Beef Stew

Irish cooking seems to be synonymous with two dishes -Corned Beef with Cabbage and Irish Stew. Yet, if you were to take a trip to Ireland, you would find that these dishes are rarely featured on a restaurant menu -- especially the former dish!

The truth be told, corned beef did not originate from Ireland - but dishes such as Bacon and cabbage do have their roots on the Emerald Isle and you might find them sharing your plate at a traditional Irish dinner.

Developed through decades of economic hardship and famine, traditional Irish cuisine incorporates the bare essentials to create simple food. The dishes served today are often display a more modern flair, adopting techniques and ingredients to cater to the well-heeled traveler.

Some of the traditional Irish dishes include:

Bacon and Cabbage - this is a common dish found through Ireland. The foundation of the dish is boiled bacon served up with potatoes and boiled cabbage. In times past, this dish was a mainstay for the Irish because the ingredients could easily be acquired by farming rather than marketing and the dish was nutritionally sound. Even today, the dish remains a common meal in many Irish households.

Irish Lamb Stew - is created from beef, mutton or lamb, but usually mutton because the flavor is more robust and the meat not so tender. The stew also uses onions, parsley, potatoes and carrots to create a hearty meal.

Soda Bread - throughout the ages has gained a bit of notoriety in Ireland. Wholemeal or white flour forms the base of the bread and may either be sweetened if whole meal is used or fried if the white flour is utilized instead.

Champ - consists of chopped spring onions blended with mashed potatoes, milk and butter while seasoned to taste with pepper and salt. The dish is one of simplicity and rather inexpensive to make.

Bangers and mash - actually has its origins in England but later became popular throughout Ireland. The dish consists of made flavored pork or beef sausages and mash potatoes. It is often served with onion gravy that is rich and savory. Another variation to the dish is serving it up with fried onions.

Boxty - refers to the potato pancake of Irish tradition. The dish is found mainly is the north midlands. There are a variety of recipes for this however, the common thread among the variations is raw potatoes that are finely gated and served up fried. The version most sought after today however incorporates flour with mashed potatoes, baking butter milk, baking soda and eggs.

Crubeens - refers to an Irish finger food of pigs feet doused in salt. The cuisine is either boiled or consumed with cabbage.

Once you understand the history of Ireland, you will more easily be able to recognize and appreciate Irish food. If you come across exotic ingredients and spices in a recipe that lays claims to being '"authentic Irish cuisine," you'll know better as such ingredients were rarely available.

To truly appreciate Irish food, just remember that most dishes are made with a bare minimum of ingredients. These simple foods are able to capture the essence of the Irish people. Each meal is a reflection of the country's history steeped in struggle and a testament to the will of the people to persevere against all odds.

If you live in Southern California, celebrate St Patrick's Day in Long Beach. You'll find plenty of Long Beach restaurants serving Irish food and drinks.

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In Germany, traditional German recipes play a great part during festivals and celebrations. The food and recipes differ according to the region and some foods are linked with the traditions and culture of Germany.

The most famous of German food is their sausages and sauerkraut. However, the different types and specialties differ from region to region and most of them are closely guarded secrets that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Beef Stew

Unfortunately however, traditional German recipes are at the risk of being forgotten due to the emergence of large supermarkets and food outlets where ready to eat popular German food such as sauerkraut dumplings, sauerbraten, etc. can be readily bought. Only a very few of the young generation of Germans know how to prepare traditional German recipes and unless the German art of cooking is revitalized, there is a great risk of the traditional German Recipes passing away into the realms of past and forgotten glories.

Germany is also reputed for its red meat; not only beef and pork but also for its very popular venison and rabbit as well as ham, salami and salted beef and of course the very famous German potato dumplings and other potato dishes that are traditionally consumed with meat.

Some of the more popular Traditional German Recipes are:

- German Frankfurters which are different from the American Frankfurter and is made with smoked pork and served with mustard.

- Sauerkraut is another traditional German recipe which is very popular and is made out of cabbage which is finely sliced and fermented. It can be eaten on its own or used as a part of a recipe.

- Bratwurst is a popular sausage which is prepared out of beef or pork and generally eaten with ketchup or mustard.

- Spatzle is a type of noodles made with flour, eggs and salt and cooked in boiling water and is eaten in the same way we eat noodles with beef, pork or other side dishes.

- Linsen, spätzle und saitenwürstle - This noodle like dish is cooked and eaten with frankfurter-style sausages.

- Kässpätzle - A lovely dish of spatzle which is mixed with grated cheese and fried onions, and baked.

- Gaisburger marsch is made according to a very traditional German recipe where beef stew, containing beef cubes, potatoes and spätzle are topped with onions which is then fried in butter.

For those with a sweet tooth, on top of the list of traditional German recipes is The German variation of our Black forest Gateau called - Schwarzwälder kirschtorte and is a chocolate layer cake sandwiched with whipped crème and cherries and decorated with more cherries and chocolate shavings or Stollen which is more a fruit bread which can be compared to Christmas cake and made with dried fruit.

With so much emphasis placed on food, there is always healthy rivalry between the locals of the region trying to prove that each has the best traditional German Recipes than the other. In order to ensure that the rich traditions of Germany are kept alive, the young must be taught the traditional German Recipes while German migrants should make an effort to teach traditional culinary recipes to their descendents.

During a recent visit to Adelaide in Australia, I was very fortunate in being able to visit a little German village called Handorf where the German heritage is zealously preserved. There were lots of quaint little shops that sold delicious food made according to traditional German Recipes and mouth watering marzipan chocolates, which prove that traditional German Recipes were still doing well in other parts of the world.

Traditional German Recipes

Tanik Nertt tries to buck the trend whenever he has the chance. Wearing classy, but different, clothing is just one way he enjoys being different. In his off time, Tanik has written a site with reviews of pink bow tie, as well as a review of mens bow ties.

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