Author: emily (Page 3 of 20)

Potato-Leek Soup

July 16, 2011 / / 0 Comments

This week’s soup is traditionally a Welsh soup, although many cultures have their own versions. Let’s face it, you just can’t go wrong with onions, dairy product, and potatoes! While you can make your own Celtic-style food at home, there’s nothing like sharing the experience with other “Celtophiles”. You can get your fill of Celtic food  and culture this weekend at the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival in Flagstaff, AZ. Escaping the heat is an added bonus! Put a few gallons in the gas tank and skip town with us! We’ll see you in the pines  🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound leeks, cleaned, reserving only the white portions for the soup (save the rest for a stock!)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
  • 3-4 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon snipped chives (for garnish)
  1. Chop the leeks into small pieces.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and let them sweat for 5 minutes, moving them around in the pan frequently to prevent browning. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, ~25 minutes.
  3. Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft,  ~45 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender, or put in a food processor and process until smooth. Return to saucepan over low heat, stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately with crusty bread and a pint of stout.

 

 Click Here for More Soups of the Week

The Weekly Whet: Black Velvet

July 15, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I believe Heidi’s famous last words on the Weekly Whet before she left, were something to the effect of “find some kind of really interesting Celtic cocktail, but do something besides whisky for a change.”

I nodded obligingly. She’s right after all; intotheSoup.com is loaded with columns and radio shows dedicated to the subject matter. But let me tell you, folks, Google was not having any of this “Celtic-cocktail-sans-whisky” business. As it turns out, the Celts don’t mess around with muddling, shaking, fancy juices or syrups.

I delved deeper into the archives of the web and found a minor reference to a drink called “Black Velvet” (wasn’t that an 80s hair band?). Finally, I had my cocktail for the week–as, um, interesting as it may be.

Ingredients

  • Champagne or Sparkling Wine
  • 1 bottle of Stout
  • 1 Pint Glass

1.) Fill the pint glass 1/2-way with Champagne

2.) Fill it the rest of the way with the Stout

3.) Enjoy (?) and refill as needed:)


The Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, July 16-17: Food and Beverage

July 13, 2011 / / 0 Comments

By Ray Pearson

“I love coming to this event. It’s like taking my tummy on a tour of foreign countries. The desserts are my favorite”, gushed 10-year old Ernie Ripko, from Southern California, at last year’s Arizona Highland Celtic Festival. Celtic snacks, entrees, and desserts are the culinary main attractions at this annual event. This year’s festival takes place July 16 and 17 at Foxglenn Park in Flagstaff.

For the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society, Celtic (“kel-tik”) refers to a celebration of the culture of eight regions in Western Europe, created in Roman times. In today’s world, they are the countries of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the regions of Cornwall (England), Brittany (France), Asturias and Galicia (both in Spain), and the Isle of Man.

 

 

“It’s very important to us that our food vendors present authenticity and the highest quality of foods representing the Celtic regions”, says Jude McKenzie, president of the society.

Available to festival goers is a variety of hearty meat and shepherd’s pies, sausage rolls, corned beef, beef burgers from the shaggy, long-horned Highland “coos”, and shrimp, chicken, or fish, all served with a side of chips (French fries). The Scottish conundrum known as haggis is also available. Despite major eye-rolling of (usually uninformed) naysayers, haggis is a tasty, hash-like meat dish (best enjoyed with a single malt Scotch). When it comes to those desserts young Ernie is so fond of, he’s in good company. Welsh cakes, cooked on a griddle and served warm, are made in various flavors including raisin, cinnamon, and lemon, topped with sugar. Shortcake, a cousin of Scottish shortbread, is served with strawberries and whipped cream. Reminiscent of the way special ice cream treats that are served throughout the UK, the ice cream vendor serves soft ice cream with tangy flavors, colorfully swirled around the outside of the cone or dish.

When it comes to beverages, McKenzie lights up. “We believe we are the only Celtic festival that serves alcoholic beverages representing all eight regions. At two locations on the field, we present ‘Spirits of the Celtic Regions’, served by knowledgeable staff.” Whiskies, wines and brandy represent most of regions. Perhaps the most unusual drink comes from the Isle of Man. ManX Spirit is actually a proprietary blend of various Scotch and Irish whiskies, with the color removed. Three different Irish beers, along with soft drinks, round out the drinks available at the festival.

 Click here for more information about the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival such as location, hours, and activities.

The Weekly Whet: The Montanya Rum Distillery’s Peach Mojito

July 8, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Courtesy of Ray Pearson

Ray Pearson is a seasoned traveler and well-versed in most spirits–especially whisky (he’s a certified expert!). His travels often allow him to try an unusual cocktail or two. Here’s a recipe he picked up while traveling in the ruggedly beautiful little mountain town of Silverton, CO.

