Well, I'm a bit boring for St. Paddy's Day. The corned beef is already in the fridge, so is this buttermilk for the Irish soda bread. We'll have boiled cabbage and potatoes, maybe the baby yukon gold.

We are pretty bored, here. I picked up the corned beef last week on sale, need to pick up the cabbage and some potatoes. Hopefully the new stove will get here because as of last Wednesday, I am without a stove, and may have to haul out the crockpot.

Stacie

Well I was suppose to march in the NYC parade with the Ancient Order of Hibernians but my father is very ill(recent hospice)....so Im having a dinner at my house for 30...We do the standards and my daughters Margaret and Bridget perform Stepdancing before dinner and after and during LOL!!!!! Oh I just bought a puppy (Australian Shepherd) his name..........Guinness

I just bought a corned beef yesterday at Costco. I want to try it out in the pressure cooker this time. Still need to pick up cabbage & carrots.

Dessert will be Lucky Charms. hee!

My DH was born on St. Patrick's Day, named Patrick, Irish, #7 out of 8 kids. So what does he want for his birthday dinner? Lasagna with chocolate turtle brownies for dessert!

Alexa, I always do corned beef too. Last year when the kids were here I added Pea Mashed Potatoes and they were a huge hit with them and the adults:

Pea Mashed Potatoes

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1 pound frozen peas
2/3 cup heavy cream + more if desired
4 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold)
Salt
Butter

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add about 1 teaspoon salt, stir in peas. After 4 minutes, remove from heat and drain; Place peas in blender along with 2/3 cup heavy cream and puree until very smooth. Push pea mixture through a strainer and set aside; discard pulp.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks; rinse well with cold water to remove starch then place in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover potatoes and stir in salt to taste. I like to taste the water to be sure it is salty enough. Simmer potatoes until fork tender; drain well and whip until very smooth. Stir in pea-cream mixture and add more cream to desired texture. Fold in butter to taste and serve.

Marilyn

In answer to Alexa's question...boiled carrots and turnips.
I also have a corned beef in the frig...and potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions!
Linda C

I'll be going with three of my English girlfriends to another one of those charity buffet lunches held to raise money for a local childrens' home on March 17th. As it's St. Patrick's Day I'm sure there will be many people wearing green and perhaps some special dishes with an Irish flavour.

I wouldn't be surprised if the raffles there will include some bottles of Bailey's or perhaps even Jamieson's whisky!

Will take a camera of course and report on it with pics of the event.

SharonCb

We always do St. Patrick's Day and lots of food as a salute to our Irish ancestors. If it falls on a weekend we have a Hooley (party) and I do marathon baking and cooking for days before hand. It's my favorite holiday - no gifts and great food!!! These are some of our favorites....

Oat Farls
Irish Freckle Bread
McCann's Irish Oatmeal Cookies
Colcannon
Limeric Ham
Calico Salad
Brown Stew with Guinness
Irish Chicken & Noodles
Tea Brach
Killarney Cherry Cake
Milo O'Sullivan's Currant-Nutmeg Soda Bread
Porter Cake
Kerry Apple Cake
Irish Tea Loaf
Broonie (Irish Gingerbread)
Barm Brack
Whole-Meal Irish Soda Bread
Potato Oaten (Irish oaten potato cakes)

I avoid the sterotypical Corned Beef and Cabbage because it's not really an Irish "thing".

-Grainlady

"Historically, beef was a delicacy enjoyed only by Ireland's wealthy. Cattle were originally kept for their milk, and sheep for their wool. This left old hens and pigs as the more likely contenders for the pot.

When the Irish emigrated to America and Canada, where both salt and meat were cheaper, they treated beef the same way they would have treated pork or bacon at home in Ireland: they soaked it to draw off the excess salt, then braised it with cabbage. From here, the many versions of corned beef and cabbage that exist today have evolved."

from the All recipe site

That being said, dh is not Irish, so we will go the American way with Corned Beef..

Grainlady, do you have a good recipe for Barm brack?

