Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup This past September, our friend Kate Strain asked us if we would participate in the opening event of Kunstverein Aughrim, her new curatorial office and production agency for contemporary art projects. Kate hoped to temporarily re-open the cafe beside her building, offering visitors some hot stew and a fresh piece of […]
Recipe: Gin and Tonic Cake We first served this cake during our artist residency How to Flatten a Mountain. The weather had been more reliably fine during this program, and Caitriona wanted to create something festive and a bit lighter for the artist’s last night on the farm. Her first thought was to create a […]
Recipe: Hoagie & Cheesesteak Rolls As a native Philadelphian, Cow House Co-Director Frank Abruzzese has a particular affinity for the Hoagie and Cheesesteak sandwiches of his childhood. To this day, his first stop on any visit home begins with a cheesesteak from the iconic John’s Roast Pork. Anyone familiar with these delicious sandwiches from Philly […]
Recipe: Lamb Barbacoa Tacos & Elote We started making this recipe at Cow House after Frank received a phone call from our dear friend and curator Karla Sanchez. Karla, originally from Mexico City, asked Frank to give a cooking demonstration during her then annual Zorro Festival in Wexford Town. Frank loves cooking and had been […]
Recipe: Caramelized Orange Upside-Down Cake We started to make our caramelized orange upside-down cake at Cow House last year during Art on the Farm, our summer art program for high school students. Caitriona noticed the students weren’t eating as many oranges, and we had a few extra in the fruit basked about to go off. […]
Recipe: Hainanese Chicken Rice We have been making this dish at Cow House since the very beginning. Frank loves food and cooking for people, but when the studios first opened, he didn’t have much expertise in preparing dishes from the Asian continent. His background is Italian American, and he spent some time in New Mexico […]
Recipe: Sourdough Bread One of the most remarkable things about sourdough bread is that just three ingredients, time, and technique, can yield such a satisfying combination of textures and flavors. Making sourdough bread is a process. There is no real way to sugarcoat it, but since we all have a bit more time on our hands […]
Recipe: Fermented Hot Sauce & Peanut Rayu Two things we nearly always have in our fridge at Cow House are a fermented hot sauce and peanut rayu. These two condiments are seriously addictive and seem to work on just about everything. During our residencies and our summer program, we’ve noticed that some people pull them […]
Recipe: Cow House Granola For a majority of our programming during the year, our breakfasts are self-catering. Our residency artists and gap year students don’t like to make a fuss early in the morning and usually go for something simple. As a way to make things more interesting for them, Caitriona started making granola from scratch. […]
Recipe: Mary’s Christmas Mince Pies At this time of year, in just about every grocery store, cafe, and bakery here in Ireland, you’ll see stacks of mince pies for sale. These are nice if you can get them, but nothing compares to Mary’s homemade version. Her mince pies are something special, and one among many […]
Recipe: Traditional Irish Batch Bread It’s hard to beat freshly baked bread. There’s something so comforting about breaking into a fresh loaf still warm from the oven. Since Caitriona joined us full time back in 2017, she has been treating our guests to her fantastic creations. A highlight has certainly been her bread, whether it […]
Recipe: Donburi Rice Bowl In an effort to cook more vegetarian food and provide a bit more variety during our lunchtime meals we started serving all sorts of meals in bowls. This started with a few simple rice bowl experiments but we quickly realized the combinations were endless. Quinoa, barley, pearl couscous, or any small pasta […]
Recipe: Shakshuka We first came across Shakshuka back in 2012 when it was prepared for us by visiting artist Devra Fox. It was one of the days in-between our summer program sessions and the moment we tried it, we knew it just had to become one of our regular mealtime offerings. Shakshuka is an Israeli […]
Recipe: Nutella & Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies It might come as no surprise that Nutella is quite popular during our summer program. It’s so popular that on occasion, we have, in fact, had to ration the delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread. After all, sugar highs are usually followed by sugar lows. We think the obsession must […]
Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Cheese Toasties
This recipe is a sophisticated twist on a summer camp classic. As a young boy, Cow House Co-Director Frank Abruzzese spent several summers in New Hampshire on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee at Camp Tecumseh. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup were most definitely a camper favourite and gathering from other peoples’ experiences, this particular combination is a popular one.
