The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Spring is on the way, some planting has started, the trees are budding.

I’ve already had a round of daffodils and hyacinths bloom.

Deirdre Tollakson and her daughter Ellie came by the Gazette to visit with me about Ireland and Irish food. Deirdre ought to know, being a native Dubliner who came to America about six years ago.

Deirdre met and married our local stone sculptor Alan Tollakson, and since he “can’t take the real cold” of the British Isles, Deirdre made the move here. They have two daughters, Anya, 6 and Ellie, the toddler. Alan most recently sculpted the “We the People” piece for our sesquicentennial and is currently working on an obelisk for the East Side public park.

I asked Deirdre about her adjustment to American life. She happens to be a massage therapist with 14 years of experience, so she was able to find work immediately. 

“The drive-through banks are quite novel,” she said. “You just wouldn’t do that back home.

“And all the food is different, even brand foods such as Kellogg’s corn flakes. You buy the box, but what’s inside is not what I was eating in Ireland!”

She misses the fish and chips shops, too. She said, “They’re like pizza places here. Every corner has a fish and chips and that’s all they do!”

Deirdre says the choices we have in the store are overwhelming. In Ireland, when she would go to the store and buy butter — there was just butter, not like here where there is “salted,” “unsalted,” “sweet cream,” “canola” and so on.

“Kansas is two and a half times the size of Ireland,” Deirdre said. “Whereas Ireland’s population is twice that of Kansas.”

According to the 2007 census, 2,775,997 lived in Kansas and 4,156,119 lived in Ireland. She said you can drive from one end of the island to the other in six hours — wow! So you can go from seashore to mountains in two or three — quite the varied terrain and fairly well settled, then.

And why not? Ireland has been a going concern since the Stone Age. The High King Brian Boru defeated the Viking hordes around the year 1,000. Even though, they say, the Pope gave the King of England dominion over Ireland in 1155 (a document that may have been forged), it took close to 30 years before they could manage a majority control. Thus began centuries of religious and political conflict between Ireland, Scotland and England which continues today, and such a flux of intermingling, it’s fairly difficult for anyone from the British Isles to declare they are free of any genetic influence from any one group. Therefore, I have decided we all have a little Irish in us. Congratulations!

Deirdre brought some cookbooks — her dad sends her quaint, historical recipe pamphlets all the time of traditional Irish dishes. She pointed out several that I will save for future use, but for now here are a few “real deal” recipes.

This recipe, according to the pamphlet, is traditionally served at Halloween, and contains charms: a ring for marriage, a horseshoe for luck, a coin for riches, and a thimble or button for bachelor or bachelorettehood. Just like a King Cake during Mardi Gras, I guess you would chew gingerly until all the charms had been found.

In the past it was made with kale, but nowadays we use cabbage. Deirdre says to be sure and use leeks — substitutions will significantly alter the flavor. Heavy whipping cream or half-and-half will stand for the cream.

COLCANNON

1 lb. cabbage, shredded

1 lb. potatoes, peeled, quartered

2 leeks, trimmed and chopped

1/4 pint creamy milk or single cream

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of mace

4 oz. butter, melted

Boil the cabbage and potatoes in separate saucepans until cooked. Meanwhile, chop the leeks, add to the milk and simmer together in a pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain the cabbage and potatoes very well. Mash the potatoes, stir in the leeks and milk, and then add the shredded cabbage, seasoning and mace. Combine very well, turn out into a deep serving dish and heat thoroughly in the oven. Cover with kitchen foil to prevent browning, if necessary.

Make a well in the mixture before serving and pour in the melted butter. Serve each portion of Colcannon with an additional spoonful of butter. (I wonder if that would be a normal tablespoon, or the serving spoon itself — yikes!).

VVV

“Pratie is slang for potato in Ireland and these potato oatcakes are a popular tea time treat in County Antrim.”

PRATIE OATEN

1 lb. cooked, well-mashed potatoes

8 oz. fine oatmeal

Salt and pepper

Milk

Mix together well the potatoes, oatmeal and seasoning in a bowl, then add sufficient milk to form a soft, dough-like consistency. Turn out onto a surface lightly dusted with oatmeal and roll out until about 1 inch thick, then cut into triangles. Heat an ungreased griddle or frying pan and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden. Serve hot with butter.

