Ya’ Wanna Get Lucky?
Posted March 15, 2011
By Julia McDonnell
Here are 4 Lucky Facts (Compliments of The Wildflower Bread Company – one of my favorite restaurants in Arizona!)
- Irish Soda Bread originated in Ireland in the mid 1800’s when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland.
- The first parade for St. Patrick’s Day occurred in New York City on March 17, 1762.
- 36.5 million U.S. residents claimed Irish ancestry in 2007, more than eight times the 4 million-plus population of Ireland itself.
- There are 4 towns in the U.S. named after a shamrock, the emblem of Ireland. They are Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va.; Shamrock, Tex.; Shamrock Lakes, Ind. and Shamrock, Okla.
You are even luckier this week if you are in Phoenix or one of the other towns sporting a Wildflower Bread Company , (see their locations link ): Irish Soda Bread is available.
Made with rich buttermilk in Original and Currant Caraway. Order online now for St. Patrick’s Day.
If you miss this special bread, don’t fret — You’ll get lucky with any one of the other breads! My favorite? Rosemary Sea Salt –oh yeah!
Since I’m one of the 36 million who claim Irish ancestry – I’m all for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, and what better way than with Good Food. (By the way – I always wondered about Irish Soda Bead – thanks for the info.)I’m looking forward to a big pot of corned beef and cabbage this weekend, and I’ll be “happy as a pig in mud” as my friend likes to say! (Did I hear somewhere that corned beef and cabbage is actually an American invention?)
Aren’t we all Irish on St Patrick’s Day? We all get to celebrate anyway…!!
According to this interesting article (with recipes!) from Epicurious.com, apparently corned beef and cabbage IS authentic Irish fixings! Also, enjoy the interesting insights (and recipe) for Irish Soda Bread: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/stpatricks/stpatricks?mbid=RF
Are you making Soda Bread? I really like a heavy dark pumpernickel with corned beef and cabbage but we are having soda bread this year for the first time with Irish Stew. I think we will all be ‘happy as pigs in mud’ tomorrow!
I’m making Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day!!! I need to shop for raisins or currants, caraway seeds, buttermilk… Found recipes online and it looks like it goes together quick and easy. The rest of our St. Patrick’s Day dinner will be a big green salad and cheddar-topped shepherd’s pie (with ground chuck). It’s an Irish-English-Scottish thing, right?
Let us know which recipe you use – or make up as you combine the others? Your menu sounds delicious too — so many ways to be Irish!!