The Lederman Kitchen

One of our goals for this year is to get out and see more of Ireland.  So, going back many months, to chilly February, we took a weekend trip down south to Cork. In order to get out and see Ireland, you have to just go.  Last year we made the mistake of waiting for nice weather, which doesn't really work here.  Now we know, and off we went - heading south to Cork with our friends Abby & Brandon.  The trip was loosely planed around a Craft Beer Festival at a local brewery, The Franciscan Well. First stop was at about the halfway point, The Rock of Cashel.   My photos don't really do it justice, but check out this Google Image Link .  It's a super old heritage site that served as the seat of the King of Munster at one point in time, long, long ago. Abby & Brandon Inside the ruins I love this one Abby took of the boys There were really intricate carvings and art Staying warm inside - kidding - there is no roof, and it's ma...

Remember my cousin Phillip and his partner Marlon from our trip to Rome ?  If you don't, Brian and I had an amazing trip last June visiting them in Rome.  Well, they pulled out their warmest jackets, hats and scarfs and headed over to Dublin for Thanksgiving weekend. Jeff, a long time friend of Phillip's, recently moved to Dublin and turns out he and Phillip have spent a number of Thanksgivings together, all over the place - so Thanksgiving in Dublin seemed appropriate. It was great fun for us.  We were graciously invited over to Jeff and his partner Gerry's for Thanksgiving dinner.  They made huge and delicious dinner, and we enjoyed every bite of it.  I'm still dreaming about the sweet potatoes, they weren't marshmallow topped (yuck), but much better and still sweet.  They were so good.  And I'm pretty sure Brian is not going to forget the stuffing for years to come.    The rest of the weekend we spent doing some touristy stu...

We are a few weeks behind on the blog, actually about a month behind...  Last month my in-laws were staying with us and I had to whip up a quick lunch for everyone.  I decided to make a few finger sandwiches to try and please the crowd.  I paired the sandwiches with a light tomato salad to round out the meal. We had 3 sandwiches on the menu. Toasted pesto, prosciutto, and mozzarella on Italian batard  Turkey, dijon, swiss cheese, and arugula on Italian batard Roast beef with white cheddar, caramelized onions and horseradish on a pressed sweet baguette My tomato salad is basically a crapese salad, but chopped in a more rustic style instead of sliced and stacked like a traditional Insalata Crapese.  I usually only make the classic version in the summer months when heirloom tomatoes are available.   For a great salad for lunch or dinner, just chop up a couple of tomatoes.  Use whatever variety looks good at the time. ...

There are few things better on a rainy day than tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  It's a comfort food staple and the original soup and sando combo.  The Wife and I where doing chores around the house while it rained outside, exactly the type of day this lunch pairs well with. While I am definitely a fan of the traditional Campbell's Tomato Soup, why buy the can when you can make a great soup from scratch with fresh ingredients in hardly any time at all? For a delicious weekend lunch for two, you will need: 12 Roma Tomatoes 1 cup of basil (chopped) 4 cloves of garlic (chopped) 1/4 cup of olive oil 3 shallots (halved) 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup of water (or stock if you have it) a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for garnish salt and pepper 4 slices of good bread  a few slices of cheese for the sandwiches a little butter Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prep the veggies by slicing the tomatoes and shallots in half, and cho...