St. Patrick's Day Archives - Lights On Bright No Brakes

MONTEREY, STEINBECK & HUMPBACK WHALES

Mary + by | Mar 17, 2017 | Breads, CookTheBookFridays, General Post, LIGHTS ON BRIGHT NO BRAKES, St. Patrick's Day, Uncategorized

Mrs. Frings’ Irish Soda Bread

This week’s post, falling on March 17th, was shaping up so nicely. Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a time even for Irish wannabes to make merry. Take advantage of this holiday to laugh and be spontaneously rambunctious. I dare you. Erin Go Bragh.

Also worth sharing, my recent 5-day trip to Monterey, a coastal city located in the northern part of California’s Central Coast. I have a whale of a tale to tell. (FYI, the whales were Humpbacks.)

Now here’s when my post veers off-track. In homage to the mischief making-leprechauns amongst us, I made Sweet Paul’s Mrs. Frings’ Irish Soda Bread. Memo to self: Bake this more than once a year. My Cook-the-Book-Friday’s recipe this week is David Lebovitz’s Caramel Pork Ribs. With those ribs I decided to try Crispy Salt-And-Vinegar Potatoes, a delicious choice.

Located in Castroville, California, the Artichoke Capital of the World, family-owned Pezzini Farms has produced Heirloom Golden Globe artichokes for over 80 years.

David Lebovitz’s Travers de Porc au Caramel flopped. (I decided I’m less embarrassed to fail in French than English.) It was painful to toss out 3 pounds of pork ribs. Plus, while making the caramelized sauce in my dutch oven, I burned my arm three times. Being a glutton for punishment, I’m posting a photo of the ribs. This recipe didn’t work for me. I hope my CTBF’s blogging buddies can save me.

The unsuccessful ribs visiting with the successful Fingerling Potato Chips.

Monterey trip. Check. Irish soda bread. Check. Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes. Check. Caramel Pork Ribs. Fail. I’m at 75% this week. Lame.

FIELD TRIP: WHALES, MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM & STEINBECK

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is arguably the most gorgeous scenic drive in America. If I’m headed north out of Cambria, it’s the road I travel. Not this year. In the storm-battered Big Sur area, due to the collapse of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge to the north and eroding landslides to the south, the highway has been closed indefinitely. While economically devastating to so many, I was still able to leave early one beautiful morning to drive the longer US 101 route to Monterey.

There are almost 12,650 acres of strawberries planted in Monterey County.

The acclaimed Monterey Bay Aquarium was my first stop. Although I planned to spend the day at the Aquarium, with Time and Spontaneity being my friends, I still spent the first ten minutes putting together my day’s schedule. (I really don’t do “spontaneity” well.)

A staff member at the Aquarium suggested I go to The Fish Hopper on Cannery Row for my lunch break.

By day’s end, because I had been simpatico with my wristwatch, I managed to enjoy all four auditorium films, watch five feeding sessions and visit the exhibits in a leisurely manner. Exceeded my expectations.

John Steinbeck’s beautiful boyhood Victorian home in Salinas. It was built in 1897 in the Queen Anne style. I had lunch in the dining room’s restaurant.

The next day I drove to the 90-mile long Salinas Valley, located 25 miles from Monterey, to spend the morning on a fascinating agricultural tour with Evan Oakes of Ag Venture Tours. The valley, affectionally called “America’s Salad Bowl”, produces 59% of our country’s lettuce, 53%, broccoli, and is the state’s #1 producer of many of the 43 fruits and vegetables grown there. Oakes let me personalize the tour with my choosing to visit small producers rather than big boys, like Dole, Driscoll and Earthbound Farm. Would go again.

by Oprah.com

In the afternoon I went to Salinas and walked in the footsteps of author John Steinbeck who was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize (The Grapes of Wrath) and Nobel Prize in Literature (1962). After visiting his home and having lunch in the dining room’s restaurant, I spent the afternoon at the National Steinbeck Center. Not enough time.

