that during the school summer holidays I had more time to write which might sound strange but with the kids taking a break from their after school activities it freed up a lot more time for me in the evenings and at weekends.  I only really began to set daily writing goals when the publishing deal was in place and there were deadlines to be met which really gave a sense of focus.

7. What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing when it came to ‘Gimme the Recipe’ was paring back and trying not to be too wordy.  I love language and I love how words can flow but when writing recipes you need the methods to be concise and easy to follow so editing the method was probably the hardest part.

8. What’s the best thing about being an author?

Author is a title that I hardly feel I deserve yet and haven’t given much thought to.  At time of answering this I have yet to see a finished copy of “Gimme the Recipe’ and won’t quite believe that I am an author until I get to hold a copy of the book in my hands.  It’s tremendously exciting be getting published and a clichéd dream come true.  Being a published author will mean that someone else likes my writing and that’s a wonderful feeling.

9. What are you working on now? Is there a second book in the works?
It’s been a hectic couple of years and right now I’m enjoying the lead-up to ‘Gimme the Recipe’ being published and continuing to experiment with recipes and publish to my blog.  As far as a second book is concerned I am planning on starting a second novel this summer as an idea for that has been simmering for a while.  I’d like to think that there will be a ‘Gimme the Recipe 2’ at some stage but there are no immediate plans for that.

10. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

I heard an interview on the radio recently in which a successful broadcaster was being asked about their ‘lucky breaks’ and his clichéd response was ‘the harder you work the luckier you get.’  It may sound throw-away but it is precisely the answer and that’s what it takes in writing too.  A lot of hard work, dedication, planning and learning are required to build on your skills to make you a better writer.

11. Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

I don’t have time to read as much as I would like but I’ve enjoyed reading The Slap, Room and The Help recently.  My favourite food writer is Nigel Slater.  And my favourite quote is one of his :
“There is too much talk of cooking being an art or a science – we are only making ourselves something to eat.”

12. Sheila, people ask me this all the time so I have to ask as you are mothering six, and I only four, but how on earth did you find the time to work full time, parent and write a book?

I suppose what had to happen in the really busy periods especially this time last year when I was photographing for the book, was a realisation that it was impossible to do everything and tasks had to be prioritized.  This meant an ever increasing mound of unfiled paper on my desk (still there) and a house that could only be described as ‘upside-down’ much of the time.  The necessary was done; kids were fed, kept clean(ish) and loved and I discovered that while it might be nice it’s not actually necessary to iron your duvet covers.  While the hectic phase has passed for now things are slowly returning to some semblance of normality though the laundry room situation is some kind of self-perpetuating nightmare that I know I will never be on top of.

WiseMóna sez:

Thank you Sheila for taking the time to answer all my questions in such great detail. We wish you much success with your new book and will keep an ear to the ground for word on that novel you are writing.

If you are wanting to buy a nice book for your Mum for Mothers Day, why not buy Sheila’s book. 

I hope you enjoyed the read and that you leave a comment to enter the drawing for a copy of Gimme the Recipe.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Ashford Castle

Posted by WiseMóna    52 Comments    in Reviews

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland……….then visiting Ashford Castle is a must.

The end.

Ashford Castle in all its glory on a cool bright day in November.

Ok. There might be a bit more to this story, considering the day after our visit here with friends, I found out that that Ashford Castle is now indeed gone into receivership. 

 * sigh * I know they say ‘open for business’ while all this reorganizing is going on, but for once, just once, I would like a place like this to be able to survive. Alas, that is not possible because the operation costs are outrageous, I am sure.

Ashford Castle should be on everyones list of places to visit when in Ireland. Roguishly handsome tourist not included.

A few weeks ago, while flitting about the countryside with our American friends, we headed in the direction of Ashford Castle, in Cong, County Mayo and decided to pop in for a lite bite of lunch. Ah, shur, why not. The folks at Ashford no longer offer a fancy or formal luncheon experience on a Sunday, so one is relegated to the plush drawing room for a very relaxed dining affair. We were wearing jeans and boots, incase you are wondering. No dress code at this castle.

Feel the heat and warm welcome from the hearth of the fire

We have eaten at Ashford a few times over the last four years and I can’t say I have ever been unhappy with the food (which is ok) and the service (which is always over the top excellent).  As it was nearing the end of November, and quite brisk outside, I was immediately struck by the waves of heat coming from the hotel reception area as the white gloved doorman led us in from the cold.  (Worry not, we played the part well and our ‘abduction van’ was well hidden o’er the hill near Cullens.)

Although I was happy that the castle was so (incredibly) warm my immediate thoughts were ‘how in the heck can they afford to heat this giant?’

Fancy a game of chess anyone?

We spent some time rambling around the castle, exploring the dungeon bar and all the little nooks and crannies where one could easily while away a few hours curled up with a book or playing a game of chess, if one was so inclined.

Not us. No lounging about for this group.

Refreshing was one of the words used to describe the bloody mary we had…

We were seated in the drawing room infront of the window (as requested) and decided to order a few Bloody Marys to get started. Now, I know I am not easy to please, but this was not a good way to start our little dining affair a Ashford. To me, a good Bloody mary must have a lot of flavour. There was no fresh horseradish to be found (even when we asked for more, they just gave us the creamed horseradish out of a jar). This tasted like a (somewhat refreshing) glass of ‘lite’ tomato juice with a lot of lemon juice. There was no evidence of vodka, no hint of worcestershire and not a grain of black pepper or celery salt on the rim. Oh – and there was no garnish either; not a stick of celery to be found. The problem here folks is that I make a great bloody mary. Also, I have had the bloody marys at Lynns Paradise Café in Louisville, Kentucky; theirs might be the best in the world.

We soldiered on, because the waitress tried to help us out as best she could, and we ordered some white wine.

The sun was causing all kids of trouble that day . . .

It was well one o’clock in the afternoon by this stage and we were in need of sunblock. It was musical chairs for a few minutes until all of us were seated in the right positions, or on the right poofy chairs, in order to be in – or out – of the heat and glare of the Irish November sunshine. I make mention of this, because a lot of readers think that it always rains here in Ireland. It does rain a lot. But in between all that rain, that makes everything so green and beautiful, we get what we like to call ‘watery sunshine’. And we love it.

What pretty stems, no?

The lunch menu for the drawing room is ok. Nothing to exciting. I always think that places like this have to play it safe because they depend so heavily on a revolving door of tourists. I wonder, do the tourists like the boring and safe menu options? The prices for soup, sandwiches and salads ranged in price from €7 to €18.50. Initially, I thought this did not sound too bad. You would not mind spending a bit more for lunch with friends, given the ambiance, service and location. Right?

Everything neat and orderly, polished and perfect.

We ordered our food and waited an appropriate amount of time before it came to our table. Our waitress was attentive and made sure we had what we needed and gave the occasional glance in our direction to ensure no one was trying to catch her attention for any extra items needed. The chowder, while it was nice, did not compare to the chowder we had had a few days prior at O’Gradys on the Pier in Barna.

Such nice service for the seafood chowder

The Chef ordered the fish n’ chips and was quite happy with it but I could tell it was not as good as the fish and chips we had the week prior in Kettle ‘o Fish in Galway.

