Noel McMeel - Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves, and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love

Traditional Breads, Preserves, and Goodies
to Feed the Ones You Love

NOEL McMEEL

with Lynn Marie Hulsman

For

MY FAMILY

2013 by Noel McMeel

Photographs 2013 by Steve Legato

Published by Running Press,

A Member of the Perseus Books Group

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013943522

E-book ISBN 978-0-7624-5071-8

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Digit on the right indicates the number of this printing

Designed by Frances J. Soo Ping Chow

Edited by Kristen Green Wiewora

Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez

Food Stylist Assistant: Claudia Ficca

Prop Stylist: Marieellen Melker

Typography: Abraham Lincoln, Berthold Baskerville, Caligula Dodgy, Janda Stylish, and Univers

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Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371

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CONTENTS

I want to thank my entire family for the love and support that made this possible.

My beloved father didnt get to see this book but he would be so proud.

To my mother, there are no words to express my love and gratitude.

Deep thanks to all my siblings:

James and Sinead, and their children Owen, Anne, and Jimmy;

Conor and Celine, and their children Don, Conor Jr., and Gemma;

Owen and John; and my sister Ita, whom we all miss every day of our lives.

The team at Running Press has been brilliant. To my visionary editor Kristen Green Wiewora, who had a plan from the first and has firmly and gently brought it to fruition. Thanks as well as my excellent photographer Steve Legato, to creative director and designer Frances Soo Ping Chow, to project editor Annie Lenth, to publicist Suzanne Wallace, and the entire marketing and sales group who have been so supportive.

Warmest thanks to my patient, unflagging, and fabulous writer, Lynn Marie Hulsman. Lynn, you are MAGIC, and this book simply would not have been possible without you.

Thanks to my agent, Sharon Bowers, who loves me like family and always sounds happy to hear my voice on the phone, no matter what Im ringing about.

And finally, all my gratitude to Dessie Clements for always being there.

T o me, the Irish pantry is a treasure trove of wholesome, tasty delights with some keeping properties, where on any day of the week youre sure to find such snacks and treats as pastries we call cutting cakes, or some lovely potted meat to spread onto a crispy, homemade cracker to enjoy with a cup of tea.

In the house where I grew up, nestled in the countryside of Toomebridge, Country Antrim, my mothers kitchen pantry featured a cooling marble slab and sighing shelves laden with traditional and delicious treats standing at the ready to sustain my large family, or to celebrate the vibrant stream of expected and unexpected guests we loved to welcome. Making the most of the bounty of the land, working hard with your own two hands to preserve it, and opening the home to share itthese were the core principles where I grew up. Id go so far as to say its the Irish way.

As a well-known chef and former farm boy, I place myself squarely shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Celtssensible people who plan for every eventuality while thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous offerings provided by nature, year-round, never being caught short.

I learned the basics of what makes life worth living growing up in a thatched-roof house on our family farm in Ireland, the Land of the Saints and Scholars: Seek abundance enough to share, nourish the body, delight the senses, and surround yourself with warm company. Food is life, and I keep the best food possible immediately at my fingertips, ready to enjoy and offer. Its a healthier, less expensive, more delicious way to live.

My old-fashioned methods and practical map for filling your larder have roots in the wisdom of my people, but reach easily into todays world. When hes not fishing, hes mending his nets, goes the old Irish saying. Taking care in the planning of what youll eat in a pinch on a cold rainy night or when an unexpected passel of loved ones turn up will allow you to relax and enjoy small moments, nurturing yourself, and to show love to those around you with a gesture, with no words needed.

My philosophy around food has roots in my homelands ancient past with a modern twist, and its every bit as Irish as I am: Find the very best locally grown seasonal ingredients. Support farms and grocers that respect the earth. Prepare meals that delight and excite the senses, but dont get seduced into overcomplicating. Above all else, let the natural flavor of good food shine through. This is the kind of food I keep at arms reach to sustain and delight myself, and feed the guests who drop in and gather round my table.

While its true that I no longer live in a humble, thatch-roofed farmhouse like Rock Cottage where I grew up, I still take pride and satisfaction in stocking my own Irish pantry. Im pleased to share advice about preparing and serving earthy, homey slow food in hopes that your pantry will become the cornerstone of your kitchen.