Top 7 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Food
March 16, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Portland
• 0 Comments
Top 7 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Food
Somehow everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. It seems memories of a distant ancestor from Ireland begin to surface this month each year, hence, it’s time to celebrate! We all welcome an occasion to party and in the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has become just that. The tradition, however, began with the annual feasting day celebrated in Ireland for the patron saints. This year, celebrate however you like…as long as it involves eating, drinking and being merry. You’ll be amazed by the many ways you can celebrate with food and drink and even more importantly, by the lack of need for any special culinary techniques to enjoy them!
Dye food green
Okay, so we all know that we are supposed to go crazy about everything green for St. Patty’s Day. Well what if you want to eat something that normally doesn’t come in that color? Simple – just dye it that way. Baking cookies and decorating them with green frosting is a great option that is both tasty and festive.
Enjoy naturally green foods
If you want to take another step out of the process, simply chow down on foods that are green already. Think about it – you come across these things every day! Broccoli, salad, green apples…these are not only green but healthy too!
Drink green beer
This is perhaps the easiest holiday drink you can imagine. It really is what it sounds like! Take your favorite light beer, add green food coloring and there you have it – the perfect green beer. Yes it really is that simple! This is one culinary technique you will have no problem mastering and it’s perfect for entertaining!
Make a potato pancake or shepherd’s pie
If you would rather leave the green food coloring behind and get down to some authentic Irish traditional cuisine, try making a dish like potato pancakes or shepherd’s pie. If you are entertaining, these are great for a vegetarian option. If you are also entertaining those who eat meat, you can simply make two shepherd’s pies and just add meat to one of them!
Make a beer ice cream float
Remember how much you loved root beer floats as a kid? Now picture that same wonderful taste – but with real beer! If you feel like being super festive, then start with green beer as the main ingredient, if you are more concerned with flavor than style, try a pumpkin porter or a stout for a heavier taste.
Head to the St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Food is in no shortage at the Portland St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival! Party with your friends, enjoy traditional Irish dancing, music and Irish pub food! This annual event takes place in March! Just think, if you are exploring culinary options at the nearby Le Cordon Bleu Portland, this is practically your backyard!
Have a “green-theme” party
Don’t feel like dealing with the crowds or paying a cover? You’re not alone! Throw your own “green-theme” party. Plan ahead so that your friends have not made other plans and have a potluck with traditional Irish food and your other naturally and artificially green favorites!
Many people have so much fun cooking and planning for holidays like St. Patrick’s Day that they want to take this passion to career opportunities. If you enjoy learning culinary techniques and live in the Portland area, check out Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Atrts in Portland. As the industry leader, Le Cordon Bleu is one of the leading places to receive an education from professional chef instructors. Give it a shot, when it comes to learning key culinary fundamentals and techniques, maybe you’ll have the luck of the Irish!
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.
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