The fish and chips…….lets face it lads, Kettle of Fish in Galway is the best. Hands down.

I had ordered the seafood salad. This sounded fairly straightforward on the menu. Connemara Smoked Salmon and Prawns. I was not wild about the creme fraiche that the prawns were (hard to find!) in. It was supposed to be a tomato-orange sauce but had no flavour. The salad, and this is one of my per peeves, had no dressing on it and it was one of those bag salads. You know how I know? Because a few of the pieces were all soggy and black and slimy. I left those off to the side and started to wonder why in the heck they were not growing and using their own salad greens, which grow all year round in Ireland!

Prawn and Smoked Salmon Salad

Now, anyone reading this might think that we had a shockingly horrible time, but the truth be told, it was a lovely affair. We ate, drank and were merry. Afterwards, we strolled into the village of Cong and paid homage to the houses and pubs used in the making of one of our favourite movies ‘The Quiet Man‘ starring John Wayne and Maureen O’ Hara

Some of us, intent on finding leprechauns and the likes, searched high and low for a rainbow. But on this particular day, there was none to be found.

There was the next day though, right outside our front door!

Slated.ie has given us one of their beautiful cheese boards. You know you want one and you definitely need one!

This is a giveaway blog post. The lovely folks over at SLATED donated one of their cheese boards (with cheese knife) and we are offerring it up to one of our readers.I have installed and am using a new toy called ‘And the winner is‘ which will randomly pick one of the blog comments as the winner for this beautiful Chrismas present.

All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog stating ‘I like Slated‘ and other witty clever things that I know you are dying to say! This giveaway will run until midnight on Friday (December 9th) and the winner will be chosen and notified via email no later than Sunday (December 11th), ensuring we have  enough time get this to you (or a friend or family member) before Christmas.

This is open to everyone (worldwide) as long as you are signed up to receive WiseWords updates via email to enter the competition.

Go on now. Enter for a chance to win!

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today!

WiseMóna

AND the winner of this contest is Caroline O’Sullivan! Congrats Caroline. I hope you enjoy the cheeseboard from Slated! Please email me with your home shipping address and I will pop it in the post for you! Thank you for reading WiseWords.

O’Gradys on the Pier

Posted by WiseMóna    28 Comments    in Reviews

O’Gradys on the Pier

Barna, County Galway

(0)91-592223

http://www.ogradysonthepier.com/

O'Gradys overlooks this pier in Barna

Truth be told, when friends come to visit, we rarely take them out to eat. We have only found one or two restaurants locally that check all the boxes when it comes to having excellent standards in food and service (combined) for the right price. A few weeks ago, while touring around Galway with our American friends, we decided to pop into O’Gradys on the Pier (in Barna) for a bit of lunch. It was high noon and the rain had held off so we parked the car and strolled into the restaurant ready for a bit of fish. Supposedly this is what they do really well here.

Smiling works up a fierce thirst!

We were met at the door, of the warm and cosy interior, by one of the waiters who asked us to go for a quick walk because they did not start serving lunch until 12:30pm. Ok. I know. This is Ireland, and in particular Galway, where we all have a little bit of a relaxed thing going on, but really, no lunch until 12:30pm? The tone in which this was delivered was very pleasant even a little playful,  so we took off to explore our surroundings and worked up a fierce hunger. Just as well too.

Cosy bright inviting interior

Upon our return to the restaurant, all rosy cheeked and filled with fresh sea air, we were offered our choice of tables as there was not a soul in the dining room. I always worry about places that are quiet and do not have a line of people out the door waiting to get in a lunch time. I start to think about all the reasons people are not eating lunch there. We chose to sit right infront of the open fire in a very cosy booth (which ordinarily might seat five people) and were presented promptly with the menu and wine list.

We were eating light on this particular afternoon as it was ‘Thanksgiving‘ and we had a fine feast prepped and planned back at the house so we chose soup, chowder and mussels and shared the lot. I was happy to see that their soup of the day was a creamy tomato basil soup and not the standard vegetable soup that most restaurants offer.

Best damn chowder

The chowder was just as it should be. Filled with fresh fish swimming in a delicious creamy soup. There was no aftertaste of dried herbs at all and even when we reached the bottom of the bowl, and had had plenty, it was the kind of chowder that food memories are made of and now other chowders will be held to its standard.

The tomato basil soup, for such a basic soup, was a nice piece of work too. The seasoning was just right, the basil was put in at the last minute so it taste like basil and there was very little cream. Just enough to give it a beautiful richness but not making the lunch too heavy at all.

The mussels, which we shared between the three of us, came out in a cream and shallot and white wine sauce. I prefer my mussels to have heat but in this case they were delicious. We asked for extra bread to mop up all the sauce. I love sauce like that, where even when they give you pretty little finger bowls with lemon slices to wash your hands off after your meal you are quite happy to lick your fingers instead.

Mussels . . we licked the bowl clean.

The service.

When I moved back home to Ireland (almost 4 years ago) I was very worried about the state of ‘service’ offered by restaurants and hotels to our tourists. I found that there was a huge influx of ‘not-so-local’ employees in the service industry, and while they are doing a damn fine job, the lilt and laughter was missing. The jokes and bit of Irish wit was nowhere to be seen. Call it a language barrier issue, differences in culture, or just plain ‘its a job and I am just here to make money’ issue. It saddened me greatly because I started working as a waiter at the age of 14 and was trained to bartend-like-the-best-of-them in McSwiggans - another fine establishment in Galway – and the thing that was drilled into our heads from the start was to take care of the customer. Taking care of them means so much more, to me, than just ‘greet, seat and eat’. I have high expectations. I want my monies worth, so to speak.

Our waiter was not Irish. I am not sure where he was from but possibly of eastern european descent. From the minute we got there, he smiled like a champ, he joked around with us and chatted with us and took care of us. We wanted for nothing. He was there to do his job, and then some. We had one of the most memorable fabulous fun foodie experiences at O’Grady’s on the pier because they have taken great care to have the right people cooking and taking care of their customers.

I can’t wait to go back. And although you can see it from looking at the photos, you really do need to go there yourself and experience the views and the comfort of sitting in that little nook by their cozy cast iron fireside.

Go there, eat lots and leave a nice big tip for your waiter.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today.

WiseMóna

* Full disclosure *

We were not given any freebies and paid for everything out of our own pockets, as we always do. 

Builín Blasta Café

Posted by WiseMóna    24 Comments    in Reviews

Builín Blasta Café

at Spiddal Craft & Design Studios

091 558 559

Pretty Far West there is a lovely little village

Where the river meets the sea in a mad flurry and hurry

Where a run on the beach is just the tonic for burning off the excess energy you might have

And a quiet meditative moment feeling the breeze billow against your rosy cheeks is something you will crave for life…

Hungry tummies guided us here…. as did a few foodie friends

Yes Mom…. I can read and know what I want to eat…

A spot of tea Chef?

Refreshing refreshments….

And the food……..

