Now the We have Sprung. . .

Sprung forward and lost an hour of sleep. There was some grumbling until I realized how much I love longer afternoons. Which I find sweet because there is more time to just do stuff. And while we all readjust, we have St. Patrick’s Day to look forward to. Now I know I am a bit early but I feel that this day—this awesome Irish holiday—is important and needs two weeks of attention. Just to cover the history, folklore, fun, and traditions alone will take some time—not including the recipes! So start wearing green early, keep a look out of what is going on around town and check out these traditionally Irish recipes (Personally, I can’t wait for the Apple's to Grumpy's parade!) Blog source: www.history.com

Irish Soda Bread

It is a 'traditional' Irish bread because it is cheap and easy and everyone could make it without yeast. Even when there was famine.

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 pint sour cream

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream and raisins and mix until just combined. Distribute batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake loaves at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

This is the traditional ‘St Pat’s Day’ meal.Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century. Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

5 pounds corned brisket of beef

6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices


3 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 peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come 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. (The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew instead of other liquid.)

Steak and Guiness Pie

Cooks' note:
 Stew (without pastry) can be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using. Special equipment: 4 (14-oz) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches wide) or similar-capacity ovenproof dishes.

2 lb boneless round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces


2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon black pepper


1 tablespoons vegetable oil


2 large onion, coarsely chopped


2 garlic cloves, chopped


3 tablespoons water


5 slices of bacon

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste


1 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


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 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. Brown the bacon in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat. If there are enough drippings to brown the meat, begin—if not, add oil and heat until just smoking, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transferring 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. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, 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 completely, 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 425°F. Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won't be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured 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 400°F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.

The love of the Irish

The First Parade

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

The Chicago River

Chicago is also famous for a somewhat peculiar annual event: dyeing the Chicago River green. The tradition started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only forty pounds of dye are used, making the river green for only several hours.

Wearing of the Green Goes Global

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia. In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Les Le Laissez Bon Temps Rouler

Or, as they say in Louisiana “Les Le Laissez Bon Temps Rouler.” And this Mardi Gras season, the good times are rolling and so are the parades. Being from southern Louisiana, I can honestly say that Mardi Gras is a time, a holiday season, an event – one that you live through, enjoy, and work to survive. I love it, miss it, and forever wish I was in Louisiana during Fat Tuesday. Being a veteran of such a party, I feel that a survival guide is needed for anyone attempting to celebrate it here in snow country. So if you are in the spirit this week–or weekend (hello, Marley in the Mountains!), please use the following information to keep you hydrated, fed, and feeling good.

 

The Must Haves

Each and every one of the following has saved my life, and my Mardi Gras:

(*please note:this list has been adapted for altitude and snow.)

A beanie (for so many reasons…In Louisiana, this would be bandana—and, really, you may want one of those too, for so many other reasons)


A Costume. For Fat Tuesday (if not prepared, grab any sheet—toga!!!)


Sunglasses and sunscreen


A down parka or windbreaker (Mountain weather is slightly unpredictable . . . just as Louisiana weather can be—if down South bring an umbrella or rain parka )


Some hand warmers or foot warmers. (See weather explanation above)


Snacks—Doritos, pretzels, sweets, anything that is munchies.


A koozie (keep your drink cold, your hand warm)


Water 
(hydration while at altitude is essential, hydration while drinking at altitude is elemental)

Excedrin. (Or what we call, Candy. Painkiller plus caffeine—the end all be all do all of over-the-counter get rid of the fog and ready for the day kinda candy.)


A camera—can’t forget watching your friends make fools of themselves (or relations doing the same—and the images are always fun later around the table at Christmas)


A cooler with wheels (read: easy to transport and walk down parade routes) to hold the following:



• beers


• Ice (both to keep the beers cold and to make drinks)


• Vodka


• Tequila


• Gin


• Bourbon


• OJ (because it mixes with everything and you get some Vitamin C—very needed. Lets just say very needed.)


• Peach Schnapps (to mix with the OJ and vodka. Be warned. This can be fatal)


• And type of cola—for the bourbon



• Anything and everything to make Bloody Marys (the olives double as snacks)

Tip. DO NOT ATTEMPT to make white russians. Milk is not a good idea at Mardi Gras. I will just share my infinite wisdom here, and not the story.

What to know:

Every single burger place (or fried chicken establishment) in the vicinity. This is necessary to cure the morning hangover. Vitamin G— Grease and carbs—is often the only way to make it through Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Make sure the restaurant of your choice has cheese and bacon.

These are the WRV Locales:

Grumpy’s (860 Warm Springs Road, Ketchum)

Lefty’s (231 Sixth Street, Ketchum)

Mahoney’s (104 S Main Street, Bellevue)

Cowboy Cocina (1st St. Meriwether Building, Hailey)

The Wicked Spud (305 N Main Street, Hailey)

And since I am in Idaho and not New Orleans, I am going to surround myself with friends, let the good times roll, and celebrate Fat Tuesday! Do the same!—stay home and listen to some tunes, or head out and around town and check out what is going on in the Valley. If y’all hear anything or can add – please post

Tuesday, February 24th: What I have heard around town

Sun Valley Brewery

drinks, happy hour, and a band

Mardi Gras Party 6p.m.-9p.m. Damphools start at 7:30.  Special New Orleans drink menu

three•TEN•main

special southern menu, get a reservation, and enjoy!

And if you DO make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, follow the following Do’s and Do Nots.

For your food fix:

Port Of Call (838 Esplanade Ave)


Yo Mama’s (727 St. Peter—dude. Bacon Peanutbutter Burger. Need I say more? I shouldn't have to.)

