St. Patricks Day Letter

8/2/2019 St. Patricks Day Letter

1/13

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2/13


SSSTTT. P. P. PATRICKATRICKATRICKSSS DDDAYAYAYSt. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the Saint's religious feast day andthe anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this dayas a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during

the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church inthe morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the

consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and

feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

St. Patrick's Day Around the World

Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick's Day, especially

throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North Americais home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in many otherlocations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day was traditionally been a religious

occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closedon March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a

national campaign to use interest in St. Patrick's Day to drive tourism andshowcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, nearly 1million people annually take part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a

multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productionsand fireworks shows.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional

St. Patrick's Day dish. In 2009, roughly 26.1billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion

pounds of cabbage were produced inthe United States.

Irish soda bread gets its name anddistinctive character from the use of

baking soda rather than yeast as a

leavening agent.

Lime green chrysanthemums are often

requested for St. Patrick's Day paradesand celebrations.


3/13


Shamrock the BlockSaturday, March 17

Annual St. Patricks Day festival for the young and hearty in Shockoe Bottom.

This is a drink-a-thon and a socializing event, first and foremost. Benefits SCAN. Noon

to 6 p.m. Free entry. Music starts at noon

Capital Ale HouseSaturday, March 17Each Capital Ale House location (Downtown, Innsbrook, and Midlothian) will be celebrating

St. Patricks Day in a different way. But all three will have over 10 different Irish and Scottish Ales

on tap and at least ten more in the bottle. Plus, theyll have an all new Irish menu for the day

featuring Irish goodies such as pub chips with curry mayonnaise, corned beef and cabbage,

pan seared flat iron steak on boxty cakes and a chocolate and Irish cream trifle.

Downtown:The celebration will take place in the Downtown Music HallDonnybrooks Band 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.The Havers 8 p.m. to close

St. Andrews Legion Pipe & Drums

Innsbrook:The celebration will be held in the restaurant and in the 3500 square-foot heated tent.

Uisce Beatha 2:30 p.m. & 6 p.m.8 p.m.The Havers 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Atkinsons 8:30 p.m. to closeSt. Andrews Legion Pipe & Drums

Midlothian:Tinkers Dam 5 p.m.7 p.m. & 9 p.m.11 p.m.St. Andrews Legion Pipe & Drums

OToolesFriday, March 16 & Saturday, March 17OTooles kicks off its St. Patricks Day festivities with an Irish wake on Friday starting at 4 p.m.

Lets just say things get rowdy. And fun. Festivities kick into high gear on Saturday starting at 1

a.m. with Irish bands, bagpipers, Irish dishes and food and drink specials. 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Church Hill Irish FestivalSaturday, March 24 & Sunday, March 25

The Church Hill Irish Festival packs several city blocks with Irish musicians, bagpipers, dancersand more for two days of festivities. Over 30 Irish vendors will be selling Irish crafts and jewelry.Plus, this festivalthough often jam-packedis kid-friendly with a large kids are featuringbounce houses, games and face-painting. The schedule is still being finalized, check their

website for updates. $2 donation suggested.

OPOPOPARTIESARTIESARTIES


4/13


IRISH TOASTSIRISH TOASTSIRISH TOASTS

I HAVEKNOWNMANY, LIKEDNOTAFEW, LOVEDONLYONE, I DRINKTOYOU.

MAYYOULIVEASLONGASYOUWANT, ANDNEVERWANTASLONGASYOULIVE.MAYTHEGRASSGROWLONGONTHEROADTOHELLFORWANTOFUSE.MAYYOULIVETOBEAHUNDREDYEARS, WITHONEEXTRAYEARTOREPENT.ASYOUSLIDEDOWNTHEBANISTERSOFLIFEMAYTHESPLINTERSNEVERPOINTTHEWRONGWAY.MAYYOURTROUBLESBEASFEWANDASFARAPARTASMY GRANDMOTHERSTEETH.MAYTHEROOFABOVEUSNEVERFALLIN, ANDMAYWEFRIENDSGATHEREDBELOWNEVERFALLOUT.

MAYTHEREBEAGENERATIONOFCHILDRENONTHECHILDRENOFYOURCHILDREN.MAYYOURNEIGHBORSRESPECTYOU, TROUBLENEGLECTYOU, THEANGELSPROTECTYOU, ANDHEAVENACCEPTYOU.MAYYOURPOCKETSBEHEAVYANDYOURHEARTBELIGHT, MAYGOODLUCKPURSUEYOUEACHMORNINGANDNIGHT.MAYTHESTRENGTHOFTHREEBEINYOURJOURNEY.INTHE NEW YEAR, MAYYOURRIGHTHANDALWAYSBESTRETCHEDOUTINFRIENDSHIPANDNEVERINWANT.HERE'STHATWEMAYALWAYSHAVEACLEANSHIRT, ACLEANCONSCIENCE, ANDAGUINEAINOURPOCKET.MAY I SEEYOUGREYANDCOMBINGYOURCHILDREN'SHAIR.MAYYOUDIEINBEDATNINETY-FIVEYEARS, SHOTBYAJEALOUSHUSBAND(ORWIFE).MAYYOURDOCTORNEVEREARNADOLLAROUTOFYOUANDMAYYOURHEARTNEVERGIVEOUT. MAYTHETENTOESOFYOURFEETSTEERYOUCLEAROFALLMISFOR-TUNE, ANDBEFOREYOU'REMUCHOLDER, MAYYOUHEARMUCHBETTERTOASTSTHANTHIS.MAYYOUHAVETHEHINDSIGHTTOKNOWWHEREYOU'VEBEEN, THEFORESIGHTTOKNOWWHEREYOU'REGOINGANDTHEINSIGHTTOKNOWWHENYOU'REGOINGTOO

FAR.MAYYOUBEPOORINMISFORTUNE, RICHINBLESSINGS, SLOWTOMAKEENEMIES,QUICKTOMAKEFRIENDS. BUTRICHORPOOR, QUICKORSLOW, MAYYOUKNOWNOTHINGBUTHAPPINESSFROMTHISDAYFOWARD.


