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-Thanks for helping make Loftus Hall-Book 2-The Irish Phantom Series a success.
I’m delighted to announce that Loftus Hall a #NewRelease title has hit #1 in both Folklore and Irish Contemporary Literature on the Amazon bookstore.
I’m grateful and so humbled for this milestone.
Official launch date was July 31st. Loftus Hall and Troika have been entered in the Kindle Storyteller Contest as well.
Send good vibes and if you enjoy them please consider leaving a review.
It helps so much more than I ever knew before I began this journey.
For everyone who hasn’t read the story yet, I wanted to share a wonderful recipe that’s inside the pages to get you excited about going back to visit Ireland with me.
Scene - Mary sees something troubling in the morning room, and wonders if the ghosts have returned?
Brigit is in the incredible, gourmet kitchen of Corvus Hall cooking up a lovely lunch. It’s cold and wet outside and a perfect day to bundle up and dive into a creamy, salty dish that is part of the Irish tradition. Colcannon is a simple meal to make and in both books, Brigit certainly knows her way around the larder!
She can come cook with me anytime. They don’t normally make colcannon this way in Ireland, but I prefer my potatoes mashed and bacon crisp and savory.
If Brigit were a real person, she would most likely blast me for changing a very, traditional recipe, but perhaps would agree that it’s and addictive and lovely riff on a classic. Enjoy!
Save Brigit’s recipe for a rainy day when you will be home, reading or snoozing and need comfort food. You can always hit the gym tomorrow.
Brigit’s Colcannon With Peppered Bacon
5 large baking potatoes washed, peeled, cut into chunks
1 package (8 slices) thick-cut, peppered bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup bacon drippings
1 large, sweet onion peeled and sliced into slivers
1/2 head green cabbage, cored and rough chopped
1/2 stick, salted butter
1-cup organic, whole milk
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground, black pepper
1 box organic chicken broth
Fresh bunch, curly parsley
*2 T minced garlic. This variation is for folks like me who adore garlic-mashed potatoes.
Place the potato chunks in a large pot; add chicken broth and a pinch of salt. Fill the pot an inch over the potatoes with cold water.
Heat to a low boil and cook on med-low until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, about 25- 30 minutes.
While the potatoes are still simmering, cook the bacon pieces in a separate 12-inch cast iron skillet or non-stick Calphalon pan over medium heat, until crisp and golden brown Drain the potatoes well, and return them to the cooking pot. Set pot on the counter on a wooden trivet or thick cloth to protect your countertop. Add the butter, milk, salt and pepper to the potatoes. With a hand masher or electric mixer, mash the potatoes until lumpy. Cover and set aside.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the prepared mashed potatoes, stir gently and cover. Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet. (*If desired, add the fresh garlic to the drippings now.) In the same sauté pan, cook the sliced onions (and garlic if you want that extra layer of zing) in the bacon drippings until golden and caramelized. Stir frequently and reduce heat, as needed to prevent burning. This will take approximately 5 - 7 minutes.
Add the chopped cabbage to the onions in the skillet with a pinch of salt and three grinds of black pepper. Stir everything together, and saute. Gently stir until the cabbage is tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. Fold the cabbage and onion mixture into the prepared mashed potatoes and bacon. Stir to combine well.
Wash and finely mince parsley, using only the curly leaves. Keep stems for use in soups or garden salads in a container in the vegetable bin for up to a week.
Serve hot with additional butter in pretty, ceramic bowls with a side of sour cream, salt, and pepper. Add a lovely sprinkle of green parsley on the top to finish.
Colcannon goes incredibly well with Irish beer, or a sturdy red, like Malbec or Cabernet. Prepare pork chops or oven roasted chicken at the same time for the perfect dinner on a blustery day. Your house will smell amazing and you will sleep like a baby. Guaranteed!
Thanks again for being here and especially to my web subscribers,The Literati an important part of my reading and writing family.
Until next time, find your Peace, Love, Hustle, then Read or Write. Xox Bibiana WWW.BIBIANAKRALL.COM
About The Author
Bibiana is a small-town girl from the Midwest who left home at an early age and traveled the world. Eventually settling in Savannah, Georgia.
She made a nest, created a family and built a dynamic career with a passion for culture, travel and private aviation. She recently returned to higher education, earning an MA in Fiction Writing and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, both from Wilkes University CW. She writes novels, and short stories. Bibiana is a Deep Center Writing Fellow and a published poet.