Loving New York, and all that it means. Happy to see that its spirit (culinary-wise) is alive n kicking in Dublin. Here's a piece I wrote for www.mylunch.ie in May.

Sometimes, the ordinary ham and cheese sambo isn’t enough. After a long, hard  days grind battling wind, rain and office supplies sometimes you deserve some time to relax with a good lunch that transports you to lands afar (or at least keeps you going ‘til dinner). Lorraine Griffin is back. Her last article about her lunchtime experiences in the market had us all skipping down the canal (click here to read about it). This time she tells you how to dine like a New Yorker right here in Dublin. Prepare yourself for an education on dining NYC-style.

Okay, so we’re lacking yellow cabs, a love of pretzels and those ubiquitous hotdog stands (the ones that pop up at 3am outside Leeson St. serving a hungry mob who would happily eat anything with ketchup don’t count).  But no matter, it’s still possible to have a New York dining experience right here in Dublin.

The Deli sandwich continues to be a lunchtime favourite in the Big Apple, and like all things American it’s beefier, thicker, larger and bolder than its European counterparts.   Look no further than artisan store Fallon & Byrne, where you can get salami, pastrami or lox (smoked salmon with cream cheese to you and me!) on traditional rye bread.  Prices range from €5 to €8.  To keep it States-side, you can also pick up a root beer and fill your pockets with Hershey's and Reece's chocolates for after.  

If you’re fortunate enough to have the morning to yourself, then make like a total New Yorker and head to Odessa for one of their brunch options.  According to Wikipedia (who know everything), the term was invented by New York Morning Sun reporter Frank Ward O'Malley based on the typical mid-day eating habits of a newspaper reporter.  Anyway, back to the food.  Go for Eggs Florentine or Benedict, both served on the confusingly-named English muffin, which actually hails from the U.S.   Or for something sweet, opt for American-style pancakes with a cheeky fruit compote.  Either options come in at around €11 and will fill you for the day. Delicious.

Remember 1990s cheesecakes, with the unappealing slice of lemon welded to the top and the thin base crumbing under the weight of its quivering jellylike substance?  As a J1-er in Chicago, a life-changing trip to the The Cheesecake Factory opened my taste buds to the delights of a baked NY cheesecake.  My first taste of the dense, creamy wonder was like tasting lobster after a lifetime of scampi.  Luckily our chefs and cafes adopted this approach and nowadays it’s much easier to avoid the jelly-like wobbles of yesteryear.   For a little taste of heaven for under a fiver, head to theQueen of Tarts on Dame Street for their New York Raspberry Baked Cheesecake. 

Jessica Simpson, doing a massive injustice to blondes everywhere, once famously asked if Buffalo Wings were really made frombuffalo meat.  At this point the cameraman had to stop filming and go into a room to compose himself before resuming with the shoot.  Not her best moment!

No, these wings actually originate from the state of Buffalo in NY.  They are the stuff of dreams, particularly after a night out or when a big feed is called for.  The sauce is tangy, spicy, messy and moreish and no matter how you try to emulate it at home it’s impossible to achieve the same taste sensation.  There are three places serving these: Tribeca (Ranelagh), Elephant and Castle(Temple Bar) or Canal Bank Café (off Leeson Street).  Same chef, same magical sauce.  It costs around €12 for one portion, which easily does 2 people. 

Long before it was featured in the Sopranos, Shanahan’s Restaurant and it’s Oval Office Bar had captured the imagination as the quintessential New York style steakhouse.  Granted, you’d need the cash of a Mafioso to dine there regularly but if you want a Friday treat, then go for their lunch special.  It’s €45 for 3 courses, one of which includes their famous tender Angus beef.  

And as we get closer to that presidential visit, you never know just who might turn up in the Oval Office bar to take his place amongst the other former presidents of Irish heritage….  

