St. Paddy's Day Celebrations

Hi-Ho Nesters!!!
I know it's been awhile, but, I'm back with a special, beef lover's, St. Patrick's Day Special!!!

Fun times started over the weekend.

My Irish blood was boiling, so we decided to make it a culinary celebration!

Saturday it was a traditional boiled Irish supper.

We got to boiling some Chuck Steak in the slow cooker with: Guinness, Peppercorns, and a few Bay Leaves...


Later we added Potatoes, Cabbage, and Carrots. Mmmm....

But, the best was saved for the actual night of St. Patrick's Day.
addROC made a ridiculous Guinness marinated steak.
Which was cooked to perfection.



Then, we moved on to a traditional Irish treat that is so delectable and delightful, that its consumption with a beverage like Guinness or Jameson is ABSOLUTELY necessary, and really, just plain common sense.

The One...The Only....


IRISH SODA BREAD!!!!

We ate, drank, and were oh-so-very-merry.
Just as St. Paddy would have wanted it himself.

Cheers to the Irish!
Erin Go Bragh!!!

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

My mother gave both addROC and I gift certificates to the hot new kitchen store in SoHo, Sur La Table.

Naturally, addROC and I went apeshit.

After going to the store twice, contemplating this and that, checking out the SILPATS and bar spoons...we got a few very choice items.

addROC's favorite: The Cast Iron Skillet.

While, at first, this little toy just reminded me of cowboy eggs and French people, I've found that I've become quite fond of this heavy-ass pan.

So, when addROC made chili, we had to make cornbread. Off I went, mixing up the dry ingredients, like so:


Then, the wet ingredients:


And then, POP, into the oven, pan and all!

So fun, right? A pan, that goes in the oven and doesn't melt?!
And, it produced this gem-of-a-hunk-of cornbread:


Holla!

Now, all's I need is to make cowboy eggs and to find some French people to enjoy them with me!

But, for now, cornbread will have to do.