Ann and I haven't typically celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the past, neither of us being of Irish heritage. My family is, however, of similar Celtic origin from across St. George's Channel in Wales where St. David is the relevant patron saint. Last year, we celebrated with Dyce at our house. We had planned to go to their house, but Rob was sick.
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| Corned Beef, Cabbage, Carrots, Potatoes, and Soda Bread |
This year, the four of us managed to get together at their house where we were able to get our dog fix. I must have thrown the ball for Lola five dozen times; that little dog might fetch a ball all day if someone were to indulge her.
In typical fashion, the guys outdid themselves with puff pastry twists to accompany Irish mules followed by a smoked Wagyu corned beef and all the usual accompaniments: cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.
They also scored a delicious loaf of soda bread from Village Baker, a loaf of a sort that I've never had before. This version was slightly sweet and flavored with caraway and the tiny raisins that people call currants. I think that this sort of Americanized soda bread is unknown in Ireland where mainly I have encountered unflavored wholemeal (whole wheat) bread with no sugar and no fruit.
The Irish mules (Tullamore Dew, lime, and ginger beer) were super refreshing on a quite warm day, our first really warm day of the spring, though it was too chilly to sit outside. We all remarked that we are surely due for a couple more snowstorms before spring truly is here, but the nice weather was a bonus. After the mules, we switched to a wine that we brought.
I was scratching my head about what wine to pair with corned beef and decided, because of the salty nature of said beef, the warm weather, and Dyce's preference for white wines, to go white. A little body and a hint of sweet fruitiness wouldn't hurt the pairing either.
I initially thought a drier Chenin Blanc or a Riesling, but then I remembered that we had some Walla Walla white the cooler. A white Bordeaux style wine, this Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend is rather heavier on Semillon than is typical of Bordeaux, lending the wine extra weight and fruitiness to hold up to the salty beef. I liked the pairing.
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| Irish Cheddar Puff Pastry Twists |
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| Refreshingly Delicious Irish Mules |
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| Whiskey, Lime, and Ginger Beer |
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| Stunning Hyacinths |
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| Rare Moment Where Lola was Almost Still |
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| Village Baker Soda Bread |
Thank you to Rob and Dyce for their always wonderful hospitality!
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