"Irish" news and stories

You want Irish food? You got it.

Jeannette, a Slashfood Flickr user - who also happens to write a fantastic blog, Everybody likes Sandwiches - shared her recipe for colcannon, traditional Irish comfort food made of cabbage or kale, mashed potatoes, and a healthy dose of butter or cream. Jeannette added leeks to hers (onions or chives are often added, as well).

Colcannon can be eaten anytime, obviously, but it's typically enjoyed around Halloween, and some families hide charms or coins in the mixture. The idea is that whomever finds it has luck for the coming year. There's actually an adorable scene that illustrates this concept in In America, a film about an Irish family who immigrates to America.

Check out Jeannette's recipe here.

Had your fill of dyed green eggs and lime Jello? Here's a list of some more sophisticated Irish treats, in honor of Saint Patrick's Day.

1) Beef Stew. Chunks of tender beef, potatoes, a shake of Worcestershire sauce, all hot and bubbling. Is there anything better on a cold damp day?

2) Irish chocolate cake. As dark and moist as the soil of the Emerald Isle, kicked up a notch with a dash of Irish cream liquor.

3) Cream scones. Lightly sweet and crumbly, with a shiny top, these with raspberry jam and clotted cream make me wish America had more of a tea time tradition.

4) Irish cheddar fondue. Sharp Irish Cheddar with a glug of stout; try it with steamed Brussels sprouts or chunks of Irish brown bread for a humble, warming dinner with friends.

5) Bread-and-butter pudding. Chunks of slightly stale bread, lavishly buttered and soaked in custard, become a sublime comfort dessert.

6) Steak and kidney pie. Cooking kidneys is not for the faint-of-heart (hint: soak, soak, soak), but this rich, velvety pie will really stick to your ribs.

7) Irish oatmeal. These steal cut oats beat the pants of the insipid instant variety. Try them with fruit and yogurt.

8) Corned beef and cabbage. The ultimate nostalgia food for Irish-Americans, and a perfect slow-cooking Sunday dinner for the rest of us.

It's that time of year - a week of green-tinted beer, green-tinged bagels, and an overabundance of green streamers and shamrock-shaped accessories and five dollar Old Navy shirts with clovers prominently displayed on the chest.

What would St. Patrick's Day be without our bizarre, Americanized version of a culture we apparently know very little about? It is our job, as Americans, to mock and exploit the Irish culture by upholding commonly-held stereotypes. And the best way to do this? Through these five products.

Oh: and as a person with a good amount of Irish heritage in her blood, I'm proud to say that I've never ingested that green goo-like substance that McDonald's sells every year around this time. And now I'll brace myself for the inevitable barrage of hate comments from Shamrock Shake devotees...

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! It isn't hard to get into the spirit of this holiday when the festivities are, for a lot of people, centered on the consumption of Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream, Guinness, and the odd green beer. In fact, there is a joke that states a typical seven-course St. Paddy's dinner contains a six-pack and a potato.

All kidding aside, and whether you are Irish or not, it is a great chance to get together with friends or family and raise a glass to toast those around you. If you find yourself at a loss for words though, Colum Egan, the Master Distiller at Bushmills Irish Whiskey, wants to help you with this feat and has set up a toll-free line that features ten of his favorite Irish toasts. To hear the pre-recorded messages (complete with Irish accent) simply dial 1-800-Bushmills. (Note: you may notice that has too many numbers for a regular call. "1-800-Bushmil" worked for me.)

Egan shares his wisdom with such gems as: "May the sound of happy music, and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after. May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go." Cheers!

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The secret of oyster opening, as revealed at the 2006 World Oyster Opening Championships this past week, is "a steady hand with the oyster knife," since competitors are judged on a lack of grit (from smashed shells) as well as speed. It may not seem like much of a sport compared to soccer or downhill skiing, but it requires a tremendous amount of dexterity and concentration. The contest has been going on for four decades and this year, for the 15th time, it was won by Irish restaurateur Michael Moran, whose father took the title himself nearly three decades ago.

The sport of oyster-opening should be combined with the sport of competitive eating. Working in pairs, one could open and the eaters could, well, eat. The question would be who to team up. Do you put Kobayashi with Moran, the new World Champion Oyster Opener, or should Moran be paired with an underdog to even the teams?

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