Adapting Irish Traditions

Mar 7

Our founder playing a snare drum while marching up Fifth Avenue with the Manhattan University Bagpipe band in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.

While Italian food is one of our passions, as we have gushed about recently with Italian cuisine reaching UNESCO status, this time of the year, with St. Patrick’s Day looming, is when we think of and honor Irish traditions as well.

Irish food and recipes is what our founder, Sheila Donohue, grew up with, having parents proud of their 100% Irish heritage which they imparted on their 4 children. As our founder’s life, somewhat unexpectedly, veered off to Italy where she is still living after 25 years, the “new” Italian side of her has become predominant.

Although, having played in a bagpipe band for years, marching up 5th Avenue in New York City every Saint Patricks Day for years, when March 17th rolls around every year, there is a magic in the air for her, bringing back fond memories of her Irish heritage and the celebrations that ensue.

Leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, what was one thing all the Irish moms, grandmothers and aunties were doing?

Making their Irish Soda Breads.

While growing up in an Irish American family, almost the entire month of March you’d be eating Irish Soda bread. Every Irish American family has their own recipe: some are sweeter, made more as a dessert bread, while others are more salty, made with less sugar and practically the only sweetness coming from raisins.

Then, there is the super traditional, “real” Irish soda bread which is “Brown Bread.” This is what Sheila’s grandmother, who was born in Ireland, made. And when you go to Ireland, and sit at a pub, Irish Brown Bread is the one that they serve with your meal. Either way, both are soda breads, just different variations of the same recipe. Let’s explore more of this Irish tradition.

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Sheila Donohue’s brother rang her up last year to get the family recipe for Irish soda bread. Sheila got out the “archives” to find this hand written recipe she took down from her mother, a recipe that is practically memorized by her and her sisters.

Sheila’s mom, who was a working mother with 4 kids, looked for shortcuts in her recipes and preferred breads that didn’t require yeast, hence the beauty of soda breads. They are easy to make and really fill you up. In fact, her first trip to Ireland as a kid with her family, Sheila remembers eating entire meals of Irish soda bread with butter and tea with milk; in fact, Ireland is also known for their rich, fresh dairy products.

When Sheila’s sister came to visit her in Ventura California last year to celebrate her birthday last year, which is right after St. Patrick’s Day, Sheila decided on a menu which encompasses her Irish heritage and “adopted” Italian heritage: an Roman vegetarian soup with a side of Irish Brown Bread and Italian olive oil.

So, Sheila and her sister went about transforming the family recipe to an Irish brown bread recipe. The basic ingredients were the same, but instead of white flour, they used whole wheat flour, and substituted molasses instead of sugar, and didn’t add raisins and caraway seeds.

The experiment was a success! Nothing like having fresh, homemade bread, but even better when it is a special family recipe that is then made as part of a whole meal. The adaptation to mix in Italian and Irish food traditions worked. Irish brown bread with EVOO is delicious, and more healthy, alternative compared to butter. And it complimented the Italian soup recipe really well.

Other alternative toppings for Irish brown bread which mix Italian and Irish traditions is to spread on a hazelnut cream or try it with a savory hazelnut pesto spread.

Line Up The Accompaniments!

Put aside the butter and jam and get some really good Italian olive oil to dip into with your Irish brown bread. Or try some hazelnut spreads, from hazelnut creams to a pesto.

We specialize in finding farm made specialty foods, and wines too, from small producers in Italy and around the world. We sell to distributors, stores, restaurants as well as to wine lovers and foodies across the US with our online shop and gifts which we ship across the USA. Contact us today to find out who we can surprise and delight you!