I ordered this dish at a restaurant in Aswan in 1985 and am ashamed to say at the time I was unaware of its history. I did not know its origins were American, the signature dish from the DeJonghe family's hotel and restaurant in Chicago in the nineteenth century. I ask forgiveness of all Chicagoans for my ignorance. It is such a wonderful and easy recipe to make that I have made up for it since. I cook this even when I am dining alone now. I am so glad I discovered this entrée in Egypt.

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Yet another great shrimp curry dish. This has toasted coconut, and I enjoyed it at an American bistro in Dublin that does not appear to be still operating. Part of this recipe is from an entrée on a 1970's menu at Trader Vic’s in San Francisco. It was a chicken recipe, but the sauce is so similar to the shrimp dish I had in Dublin that I have worked with it over the years until I was happy with the results. This is very close to the shrimp entrée I ordered so many years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

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This recipe is very much like a curry dish we had at a restaurant on our way to Stranraer, Scotland to catch the ferry to Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the last leg of a 4-country holiday in the British Isles, and we had been tourists long enough. We were anxious to get back to our townhouse in Trim, County Meath, Ireland. We stopped at a pub for lunch, and yet another shrimp curry was on the daily menu. I found this very similar recipe in a 1975 Better Homes and Gardens recipe booklet.

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When we lived in Ireland in the mid-eighties, curry was very popular in the British Isles. Everywhere we went from Wales, to Scotland, to England, to Ireland and Northern Ireland, there were curry dishes of all kinds especially on pub menus. So I am going to include some of the best shrimp curry recipes. I should have a shrimp curry taste testing for my family. My son Eli and I did that with chili one summer he was home from the University of South Florida in Tampa. It was great fun!

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We had a slice of this pie as an appetizer at a chic continental restaurant in Cairo. When one visits Cairo, one visits the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and its famous bazaar. What struck me was the city continued to be built right up to the great structures. One would never guess that because pictures of the pyramids are taken with one looking at them from the city so the background is desert and seeming isolation, but it is so tacky with hawkers and food stands everywhere.

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While living in Ireland, we went on holiday to Egypt. In this country I decided it was best if we were part of a tour rather than seeing the country on our own. I would recommend that to anyone especially today. The first few nights there we stayed in a new hotel in Cairo. The food was incredible. This recipe is from our first evening meal in the hotel dining room. We also took an overnight sleeper to Aswan, took a cruise on the Nile, and of course, toured Luxor. It was magical, but very hot.

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This is a recipe that we had at a friend's house fairly soon upon arriving in Ireland to live. It was so easy and good, I made it quite a bit. Then I used frozen spinach, but now that fresh baby spinach is so readily available, I always use fresh produce. In a pinch you could use boneless, wild canned salmon. I like the Star Kist best. I have never found any bones, and it is a good way to get wild salmon into our diet. This is like a fancy tuna casserole but without the noodles.

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When living in Ireland I read many novels by Irish authors. Many of them were set in the isolated section of County Galway called Connemara. Lonely, lovely Irish heros lived near Clifden, a desolate village. The romantic in me just had to visit this section of western Ireland much to the dismay of my family. It really was just mile after mile of desolation and an almost desperate beauty. We were actually fortunate enough to find a pub with a wonderful menu. The sole with asparagus was divine.

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This is one of those recipes I wish would be included on a dinner menu as it was in Ireland in 1985. We were exploring County Monaghan in the Province of Ulster in the Republic of Ireland and stopped for dinner near Castleblaney. My daughter Erin loves seafood and was delighted she ordered this trio of seafood crêpes. Today Monaghan is very tourist friendly and is one of Ireland's best kept secrets with unspoiled landscape, wildlife, beautiful scenery, many lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains.

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The best paella I ever tasted was in the Canary Islands. In another post [Irish Seafood Pot Pie] I wrote about the islands as a popular European vacation destination. Seafood was plentiful and fresh so this dish was often served in the many restaurants along the beaches and in the cities. This is the best recipe I have found for paella with some alteration to match the entree served so many years ago while I was on holiday with my children Erin and Eli off the coast of Africa near Morocco.

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Blarney Castle is a must visit in Cork for any tourist--one must make the obligatory stop to kiss the Blarney Stone. The Irish laugh and say the locals urinate on the stone every night. This could be very true for up until a few years ago the Irish did not always protect their antiquities and historical sites. Government and historical society oversight was rare at all but the most common tourist attractions. I have pictures of my children climbing all over cannons and castles now roped off!

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This dish is actually not Irish though it could be since so many Irish dishes contain seafood. We had this entree on a 2-week holiday in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. The Canaries are the vacation spot for Europeans--like Americans visit the Caribbean islands. Along the beaches, in the hotels, at all the tourist sites we heard German, Swedish, Italian, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish, and French accents. In the mid-eighties my children and I encountered no other Americans.

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We wanted to visit Parkes Castle in County Leitrim in the Province of Connaught. This impressive manor house sits on the shores of one of Ireland's most beautiful lakes, Lough Gill. The splendour of Parkes Castle is immediately evident as you drive around the lake. Once an important stronghold of the local O'Rourke family, Parkes Castle has been recently restored to its true 17th century style. We stopped at a restaurant in nearby Dromahair and had the most delectable baked shrimp dish.

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This is a bit pricey but well worth the effort; a smaller version can be made as a dinner salad. The first time I had this plate was in my favourite Irish city, Drogheda. Situated on the Irish Sea, it is a port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 35 miles north of Dublin. Founded in 1194 it still retains the flavor of a medieval city. It is alive with theatre and performing arts, music, and visual arts. The estate in The Thorn Birds was named after this lovely Irish city.

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Living in Ireland allowed us to try fish and chips in every county on the island. The best we ever had was in a pub near Rosslare in County Wexford located on the southeast corner of Ireland. It enjoys more hours of sunshine than any other part of Ireland, making County Wexford the ideal holiday destination. It has so much to offer with blue flag beaches, pretty seaside towns, a beautiful landscape in which to enjoy outdoor activities and a wealth of historical attractions. A must county to see.

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