Regular readers have probably deduced I'm a boomer – a member of that generation born after WWII when the troops came home. Along with more than one hundred thousand other Americans, my Da spent the war years in Australia. In 1942 with Australian forces off fighting for England and Pearl Harbor a fresh victory, Japan advanced on Australia, intending to use it as a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Irish Eats Down Under
Slainte Archives
Sláinte! A Drop o’ the Crature
By Edythe Preet
April / May 2000
As all those who read this column know, my Da loved being Irish. He sang all the songs, craved potatoes and strawberries, and cooked huge breakfasts every Saturday morning. He loved words, mesmerized people with his seanachie storytelling and had merry blue eyes that always seemed to be twinkling over some private joke. He was fiercely patriotic and prone to religious debating. … [Read more...] about Sláinte! A Drop o’ the Crature
Sláinte: Sleeping with the Tiger
By Edythe Preet
February / March 2000
Tiger, tiger, burning bright..." William Blake's line springs to mind whenever I think of Ireland these days. Like some wondrous illustration magically bounding from a page in the Book of Kells, the tiny nation in the northern sea has suddenly leaped into action as a vital player in the European market. On both sides of the wide Atlantic, headlines blare the news: The Celtic … [Read more...] about Sláinte: Sleeping with the Tiger
Sláinte! Milk: The Other White Meat
By Edythe Preet
August / September 1999
Recently, I wandered into a used bookstore and was stopped in my tracks by a volume sitting on a table by the door -- a copy of the first cookbook I ever owned. It wasn't a fancy collection of gourmet recipes, just a child's Golden Book. The publishing date read 1950; I had been 3 years old. A price of $45.00 wits penciled on the flyleaf (about 20 times more than its original … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Milk: The Other White Meat
Sláinte! New Wave Greens: Ireland’s Sea Weeds
By Edythe Preet
January / February 1998
Seawater and seaweed baths, known as thalassotherapy, are famous for their therapeutic benefits, and have long been popular in Ireland. Greek and Roman records from the first century BC mention herbal medicines and cosmetic preparations made with seaweed. Modern preparations include soaps, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and even packets of powdered seaweed that … [Read more...] about Sláinte! New Wave Greens: Ireland’s Sea Weeds