Eileen, I am sorry to hear about your dad. My prayers for him.
We have friends with dogs named Killian and Bailey. No pets here, but if we did it would be named "Tea totaler"

kathleen li - Here you go...

-Grainlady

BARM BRACK
(source: Irish Country Cooking - by Malachi McCormick)

Barm comes from beorma, an Old English word meaning "yeasty fermented liquor," from which comes the modern English slang word barmy, meaning "slightly mad, crazy, out of one's tree." The word brack comes from the Irish breac, meaning "speckled," which the bread is, with raisins and peel.

3/4 oz. fresh yeast, or 1 package Active Dry Yeast
3/4 c. plus 1 t. caster or confectioner's sugar
1 c. plus 1 t. milk, luke warm
4 c. unbleached white flour
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. grated nutmeg
1 t. grated allspice
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c. golden raisins (sultanas)
3/4 c. currants
1/2 c. chopped mixed (orange and lemon) candied peel (Grainlady Note: I'd suggest European Candied Orange Peel from King Arthur - Item #1226, and Candied Lemon Peel #1485)
Grated rind of 1 lemon

In a bowl, cream the yeast with 1 t. each of sugar and milk. In another bowl mix together the flour, salt, and spices, using a wooden spoon. With your hands, rub in the butter, and then blend in the remaining sugar. Pour the rest of the luke-warm milk and beaten eggs onto the yeast mixture and blend well. Then add flour mixture and mix in well with your wooden spoon. Beat and/or knead well: the dough should be pliable but fairly firm; "earlobe" consistency is a wonderfully descriptive guide that I have come across. Now add the raisins and currants, the chopped mixed peel, and the grated lemon rind, and mix well with your hands. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, and let it stand in a warm corner "out of the draft" until the dough has doubled in size. Transfer the dough to a round 10-inch baking tin lined with waxed paper, cover, and again let stand, this time for about half an hour.

After 15-20 minutes, preheat the oven to 400F. When it's ready, put the cake in the oven and bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.

When done, turn out on a wire cake rack and let cool.

Note - Barm bracks are often glazed and you may do so if you like.

Oh that sounds good!

I have a couple of recipe requests from your list too.... Would you mind posting the following?

Calico Salad
Killarney Cherry Cake
Porter Cake
Kerry Apple Cake

They all sound VERY interesting!

Thanks in advance!

Alexa

Glad to share... -Grainlady

CALICO SALAD
(source: County Extension Office, class on Irish Cookery)

1-1/2 c. finely shredded red cabbage
1-1/2 c. finely shredded green cabbage
1/4 c. minced onion
1/2 c. salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
1 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. celery seed

Combine first three ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients. Put dressing on salad and mix thoroughly. Serves 6. (Grainlady note: I only make half the dressing. I like the taste without the drowning.)
----------------------------

KERRY APPLE CAKE
(also from the same Irish Cooking class as the Calico Salad recipe)

1-1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 c. milk
3 medium size apples, peeled and thinly sliced, (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/4 c. brown sugar

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Cut in butter or margarine with a pastry blender untilmixture is coarse crumbs. Add egg and milk and blend well to a stiff batter. Mix in apple slices and spread in a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle top with brown sugar, bake in a preheated 375°F oven 25 minutes. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired.
--------------------------------

PORTER CAKE
(Grainlady note: I tuck some mixed candied peel and glace cherries in the freezer when they are available at Christmas to make this cake for St. Patrick's Day. It's very similar to fruit cake.)

Source: Irish Country Cookine - by Malachi McCormick

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 c. unbleached white flour
2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
3 c. dark raisins
1-1/2 c. golden raisins (sultanas)
1/2 c. glace cherries
1/2 c. chopped blanched almonds
1/2 c. chopped mixed candied peel
4 eggs
1/2 c. Guinness at room temperature
1 t. baking soda, dissolved in a little Guinness

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

With your hands, rub the butter well into the flour, in a bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well, using a wooden spoon. Beat together the eggs and the Guinness, and then stir in the baking soda solution. Stir this into the flour mixture and blend thoroughly.

