YumSugar

St. Patrick's Day Side: Colcannon

partysugar — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 01:07:45 -0700

When I think of St. Patrick's Day dishes, potatoes immediately come to mind. Not just any kind of potatoes, mashed potatoes. The Irish love their mashed potatoes so much that they have specific names for different variations. Champ is mashed potatoes with green onions stirred in and Colcannon is mashed potatoes with onions and greens. Both are traditional Irish side dishes that are commonly served along side a meaty steak, sausage or bacon. I love Champ so much that I've used it on Thanksgiving, but I have yet to try colcannon. Thus I will take the opportunity to make it the next time I'm craving smooth potato puree. To do the same, read more

Colcannon
From Ireland Information

2 lbs Potatoes
1 large Curly Kale or Cabbage
1 large Onion
4 oz of butter or margarine
Pinch of Pepper & Salt
Half pint Milk

Peel and chop the potatoes, the onion and greens.
Layer a saucepan with the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Layer the onion and greens on top of the potatoes and add enough water to cover the mixture.
Boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
Mash the mixture thoroughly adding the butter and milk to ensure a creamy consistency.
Taste and adjust seasonings.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: St. Patrick's Day - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:28:31 -0700

Last year I planned a St Patrick's Day dinner, so this year I'm helping my friend Aimee host a blowout bash for St Patrick's Day. Since St. Patti's is on Monday, the party will take place the Saturday before. I'll be discussing lots of festive ideas all week, so feel free to adapt them to suit your own hostess needs.

Let's get started with the invite. Aimee needed something that was simple to make and easy to send to a lot of people, so we went with a postcard invite. To see how I made it, read more.

To make an invite similar to the one seen here you will need the following supplies:

green cardstock
green paper
glue
scissors
St Patrick's Day themed ribbon
green shamrock stickers or cut outs
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new document on Microsoft Word. Write out the details of the party and center to the left hand side - as far left as you can, extending the margin - on the upper half of the page. On mine I wrote a fun message in the font Skia:

St. Patrick's Day is almost here
Let’s celebrate by drinking lots of green beer!

Saturday, March 15, 2008
Aimee’s House, San Francisco
9:00 PM

Let us know if you can make it,
The more the merrier!
415.333.2234

Those not wearing green will be pinched!

Print out the text on a plain piece of paper. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Once satisfied with the text, print out on the green paper.

Cut down to size and glue to the green cardstock. Cut the green cardstock down to size leaving a small border around the green paper.

Flip the cardstock over and glue the shamrocks to the back.

Flip the invite back over and glue a small piece of ribbon vertically down the middle, separating the text from where you will write the addresses. Write out the addresses.

Before sending be sure to bring a completed sample invite to the post office to see how much the postage is.

View 15 Photos ›

All the News That's Fit to Eat - March 14, 2007

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:58:19 -0700

It's Wednesday, time for a food news roundup, and what do you know it seems like (almost) everyone has St. Patrick's Day on the brain... (sorry most of these stories come are on sites that require logins)

Someone is reading my mind, my beloved egg is the new "it" ingredient. Oh and lemons are hot too. Don't miss out on the Meyer Lemon Muffins (photo by Bryan Chan).- LA Times
Irish food is moving up in the world with fresh, local ingredients. Also, homemade bread made in a can. - San Francisco Chronicle
Simple Irish soda bread can really make a great side dish. Also, more and more restaurants are taking steps to become "green." - Boston Globe
Beer is great for drinking, but some argue that beer is better for cooking. Also don't miss the call to bring back American "chop suey" (which has no relation to its Asian cousin). - Houston Chronicle

Seven nights. Seven hotels. Seven dinners. Seven breakfasts. Go behind the scenes of NYC's hotel room service (photo by Evan Sung). Plus, are latex gloves really safe in the restaurant kitchen? - New York Times
CeCe Sullivan pulls out the stops with her dad's St. Patrick's Day recipes, including traditional boiled corned beef. Plus, check out these food and dieting myths. - Seattle Times
Gastronmy + pub = gastropub, a growing trend that pairs craft beers with upscale fare. Plus a recipe for authentic Irish colcannon and "green" wines. - Chicago Tribune

