We recently stayed Spring Hill Suites in Scranton, PA on our way to Boston. They had the nicest Irish lady, Karen, working the breakfast bar, and I had the most delightful conversations with her about Irish food. If you are in Scranton, I recommend you stay there just to meet her. She will make your day.
Karen opened my eyes as I learned that everything I learned from my Dad (who always claimed to be half Irish) about Irish food was not Irish food. We had boiled corned beef and cabbage, boiled potatoes, corned beef hash, and other foods he claimed were Irish. Karen flatly stated no one would have the smell of boiling cabbage indoors.
Karen and I discussed
traditional Irish foods. Boy, did I learn a lot. SPOILER ALERT: you are going to be seeing me cook some wonderful Irish dishes on this Blog.
Here are the three key take aways:
1. “Fried” means cooked in a frying pan, not deep fried.
2. Puddings are not made by Jello; they are cooked items that are steamed or boiled.
3. Cabbage is, as she said, a Polish item, not Irish. Potatoes are served with most meals.
If you’re an Irish cook, let me know your thoughts.
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