Put the mixture in a round 9-inch cake tin and cover it with was paper. (Grainlady note: I use a large Bundt Pan - I think the 9-inch pan is WAY too small.) Bake in the oven for about 3 hours (2 hours in the Bundt Pan), until nicely browned. When done, turn it out on a wire rack to cool.
-------------------------

KILLARNEY CHERRY CAKE

(I've posted this recipe so many times on the Internet over the years that you can now Google it and find the recipe. I found this recipe in a cookbook that was compiled by Home Ec. Teachers in the "Foreign Section". How authentic to Ireland it is is somewhat doubtful - although cherries are an Irish favorite - but this cake is always a hit and easy to make.)

1-lb. 2 1/2 oz. pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
1/4 c. plus 3 T. creme de menth or 1 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring
1/2 c. chopped red or green Maraschino cherries
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 c. whole green (or red) Maraschino cherries
Chocolate curls (take a potato peeler to a cold or frozen Hershey Chocolate Candy Bar)

Prepare cake according to package directions, substituting 1/4 c.creme de menthe for 1/4 c. water or adding 1 t. peppermint flavoring and using the same amount of water as called for on the box (Grainlady note: I prefer the peppermint flavoring to the creme de menthe - creme de menthe tends to burn the cake). Stir in chopped cherries; pour into two greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake as directed on cake mix package. Cool.

Whip the cream with remaining creme de menthe or 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring and confectioners sugar. Spread one-third of the whipped cream between cake layers. Heap
remaining whipped cream on top. Arrange whole cherries on the top of the cake (Grainlady note: drain and blot the cherries on paper towels first to prevent cherry juice dripping on the whipped cream), add chocolate curls over whipped cream.

Note: If you want to save time and money, frost the cake with a tub of Cool Whip (regular or Extra Creamy, the Low-fat stuff doesn't hold up well) with either creme
de menthe or peppermint flavoring in it instead of whipping the cream. Make sure this cake is refrigerated until time to serve.

Trader Joes is selling Niman Ranch corned beef! Not too expensive $4.80/lb, but as close to Annie's stuff as you can get! Yeah Nimans!

I simmer it in either the PC or on the stove in a couple of bottles of beer. I made on yesterday but TJs didn't have cabbage....no problemo, subbed brussel sprouts instead.

I had my corned beef, cabbage and potatoes Saturday. Finished it off Sunday. Can not *believe* I ate all that food by myself. Have another corned beef in the fridge, but don't know if I'll be ready for it again so soon. It sure was good though.

How 'bout some Iced Irish Coffee (adults only!)

Iced Irish Coffee

1/2 cup symple syrup (1/4 cup hot water added to 1/4 cup sugar - stir until dissolved)

Add:
2 cups freshly brewed coffee, chilled
3/4 cup Irish Whiskey
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Pour into glasses filled with crushed ice, then top with sweetened whipped cream (or Ready Whip).

Slainte!

Alexa here is a recipe from the Irish section of my Women's Day Series. I've not tried it but generally I find all their recipes good. Sounds good!

Slieve na mBan Carrots

12 young carrots
3 TBSP butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 tsp finely chopped parsley

Halve carrots lengthwise. Melt butter over moderate heat add milk , season with s&p add carrots. Cook gently until tender.

Remove form heat stir in cream add beaten yolks and reheat but do not boil stirring until thickened. Correct seasoning and add parsley.

Id you want a soup Cock-a-Leekie is great Irish soup ( beef, chicken, leeks and prunes basically) I have a recipe if you are interested.

wow, I want to go to grainlady's - I've never heard of most of those yummies!

eileen, I'm sorry about your dad.

Congrats on your puppy! Sammy is part Australian Shepherd - she is a wonderful dog...I'd love to have some little step dancers around to entertain...

We'll just have corned beef and cabbage for St patty's day - but I am thinkinf of trying some irish soda bread to take to a party next door on Sat night.

