New Longview food blogger uses Irish roots to offer St. Patrick’s Day recipes

Gillian Faulkner Nyswonger of Longview is the real deal when it comes to Irish cooking. The native of Ireland can even set longtime misconceptions about the country’s recipes straight. “Did you know that corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually a traditional Irish dish?” said Nyswonger. A lot of people believe the Irish eat the dish, but it actually has roots in Jewish-American delis, she said. Despite the origins outside the Emerald Isle, the food blogger still has a recipe for it.

Today, Nyswonger has nine authentic Irish recipes on her blog including cottage pie — similar to shepherd’s pie, but with beef instead of lamb — as well as champ potatoes and Irish wheaten bread to prepare for St. Patrick’s Day. “It’s what I love and know. I don’t think about it as Irish cooking. It’s just food to me,” said Nyswonger. After so many requests from friends to start a food blog, Nyswonger began blogging in October on her website prepareandserve.com. “I love to share the knowledge that I have and if one person gets something from it, that’s great,” she said. Nyswonger’s husband, Burl, is a software engineer and helps with the backend creation of her website, and she also homeschools her 12-year-old son part time. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to work with food without the stress of working in the industry,” she said.

Her love of food started with her father, who often brought home exotic spices from his travels with the merchant navy. She also remembers her mother making, what she called, “excellent food.” “I was exposed to a lot of different foods early on,” she said. Nyswonger attended the University of Ulster and graduated with a degree in hospitality management. She has a trained and worked in both the back and front of house in London, New Jersey, Florida, Switzerland and Germany. Her most recent move was from Seattle three years ago.

After 30 years of living in the states, she is a green card holder. She states that she doesn’t think she will ever become an American citizen. “Every ten years, I renew my card, and it reminds me of the privilege it is to live here,” she said. On her blog, you won’t only find recipes, but also hospitality tricks and general kitchen advice. “My blog is little bit different because I’m hopefully teaching you something you may not have known,” she said.

The food blogger’s goal is to teach readers how to cook more efficiently and be budget friendly while doing it. “I just really want people to get into the kitchen. I want them to feel like they know what they are doing,” said Nyswonger. Each blog post contains step-by-step instructions with photos and tips on how to change up the recipe to the reader’s liking. “Every recipe has flexibility,” she said.

Gillian Faulkner Nyswonger of Longview is the real deal when it comes to Irish cooking.

The native of Ireland can even set longtime misconceptions about the country’s recipes straight.

“Did you know that corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually a traditional Irish dish?” said Nyswonger.

A lot of people believe the Irish eat the dish, but it actually has roots in Jewish-American delis, she said. Despite the origins outside the Emerald Isle, the food blogger still has a recipe for it.

Today, Nyswonger has nine authentic Irish recipes on her blog including cottage pie — similar to shepherd’s pie, but with beef instead of lamb — as well as champ potatoes and Irish wheaten bread to prepare for St. Patrick’s Day.

“It’s what I love and know. I don’t think about it as Irish cooking. It’s just food to me,” said Nyswonger.

After so many requests from friends to start a food blog, Nyswonger began blogging in October on her website prepareandserve.com.

“I love to share the knowledge that I have and if one person gets something from it, that’s great,” she said.

Nyswonger’s husband, Burl, is a software engineer and helps with the backend creation of her website, and she also homeschools her 12-year-old son part time.

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to work with food without the stress of working in the industry,” she said.

Her love of food started with her father, who often brought home exotic spices from his travels with the merchant navy.

She also remembers her mother making, what she called, “excellent food.”

“I was exposed to a lot of different foods early on,” she said.

Nyswonger attended the University of Ulster and graduated with a degree in hospitality management. She has a trained and worked in both the back and front of house in London, New Jersey, Florida, Switzerland and Germany. Her most recent move was from Seattle three years ago.

After 30 years of living in the states, she is a green card holder. She states that she doesn’t think she will ever become an American citizen.

“Every ten years, I renew my card, and it reminds me of the privilege it is to live here,” she said.

On her blog, you won’t only find recipes, but also hospitality tricks and general kitchen advice.

“My blog is little bit different because I’m hopefully teaching you something you may not have known,” she said.

The food blogger’s goal is to teach readers how to cook more efficiently and be budget friendly while doing it.

“I just really want people to get into the kitchen. I want them to feel like they know what they are doing,” said Nyswonger.

Each blog post contains step-by-step instructions with photos and tips on how to change up the recipe to the reader’s liking.

“Every recipe has flexibility,” she said.