DEBORAH CROMBIE: Happy shamrocks to everyone! Did you know that the Irish don't actually celebrate St. Patrick's Day--or at least they didn't before the advent of television gave them a taste of how it was done across the Atlantic. In fact, March 17th is a religious holiday in Ireland, celebrating the death of the saint, and until 1961 pubs weren't even allowed to open on the day.
Nor do the Irish eat corned beef and cabbage. The Irish ate ham with their cabbage and potatoes, but as ham was too expensive for the poor Irish immigrants in New York, the wives bought leftover salted beef from the ships that came into the docks. It was the cheapest meat available and they had to boil it three times to remove the brine. It was those persecuted and reviled immigrants who in the mid 1800s began gathering on St. Patrick's Day as way to express their identity in an alien culture. By the time the 20th century rolled around, the Irish had assimilated and the tradition had spread across America, celebrated by Irish and non-Irish alike.
Remember parades? And Irish festivals??
My least favorite St. Patrick's Day tradition (other than green beer and crowded bars) is the pinching, beloved of grade school boys. Who on earth thought up that annoying thing? I never seemed to have anything green to wear and would have to endure being pinched all day.
Although I don't have a scrap of Irish blood (at least as far as I know), the day gives me an excuse for a little Irish feast. This is what I'm planning for tonight--
And I'm going to try cooking the corned beef in the Instant Pot. Any advice on this appreciated! I love Irish soda bread, too, and I remembered to buy some buttermilk, so if I have time I'll bake a loaf. My hubby is less than enthusiastic about the corned beef and cabbage, but as it's only once a year... I just hope the horseradish I've had in the fridge since Christmas is still good.
REDS and readers, how about you? Any special meals or celebrations for St. Paddy's?
