Sad to See Old Traditions Die: The Austin Hot Sauce Contest
30 years ago, I founded the Austin Hot Sauce Contest. I served as head judge for 26 years. Covid cancelled this year’s party, ending a tradition. Here’s an intro I …
Robblog
Life As We Know It: Covid Pandemic
Tourism is the dominant industry in the Burren region of Western Ireland. Now the Burren has gone eerily quiet. No bright green “Paddy Wagon” tour busses whizzing along the narrow …
Manchester
Visited Manchester for the first time in January to celebrate Julia and Andy’s wedding. The defining Mancusian experience– I watched Liverpool play Manchester United on TV at the Shakespeare Pub …
Twenty Twenty Vision
The end of a decade is upon us and the English-speaking world is weary of political dramas. So let’s turn our attention elsewhere. The time has come,’ the Walrus said, …
The Summer’s Gone, it’s Fall in Ireland
The days are getting shorter and the temperature rarely breaks 60°F these days. But it was quite a summer. Our 4th of July BBQ was a blow-out. Kelly’s Houston book …
Corpus Christi: Red Snapper Fishing
We were on the water at dawn on Saturday June 1 for the opening of fishing season for Gulf Red Snapper in Federal waters. We launched from the Marker 37 …
Eire-Mex: Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is a minor holiday in Mexico, dwarfed in importance by Mexican …
In a Bar with Irish Spring at Hand
Irish Winter is the best season for sitting in pubs and complaining about the weather (while eating oysters and drinking Guinness). I can hold my own at this sport. At …
Chili, Oysters and Our Irish Cottage on Pouldoody Bay
As the fall semester begins, our Irish adventure continues. I am writing about cooking in Ireland for Taste.com and getting together with Ten Speed Press for a Chili Cookbook promotion. …
St. John’s Eve: An Old Irish BBQ Tradition
Looks like I got signed up to cook the barbecue at this event at Kelly’s school. I’ll be grilling Irish pork and apple sausages and serving them on buns with …