Author: Emily Gautreaux

Frugally Traveling the Irish Coast

The Irish Coast lends itself to spectacular sights and experiences that one would think would cost an arm and a leg- not so! Start out at Kai restaurant, in Galway, which is a welcoming, cozy place headed by a New Zealand chef, Jessica Murphy.  Grab a coffee and a scone to fuel up for the day and you are only out a few dollars. Head towards Galway, considered by many the cultural backbone of Ireland to visit the Galway Cathedral. It’s free but paying the suggested donation of 2 euros won’t put you out…it’s a little over 2 American dollars. Explore the charming Galway by foot and when you get hungry, stop at Kai, a welcoming, cozy place headed by a New Zealand chef, Jessica Murphy. A delicious bowl of carrot and miso soup was only 5 euros and came with a thick slice of dense, multigrain bread, that probably would have sufficed as a small meal. Next, head over to the charmingly ramshackle bookshop Bell, Book and Candle and receive a quick lesson in literary history from the owner, Paul Deacy. For about 6 euros you can buy 2 books to read while on vacay. Quay and Shop Streets teem with pedestrians, shops and street musicians- all free entertainment and people watching!  After that, take off for a scenic drive. If you spend any amount of time driving in Ireland, you’ll be spoiled by the number of beautiful old castles you pass, but Dunguaire Castle, in the southeastern corner of Galway Bay, is one of the stateliest. After walking the grounds, it was onto one of the true natural wonders of Ireland: The possibly bewitched Cliffs of Moher. They’re easy enough to find: Just follow the road signs, pull into the big lot and pay the 8-euro admission (4 euros if you book online in advance like all the other tourists). But go beyond the tour buses and continue south, and you’ll notice signs for an alternate parking lot that claims to get you closest to the actual cliffs. It’s slightly tricky, but continue until you find Liscannor Walk and a small private lot, where you’ll pay just 2 euros to park. It’s a manageable uphill walk to the cliffs from there, along a stone wall and past curious cows as you make your way toward the water.  Watch the sunset from there, basking in your financially guilt-free day.

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Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken

This sweet and spicy roast chicken has just enough summer sass and the perfect amount of spicy heat. Its Chile-honey marinade gives this chicken its fiery, syrupy character. Dates and carrots give the sauce texture and additional sweetness while a garnish of pistachios gives it a nice crunch. It’s dinner party food at its most flavorful and convenient; the ingredients can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance, then all you need to do is pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive, and garnish it at the last minute. Serve it with couscous, polenta, rice or another soft grain to soak up the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lemon, plus 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more for pot
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons whole grain mustard
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  •  Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 3 cups sliced carrots (1/4-inch thick)
  • 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • ⅔ cup sliced dates
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted pistachio nuts, for garnish

PREPARATION

  1. Quarter the lemon and remove seeds. Thinly slice crosswise into small wedges and add to small pot of boiling, salted water. Blanch for 2 minutes and drain. Reserve slices.
  2. In a saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, orange juice, oil, mustard, honey, salt, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.
  3. Put chicken in a bowl and add honey mixture. Add carrots, onion, dates, thyme and blanched lemon slices. Turn mixture several times to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer all ingredients, including marinade, to a sheet pan with a rim. Chicken should be skin side up. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes for breasts and 30 to 40 for legs and wings (remove the pieces as they are done cooking). When the chicken is done, give the carrot mixture in the pan a stir; if the pan looks dry add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Continue roasting the carrots until they are tender, about 7 to 12 minutes longer.
  5. Spoon carrots over chicken and top with cilantro, scallions and pistachio nuts.

 

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Best Heritage Hotels of Asia

Many of Asia’s most beautiful heritage hotels emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Here, we take a travel through time to explore the top 2 of the region’s most stately places to rest your head:

Raffles Singapore

Originally opened in 1887 by the four brothers, the hotel has welcomed every manner of celebrity and diplomat over the years. It’s so rooted in Singapore history that the government declared the building a protected National Monument in 1987. From gleaming wooden floors to open courtyard gardens, luxurious afternoon tea sets and spacious suites, the hotel has long been associated with old-world comforts. This year, international architecture firm Aedas is leading the ultra-sensitive renovation project. The plan aims to re-imagine the social areas and dining experiences, refresh suites with updated technology and incorporate long overdue amenities — such as soundproof bedroom windows — while retaining the building’s beautiful old bones.

The Peninsula, Hong Kong

If the fleet of custom “Peninsula Green” Rolls-Royces in the driveway and white-capped pageboys standing guard by the door are any indication, The Peninsula has long been a top meeting place for Hong Kong’s upper crust.  It’s also one of the oldest hotels in the territory. The Pen, as it’s nicknamed, opened in 1928, overlooking Victoria Harbour from its prestigious plot in Tsim Sha Tsui. Around the property, Old World charm meets avant-garde atmosphere. The guestrooms have a more modern feel, thanks to a round of renovations completed in 2012. However, certain corners still feel like they’ve been locked in time. The high ceilings and French atmosphere come with grand chandeliers, leisurely lunches and white-gloved service.

