Updated St. Patrick's Day Classics

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 17 March 2010

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

A former colleague of mine and her daughter once decided to create an entire green menu -- the colour, not the concept. Green ham served alongside green mashed potatoes, green beans, green butter spread on green buns, all washed down with green milk. They must have had stock in green food colouring. Unfortunately, just looking at all that green food left them feeling a tad green. Forget the food colouring, check out this menu of updated Irish classics -- corned beef and cabbage. Prepare the corned beef recipe the day before you need it. The next day, set it to a simmer and re-heat it while you whip up the cole slaw. By the way, the term 'corned' has nothing at all to do with that juicy summer vegetable that we enjoy eating off the cob. It actually refers to the coarse grains of salt used in the curing process. One can, however, enjoy corned beef with a side of grilled cornbread.

Montreal may be able to lay claim to hosting Canada's longest running parade (since 1759), but most cities across the country have organized some kind of party. Otherwise, drop by an Irish pub for a corned beef sandwich and a pint of Guinness. Be sure to take a look at your local newspapers to find out exact dates and times for any St. Paddy's Day parties in your city.

Meanwhile, give this delicious menu a try.