Feasting Galore Irish-Style: Recipes and Food Lore from the Emerald Isle

Hippocrene Books is pleased to bring this classic cookbook, which was originally published in 1952, back into print for today's readers. Author Maura Laverty, a leading Irish playwright, novelist and culinary writer, beckons readers through the door of the traditional Irish kitchen, to the heart of the family's life. Each of the eleven chapters begins with an engaging anecdote that puts the food into its context-- whether it is prepared to celebrate an occasion, to welcome friends, or even to seduce! With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, these recipes will help the home chef create a rich, plentiful Irish feast. Among the 200 recipes are classics like "Irish Stew" and "Mince Pie," which Oliver Cromwell unsuccessfully attempted to ban because of its then-religious shape. Feasting Galore also features holiday specialties such as "Christmas Pudding" and Halloween delicacies, "Boxty," "Barmbrack," and "Colcannon," which contain paper-wrapped charms that foretell the future. And of course, no Irish cookbook would be complete without beverages-- Laverty offers a chapter entitled "Slainte" (Good Health), which includes homemade wines, liquers, and the perfect recipe for the famed "Gaelic Coffee."