Prepping for Ireland

The Kerrygold Ballymaloe LitFest of Food and Wine proved a great experience. Under the calm tutelage of chef David Tanis I felt I was prepping for Ireland. And boy were we down to details. I was deconstructing wild garlic flowers for a good part of Saturday afternoon and I hope they went down well. They looked beautiful!

Wild garlic grows in great abundance around Ballymaloe

A thought for Nigerian girls

A quiet morning at work and I have time to catch up on my studies. Religious food practices is the topic for today and I feel fortunate to be able to be sitting here - in peace and quiet - studying and gathering knowledge without some person telling me that I really ought to be sold as a slave in the market or be married off - double quick.

For the abducted Nigerian girls the first is as bad as the other.

One of the perks

Going for my morning run is a chore no more. Definitely one of the perks of working in a fairly remote location of natural beauty.

A lunch ruined

Today my lunch was ruined by a senior citizen who sat down opposite me - two tables away - and who wouldn't stop staring. I'm used to walking into cafés and restaurants by myself, sitting down and ordering something from the menu. I did so today and thoroughly enjoyed the fried herring in a butter and capers sauce.

Hadn't it been for the chap who shared every bit of my lunch I would have lingered much longer. From the salad through the fish main course to the cherry rum top with vanilla ice cream my lunch was not my own.

How odd. And annoying.