The flavourful fabulous food

Smoked salmon atop scrumptious scramblers with homemade toasted bread…

A ham n' cheese focaccia … good good good…

What can I say about  Builín Blasta Café? It was all (or mostly) good.

Several foodie friends of ours have encouraged us to luncheon at this tucked away café in Spiddal, County Galway. A few days ago, relishing time with the kids on a sunny Saturday, we stole away a few hours in Spiddal for a seaside stroll and a spot of lunch. This was my third visit to this particular café but our first time taking the noisemakers.

Builín Blasta translates to ‘Tasty Loaf’ so it stands to reason that they might know a thing or two about bread making. A New Zealand native Chef J-me Peaker produces an exquisite sampling of beautiful, locally sourced and cared for food. You can tell this guy knows how to bake because his breads are fresh and firm or soft and doughy, in the most unctuous kind of way.

Lunch for the six of us was €34.00 and was worth every penny; plates were licked clean. The selection of teas and coffees to be had is excellent and I will bring our friends here for lunch or even just a cuppa when I am in the area again.

As good as it was, I feel that I have to mention on teeny tiny thing that bothered me and can let a place down unnecessarily so. Alas, the service was not great. I have tried to find a way to say this a little more delicately, because this is not a negative review at all, but it just annoys the crap out of me when a place ‘gets it right’ on so many levels and they are let down by a couple of surly servers.

I know, because we owned our own restaurants and were once childless, that seeing a group of starving young kids tearing into a café can scare any one. The two (young) girls that were working that day were uninterested in greeting us. One of them sat doing side work at a nice large table that would have suited our size family perfectly, but it had a big ‘Reserved’ sign on it so we chose happily to sit near the window. We motioned towards putting two (4 tops) tables together so we could dine as a family and ended up having to do it ourselves. There might have even been a heavy ‘sigh’ from our server.

This café is lovely. Honestly. I’ll bet that once they get to know you, especially if you live locally, you would be well looked after. It is small enough space and should have a very inviting staff that look up and smile when you walk in; or someone that might bustle around checking on the the tables to see if you need another splash of hot water for your tea or a top up on your water.

The problem here is that they most likely get a lot of bus tours. Wham.Bam.Thank-you M’am. So, no matter how hard the poor guy in the kitchen is working, and let me tell you there is love in his kitchen, he is let down greatly by employees that are just there to make a quick buck and have no interest in going the extra mile or flashing the occasional smile.

The Chef has a phrase that he uses all the time and I love it:

‘Works so bad they gotta pay you to do it’.

As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have dined at this café three times now. The first time, alone. The second time with a friend and the last with the children and my husband. I was ‘aware’ of the service but neither aggravated or overwhelmed by it. I am going to go out on a limb here and make the statement that I believe this was an isolated incident and in general the service at Builín Blasta Café is seamless; and most importantly, and like the people of Spiddal, very friendly. They have, after all, already been awarded ‘Cafe of the year (2012) from Georgina Campbell; and she would know!

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

A biography on Oscar Wilde’s family. ‘More Lives Than One’ by Gerry Hanberry

Posted by WiseMóna    22 Comments    in Reviews

Living in a city that celebrates the Arts as beautifully as Galway does, a girl is bound to end up running into, and getting to know, some very cool people. When I was young(er) I had the pleasure of being taught English by a man named Gerry Hanberry. Last year, during my poetry semester at University, I was excited to see him at the top of the class again. I never will tire of learning from a good teacher.

Gerry has just recently released his first biography More Lives Than One  and I asked if he had a few minutes to spare. I wondered if he would share with us a bit of his wit and wisdom about the craft of writing, about his new book and about juggling his career of writing and teaching. Of course, because he is just that nice, he shared and then some.

Gerry Hanberry. Poet. Author. Damn fine teacher.

1. Tell me about your new book  More Lives Than One – The Remarkable Wilde  Family Through the Generations. 

This is my latest work and my first biography. Indeed it is my first long prose publication, having three poetry collections published to date as well as some short stories. My current poetry collection is published by Salmon Publications and is called At Grattan Road. I have also had some short stories published over the years including winning the original Short Story prize at Listowel Writers Week in 2000. The idea behind this book More Lives Than One – The Remarkable Wilde Family Through the Generations is to tell the story of this extraordinary family in a fresh, new way and bring the story of Oscar and his family to a wider, general readership. It is an epic family saga when taken across the seven generations. It also tries to contextualise Oscar in terms of his family and his roots in Ireland. The book also firmly places the Wildes in their West of Ireland setting. Oscar is often thought of in terms of a boulevardier in Paris or London but the Wilde roots are firmly in the West of Ireland. The book is a great read because of the sensational triumphs and tragedies experienced not alone in Oscar’s generation but by his highly accomplished father, Sir William and his flamboyant mother Lady Wilde. It is a tale of almost Grecian proportions telling of glittering success but also terrible suffering through the generations. One is also taken by the strange element of foreshadowing that can be seen when events in one generation are like dress-rehearsals for events in a later generation.

2. It is obvious you are a fan of Oscar Wilde. Do you have other favourites that might have influenced your writing style over the years?

I have always been interested in the story of Oscar Wilde, his climb to success and his sudden destruction, ever since I read Richard Ellmann’s great biography Oscar Wilde when it came out in the 1980’s but I never thought I would write the story of the Wildes myself. Let me divide other writers I admire into fiction writers, non-fiction authors and poets.

In fiction I like Cormac McCarthy for his bleak world view and his descriptive power. Kevin Barry for his style and turn of phrase, Ken Bruen for that sparse, clipped tone and for that great character Jack Taylor. I also like to occasionally go back to a classic from a bygone age to fill in a gap.

In non-fiction I love Tim Robinson. His books on Connemara and Aran are fantastic. I like any literary biography for example Claire Tomalin’s Thomas Hardy  or Elaine Feinstein’s Ted Hughes.

Poets I enjoy include Philip Larkin, Rita Ann Higgins, Charles Simic, Billy Collins, Kerry Hardie.

Gerry's new book.

I think I first started to write as a child but gave it up in my mid to late teens in favour of sport and then music. I was always fascinated with words and story and later became almost more interested in the reports of games and the pieces about the players then the actual sport. I later wrote songs in my teens and twenties and again was almost more interested in reading reviews and bits in New Musical Express than I was in hearing the music. I would have liked in my teens to have been a music journalist with Rolling Stone or NME. The songs would later give way to poems in the mid 80’s and I then began writing a weekly music/arts column for the Galway Observer, it was like the Galway Advertiser in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It went some way in filling the failed ambition. I than began writing articles and reviews in a freelance way trying to place them with various publications. A tough way to make a living, so when a job as a teacher came along I took it and was pleased to do so. I tried some stories and the poems began to slowly improve as I began to learn more about the art and craft of poetry. Eventually some poems and stories were accepted for publication by some literary journals and I began to enter some literary competitions. It was all very slow.

