St. Patrick’s Day is on Tuesday.
Thursday, officially the first day of Spring, is also the feast of St. Joseph.
Do you ever wonder how St. Patrick and St. Joseph feel about their feast days always happening in Lent?
I mean, a feast is a feast, and that calls for a feast, not bread and water.
So here are a few dishes that should be okay either way.
I'm posting the Irish Soda Bread recipe that I clipped from The New York Daily News over sixty years ago. It is easy to make, doesn’t need special ingredients, and goes well with a corned beef and cabbage dinner, or anything else.
Irish Cakes, known as Boxties, were created in the mid-nineteenth century when Ireland was being hit by the Great Famine, which was caused by a mildew that attacked potato crops. The poor potato crop led to the great migration of Irish to North America.
Boxty comes from the Irish aran bocht tí (poorhouse bread).
Yes, it’s always about food.
Irish coffee also has a bit of history.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Stanton Delaplane was served one during a stop at Ireland’s Shannon Airport bar in 1952. Bartender Joe Sheridan had created the drink during World War II to greet weary American travellers arriving in the wee hours of the morning.
Irish people drank whiskey in tea, but Sheridan knew the Americans preferred coffee.
A smart businessman, Sheridan knew the customer was always right.
When Delaplane returned to San Francisco, he passed the recipe on to barman Jack Koeppler at the Buena Vista Cafe. Soon all of America learned of this drink. And the rest, as they say, is history. Irish coffee is always best served with a toast:
May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!
Hints:
You can make a buttermilk substitute for baking.
Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup milk.
Let it sit for 2 minutes, stir and use.
About the Boxties…
Add a pinch of pepper, garlic or other spices - whatever you wish.
For breakfast you can butter each boxty and serve hot with or without sugar.
You can also serve crisp bacon with them and drizzle maple syrup over them.
You could top them with smoked salmon and crème fraîche.
Or serve them with wilted spinach and a poached egg.
You can use boxty as a pizza base with tomato and cheese.
You can also serve a boxty as a wrap for fajitas.
They also freeze well.
You could cook the batter like a dumpling (called hurleys) or bake it like a loaf.
About the Colcannon…
An old Irish Halloween tradition is to serve it with a ring and a thimble, or small coins, hidden in the dish. Do warn your guests before they tuck into their veggies.
If you have leftover shredded cabbage, heat a knob of butter and cook it for 5 minutes.
It should still be just a little crunchy.
About the Onion Soup…
You could use one pound each of red onions, sweet onions and yellow onions.
Or whatever assortment you have.
The soup can be prepared, cooled, then refrigerated up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, bring it to a boil, ladle into the bowls and continue.
If you want to omit the dry sherry, increase the beef broth to 7 1/4 cups.
About the Lamb Barley Soup…
If you have a lamb leg or chops dinner, save the bones. Place them in a large pot, cover with water, add a diced onion or two with a few bay leaves, and simmer for a few hours.
You can add an envelope of onion soup mix and a teaspoon or two of chilli powder.
Let the broth cool and then strain it.
Pick any meat off the bones and add the bits to the broth.
If you haven’t had lamb since last Easter, use broth or water.
Ground beef will work with beef or vegetable broth.
Ground chicken or turkey is good with chicken or vegetable broth.
About the Irish Cream…
Some people use coconut extract instead of the almond extract.
Always whip your heavy cream without sugar right before serving.
Irish Soda Bread
Grease a cookie pan.
Preheat oven to 375º F
Combine in a large bowl
3 Cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir in
1/2 Cup currants or raisins
1 1/3 Cups buttermilk
Gently knead the dough on a floured board.
Shape into a round loaf and place on the prepared pan.
Cut a cross on top of the loaf.
Bake 45 minutes.
Place in a small bowl
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons hot water
Remove loaf from oven and brush with sugar glaze.
Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes.
Irish Boxties
Makes 10 boxties
Peel
1 pound potatoes
Quarter half of the peeled potatoes and place them in a medium pot.