Do write down where you are staying. The hotel name. A phone number. Do not think you are above this.


Be nice.


Have fun.


Remember to eat.

Do not—as a local—under any circumstances flash for beads. There are many reasons for this rule. The most important being, when you wake up with a pile of beads and a faint recollection of nudity—you might feel cheap. And nobody likes that.


Do not go to central lock-up (the jail)—it is not a vacation and your mom might not bail you out.

The Presidential Palate

The 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. Washington’s Birthday. And to celebrate both with a day off work—Presidents' Day. But what about all the other leaders of our nation whose names never get mentioned for this holiday? I find myself thinking of them as I anticipate my three-day weekend and I wonder why their great contributions are not celebrated. To remedy this grave injustice of American history, this year, I am going to specifically celebrate William H. Taft (1909-1913).

I chose Taft for a number of reasons. I like his name. He was the largest president ever elected (standing 6’2” and more than 300 pounds). He is credited with starting the “first pitch” tradition in baseball. He got stuck in a bathtub and had a new one installed in the White House that was 7 feet long. He is the only person to have served as both President of the U.S. and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Taft liked milk so much that he brought his own cows to the White House. One cow’s name was Pauline. Taft had a sweet mustache. And finally—back to baseball—he allegedly inspired the 7th inning stretch during the game at which he initiated the first pitch by standing and stretching during the 7th inning. The rest of the crowd reverently followed suit and the 7th inning stretch was born.

HOW MORE AMERICAN CAN YOU GET? All Washington did was cut down a cherry tree while Taft and his wife Nellie planted the Japanese cherry blossoms that D.C. celebrates every spring. So I say “Go Taft!” on this President’s Day. And I hope you will join me in celebrating those that history has overlooked. Pick Polk, Harrison, Fillmore, or Buchanan, and give them the love. And just for kicks—I am posting some presidential favorites and fun facts.

Turtle Soup

This was President Taft’s favorite dish and since 2009 is the year of William Taft (as proclaimed by us here at yum!), we will start there. (James Garfield loves squirrel soup—but even though I am from Louisiana—I am not down with that). This is Chef John Folse’s Creole Turtle Soup. Prep time: 2 Hours: Serves: 12.

This soup may be made with equal success using alligator, ox tail or any other soup meat. The use of grated eggs in this recipe is a carryover from when we used the fresh turtle eggs in the dish.

3 pounds cleaned snapping turtle

2 onions, quartered

1 stick celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

2 gallons beef stock

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups flour

4 cups diced onions

2 cups diced celery

1 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 cup tomato sauce

4 quarts reserved beef stock

2 whole bay leaves

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp allspice

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of mace

Pinch of cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup Heinz Chow Chow

1/2 cup Madeira wine

3 boiled eggs, grated

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

In a 3-gallon stock pot, combine turtle with beef stock or water, quarter onions, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until turtle is falling apart, 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Strain and reserve 1 gallon of stock. Discard vegetables and coarsely chopped turtle meat.

In a two-gallon stock pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add flour and using a wire whisk, stir constantly until roux is golden brown. Do not scorch. Should black specks appear, discard and begin again. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté three to five minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add tomato sauce blending well into the roux mixture. Add beef stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until soup-like consistency is achieved. Additional stock may be needed during cooking to maintain consistency. Add turtle, bay leaf and season to taste with thyme, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and cloves. Add lemon juice and Chow Chow, bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately one to one and a half hours or until soup has developed its great flavor. Season to taste using salt and pepper. When ready to serve garnish with a tablespoon of Madeira wine and a tablespoon grated boiled eggs per serving.

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Random I know—but pancakes are listed as at least five presidents' favorites: Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Calvin Coolidge, FDR, and LBJ. And who doesn’t love pancakes? I can't remember where this recipe originated as it has slowly morphed into perfection. Knowing me, it was Self Magazine as these have healthier wheat flour. prep 10 minutes, cook 10-15 minutes

cooking spray

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 ripe bananas

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

syrup—I like maple. good Vermont maple syrup.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, mix well with a fork and set aside. In a large bowl or food processor, mash bananas until mushy. Add milk, egg, and vanilla and mix or process until blended. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix until just blended (tiny lumps will appear). Ladle about 3-4 tablespoons of the batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Top each with 1-2 tablespoons of blueberries. When bubbles appear around the edges of pancakes, after about 2-3 minutes, flip and cook one minute. Transfer pancakes to a warm plate and keep warm in a 250 degree F oven while you cook remaining pancakes. Serve pancakes with syrup.

Bacon Margherita Pizza

Celebrate Obama. The Main Man likes the margherita pizza from Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Chicago’s Hyde Park. I love the margherita but feel that bacon makes everything better. I dig the pig (and did I mention I worked at Piggly Wiggly in high school? Oh yeah. Yes, you can.).

12" prepared pizza dough (I like to get the frozen Pillsbury kind, roll it out and cook it for about 5 minutes to pre-bake)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, separated and crushed

4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup of basil leaves, chopped

6 strips of cooked bacon, chopped

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (this can be substituted for part skim mozzarella or any pizza cheese)

4 ounces whole milk buffalo mozzarella, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of salt - I use creole seasoning

Follow the directions for the dough and while your it is pre-baking, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tomatoes, one garlic clove, and salt and let marinate. When dough is a bit firm (about 5 minutes), lightly brush with remaining olive oil and gruyere cheese, top with tomatoes, bacon, and mozzarella and bake for 3-5 more minutes, until crust is golden and mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven and top with basil. Slice. Serve.