Why do I write? It is a necessity in my case. I get very edgy if I am not working on a poem or a story or something. Writing is communication, with the inner self as well as with a reader. It is a difficult thing to say something in a new way or to provide a reader with something they can enjoy or find insightful. I like to tell stories and the book on the Wilde family is full of stories.  I gradually came to realise that that an enormous story and an entertaining one spanning three hundred years needed to be told. That is what kept me at the task for almost ten years. The poems also try to convey something of life, love, death, loss, happiness…there is a poem in At Grattan Road where I explore the mystery of writing….maybe, as the last line says, I am recording that I and the reader and these thought at least ‘exist’.

CREATURES OF THE MIST

I come upon the tracks of deer’s hooves in the snow.

Language but no words. 

Tomas Transtromer, From March 1979.

Translated by Robin Fulton.

Grey shadows emerging

from of the mists,

drawing closer, gesturing

that they are famished.

One or two, I can see, are

wrapped like mummies,

horror figures,

no eyes, no ears.

How many are out there?

A shuffling army?

Drawn to me as if

words could help their deformities,

nourish them in their terrible silence

or give them shelter,

but they are not creatures of shelter

they are creatures of the mists.

Bloodless ethereals,

do they want my blood? Let them

perish! Perhaps they have already perished.

What do you want of me?

My cry fades and there is nothing to be done,

at least for now,

nothing, except record their passing,

record that they at least exist.

A book of beautiful poetry

4. How do you juggle the life of a teacher and that of a writer? 

I like teaching and that’s a great help. Teaching is not the easy job some people like to believe it is but if you can do it and enjoy it then it is a nice job. I think teaching fits well with my work as a writer. I teach English at second level at Colaiste Einde and I also deliver some courses at NUIG such as the Creative Writing, Poetry on the BA Connect.  The gear shift in the head from the writing desk to the teaching desk is not too huge. Imagine being in a totally different job such as finance or sales and then trying to write. That would be impossible, for me anyway. But I can be reflecting on Macbeth, let’s say, and because I live close to the school, I can be soon at my writing desk, working on something maybe allied to the great themes we had been discussing earlier. It also helps pay the bills and that’s one more problem solved leaving space for thought.

 5. Are you rigid in your routine when it comes to writing? What time of day do you write? Do you write with a pen or type on your computer?

I work in major bursts of creativity following weeks of scribbling little notes and lines. Weekends, holidays, evenings. I don’t play golf, I don’t watch much TV or go to the movies or watch films really. I like to read a bit then write a bit.

6. You write poetry as well.  Do you prefer the writing of shorter pieces of work to a long piece such as your novel? 

Just because a poem might look skimpy on the page in its final form does not mean that an enormous amount of  work -  first draft, second…..one hundredth… has not gone into it. I write poems in longhand first, big ,long, scribbled thoughts- looking for an image or metaphor or description or feeling. This is not typed into the laptop until it is at a fairly worked-up stage. I was fiddling with re-writes of a poem called ‘Embers’ for almost three years. But in the end it won the Brendan Kennelly award – a valuable cash prize and a painting worth 5,000 euro.

Prose is different – I can write prose straight into the computer and work it up later.

Finding the correct voice in which to tell a story is the difficult bit. Many people have stories in them but just cannot tell a good story well. You know, how many times have you heard a person try to tell a joke and completely tell a joke and fail. Another person can have you in stitches with a less funny story. It’s the way you tell it. That was the difficult part of finishing More Lives Than One. I knew I had a good story but had difficulty finding a good and even voice in which to tell it.

On top of Ard Mhacha where the legend of Cucullin originated

 7.  Is there a future in print or do you think the eBook will soon flood the market and with it an emerging generation of self-publishing writers?

Everything changes yet everything remains the same. There is a place for the ebook especially in the times of air travel and weight restrictions. They are also good for the old classics which often get left on the shelves in fine covers but remain unread. You can download some great old books and feel you need not finish it all…There will always be a place for the actual book. It’s nice ‘to have and to hold’ – to cherish and admire….(do you hear the music?) …E-books can make self-publishing easier, I suppose, but a good publisher, if one can secure a good publisher, is very valuable because of access to professional editing, and other trade issues such as reviews, getting noticed, readings, events, respect and so on…

8. What advice would you offer an emerging writer? 

First commandment – write. Put your ass on that there seat and write. Inspiration will not arrive until you are out on that pitch i.e. at your desk ‘doing’ – not planning, not gazing out the window (stay away from the window), not making coffee.

Second commandment – Don’t talk about what you are going to write. Don’t discuss it with your loved one. Just write. Don’t show your work to someone who knows nothing about writing – e.g. loving partner, — get your partner to mow the lawn, fix the squeaking door, change the batteries, cook the dinner – don’t get them to offer suggestions.

Third commandment – don’t listen to the negative voices – I’m no good / There are too many books out there anyway / who do I think I am etc…

Fourth commandment – worry about the publishing end of things later on. Get it as good as you can and it will see the light of day eventually. Like a strange food for a meal – it will be gobbled up if you cook it well.

What a great note to end on!

Whew. Thanks a lot Gerry for taking the time and giving us such thorough answers to all my questions. I am especially loving the commandments and will make sure to adhere to them!

On a side note, Gerry’s Wife (Kerry) is the maker of these cute crochet hats below and is participating in 100 Hats for Hospice…A fundraiser taking place at The Paint Box, in Barna on Saturday, (Nov 19) from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

If you are a local reader please show your support this weekend for this very worthwhile cause.

And on a final note, oh worthy readers, it just so happens that I have a copy (signed by Gerry Hanberry especially for WiseWords blog!) of  More Lives Than One – The Remarkable Wilde  Family Through the Generations up for grabs.

In order to enter the giveaway you must be subscribed to WiseWords via email. Once subscribed you will receive an email from me, Móna, (by November 30th) asking you a couple of questions pertaining to Oscar Wilde and his tomb. All entrants with the correct answer will be entered into a nice big hat and the winner will be drawn randomly. We will happily ship worldwide on this one and trust me, this book will make for a beautiful Christmas present for the Oscar Wilde fan in your life. Leaving sassy but sensible comments here and on our WiseWords Facebook page is also encouraged.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today and stay tuned because there are a few more goodies lined up for our next giveaway!

WiseMóna

Mexican Madness

Posted by WiseMóna    42 Comments    in Reviews

Last weekend the Chef and I took a Mexican cooking class together. We drove back over to our friends at Oldfarm, Margaret & Alfie, who were hosting this affair, and spent the day swirling around their kitchen with Lily Ramirez-Foran, owner of My Mexican Shop which is an online Mexican food supply shop. Lily and her husband Alan have just recently purchased Almacén Latino and are making some huge changes to the website as we speak. So for now, you can buy and order all your Mexican goodies here, but bookmark this webpage right here because after Christmas they will be launching their new website and based on the sneak peek Lily gave me on Saturday it will be one of your favourite places to shop!

Our teacher Lily Ramierez-Foran

We arrived late, which is as per usual with the two of us who cannot seem to find our way out of Galway, and when Margaret ushered us in the door we were hit with the enticing smells of Lily’s salsa straight away. She had tomatoes simmering on the stove top, two pans, one with red tomatoes and one with green. We make salsa all the time here at home but not the cooked variety that you can buy in a jar. Ours, I found out, is called Pico de gallo when you use uncooked tomatoes and it is salsa when you used cooked!

