Professor of Architecture, Foodie and Photographer

Hi there everyone, I am a professor of architecture living in the Mid-West of the US. I am originally British and I often miss the landscape, cooking, culture of home.

Cliodhna is a Celtic name, a goddess of mountains and protector of the fairy folk that live in the mountains, and I have chosen it because I feel homesick too often and to help I cook. My interest in Celtic cookery, home cookery, authentic foods and old recipes from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany. I was born in Wales but lived in the Midlands before arriving in the Mid-West in 2013. So, my blogging interest is to share my food research, my recipes as they have been tried and tested (and sometimes photographed), together with some stories about the history of Celtic cooking, from my own experience, and from library research. There is a healthy and sustainable living dimension to my love of cookery too. A recent recipe that I will describe in a subsequent post is for Einkorn bread. Einkorn (petit epeautre non hybridé) is one of the original wheats described as 5000 years old. It is claimed to be more healthy and easier to digest than our current wheat flours. It is even older than the Spelt variety which is attributed to the Roman time. The flour is soft and rich (a golden color quite unlike unbleached white or wholemeal flour and has a sweet rich even sponge like texture when baked. [IMG_4057.JPG] Barley flour breads were also historically common in Wales. Here's a photo of the landscape I miss. I am really happy to be able to share my love of old recipes and Celtic cookery. Thank you for reading my introduction and have a wonderful day!!![IMG_4059.JPG]

Recipe for Einkorn Bread

2 cups Einkorn Flour
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1tbsp olive oil
egg to glaze
sesame seed to spinkle on glaze

The bread is easy to make and the flour has gluten in it so rises well.
Mix warm water with sugar and add dried yeast. Leave to bubble up for a few minutes (about ten)
Combine in a large mixing bowl flour and salt, make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture. Leave for about 10 minutes to continue to activate yeast.
Add oil and then mix yeast and water and flour and salt combination into a soft dough. If it is a bit wet that's fine leave it like that.
Leave for about an hour in a warm place.
Turn out onto board and knead. This is the time to add flour if the dough is too wet.
Shape into round and place on baking sheet.
Leave for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush beaten egg on top of loaf and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cook for 25 minutes in oven.

And eat! With butter! I will be difficult to leave it to cool down unless you have incredible high levels of self control.
Enjoy!