Week Eight
Above: Haul from the farm and herb garden for tonight’s salad
Hi all! I’m writing this email from Georgia’s room, which I’m treating as a spa retreat for the weekend while she’s in Galway with her boyfriend. Everyone left the Pink Cottage for the weekend except for me and Angie, and so I’m taking advantage of the quiet to do some adulting — like troubleshooting a bank issue and ordering a prescription...you know, the thrilling parts of life. I’m also trying to rest up and prepare for my ninth (!) week of the course. So far today, I’ve made coffee and pancakes, walked to and from the beach, picked radicchio for dinner, started studying for my wine exam, and taken a long, hot bath. Time feels slow today, and I mean that in the best way. I often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do here, and I’m left breathless and exhausted at bedtime. This past school week was pretty standard—jam-packed day after jam-packed day with a challenging food safety exam on Wednesday. On Friday evening when class ended and the girls left, I sank into the couch with a glass of wine to watch my second favorite film, Ocean’s Eleven (first favorite is Notting Hill, of course), and file some recipes from the week. I’m spending the weekend restoring order and doing all the tedious but necessary behind-the-scenes work.
Above: Some chilli-coriander-nigella seed naan I made in the kitchen this week
Above: Poached pears with saffron syrup from the same day as the naan!
To rewind to something more exciting, Mom and Trevor visited Ballymaloe last weekend! They came down from Dublin on Friday morning and met me at school for lunch. I couldn’t take them inside because of Covid rules, but I managed to bring out plates of food from our morning of cooking to a picnic table. We happened to cook Irish food that day, which I was glad for as it felt appropriate for their arrival. There were beef stews and pies, colcannon (mashed potatoes flecked with kale), wholemeal soda bread with salted butter, green salad, and a bevy of other dishes. Plus zingy fig-ginger kefir from the Ballymaloe Fermentation Shed. As we ate, Pink Cottage ladies filtered through to say hello! They were as charming as always, and seemed instantly comfortable with my family. Following lunch, I skipped the afternoon demonstration to go with Mom and Trev to our Airbnb in Ballycotton, a coastal village beside Shanagarry. Our Airbnb was clean, simple, and close to the pier, with two big, comfy beds. Just what we needed. We dropped our things, changed, and made a quick turnaround to Cork for a little wander before dinner.
Above: Introducing Trev to Eliza (my twin)
Above: The view from our Airbnb
I made a reservation for an early dinner at Paradiso, an upscale vegetarian restaurant in Cork City that Angie recommended. It was a four course sharing menu, and everything was stunning. To name a few favorites: silken tofu with black garlic rayu and crisped shallots, fried potato pavé with caper-dillisk aioli, pumpkin gnocchi with hedgehog mushrooms, sweetcorn, and leek, and Basque cheesecake with poached pear and burnt orange. What a pleasure it is to be cooked for! Mom asked the waiter, “Is it poor form to ask for bread to sop up what’s left on our plates?” He responded with an emphatic “no,” brought over a plate of focaccia, and let us sponge up every last bit. The service was exemplary—warm, suave, and attentive but not overwhelmingly so. After dinner, we drove home and went to bed early. Mom and I slept in the same bed in a room that looked out on the sea.
Above: Blurry pic of the perfect pavé
Above: The Basque cheesecake. Also perfect!
The next day was blustery, but I was determined to take them on the Ballycotton cliff walk, so we began the morning by trudging against the wind to take in the sights. I’m so attracted to the coastal landscape here—the dramatic descending order of green grass, rocky cliffs, and grey-blue waves. We spent the rest of the day hopping around the area from the Midleton Farmers Market to my wine teacher’s pop-up at Ballymaloe House to the Stephen Pearce pottery shop to a local restaurant for another fabulous dinner. The whole day felt easy and comfortable, as it should in the company of two of my favorite humans.
Above: A view from the Ballycotton cliff walk
Above: Pre-dinner selfie at the Ballycotton pier
We woke up the next morning (their last day) to clear, blue skies and calm water. My parents’ friend recommended that we visit Cobh, so we drove there, happily agenda-less. Cobh is famous for being the final port of call for the Titanic! We visited the Titanic museum, which was kitschy but interesting, and then dined at a café across the way called Seasalt, which is helmed by a Ballymaloe alumna. Trevor and I ordered full Irish breakfasts, which were gorgeous and nourishing, with every element locally sourced. I must admit: I’ve developed a weird fondness for black pudding. So savory! So satisfying!
Above: Me and Trev in Cobh
Above: Fab food at Seasalt
Above: Cutie mama in the car
That evening, we met up with the Pink Cottage (all but Holly and Izzy who weren’t back yet!) at the pub in Ballycotton for fish and chips and a pint. I felt warm and content as we shared stories and feasted on freshly caught and fried monkfish. At the end of the night, Mom brought out pink cottage hats for everyone that she had made especially for us. Pink cottage hats!!! We all FREAKED! What a genius gift. I don’t have a photo of all of us in them yet, but I’ll do my best to make it happen before we part ways.
Above: (Most of) the girls in our new hats!
Okay, that’s all I have in me today. Lots of love!
Phoebe