Visual Realia at Gettysburg's Garryowen Irish Pub
Find sixteen Visual Realia works in Gettysburg’s favorite spot, the Garryowen Irish Pub!
Gosford Room in Gettysburg’s Garryowen Irish Pub, with works by Visual Realia’s Andrew Smith.
Gettysburg's Garryowen Irish Pub is a local favorite for good reason. With outstanding food, some of the best of Ireland's drafts, and over one hundred Irish whiskeys, your time there will only be matched by the location and visual experience itself.
Using the extra time of the recent uncertain COVID-19 business environment, the Garryowen has undergone some impressive interior work, with a beautiful look, shown here, in the Gosford room.
Make a point of stopping by soon, where you'll find sixteen Visual Realia Studio works (clay monoprints and photographs) in the dining room.
A Working Kitchen in the Mansion
Food, food, and more food. Better yet, food in a working kitchen in one of Hanover's landmark buildings.
H.D. Sheppard and C.N. Myers started the Hanover Shoe Company in 1899 after planning to both manufacture and sell their own products via retail stores that their company would run. The first store was opened in 1900 in York, Pennsylvania.
Their families began construction of “twin” neoclassical mansions in 1911, designed by Philadelphia’s Herman Miller. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia holds numerous architectural drawings of the projects.
I was fortunate to photograph the working kitchen of their wonderful restaurant on three occasions during the period between 2009 and 2010 at Hanover's (Pennsylvania) former Sheppard Mansion. A gallery of photographs from these visits is available for viewing. All photographs were shot during typical evening food service, and plated items shown were as-prepared for guests. (Or “in progress’ photographs.) Lighting was limited to the room's lights and one flash unit, mounted on-camera.
Many thanks to the owners and kitchen staff for their indulgence. And here's the gallery!
Manhattan Vegetable Soup
Manhattan Clam Chowder without the clams? Certainly! Manhattan Vegetable Soup has the bold flavors you'll want, with the option of being vegetarian. Free recipe download.
Instagram (visualrealia) photograph of ingredients for Manhattan Vegetable Soup
Cream-based clam chowders have been around since the mid-1700s, with the newer tomato chowders not appearing in print until the 1930s. (Although some argue that early versions were known as Coney Island or Fulton Market chowders, which were available in the 1890s.) While these newer soups typically have "Manhattan" in their titles, they most likely came to fruition via Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island.
As a fun side note, the New England versus Manhattan debate over which soup reigns supreme can get pretty ugly. In 1939, a Maine legislator introduced a bill to make the addition of tomatoes into chowder an offense!
For a number of years, one of my daughters was following a vegetarian diet. Not wanting to miss out on the wonderful taste of clam chowders, I worked on a clam-free version. Without the clams or clam juice, I needed to make sure other tastes were bold enough so the hungry soup eater would be more than satisfied.
If it's not important to keep the recipe vegetarian in your household, feel free to use a chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth; we have a wonderful neighborhood meat market that offers their own broths, so I'll typically go that route now that we no longer need to avoid meats.
This recipe is very adaptable; adjust to add your favorite or seasonal vegetables.
Download a one page printable pdf of my recipe by clicking here. Enjoy!
Kitchen Recommendations for the Home Cook
As a food and cooking hobbyist, I've run across a few simple kitchen items that I tend to reach for and depend upon. Catch them here.
Food is something I've always enjoyed, and cooking is often the best way to get the food that you want. As I've widened my experience with cooking, I've gradually obtained some kitchen items that are "must-haves" for me, and I tend to reach for these items often. I have no particular expertise other than interest, but perhaps you'll find something in this list that would help you or make a great gift, and I try to take cost and value into consideration. I'll update this article as new items reach the qualifications above.
• Cuisinart ICE-211.5 Quart Ice Cream Maker
I'm an avid fan of homemade ice cream; so much better than commercial or even most of what you'll find at ice cream parlors! Many of the ice cream themed cookbooks give recipes sized for the 1.5 quart ice cream makers that don't need ice or salt, and while I've had and used the larger old fashioned makers, the convenience of the no ice models means you'll most likely use it more often.
I've been using the standard Cuisinart model for quite a few years now, and have given a number as wedding gifts.
Price at publishing: $47.97
• OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer
America's Test Kitchen chose this as one of their suggested slicers, and I've been very pleased with mine, particularly with the value. Slicing vegetables thinly and consistently is quite easy, and thicknesses can range from 1/16th to 1/4th of an inch.
This is quite sharp, so be certain to use the enclosed food holder.
Price at publishing: $39.95
• EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale
As your baking experience grows you'll most likely run into an increasing number of recipes that rely on the accuracy of weight measurement, and a small but reliable scale will become useful. This scale fits the bill and measures in ounces, pounds, grams and kilograms, and easily tares to account for the plate or bowl used to hold the ingredient.
Price at publishing: $19.95
• Ateco 690 Pastry Cloth & Rolling Pin Cover
And speaking of baking, why fight dough moving or sticking as you attempt to work with it? This inexpensive cloth, at 25 x 20 inches, solves the problem for you. Place it on any flat surface and you have a new work area.
Price at publishing: $7.49
Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker with Coffee from Hanover's (PA) Merlin's Coffee
• Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker
After all of those homemade baked goods, you'll want some great home-brewed coffee. Unless you're making it for a bunch of guests, now with a french press for great results.
