Corned Beef & Cabbage

Gathering a group of friends for 'off' holidays seems to be my and Greg's new tradition: President's Day, Oktoberfest, and now St. Patrick's Day.  There is something inherently festive about these parties (not that St. Patrick's Day needs any help in the festive department).  With a built in theme of all that is green and Irish, there is nothing to fret over with a St. Patrick's Day party.  After all, is there really any reason to mess around with as good of a thing as corned beef and cabbage?  Throw in some potatoes and spring carrots and call it a day.  And while serving Guinness is a perfectly suitable beverage for such an affair, Greg upped the anti by creating a signature drink: "The Leprechaun."  He showed off his drawing skills with a visual aid for guests to follow his recipe and make their own drinks (no one should have to play bartender at their own party).  The result was a tasty concoction of Jameson, shamrocks (for real!), cucumber and lime, topped off with a splash Harp.  And after years of experimenting with St. Paddy's Day desserts (e.g. Lucky Charms treats, chocolate stout cake, Guinness ice cream & beer floats), I've landed upon a new tradition: little pots of gold in the form of butterscotch pots de creme (topped with whipped cream and edible gold, of course).  Hope everyone recovered well from the Irish antics: Slainte!!

The Menu

sips

The Leprechaun

irish whiskey, shamrocks, cucumber, lime, harp

Guinness, Harp & Jameson

snacks

sour cream & onion chips

green crudités: snap peas, cucumbers, green peppers, asparagus, green beans, cornichons & olives

tarragon dip & english pea pesto dip

irish cheddar, green apples & crackers

to share

corned beef & cabbage with parsley mustard sauce & horseradish creme

buttermilk smashed fingerling potatoes with melted spring onions

roast baby carrots with thyme

irish soda bread with irish butter

sweet

pots of gold aka butterscotch pots de creme

A Feast for a Leprechaun

For one reason or another, I've had to learn the same lesson over and over again: I get very sad when I don't pause to properly celebrate a holiday. Growing up, my mom did something festive for every occasion, so when these holidays roll around, I crave that same ritual. I can shamefully admit that there was a Thanksgiving a few years back where I thought it would be fine to stay in LA with no plans and do a simple dinner with Greg. Instead, I (to say the least) pouted through the whole day, too depressed to enjoy the sweet little duck Greg had made for us. This weekend Greg was out of town so I was resolved to 'skip' St. Patrick's Day since I wouldn't have my Irish drinking buddy. But inside I felt pouty about it. So Saturday morning I decided to turn it around and invited my neighbors over for some corned beef and cabbage (attire: wear green, of course). I crammed some shamrocks into jars (Trader Joe's is a great save for last minute seasonal centerpieces), bought lottery tickets and spread gold-foiled chocolates & pennies onto the table. This meal is as simple as simple gets, but following The Canal House instructions for corned beef and cabbage (plus buying choice beef) seemed to make the tastiest version yet. I searched for mini Lucky Charms cereal boxes to use as vases to no avail, but bought a big box as a consolation. Unsure of what to do with it, I made treat bars (ala Rice Krispy treats) and they were a pretty big hit. (When in doubt, add butter, bacon or marshmallows.) We have a lot of springtime 'holidays' coming up--April Fool's Day, Easter, May Day, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day--and I aim to celebrate them all. Seems like a delicious goal.

The Menu

sips

our favorite cocktails are already green!

jalapeno & lime margaritas

dirty martinis with green olives

snacks

cucumber & herbed cream cheese tea sandwiches

guinness & irish cheddar fondue

broccoli, roast brussel sprouts & green apples

family style

corned beef, cabbage & potatoes

roast carrots with thyme

parsley sauce, mustard sauce & horseradish creme fraiche

irish soda bread with irish butter

sweet

guinness floats with vanilla bean ice cream

lucky charm treat bars

Luck of the Irish

Growing up, my mom always packed me a green lunch for St. Patrick's Day: cucumber and green cream cheese sandwich, celery sticks, granny smith slices, a lime Charm's sucker and a 7-Up. If you didn't wear green, you were pinched. It was all about the green! Since dating Greg, St. Patrick's Day has shifted to be more about all things Irish (aka all things Guinness). So this year we served the classics: Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage and potatoes. Guinness was drunk and it also took the forms of ice cream and chocolate cake! Just a few people in green felt very festive so we decided that next year should be a big event. We're going to Ireland this fall so that should get the wheels turning. Slainte!

The Menu

black and tans

irish car bombs

irish cheddar with crackers

green pea puree on green cucumber rounds

to start

all things green soup with gentlemen's relish on croutons

for dinner

corned beef with cabbage, turnips, carrots and potatoes

parsley mustard sauce

irish soda bread

to finish

chocolate stout cakes

guinness ice cream