Likewise, the ornate Lobby Lounge serves elegant afternoon tea sets soundtracked by a live string quartet, while Spring Moon has been a bastion of Cantonese fine-dining since it opened in 1986.

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Gates Foundation Gives $92 Million in Grants

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $92 million in grants to help students of color and low-income students into college—marking its first major wave of K-12 giving since last fall.  The money is divided into 19 separate grants that will support improvements in everything from middle school language arts, to Algebra 1, to solving the problem of “undermatching,”—when high-achieving, low-income students select colleges that are less ambitious or rigorous than what their track records qualify them for. “Rather than coming in with a bright, shiny new idea, we’re asking districts, schools, and intermediaries to look at investments they’ve already made, and we’re trying to make that last-mile investment that enables them to connect their work, to set the strategies or data that will enable them to be successful for students,” said Robert Hughes, the foundation’s director of K-12 education. It’s a remarkably different strategy than its past K-12 philanthropy. The foundation received about 530 applications for the first cohort of giving, Gates officials said, and it plans to roll out more grants sometime in the fall. Below are brief descriptions of the 19 winners; all the grants are targeted to help black, Latino, and low-income students.

  • Achieve Atlanta
  • The Baltimore City school district 
  • The Bank Street College of Education 
  • California Education Partners
  • The Center for Leadership and Educational Equity
  • City Year 
  • The Community Foundation of Texas 
  • The Community Center for Education Results 
  • The CORE Districts
  • The High Tech High Graduate School of Education 
  • The Institute for Learning
  • KIPP
  • The Network for College Success 
  • New Visions for Public Schools
  • The Northwest Regional Education Service District
  • Partners in School Innovation 
  • Seeding Success
  • The Southern Regional Education Board 
  • Teach Plus

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Hurricane Season Kitchen Prep

With Hurricane Season in full force and after the land fall of Tropical Storm Gordon, it’s better late than never to discuss Hurricane Season Kitchen Prep 101. In this article, written by nola.com,  you will find some of the most useful Hurricane Season tips that you have heard growing up in Louisiana all your life as well as some you may have not known about.

As we all know, first, as you buy and store your water, food and supplies, be sure to arrange them in easily transportable containers: plastic bins, boxes, bags and ice chests. This way, if shelter-at-home turns into an evacuation trip, you can be ready to pack up and go in no time.

Most emergency planners advise that you stock enough nonperishable food and water to last for two weeks per person. Water is essential: Tap water may become un-drinkable, if the power fails at water treatment plants. Each household should have at least a three-day supply of 1 gallon of water per person per day, plus more for any foods that require water, such as instant cereals, dry milk or soup mixes.

The LSU AgCenter’s recommendations for three-day emergency supply of nonperishable foods include canned fruits, juices, vegetables, tuna, crackers, meats or beans as well as single-serving cereals, protein and granola bars, packaged drink mixes, peanut butter, apple sauce, beef jerky, canned milk or other shelf-stable milk and cheese. (Check out the lsuagcenter.com for more tips for suggestions on quantities…)

When it come times for the cleanup, after the storm has passed, one thing you might not have heard before is to keep lemons handy. Whole lemons can brighten a bottle of lukewarm of water, add flavor when squeezed over canned tuna; and the juice mixed with water in a spray bottle makes for quick clean-ups that smell good, too.

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Sheet-Pan Indian Chicken

This easy weeknight sheet-pan chicken recipe is brilliant and delicious.  It could easily be added into your rotation of weekly standards that the whole family loves.  Get creative with it but be sure to keep the yogurt part of the recipe. The yogurt marinade does two very important jobs. One, the acidity in the marinade helps tenderize the meat, and two, the sugars in the yogurt help brown and caramelize the skin of the chicken as it roasts. Be sure to toss the chickpeas occasionally as they roast to encourage them to get coated in the chicken fat as it renders.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, cut into parts (alternatively, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, such as breasts, thighs and legs)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, divided
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, divided
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup mint or cilantro leaves, torn

PREPARATION

  1. Season chicken parts with salt and pepper.
  2. Combine 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. (It should be on the salty side, as this is a marinade.) Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature, and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
  3. Place oven rack on the top third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.
  4. Combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, remaining teaspoon of turmeric and half the red onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
  5. Move chickpeas to the outer edges of the baking sheet. Scrape any excess marinade off the chicken, and place the chicken parts in the center. Place baking sheet in oven and bake, tossing chickpeas occasionally, until the skin of the chicken is evenly browned and the chickpeas are golden and starting to crisp, 45 to 50 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
  7. Combine remaining yogurt with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
  8. Once chicken is ready, scatter with lemony onions and mint or cilantro. Serve with seasoned yogurt alongside as a sauce.

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