Price at publishing: $19.99
• Oster 18-Quart Roaster Oven with Buffet Server
With limited kitchen space, having items that serve more than one purpose is a necessity. You'll use this roaster for pork loins, chickens and roasts, but you'll also see how handy it as a three tub buffet server to keep foods warm and safe for guests. Fill the roaster with water a half hour before serving and easily control the food temperature throughout your meal, or keep food out a bit longer safely.
Price at publishing: $51.04
• Lodge Seasoned 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet
The most-used item on our stove and in the oven is the legendary cast iron pan. I have two 12 pans handy and often in use. Versatile and easy to clean.
Price at publishing: $31.89
Norpro Frozen Ice Pop Maker (Previous Model)
• Norpro Frozen Ice Pop Maker
After a great meal comes dessert, and popsicles are a great choice; homemade are even better.
Price at publishing: $9.51
• OXO Good Grips Fish Turner
The ability to get under food and flip it seems so simplistic, yet so few designs do it well. With the delicacy of fish, another twist is thrown in. This turner will work for many dishes you'll make.
Price at publishing: $12.95
• Cutlery
One of the best investments in the kitchen are quality knives, but the costs can seem astonishing. Are there better knifes available if you have the money? Probably, but listed below are the knives I've found to be the best value for the cost, from the large chef's knife to the steak knife at the table.
Victorinox 8 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife
Price at publishing: $44.95
Amazon Link
Victorinox 125th Anniversary 4 ½ Inch Tomato/Bagel Knife
This knife is currently not available, but appears to be similar to the Victorinox 4 ½ Inch Utility Knife
Price at publishing: $10.49
Amazon Link
Victorinox Cutlery 3-Piece Paring Knife Set
Price at publishing: $18.31
Amazon Link
Misen Chef's Knife
Review by Serious Eats' Kenji Lopez-Alt
Price at publishing: $65.00
Misen Link
Chicago Cutlery 4-Piece Tradition Steak Knife Set
Price at publishing: $21.71
Amazon Link
And my favorite item is...
• StarPack Premium Silicone Spoon/Spatula Spoon
There is a bit of a price range for the items above, but my favorite kitchen item is one of the cheapest. The silicone is stiff enough for serious stirring, yet flexible at the edges to scrape the pot without scratching. Perfect size and weight; this is the first item to buy.
Price at publishing: $7.49
Amazon Link
Hopefully you'll find something here to help in your kitchen or as a gift; I'll update the list as necessary to keep my favorites where you can find them.
As an Amazon Affiliate, purchases from the Amazon links provided will earn this web site a small commission fee, which helps support this web site.
Grilled Salsa
Homemade salsa can't be beat... unless you grill some of the vegetables first.
Fresh summer vegetables from Pennsylvania's Adams County, and I'm sure your area, make some specific recipes jump to our minds. For our family, one of our favorite summer treats is a fresh, homemade salsa. There are as many recipes for salsa as there are people making it, and my version seems to change every time I make it.
That variety is a positive thing; I use my recipe as a road map. Start with a basic plan, but pick the best looking, freshest ingredients and adapt the map to fit the produce. The downloadable recipe below can be a starting point. Use what you pick up at your local market. (My ingredients were from the always wonderful Adams County Farm Fresh Markets in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.)
While raw veggies in a salsa are great as is, grilling some can add some depth to the texture, color and taste. I tend to use both grilled and raw ingredients, and will even use both versions of the same ingredient. (Particularly the tomatoes; grill some and leave others raw. In this batch, the larger tomatoes are grilled while the small ones were raw.) After prepping the vegetables, the ones to be grilled are placed on the grill rack and pulled off as each reached the perfect stage. The attached recipe notes my suggestions, but adapt to your preference.
For the tomatoes, for example, I tend to pull them off when the skins begin to pull loose. At that stage, it's easy to remove them with your fingers or tongs.
After doing a rough chop of the grilled and raw vegetables, the salt, olive oil, vinegar and lime juice are added.
I've found the best flavor to be after chilling the salsa for a few hours, but certainly eaten with a day or two. If your family is like mine, you won't have any problems finishing this treat during the first sitting.
To download an easily-printed pdf file of the recipe, click here. Let me know what you think or note what you do in your salsa recipe below in the comment section.
Beef Jerky
Wait... You don't have a jerky recipe? Better grab my recipe.
Don't worry too much about storage. You'll be eating this right away.
Beef jerky has always been a welcome treat, but taking one look at the ingredients list of commercial jerky quickly dulls the appetite. By using a high quality, local meat and a flavorful marinade, an excellent jerky can easily be made that will ensure you that the end result is something you'll look forward to.
The marinade discussed below and available via the download link is appropriate for one pound of meat. In the case of beef jerky, I pick up very thinly sliced steaks from a local, trusted butcher.
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dry Mustard (Powder)
½ tsp Garlic Powder
⅜ tsp Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp Black Pepper
¼ cup Wine, Cider, Etc.
¼ cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
¼ tsp Tabasco Sauce, adjust as preferred
For ease in preparation, mix the dry ingredients in a one gallon ziplock bag.
Add the remaining liquid ingredients and mix well. Place the beef or other meat into the bag, being careful to separate any slices as much as possible. Marinade in the refrigerator 8-12 hours or longer, tumbling the bag occasionally to expose all areas of the meat.
Dehydrate for several hours, turning the beef slices every few hours to ensure drying on both sides. Store the jerky in the refrigerator to ensure safety.
Download a printable pdf file of the marinade recipe by clicking here.