Time passes and things change. As people migrate from nation to nation around the earth, they may leave the land of their birth behind, but their travel gear is packed chock full of tradition. No matter where the emigrants settle, customs and festivities that have weathered the test of time find a new home as well. Sometimes the celebration is adopted whole and intact. One … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Goddess Meets Groundhog
Slainte
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! 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! 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