Potato Gratin

Filed under Baked Goods + Desserts + Drinks · Print This Post

What to do with potatoes before leaving for vacation? I always feel bad when there’s still a lot of produce in the kitchen before I go away. I hate wasting food and I wanted to use the herbs I also had sitting on the counter. I was too busy packing, so I wanted to cook something that would take little prep time and attention. This potato gratin is, of course, incomplete without a medium-rare steak and French onion soup, but let’s just say I did this to practice for a bistro meal come winter.

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced paper-thin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
some fresh chives, chopped, plus more for garnish
salt, pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Put the potato mixture into a deep baking dish and arrange by flattening out with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the gratin is bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining chives.

Related post/s:
How about a nice steak with that?

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Where to eat in Ireland: Nancy’s House (2004 Archives)

Filed under Ireland · Print This Post

After biking from Glencolumbkille to Maghera Beach, we drove to the small town of Ardara to take a break. Nancy’s is the ultimate Irish pub because it has been around for several generations. Its namesake is the great-grandmother of its current owner. There are hundreds of trinkets hanging around the pub, and each piece looked like it told a story of Ireland or one of the pub’s family members.

The place looked small from the outside, but as soon as I ventured out to look for the women’s bathroom, I discovered other small, more private rooms around the entire lot. Upstairs, the family’s bedrooms are open in order for a visitor to finally get to the bathroom. It felt like I trespassing, but at the same time, it also felt like home because of everyone’s hospitality at the bar.

Only in Ireland will I be asked if I fancy a pint with a plate of oysters at 1pm. Of course, I happily obliged.

Nancy’s House is in Ardara in County Donegal, Ireland.

Related post/s:
Things to do in Ireland
More Nancy’s House photos on Flickr

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