Stacy

Thanks grainlady! They all sound great.

I am going to run them by DH to see which ones I should make for this weekend.

Alexa

Our club is having a St Patricks party this Sat. night. I don't know how I talked my DH into going. They are serving beef stew, Irish soda bread, pistachio salad and assorted desserts. I am making Irish Potatoes,(the candy) mainly because no one here has ever heard of them...Wish me luck! Gina

I'm corning our own flat cut brisket this year-- used a recipe from Bob Appetit-- the brine contains Lager-- it's brined for a total of eight days-- will be interesting to see if it's as good as Dad's old corning recipe.

Also planning to do a Beer Cake-- it's originally a German recipe but hey if it's got beer it COULD be Irish.

Home Cookin Chapter: Heirlooms , Traditional & Ethnic

Gugelhupf Bierkuchen (German Beer Cake)
=======================================
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 (12 ounce) bottle beer
1 cup raisins, plumped and dried
2-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (double action)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon EACH, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (I use 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or filberts, toasted
Glaze (see recipe below)
. Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9 or
10-inch tube, bundt or gugelhupf (sometimes spelled Kugelhopf) pan.

Combine the molasses, butter, and beer in a saucepan and heat only
until the butter melts. Stir in the raisins or currants and let the
mixture cool for 15 minutes. Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir in
the nuts. Pour the cooled beer mixture over the dry ingredients and
stir until smooth. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated
350° F (180°C) oven for 45 60 minutes (I check at 45 minutes, mine
took 50 minutes). Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before
turning out on a wire rack. Let cake cool a bit before drizzling glaze
over it.

GLAZE:

Mix 1 cup icing sugar and enough maple syrup (or liquid honey) to
moisten the icing sugar to the drizzling stage. Pour glaze over the top
of the cake and let it run down the sides.

I've also corned my own brisket this year, and cabbage is 18 cents a pound at the local grocery. We like Colcannon instead of Champ, but we have to have potatoes.

And yes, I know corned beef isn't really Irish, not only was beef precious, but so was salt, only the very wealthy could afford either. (See, I watch Alton Brown, LOL, but I already knew that, being Irish/Native American)

I also like oat cakes instead of soda bread and we really like the corned beef hash the next day better than the dinner. sometimes I make scones for breakfast and cut them into shamrocks. Hey, maybe I couldl tint them green...

I detest beer, so no Guiness here, and no Irish coffee either, ick. We'll go strictly American and have Shamrock Shakes, just a mint chocolate chip shake with some extra green food coloring.

Dessert? Maybe Irish Potato Candy...

Annie

Annie - years ago you posted your crock pot recipe for corned beef. I, personally, will not eat the stuff but DH loves it. He loved your recipe - can you please repost? I cannot find on search function (we won't go there!). TIA -

Yep.

Local market had a sale on fresh leprechaun.

I figure about 15 minutes a pound at 350 ought to do the trick.

And I bet he's magically delicious.

LOL, kframe, just be sure you get his pot of gold before you cook him!

Andi, that crockpot corned beef is really easy. I put the corned beef, cabbage wedges and potatoes (carrots if you like them) in the crockpot, veggies on the bottom, meat on top, add water to cover and let it cook all day until I get home from work. I be sure to add the flavor packet that comes with the corned beef, if I'm using a commercial roast. Easy, quick, tender corned beef, it works for me. I never add salt because it is plenty salty enough!

Annie

LOL Mike!
Eileen..sorry about your day..Keep your new four legged creature very busy..I have a half Aussie half Border Collie..and man was she a pain in the Arse the first 4 or so years of her life..Now I know, They belong working..not backyard dogs and housepets..She's nearly 7 now..and is finally becoming a bit lazy she won't even play fetch the tennis ball anymore..she used to go for hours if you had time! She dug holes, teethed the wood deck into serious need for repairs..loved any toy that was plastic to teethe on..Gotta keep their minds entertained and working.

I'm thinking we'll do sausages for dinner simmered in beer then grilled..I love corned beef..but the rest..not so....