Almost Perfect Ajent asked:
me and other are throwing an irish themed party for my friend, who is Irish. the party will be a mixture of our friends(an extremly diverse group, blacks, canadians, french, asains, etc) and her family, a straight edge group of native irish coming over from dublin to new york for the party. there is no issue or problems with the race card, everything is fine everyone gets along. the problem we are having is finding dishes to suit a variety of tastes on a small budget. in general, irish foods are very simple and bland. are there any irish recipies that anyone knows that can be spiced up a bit or sweetened to suit the tastes of a more diverse crowd, without losing the irish flare of the party? we don’t want quesadillas, barbeque chicken and spagetti, we wanna keep it an irish theme
me and other are throwing an irish themed party for my friend, who is Irish. the party will be a mixture of our friends(an extremly diverse group, blacks, canadians, french, asains, etc) and her family, a straight edge group of native irish coming over from dublin to new york for the party. there is no issue or problems with the race card, everything is fine everyone gets along. the problem we are having is finding dishes to suit a variety of tastes on a small budget. in general, irish foods are very simple and bland. are there any irish recipies that anyone knows that can be spiced up a bit or sweetened to suit the tastes of a more diverse crowd, without losing the irish flare of the party? we don’t want quesadillas, barbeque chicken and spagetti, we wanna keep it an irish theme
April 28th, 2011 at 5:58 am
cornbeef and cabbage
April 29th, 2011 at 3:25 am
corned beef
May 2nd, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Shepard’s Pie—you can definitely spice that up. I LOVE Shepard’s Pie. It’s quick, simple and inexpensive.
May 5th, 2011 at 12:31 am
Irish stew is a traditional Irish dish made from lamb or mutton as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley1. But more and more, Irish people have been using mince beef, as it is cheap to buy, and tastes nice. It originated in Ireland but appears in cookbooks all over Europe, including in Escoffier’s Guide Culinaire.
Irish stew is a filling, flavourful dish made with the cheapest, most readily-available ingredients. The Irish raised primarily sheep and root crops for subsistence. The sheep provided wool for warm clothing, milk for drinking and making cheese, and eventually food. Potatoes were the main food crop, prior to the potato famine.
Irish stew, or stobhach gaelach as it is called in Irish, is traditionally made of lamb or mutton (less tender sheep over two years of age), potatoes, onions, and parsley. Often, only lamb or mutton neckbones, shanks, and other trimmings were the only basis for the stock. Yet, these would-be discards still held enough flavor after a long simmering process to do justice to a hearty bowl of stew. The root vegetables added further flavor and thickening power, as well as filling sustenance. Some cooks added turnips or parsnips, carrots, and barley when available.
When the Irish people began immigrating to the United States, they naturally brought along their wonderful hearty food traditions. The stew evolved and adapted to include the local offerings. Sheep were not as plentiful, so other types of meat were often substituted. When made in the traditional manner, the result is very thick and hearty, not thin like soup. The recipe has evolved to often include Guinness stout. Some variations have exalted this original peasant dish to near gourmet status.
May 5th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
This is the funniest question I have heard in a while: Irish food and spicy? Whenever I eat any Irish food I use hot sauce made from the wonderful habanero peppers.
May 9th, 2011 at 5:47 am
Colcannon? It’s a wonderful irish potato dish, easy and can be spiced as you prefer – even with a few drops of hot sauce if you really want it spicy. But perfect with some deeply smoked ham.
Colcannon
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.
Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.
May 9th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Here is a site that lists Irish recipes for emigrants (I think there is a bit of repetition on the site, but I haven’t checked it closely).
The second website is for Gur cake, a traditional cake (which I haven’t had in a while, more’s the pity), if your friend’s family is from south Dublin they may be posh and call this fruit slice! If they’re REAL DUBS they’ll know it as gur cake!
Hope the party goes well!
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