By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer

Of all the Catholic saints, St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, is one of the most well known. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world. It’s been said that everyone is Irish on this day. If you want to celebrate, but don’t want to attend the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade downtown, or visit your local pub for some green beer, you may want to have a special dinner. Here are a few Irish recipes that you may want to consider.

Irish Creme
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1/2 C. milk
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. chocolate syrup
1 T. instant coffee granules
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Irish whiskey (optional)
In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. Store in the refrigerator. To serve, combine a half cup of brewed coffee with a 1/3 cup Irish cream. Heat mixture in a microwave if desired.

Potato Soup
6 medium potatoes
2 medium onions
6 C. chicken stock or 3 cups milk and 3 cups water
1 T. butter
Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel and dice the potatoes and chop the onions. Melt the butter and gently cook the onions and potatoes in a covered saucepan until soft but not colored. Add the liquid, adjust the seasoning to taste

Corned Beef and Cabbage
5 lb. piece of corned beef
1 large cabbage
bay leaf
2 large onions
Cold water to cover
2 large carrots
Ground black pepper
4 potatoes
Quarter the cabbage and put aside. Peel and slice the other vegetables. Cover the meat with the water and bring to the boil. Skim the surface, add the vegetables (except the cabbage), the bay leaf and the pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for another 30 minutes, then serve.

Irish Stew
1/3 C. plus 1 T. all-purpose flour, divided
1-1/2 Lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 T. olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 C. reduced-sodium beef broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. water
Dredge meat in 1/3 cup flour to coat. In large pot, brown lamb in oil until browned. Add garlic and cook one minute, then add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook until carrots are tender. Stir in peas; cook 5-10 minutes longer, then add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Combine remaining flour with water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Dublin Coddle
1 lb. sausages
1/2 lb. Piece of bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 C. ham stock or water
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 medium onions, skinned and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to the boil in a medium saucepan which has a well-fitting lid, add the sausage and the bacon and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages and bacon and save the liquid. Cut each sausage into four or five pieces. Assemble a layer of potatoes in the saucepan, followed by a layer of onions and then half the sausages and bacon. Repeat the process once more and then finish off with a layer of potatoes. Pour the reserved stock over and season lightly to taste. Cover and simmer gently for about an hour.

Champ
8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 C. milk
5 T. butter
2 C. green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash slightly. In a small pan, heat milk and butter until butter is melted. Add green onions. Fold mixture into the potatoes until well blended. Potatoes will be still be somewhat lumpy. Season with salt and pepper.

Porter Cake
1 C. porter (type of dark Irish beer)
1 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
3 C. mixed dried fruit (equal quantities currants, raisins, sultanas)
3 C. lemon and orange peel
4 C. plain flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. mixed spice
Grated rind from one small lemon
3 medium eggs
Melt the butter and sugar in the porter in a saucepan. Add the fruit and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool completely, then add the sifted flour, baking soda, spices and lemon rind. Beat the eggs and mix in with a wooden spoon. Pour into a greased and lined 9 inch/ 25 cm cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven at gas mark 3, 325°F, 160°C for about 1 3/4 hours. To test the cake, push a skewer into the centre; if ready, the skewer will come out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin.

An Irish Breakfast
(not for the faint of heart)
Start off with a bowl of real oatmeal, cooked with milk and served with added cream. Follow that with bacon, sausage, eggs, black and white pudding (a savory mix of items with which you shouldn’t ask), mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, scones, brown bread, fresh preserves, butter and, of course, a pot of tea.
Fry the sausages, as well as the bacon, until completely cooked. Remove and then fry the black and white pudding. Drain off the fat, then fry a few eggs in the fat, which is spooned over the yolks, until set. Then fry mushrooms and half a tomato.

For each person gently fry two sausages over a low heat until well cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Also fry a couple of slices each of black and white pudding. Remove from the pan and keep hot. Drain off the fat, as it is somewhat indigestible, and fry two rashers of bacon, having first cut off the rind. Now fry a couple of eggs in the bacon fat, spooning the hot fat over the yolks to set them. Fry a few mushrooms, and half a tomato. In the mean time, warm up a can of baked vegetarian beans. Serve. (You can find black and white pudding at some area Irish import stores)