Nine years ago exactly, yours truly was seating with hundreds of other students in a very large amphitheatre of a French university. Yes, at that time I was focusing on writing essays about law for my exams: International law, penal law, criminology, business law (and many more).
But at that time, I was also planning the trip of a lifetime in Ireland. I think I can really use the word 'lifetime' here because I would leave France two months later and never go back. Well... I do eventually go back to visit my family (and gorge on delicious French food). And Ireland became my home! E. and I did spend three of the past nine years in Australia. To be fair, the purpose of this trip was to spend some time with his lovely Irish family members who live there.
But then , there was the return to beautiful Ireland because this is home!
Over the past (nearly) nine years, I really settled in the culture and food world of this country and made many lovely Irish friends. I also settled so well in only speaking English that I lost a bit of my French (vocabulary, grammar, intonation)... Whenever I go back to France for a holiday and go shopping I hear "oh! Vous avez un joli accent anglais! Vous venez d'où?" (oh, what a lovely English accent! Where are you from?), or my own family members make fun of my forgotten French grammar and this is how I walk away practically each time. And since only half of the culinary vocabulary I know I learned in English, I find myself a bit lost in translation as you say.
However, one thing that I am never lost with wherever I go is food. Or I should even say ingredients. I dig for my beloved memories of French dishes and adapt them with the local products. And since Ireland is now my home, and has been for years, I decided to make a favourite of mine with some really lovely Irish ingredients.
May I introduce you to the Irish croque-monsieur!

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to be in Portugal and feel what would Summer be like in Ireland if it dared to make an appearance. Summer was meant to be here from 1st May. Well, yes, there have been a few days of sunshine and this also means there have been days of walks in the sunshine along Dublin Grand Canal, a game of softball one day and an improvised picnic another day in Phoenix Park.
I was just hoping it would last more than a few days! Maybe you should picture me a couple of days ago walking cheerfully along Dublin streets with a light jacket, ballet shoes and sans parapluie... and then walking sadly a few minutes later in the drenching rain.
Let's hope Summer was not just visiting for a few days! So before I plan to make myself a boat to navigate through the streets of rainy Dublin, I will do with boat shaped delicious graffiti aubergines (or eggplants as some of you know them).