Our Naturalist on board the Elkhorn Slough Safari said we had encountered 78 Southern Sea Otters. Also called California Sea Otters, these otters may be cute but they aren’t cuddly!

The next two days I spent at Moss Landing, a quirky fishing village located 18 miles from Monterey. I took a nature trip into the unique Elkhorn Slough seeing, among many things, 78 Southern Sea Otters. I also took a pelagic trip and saw humpback whales, always a thrill, and a black footed albatross. The albatross, which circled our boat three different times, was a Life Bird for me. This pelagic trip was a time when I didn’t want the camera to get in front of the experience, so no photos. More whale trips planned.

Named for American marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson, this former supply vessel was acquired by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in 2011. Located at Moss Landing, founded by David Packard and funded by his foundation, MBARI is doing phenomenal work in understanding our oceans. The Rachel Carson is equipped with the most sophisticated exploring tools and equipment. It was exciting to learn about and to actually see this vessel. Science in Action.

A perfect trip. No glitches. Best of all, sunshine.

“May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long.” Irish Blessing

Mrs. Frings’ Irish Soda Bread from Sweet Paul by Staffer, Paul Vitale

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of butter (8 TBS) at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. raisins
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Caraway seeds (optional)
1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Mix butter into dry mixture by hand until clumps disappear.
3. Slowly add in the buttermilk by hand until you can form one big clump of dough.
4. Place in 8 or 9 inch round, springform, or cast iron pan that’s been coated with butter and flour.
5. Bake until deep golden brown at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes, checking at the 40 minute mark. (My soda bread took 45 minutes.)
6. Remove from oven, place on rack and drape with damp cloth until cool.
7. Slice and enjoy with Irish butter!

TIP: I love the taste of caraway, but not in my soda bread!
TIP: If you wish and to make your bread sweeter, top with sparkling white decorating sugar before popping it into the oven. (After Step 4.) It is coarse-grained and will not melt. It’s available from King Arthur’s, Michael’s, where Wilton products are sold, or Amazon.) I did not use it.

Crispy Salt-And-Vinegar Potatoes, Bon Appétit. Adapted for the Kitchn by Gina Eykemans

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved, quartered if large, OR fingerling potatoes, halved
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more if necessary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Covered with olive oil and ready for the oven, I was not a fan of the purple fingerlings but only because they didn’t look appetizing to me.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine potatoes, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 1”.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Mix the potatoes in a bowl with olive oil until generously coated. Evenly spread the potatoes out onto the prepared baking sheet. Salt the potatoes.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, broil the potatoes until crispy, stirring every five minutes to ensure that they don’t burn. Allow them to crisp up to your liking — this might take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Once they are crispy, remove them from the oven. Drizzle lightly with remaining 1-2 Tbsp. vinegar.
7. Season with flaky sea salt salt and sprinkle with chives.
8. Serve immediately.

TIP: Although I used variously colored fingerling potatoes, stick with the lightly-skinned variety which are better-looking eye candy. .

MY PARIS KITCHEN KISSES THE BLARNEY STONE

Mary + by | Mar 16, 2016 | Breads, Breakfasts, CookTheBookFridays, General Post, LIGHTS ON BRIGHT NO BRAKES, Main Dishes, Meats, St. Patrick's Day, Uncategorized

IRISH SODA BREAD

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Gotta be honest. I’ve not a smidgen of blood – red cells, white cells, platelets, or plasma – that runs Irish. I’m pretty sure David Lebovitz, an American living in Paris and author of My Paris Kitchen, is not Irish either. This week, however, CookTheBookFridays, our international crew cooking its way through his new cookbook, salutes our Emerald Isle brethren with his Carbonade Flamande, a hearty Belgian Beef Stew with Beer and Spice Bread.