Boil prepared potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain all of the water from the potatoes and mash them.
While the potatoes are cooking, grate the remaining half of the potatoes into a large bowl.
Toss the grated potatoes with
1 1/2 Cups flour
Stir in the mashed potatoes.
Add
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 Cups buttermilk
Add to the potato mixture.
Mix well for 2 to 3 minutes.
Grease the skillet with either butter or oil.
Heat over medium heat.
Pour ladlefuls of the batter into the pan.
Spread them out into circles about 1/2 inch thick.
When the first side is golden brown, flip them to cook the other side.
Remove the cooked boxties and repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve hot with butter and honey.
Colcannon
Mince
3 green onions
Peel and quarter
2 pounds russet potatoes
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are boiling, shred
3 - 4 Cups cabbage
Blanch in boiling salted water for 2 - 3 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Drain the potatoes, return to pot, and mash them.
Beat in
2/3 - 3/4 Cup light cream or milk
Add enough to make them smooth.
Place the pan over low heat.
Stir in
1/4 Cup butter or margarine
the blanched cabbage
the minced onion
Beat together until well blended.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired.
Serve hot.
Spoon out a portion to make a small indentation on top of each serving.
Add a pat of butter or margarine in the indentation.
Don’t mash it in, but dip a forkful of the potatoes into the melted butter.
Mashed Potato Casserole
Peel and cube
5 large russet potatoes
Shred 6 Cups green cabbage
Boil prepared potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, place the shredded green cabbage in another pot of boiling salted water (about an inch). Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return the potatoes to the pot.
Place over low heat and shake, uncovered, for about 30 seconds to evaporate excess moisture. Remove from heat and mash the potatoes.
Add to the potatoes
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
Mash until smooth.
Grease a large baking dish.
Preheated oven to 425º F
Fold in
1/2 Cup green onions, thinly sliced
the cooked cabbage
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Spread mixture in the greased baking dish.
Top with
1 Cup old cheddar cheese, grated
Bake casserole, uncovered, for 30 to 50 minutes.
Onion Soup
Cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into thin slices
3 pounds onions
Place in a dutch oven
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Heat over medium heat and add
the sliced onions
Stirring frequently, cook 10 minutes. Lower the heat and, stirring occasionally, cook 40 minutes until the onions are golden brown.
Add
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 Cup dry sherry
Cook and stir on medium high heat 1 minute.
Add
7 Cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 bay leaves
Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves.
While the soup is simmering, toast
16 French bread or baguette slices (1/2 inch thick)
Heat the broiler.
Ladle soup into 8 ovenproof bowls.
Top with
the toasted bread slices
1 1/2 to 2 Cups shredded Swiss cheese
Broil, 4 inches from heat, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty rolls or bread.
Lamb Barley Soup
Finely chop
2 medium onions
4 medium carrots
Place in a large pot
1 pound ground lamb
the chopped onion
Heat over medium-high heat and stir until the meat is evenly browned and the onions are translucent. Discard any excess grease.
Stir in
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 Cups lamb broth
1 can condensed tomato soup
the chopped carrots
1 Cup barley
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Cover and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes.
Irish Cream
Place in a blender
1 cup heavy cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 Cups Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Blend for 20 to 30 seconds.
Pour into a jar that has a tight lid.
Store in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
Shake well before serving.
Serve over cracked ice.
Add
a dollop of whipped cream (optional)
Irish Fix
Place in a chilled highball glass
1 teaspoon simple sugar syrup
2 ounces Irish whiskey
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Fill with cracked ice and stir well.
Garnish with
1 thin lime slice
1 thin orange slice
Float on top
2 teaspoons Irish Mist (a honey liqueur)
Place in a small saucepan
12 ounces brewed coffee
4 teaspoons sugar
Stirring occasionally, set over low heat until the mixture is hot but not boiling.
Pour 6 ounces hot coffee into each of two 8-ounce heatproof glasses or mugs.
