Fedamore

 

       For ten years I've been searching for the birthplace of my great-great-great grandfather, John Hartigan, and his wife, Ellen. My only clues were Ireland and Limerick but I wasn't even sure if the Limerick meant county and/or city. Records are always being added to online databases and recently I found a death notice for John that listed his place of birth as Feclima. Not finding a trace of this place convinced me to look closer at the original record, instead of the text version, and sure enough, the fine old handwriting disclosed another clue - the cl was a d. A thick Irish accent probably also confused the writer, hence I deduced that the place was Fedamore, originally Fiadamair, a small townsland in Limerick County. Researching the area online proved fruitful and I was thoroughly delighted to find pictures, history and even a graveyard map with designated plots!

   

     

      John Hartigan immigrated to St. John's, New Brunswick in the early 1800s. It was cheaper to dock there than in Boston or New York so numerous immigrants disembarked in that Canadian harbor. Whether John and Ellen chose to stay in St. John's or lacked the funds to travel any further may never be known, but from 1834-1848 they had seven children while in residence there: James, John, Jane, Ann, Michael, Thomas and Lena (Leah?). The family was living in West Boylston, Massachusetts in 1850, however, when John died of consumption (tuberculosis) at the age of fifty-five, five months before the birth of his eighth child, William. The widowed Ellen remained in the Worcester County town with her children. Jane would become my grandmother's grandmother.

     The photo above left is Rockstown Castle in Fedamore, a four story tower house built in the 1500's. Photo on right is Kilpeacon Church, present nave built in 1690.

Making Meatloaf

     The first time Rissy and I made a meatloaf together, she was aghast when I used my hands to mix the ingredients. In fact, her very words were, "Ew - gross!" However after watching for a few seconds, she couldn't resist and asked to try her hand(s). Suffice it to say that every piece of onion, etc. was never more thoroughly incorporated. So her initial question, "Why use hands instead of a spoon?" to which I answered,  "For two reasons: Because my mother did and because it mixes up better", was also answered in a more tactile way. I don't think she ever enjoyed eating meatloaf as much as she did that night either.

Miss Molly on Valentine's Day

     Placing paper or fabric of any kind on the dining room table always draws the attention of Miss Molly. The antique linen tablecloth edged in fine lace was in place only momentarily when I used it as a backdrop for a Valentine photo project, but it was there long enough for kitty to investigate, which made for another photo opportunity.

Paczi

     Multicultural week in the kitchen - Creole yesterday and Polish today. I had always wanted to try my hand at Paczi, and figured that they could be served appropriately on Fat Tuesday, as is Polish custom. My grandmother, who was born in Poland, never served these probably because she was a very busy wife, mother, working woman (in a furniture factory) and a first-generation American (wanting to assimilate). Doughnuts are not my forte, although in the past I have made a ricotta and a potato variety, which both turned out pretty good. But doughnuts can be time consuming and somewhat messy, so they are best saved for an afternoon with little else planned. I found a recipe online that had several good reviews and claimed to be authentically Polish, so forged onward with a yeast sponge set to rise.

     Later after adding other ingredients, rolling and cutting the dough, and rising once again, the two inch rounds were dropped into hot canola oil (to minimize mess and spatters, I use a medium size heavy saucepan with high sides and fry only three doughnuts at a time). After draining on paper towels and cooling on a platter, I injected strawberry preserves into half the batch, and then glazed them all.

     However good most of my doughnuts turn out, and of course I pick the prettiest for photographing, the first batch to fry always fails or at least doesn't look as nice as the rest. Perhaps I am impatient and the oil is not hot enough to brown properly. For whatever reason, the winter birds are very happy with the crumbs!

Jambalaya for Mardi Gras

     A few family members love Creole and Zydeco music and culture. Perhaps because I am not so familiar I have not developed any type of fondness for either. However I do love a hot bowl of homemade chicken and sausage jambalaya. Hubby is allergic to shellfish so no shrimp is included in our Mardi Gras meal.

     Chicken parts simmered in a slow cooker on the previous day, providing enough meat for last night's dinner of fajitas, today's jambalaya and even a little for salads tomorrow. A bonus was the two cups of broth left over from the slow cooking - much better flavor than canned or cubed - required for the jambalaya. Chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, red and green pepper added lovely color and andouille sausage bits enhanced the Creole essence. A heavy hand with the hot pepper sauce just before serving amped up the spiciness and the only accompaniment necessary was leftover breakfast biscuits warmed up with a cheese garlic topping. Beads and sequins were optional.

Atomic Buffalo Turds

     I must preface this post with the fact that I did not name this appetizer. However, I have found that it is great fun to announce a serving of these cute little fellows. The recipe is a slight variation of an older standard that used cooked chicken slivers, but using little smoked sausages eliminates a rather lengthy step in preparation. Jalapeno peppers are halved and seeded, given a dollop of cayenne-seasoned cream cheese and topped with a sausage.

Each is then wrapped in bacon, which is secured with a toothpick.

Brown sugar is sprinkled over before baking, which adds a delicious touch of sweetness (so no dipping sauce is necessary).  When the bacon became crispy and brown, the turds were done and ready to serve. Be warned that these appetizers are not for pepper-challenged palates!