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You know something about that "traditional" soda bread, the one with the currants and caraway? I love it. It's a great bread, but it overshadows the other soda breads that are also great and also maybe even more Irish. This week's BROWN SODA BREAD WITH CHEDDAR is one of my favorites, mostly because it's so unique and so delicious when done right. This is a brown soda bread, meaning it's made with whole wheat flour and oats, and it's dense and tender and perfect for smearing butter onto. I'm not going to stop there though, I'm serving this with some of my savory tomato-onion jam and aged Irish cheddar, which makes this a fully-fledged menu item. Who said bread has to be a side dish?

Beef stew is beef stew, right? Wrong. There are a multitude of stewed beef dishes throughout the world, and they all have a similar pattern... you take the backbone of the stew (beef, veggies, rich broth or gravy, maybe potatoes) and then you add at least one extra ingredient that makes the beef stew special and unique. That ingredient, of course, is Guinness for this week's IRISH BEEF-GUINNESS STEW. What is it about the Guinness that makes this beef stew special? It's the complexity, gentle sweet notes, and slight bitterness that makes this beef stew something special, even though it's not too far off from what you'd consider an "American" beef stew. Tender slow-cooked beef, carrots, onions, celery, (no potatoes this time,) all cooked down with Guinness and finished with some simple seasonings. This is simple food, no doubt, but it's really great when done right, and I'll be doing it right.

This is Irish food. We must have potatoes. You know why potatoes are everywhere in lots of different cuisines, almost to the point where they feel a bit boring? Because they are awesome and highly versatile, that's why. This week we're going to lean into their creamy soft side, with an Irish classic called AUTHENTIC POTATO CHAMP. Basically, this dish is rich mashed potatoes with green onions, similar to the more popular colcannon that you might see on a St. Paddy's Day menu which is made with cabbage. I feel that champ is even better because the sharpness of the green onions really balances the richness of the potatoes, and comes together as a simple yet surprisingly delicious side dish. Everyone loves mashed potatoes.

I'll be honest, vegetable dishes in Ireland are... sometimes not great. It's the "everything should be soft" point of view, which is why root vegetables are so common on Irish menus, as they are actually good when cooked until very soft. It's ok though, I can take the meaning of enjoying a tasty vegetable dish and translate it into something that isn't overcooked, but still uses vegetables that might be served in Ireland. This week's ROASTED GREEN VEGETABLES will be a mélange of springtime vegetables, lightly roasted and seasoned just so. It's not hard to figure this one out, just really nice green beans, brussels sprouts, asparagus (assuming I like what I see at the market, if not then this'll be a different green vegetable), and peas with some straightforward herbs and spices. While this is definitely "just a side dish," the meal wouldn't be complete without it. Plus they're all green, to help you get into the Irish spirit.

I have a confession. My CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE has been confirmed to be not authentic. That's right... the last time we were in Ireland I got to talking with the pastry chef where I was grabbing my morning nibbles, and asked what some typical Irish desserts were. Not only did Guinness Cake not get mentioned, but when I asked her about it she seemed confused. I told her that in the USA, we just put Baileys or Jameson or Guinness into a dessert and call it Irish. You know, something like a dark chocolate cake made with Guinness and a sweetened cream cheese frosting. Her eyes lit up as she said "wow, that sounds like a great idea... I might have to try that!" So no, it's not authentic. And yes, it's a good idea. And yes, it's a great cake.