To ring in the annual St. Patrick's Day festivities, try some of Ireland's originals. Here's how to get 'em:
Corned Beef and Cabbage: Gather a prepackaged corned beef, potatoes, an onion, one head of cabbage, and two carrots. Chop all vegetables, add corned beef, and fill with water in a crock pot, cooking for six to eight hours. Slice and serve warm.
Beer: No St. Paddy's Day would be right without a good Irish beer. Try Guinness, Samuel Adam's Irish Red, Irish Ale, Harpoon, Kilkenny or Smithwick's.
Bonus Tip: Add a couple drops of green food coloring to any beer for a festive sip or party trick.
Bangers and Mash: It’s questionable whether this dish started in Ireland or England, but in today’s day and age, food is food. Bangers and Mash is Irish pork sausage with mashed potatoes, a protein and starchy dish served in Irish bars around the world. Serve them with peas for a little added green.
Scalloped Potatoes: Sliced potatoes baked with cream, cheddar cheese and freshly ground nutmeg and pepper is a great option for a hearty side dish. See more from Emeril Lagasse here.
Irish Soda Bread: A very traditional daily bread that was cooked fresh in many an Irish home and contains flour, baking soda, buttermilk and salt. These four ingredients make the most convenient bread used in Irish kitchens since the old days; its first published recipe is from the 19th century. See more here at the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.
Extra ideas for Irish culture during the St. Paddy's Day festivities:
- Wear Green! Don't forget it or you may be pinched.
- Looking for some good Irish music? Try The The Pogues or The Dubliners
- Have some fun at one of these Irish Bars in Seal Beach.
As the salutation goes, "Erin Go Bragh" (Ireland Forever).
How are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day?
