Annual Saint Patrick's Day Thread

[AFS1970]

On 3/12 I will be in DC for Shamrock Fest, which is where I first heard about XMTS. I am scheduled to work on 3/17 so I may not be able to do much celebrating but if I do, I know of several bands playing around the area at pubs and will probably find the least crowded area to check out one of the bands I know.

[CDNSushi]

I'll be wearing my Irish Saffron to the local, where they serve Guinness and Kilkenny... Can't do much else as it falls on a Thursday...

[Lallans]

I'll be wearing my Irish Saffron to the local, where they serve Guinness and Kilkenny... Can't do much else as it falls on a Thursday...

I guess it has to be asked: What is the name of "the local" in Kofu?

[robdog1701]

My wife and I are taking 30 middleschoolers and some parents to New York City for the week (spring break) of St. Patrick's. I plan on spending the day and evening kilted in the Big Apple. I'll add pict when we return.

[Lallans]

As a quiet personal celebration, I make the family lamb stew and am continually, but mostly unsucessfully, working on producing an edible soda bread to go with it. If anyone has a good recipe for that... (one complication is that Canadian wheat is much harder [or as we would say, 'of higher quality'] than most of the rest of the world, esp including the UK and USA where 'most all soda bread recipies originate).

[Riverkilt]

Hope everyone has a great time! Just a friendly reminder - traditionally St. Patrick's Day is the number one day of the year for DUI arrests.

Don't think folks plan on having so much fun and overdo it a bit. Enjoy, but pay attention.

[Drac]

As a quiet personal celebration, I make the family lamb stew and am continually, but mostly unsucessfully, working on producing an edible soda bread to go with it. If anyone has a good recipe for that....

While not soda you might like this -

Beer Bread
3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounce bottle of Shiner Bock
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F
2. Butter a cake pan (equipment change, original recipe used a loaf pan) and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and beer and mix well. The mixture should be sticky. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. At last 3 minutes of baking, remove from oven, brush the top of the loaf with the butter and return to oven.

Note - If you don't keep self-rising flour (like me biggrin) you ca do like I do and make it. Instead, use 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder.

Most recipes call for cheap beer but that didn't make sense to me so I started experimenting with different beers. I noticed that the ales and stouts seemed to give the most flavor. My wife and I ended up on deciding on Shiner Bock as the best for our taste. It's a Texas verity for those outside the state. I've gotten good feed back on other such as Guinness. Chocolate stout also works well.

The change in pan gives more surface area for a crust. When combined with the higher sugar you get a great caramelized crust for a lot of flavor. Great hot but my wife enjoys it for breakfast the next two mornings, typically with apple slices.





Jim

[CDNSushi]

I guess it has to be asked: What is the name of "the local" in Kofu?

One DOES wonder... There are a few good places. The first is a place called "The Rink." (As in: skating rink). It was started many years ago by a Canadian ex-pat.... So I suppose you could call it a Canadian pub. Many NHL hockey-themed decorations adorn the walls, they got good food (but by no means "Canadian" as such, though it's not Japanese either). The atmosphere is pretty decent, and after years of going there, the owner knows us by name.

Another place in town is called: "The Vault" (<-- heh... doesn't EVERY city have a bar called that?) But anyway, it's a very large subterranean bar owner by a longtime Ozzie resident. He has a zillion beers on tap, and a zillion more in bottles.

Finally, we have an upper-scale place called the Four Hearts Café. It specializes exclusively in Japanese micro-brews on tap. Pricey as hell but there are some VERY tasty local microbrews to be had. Some months ago when I was invited to join the "Yamanashi Good Beer Club" I had a chance to meet the brewmaster at a local microbrewery. He's won some impressive awards, including a bronze medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup for their Rauch Bock (smoked beer). http://www.fuji-net.co.jp/beer/ (Sorry, link is in Japanese only).

Anyhoo.... I digress... There is no shortage of good beer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day over here and I'm definitely looking forward to it!

[Fitzy]

As a quiet personal celebration, I make the family lamb stew and am continually, but mostly unsucessfully, working on producing an edible soda bread to go with it. If anyone has a good recipe for that... (one complication is that Canadian wheat is much harder [or as we would say, 'of higher quality'] than most of the rest of the world, esp including the UK and USA where 'most all soda bread recipies originate).

I'm no cook, and I was surprised how well this Irish soda bread turned out. Even good when I bake it in my 108 year old coal kitchen range.

Here's the link to the Betty Crocker page,

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/...ead&pi=1&mr=20

Paul

[Bugbear]

Wow... I just realized this will be my fourth Saint Patrick's Day here at X Marks.
I doubt I'll be doing anything significant.