It's Not Green Beer, but It's Still Good.

Tonight we made a delicious Irish-inspired dinner in the spirit of Saint Patrick. I do love America's drinking holidays. Everyone celebrates being Irish once a year and then, two months later, being Mexican. I venture to guess that most people have no idea what either holiday is actually for. I find this amusing. Before we move onto the actual food part, let's learn a little bit about St. Patrick's Day, just in case there is a party pooper who questions your Irishness on Wednesday. (I mean, everyone IS Irish on St. Patrick's Day.)

FACT: St. Patrick's Day is the feast day of St. Patrick. It's a public holiday in Ireland, celebrated on the 17th of March. The 18th of March might as well be a holiday everywhere St. Pat's is celebrated, since most celebrators are hung over the next day.

FACT: The original color associated with the holiday, according to Wikipedia, was blue, not green. Green came about because of the association St. Patrick made between the holy trinity and shamrocks. Maybe people shouldn't be pinched if they don't wear green, after all.

FACT: This holiday was often celebrated as a one day break from Lent, where drinking was allowed. Hence the debauchery we celebrate today.

Whatever Your Luck American-Style Bangers and Mash
6 medium-sized red potatoes (Or white. Whatever suits your fancy.)
1 cup chicken broth (They come in convenient little mini-cartons now!)
1/4 stick butter (Remember: if it tastes good, it has butter in it.)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (Or none at all. Whatever.)
1 package of the sausage of your choice (Bangers are beef sausage, for those desiring to keep it real.)
1 small or 3/4 medium white onion, chopped (Chewing gun really helps prevent tears.)
1 can or jar of beets (You might need 2 if you are a beet lover at heart.)
1 bag of salad (I told you this was easy.)
Feta crumbles (Tastes great with beets, but I'm sure it's not Irish.)
Walnuts (Optional)
salt and pepper (To taste)
Whatever salad dressing you like (I like vinaigrette.)

Start by cutting the (clean) potatoes into small pieces. Toss them into a large pot of water. Bring them to a boil and boil them until they are soft enough to mash.

While the potatoes are cooking, get your salad together. Drain the beets, and cut them into smaller bites (if desired). Toss them into your salad bowl with the feta crumbles and walnuts.
Start the sausages. We used the Foreman Grill, but you could pan fry them with the onions or grill the outside. Warm EVOO in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute your onions for about 10 minutes in the pan, or until they are soft.

By this point, the potatoes should be finished cooking. Drain the water out of the pot and transfer the potatoes into a bowl for mashing. Add the butter. Mash the potatoes until they are reduced to tiny pieces. The butter should melt into them while they are hot. Add the garlic and gradually add the stock, whipping the potatoes with a hand-held mixer. Salt and pepper them to taste.

Rainy Day Comfort Food

March comes in like a lion, and out like a lamb. In Georgia, March comes in like a lover's cold shoulder and goes out after good make up sex, repeatedly. Two days ago I was enjoying my day off in the 75 degree sunshine, and today I pulled on the "sheep fleece" to keep warm on the way to a Fernbank IMAX film.

On the way home from Fernbank, Nick and I decided we were hungry. A light bulb appeared above my head: burgers and fresh cut french fries warm up any cold day.



FRESH CUT FRENCH FRIES
* 1 medium-sized white potato per person (1 1/2 potatoes if starvation has been reached)
* Canola or peanut oil (filling a medium saucepan 1/2 way, enough to cover potato strips)
* Sea salt

1. Wash your hands.
2. Before you start anything, warm the oil over medium-high heat.
3. Cut the fries into desired strips (about 3" in length)
4. Test the oil in the pan by dunking (or dropping) a small piece of potato in the oil. If the oil bubbles and hisses around the potato, you are ready for frying. Carefully slide the potatoes in the pan- dropping them may send hot oil flying. You will most likely be doing these in a few loads.
5. The fries are done when they have reached a lovely golden brown. Remove to a plate, and season with sea salt to taste. Snack on the first load while you cook the rest of the meal.



GREAT INDOORS HAMBURGERS
(feeds 3 hungry people)
* 1 lbs ground sirloin
* 2 cloves garlic
* salt and pepper to taste
* lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado for toppings
* desired condiments- ketchup, canola oil mayo, etc.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Warm skillet or flat pan to medium heat.
3. Combine sirloin, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Form hamburger meat into first-sized balls. Flatten the meat into thin patties (*think* Steak n' Shake thin) and grill to taste.
5. Top with desired garnish and condiments, and enjoy!



*NOTE: I didn't get the chance to take a nice-looking picture of the plated food before it was eaten!