“May the luck of the Irish be with you.”
St. Patrick’s Day is finally here! Hurray for wearing green, shamrocks, happy hours throughout the city and for the awesome food prepared on this global holiday.
In case ye have no plans for tonight, please allow me to suggest things you could do to have a good time:
1. If you don’t feel like driving somewhere, you could prepare the following drink and meal for your family, friends and co-workers.
Cocktail: Dancing Leprechaun
Ingredients:
45 ml Irish whisky
20 ml Drambuie
20 ml fresh lemon juice
Ginger ale
Directions:
1. Shake whisky, liqueur and juice with ice.
2. Strain into highball with ice cubes and fill with ginger ale.
3. Add a twist of lemon.
Recipe and Photo taken from scienceofdrink.com
Main Course: Bangers and Mash
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh veal or chicken sausages (8 large sausages)
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced
4 ounces creme fraiche
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons whole-grain or coarse mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the sausages in one layer on the baking rack. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the sausages are just cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Add the butter, creme fraiche, milk, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dry mustard, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper and beat the potatoes in the pan with a handheld mixer on low speed until very smooth and creamy.
4. To serve, mound a generous portion of potatoes on a dinner plate and top with sausages that have been cut in half diagonally. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Courtesy of Ina Garten. Recipe and photo taken from foodnetwork.com
Dessert: Green Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 package (2-layer size) German chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 bottle McCormick® Green Food Color
3 eggs
2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, sour cream, water, cocoa powder, oil, food color, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
2. Pour batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Decorate with chocolate, sprinkles or fruit!
Recipe taken from McCormick.com
2. If are looking for some fun outside of your town (which is what I recommend if you want to minimize the chances of running into someone you know), you could never go wrong with bar hopping in Los Angeles. The constant moving will make it more difficult to run into people you know. Well, at least in theory…you decide!
Suggestion:
Tom Bergin is hosting its 79th St. Patrick’s Day Celebration where they will be throwing an indoor and outdoor bash all day long! If you’re interested in listening to a live band, a DJ spinning popular tunes from a stage, eating Irish grub or finding nice dinner specials on corned beef, grilled cheese and friend chicken with cabbage slaw, then there are no excuses why you shouldn’t come to L.A. and celebrate.
Keep in mind that this is just one place and that there are lots of Irish pubs in the greater LA area. Here is a list of the most popular Irish pubs.
3. If you don’t feel like cooking and want to go out, then you’re in luck because Finish Line Sports Grill is hosting its own St. Patrick’s Day feast. Guests who visit will enjoy plenty of drink and food specials all day long.
Regardless of what you decide to do today, just remember to have fun and to set your alarm for tomorrow morning! You don’t want to be late for work! Cheers and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
How will you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Tell us in the comments below!
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