VVV

“Named after the patron saint of Ireland, these little iced cakes were traditionally baked in three-cornered tins to represent shamrocks.”

ST. PATRICK’S CAKES

4 oz. butter

4 oz. caster sugar

2 eggs

4 oz. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

White glacé icing

Green food coloring

Set oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy. Beat the eggs in a bowl set over a pan of warm water, then stir into the butter a little at a time. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold in. Place about 12 paper cake cases into tartlet tins and divide the mixture between them.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until cakes are well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Reserving a little of the icing, coat the cakes with the remainder and allow to set. Color the remaining icing green, place in an icing bag and pipe a small shamrock in the center of each cake.

Many thanks to Deirdre and Ellie for coming by and sharing food as well as experiences about the Emerald Isle!

VVV

I have been doing a bit of research on the Irish in Emporia. There was W.T. Soden, who built the mill and donated the grove to the town. There were at least two prominent judges by the name of McCarty, a honest-to-goodness wild west sheriff named D.P. Cowan, and a beloved traffic cop by name of Charlie O’Brien — not to mention the current crop of McLaughlins, Bradys, Gilligans and Murphys (of course).

Brenda Lavington, who has been such a great help on all my “Irish in Emporia” research, also has a tasty Irish recipe to share. It’s like a super-duper version of mashed potatoes. Make sure all the ingredients are hot, combine them in a big pot and maybe dot with a little butter when you dish it up.

BRENDA’S CHAMP

1/2 cup minced onions, shallots or

leeks

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs. mashed potatoes

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 cup green peas, cooked (optional)

Cabbage, shredded, cooked, from

1/2 cup to 2 cups

Milk to preference, 1/2 cup to 1/4

cup

Sauté the onions and garlic together in a small skillet. Combine the potatoes, onions, garlic, parsley peas and cabbage and mix together with just enough milk to make a creamy texture. Serve hot.

VVV

Heather Lake, RN, BSN, and EC (excellent cook), has a friend in Ireland — another Deirdre!

Deirdre O’Neill lives in Cobh. Heather writes: “We met when we started being pen pals when we were both 13! So that means we have known each other 17 years now! She first came to Kansas when she was 15.

“She has been here five or six times, I think, and I have been there three times, the last time being this summer when the whole family went. She was also a maid of honor in my wedding!”

Let’s hear it for the Power of the Pen Pal. And the power of cabbage, of course.

Heather’s Irish bacon and cabbage

Heather says: “Americans often eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty’s day, but that is not a traditional dish in Ireland. In Ireland, the standard dish is bacon and cabbage. Bacon is different in Ireland than it is in America. It is a cut of pork that is not normally sold in the US. To replicate it here you need to take a nice piece of center loin and generously coat it with a dry rub of salt, sugar and black pepper.

“During a search on the Internet, I found some recipes using other cuts of pork to replicate the bacon, but this was the suggestion of an American friend of mine who is married to an Irishman. Leave in the fridge for a couple of days, then cover it with water and let it sit for another day.

“When you are ready to cook the pork, rinse it and put it in a pot with just enough water to cover. Bring this slowly to a simmer and then let it cook gently for a couple of hours until cooked through (approximately 30 minuntes per pound). For cabbage — Cut cabbage into quarters and add to pot. Cook gently for about 30 minutes or until cabbage is cooked to your liking. (Don’t over do it!)”

IRISH SODA BREAD

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

14 oz. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a cake pan. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and lightly knead. Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough. Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes. The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped. Cover the bread in a tea towel to keep it moist.

HEATHER’S IRISH

COFFEE

3 oz. hot, strong coffee

Sugar to taste

1 oz. of Irish whiskey

Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Pour coffee into mug. Add sugar to taste. Pour in whiskey. Top with whip cream. The Irish recommend pouring the cream over the back of a spoon so that it floats on top.

What a wonderful collection of food! Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone, see you at the parade Saturday (and at the Gazette Pub Crawl Tuesday).

Next week we’re doing cakes. After that, how about a whole grain primer? Do you cook with whole grains like quinoa, barley or bulgur? Send me a recipe at 517 Merchant St., or murphysmenu@yahoo.com. Let’s Get Cooking!