Boating to St. Pat's Day

“What special delights are you doing for St. Pats Day,” We've been asking all our old haunts. Pukin' Pelican is roasting a 'drunk as paddy's pig' with Famine Potatoes and deep fried Cabbage. Sounds yummy!

Most everyone else is serving the 'traditional non-Irish meal.' The American Legion is serving Corned Beef and Cabbage to everyone with the price of admission as well as most other places. Boot Kicken is putting together the same but with green beer because they don't know better.

When the Irish emigrated to America they brought with them a love of potatoes and Pork. Only the most wealthy American Irish, and there were damned few, could afford Ham. So the new Americans adopted a meat popular with the, just as poor, Jews corned beef. Cabbage was added because it was easy to cook ans couldn't be overcooked. The Cabbage absorbed the flavor of the beef.

Any piece of beef could be corned or cured. Refrigeration was expensive and unreliable. The brisket was later adopted as the Jews and the Irish became more prosperous. After a few generations, the Irish all but forgot using pork or ham for their St. Patrick's Day Feasts. You would get a strange look from a restaurant owner in Galloway on that day if you ordered corned beef.

Of course different areas celebrate differently and I suspect the green beer came from Chicago because they turn a whole river green on St. Patrick's Day but you Fort Myers Beach tavern owners should be warned that the members of the 'Dead End Canal Yacht Club' take mighty unkindly to having their beer altered on ANY day. Your employees may truly wear the green!
This blog/column is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Do not read while operating a vehicle or heavy machinery. Keep sending those great questions and comments! (Contact) boatguied@aol.com

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