St. Paddy's Day

I was a little wary initially when Jude suggested that we "get with the spirit" and do something for St. Paddy's Day. The only thing I actively associate with this Irish holiday is undergrads getting drunk on bad green beer at ten in the morning. Not pleasant. In the first place, can a day really be considered an actual holiday when the primary activity involved is just drinking?...

Anyways, as previously established, in this household, any celebrating of any sort essentially means cooking and eating. So we bought ourselves a slab of corned beef brisket, a head of cabbage and a bag of potatoes, and had Rick & Emilee over for our very first corned beef and cabbage dinner.

I had my reservations about a recipe that calls for just boiling a chunk of meat to death for 3 whole hours. Before coming to the States, the only kind of corned beef I had any idea of is of the canned variety, as is the case in the U.K. Nevertheless, I gamely partook of this American tradition, albeit with a little twist. Instead of just serving it straight after boiling the beef (I can't imagine that being particularly flavorful), I glazed it with a honey-mustard sauce and baked it in the oven for a while after. I think the final product was rather satisfactory for a first-try, and everyone seemed to like it :) On top of that, Rick made some Irish Soda Bread to go with the meal and it was delicious! More cake-like than regular bread, it was warm, dense, and deeply comforting.

Bailey's Irish Creme rounded off the night as we watch The Prestige together (much better than The Illusionist- Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale rock!), and I think everyone was duly satisfied. And that, is probably more the essence of St. Paddy's Day than anything else- a warm home, good food, and great friends :) We couldn't have asked for more...

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
- Old Irish Blessing