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Food & Drink

Calling All Irish Cooks

Got a recipe for that great seafood chowder they serve at Monk’s in Ballyvaughn? How about your mom’s homemade soda bread?  Or the secret formula to your killer Irish coffee?

How about sharing it with us? Every year for St. Patrick’s month, we run a virtual cookbook from Irish folk near and far. Our goal this year is to have enough recipes to feed the whole party gang at our house–and yours.

Send them in (hit “contact us” in the orange block on the left side of the home page, then fill in the form) along with a little story of each recipe (whose it is, where you first had it, anything funny or interesting about it–hey, if you’re Irish, you can do this). We’ll run the best (with credit) in March.

January 30, 2008 by
Food & Drink

Lift a Cup of Kindness

Originally published December 16, 2006. (But it was so good, we just had to bring it back.)

So, what are you washing down your Irish Christmas pudding with this year? Our friends at McGillin’s, the oldest Irish pub in Philadelphia (1310 Drury Lane), shared with us some holiday recipes which, if they’re not strictly Irish, do have a distinctly holiday flavor.

So what do you say when you lift your glass of Poinsettia Punch or your Pumpkin martini? A few choice Irish toasts:

“Nollaig shona duit!” (Happy Christmas!)

“Nollaig faoi shéan is faoi shonas duit.” (A prosperous and happy Christmas to you!)

“Go mbeire muid be oar an am seo aris!” (May we be alive at this time next year!”)

One caveat: Please, drink responsibly, so we all may be alive at this time next year.

Poinsettia Punch

Our friends at McGillin’s, the oldest Irish pub in Philadelphia, shared this holiday recipe which, if it;s not strictly Irish, does have a distinctly holiday flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 magnum champagne
  • 64 oz. (2 quarts) cranberry juice
  • 16 oz. orange juice
  • 10 oz. Triple sec
  • Orange slices, for garnish

Procedure

Mix ingredients together. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Martini

This spirited drink comes to us courtesy of the good folks at McGillin’s Olde Ale House.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/4 oz. vanilla vodka
  • 1-1/4 oz. pumpkin smash (a liquor)
  • 1/2 oz. milk or half and half
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Procedure

Mix first 3 ingredients. Pour over ice in martini shaker. Shake well. Then, mix sugar and cinnamon and rim martini glass with mixture. Strain liquid martini ingredients into chilled martini glass rimmed with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

December 5, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Irish Fix #1

  • 2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • 2 tsp Irish Mist
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp sugar

Dissolve the sugar with a few drops of hot water in a glass. Add whiskey and lemon juice; fill with crushed ice and stir well. Add slices of orange and lemon and float the Irish Mist on top.

March 13, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Shamrock Cocktail

This is bartender and author Ray Foley’s best St. Patrick’s gifts to us.

  • 1-1/2 oz Bushmills Irish whiskey
  • 1/2 oz French vermouth
  • 1 tsp green crème de menthe

Stir well with cracked ice and strain into a 3 oz cocktail glass. Serve with an olive.

March 13, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Gaelic Steak

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold butter
  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon), 5 to 6 oz each
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 4 oz white mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Irish whiskey
  • 3/4 cup homemade beef stock or canned low-sodium beef broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and oil. Add the steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (for rare).

Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and cover.

Add the garlic, shallot, and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but no browned. Stir in the honey and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Add the whiskey and stock or broth, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Whisk in the cream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reprinted with permission of Chronicle Books

March 13, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Jameson Irish Whiskey Cake

Cake

  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Dash of ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup Jameson whiskey

Jameson Irish Whiskey Icing

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
  • 3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • Walnut halves for garnish (optional)

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch cake pans, and line them with waxed paper.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the raisins and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the liquid. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture alternately with the reserved liquid. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and whiskey.

Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Invert the pans onto a wire rack, remove the waxed paper, then set the cakes upright. Let cool completely.

To make the icing: In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add the egg and whiskey and beat until smooth. With a spatula, spread a third of the icing onto the top of one of the layers. Place the second layer on tip, and spread the top and sides with the remaining icing. Garnish with walnut halves. Let the icing set for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting the cake into slices.

From The Irish Spirit (Chronicle Books, 2006) by Margaret Johnson. Reprinted with permission of Chronicle Books

March 13, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Mayo Lemon-Thyme Salmon on Cedar

Starting with a filet of salmon that is 2 to 3 lbs. with skin, I oil both sides ( olive oil) and then lightly sprinkle thyme on both sides and put in on a dish.

This was done while the cedar plank (purchased at any market) is soaking in water for about 45 minutes. After I heat the grill on high temp setting I put the plank on the grill for about 3 minutes to sear it, before I put the fish (skin-side against the wood) on the heated side of the plank. With salmon now on the plank I add a few slices of lemon right down the center of the filet.

Put the plank with salmon on the grill (high) and close the cover of the grill for about 25 minutes.

Every 8 minutes I check it to make sure the board hasn’t gone up in flames, and if it starts to burn I use a spray bottle of water to douse the flames.

That also promotes smoking which really adds to the flavor of the fish.

March 13, 2007 by
Food & Drink

Agnes McCafferty’s Irish Potatoes

  • 2 boxes 10-X powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces coconut
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon cream
  • Powder cinnamon

Use the cream cheese at room temperature, mash and slowly add the 10-X sugar, coconut and cream. When well mixed, form into oval shaped balls. Roll the balls in cinnamon.

March 13, 2007 by