IRISH EATERY & PUB

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Being raised in a traditional Irish American home meant lots of potatoes, bread with every meal, and of course Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner on Saint Patrick’s Day!  It’s a great meal to make because it all goes in one pot! When I was young, my mom cooked the meal in a pressure cooker. Today we have it much easier. Throw everything in a crockpot and the meal cooks itself! And for dessert – Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake! Follow the simple recipes below and have a wonderful Saint Patty’s Day from the Delayed Reaction Lounge!

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet

1 quart water

10 small red potatoes, wash thoroughly

5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Place corned beef in large crock pot, fat side up and cover with about 1 quart of water.
Perforate the spice packet that came with the corned beef and place on top. Place potatoes
around the meat and top with cut cabbage. Make sure meat and potatoes are totally covered
with water.P Cook on LOW for 10 hours. When done, place vegetables in a bowl and
cover. Place meat on a platter and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice meat across the grain. Serve
with spicy mustard. 5 servings

Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs,
confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat

into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set
aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at
medium speed until well blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after
each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed.
Pour filling over baked crust.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F, and
continue baking for 60 minutes.
With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Chill
before serving. If your cake cracks, a helpful tip is to dampen a spatula and smooth the
top, then sprinkle with some chocolate wafer.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow this link to friend us on FaceBook

See the writers and friends comment & interact, as well as get post updates via status post!

Click here to like our fan page:

Follow Us on TWITTER at D_layedReaction

NEW TO DRL? CONNECT WITH US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER

Follow this link to friend us on FaceBook

See the writers and friends comment & interact, as well as get post updates via status post!

Click here to like our fan page:

Follow Us on TWITTER at D_layedReaction

THE ART OF AFTERNOON TEA

 Marion Pellicano Ambrose

It was Merry Monarch, Charles II who made tea drinking popular after his Portuguese bride arrived in London with a large chest of tea as part of her dowry. It quickly became the fashion at court and then, as now, what was the rage with the royals became widely popular throughout the nation.

 It wasn’t, however, until 1840 that having a cup of tea became a full-blown ceremony involving cakes and treats, prompted by ‘that sinking feeling’ so often experienced by so many in the middle of the afternoon, when lunch was long ago and dinner is still distant. When this afflicted Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, all those years ago, she broke with convention and asked her staff to bring not just tea to her boudoir, but some bread, butter and cake with it. Understandably, this became a hard habit to break, so she introduced it to her society friends, and before long her idea became an institution.

 And so it remains to this day. It may not involve all the items considered correct for an Edwardian afternoon tea – bread and butter, five kinds of sandwich, oyster vol au vents, chicken cutlets, two creams, four jellies, an ice, and a claret cup – but formal afternoon tea is still a lavish treat, and much Edwardian etiquette remains.

Many of London’s finest establishments observe proper protocol and serve afternoon tea in the traditional manner, and there are no signs of its popularity waning. The Ritz advises booking 12 weeks ahead, and offers perhaps the best sense of Edwardian London, serving 17 types of tea, delicate sandwiches and delectable cakes in the ornate surroundings of The Palm Court.

 As usual, Americans find something wonderful and make it even better! In the US you can enjoy traditional afternoon tea, but it can be themed, served in many designs of tea pots and tea sets, and the assortment of sweets and savories are endless. Still, to have a proper afternoon tea, there should be scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and finger sized tarts and cakes. Clotted cream, lemon curd and jam should be served as well. I enjoy adding mini quiche to my tea menu.

Presenting and enjoying afternoon tea is truly an art, and is a custom I believe everyone should adopt.

“Another novelty is the tea-party, an extraordinary meal in that, being offered to persons that have already dined well, it supposes neither appetite nor thirst, and has no object but distraction, no basis but delicate enjoyment.” ~Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

"THE HOBBIT, THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY" TAKES US BACK TO MIDDLE EARTH!

 Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Get ready to return to Middle Earth! The new trailer for the upcoming movie “The Hobbit, The Unexpected Joutney”, based on the book by JRR Tolkein, was released yesterday. The story of The Hobbit will be divided into two movies , the first being released next December (yes, one whole year from now!)

“The Hobbit” was the “must read” book when I was in college back in 19XX! Everyone was reading it, talking about it, analyzing its themes. It was first published in September of 1937 (and no, that’s NOT when I read it!)

According to Wikipedia: Set in a time "Between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men", The Hobbit follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory. The story is told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific creature, or type of creature, of Tolkien's Wilderland. By accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous side of his nature (the "Tookish" side) and applying his wits and common sense, Bilbo develops a new level of maturity, competence and wisdom. The story reaches its climax in the Battle of Five Armies, where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict.

Themes of personal growth and forms of heroism figure in the story. Along with conflict, these themes lead critics to cite Tolkien's own experiences, and those of other writers who fought in World War I, as instrumental in shaping the story. The author's scholarly knowledge of Anglo-Saxon literature and interest in fairy tales are also often noted as influences. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit)

The new film is the prequel to the popular “Lord of the Rings” movie and many of the characters/stars will return in the new Hobbit movie. Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) make appearances in the trailer, but we'll have to wait to see Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee).
I know many people are looking forward to this film with great anticipation. It may be a year before the release, but at least we now have a trailer to take a sneak peak!