Add to each serving
1 1⁄2 ounces Irish whiskey
Top with whipped cream.
Garnish with mint leaves (optional)
Enjoy while it is piping hot.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
~~~
Years ago I wrote for and told my stories on the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’.
Here’s one I wrote for St. Patrick’s Day…
Remember how we were all gaga about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?
I mean, even if you didn't know enough Astrology to know your own sign - let alone what house you were mooning - you couldn't avoid Hair, the song, play or movie. And everybody saw the 5th Dimension on The Ed Sullivan Show. Remember how they just stood there, swaying and singing When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will fill the stars?
Ok, Janet Jackson it wasn't.
So who are Aquarians?
Kim Novak, Vanessa Redgrave, Jeanne Moreau, Mia Farrow, Carmen Miranda and, the comeback king, John Travolta. We're talking a major sign here.
Some people poo poo all this but I think we'd better start paying attention. This is a new millennium and cosmic forces are just itching to find any teeny tiny hole where they can get a toehold to shake things up on dear old planet earth.
No kidding.
Take St. Patrick's Day. I'm from New York where St. Patrick's was like Christmas. Everybody - no matter where they came from - sat down to a corned beef and cabbage dinner on March 17.
Hey, nobody was dumb enough to not notice all the Irish cops, carrying billy clubs, pounding down Fifth Avenue in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Trust me, you didn't want to make a New York cop mad.
For decades I used an Irish Soda Bread recipe that I'd clipped from The New York Daily News.
Then, like everybody else, I discovered Martha. Ok, she's Polish, but she had a humdinger of a recipe. I watched her teach it to some Irish lady who said, Faith and beggorah! 'Tis better than me own sainted Mum's recipe.
When I heard the 'Tis word, I was hooked.
I downloaded the recipe from Martha's website and everything went tickety boo.
Until Martha got convicted.
Well, that shook everybody up.
Her stock took a tumble and you could've shot a cannon through the department store aisles where her household items were gathering dust.
Frugal housewives were clipping Martha Stewart labels from towels and sheets.
With visions of mad cops marching in my head, I thought it wouldn't be kosher to whip up a loaf of Martha's Irish Soda Bread.
Back to the computer.
There's lots of stuff about Ireland on the internet.
Did you know that corned beef is not the national dish? It was eaten as a last resort during hard times.
Irish coffee was the invention of the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.
When Irish Eyes are Smiling is an American song.
And many Irish people consider green to be an unlucky color.
Finally I found The Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and double clicked.
Now how was I supposed to know the cosmic forces that click would unleash?
Before you could say Faith and beggorah, my computer started to glow, I heard a banshee wail and my printer took on a life of its own printing sheets of I didn't know what.
Odd characters strolled around my room. They looked like a touring company of The Lord of Rings. Some were chanting, some were crying and some were doing tai chi.
This was not a good thing.
Enough was enough. I pressed the option and command keys, made the sign of the cross and punched the escape key.
It worked.
iMac 1, Druids 0.
The pages were all over the floor.
Seems somebody is holding a cosmic grudge.
According to legend, St. Patrick put a curse on venomous snakes in Ireland. Then he drove all the snakes into the sea.
Well, according to my visiting Hobbits, the snakes were a popular tourist attraction, their version of Manitoba's Narcisse Wildlife Management Area.
You've heard of Narcisse, where thousands of red-sided garter snakes emerge from the limestone sinkholes in late April and tangle in a mating ritual for three weeks. Ok, it's not Disneyland, but tourists come and spend and that's always a good thing.
Why wreck a nice little cottage industry?
Why, indeed.
I guess history rewrites by the winner is not a new thing.
Oh, among the pages was a recipe for traditional Irish Soda Bread.
I don't think I'll try it.
No, the corned beef and cabbage is enough.
I don't need the bread.
Hmm... the Atkins diet, which cuts out bread, is sure popular in the Age of Aquarius.
Coincidence?
I think not.