All about the farmers.....tasty treats in city centre markets...(another piece for www.mylunch.ie)

As the weather warms up, the sun begins to shine and people are shedding winter coats (for slightly lighter jackets, it is still Ireland), farmers markets are becoming an appealing lunchtime option that guarantee not only your daily dose of Vitamin D but also new flavours and value for money.  So, who better to ask than the wonderful Lorraine Griffin (see here for her earlier piece), who went and visited the markets for her lunch and is here to tell you the gems she discovered…

It’s not only the 8th of December that brings farmers to the Big Schmoke!  Every Thursday you’ll find Farmers’ Market tucked under the eaves near Harcourt St and along the canal down Mespil road.  The line-up can vary but there are some trusty favourites that pitch their stand week on week. 

Over the Tiger Years, our taste buds evolved and with it our demand for new and ever more exotic flavours increased.  We embraced cuisine from all around the world and sought out tapas, meses and bento boxes.  At these Famers’ markets, the range and diversity of choice satisfies our ever-discerning palates.

Here are my top 5 stalls, all of which charge around a €5….

Paella
These guys may not be Spanish but not to worry as their authentic recipe has got it just right.  It’s all that paella should be: beautiful saffron rice, undercurrents of tomato and onion, top notes of spice and glorious chunks of tender, flavoursome chicken and piquant chorizo.  And to make matters even tastier, they ladle some garlic aioli on top.  Para chuparse los dedos!

Falafels
Small golden balls (that have nothing to do with Beckham) are lightly coated in Middle Eastern herbs like turmeric and cumin.  These are deep fried and combined with either hummus or baba ganoush (which is to aubergines what chickpeas are to hummus), some shredded lettuce, fresh tomato and a chilli if you like it like that****.  Or you can opt for some of their chilli sauce.  The result?  A tasty, crunchy chickpea fest with just the right amount of seasoning and dressing.  And they throw in a free drink for only a fiver. Click here to view their website.

And for something totally different….
Go for the Hog Roast.  Continually basted and roasted on a hot spit, the pork is tender and flavoursome, making it a perfect ingredient for your lunchtime sandwich.  Just add a dollop of ketchup or mustard and you’re sorted.  

There’s something quite Viking-like about the hog experience.  Not sure why but you’ll definitely feel like a warrior (and not the Bill Cullen kind) when you’re tucking in to one of these.

Classic Chicken Sambo
Remember Roddy Doyle’s ‘the Van’, where burgers and fish were battered into an inch of their lives and dispensed to half-jarred World Cup fans?  Well this elegant van offers the complete opposite experience!  Gavin and Sara, organic farmers, serve up the most delicious hot roasted chicken from their rotisserie.  Comes in a takeout box with salad and coleslaw or nestled into fresh French baguettes with Dijon mustard (and coleslaw, if you fancy it). 

Watch as suited and booted lunchtime workers make like Bisto Kids towards the van, drawn by the aromatic smells of roasting chicken.  These guys make it perfectly okay to buy lunch from something on wheels. Visit them online.

For after…. Buns!
Buns are the stuff of our childhood parties; cream and jam-filled butterfly ones being the pinnacle of culinary couture in 1980s Ireland.  But these guys have taken it to a whole new level.  None of your watery white icing and token glacé cherry here!  Would recommend white chocolate & raspberry, carrot cake or vanilla.   And as you can get mini ones, it’s totally acceptable to eat all three in one sitting. They’ve also recently introduced a new addition called the ‘whoopee’.  (Stay with me here, this is no relation to the previously mentioned Munchies’ chicken whoopee).  No, this is a most delicate yet intensely flavoursome treat.  It looks like a Macaroon (ala ‘Lauderie’) but is much more unctuous and satisfying.  There are fruit or chocolate versions.  Go for the strawberry or mixed berry.  A whoop-for-joy moment (sorry, had to do it).

Harcourt Food Market is on Thursdays from 10am to 4pm and the Mespil Rd Market is also Thursdays from 12pm to 2pm.   Check out www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie  for more details.

For rainy Thursdays, sure any day of the week, if you aren’t feeling the farmers-market-lunch vibe, why not check out some of our exclusive offers in that area, like 2 for 1 in the Camden Court Hotelor our group deal with Against the Grain.

My guest blogging intro for foodie site www.mylunch.ie.....kinda saying what am about!