BELGIAN BEEF STEW with BEER and SPICE BREAD

Although it may border on blasphemy to tout a Belgian stew today, David’s recipe is unique and worthy of this holiday. His Pain d’Épices, a delicious addition, is addictive. Following a LightsonBright tradition, I’m sharing my 2016 version of Irish Soda Bread. No crumbs remain.

PAIN d’ÉPICES, Honey-Spice Bread

I’m a woman of few words today. My post is simply a photo flurry. Go green, be joyous, everybody’s Irish today. Can’t we all agree on that? Let’s have some fun. You deserve it.

A FOGGY DAY on the CENTRAL COAST of CALIFORNIA

David describes Carbonade Flamande (his Belgian Beef Stew with Beer and Spice Bread) as a ‘well-seasoned beef dish’ with its main ingredients being ‘beer, beef, spice and bacon.’ This stew is unlike any I’ve ever tasted due to the addition of beer, of course, but also Pain d’Épices slathered with Dijon mustard.

Every great stew needs onions in abundance. Peel. Slice. Dice.

After first browning the beef chunks, followed by adding onions and bacon to soften and cook, transfer the mixture to a bowl.

After adding beer, water and spices, the meat mixture is returned to the Dutch oven, spices are added and it’s left to simmer for an hour.

After a meal of Carbonade Flamande served with mashed potatoes. rice or pasta, it may be naptime.

Mr. California Sea Otter

The headliner of this stew, for me, is the classic Pain d’Épices, a chewy, dense honey-spice bread (or, cake). For taste purposes, it’s a cousin to gingerbread. This recipe, at the end of the post, earned the #1 berth on my new hostess gift list. One batter batch makes two 8” x 3 3/4” loaves.

Get to know this exquisite Pain d’Epices. Try toast, making croutons, using spreads like cream cheese or jams or serving with ice cream. The French serve it with Foie Gras. An acquired taste, perhaps.

It’s a joy to spot the threatened Snowy Plover during breeding season. Although their numbers are depleted (These pictures demonstrate Why.), the state of Cali ropes off beach nesting areas to protect these little guys. (We bird lovers thank you, California.)

The Snowy Plover sits on her nest.

Even though I was quite a distance from the plovers, they did not like me and left their nests. I quickly left and they returned to duty.

Every year I choose a different Irish Soda bread recipe to bake for SPDay. This March I revisited a decade-old recipe of the Barefoot Contessa’s. Don’t forget to slash an X into the dough to either 1) ward off the devil; 2) bless the bread; or 3) let heat penetrate into the thickest part of the bread. Your choice.

Irish Soda Bread dough

Last year I borrowed Sweet Paul’s recipe, totally different from Ina’s but delectable as well. You’ll find his recipe here.

Sweet Paul’s Irish Soda Bread (2015 photo)

RECIPES

Shamrocks (thank you, Trader Joe’s) and Seaglass, Shells and Moonstones collected from the public beaches.

PAIN d’EPICES (Honey-Spice Bread) from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon whole or ground anise seed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Heat the honey, brown sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan until it begins to boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Let cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, anise, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk.

5. Stir half the honey mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, then the rest of the honey mixture, stirring until smooth. (If any bits of flour remain, whisk the batter briefly to break them up and incorporate them.)

6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a knife, then tip the cake out onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely. If possible, wait a day before slicing. Pain d’Epices will keep for at least 1 week at room temperature, if well wrapped. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

David Lebovitz also has an excellent post on Pain d’Epices here.

IRISH SODA BREAD From Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten, 2006.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

3. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

5. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TIP: I never use grated orange zest when baking this bread. I sometimes add a teaspoon of caraway seeds. Since I could not find currants, I used raisins but prefer currants.

Our group can only reprint My Paris Kitchen’s recipe if they are already on the Web. If you wish the stew recipe, please e-mail me. Cook The Book Fridays is an international group cooking its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s newest cookbook. To visit our link or join us, go here.