Food

Forcing myself out of my comfort zone is an ongoing challenge for me. After taking chances and risks, I end up being happy I pushed myself. Food is usually not my strong suit for going out of my comfort zone, I typically play it safe when it comes to trying new food at restaurants. I thought ordering a waffle for lunch at a diner would be a safe call. When the waiter put down my food in front of me and said, “waffles,” I was confused. Instead of the typical American fluffy warm breakfast waffle, I had received waffle fries as my main meal. Over my time spent in Ireland, I realized their food is not as different from food in America. The part that is the most different, is more the terms of foods that are more unique than the food itself. There are typical Irish meals, beef stew or bacon and cabbage, but both Ireland and America eat similar types of food. Often, Irish meals are served with different forms of potatoes, “chips” or mashed potatoes. I do not think I have had more potatoes in my life, than in the two weeks spent traveling around Ireland. Aside from eating all of the potatoes, ice cream was a frequent treat. Before coming to Ireland I thought I had the best ice cream back in America. Turns out, according to Dr. O’Connell, “we have happier cows here”, which makes the ice cream in Ireland better. The Irish ice cream is creamier and fluffier and has a distinct taste. Vanilla soft serve ice cream in a cone with a chocolate flake is called a 99, and they are very popular. To indulge in such a treat and not be able to have it at home is such sad news.