My grandmother Teresa passed away yesterday, the 15th January and my heart is broken. She has been sick for a long time, and was in a hospice in Cavan. I went to visit her there several times and each time I left with a heavier heart. She was an incredibly kind, non-judgemental, gentle, loving and caring person - who adored her family. She had a tough life, losing a son - my father - tragically and at a very young age. He never left her thoughts, and even the mention of Ray and her eyes would well up and redden - and seeing her eyes my own would fill automatically. She kept him close to her and to all of us in her fierce love and grief for him, and for that I am truly grateful to her.
She was an incredibly gifted woman in so many ways - but, crucially, and this is why I'm writing this here - in a blog about diet - she was an amazing cook. She owned a restaurant - Cassidy's on Bridge St in Cavan - for many years. But even after the restaurant closed its doors, she always had food to offer when you arrived and made the most incredible soups, breads, stews and the best cup of tea you'll ever taste. And a few biscuits. Or feck the tea, have a Canadian Club. She loved making food for her family, and as a child I often remember my Dad bringing me there for lunch where she would have amazing soup and the softest, butteriest sandwiches - cut into triangles (why are sandwiches always better cut into triangles?!)
One tradition which sadly ended last year when her health failed, was every Christmas morning, all her children and grandchildren who lived nearby would arrive for mulled wine and "Nana's magic cheese dip". Her mulled wine was a warming, cinnamoney-nutmegy inside-hug. But her cheese dip was incredible. We all lashed it on cracker after cracker, to cries from parental types that we'd ruin our lunch (but even they all knew this was the highlight of our food day). She would emerge from the kitchen with another batch as we'd be stepping over each other for more. There were always more crackers and more cheese stashed away. I would say she had to have spent a day making the volumes we would consume on Christmas morning.
Like smells, food and memory are inextricably linked. And I will always remember my grandmother every time I smell her perfume, or drink mulled wine, or eat my sandwiches cut into triangles, or smell a rose (she lovingly tended her beautiful rose garden, spending hours carefully pruning and caring for them).
But I will never be able to make "Nana's magic cheese dip" without being transported to her house on Christmas morning, full of shouting and laughter and the endless passing of more crackers around the room.
In memory of my wonderful Nana who I loved to the moon and stars, I thought I'd share her recipe with you. This is not healthy and will make you fat. But it will make you happy. And what the fuck else matters in life anyway?
(On a related, food and body issues note, when my Nana was dying in the hospice she got incredibly thin and frail. We were talking to her about it and her and my mother joked about how much she used to worry about her weight and watch what she ate. It really, really hits home when you see someone at the end of their life, weighing no more than a sparrow, reflecting on how they used to berate themselves about their body. Life is short.)
Nana's magical cheese dip
Ingredients
1 x medium tub Philadelphia cheese
1 x block of strong, mature Irish red cheddar
2-3 x cloves of garlic
50-100mls of fresh single cream
salt to taste
Put the Philadelphia in a large bowl and grate in the block of cheese, stopping every so often to combine. Add 2-3 crushed cloves of garlic (you may like to add more). Add enough cream until its at the spreadable consistency of soft butter. Taste. You might like to add more cream or garlic. Add salt if needed.
Spread on crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy with a Canadian Club (my Nana's favourite) or a mulled wine/good strong red. And if you think of it, raise a glass to Teresa O'Connor - a wonderful woman and my grandmother, who I will miss forever.
She was an incredibly gifted woman in so many ways - but, crucially, and this is why I'm writing this here - in a blog about diet - she was an amazing cook. She owned a restaurant - Cassidy's on Bridge St in Cavan - for many years. But even after the restaurant closed its doors, she always had food to offer when you arrived and made the most incredible soups, breads, stews and the best cup of tea you'll ever taste. And a few biscuits. Or feck the tea, have a Canadian Club. She loved making food for her family, and as a child I often remember my Dad bringing me there for lunch where she would have amazing soup and the softest, butteriest sandwiches - cut into triangles (why are sandwiches always better cut into triangles?!)
One tradition which sadly ended last year when her health failed, was every Christmas morning, all her children and grandchildren who lived nearby would arrive for mulled wine and "Nana's magic cheese dip". Her mulled wine was a warming, cinnamoney-nutmegy inside-hug. But her cheese dip was incredible. We all lashed it on cracker after cracker, to cries from parental types that we'd ruin our lunch (but even they all knew this was the highlight of our food day). She would emerge from the kitchen with another batch as we'd be stepping over each other for more. There were always more crackers and more cheese stashed away. I would say she had to have spent a day making the volumes we would consume on Christmas morning.
Like smells, food and memory are inextricably linked. And I will always remember my grandmother every time I smell her perfume, or drink mulled wine, or eat my sandwiches cut into triangles, or smell a rose (she lovingly tended her beautiful rose garden, spending hours carefully pruning and caring for them).
But I will never be able to make "Nana's magic cheese dip" without being transported to her house on Christmas morning, full of shouting and laughter and the endless passing of more crackers around the room.
In memory of my wonderful Nana who I loved to the moon and stars, I thought I'd share her recipe with you. This is not healthy and will make you fat. But it will make you happy. And what the fuck else matters in life anyway?
(On a related, food and body issues note, when my Nana was dying in the hospice she got incredibly thin and frail. We were talking to her about it and her and my mother joked about how much she used to worry about her weight and watch what she ate. It really, really hits home when you see someone at the end of their life, weighing no more than a sparrow, reflecting on how they used to berate themselves about their body. Life is short.)
Nana's magical cheese dip
Ingredients
1 x medium tub Philadelphia cheese
1 x block of strong, mature Irish red cheddar
2-3 x cloves of garlic
50-100mls of fresh single cream
salt to taste
Put the Philadelphia in a large bowl and grate in the block of cheese, stopping every so often to combine. Add 2-3 crushed cloves of garlic (you may like to add more). Add enough cream until its at the spreadable consistency of soft butter. Taste. You might like to add more cream or garlic. Add salt if needed.
Spread on crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy with a Canadian Club (my Nana's favourite) or a mulled wine/good strong red. And if you think of it, raise a glass to Teresa O'Connor - a wonderful woman and my grandmother, who I will miss forever.
Sorry to hear this Ciara. Much love
ReplyDelete