A. Catherine Noon here, sending you greetings from suddenly snow-bound Chicago in celebration of St. Paddy’s Day!  I hope you are warm and safe, wherever in the world you are.

I’m here to talk about something of vital importance:  food.  Specifically, dinner.  Well, a dinner entree.  Corned Beef.

Gom.

One of my favorite things in the world is corned beef.  I have a couple other Irish comestibles with which I’ll regale you, but for now, my focus is on the main dish for dinner.

And, oddly, corned beef has no corn in it.  So, I researched it.  According to the Kitchen Project, “The term “Corned” comes from putting meat in a large crock and covering it with large rock-salt kernels of salt that were referred to as ‘corns of salt.'”  (If you want to read up on it, check out the article, here.)  Interestingly enough, the part “and cabbage,” as in, “Corned Beef and Cabbage,” may in fact be unique to America.  There’s debate, according to the article, as to whether that’s traditionally Irish or not.  But for me, being a fourth-generation Irish American, corned beef is cemented in my mind as something quintessentially Irish.

Here’s the irony: my husband is the one in our family who makes it, even though he’s mostly Italian American.

Irony, thy name is love.

But now, Dear Reader, I ask you, for I’m on a quest: what are your favorite recipes for Irish entrees?

I’m always on the lookout for new foods to try.  And if you have a favorite method of making corned beef, please tell me.  I’d love to hear!

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