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| An Irish Cookbook written by and for home cooks |
It was kismet when Lauren of Sterling Epicure sent me a review copy of Irish Country Cooking from The Irish Countrywoman’s Association. You see, we’ll be heading to Ireland later this year.
The most interesting part of this cookbook is that each recipe comes from a home kitchen in Ireland. The Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) was founded in May 1910 with the aim of “improving the standard of life in rural Ireland through education and cooperative effort.” The recipes are far more continental than I expected, including dishes like “Pasta with Tomato and Vodka Sauce.” Although I tabbed several recipes to try, I wanted to make something that was traditionally Irish so I chose “Lickeen Colcannon” shared by Clare Ann Mcdonnell, Wicklow who “loves gardening and the country air.”
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| Fresh from the oven |
What exactly is Lickeen Colcannon? It’s a yummy baked potato dish made up of mashed potatoes, boiled cabbage, butter, onion, and cheese – that’s topped with bacon! I could seriously eat this at any meal. We served it for dinner with smoked pork chops but it would be great with eggs or any meat or fish dish. It’s light and thoroughly flavorful.
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| A really delicious dish to add to your regular rotation of potatoes! |
If you’re looking for a book of tried and true Irish home cooking recipes that you can make in your own kitchen, this is a wonderful book to try. It’s filled with photos and is well thought-out. This is the first such collection of Irish recipes to be published and you’re sure to find something to delight your palate! It’s available now from Barnes & Noble.
Never heard of this dish, but I LOVE IT! Sounds like a cookbook I could fall in love with! Thanks for your review, Susan!
Susan, Sounds like a fantastic cookbook! I’ll have to look for it, although I have several Irish cookbooks. If you have never been to Ireland before, you are in for a treat. The Irish people are warm and friendly, and are so happy to share their culture with you. We have been there twice and I absolutely love Ireland! Where will you be visiting? We stayed at the Adare Manner on one of our visits and it is fabulous!
Sounds fantastic, Susan! It reminds me of something we call “crack potatoes” – the recipes are very different but like crack, once you start you just want to lee going! 🙂 (Note: that comment comes from someone who has never tried anything along that line!)