Tag: Belfast

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Blog

Around the World in 80(ish) Plates

As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve been looking back at some of the many dishes enjoyed on my travels over the past 12 months. I’ve reached some far-flung destinations over that period, as well as some places closer to home, in a bid to savour some of the best food and drink the cuisines of the world have to offer. It’s a tough job, I know, but hey, someone has to do it 🙂 .

I’ll start with my main photo above, taken in Satay by the Bay in Singapore, where I visited in March. They served up a plate of chicken and beef skewers grilled over hot coals, along with a pot of peanutty satay sauce for dipping. Perfect fast food.

Kampong Gelam is the heartland of Singapore’s Malaysian community. The traditional Malay dish, Nasi Lemak (shown above), was excellent – a pandan leaf parcel is unwrapped to reveal steamed, soft and fluffy jasmine-scented and coconut-flavoured rice.

The breakfast shown above was a sight for sore eyes on arrival early one morning off a plane, very hungry, in Sydney, Australia : eggs benedict served with spinach and bacon on sourdough toast, with a balsamic drizzle.

I had wanted to try an Acai bowl for some time, and managed to do so at the Drip Bar in Melbourne, Australia. This purply-chocolate coloured acai berry smoothie is topped with fresh banana, crushed cacao, coconut, ground almonds, granola and a very generous (ahem) drizzle of peanut butter.

The Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, saw my introduction to Asian Fusion – bringing together the sights and tastes from the culinary traditions of India, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, China and Japan. Amongst a tasty and adventurous buffet, my fave was this Miso Caramel Eggplant shown above – chunks of roasted aubergine coated in a sticky sauce, topped with spliced snake beans, coriander and sesame.

The month of June saw a trip to France, where they do food rather well. One highlight of several is shown above – an Entree of cod and yuzu croquette, served with baby gem lettuce, and a sweetcorn and avocado salsa. I liked the Gallic flair with which the dish was presented, resembling artistic brush strokes of red pepper aioli and lemony yuzu.

In summertime in France, it is always a simple pleasure to enjoy an evening al fresco buffet with purchases from the local fromagerie and charcuterie (see above) – along with a bottle of the the local vin rouge, of course.

A July trip to Belfast provided the opportunity to visit St. George’s Market to sample the best of traditional Ulster food. A breakfast of toasted soda farl, here filled with egg, bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes and avocado, certainly satisfied the appetite.

The month of September was spent motorhoming around Cornwall in England’s south-west, sampling numerous pasties like the one shown below. This one is named Veggie Power, and has the traditional filling of steak and potato replaced by mushroom and butternut squash.

I found my visit to Cornwall’s Eden Project very inspiring, and an opportunity to learn more about sustainable food production. All the tea, coffee and chocolate now making its way into the ADK kitchen is certified Fair Trade. The dishes on the Eden menu are made from local ingredients, such as this griddled flatbread shown above, topped with white bean paste, leaves, marinated roasted vegetables, tomatoes, balsamic drizzle, herbs and toasted seeds.

Revisiting all of these meals has now made me hungry again, so I will leave it there! Thanks to everyone who has followed along, read, liked and/or commented in 2024. My travels, along with the home bakes and recipes, will be continuing into 2025 here, on Instagram and on X.

Happy New Year, everyone.

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Blog Snacks

The Giant’s Causeway

While spending this week in Northern Ireland for a family wedding, a visit to the Giant’s Causeway has proven to be a very popular day out.

Geologists will tell you that this vast stetch of coastline was formed 60 million years ago, when the shifting of the Earth’s tectonic plates unleashed molten rock and lava that, over time, has been shaped by rivers and glaciers into the unique honeycomb-patterned, hexagonal basalt columns that we see today.

However, as Irish people will tell you, the real explanation is that the rocks were scattered here by local giant, Finn McCool, as a walkway over to Scotland where he had challenged a neighbouring giant to a fight. The story goes that, on seeing that his opponent was even more gigantic than him, Finn fled back home, ripping up the causeway as he went, leaving just the end of it that we can see today.

Whether it is the science or the Celtic folklore that you find persuasive, you can’t fail to be impressed by your visit.

Designated a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1986, it is now a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. The basalt columns make natural stepping stones, and it is fun clambering over them to reach as close as you dare to those breaking waves rolling in from the Atlantic.

The views out to the Ocean, and east and west along the Antrim coast are spectacular.

All that fresh air and activity had given us a Giant-sized appetite, so back at our guest house I rustled up this snack, that I have no doubt even Finn McCool would appreciate. It is a Soda Farl, split in two, toasted and filled with rashers of bacon, fried egg, cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado. I made 6 of these – one for each of our party – and they were wolfed down. Luckily I was able to take this photo of one of them before it disappeared!

Another great Northern Irish track to add to the ADK Playlist – this time we travel along the North Down coast to Bangor, home of Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody. Here they are with You’re All I Have.

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Blog Breakfast

Breakfast in Belfast

This week I am visiting Northern Ireland for a family wedding. I’ll be making the most of the opportunity to taste some traditional delights of the local foodie scene, including the Ulster Fry, Potato Farls, Egg and Bacon Sodas and, of course, the legendary Belfast Bap!

Arriving in Belfast in the very early morning, off the overnight ferry from Liverpool, we headed to St. George’s Market on May Street, for breakfast.

St. George’s has been here in the city centre since the Victorian era. It is now the oldest survivor of the Markets District that grew up as the city began to thrive as a commercial port. Originally built for the sale of butter, eggs, poultry and fruit, it expanded over the years to include clothing, hardware and antiques.

In the 1980s it was threatened with closure, the costs of maintaining a Victorian building, the impact of the Troubles, and ever more stringent hygiene regulations, bringing severe challenges. However, a campaign by the City Council, traders and the public resulted in a Heritage Lottery Fund grant for the refurbishment of the building, making it fit for the 21st century.

That proved to be a truly inspired decision: with ever more people visiting Belfast in the years following the Good Friday Agreement, St.George’s swings into operation every weekend, its offering now including a high quality range of local, traditional food and drink.

It had been a long sailing from Liverpool, and seeing these tempting piles of freshly baked Potato Breads, Baps and Soda Farls heightened my appetite!

After a walk around the stalls, we settled on Sizzle and Roll, as shown in my main photo at the top of the post.

I opted for a Belfast Bap, shown above. It is a large, soft floury bread roll, my choice of filling being rashers of bacon, tomato, Cashel Blue cheese, rocket leaves, crispy onions and onion relish. My wife chose a mini Ulster Fry of bacon, egg and sausage served inside a toasted Soda Farl – the name for an individual portion of soda bread. Everything was cooked hot and fresh as we waited.

We bought our coffees from the S.D. Bell’s stall, which is one of Ireland’s oldest independent coffee roasters and tea merchants.

There is some excellent food for sale on the other market stalls – this home bakery had some interesting, freshly baked loaves of bread on offer.

St George’s is a great place to pass the time just wandering, checking out the diverse range of stalls, with everything from wet fish to original art, an amazing selection of local cheeses from all over Ireland, souvenirs and antique collectibles.

A hot tasty breakfast and a wonderful way to start our visit. Let’s hope the coming week brings more days like this! That reminds me of a song I’ll now add to the ADK Playlist by local boy, Van Morrison – here with Days Like This.