The Lederman Kitchen

The sun finally came out in Dublin last week, and it was gorgeous.  I spent the week walking around Dublin, sitting in the park and meeting up with my friend Abby for Frappacinos.  Everyone was outside soaking in the sun, it was lovely. St Stephen's Green Christ Church Cathedral Ha'Penny Bridge - used to be a toll bridge and cost a 1/2 penny to cross   Pub in Temple Bar Exchanger Street - one of my favorites River Liffy from the North Side The Barge, a local pub.  On a nice day everyone takes their beers outside to the canal Happy Hour on the canal Here you can actually see the pub

As I mentioned in my previous post , I owed Brian a good dinner when he returned from his work trip. We had a surplus of leeks and I was determined to use them up.  I came across a recipe for Potato & Leek Flatbread with Greens from Real Simple, and decided to give it a shot.  We hadn't made a pizza since we moved and it used to be a weekly staple. I admit, I was a little nervous based on the limited ingredients for a pizza, but it turned out really good.  And, since we've finally had a few warm days here in Dublin, we were able to eat on our patio and enjoy a glass of Rose!  Perfect. Ingredients: 1 pound pizza dough - I made mine from this recipe  (which is still my favorite homemade pizza ever) 2 small leeks, white and light green parts, cut into strips 2 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced (A mandoline would be really helpful with this!) 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil sea salt and black pepper 1 c...

That's me.  Lucky to have my husband. Brian left Monday for a 2-night work trip, so Sunday night he cooked a feast so I would have leftovers while he was gone. He made Roasted Chicken, Fennel and Potatoes with Arugula Salad , which included roasting a whole chicken and then, after dinner, he made stock. I had leftovers for Monday lunch and dinner, made a chicken sandwich for lunch today, then used the stock and chicken to make chicken noodle soup tonight.  I'll have plenty of soup for lunch tomorrow too.  I'm the first to admit I'm spoiled, and I like it. Now, I'm looking for a recipe with Leeks to make for HIM when he gets home tomorrow evening.  I owe him something good.  Any suggestions?

It was a big weekend here in Dublin. Saturday night was the Heineken Cup Rugby Final, which Dublin's Rugby team won!  That game was immediately followed by the Champion's League Soccer Finals.  Needless to say, the pubs were packed. Leinster winning the Cup - photo: bbc.co.uk We joined some of Brian's co-workers at a Pub in our neighborhood, Birchell's, to watch.  It was a fun night including a few Guinness.  My highlight was Brian's co-workers inviting me to join their Tag Rugby team.  Now I just need to do some research on the rules.  Don't worry Mom & Dad, it's like flag football, not rough at all. Sunday was a big day, Brian and I rented a car!  Our first driving experience here in Ireland, driving on the wrong side of the car and on the wrong side of the road.  The plan was to go South through the Wicklow Mountains, then cut over to the coast and drive back up along the coast back to Dublin. Brian had to deal with Cars, Bike...

Sometimes it's the little things that make you think, why don't we have that in the States?  Or, why Ireland, would you do this?  We've pondered a few of these in our apartment, such as: The Washer/Dryer:  Always located in the Kitchen here.  But why hasn't the washer/dryer been adopted in The States?  It makes so much sense.  Put your dirty clothes in, and a few hours later, viola!  Clean and dry. The super outlet:  At first glance, why is that plug so gigantic? What are those switches?  The size is still a mystery, and not at all convenient for packing.  The switches, to turn the outlet "on/off", which is for safety.  Safety is important considering the voltage here is double what it is in The States, 240 volts verses 110.  You might wonder why this matters?  Well, think how quickly your electric stove will heat up, your water will boil, your iron is ready, your hair straightener hot.  Super fast. Separ...

It's seriously cold here.  Like, cold cold. It's May and the high today is 48°F.  Tonight, it's supposed to get down to 30°.  Freezing, seriously Dublin? I have to admit, the last few days have been nice.  Although it will rain a few times a day for a short time, the sun has been out for most of the day.  And when the clouds are gone and you feel the sun hits your back, it's unbelievable how warm 50° can feel. But, let's not get carried away, I have still been wearing jeans, boots, a sweater and a down jacket.   Is this what a "nice day" is becoming?  Unzip your down jacket weather. In light of this, I have been keeping a list of some things I am in need of, it's not your typical summer wish list: Dublin, please surprise us with some real sun soon!

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom.  Thank you for loving and supporting me always. And Happy Mother's Day to my Mother-in-Law.  Thank you for making me feel like I've been part of your family for years. I only hope Brian and I can someday raise our kids as well as you both have. We miss you both.  Sending lot's of love from Dublin.

Our first real weekend trip was last weekend.  We took advantage of a 3 day weekend Brian had and left the rain and cold for sunny Barcelona. We packed the weekend full of walking, walking, sightseeing, tapas, and more walking.  By Monday, we were both excited about a little excursion to the Beach for some down time. Highlights from Barcelona are: -The amazing architecture -Pintxos , snacks on toothpicks at bars, their version of Happy Hour.  Fun and delicious -FC Barcelona game. Messi scored a hattrick and it was the coaches last game. - Barri Gothic district - old winding medieval streets that you can spend hours in and still walk around a corner to a place you've never seen. The biggest let down of Barcelona were the Public Bikes.  They had amazing bike lanes off the street, the bike stands were everywhere, the weather was perfect BUT you had to be a local to use them.  So frustrating. This is La Boqueria .  Friends recommended that w...