First lesson of the day under our belt it was time to get busy.

Now, both Margaret and Lily have pressure cookers and both of their pots were whistling away on the stove. To me, pressure cookers are something my Granny’s both had and used a lot. Us, growing up, not so much, and now, not at all. Lily explained the cooking of beans from the bag, un-soaked, in under an hour. I kinda started to feel like I was back in high school and coveting the cool schoolbag that everyone else had and all I had was an old army n’ navy hand me down, or in this case, beat up heavy bottomed pot that has served is well over the years. Then, came the real smell. The beautiful piece of pork that was simmering away for what smelled like ‘overnight’ was produced. It might have taken an hour in the pressure cooker. Apparently they are a dime a dozen at Argos so I expect the Chef will be picking one up later this week.

Making our own tortillas

Now, on to the tricky part of the lesson. How to make your own tortillas. Good news here, incase you fail miserably, Lily sells the best little tortillas online so if you can’t manage this, then fear not! It is not that hard though. You mix the masa with some hot water, stir with a fork and then make into a nice dough. Once you are happy with the consistency you place it in between two sheets of plastic on your Tortilla press (and I do want one of these now) and hey presto you have a lovely little tortilla. There is a trick to this and unless you are really careful you can make a huge mess and the tortillas stick to the plastic and you will die of starvation. Next time you hear Lily advertising a class – go and learn how to do this. OR bring your Chef husband with you and get him to do the hard part whilst you man the stove and try not to burn them.

La Cochinata in the lovely Nicholas Mosse bowl 'Forget-me-not'

Once the pork was ready and all the salsas were lined up on our very prettily Nicholas Moss adorned table, Lily’s niece gave us a demonstration on how to load and eat a Tortilla. She did this with such ease and grace it fooled us into thinking that it would be easy. Use a knife and fork people. Or be happy with the mess you make because the food tastes so good you should not care about the mess you are wearing all over your face and clothes.

Thankfully, and because we had all worked up a fierce thirst, there were plenty of refreshments for us to choose from. I can’t tell you which one I preferred because two, if not three, of the beers provided were outstanding paired alongside the Mexican fare. None of that Corona with a slice of lime for us. No siree……..

Eight Degrees Brewing and O’ Haras are making some damn fine brews and they are now, thankfully, widely available across the country. AND they have deadly packaging and cool websites. So, if you are looking to while away a few ‘bored at the office’ work hours, have a look why don’t ya?

You could not go wrong with the beer selections………every drop delicious.

It would be fair to say that we made pigs of ourselves. The food that Lily prepared and cooked for us was outstanding. When you are eating such a variety of vibrant colourful dishes paired with equally exciting beers it is hard not to enjoy oneself.

I am addicted to those little pickled red onions

In addition to the food and cooking lesson being fun and educational, Margaret and Lily had taken great pains to organise a beautiful day, weatherwise, so we were able to hang out on the porch outside and take some very pretty photos. I am especially proud of this one and can tell you it is not skill at handling my camera which is not even a dslr, it was just a beautiful day and the props from Nicholas Mosse Pottery  and Margarets own personal crockery made everything look so pretty.

The Chef & I had brought along a few little Scottish Tea Cakes to share with everyone after lunch and with it we also had Lily’s fabulous ‘fast’ flan that she threw together in under a minute and cooked in the microwave in 8 minutes. This is going to be attempted here as a ‘keep-the-kids-quiet-with-a-dessert’ someday soon. Maybe even with cocoa.

Fast n' fabulous flan all gone and a bit of Scottish tea cake to fight over

Sometimes, I would like to expand my repertoire of culinary skills, because although the Chef can cook damn near anything he wants to, I am limited in my skills and confidence in what I can cook. Going to a class like this gives a girl the idea that she could attempt a few new items and perhaps showcase them next time her friends come over for dinner. With there being very little days of sunshine left in the year I am going to take these bright and colourful photos and hang them on the wall near my desk. They will remind me, in the depths of winter, that Chili’s will grow in Ireland, and, if I never manage to cook one thing I learned in the cooking class, it is alright, because the Chef will!

Bright bold and beautiful food

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Gregans Castle, Ballyvaughan, County Clare.

Posted by WiseMóna    40 Comments    in Reviews

My husband is a hopeless romantic…

We never make time for each other. Always like two ships passing in the night. The kids take over our whole world and life revolves around everything they want and need.

I hear this from my friends all the time. It is very hard, when you have children, to get swept up in the landslide of parenting and very easy to forget to take a little bit of time out to nurture each other. I met my handsome Chef fifteen years ago. September 30th, 1996. In a bar. In Kentucky. We have spent only a handful of nights apart since that moment and have had breakfast in bed every morning, save a few. We work well together because we work very hard at taking care of each other, every day. The kids do dominate our life. Yes, their needs come first. But we are a team. It is us against them and the rest of the world. We do not ‘take’ time to be alone. We MAKE time to be alone with each other. Otherwise they would drive us around the bend!

We had planned to go to London to celebrate our anniversary this year, but, and I hate to say this, after the riots in London a few weeks ago, I lost my nerve completely and decided we would spend our money a lot closer to home. And boy, am I glad I made that decision.

Gregans Castle

Ballyvaughan, County Clare,

Ireland

(065) 7007 7005

www.Gregans.ie

Getting away from the kids for an overnight can leave a girl feeling strange. The feeling of weightlessness usually hits me after I get out of the car and do not have to unbuckle a baby belt or grab a child from hurtling themselves into oncoming traffic. My arms are at, well, arms length, not knowing what to do with all that freedom. No ear to pull or child’s hand to hold.

Him, being the way more relaxed parent, takes my hand in his and we sauntered into Paddy Burkes in Clarinbridge for a spot of lunch along the way.

Some oysters and Guinness. Ah shur, why not?

Wellies at the door – just like our house. Except my floor is not so clean!

Then off we drove down the winding road through the scenic village of Kinvara. The beauty and barrenness of the Burren in County Clare is hard to beat. Your mind can relax, your shoulders will loosen up and you will find yourself daydreaming away…….assuming you were not driving, that is!

We chose to go to Gregans castle for a few reasons. 

1.     It was less than an hours drive from home, so we could maximise our rest and relaxation time.

2.    It has gathered itself a fine plethora of awards for the level of outstanding food it puts out and their executive Chef is touted to be one of Ireland’s best.

3.   I read this review a few weeks ago and thought, damn, I need to try this place. (not that the review was glowing at all, but it intrigued me).

The boudoir…….I was asleep in five minutes. Best.Nap.Ever.

Guided promptly to our room by the receptionist, we quickly did what most married-with-children-couples do when they get a minute alone to themselves.

We slept. A lovely, long, uninterrupted sleep.

The menu

Our dinner reservation was for 7:00pm. By the time we roused ourselves from our nap, there was just enough time to bathe and get to the dining room on time for supper. The staff were as attentive as they needed to be. We were guided to our table by the window and presented with the menu and the hefty wine list.

