Irish Memories

Many years ago, when I was a sophomore in college, I was lucky enough to go on a mission trip to Northern Ireland. With the onset of St. Patrick’s Day, my mind often wanders back to that trip.

From the moment I arrived in Ireland, I was in love. Though I had never been before, I felt as though I had come home. I loved the people I met immediately and was sad to leave after our 2-week visit.

I would love to share photos with you of my life-changing trip, but sadly that photo album is MIA. And yes, it was so long ago, they were actual photos that cannot be pulled up on a computer. I spent half the day trying to track down the album and realized I had to let that idea go for now, or St. Patrick’s Day would come and go before I shared anything with you at all.

At that time, way back in 1994, I wasn’t as much of a foodie as I am now, but I do still have some delicious memories.

While I had always loved tea, I learned to love it the Irish way – black tea, nice and strong with milk or cream in it. I also knew the Irish were my people because they like to take their tea with biscuits (cookies) and chocolate! I still drink my tea this way.

I also remember we would walk across the street in the evenings for ice cream with a Flake. I had no idea what this was until my new Irish friends explained that it was a candy bar of sorts – Cadbury chocolate to be more specific. Apparently, Flake came about when a Cadbury worker noticed the chocolate would fill the molds, then overflow and form folds of flakey chocolate. It is the perfect accompaniment to a scoop of ice cream. I also learned immediately that Irish chocolate, even Cadbury which we can get in the US, is way better than chocolate in the States.

Because we were there to help run a Vacation Bible School program, we stayed in the church, which was actually an old home converted into a church, and the church members fed us in the kitchen for most meals. We did not go out for fancy meals and we did not even have fish and chips; not even once.

I loved those meals because they were home-cooked just for us. I cannot remember them all, but I do remember one meal that stuck with me. One night we were served delicious chicken in flaky dough. They were warm, creamy and deeply satisfying.

I was not a cook then and didn’t think to ask what it was or how to duplicate it at home. But those little pockets of chicken have remained in my memory all these years.

Now that I know more about Irish and English fare, they may have been some kind of pasty, or handheld meat pocket. But when I look up most of those recipes, they don’t seem quite right with my ancient memory.

Funnily enough, I found a recipe that piqued my interest in Chistina Tosi’s cookbook, “Milk Bar Life.” The queen of cookies and cakes also loves old family recipes and one such recipe was for Chicken Puffs – chicken mixed with cream cheese, onions and salt & pepper, then baked into a crescent roll. Now that sounded more like my illusive Irish chicken memory. So, I set out to try it.

All you need is some rotisserie chicken, or leftover grilled chicken, some cream cheese, some sweet onion and salt and pepper. Mix that together, roll it up in some crescent rolls and roll those in Italian bread crumbs. Bake until a nice golden brown, about 15 minutes. That’s it.

They are extremely easy to prepare and make a very satisfying weeknight meal. I am still not sure they are quite the chicken delights I had in Ireland, but they are close. It is also very possible that my memory has elevated them to some unattainable realm. Either way, I think these beauties are going to become a go-to weeknight meal.

I still dream of visiting Ireland again and next time I plan on many more exciting food adventures. Until then, I will drink my tea and visit in my memories. Now if I could just find that darn photo album….

* Recipe adapted from Christina Tosi, “Milk Bar Life.”