Karachi and Dublin

 After the partition  of the Subcontinent into India and Pakistan, I left my school in Simla, stayed in Karachi with my parents and attended the Karachi Grammar School.   There, I made many new friends, Pakistani, European and a few American.   We called ourselves the “United Nations”, which had recently come into existence, precisely just two years before.  We had excellent teachers, we worked very hard but also enjoyed ourselves. We went dancing in the School Hall every second Saturday evening and the whole class always went en masse to the “pictures”.   

           Like most teenagers of our time, who had lived through horrors and boodshed, we were very concerned and anxious about the future of the world.   We were for human and animal rights and the abolition of  capital punishment, against nuclear power and, especially, against war. “There would certainly be no wars in our time” said we.   How little did we know, how naïve could we be?

            In September 1949, I went to Dublin to attend Alexandra College.   The flight from Karachi to London was an exciting experience.  In a bumpy B.O.A.C. aircraft (was it a Lockheed Constellation?)  we flew from Karachi to Cairo where the plane had to be grounded overnight, due to “engine problems” as we were told.   We stayed in a luxury hotel in Heliopolis and had the unexpected chance of visiting the Pyramids and the Cairo Museum.  The flight towards Rome was quite turbulent, while from Rome to London it was blissfully smooth.   We flew over the snow-capped Alps, green forests, pastures dotted with hamlets and towns, we crossed over the Channel, and there was London!   Post-war London was bustling and busy and beautiful, but also so devastatingly destroyed by the blitz.

          Next day, an Air Lingus flight took me to my destination, Dublin.  I was met by Miss Holland, who was in charge of the boarding school, and we drove to Earlsfort Terrace, were the school was located.  A lovely old building!   I have some photographs of the garden but none of the façade.   About ten years after I left, the school moved to Milltown, in the outskirts of Dublin.   The old building was demolished and later the Conrad Hotel was erected on the site.    Across the road were the premises of University College Dublin. They were also razed to the ground, about the same time as Alexandra was, and the National Concert Hall now stands in its place.  A very sad story indeed.  Why should beautiful old pieces of architecture be destroyed in order to accommodate newer, perhaps equally elegant constructions?  There ought to be enough space for all.

             Dublin, built on the river Liffey, was a beautiful, rather small city in the early 1950s.   It had many parks, lovely buildings, numerous statues, the land mark: Nelson’s Pillar (which was destroyed in 1966 by IRA freedom fighters) and many schools, colleges and universities.  I fell in love with Dublin and felt utterly at home there.

             At school we had dedicated professors and we all worked very hard to obtain our goals.  The boarding school was leisurely.  We had large and comfortable common rooms and studies, a well-stocked library, and good food.   And something that will seem quite unbelievable to students today, the class-rooms and common rooms were heated, but the bedrooms were not.  In winter, we only went to our bedrooms, to have a scalding bath and go straight to bed.

           Most week-ends and holidays I stayed at Mrs. Violet Watson’s house in Dun Laoghaire (Dun Leary), a seaside suburb, south of Dublin.  I shall never forget her kindness and generosity.   My best friend in Dublin was Cynthia Lynch, who was an Irish girl, born in Jamaica.   She was very nice and good-looking, with a tremendous sense of humour. I'm grateful to them both and many others who helped to make my stay in Ireland so pleasant.

          Irish food is mostly comfort food, wholesome and tasty.  

IRISH STEW

          This was one of Mrs. Watson’s favourite Sunday dishes.   The celery and stock are my addition.

   

2 kg (4 lb) lamb from the neck or shoulder, all visible fat removed and cubed

1½ kg (3 lb) potatoes, sliced

6 large onions, peeled and sliced

6 tender stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 scant tsp thyme

Lamb stock made with the bones from the neck or shoulder, an onion, 1 carrot, 1

                                                                                                         celery stalk

           Arrange half the potatoes in a casserole, cover evenly with half the onions and then the lamb.   Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper and the celery.  Then cover with the remaining onions, and place the remaining potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle again with a little salt and pepper and pour in enough stock to just cover the potatoes.  Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to the minimum, cover the casserole and simmer very gently for about 1½ hours or until the potatoes and meat are soft, adding a little extra stock, from time to time, to keep the potatoes covered.  Traditionally, Irish Stew is served with pickled red cabbage, but you could alternately serve it with buttered carrots and peas.

