One of summer's finest gifts is its long hours of sunshine. This is especially true the farther one travels from the equator where a midwinter's night is so long that only a few hours of pale gray twilight feebly light the day. Halfway around the seasonal wheel, the sun blazes forth in the same locale for nearly a whole 24-hour period. This phenomenon has a very scientific … [Read more...] about Sláinte: Summer Blessings
Recipes
Slainte! The History of Soup
Come fall, the days grow shorter, temperatures drop, and trees shed their leaves. Just as certainly, as soon as there's a chill in the air and a hint of winter weather creeps onto the scene, we all begin longing for what cookbook authors are fond of calling `comfort food.' For some folk, that's a hearty scoop of macaroni and cheese. Others pine for a plate of meatloaf and gravy … [Read more...] about Slainte! The History of Soup
Sláinte! Magic Mushrooms!
By Edythe Preet
June / July 1999
Of all the world's foods, those musky things known as mushrooms are the strangest. Some can be had free for the taking while others are delicacies that are worth their weight in gold. Of the 4,000 known species, most are inedible, some are tasty morsels, and a few are lethal poisons. Supermarkets stock mushrooms in the produce section, but they're not vegetables. And since they … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Magic Mushrooms!
Sláinte!: The Night of the Big Portion
By Edythe Preet
January/February 1995
In Ireland the last night of the year was called Oiche na Cada Moire, The Night of the Big Portion. It was common practice to have a big supper that night to ensure a full cupboard and plenty to eat in the twelve months to come. Of course, the custom dated back to a time when crop success meant the difference between feast and famine. Spells and incantations were invoked to … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: The Night of the Big Portion