Following the success of our first guest blogger, the incomparably fly Mr Johnny Cool, we bring you Be Our Guest #2, with the also no less cool Lorraine Griffin! A user, Dublin city centre worker, prospective blogger and all round food lover, Lorraine has some very interesting habits, and tells us that she's "Monica like" in her recipe preperation and keeps "customised recipe folders according to source/ethnicity of food /simplicity of recipe /speed of 'time-to-mouth"! Now there's an idea we like! Such ingenuity.

Lorraine works in Marketing in Dublin 2, and mentions that, like us, she's a "food nerd - love buying it, cooking it and eating it."  Well, we love the eating and cooking parts, but perhaps not the buying part! Her Saturdays "are all about farmers' markets & trying out new recipes/places!"

Let's let the lovely Lorraine tell you a bit in her own words. Oh, and if you like her style (we do!), she'll be back later this week, with a deadly piece on a week full of lunches, intriguingly entitled "A Fork and The City"!

So Lorraine, tell us a little about yourself!

Well, I'm not a blogger (yet) but it’s on the cards for 2011!  As you say, I work in Marketing, and I'm inspired by numerous different things, including a love of words, people who do things differently, all things New York, quirkiness, not trying to be too perfect, Joseph O’Connor, storytelling, real conversations, sing-songs (where at least 2 people know more than just the choruses) and movies where there’s no Arnie style action, just a good story. (What! Arnie movies are all about great stories! )

I love cooking, and trying new recipes.  Pretty much stick with simple dishes that are made with quality ingredients so I’d usually head to Camden Street, buy the meat in one of the butchers there then get all the veg in Evergreen. 

Specialities of (my house) include: chicken & chickpea curry with toasted almonds and crème fraiche, spicy lasagne with homemade garlic bread ciabatta and homemade burgers with rosemary potato wedges and garlic mayo. (Nyom Nyom!)

I'm also really into the idea of secret restaurants, having watched a programme where Jamie Oliver was in NY and had both hosted and attended various secret gatherings in people’s homes.  It’s more relaxed, and instead of serving ‘fashionable’ food, it’s usually family recipes so you get to sample authentic cuisine.   Lily Higgins (chef and sister of comedian Maeve Higgins) is doing this from her home in Rialto (it’s called the ‘Loaves and Fishes’ supper club!) and I'm attending, so I'll be sure to fill all you lunch lovers in! Perhaps a secret lunchtime club could be on the cards?

What about lunchtime Lorraine? Are you a sandwich at the desk type of gal, or more adventurous? We'd guess the latter!

Well, lunch choices are generally selected according to hunger level and mood de jour.  Working just around the corner from Grafton Street means I can satisfy pretty much any food craving every day.  So it’s great for lunch options but bad for cashflow. (More about that in the upcoming "A Fork and The City" post!)

Well, using our site can save you €5.13 per day, so don't give up your lunching because of cashflow, cos we can help there!  Tell us a bit about your fave foods?

Hmmm, my favourite food…there’s no straightforward answer to this one, so I’ve broken it down into categories! (An organised food lover, what's not to love!)

Brunch: Eggs Benedict with pots of tea at Odessa.

Sneaky Sweet Snack: Chocolate & hazelnut brownie from Avoca.

Celebratory Dinner:  If you’re going Celtic-Tiger-stylee then it’s got to be a medium-rare steak with onion rings and the creamiest mash ever from Shanahans (pictured) but if you’re keeping it real for the recession then a 2-course Early Bird from Green Hen does the job (try the mushrooms on brioche w/ poached egg –yum!)

And finally, we'll be giving our users lots of options on this on Friday (post Paddy's Day), but tell us Lorraine, what is your fave hangover food, and your Friday evening pig out food? (We promise we won't let it slip to anyone!

Well for hangover food (dinner), it's got to be Saba to go aromatic duck followed by egg fried noodles and one of the 3* fiery chicken Wok dishes.

My pig-out food would be Fresh Cod and Chips from 'Bistro Café -traditional no-messing chipper with old-style formica tables and benches if you fancy dining in.

Good choices there! (Well, at least not as extreme as Johnny Cool's hangover effort last week!)

Thanks Lorraine, it's great to get some recommendations from our users, and it's obvious your a foodie!

No problem, thanks for having me!