The food here is not cheap. There are a few different options like a pre-fix tasting course for €85 or a the Chef’s surprise menu (7 courses) for €75 or the option to have two courses for €55. The Chef and I both chose the latter. He wanted to do the Chef’s surprise menu, but both diners had to agree to that, and I declined. The last time I did that was during one of our trips to the French Laundry in Napa and it was just too much food. I am so glad I stuck to my guns on this one.

Their wine list is very well put together. A large amount available by the glass for €7 and plenty of bottles in the €26 – €50 range and even more priced higher than that. We chose an Australian shiraz for €38 and it was delicious to the last drop.

Left: Tuna tartare, a baked potato jelly, a beet macaron, and a piece of deep fried pigs cheeks.

The canapés come as a little freebie. A nice touch and it certainly whets the appetite. Nothing too off the wall and every bite stood out with exquisite flavour and was very visually stimulating. The deep fried pigs cheeks were the best. I reckon the Chef will be trying these at home sometime in the near future.

  

Salmon tartare

The evening light was leaving us so I chanced taking this shot in low light and it was ok. It does not do the dish justice at all. This was my appetiser. A piece of organic salmon poaced to 40 degrees in olive oil. Was it cooked? Was it raw? Well, yes, to both those answers. It tasted every bit as good as a piece of sashimi straight from the sea and every bit as delicate and flavourful as a piece of salmon that had been perfectly poached.

There was a lot of other bits and pieces on the plate. Not being a huge fan of anything with foam on it, I scooted the cucumber foam to the side (after tasting it and deciding I still do not like foam) and tasted all the other little decorative pieces. The amount of work that goes into this tedious tiny work will never be appreciated by someone like me, or the Chef, for that matter.

It is beautiful. The intricacies of the works of art all taste as good as they look. There were so many of them on every single plate, you end up wondering what the heck you were eating and we both had to ask the waiter over and over again what we were eating. Our approach to food and cooking is so laid back. Take something beautiful from the garden and do as little as possible to it in order to preserve its beauty and flavour, so that it tastes like something straight from the garden.

This should not be read as a negative slant on the food we had at Gregans at all. I am sure there are many people who love having seven or eight different things on their plate to please their palates. It is just a little too much for me, is all.

Both our main course came very promptly. I had the venison and the Chef chose the squab. They never asked how I wanted my venison and that worried me for a second, except I knew it would come rare and ravishing as it did. A beautiful cut of meat adorned with, again a few too many, the most beautiful little samplings of vegetables carved into the tiniest bites.

The Chef’s squab was also good, but to be honest, and we eat a lot of game, it was just a bit too gamey for me. The legs, cooked on a bed of smoky hay, were fall of the bone delicious but the breast had this flavour that did not taste like ‘more’ to me at all. He ate it. He was glad he ordered it as it was a new game-bird for him to try, and has also decided it is not the bird for him. Unless it was all legs of course. He really loved the legs. Funny that too, because I always took him to be a breast man.

Tea after supper in the drawing room by the fire

There was more than enough food in the two course meal we had chosen, so neither of us felt like having any dessert, but we did have a small sampling of their very fine cheese board.

And then we retired to the drawing room, to sit by the fire and enjoy our evening tea. As you do.

Tea was served in beautiful china cups and our waiter offered us a lovely selection of their handmade chocolates and petit-fours. We did sample them, but were were stuffed and they were a little over-the-top for us.

A rose is just a rose but this one was just picked and heavy with dewdrops on our breakfast table

The evening drew to a close and we retired for the night and slept like logs. We woke up early and went for a walk around the property and watched the sunrise from the garden. We also watched the sun be swallowed up by a huge rain and mist cloud and got soaked to the skin before making it back to the hotel.

After a swim in the tub and a few lazy hours spent reading the newspaper and checking emails, we sauntered down to the dining room around 10:30am. Our table was waiting for us and we were ready for the coffee they poured for us right away.

A very happy Chef with his coffee and eggs benedict

The breakfast menu is perfect. Eggs anyway you like them, the traditional Irish breakfast, Fish, Eggs benedict, pancakes and a large buffet table set up along the top side of the room with a selections of cheese, cured meats, smoked fishes, yoghurt and several different breads.

Perfect poached eggs

It is a little sad, but breakfast was my favourite part of our stay. Well, that and the lovely bedroom and the amazing bubble bath. I am so ‘not’ a high maintenance chick.

These guys know their stuff. They source and buy as much local produce as is possible and they have the names of their purveyors listed on every menu. You can tell when you taste the food. Every bite has been carefully thought out and created for the most discerning of customers.

The hotel is gorgeous. It is a little luxury getaway that is worth saving up to splurge on when you want to go away for a night and get away from it all. The smell of the turf burning right inside the door, the warmth of the comfy furniture dotted around the hotel, the friendliness, and unobtrusiveness of the staff.

I love that there are no TV’s in the rooms. They do have wi-fi so you will not be totally cut off from the outside world.

Yoghurt with strawberry jam and the teeniest tiniest spoon. Best ever.

Last year, we went to Paris for a few nights to celebrate our anniversary and it was, most memorable, as was this little jaunt of ours to Gregans Hotel in County Clare.

If you want to experience the height of haute cuisine in a beautiful hotel in Ireland then this is certainly the place for you.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

PS. – there are a gazillion more photos from our stay at Gregans Castle on the Facebook page right here!

Wa Café

Posted by WiseMóna    16 Comments    in Reviews

Wa Café

Japanese café & more

13 New Dock Street
Galway, Ireland
Telephone: 091 895850
Email: info@wacafe.net

Opening Hours:
11:30- 21:00 ish
Every day

Sushi stall in Galway Market
Sat 10:00
Sun 13:00

Sometimes, I like to dine alone….

Have you been to Wa Café? I have. And it is the kind of place where I keep going back to. Again. And again. And again.

Have a look at their menu here.

For starters, the price is right. The most expensive thing you are going to find at Wa Café is a sashimi platter of local (line caught) albacore tuna for €12 (runs as a special when available) and trust me when I tell you – it is worth every cent. I have never tasted tuna like it.

Line caught Albacore Tuna Sashimi at Wa Café (iPhone photo sorry)

So yes. Raw fish. That is the main reason I eat here. But ones of the other reasons I eat here is because it is small and even when it is packed to the gills at lunch time (which it always is) it is still quiet and peaceful here.

The girls that run the place are unobtrusive. They give you ample time to review the menu and can answer all your questions with knowledgeable answers about the food they offer.

Olive, a girl who works there, makes the best damn kimchi I have ever eaten. I know that kimchi is not yer typical Japanese dish, it being Korean and all, but Galway has very limited (good) Asian food so we take it where we can find it. Last year, for one weekend in February, they showcased a Korean menu. We went for the Chef’s birthday and are salivating all year long waiting for them to do another. Rumour has it they will do it again after Christmas.

Olive's Kimchi

Up until very recently, I never ate alone in a public place. There was something stifling about sitting there, alone at a table, with just myself to talk to. People stare at you if you talk to yourself in public, ya know. So, for most of my teen and adult life, I either ate at home, enjoying the chat with all my imaginary friends, or I would wait to eat with the Chef.