(Serves 6-8)

  

PICKLED RED CABBAGE

1 red cabbage, trimmed, cored, cut in to quarters and finely shredded

3 tbsp coarse salt

500-750 ml (2-3 cups) malt or wine vinegar

2 heaped tbsp sugar

Pickling spices:

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

2 cardamom pods

4 allspice seeds

½ tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp black peppercorns

          Place the cabbage in 3 layers in a large glass bowl, sprinkling each layer evenly and generously with coarse salt.  Stand the bowl with the cabbage in a cool place for 24 hours.  Then rinse and dry the cabbage and return it to the bowl.

         Boil the vinegar with the sugar and pickling spices, stirring until the sugar dissolves.   Boil briskly for 5 minutes then remove from the stove and cool to room temperature.   Strain the vinegar syrup over the cabbage and toss it, to thoroughly moisten it.

          Cover the bowl with the cabbage, refrigerate and be patient for at least 3 days before serving.  Stir it occasionally. It will keep for about 15 days.

                                            

        

SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH PORK AND APPLES

1½ kg (3 lb) pork from the leg, trimmed of all fat, cubed and sauteed in butter and a little olive oil

4 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3 tbsp butter at room temperature

3 large onions, finely chopped

1-3 sprigs fresh sage, leaves chopped, stems reserved

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

About 250 ml (1 cup) water, I use white wine

1½ kg (3 lbs) potatoes, peeled and sliced

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

the reserved sage stems

About 250 ml (1 cup) milk

1 tbsp melted butter for brushing over the top

      Brush a flat casserole with melted butter.  Place the chopped onions and sage leaves in a small bowl and toss with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until well mixed.

        Spread about 1/3 of the sauteed meat in the buttered casserole sprinkle evenly with  ¼ of the onion mixture, cover with ½ the apples and sprinkle with ¼ of the onion mix.  Repeat the process and finish with the last third of the pork.   Pour in the water or wine and bring to the boil, on top of the stove.  Cover the casserole tightly and bake in the centre of the oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender. Taste and season accordingly.

       Meanwhile boil the potatoes with the 2 cloves of garlic, the reserved sage stems, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil briskly, until the potatoes are tender,  strain and return them to the saucepan, and discard the sage stems.  Place the potatoes over very gentle heat until dry.  Then mash them until smooth, add the remaining butter and the milk by the spoonful, and stir until you have a thick puree.   Taste and add some salt and pepper if necessary.

      When the meat is ready, cover with the mashed potatoes evenly and make pretty patterns with a fork.   Brush liberally with the melted butter and bake at the top shelf of the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the pie has a golden brown colour.   Serve immediately with a green salad.

(Serves 6-8)

 

IRISH SODA BREAD

          Eileen Melissaropoulos, an old friend from Ireland, gave me this recipe.  Eileen is very talented, she paints beautifully and sews, she is an excellent gardener, a marvellous cook and a gracious hostess.

#1 tbsp butter, at room temperature

250 g (½ lb) plain flour

250 g (½ lb) self-raising flour

1 scant tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

375 ml (1½ cup) buttermilk

            Preheat the oven at 250 C (425 F) and brush a baking dish with the melted butter.

           Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well together.  Gradually beat in the buttermilk with a wooden spoon, until the dough forms a ball around the spoon..  If the dough crumbles add some more buttermilk.  Shape the dough into a round, flat loaf, place it on the buttered baking dish and with a small sharp knife cut an X on the surface of the dough, dividing it into quarters.

          Bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes until golden brown.  Serve immediately.