Irish Quaffs

 StPaddy's Day so this week and with it delicious food likeolcannon and lamb stew. Yet he's need a good wash of something to accompany them. what better than the Irish bews the Island is known for. There are so many .What is good? What 's makes a tasty pint?

Yes, Eire is associated with beer. The Irish have been making it for five thousand years! Early ales reflected the rich greenery of the island. Some brews had the aromatic bog myrtle or heather. The misty damp climate has always made it perfect for growing barley, essential for making a good ale.It also helped that the culture developed the local pub came about. This brought towns, large and small together and fostered a sense of community. )One fo the most famous families ,Guinness started their brewery in Dublin in 1759. Even earlier was Kilkenny Brewery started in 1710 by John Smithwick. There was also William Beamish and William Crawford who opened up one of the first Cork breweries in 1782. The Victorian era saw James Murphy opening a rival one in 1856. Guinness stout is the most flavorful and can be used in both cooking and baking. It has notes of chocolate and coffee along with roasted barley,. It's perfect for those who want to try a good stout with familiar and comforting flavors.

For those craving something different try Smithwick's red ale. This too has sweet notes of caramel and toffee blended with toasted biscuit. It;s the perfect pint with grilled meats such as hamburger or lamb chops on St Patrick's Day. Paella ale is another Gaelic treat. The taste can  be flowery mixed with a rich toasty caramel flavor/. Pale ales are just good with bar nibbles like nachos and sliders however if you want a good pub go to then try fish and chips or sharp cheddar on rustic bread.Whiskey has always been considered a Scottish beverage shower they Irish are also know fro producing some good ones too.It is a month light liquor, Most have a fruit or floral flavor. They're  often triple distilled and kept in vats for a minimum. of three years. That classic dessert drink Irish coffee is made with it.This is a fun cocktail to try at  home.It taking  about two ounces of Irish whiskey and mixing it with strong black coffee. Two tablespoons of brown sugar is mixed in and carefully poured fresh whipped cream is poured over it.

St Paddy's Day is all about drinking to celebrate it's most famous Saint. There are all sorts of good ales and whiskies to try. Have fun .Be responsible with them.

 

Fine irish Eating

Mention Irish cooking and most will think of gallons of beer and fatty lamb stew.Yet  Celtic cooking is actually very refined.It's full of fresh ingredients, coming directly from the sea and streams that lace through it and the farms that dot it.It is a diet , that's actually quite's elegant.

Most Irish start the day off with a hearty bowl of steel cut oats. These are different than regular oats because the whole grain or groat is used.They also healthier too, preventing such diseases as high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. For a lusher, tastier first meal the Irish love to fry up slabs of Irish bacon, a cross between American and Canadian bacon, blood sausages and black and white pudding. This last is a marriage of oatmeal sausage or white and blood pudding, usually a sausage created from pork fat, ground beef and pork blood. Eggs are added as are vegetables such as tomatoes and mushrooms to round it out.The British aren't the only ones who serve high tea. The modern Celts are fond of the practice and many Dublin hotels offer it.The Irish have tea three times a day, the first at eleven AM, then at three PM for afternoon and six PM for high tea. Teabreads and scones along with fine jams and lemon curds are also served.

Irish dinners reflect both the sea and land. Fine dining in the Emerald Isle can feature the catch of the day. Salmon is abundant here and dinners may include the fish with leeks or made into elegant croquettes served with a cream sauce, Mackeral is another fish , popular in dining rooms.It's cooked a variety of ways, some involving local ingredients such as leek and rhubarb There is also the wildly decadent Ballymaloe Hot Buttered Lobster where the shellfish is served with a wine laced butter sauce and herbs such as parsley,watercress and fennel .Lamb and mutton are other staples , long used in Gaelic cookery. Crusty lamb shoulder is popular, as it is wrapped in a combination of breadcrumbs, pinched herbs and butter. The Irish make a rack of lamb fit for a Celtic king, with three sauces : mint chutney, onion sauce and red current sauce. This newest generation of Irish chefs are discovering a country classic, dulse seaweed that fed many of the  Irish during the Potato Famine of 1840.It's now a ubiquitous ingredient in many upscale restaurants in Dublin and Cork. Meals are finished with fruits and cheeses , products of local farms.

Irish cooking is full of lavish and rich ingredients and flavors. The Irish create magical and amazing dishes from these ad turn them into unique and elegant dishes .It is the food of kings  = Celtic ones.