A lot more than potatoes

Cool, green Ireland is one of the hottest places in the world for foodies. Farm cheeses and smoked meats, a large variety of fresh organic produce, and creative cooks have completely transformed Ireland's culinary landscape in the almost 20 years since I first stepped off the ferry in Wexford from St. David's, Wales, at the crack of dawn one chilly December morning, and hitchhiked to Cork. The lady who gave us a lift in her band's van played the soundtrack from Phantom of the Opera almost the entire trip, but had no food to share.

My traveling companions (Mary, Liz, and Andrea) and I made do with crackers and cheese, canned pasta, and not-quite-done potatoes, cooked in warm but poorly equipped hostel kitchens, as we made our way west from Cork, looping back northeast to Dublin. We Americans were young and inexperienced, and I wasn't even brave enough to try the clear poteen (sp?) offered to me in an unlabeled bottle by one of the locals. I was afraid, I guess, of waking up sometime the next day, with my passport, money, clothes, and friends all gone!

This time, my family intends to eat very well indeed. We'll be helping at Gubbeen Farm in West Cork (www.gubbeen.com) during the month of April (2008), when the cows will be on fresh grass and their milk will make the tastiest of cheeses. Our host, Giana Ferguson, has been instrumental in Ireland's Slow Food movement and has been making cheese for much of her life. My six year old, Reed, like most kids, loves cheese. I know Giana will have a lot to teach us about how to make it!