Delicious St. Patty’s Day Treats

The Saint Patrick’s Day of today with four-leaf clovers, shamrock shakes, and festive green outfits only became popular here and in Ireland when Irish-immigrants spread it, becoming a symbol of cultural heritage. The day is in celebration of Saint Patrick, who spread Christianity throughout Ireland and supposedly got rid of Ireland’s snake population. According to legend, he used a clover to explain the holy trinity to the Irish, hence its popularity nowadays in Saint Patrick’s day celebrations. But nowadays, the holiday has become less of a celebration of Saint Patrick and more of a celebration of ancestry, family, and traditions. And when talking about traditions, perhaps the most valuable one is food; obviously because of the time spent bonding with family and not just the delicious benefits.

When it comes to Saint Patrick’s day, you can never go wrong with the classic Irish soda bread. Before it became associated with Saint Patrick’s day dinner, it was first made by Native Americans who used pearl ash to create a bread without yeast. However, because it did not need yeast or even an oven to be made, it was quickly adopted and made popular by the Irish in the 1830s. It can be made by soaking 2 cups of raisins in 2 ¾ cups buttermilk for ten minutes, and then mixing 4 ½ cups flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds. Next, the raisins and buttermilk should be mixed in so that the batter is moist and heavy. Once the mixture is poured into 2 pans, it should be baked at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

It is still unknown whether scones originated in Ireland, Scotland, or England, but regardless, they are the perfect breakfast or dessert in Ireland. What sets Irish scones apart is that they typically use less sugar, and are meant to go with Irish butter, jam, or fruit curd. To make them, the recipe calls for 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅔ cup milk, 1 large egg, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, and the optional ½ cup of dried currants or raisins. These scones will go perfectly with a nice cup of strong, Irish tea to really make a good Saint Patrick’s day tea time.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/irish-scones-recipe-5183828  

Another dish to add to your cabbage and corn beef meal is the Irish mashed potato remix called colcannon, which comes from the gaelic term cal ceannan, meaning white headed cabbage. Basically, it’s a delicious mix of mashed potatoes, cabbage or kale, milk, and butter. It’s also simple to make; all that needs to be done is boil potatoes, cook the greens, and then mash them together with milk and butter. In addition to being a typical Saint Paddy’s day food, it is also tradition in Ireland to have it on Halloween with small coins and prizes hidden inside it.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/colcannon/ 

Perhaps on Saint Patrick’s day or the day after when there is a large assortment of leftover meat, shepherd’s pie is the best choice for dinner. Not to be confused with cottage pie, which is made with beef, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, cooked vegetables, and mashed potatoes over the top. While this dish may look elaborate at first, it just requires the following of a few simple steps. First the meat and veggie mixture is made, then the mashed potatoes, assembled, and baked for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees. 

https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-shepherds-pie/ 

Guinness is a popular traditional stout beer that originated in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland; but, it can also be used as flavoring for brownies, cupcakes, and cake. To make guinness chocolate cake, melt 1 cup of guinness and 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter, then mix in ⅜ cup of cocoa and 2 cups of sugar. Next, in a separate bowl combine ⅜ cup of sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, and 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda. Finally, combine the two mixtures and place it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

http://blogs.evergreen.edu/ireland1314/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake/ 

For the first time in 250 years, the Saint Patrick’s day parade in NYC was delayed both in 2020 and 2021 due to covid interference. But on the 17th at 11am of this year, Saint-Patrick’s day partiers will take to 5th avenue dressed from head to toe in green, bringing the enthusiasm we’ve been missing. Saint Patricks is celebrated almost everywhere in the world, like the parties in Buenos Aires, Argentina that attract around 50,000 people and  the festive celebrations of Sydney, Australia. Regardless of where people are and what is going on in the world, Saint Patrick’s day will always be a time of celebration, festivities, and family.