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America's oldest Irish pub starts over in Baltimore

What's been hailed as American's oldest Irish pub forever, Baltimore's West Side Pub, is reopening its doors with a brand new facelift and a brand new name. FULL STORY >

The St. Patrick's Day hangover: Is there a cure?

It is the morning after St. Patrick's Day and your head feels like someone just inserted a buzz saw, and your body feels like its ready to heave any second. Is there a cure for this dreadful post St. Patrickus condition? FULL STORY >

Irish chef Cathal Armstrong cooking up a storm in Washington, D.C.

An Irish chef in the DC area is earning raves for his innovative culinary creations. Ashley Parker talks to Dubliner Cathal Armstrong about his career and the famous people he’s cooked for. FULL STORY >

Authentic corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day

Irish America has it's own Saint Patrick's Day traditions and dishes and Corned Beef and Cabbage ranks near the top. (You won't find this dish on an Irish menu, since the Irish themselves use bacon in this recipe). Here's a tasty U.S. version and enjoy the day! FULL STORY >

Irish soda bread

Nothing conjures Ireland like the aroma of Irish soda bread cooling on your wire rack. It's wholesome, tasty and a family favorite that will make any gathering an authentic Irish one. So what are you waiting for, here's a quick and easy guide to baking your own: FULL STORY >

ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES

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Soda bread is one of the most popular types of Irish food. In soda bread, baking soda is used for leavening instead of yeast. Soda bread is traditionally made up of flour, bread soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other possible ingredients are raisins, egg or various forms of nuts. Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted. Irish food features other traditional bread as well such as blaa, which is a doughy, white bread bun. Blaa is a versatile Irish food, since it may be eaten at breakfast with butter (the usual form) or at other times of the day with a wide range of fillings, such as ham. Another traditional Irish food is boxty, a potato pancake. There are many versions of boxty, but all contain raw potatoes that have been finely grated. The most popular version uses flour, baking soda and buttermilk, and sometimes an egg. Almost all versions of boxty are served fried. Historically, the potato has been very important to Irish food, since it came to be the main crop of the poor, which meant that if there was a bad harvest, the poor would not have enough to eat. Potato blight caused the Great Irish Famine of the late 1840s. Some Irish food is meant to be eaten for dessert. Goody is made by boiling bread in milk with sugar and spices. Goody is eaten on St. John’s Eve, which occurs around the time of the summer solstice. In recent years, shellfish dishes have become a bigger part of Irish food. An oyster festival is held in Galway every year. One example of an Irish shellfish dish is Dublin Lawyer, which is lobster cooked in whiskey and cream. In recent years, Irish food has also come to include fresh vegetables and handmade cheeses. These days, Irish beer no longer necessarily means Guinness, since 63% of the beer now sold in Ireland is lager. Stout, including Guinness stout, accounts for 32%, while ale makes up the remaining 5% of Irish beer. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Irish beer was made at over 200 breweries in Ireland. Today, there are about twelve breweries. Irish beer historically did not have hops, since hops are not native to Ireland. The famous Irish beer Guinness stout is made from water, malt, barley, hops and brewer’s yeast. Guinness gets its dark color and taste by flaking some of the barley, Flaking means steaming and rolling. The color of Guinness is a dark shade of ruby. This Irish beer claims to have fewer calories than skim milk or orange juice. Guiness was stronger in the nineteenth century. Another Irish beer is Harp Lager. Harp was first produced in 1960. One of Harp’s advertising slogans was “Harp stays sharp.” Smithwick’s is Irish beer in the red ale style. The original brewery for Smithwick’s was on the site of a Franciscan abbey where monks had brewed ale since the 14th century. One variation of this Irish beer is Smithwick’s Draught, which has a ruby red tone with a stable, slightly thin head. Smithwick’s Draught is produced using hops and special roasted, malted barley. Its texture is smooth and refined, with a bitter and complex finish. Another variation of this Irish beer is Kilkenny Cream Ale, which is similar to Smithwick’s Draught, but with a stronger, more bitter taste and a cream head reminiscent of Guinness.

Most Popular Roots Stories

America's oldest Irish pub starts over in Baltimore

The St. Patrick's Day hangover: Is there a cure?

Irish chef Cathal Armstrong cooking up a storm in Washington, D.C.

Authentic corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day

Irish soda bread

ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES

Join us - follow IrishCentral.com

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