Ingredients

  • sugar (enough to rim the glass 1/2 way)
  • 1 spoonful peach jam
  • ½ lime
  • 2 oz Platino Rum
  • 5-6 muddled mint leaves
  • 3-5 cubed peach pieces
  •  Soda water

1.) Pour the peach jam, lime juice, and rum in a cocktail shaker

2.) Muddle mint leaves in a cocktail glass and add peach pieces

3.) Shake contents of shaker for 30 seconds, and pour contents of cocktail glass

4.) Top off with soda water and give it all a good stir. Enjoy!

Photo Tips for Shutterbugs

July 7, 2011 / / 0 Comments

By Ray Pearson

It’s summertime in America, and the open road beckons. Whether you prefer wandering quaint country roads, rushing down interstates, or tracing Route 66, one thing is certain – the trusty camera is a wonderful co-pilot on such adventures.

Fast forward a bit, to when travel season is but a fond memory, and those friendly (but in all honesty—frightening) invitations to “C’MON OVER AND LOOK AT OUR VACATION PICTURES!” start filling up the voicemail box. Really, why didn’t they just buy post cards? I don’t care how cute your kid is eating a drippy ice cream cone; 12 pictures of the experience is excessive.

Here are ten suggestions to make your photos the most sought-after show in the neighborhood:

  1. Photograph in less-than-ideal weather – oncoming storms are awesome

 

 

2.) Photograph at dawn and at night – immediately “something different”

 

 

3.) Include people you encounter – especially if they are doing something exciting

 

 

4.) Photograph especially colorful food or restaurants 

 

 

5.) Photograph from different perspectives – get down to kid level

 

 

6.) Be willing to pull over when something unusual pops up – road trips are great for this

 

 

7.) Include an interesting foreground – this leads the eye to the main subject

 

Interesting foreground gives the picture depth of personality

 

Uninteresting foreground

 

8.) Photos do not have to be tack sharp to be interesting – blurring conveys action

 

 

9.) Include special activities from your vacation – it’s an exciting world

 

 

10.) Include details from unusual accommodations – rustic B&Bs are great for this

 

 

About Ray

Ray is a nationally recognized single malt Scotch expert. He recently retired after 16 years within the spirits industry, including four as Glenfiddich U.S. Ambassador. Ray currently presents educational whisky seminars and tastings for corporate events, destination management companies, and national whisky shows. He is a photographer and member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association.

For more articles from Ray, you can visit his blog:

whiskymeister.wordpress.com

And of course check out all of his Whisky 101 articles right here at intotheSoup.com.

The Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, July 16-17: Activities and Attractions

July 5, 2011 / / 0 Comments

By Ray Pearson with Photos By Betsey Bruner

Overheard at last year’s festival:

  • “C’mon, Dad, I want to learn more about raptors and geology.”
  • “Did you know a labyrinth is a maze?”
  • “That kid over there is younger than me, and she’s playing the bagpipe. Can I do it?”

Nope, the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival is not a super camp for young brainiacs and prodigies. One of the things it is, however, is a once-a-year opportunity for families and folks of all ages to become immersed in “things Celtic”. In fact, the motto of the group presenting the festival is “To present, promote, and preserve Celtic culture.” This is usually done through fun activities, where the learning sneaks in the back door.

 

An exotic bird show is a major educational attraction

For the little ones, The Kids’ Area offers a wide range of interactive situations like digging for potatoes in Ireland (actually a kiddie pool filled with wood chips, hiding real potatoes). For the little- bit-older set, there’s the oatmeal toss, with gallons of the gooey stuff available to lob at ogres and denizens of Celtic mythology (and learn the importance of the humble food in Celtic history.)

 

Get your kids excited about careers in agriculture!

Single malt whisky tastings,  black powder firing re-enactments, spinning and weaving demonstrations, and the straight-backed, shoe-clacking precision of Irish dancers are just a few of the crowd-pleasing activities happening throughout the weekend. Over the years, workshops have become immensely popular. This year nearly a dozen will be offered, including hands-on opportunities to play the musical bones, spoons and the bodhran, learn about Celtic salt and how it’s harvested from the sea in several Celtic regions, and hear tales of Celtic myths, legends, heroes and villains.

A black powder demo for the gun lovers

Jewels in the festival crown include athletic competitions (brawny guys do not throw telephone poles, they toss the caber), Highland dance competitions (did you know the Highland Fling is based on a war dance?), and Piping and Drumming competitions. Clans (families sharing a common ancestry) and Celtic organizations welcome guests to discover genealogy, family history, and modern-day links to the Old World.

 

You’ll never look at another telephone pole without thinking, “How far could I throw that?”

Authentic, high-quality food and merchandise, representative of the Celtic regions, are the mainstays in the vendors area, along with opportunities for such unusual things as printing your personal coat of arms and family history. This year, the insanely popular Wicked Tinkers and the always fun, Knockabouts, will get the crowds into the spirit of the weekend. New entertainers include Bua, a group of Irish singers, and Tramor, a group of pan-Celtic performers, including a Welsh bag-piper.

 

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