Come Party With Me: St. Patrick's Day - Menu (Main)

partysugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:58:41 -0700

Friday is my half birthday and Saturday is St. Patrick's Day, so I am celebrating 2-parties-in-1 with a pre going out dinner on Saturday night. I've invited my friends to join me for an Irish inspired meal before we head out to the bars for a wee bit of St. Patrick's Day shenanigans (I said that in my best Irish accent). Since the evening will most likely involve a lot of beer drinking, I'm serving up generously filling dishes. I'll have a corned beef and swiss appetizer just out of the oven for when my friends arrive. To see what we'll all be sitting down to eat together, read more

To get the meal started I'll have cold plates of smoked salmon and watercress salad with a lemon-caper vinaigrette for each of my guests. Next I'll dazzle them with a variation of the classic shepherd's pie, a blarney stone cottage pie. On the side I'll have slices of my dad's (the recipe is written in his own words-thanks dad!) famous irish soda bread fresh from the oven.

Smoked Salmon and Watercress Salad with a Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
From Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups pumpernickel bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper
1 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped capers with their liquid
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 slices thinly sliced Irish smoked salmon (about 8 ounces)
1 pound watercress, stemmed, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter is melted, add the pumpernickel cubes to the pan and toss to coat with the butter and oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the white pepper. Continue to cook and toss the bread until all the butter and oil have been absorbed. Place the pan in the oven and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the bread is crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool before using.
Make the vinaigrette by combining the shallots, garlic, mustard, honey, capers, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, dill and parsley in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.
While whisking, add the extra-virgin olive oil in a thin, steady stream until the vinaigrette is well combined and partially emulsified. Set the vinaigrette aside while you prepare the salad.
On 4 large, chilled entree plates, place three slices of the salmon in a triangular pattern along the edges of the plates.
In a large non-reactive bowl, place the watercress and the red onion. Season lightly with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Toss the salad to mix the watercress and onion, and add about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette to the salad. Toss lightly to combine.
Divide the salad among the 4 plates, and divide the croutons among the plates. Garnish the salad with the chopped eggs and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Blarney Stone Cottage Pie
From Razzle Dazzle Recipes

4 potatoes, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup milk
black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Irish cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green peas
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
salt & black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon cold water

Boil potatoes until tender. Mash together with milk, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese till smooth, season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat a heavy, nonstick skillet, at least 10 inches in diameter, over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and saute, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Pour contents of pan into a bowl and set aside.
Add onion, garlic & bell pepper and cook until veggies are limp, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add drained meat, carrots, peas, tomato, parsley, beef stock, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into meat mixture.
Spoon into an ungreased 9x11x2-inch baking dish.
Spread mashed potatoes over the surface, using a fork for texture.
Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup cheddar cheese over top and sprinkle parmesan and dust with paprika.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Make Ahead: assemble this easy entree ahead of time and bake it just before serving.

Print recipe with images | without images

Irish Soda Bread
From PartySugar's Dad

My grandmother used to make this for me. It is really good hot out of the oven topped with butter.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (If you don't like them you can leave them out)
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
Stir in seeds & raisins.
Beat eggs with milk.
Gradually add eggs and milk to dry ingredients & stir until mixture forms a sticky dough.
Spray pan with PAM. Put a little flour on the bottom of the pan.
Turn the dough into a 5 x 9 loaf pan or a round 8" pan. Sprinkle a little flour on the top.
Bake for 1 hour for loaf pan or 50 minutes for round.
Turn out of pan onto wire rack.

Great for St. Patrick's day. Very authentic.

Print recipe with images | without images

Sunday Dinner: Corned Beef and Carrots

partysugar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:23:31 -0700

While some of you believe corned beef tastes like dog food, I happen to love this St. Patrick's Day staple. Slathered in an orange marmalade and whiskey glaze, this is the perfect Sunday night dinner. Don't be intimidated because this recipe calls for fully cooked corned beef. You cook it like you would a baked ham.

For the sweet carrots on the side use real carrots. Packaged baby carrots won't have such a fresh flavor. To make this for your family tonight, read more.

Corned Beef and Carrots
From Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus more for serving
1 2- to 2 1/4-pound piece lean fully cooked corned beef
12 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise
Fresh parsley sprigs

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Boil next 3 ingredients in saucepan until reduced to generous 3/4 cup, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon mustard.
Generously brush corned beef all over with glaze; place in center of prepared sheet.
Toss carrots and 1/4 cup glaze in large bowl to coat; place around beef. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper.
Roast until carrots are tender and beef is golden, brushing occasionally with more glaze, about 35 minutes.
Transfer to platter, garnish with parsley, and serve with Dijon mustard.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images