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| Memo No. 1996 March 12, 2007 |
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
I don't know of any ethnic holiday in America that garners more attention from Irish and non-Irish than St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. I've been to Ireland twice with daughter Mary Ann. It was the only place outside of this continent that my mother expressed an interest in visiting but she was afraid to fly. I can handle flying better than Mother did but have had a fear of swimming in water over my head my entire life. So the trips were not without moments of anxiety about flying over the Atlantic, a body of water WAY over my head! But my pride in being part Irish and visiting my roots won out over any fear of water I might have had.
Ireland is a beautiful country and I would return again if I had an opportunity. Of course I was interested in their supermarkets and food. I had the mistaken idea that corned beef and cabbage was the national dish. Not so, I was told. "It's an American thing," people said. I was impressed with the fact that they did not overcook vegetables. Salmon as well as lamb are popular entrees. They raise a lot of sheep to eat and for the wool they can shear.
So even if it's not the national dish of Ireland, a lot of us will be serving corned beef and cabbage to our families on the 17th. Chief and Ray's oblige with special prices on these foods this week.
Shopping for a good piece of corned beef is not hard to do. First, look at the ends. I want to see lean meat with a thin layer of fat on top. Turn the package over. Here again, pick a piece that's lean-looking, not fatty. To cook, bring meat, juice and spices to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered until fork tender. Sometimes I do put a glaze on the top and put the meat under the broiler to brown lightly but more often we have what I call a boiled dinner, adding whole potatoes, wedges of cabbage and whole carrots to the broth before meat is done. For a little more color I sprinkle chopped parsley on top of meat and vegetables before serving.
They say there are 40 shades of green in Ireland not to mention the green shamrock. I cannot say for sure if there are exactly 40 shades but looking at an Irish countryside, I did see a lot of green that wasn't the same color. Could this be the reason green desserts are served or that the Chicago River is died green or that some beer drinkers like it green on the 17th? I can't say for sure but it does sound feasible.
If you're in a green mood, here are two suggestions from Hershey and Betty Crocker.
IRISH CHCOLATE MINT DESSERT
Bars:
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) + 6 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
- 1 cup all-purpose flour :
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Mint Cream Center:
- 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
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- 4 drops green food coloring;
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup Hershey's Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350 ¡F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Place 1 cup (2 sticks) butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in granulated sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat well. Add cocoa, flour and baking powder; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare Mint Cream Center by combining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, water, mint extract and food coloring. Beat until smooth. Divide and spread ob brownies. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Prepare Chocolate Glaze by placing remaining 6 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly; pour over chilled brownies. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Recipe makes 24 servings.
Source: Hershey recipe.
GRASSHOPPER BARS
Bars:
- 1 pouch Betty Crocker (1 lb 1.5-ounce) double chocolate chunk cookie mix
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 egg
Frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
- 3 to 4 drops green food coloring
Glaze:
- 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray bottom of 13x9x2-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir all Bar ingredients until soft dough forms. Press into pan; bake 15 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes.
In large bowl, stir all Frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread over bars.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave all Glaze ingredients on HIGH 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Drizzle over frosting. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator. Recipe makes 36 bars (150 calories per bar).
Source: BettyCrocker.com |
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