In Irish folklore the raven was thought to be a messenger from the other world. Autumn is upon us. The leaves have gone gold and scarlet, night falls earlier, the air turns chill, and the season to plant crops won’t come again until spring. For our ancestors, it was time to breathe a sigh of relief that summer had produced a bountiful harvest and rejoice in that good fortune … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend
Edythe Preet
Sláinte! Eat Your Veggies
While most people think of Ireland as a nation of “meat and potato” eaters, vegetables and dairy products are also a vital part of the Irish diet. One of my favorite Irish proverbs concerns Ireland’s most famous vegetable: “Be eating one potato, peeling a second, have a third in your fist, and your eye on a fourth.” For me the adage implies: Always have a back-up … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Eat Your Veggies
Sláinte! Flower Power
The long days of summer are upon us, and gardens everywhere are in bloom. Admiring the pretty flowers will satisfy some, but Sláinte columnist, Edythe Preet, likes to eat her plants. Freshly picked salads from one’s own garden, even if only from a few container plantings, are one of the great gourmet pleasures. And nothing pretties a bowl of mixed greens like a confetti of … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Flower Power
Slainte! The Meat and Potatoes of Life
An Irish saying has it that “A dinner is not a dinner at all but only an excuse for one if it does not contain a plate of meat.” It’s a good bet that America’s penchant for “meat and potatoes” was cultivated by the immigrants who flocked here from Ireland, where meals built around meat have a long history. Tracing the tradition requires journeying back to the days of the High … [Read more...] about Slainte! The Meat and Potatoes of Life
Sláinte! Love Mór
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Edythe Preet gives us the story of Áine, the goddess of love, and star-crossed lovers – the warrior Diarmuid Ua and Gráinne, daughter of the High King Cormac mac Airt. Love. It makes the world go round, conquers all, and warps the mind. We are star-crossed by it, swept away by it, fall into it, and become fools for it. It can’t be … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Love Mór