-
Get a “Flavor Hit” of Spring With this Asparagus Recipe
Imported asparagus spears are available all year round, but there’s nothing to beat the flavor and texture of those locally grown in its short spring season: in Ireland, traditionally beginning on April 23 and ending on Midsummer Day. Although its delicate flavor and seasonality make it highly desirable in the kitchen, asparagus is much more than just a pretty vegetable: it’s long been recognized as a good source of dietary fiber and is high in […] Read More
-
“Foster” … a Quiet Tour de Force
“Foster,” a novella by Irish writer Claire Keegan, set in rural Ireland, was the inspiration for the award-winning movie “The Quiet Girl”—in Irish, “An Cailín Ciúin,” a 2022 Irish coming of age drama written and directed by Colm Bairead in his feature film debut. Keegan’s novella is narrated through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl. She is one of many siblings in a household with few amenities and another baby on the way, with an overwhelmed mother and a somewhat disinterested father. […] Read More
-
Love’s Labors Won: The Philadelphia Fleadh
Photo: Chrissy and CJ Mills, Fleadh organizers. Photographer: Tom Keenan The Philadelphia Fleadh—a one-day extravaganza of Celtic rock bands and trad muscians—has become so well known worldwide that organizer CJ Mills gets dozens of requests from international bands asking to perform. He always says no. Is this man crazy? Not really. He’s just a real hometown guy. “All of our bands are local,” says Mills who has played fiddle with several bands in the area. “They’re […] Read More
-
Book Review and Commentary: The Letters of Scott Fitzgerald
The Letters of Scott Fitzgerald, Edited by Andrew Turnbull, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963 Reading the letters of F Scott Fitzgerald is like eavesdropping on a private conversation as the unseen listener, where nothing is censored except a reference here and there to an individual that might offend. Fitzgerald’s letters offer a highly intimate unguarded glimpse into his personal life and relationships and reveal his deep bond with his only child his daughter “Scottie,” whom he sometimes addresses […] Read More
-
You Know You Love Them!
I assume I speak for anyone reading this page that potatoes are your favorite side! I grew up loving potatoes, but when I first visited Ireland in 1984 I was surprised to find not one but possibly two or three types of potatoes offered with my meals. And guess what, I think I ate them all! In my newest cookbook, Delicious Ireland, you’ll find lots of recipes for potato side dishes in the chapter “Mash & […] Read More
-
“Prophet Song” … a Wakeup Call for All Who Listen
This book, winner of one of the literary world’s most prestigious awards—the 2023 Booker Prize for the “best piece of English language fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland in a given year” —is my first introduction to the Irish writer Paul Lynch. For some readers, Lynch’s depiction of a society unravelling under a totalitarian government in the Republic of Ireland—is a figment of a wild imagination; for others tuned in to our changing […] Read More
-
Easy For Easter: Sweet Lemon Loaf
It’s a safe bet that you’ll find slices of this cake offered in tea rooms, coffee shops, home kitchens, and take-aways throughout the Emerald Isle. It’s a “standard” to which bakers often add a personal touch — think extra lemon (or orange) zest in the cake or fresh herbs in the drizzle — and it would be a delightful addition to your Easter menu. Nicholas Mosse (Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny), one of Ireland’s most well-known pottery […] Read More
-
Raise a Toast to the Inspired Creator of Pops McCann Irish Whiskey
Jason Fogg grew up in the bar business. So, it’s probably not a big surprise that he is the driving force behind Pops McCann Whiskey, his brainchild and a means of perpetuating family history. Now, Fogg has opened a storefront in Wayne, where patrons can imbibe his whiskeys, and hand-crafted cocktails. Fogg’s mother, Mary Frances (Frassee), has been a bartender for 45 years, and his father owned a neighborhood bar in Juniata Park, Pat’s Pub. […] Read More
-
How the Irish Built Philadelphia
By Aidan McElwee Photo: Dublin-born Matthew Carey, publisher, economist, and philanthropist in Philadelphia Philadelphia has been a home for Irishmen and Irishwomen for generations. William Penn himself was Irish on his father’s side. At the turn of the 19th century, 5,000 Irish-born people were living in Philadelphia. By 1860, 95,000 Irishmen and Irishwomen lived in Philadelphia marking the largest immigrant population in the city. Today, 10% of the entire city has Irish roots, roughly 160,000 […] Read More
-
A Tin Pan Alley Tribute To Dad
By Frank Keel March is the Month of the Irish and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day is the pinnacle of the celebration of our shared Irish heritage. It’s an especially joyous time here in Philadelphia, which for a long, long time boasted the largest Irish population per capita in the United States (Boo, Boston!) I have treasured St. Patrick’s Day my entire adult life but since my Dad, Frank Sr., passed in 2021, the day […] Read More
