Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

Published by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY

Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Celtic kitchen
Simple Irish comfort foods include easy soda bread, lamb stew
By Leanne Libby
Caller-Times

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

Lacey Sparks makes Irish soda bread, an item she bakes frequently for the holidays. She recently took a trip to Ireland and found that her traditional family recipes measure up to the real thing overseas.

In Lacey Sparks’ kitchen, flamingos dot the wallpaper, decorate the kitchen throw rugs and are sculpted in cabinet handles. The whimsical theme makes the kitchen a welcoming spot for Sparks to cook her favorite Irish comfort foods, such as lamb stew and buttery soda bread.
   Sparks, 42, was born and raised in Corpus Christi, but her ancestors came over from Ireland in the 1830s and helped settle San Patricio, which, Sparks points out, is Spanish for St. Patrick.
   After joining the Irish Cultural House a year ago and taking an interest in genealogy, Sparks’ interest in her heritage has grown, and she now regularly cooks Irish foods for her husband and 11-year-old daughter. In July, the three took their first trip to Ireland, where Sparks determined that her stew measured up to the real thing.
   Melting pot
   During a recent afternoon, Sparks moves freshly rinsed potatoes and carrots from a colander into the bubbling stew pot, where chunks of lamb have been simmering for an hour. She spares herself some chopping by using baby carrots.

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

A traditional Irish stew is made with lamb, a common meat in Irish dishes because sheep were less expensive to raise than cows.

   "These are very simple recipes," she said. "The Irish were very poor, and sheep were less expensive to raise than cows and adapted well to the land over there. They also chose root vegetables because of the cold climate."
   Kneading the classics
   Sparks pulls out a battered cookie sheet to start the soda bread, which she said she bakes frequently for holidays.
   "I use this, because this is how it tastes best," she said. "I usually put raisins in because we also like to eat it for breakfast or a snack, but that wouldn’t work with this stew."
   As steam streams from the stew pot behind her, Sparks plunges her right hand into a blue plastic bowl to knead the bread. She stops to rub butter on the cookie sheet and then transfers the lump of dough to a plastic cutting board she has sprinkled with flour.
   "This is no-fuss bread," she said. "You don’t have to let it rise. You just mix it, make it into a loaf and put it in the pan."

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

Oreo cheesecake is spiked with Irish liqueur, ‘not exactly Irish, but I thought it would be fun,’ says Lacey Sparks.

   As she places the pan in the oven, she said she often wonders what her ancestors ate when they moved to South Texas. She hasn’t found any solid evidence yet, other than an old receipt from her great-great grandfather listing items such as 5 pounds of lard and 10 pounds of coffee that he had purchased at a store in downtown Corpus Christi.
   Serving up hot lunch
   Sparks opens the oven now and then to baste the soda bread with a mixture of buttermilk and butter. The lumpy mass in the oven slowly but surely turns golden brown.
   "It looks funny, but that’s how it’s supposed to look," Sparks said of the loaf, which resembles a giant biscuit.

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

Slather blackberry jam on a thick slab of Irish soda bread to round out a typical Irish meal.

   At last, it is time to sit down for lunch. It’s a late summer day, but the rainy weather creates just the right atmosphere for the hearty stew Sparks serves up in white bowls. The clear broth complements the tender meat and steaming vegetables for a stick-to-the-ribs entrée. Thick slabs of bread slathered in blackberry jam provide a sweet conclusion to the meal, but Sparks isn’t through yet. She pulls out a chocolate cheesecake spiked with Irish liqueur and serves up large portions (she only got crumbs back).
   "It’s not exactly Irish, but I thought it would be fun," she said.

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

Irish soda bread with blackberry jam from Lacey Sparks’ Irish recipes is a family favorite. Sparks bastes the soda bread with a mixture of buttermilk and butter. When baking, the loaf resembles a giant biscuit.

   While they may not bake with it, the creamy drink is prevalent in Ireland, Sparks said. Served over ice or with cola, she said, it was hard to find a social occasion that didn’t include the offer of a nip.

   Contact Leanne Libby at 886-3615 or libbyl@caller.com

   Traditional Irish Stew
   1 1/2 pounds lamb, cut in 1-inch squares (add bone for flavor)
   pinch of thyme
   1 pound carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
   1 pound potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
   1 pound onions, peeled and roughly chopped
   salt and pepper to taste
   garlic powder to taste

   Place lamb and thyme in sauce pan and add cold water until covered. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. Add onions, potatoes and carrots. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender, about30 to 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve alone or with cooked green cabbage.
   Yield: 6 to 8 servings
   Source: Lacey Sparks

   Irish Soda Bread
   4 cups all-purpose flour
   1/4 cup white sugar
   1 teaspoon baking soda
   1 tablespoon baking powder
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/2 cup margarine, softened
   1 cup buttermilk
   1 egg
   Basting mixture:
   1/4 cup butter, melted
   1/4 cup buttermilk

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
   In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in buttermilk and egg. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round shape and place on prepared baking sheet.
   In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; use basting brush to brush mixture over loaf.
   Use a sharp knife to cut a "X" in the top of the loaf.
   Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
   Brush loaf with butter mixture periodically while it bakes.
   Yield: 12-15 slices
   Source: Lacey Sparks

   Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake
   Crust:
   1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
   1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
   1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   1/4 cup butter
   Filling:
   3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
   1 1/4 cups white sugar
   1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
   3 eggs
   1/2 cup sour cream
   1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well-mixed. Pat into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
   In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until well-blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur, mixing on low speed. Pour filling into baked crust.
   Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and continue baking for 60 minutes.
   With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim. Chill before serving.
   If cake has cracked, dampen a spatula and smooth the top. Sprinkle with chocolate wafer crumbs.
   Yield: 12 slices

   Source: Lacey Sparks



Share recipe ideas and cooking tips in the Recipe forum. (Registration required, but it is free.)

The healing cook
Cookbook author Nina Simonds thinks that our healthy foods should also taste delicious.

Divine Cakes
Create new exciting desserts, plus tips on making great birthday cakes from scratch.

Rethinking Pork
Think you know all about pork. Think again. Plus great tips on creating Creme Brulee.

Baklava
The word alone sounds gooey, delicious and mysterious as it dances across your tongue.

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND