The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook Review

Kayleigh here. This review may be going out on a limb, since it is not actually a gluten free cookbook.

Outraged at our betrayal? No, I know you are cooler than that. Since you waited around for our reasoning, I’ll give it to you- we were given this cookbook as a wedding gift, and nearly all of the recipes are gluten free without any ingredient substitutions. Because this is The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook, where most of the carbs come from potatoes, and the focus is on main dishes and different combinations of sides instead of all-in-one recipes that (more often than not) contain some form of bread. Largely, this cookbook is suited for fall and winter fare- hearty dishes that warm the cockles of your heart and stick to the sides well, so you’ll be running strong through the next meal. This has been a great pick-me-up in this Seattle springtime- just when I think the sun and summer is here to stay, the sky starts spitting and I get another week in the 50’s to look forward to.

Jason here. I have always loved cold rainy weather. Something I just really enjoy about setting in my nice cozy home, while I enjoy a nice hearty meal. Also did I mention I love potatoes? I love French fries, hash browns, tater tots, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and pretty much any other way you can prepare a potato. Now enough of my potatoes and cold weather loving intermission and back to Kayleigh.

Recently, we made a beautiful dinner out of Sea Trout with Cider & Cream Sauce, served with champ and peas on the side.  The results were absolutely beautiful- a dinner I would be proud to serve anyone! The rich, yet acidic sauce married the fresh fish perfectly, with the champ behaving as an excellently simple cleanser to refresh the taste buds. With fresh salmon in such abundance in the Pacific Northwest, this was such an amazing change of pace from the regular smoking or grilling preparation methods.

Touching on the sweeter side of things, the Honeyed Parsnips recipe makes a beautiful side to a roast, instead of the usual carrots and onions. Cooking them long and slow like this really draws out the natural sweetness, making it an easier sell for veggie-phobic eaters and younger children.  For the adults, finish off the meal with one of the after dinner drinks in the back of the book, like an Irish Coffee or Scailtin (heated milk with whiskey and spices).

If you have the luck of getting some decent warm weather (read: if it is now July), there are a few fantastic recipes for lighter fare, like Bacon, Beet & Spinach Salad with Cashel Blue Cheese. Served with some warm Irish Soda bread (recipe pulled from a gluten free cookbook, of course), you can actually make a complete meal out of this deliciously diverse salad.

Jason here again. I am not usually a fish person, but even I enjoyed the rich flavor the recipe brought to the salmon. Slowly but surely, red fish have been growing on me. For me they have a texture similar to chicken, but a little more juicy. When cooking, I have found them to be a lot less forgiving. It easy very easy over or undercook the Salmon. It’s a technique I’ve been enjoying improving as Kayleigh really loves fish.

The champ was very good. Champ if you don’t know is essentially mashed potatoes mixed with a crazy amount of green onion, and some butter. Next time I will add a little less green onion, as the flavor came off a little strong for me. 

One thing that was cool about cooking the Salmon was leeks. I’ve never seen them in a recipe before and it is always fun to try out new things. To start, leeks are super annoying to clean. I recommend looking up some tutorial videos online. Basically you have to peel open each layer and wash it free of the grime that gets stuck as it grows. The taste and texture remind me of a sweet onion. One thing we learned was that a single leek will last you a while, so definitely think of meals where it can be reused.

All in all, the cookbook is fun. It has a lot of unique recipes that I have never heard of before and really hits home for flavors. The various fish recipes are also great inspiration for what to cook for Kayleigh on special occasions.