This recipe was mentioned in the blog entry on the 11-course French meal I made for my Irish friends. It actually was the only part of the meal that was not from a French cookbook. It is a recipe from a restaurant in upstate New York that was operating in the seventies and eighties. I no longer remember the name of the place, but I clearly recall its floor plan and menu. It was near Saratoga Springs, and their signature bread was this toasted coconut. It is to die for.

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We decided to tour a bit of Northern Ireland before taking the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer, Scotland to tour Scotland, Wales, and England. We stayed at a Belfast bed and breakfast in a beautiful old four-story Victorian home. The proprietor was an older woman who was very proud of her potato bread. It is true that this is more a northern dish and no respectable Northern Irish cook would serve the traditional Irish breakfast without it, whereas it is seldom seen in the republic.

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This is the bread that accompanied the delicious cream of celery and olive soup at a pub in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. There are so many flavors and textures here, but they melded perfectly. Do try them together for a hearty lunch or light dinner on a cold wintry day.

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Bunratty Castle is a must for every tourist visiting Ireland if you want to experience all that is Irish. To miss it would be like going to America and not visiting the Statue of Liberty. If you only visit two castles, do not miss Bunratty nor Blarney. Its medieval banquet is great fun and for a tourist event, the food is surprisingly good with the music and comradery of the evening quite contagious. Everyone is Irish for one night. The wine and stout flow as freely as Irish fluidity of speech.

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