A few tweaks elevate this dish, the first simply substitutes a good quality cheddar for the more standard American cheese slice. We shred our cheese to ensure an even melt. As always, Kerrygold butter on the bread is key and finally, the added flavour of roasted peppers in the tomato soup is a big step up from the canned variety usually served.
Recipe: Beef & Guinness Stew with Mashed Spuds
During these cold winter months, nothing could be better than a comforting bowl of stew. The weather here in Ireland seems perfectly suited for food like this from mid-autumn through early spring and thankfully, the grass-fed lamb and beef, as well as the fantastic root vegetables available here, lend themselves well to this style of cooking.
This recipe uses perhaps Irelands most well-known export, Guinness, the hearty stout from Dublin. When co-directors Rosie and Frank moved to Ireland after studying for their masters at San Francisco Art Institute, they lived for a time in Stoneybatter, a section of Dublin just north of the river and west of the city center. St James’s Gate, where the famous brew is made, was just a short walk away on the other side of the Liffey. Some mornings the sweet and earthy aromas of malting barley were so strong it seemed like it was being brewed next door. Some of those same aromas are strongly present in this fantastic stew.
Recipe: Gluten Free Christmas Pudding
This recipe has been adapted from one of Darina Allen’s classics. Darina is an enthusiastic advocate for Irish food both at home and abroad, and was instrumental in setting up the Farmers’ Market Movement in Ireland. She set up the Ballymaloe Cookery School with her brother in 1983 and has released numerous cookbooks and television series. Rosie’s sister Edel adapted this recipe from Darina’s book, A Simply Delicious Christmas. Rosie’s mother, Mary, has been using this book for many years, having been gifted to her by Rosie’s father Michael in 1989. Known for his sweet tooth, we still wonder to this day whether this gift was meant to be a hint!
Recipe: Cow House Celebration Chocolate Cake
Every year during our summer art program there are always a few birthdays and this chocolate cake never disappoints. Our students will even go as far as pretending it’s their birthday to get Caitriona baking. Sweet treats have always been a particularly special part of mealtime at Cow House and while we keep things healthy, occasionally, you need a bit of something indulgent for the soul. The expectation for incredible deserts started with Rosie’s mother Mary who in the early years, would spoil us with her Pavlovas, Banoffi Pies and Black Forest Gateaus then, Rosie’s Sister Edel kept up the tradition with equally tempting additions. Caitriona now expertly crafts a variety of cookies, pies and cakes that are not only delicious but beautifully adorned with decorative touches.
Recipe: Spiced Aubergine & Chickpeas, Radish & Celery Salad, Quinoa & Minted Yogurt
This dinner is adapted from a few recipes in Yotam Ottolenghi’s fantastic book Jerusalem. We absolutely love this book and use it on a weekly basis. If you like this meal, you’ll love the book. Many of the recipes are vegetarian, healthy and really satisfying. This book alone has accounted for about half of the spices we now hold in our red kitchen pantry and well worth having around. A sprinkle of Za’atar on some scrambled eggs with a dollop of Greek yoghurt is a satisfying break from your usual breakfast routine.
Recipe: Irish Brown Soda Bread
We’re thrilled to be launching a new series of posts on our website sharing recipes from our kitchen. We couldn’t think of a better one to start with than the traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread. Brown bread is one of those recipes that can vary from home to home. Everyone adds their own special touch whether they might bake it in a tin or on a stone, add seeds for extra bite or buttermilk for added depth. Cutting this bread requires a steady hand and some strength. The crust is thick and hard and the internal texture is quite delicate. Cut them too thick and you’ll be accused of making “doorsteps” as Rosie’s family likes to say.