Everything looks good at Wa Café

This changed drastically when the children came along and there was no time for all the voices in my head to be heard. Also, when I started college. I noticed that I was enjoying my own company a lot more than normal.

Have you ever eaten in the canteen at NUIG? You could very well be alone and talking to yourself quite happily and the ten thousand students and teachers that are milling about would never notice. N.I.G.H.T.M.A.R.E. (on a side note, always bring a packed lunch when eating at NUIG. Trust me).

So now that I have a whole new appreciation for ‘me time’, (thank god for kids in school and me in college) I like to take a walk along the prom and have lunch alone.

Sushi Smorgasbord – Kids favourite after-school snack on Fridays!

Little business’s like Wa Café are what make Galway wonderful. They are a very small business, open seven days a week and they offer take away, off-premise catering, and have a stall at the Saturday market in town. The food is fresh. It is fabulous.

It must be on your list of places to go and eat.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Rouge Restaurant

Posted by WiseMóna    23 Comments    in Reviews, Wise Food Alert

Exciting news my fellow foodies. There is another new restaurant in Galway that offers a serious BANG for very little BUCK!

(apologies to the readers for the dark (interior) photos. T’was a little dark inside for photos, but perfect lighting for ambience.

Incase you missed them, here is a link to a few other restaurants we have reviewed recently.

Rouge Restaurant

38 Dominick Street,

Galway

(091) 530681

http://rougegalway.com/

Open seven days a week for dinner and they serve food until midnight and close at 1:30am.

Ah. I feel good. I feel like restaurant owners in Galway are finally stepping up to the plate and listening to the locals. Rouge Restaurant opened several weeks ago and if Trip Advisor ratings were anything to go by, you would already have been there! I had heard a few grumblings on the local foodie forums that it was ‘too bright’ and the (very) limited menu was just too ‘limited’.

We brought my Mum out to dinner last night to celebrate her birthday and whilst both she and I did find the limited menu, ah, limiting, we all enjoyed the dining experience at Rouge Restaurant.

I had phoned a few days in advance for a reservation for three people at 7:00pm and the lovely (and very French) hostess gladly accepted my reservation but asked if we could come a bit earlier as they were in need of the table at 9:00pm and did not want us to feel hurried.

I love, love, love, when restaurants take the time to do this and here are my reasons why: (A) It means that they know their shit. They had already drawn up a seating arrangement for their weekend reservations. Being this organised means they can maximise their profit by careful scheduling of diners and (B) They care about their patrons dining experience enough to alert you to the fact that you will only have 2 hours to eat and relax. Smart move.

A wall of wine offers a nice warm welcome to diners

For a lush wine aficionado being greeted by a well chosen wall of wine right inside the front door is most welcoming. We were presented with the food and wine menus immediately and the manager recommended a wonderful French Pinot for €29. He also informed us, clever boy, that if we liked this bottle or any other bottle on their wine list we could purchase a ‘take home’ bottle for 30% less than listed price on their menu.

Ok. So what does a ‘limited menu’ really mean. Well, it means very little choice for very little money.

They offer three items. Your choice of a beef, fish or vegetarian main course with an amuse bouche of-the-day all for €15.00. Each main course comes with one side dish (choice of potato dishes, ratatouille or side salad) and if you want an extra side dish added to your meal their is an additional charge of €3.50.

There is also a very nice offering of cheese and meat sampler platters and desserts to choose from and I would say ‘eat them all’ if you are with a large group of friends.

The beef (L’entrecóte) stays the same and the fish and vegetarian special changes daily.

Amuse Bouche….. definitely whets the appetite!

They might just become known as the best place to get ‘Steak Frites’ in Galway. Their most popular menu item, for sure, is L’entrecóte (NY strip) which both the Chef & I ordered.

Mum, being a pseudo vegetarian and highly allergic to spuds an mushrooms, was a bit perplexed over the lack of choices but settled (happily) for a double order of the ratatouille and french baguette.

L'Enrecóte with bleu cheese served on a stainless platter

The amuse bouche, which arrived promptly, was a flavourful assortment of paté on toast points, tunafish mouse and baked brie and fruit. All three of us were sated with the flavours and felt it was enough to whet the appetite for sure.

The ratatouille came out in a heavy earthenware bowl blistering hot and savoury, followed seconds later by the steaks served on a stainless platter and left to sizzle a bit longer on a heated stand. I had ordered mine med-rare and it was melt in your mouth perfect. The chef’s, medium, was also cooked to perfection.

Perfect Pomme Frites

A side salad and large bowl of pomme frites to share for the two of us, made for more than enough food at the table.

The service was seamless. I rarely write these words. I nit pick places to death over how long it takes me to get the attention of a member of the wait staff and I never had to look far at all. The manager made silent and serious efforts to swan around the dining room keeping all glasses topped up with each tables chosen beverage.

Our waitress made sure to stop by our table more than three times to check if  ’all is ok with you’ and when it came time to ask for extras, and look for the bill, we were taken care of instantly but never felt hurried.

And the bill……not bad for a Saturday night in Galway!

Here is the highlight of the evening folks.

SEVENTY ONE euros, three people happily fed on excellent quality food for an unbelievable price. In Galway; My hometown.

I. Am. ELATED.

Go there. Eat lots. Support local business as long as they are not ripping you off.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

Oh -and the Chef sez……he could not find one fault with this place. Food, wine, ambience, price, service. All get a serious thumbs up.

Aniar Restaurant

Posted by WiseMóna    23 Comments    in Reviews

 

Nice comfy setting. Colours are easy on the eyes but lacking a bit of oompf

Before I get started on my review of Aniar Restaurant I think you should read this article from The Economist. I will get into this topic in much more detail as time goes on. For now you should know that I am more than qualified when it comes reviewing a restaurant and offering criticism on food, service and the overall dining experience.

I have worked in the service industry since the age of 14 which affords me just shy of 25 years of first-hand experience in the biz. I have owned and operated my own restaurant (quite successfully thank you very much) and I have an army of former employees that will attest to the fact that I know what good food, service and bang for your buck is all about.

I have never accepted a pay off to blog about a restaurant, a wine or a product. All dinners and libations are paid for by myself and The Chef and occasionally Granny throws a gift certificate our way.

The only thing I am slightly underqualified for is the ‘writing’ part of this exercise. I am half way through my 4 yr college degree (creative writing) so please excuse my misplaced P’s and Q’s if you find them. Or better yet, help me to re-locate them!

If you think I am just another one of those bloggers who should keep my thoughts to myself — and not share my two cents worth with the hard-working people who keep throwing their money back into a very struggling economy — then please move on. Last time I checked it is still a free country and because this is my personal blog I can say what I want.

Aniar Restaurant

Blog

Website

53 Lower Dominick Street

Galway

(091) 535 947

Ah. The coveted window seat right inside the door?

We walked hand-in-hand across the Spanish Arch, wading through August puddles and looked like a pair of drowned rats by the time we reached Aniar Restaurant on lower Dominick Street in Galway. The kids were at home with a good friend of ours who insisted on babysitting for a few hours. I had thrown together a lasagne made from meatballs and left over welsh rarebit cheese sauce. The Chef swiped a few forkfuls before we walked out the door and gave me that loving look of disbelief — that I have come to adore — in that (a) I made dinner AND (b) it tasted good!

