Exit=challenge, travel=thrill (not), re-entry=comfort. This theme may deviate a bit from yours, but I find it to be consistently true over the last few years when traveling with teenage kids. I’m not sure which of the outer benchmarks I appreciate more. Crafting dishes to utilize all food before departure or re-entry stocking. For the travel, I know I’m the only one in family seeking out the best “… whenever you are” and even trying to entice family with Portugal’s World Cup coaches favorite cod dish or another sports icon or whomever depending upon location. Thank you for pointing out the calming ritual of re-entry, I had missed this and it makes me feel better since I’m losing the travel battle.
I value your posts so much because they make me happy. This past year has not been a happy one for me, but things are better, and I can appreciate Substacks like yours that bring so much joy.
Very happy paid subscriber and your peanut cabbage tofu is on regular rotation at our house along with vegetable fried rice among others. So glad to hear you enjoyed lunch in colorful Kinsale and got to visit Ballymaloe. Isn’t the town of Dingle, great? Watched the documentary Blow-Ins before we went - highly recommend if you want to learn about the folks from other towns, counties and countries who come to stay in Dingle.
Sounds amazing, Jenny! I was lucky enough to spend a week cooking at Ballymaloe Cookery School two summers back and the oatmeal situation has been a slight obsession every since. Every morning, they laid an incredible spread (as they do at the House where you presumably stayed) and the gorgeous poached/preserved/fresh fruit options were beyond luxurious. My problem now is sourcing the Macroom Oatmeal they served. I brought five bags back stateside, was able to order a few more but since then have been on the hunt for a source (Zingerman's used to carry it but I haven't seen it in stock for a long time). Please let us know if you have any insider info on this front!
I don't have any intel for you on that front, but I'll see what I can turn up! And lucky you, a week at the Cookery School. I definitely was fantasizing about that.
I, too, cherish human prose - I would gladly dump instagram, facebook, tik tok so on just to keep substack, where I enjoy reading a handful of delightfully chatty and useful newsletters. Reading these (yours definitely included!) stirs in me a lovely feeling of human connection just like a good book can, vs often viewing instagram can make me feel an outsider looking from afar. Please keep on doing what you are doing!
I know! A big reason why we decided on Dingle in the first place was because of how Michael has written about it these past few years. I dream of returning to take your writing workshop...and drink some Guinness with you!
I just have to say that I value your human written prose so much and I’m delighted to be a paid subscriber! I just read a much hyped book that I am positive used AI and it was the most disgusting experience
We totally have sheep-dotted green pastures in upstate New York, and horse-dotted pastures too. Check out Dutchess County and Columbia County. They compare wonderfully to Ireland, where I’ve spent some time, having once had an Irish boyfriend from Limerick. Otherwise you can visit the petting zoo in Central Park, where they have sheep and other domestic animals.
Also the rocky coast of Maine -- once when crossing the ocean and timezones for an anniversary trip to Ireland felt too far from our young kids, we took a quicker trip to Maine instead, and loved seeing the seals, imagining how the two coasts were once geologically one, and being "just" over on the other side of the north Atlantic :)
Happy paid subscriber here! Thank you for every word you write.
Exit=challenge, travel=thrill (not), re-entry=comfort. This theme may deviate a bit from yours, but I find it to be consistently true over the last few years when traveling with teenage kids. I’m not sure which of the outer benchmarks I appreciate more. Crafting dishes to utilize all food before departure or re-entry stocking. For the travel, I know I’m the only one in family seeking out the best “… whenever you are” and even trying to entice family with Portugal’s World Cup coaches favorite cod dish or another sports icon or whomever depending upon location. Thank you for pointing out the calming ritual of re-entry, I had missed this and it makes me feel better since I’m losing the travel battle.
Ireland and Tamar Adler (and oatmeal, haha!) in a perfect, summer post 😍🤩☘️
You made my week :) You are the best!
Irish porridge rocks. Eat it every morning when I visit. Bob’s Red Mill Scottish porridge comes close.
I value your posts so much because they make me happy. This past year has not been a happy one for me, but things are better, and I can appreciate Substacks like yours that bring so much joy.
Thank you and I'm so sorry to hear that, Marian. Here's to better times ahead.
Very happy paid subscriber and your peanut cabbage tofu is on regular rotation at our house along with vegetable fried rice among others. So glad to hear you enjoyed lunch in colorful Kinsale and got to visit Ballymaloe. Isn’t the town of Dingle, great? Watched the documentary Blow-Ins before we went - highly recommend if you want to learn about the folks from other towns, counties and countries who come to stay in Dingle.
I will watch! Yes, I loved Dingle and will definitely be back.
Sounds amazing, Jenny! I was lucky enough to spend a week cooking at Ballymaloe Cookery School two summers back and the oatmeal situation has been a slight obsession every since. Every morning, they laid an incredible spread (as they do at the House where you presumably stayed) and the gorgeous poached/preserved/fresh fruit options were beyond luxurious. My problem now is sourcing the Macroom Oatmeal they served. I brought five bags back stateside, was able to order a few more but since then have been on the hunt for a source (Zingerman's used to carry it but I haven't seen it in stock for a long time). Please let us know if you have any insider info on this front!
I don't have any intel for you on that front, but I'll see what I can turn up! And lucky you, a week at the Cookery School. I definitely was fantasizing about that.
I, too, cherish human prose - I would gladly dump instagram, facebook, tik tok so on just to keep substack, where I enjoy reading a handful of delightfully chatty and useful newsletters. Reading these (yours definitely included!) stirs in me a lovely feeling of human connection just like a good book can, vs often viewing instagram can make me feel an outsider looking from afar. Please keep on doing what you are doing!
Same! And also can you say more about the porridge please?
Jenny, we were just there too! Dingle and Donegal and Kinsale! How fun it would have been to share a Guinness with you!
I know! A big reason why we decided on Dingle in the first place was because of how Michael has written about it these past few years. I dream of returning to take your writing workshop...and drink some Guinness with you!
Hold please, putting pinto bean tacos on my to-do list...
Lucky you to have visited Ballymaloe! It is such a lovely place.
I just have to say that I value your human written prose so much and I’m delighted to be a paid subscriber! I just read a much hyped book that I am positive used AI and it was the most disgusting experience
I appreciate that SallyT!!!!
If anyone was wondering what book it is, it rhymes with Smeo of Molden - anyone else think the same re AI?
I thought it was just not very well written. Didn't consider the AI angle. I agree that it was much hyped for no apparent reason!
No, I liked it…thought it was a little sappy though.
We totally have sheep-dotted green pastures in upstate New York, and horse-dotted pastures too. Check out Dutchess County and Columbia County. They compare wonderfully to Ireland, where I’ve spent some time, having once had an Irish boyfriend from Limerick. Otherwise you can visit the petting zoo in Central Park, where they have sheep and other domestic animals.
Agree re the beautiful Hudson Valley!
Also the rocky coast of Maine -- once when crossing the ocean and timezones for an anniversary trip to Ireland felt too far from our young kids, we took a quicker trip to Maine instead, and loved seeing the seals, imagining how the two coasts were once geologically one, and being "just" over on the other side of the north Atlantic :)
As a fellow upstate New Yorker, I concur! It's gorgeous here!