A St. Patrick's Day meal -

Of course I'm Italian.

Brought up quite strict and old-fashioned.

And thankful for my mother and her open-mindedness when it came to cooking and baking.

We enjoyed all the Italian foods - of course we would. But my mother also had a passion for learning the ways other cultures cooked and baked.

For St. Patrick's Day, it wasn't unusual to see mom at the stove making corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots and at the same time stirring the homemade sauce and making homemade pasta. The homemade bread was in the oven and the Irish soda bread was in the other oven. (I miss that stove with 2 ovens!)

Today is the St. Patrick's Day Parade (and the first time it hasn't snowed for it as well - SHOCK!), and I am south of Buffalo - and in South Buffalo there is a very high concentration of Irish. Everything is green today - beer, bagels, shamrocks painted on faces, the Irish Center is going strong, the bars are all making corned beef and cabbage.

Today - everyone is Irish. (Yes, I know it's not St. Patrick's Day yet - but the celebrations are today.)

And we had a nice Irish meal -

My corned beef round (we don't eat brisket) was fork-tender. The cabbage and carrots had just the right texture and my Irish soda bread - moist, tender, absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of caraway - fabulous flavor.





I hope you check out the pictures and the recipes at:

http://www.oldfashionedhomecooking.net/2010/03/st-patricks-day-dinner.html

Please - try the recipes and let me know how you like them!

Meanwhile - it's tea and soda bread time for me -