To be fair though, I just used all his leftovers, so of course it tasted good.

Credit where credit is due!

A mid-week visit to Aniar gave us our pick of the tables as there were only two other diners in the cosy 28 seater restaurant. Although we were offered the window seat (right inside the front door) we declined. The waiter told us we would have to be ‘out by 8′ as it was a coveted table and had been reserved. That was ok. I did not need to be seated right in the doorway.

The Chef spent a bit of time perusing the well thought out — and beautifully presented — wine list. We settled on a bottle of Paper Road Pinot Noir (2009) from New Zealand priced at €31. A quick Tweet from a kiwi-chef friend confirmed it was the right choice with a  ’sweet jesus love it’ comment. She was not wrong. Every last drop lingered and tasted like more. I am trying to find a source for this in Galway at the minute and think it retails for around €15 per bottle. How do you feel about that mark up in price? Is it a A bit steep for recessionary times?

Cute interior design. Simple, understated. Should be more comfortable but felt a bit cold or sterile.

I always get a little annoyed by things that do not do ‘what it says on the label’. And this is the kind of place that might leave you feeling that way. To start with, if you read either their blog or their website, you get the impression that you will be eating locally sourced and very seasonal goodies in a casual and relaxed environment.

Sadly, no local producers, or local product, were mentioned or showcased and we certainly did not feel like there was a basket of locally harvested goodies brimming over in the back – and slightly open – kitchen.

A nice enough menu. But does it deliver what it promises?

There was only one waiter to man the floor. I do understand the need to keep your labour costs in check, but for gods sake hire a bus-boy to take the coats (and return them) and to keep tables cleared off and re-set.

This might be all part of their shtick, but we found it oddly uncomfortable that the head chef kept bringing things to the table. First it was the amuse bouche of smoked-scallop-roe mousse. Wikipedia — where modern students go to learn everything they need to know about life in general — states that an amuse bouche is a little gift from a chef used to excite the taste buds of hungry customers. For future reference, should you choose to dine here, this is not going to excite you.

Smoked Scallop Roe dots on funny flavoured crackers.

Next up, the head chef appeared (again) with some stodgy or stale bread and salted butter.

Our waiter gave us a bit of a song and dance about the Chef’s sourdough ‘mother’ that has been kept alive for nine months and they use it every day. The Chef says ‘let it die’. Find a new mother. Chewy. Dense. Forgettable. The focaccia (also made in-house) tasted like dry angel food or pound cake. Not anything focaccia-like, at all.

'Very forgettable bread' says the Chef.

When we go out to eat, we typically order a couple of appetizers, one main course, a salad, and a couple of desserts. They do not have soup ‘yet’ explained the waiter when I asked what the soup du jour was. Ah. Why not? ‘The Chef has not gotten around to creating that for the menu ‘yet’ ‘. Ok. I know. Go easy on them. Only open five or six weeks. Did I mention it was raining and cold last night? Perfect soup weather in my opinion.

There are no salads on the menu. I assumed that this meant a salad would automatically come on the plate. Silly silly girl. They are into micro-greens. Very micro, not much green.

I had spied (earlier whilst perusing their online menu) the Scallop-Oyster appetizer and when I ordered it I was warned cautioned by our furrowed-brow waiter that the appetizer I had ordered was just appetizer ‘size’ and was this ok?

‘Yes. That’s fine’ I stated and looked desperately to the Chef for some comfort in his assurance that I did not look like a hungry beached whale.

Hey, this is how the waiter made me feel.

The waiter went on to tell us how the menu, printed daily, is based on what they get in that day and everything is seasonal and local. ‘Great’, says the Chef ‘I’ll have the Wild Turbot then’. ‘Oh, except we do not have that today’ says the waiter. ‘Will you have the Brill instead?’

Ah, no. Beef cheeks for the (somewhat sulky) Chef. The reason for his sulkiness is warranted people! It was just after 6pm. They open at 6pm. Why print up a daily menu with something you do NOT have?

Scallop, Oyster, Dillisk, Sorrel and smoked potato. Can you find them all?

When our food arrived I was blinded by the whiteness of the seriously oversized appetizer plate. And right in the center, there were three little scallops. One of them sitting in a bath of cuckoo spit foam. Apparently this was the oyster. The foam? The dillisk was the powdered stuff on top and maybe I was blind but can you find the smoked potato?

The Beef Cheeks were good. Their au jus needs some help. I would recommend using some bones when making the stock. It had no flavour. The Chef said it is more like an €18.50 entrée rather than the €23.50 we paid.

Beef Cheeks are a relatively inexpensive piece of meat. Yes, they do shrink down a bit when cooked, but are sold in large pieces for a fair price. In addition, the side dish of roasted potatoes (tasted like Tesco’s) came lightly buttered with no seasoning. Now, if you are not going to season the dishes for me, then please have the decency to put the salt & pepper on the table.

Half way through his main course the Chef looked at me and said ‘we shoulda went to Kai‘. Bless his heart. He made me feel so guilty for wanting to get out and support a new local business.

The Cheese Board and the Aniseed Crackers. Cheese ok. Crackers – Blech.

The tables were filling up nicely at this point and the Chef and I were enjoying a few hours to ourselves sans les enfants. We ordered the cheese board (€9) and were happy with the(perfect temperature) cheeses they plopped before us on a piece of rough cut slate with some (well-baked) aniseed crackers.

I cannot believe I am going to make this statement, but it has to be said.

Buy some crackers guys.

Those are not going to win you any prizes. If you must bake your own crackers then use sesame seeds. Aniseed competes too much with the wine palette and almost killed the last drop of our lovely bottle.

I would have loved to know what kind of cheeses we ate but with only one waiter running the show it was hard to pin him down. When he presented the check to us later, he had forgotten to add the cheese board to the bill. I quickly informed him and we settled up and got the heck outta dodge.

All in all, it was €74 for our dinner with the wine.

Before heading home we popped in to see a friendly barman at the Salt House Bar and wrapped up the evening with a few stellar Belgian Ales. This, and the fact that we were alone for a few hours, was the highlight of our evening.

For the beer drinkers out there, the Chef has a new favourite Belgian ale called ‘Hommel’ and is looking to get a KEG of it. That good, it is!

Ah. The Salt House. Go there. Drink Beer. Lots of it. All of it, even.

Aniar opened for business in late June/early July. I think, for a midweek visit, it was alright. Their website states that ‘Aniar has set the hearts of foodies racing’ and I suppose I would love to know who these ‘foodies’ are?

The concept is good, but the execution is lacking. They need to put their foot in it. I have said it before when I wrote about another restaurant here.

There is no love in their kitchen.

I wrote this piece late last night and decided to ‘sleep on it’ to see if I felt better or worse about my experience when I awoke this morning. As the Chef offered me my daily peck-on-the-cheek-goodbye he turned to me and said ‘the best bite of food I had last night was your lasagna honey’ then he stole a kiss on the lips and flew out the door to bake his daily bread.

Cheeky bugger.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for now.

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WiseMóna