The buffet table was filled with bowls of cereals and granola, plates of scones topped with powdered sugar and various breads, bowls of fruits including prunes, pitchers of fresh squeezed orange juice and ice water, and of course, the crock pot full of porridge. I don't know how much cream it may have already been cooked with, because it was so smooth and sweet. Topped with a squeeze of honey and a splash of cream, I could have eaten that for weeks without anything else.
But of course, there was more. Earls Court House in Killarney also let guests order one item off the menu, in addition to everything we could ever want from the buffet. For each of the three mornings, I ordered something different -- unfortunately, I always forgot to bring my camera down the three flights of stairs with me, so I have no photos of these breakfasts that were so filling but that you didn't want to stop eating.
The first morning (Saturday), when the black and white clad waitresses came to take our order, I decided on an omelette filled with onions, tomatoes (pronounced the Irish way of toe-mah-toes), and cheese. The eggs were cooked to be light and fluffy, with the fillings mixed in, and then it was all folded over. Though I was already full from my favorite porridge, I knew that I probably wouldn't be eating lunch until much later (if at all) since we had a full-morning boat ride planned on the Lakes of Killarney, so I devoured as much as I could. (Not that I minded since it was so delicious!) After walking for miles that day from Ross Castle to Muckross House and back along Killarney's main road (where cyclists were ending a 112-mile ride around the Ring of Kerry), we were starved for dinner. That night, we ordered Domino's delivery; I'm never sure the best way to split the costs for things, so I went through on the menu to calculate each person's order, but then the delivery guy charged us just 34 euros. It should have been at least 59 euros for the seven of us. It was our lucky day and each person's came to just about 4 euros.
Sunday morning, I opted for the pancake option after hearing from several people the day before that they were delicious, but not like the pancakes I might be used to. At home, whenever all my relatives on my mom’s side of the family get together at our house for celebrations such as my grandparents’ 65th anniversary or our graduations, my mom makes pancakes. The recipe for “Light and Fluffy Pancakes” doesn’t require too many more steps from Bisquik or other mixes, but the outcome is a thousand times better. I’m always a little skeptical of pancakes that I order, but there was no need for concern at Earls Court House. The combination pancakes/crepes were rolled with an apple mixture inside, and came with a little pitcher of maple syrup that tasted real, not like the fake stuff you find too often. The pancakes weren’t overly sweet and had a stronger consistency, which made them fold like crepes. Along with another tiny scone and some oatmeal, this was a carb loaded start to the day. But we only had three days to eat like this, so I was going to take advantage of these lavish meals!
It was time for a real Irish breakfast on Monday morning. I was not feeling 100 percent this morning, but of course this food helped make me feel better. You might think that an Irish breakfast centers on the meat – sausages and bacon that’s more like ham than our American bacon – but there are plenty of other pieces to make the meal filling. The plate of course comes with eggs served any way you want – I chose scrambled – along with tomato slices, mushrooms, toast, and baked beans. It’s not a combination that I would ever think about putting together for a breakfast, but in Ireland, it works. Each flavor balances the others – the acidity of the tomatoes, the meatiness and earthiness of the mushrooms, and even the sweetness of the baked beans.
And now it’s back to cereal. You can never go wrong with Honey Nut Cheerios and a banana for breakfast every morning, but every once in a while, it’s good to be spoiled.
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