St. Patrick's Day Traditions

"Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day," or so goes the saying. Judging by the number of people around that world that enjoy St. Patty's celebrations, it seems that the saying has never been truer.

Oxalis acetosella, is a three leaf plant sometimes referred to as a shamrock for

St. Patrick's Day.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

and always some fresh baked Irish soda bread.

No matter what side of the Atlantic you're on, what religion you practice or what nationality you claim, St. Patrick's Day universally equals boisterous parades, ruckus parties, and pinching anyone not wearing green.

Corned Beef and cabbage and mashed potatoes

This is the easiest (and fastest) bread I've ever made. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 35 to bake. It's a hearty bread with a crunchy top. W-S recomends that you serve it warm in thick slices with a lot of butter (honey was good also). Best with Stews, roasts, and brasies.

3 c unbleached flour
3 Tbs light brown sugar
1Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 bottle beer* (12 oz.) unopened, room temp.
2 Tbs melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Open beer and pour in all at once. It will be v. foamy. Mix with a large spoon for about 20 strokes.
Pour into a greased 9"x5"bread pan. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
Bake 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

* The bread takes on the flavor of the beer you use. I used a german Hefeweissen beer, which had a yummy light yeast flavor. I would recommend you use a high-quality beer made from water, wheat, and hops. Any German beer will meet these standards. Let me know if you try it with Guiness!

GUINNESS WALNUT BREAD

1 cup Guinness or dark ale, just warm
1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 1/2 cups strong white flour
1 1/2 cup strong whole wheat flour, home ground hard wheat kernels
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup toasted loosely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup toasted loosely chopped walnuts

Make a dough in food processor with all but walnuts. You may have to
add a little more flour or a splash of water to get right texture.
Change blade to plastic one, add 1 cup of walnuts and buzz just
enough to blend in nuts. Proof, shape, rise, paint top with a little
egg white and water mixed well, sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely chopped
walnuts. Bake 35/40 minutes + or - at 380º.

YIELD: 1 loaf

Of course the English defy by wearing red.

St Patrick's Day Parade-yes the Irish wear kilts!

St. Patrick's Day is the Roman Catholic feast day that honors St. Patrick (387-461 AD), the patron saint of Ireland.

Corned Beef, Cabbage & Carrots

Because of St. Patrick's patronage, St. Patrick's Day (March 17) has come to be closely associated with Ireland and Irish culture.

St. Patrick's Day festivities in the United States date back as far as 1737, when Boston held the first ever St. Patrick's Day parade.

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and boiled potatoes

Today, over 100 U.S. cities have parades to mark the occasion. The largest two are in Chicago and New York city, where over 2 million spectators show up.

On St. Patty's Day, going green doesn't refer to environmentalism. Instead, it literally means the color green wearing it, drinking it, and eating it. The greener the better, even including dyeing the rivers green!

For over 40 years, the city of Chicago has dyed the Chicago River green. The city uses a vegetable dye that starts off orange but with some Leprechaun magic, it turns green in time for St. Patty's Day.

Flag Shots....to celebrate St. Paddy's Day
Here's what you need: (layer equal parts) Creme de Menthe (green, just add food coloring), next Bailey's Irish Cream, then FLOAT brandy on top (float=pour it over a spoon, so it doesn't mix directly in) Enjoy!

Green Beer


Slàinte!

Various legends have grown up concerning St. Patrick, the most popular of the Irish saints.

St. Patrick was not well-educated, a fact he attributes to early captivity. Because of this, it was with some reluctance that he was sent as missionary to Ireland, and only after the first missionary, Palladius, had died.

Perhaps it's because of his informal schooling in the meadows with his sheep that Patrick came up with the clever analogy between the three leaves of the shamrock and the Holy Trinity.

Corned Beef, cabbage all in the pot to cook for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

At any rate, this lesson is one explanation for why St. Patrick is associated with a shamrock.

"St. Patrick's Day" "Dublin"

St Paddy's Day cupcake

St. Patrick is also credited with driving the snakes out of Ireland. There were probably no snakes in Ireland for him to drive out, and it is very likely that the story was meant to be symbolic. Since Patrick converted the heathen, the snakes are thought to stand for the pagan beliefs or evil.

Gotta have a Guinness on St Patrick's Day

Corned eef and cabbage and the soda bread!

While we don't know exactly when he was born or died, this Roman British saint is honored by the Irish, especially in the United States, on March 17 with parades, green beer, cabbage, corned beef, and general revelry.

While there is a parade in Dublin as the culmination of a week of festivities, Irish celebrations on St. Patrick's Day itself are predominantly religious.

Irish Flag

"Irish Dogs"

And don't forget the corned beef and cabbage!

Corned beef is made from a brinned brisket of beef. It is brined in salt and spices for many days before cooking. It must be cut across the grain as this is brisket and stringy.

Irish Soda bread- this one is filled with rum soaked raisins that seem to add moisture as well. It almost looks like a giant oatmeal cookie or biscuit. To gild the lily, some of the leftover soaking rum with butter and sugar can be spread on the warm slices.

This bread is made with unbleached flour, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, sugar, salt, raisins, and rum.

Ingredients:
1lb Plain Stone-ground wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon Bicarb of Soda
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt (optional)
Handful Brazil Nuts & handful Hazelnuts - crushed (optional - not traditional)
250ml Buttermilk and a little extra to form dough

Flatten the dough onto a flat floured baking sheet and make deep cross (practically down to the tray). Sprinkle with flour & cook in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for 40 mins.

Stand to cool on a rack.

Cut in half and slice from middle.
Serve with butter and cheese for best results! Enjoy!

Thios soda bread is from a recipe of Buncrana in Inishowen, Ireland and this sort of soda bread has been baked for over 70 years.