5/13


DRINKING TOASTSDRINKING TOASTSDRINKING TOASTS

Here's to me, and here's to you,

And here's to love and laughter-I'll be true as long as you,

And not one moment after.

May your glass be ever full.May the roof over your head be always strong.

And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Here's to you and yours, and to mine and ours.

And if mine and ours ever come across to you and yours,I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours,

As mine and ours have done for you and yours!

When we drink, we get drunk.When we get drunk, we fall asleep.

When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.

So, let's all get drunk, and go to heaven!

Here's to our wives and girlfriends:

May they never meet!

IRISH PROVERBSIRISH PROVERBSIRISH PROVERBS

A drink precedes a story.Time is a great story teller.

A friend's eye is a good mirror.Even a small thorn causes festering.

Good as drink is, it ends in thirst.It is a long road that has no turning.

As the big hound is, so will the pup be.

A trade not properly learned is an enemy.Put silk on a goat, and it's still a goat.

When the liquor was gone the fun was gone.There is no fireside like your own fireside.

It is not a secret if it is known by three people.It takes time to build castles. Rome was not built in a day.

The man with the boots does not mind where he places his foot.

If you do not sow in the spring you will not reap in the autumn.

When a twig grows hard it is difficult to twist it. Every beginning is weak.


6/13


IIIRISHRISHRISH SSSODAODAODA BBBREADREADREADWITHWITHWITH RRRAISINSAISINSAISINS

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour5 tablespoons sugar, divided1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt3/4 teaspoon baking soda3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes1 cup buttermilk2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstickspray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and bak-ing soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in untilcoarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk.Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared panand flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkledough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes outclean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer torack. Serve warm or at room temperature.


7/13


IIIRISHRISHRISH BBBROWNROWNROWN BBBREADREADREAD

2 cups whole-wheat flour2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ2 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400F.

Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cream of tar-

tar in a large bowl until combined well. Blend in butter with a pastry blender oryour fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center and

add buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Gently knead on a floured surface,adding just enough more flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth,

about 3 minutes.

Transfer dough to cake pan and flatten to fill pan. With a sharp knife, cut an X(1/2 inch deep) across top of dough (5 inches long). Bake until loaf is lightly

browned and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool inpan on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool, right side up,

about 1 hour.

Cooks' notes:Bread can be served the day it is made, but it slices more

easily if kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 day.Leftoverbread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 4 days.


8/13


CCCORNEDORNEDORNED BBBEEFEEFEEFANDANDAND CCCABBAGEABBAGEABBAGE

5 pounds corned brisket of beef

6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices3 carrots, peeled and quartered

3 onions, peeled and quartered

1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut

in wedges

Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)

Place the corned beef in water to cover with the pepper-

corns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these oftencome packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or

kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or

until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour,

add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the

last 15 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and

vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the

melted butter. Serve with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked

separately.


9/13


CCCHAMPHAMPHAMP2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter1 bunch green onions, sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until very tender,

about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy smallsaucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Mix in green onions.Remove from heat. Cover and let steep while potatoes cook.

Drain potatoes thoroughly. Return potatoes to same pot andmash. Add cream mixture and stir until blended. Season to tastewith salt and pepper.(Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room tem-perature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring often.)


10/13


BBBEEFEEFEEFANDANDAND GGGUINNESSUINNESSUINNESS PPPIEIEIE

2 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste1 cup beef broth

1 cup Guinness or other Irish stout

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons drained brined green peppercorns, coarsely chopped

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Rough puff pastry dough

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

Special equipment: 4 (14-oz) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches wide) or similar-capacity

ovenproof dishes

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F. Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt,and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a

plate. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until justsmoking, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transfer-

ring to a bowl.

Add onion, garlic, and water to pot and cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot and

stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1

minute. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, pep-

percorns, and thyme and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Braise until beef is

very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard thyme and cool stew com-pletely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked

pastry top.)

Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and increase oven temperature to 425F.

Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won't be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightlyfloured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg

wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help

adhere. Brush pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to thoroughly

chill dough.

Bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20

minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.


11/13


IIIRISHRISHRISH CCCOFFEEOFFEEOFFEEThe origin of the Irish coffee is highly disputed. Although different varia-tions of coffee cocktails pre-dates the now classic Irish Coffee with atleast 100 years, the original Irish coffee was according to sources in-vented and named by Joe Sheridan, a head chef at Foynes, CountyLimerick but originally from Castlederg, County Tyrone. Foynes' port wasthe precursor to Shannon International Airport in the west of Ireland; thecoffee was conceived after a group of American passengersdisembarked from a Pan Am flying boat on a miserable winter eveningin the 1940s. Joe added whiskey to the coffee to warm the passengers.

After the passengers asked if they were being served Brazilian coffee,Joe told them it was Irish coffee.

1 Cup Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Shot Irish WhiskeyHeavy CreamSlightly Whipped

Directions:Fill mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pourpiping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the

brown sugar & stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish Whiskey. Topwith a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over backof spoon. Serve hot.


12/13


H e r e s s t r e n g t h t o y o u I n a l l y o u d o

M a y t h e d o l l a r g o s t r o n g A n d o u r l i v e s b e l o n g

1 0 0 y e a r s o f l u c k

A n d e a c h d a y s a v i n g a b u c k W i s h e s o f h a p p i n e s s a n d h e a l t h

w i t h R E / M A X C o m m o n w e a l t h


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St. Patricks Day Letter