Preparation for St. Patrick's Day began March 1st. I make my own corned beef, so the brisket needs to sit in the brine for at least 2 weeks in advance of cooking. This isn't very difficult, though it does take up a lot of space in our refrigerator and is a bit messy. I think the most difficult thing about doing this every year is finding a non-reactive container to hold the 5.5 pound brisket and brining liquid. That's not easy! Next year I'll be a little more prepared for that.
The new element this year (other than the new house!) was Irish soda bread. So delicious, easy, and, as far as breads go, FAST! If I had more time, I would have loved to try my own rye bread. As some of you may know, I am a follower of Bread Baker's Apprentice, though I haven't been able to try as many bread formulas as I want to. If there were only more hours in the day! This time around, I cheated with a rustic rye from Pain Quotidien. That was one heavy bread!
A celebration involving meat and potatoes (and cabbage, of course) was the perfect way to break-in our new dining room furniture. Some of our closest friends joined us on the 17th for dinner, drinks and dessert. We're already looking forward to our 3rd annual event.
