Failte!

Welcome!

Those who are already vaguely familiar with Celtic cuisine, here defined as the national cuisines of Ireland and Scotland, plus assorted regional cuisines from elsewhere in Great Britain (e.g. Wales and Cornwall), as well as a few regions in France and Spain, may well question the need for a Celtic-themed food blog. While there is a romantic quality to rugged landscapes, Irish ballads, kilts, bagpipes, and pretty much every story ever told about Robert the Bruce, travel guides would seem to suggest that the cuisine of the British Isles does not share in this mystique.  It can range from the innocuous (boiled vegetables; what's a steamer?) to the mildly distasteful (how many Americans have actually eaten blood pudding?) to the truly bizarre (jellied eels: as if we needed further proof that the English are actually insane).  What, you might reasonably ask yourselves, do I actually intend to blog about?

  Those of you who are a little better acquainted with Celtic food may already have an answer.  Just think about a plate of nice, hot, crispy fish and chips.  Or smoked salmon on toast with cream cheese, dill, and capers.  Or perhaps a steaming hot bowl of hearty beef stew.  Fresh baked shortbread for those with a sweet tooth.  Getting hungry yet?  In short, it's comfort food: simple ingredients, prepared simply, to create a delicious and nourishing meal.  What could be better?

You see, what the guidebook for Britain doesn't mention is that Ireland has been at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement for years (centuries, really- some parts of the country seem to have skipped straight from traditional, non-mechanized agriculture to 21st century organic farming).  With some of the best fresh produce, dairy, and seafood in the world so easily available, how could they not be?  And while most traditional dishes are very simple, that's usually the best way to showcase great ingredients anyway.

Granted, Scotland is still the land of the deep-fried Mars bar and other culinary oddities, but to each his own, variety is the spice of life, and so on.  And the Scots have been making some of the very best whisky in the world since the middle ages, besides which Scotland is well-known for game and fish.  Even the Dubiously Famous Haggis may make its way onto the blog eventually, if i'm feeling particularly adventurous.

As the title suggests, this blog is intended as a home for my ever-growing collection of Irish, Scottish, and Otherwise British recipes (some traditional, others not so much).  Whether it be a simple stew, an elegant seafood dish, a hearty full breakfast, or a decadent trifle, the cuisine of the British isles really does offer something for almost every palate.  I hope you enjoy exploring this vastly underrated culinary tradition with me, and maybe even discover a few new favorites along the way.  Recipes will be coming soon, but in the meantime, why not get into the spirit of things with a dram or an (imperial, obviously) pint?

Slainte!