luck of the Irish

In honor of St. Patrick's day, even though I am neither Irish nor Catholic, here are several reasons why we can appreciate the Irish:

• The Irish have an uncanny positive outlook on life despite circumstances in their life. Whether or not a "pint" has something to do with it, that spirit is something to celebrate!
• Green is an amazing color (my favorite), and their country is full of it
• They honor the integrity of the potato
• They have accents
• Some of the best music and literature was generated from Ireland (Geoffrey Keating, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, etc.) 

Today I googled. I've been curious where the phrase "luck of the Irish" generated. It seems there is no assured answer. Of the ones that I came across, I liked this one from Kelly V. of Ontario Canada the best:

"I had always thought that the 'Luck of the Irish' meant without the bad luck you had no luck at all, but over the years I have come to realize that the 'Luck of the Irish' really means to be lucky at heart, from the support that is given through strong friend and family relations. It sees us through the good times and holds us together through the rough times. That truly is the 'Pot of Gold' at the end of the rainbow."

While I don't hold any faith in luck, being lucky at heart is something we each have the power to control. I like that we can control how we react in situations depite the circumstances.

Also, to celebrate Ireland, here is a picture from Sean's first trip to his homeland, and the same picture post-processing that I did on Photoshop:

Here is a little treasured recipe that Sean makes (and made this week) from Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen. Today I will have some for lunch that he packed for me yesterday. 

Beef and Guinness stew
Serves 6 to 8

2 lb stewing beef
3 tbs oil
2 tbs flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic; crushed
2 tbs tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tbs water
1 1/4 cups Guinness
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
Sprig of thyme

Trim the meat of any fat or gristle, cut into cubes of 2 inches (5cm) and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture. 

Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato puree to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserrole, and pour some of the Guinness into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the carmelized meat juices on the pan. Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary. Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender-2 to 3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300 degrees. Taste and correct the seasoning. 

Scatter with lots of chopped parsley and serve. (This would be great on top of mashed potatoes or with a side of boiled potatoes).


Happy St. Patrick's Day!