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New Irish Cuisine Astounding!

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on September 13, 2016

Ten years ago when we traveled to Ireland the food that we ate was “stick to your bones cuisine”. This included Irish stew, Guinness pie, and a lot of hearty soups. When friends and relatives asked us about the food, our response was “adequate”. The food was not bad, but it was not great. Lamb predominated the menus and not lamb chops. It was leg of lamb prepared in a variety of ways. Since leg of lamb has never been a favorite of mine, I stuck to chicken and fish. The method of preparation was very basic and the plates did not appear very attractive. There were no garnishes and very little artistic fanfare.
Our recent trip to Ireland revealed a completely different cuisine. Although you could still get some of the old favorites, the menus expanded to include the work of artisan producers and innovative chefs. The meals were downright beautiful. In addition, the food served was organically produced, grass-fed, and their attention to gluten-free surpassed American practices.
The variety of produce was astounding compared to the scanty choices available in the past. And the variety of seafood was tremendous. During our stay we enjoyed

super fresh mussels, scallops, a variety of white fish, and the old staple salmon.
One of my favorite parts of our trip was fishing in the Dingle Peninsula. I had only gone fishing once before, but our group of ten was pulling in fish right and left. I got at least five and we totaled over 60 fish even after we threw a bunch overboard. Our guide kept the fish to give to a friend who was on hard times. Whatever he did not keep would be sold at market.
So, if the Irish cuisine is keeping you from traveling to Ireland, get going and try the new and improved fare. You will come home a new Irish food convert.
Jacqueline King, MS, RDN, CDE, FADA
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