Malika Ameen’s first memory of food is her mother’s biryani. As an adult living far from home, the aroma of braised beef, basmati rice and spices cooking together would bring tears to Ameen’s eyes because it reminded her so powerfully of home and her mother. “I can envision my parent’s house and me in my…
This article was published in the September 2016 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. I admire people who sink easily into a path and follow it. The mantra these days is to “follow your passion,” as if your whole life will be revealed to you if you manage to find…
This article was published in the December 2015 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. Many Christmases ago in Belfast, I remember walking into my mother in-law’s kitchen to find a 30-pound turkey on the kitchen table. It stopped me in my tracks. I’d never seen a turkey that large, the aluminum-cooking…
Sharing an insider’s guide to Chicago that I wrote for Cara, Aer Lingus’ inflight magazine.
This article was published in the August 2015 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. It’s time for a summer road trip to New York State, where we’re going to explore their booming craft spirits scene. Expert and author Heather Dolland is in her element talking about spirits, the “farm to glass”…
This article was published in the March 2015 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. I fell in love with Indian food in Belfast at one of my now favorite dining spots, the Bengal Brasserie. Ireland’s take on curry is not the same as in India, of course, but the interpretation is…
This article was published in the January 2015 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. It’s the New Year, time to turn over a new leaf. For me, that means making a confession to you, dear readers. For the past year, I’ve been sharing stories with you about food, culture and…
This article was published in the December 2014 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. My wedding cake was a traditional Irish Christmas cake, all three white-fondant-covered tiers of it. When I was 18, I had a very different idea of what my wedding cake would look and taste like. I…
This article was published in the November 2014 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. For many Irish Americans, life in the Midwest typically means periodic visits from family members living on the Emerald Isle. In between those visits, however, a sense of isolation from loved ones becomes more and more…
This article was published in the October 2014 issue of the Irish American News under the “Guilty Pleasures” column. It all started with an email from my sister, who is deep into the process of becoming Australian. She forwarded her invitation to a formal citizenship day ceremony, inviting us to “join her in spirit.” We’re…
Christine Gallagher Kearney 