Traditional Irish fare robust, unpretentious

This Irish stew is made with lamb and bacon. Cabbage, cheese and smoked salmon are other common ingredients in Irish recipes. Irish Food Board

St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to whip up any number of authentic and tasty Irish dishes.

Celebrants can go with the standard corned beef and cabbage, but there are plenty of savory options beyond the clichÚ fare.

In fact, corned beef and cabbage is an American-Irish creation.

"If you went to Ireland, you would not be able to get it," says Maureen Greene, who was born in Ireland and now lives in Cape Coral, Fla. "We serve ham and cabbage."

While it might be true that the Irish are not known for their culinary adventures, that doesn’t mean the food is not good.

Like the Irish, the food is simple and unpretentious.

There aren’t any airs about it, or attempts at being fancy. If you opt for less being more, for robust over subtle, you’ll be a member of the Irish clean plate club.

The Bord Bia, also known as the Irish Food Board, serves up some background on the country’s cuisine and also provides recipes.

"Ireland has long been recognized for the contribution it has made to the world of theater, literature and music," according to a food board pamphlet. "Food is often used in Irish literature to provide focus or punctuation, and in some instances whole plots revolve around the table or the planning of the meal."

For instance, George Bernard Shaw used cups of tea as a source of inspiration for his literary plots. And, according to "Angela’s Ashes" author Frank McCourt in "The Irish and How We Got That Way," the lowly potato contains surprising aphrodisiac qualities.

But literary worth aside, there are many who simply find comfort and pleasure in the straight-up fare of Ireland - dishes featuring bacon, cabbage, cheese and smoked salmon.

Greene says one of the most popular Irish dishes is shepherd’s pie, which has a bottom layer of ground beef and vegetables topped by mashed potatoes. She makes hers according to a recipe given to her by her Irish aunt, she says.

Yet another delicacy you won’t find in most restaurants or bakeries is Irish soda bread. There might be some in the bakery baskets on St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s not there on a routine basis.

So if you want to make sure you’ll have Irish soda bread, make it yourself.

And there you’re in luck. Irish soda bread does not use yeast, so there’s no waiting for it to rise. Instead you can mix it up, pop it in the oven and be sitting down with your first warm slice within an hour. It’s good at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

There also are as many recipe variations as there are shades of green.

There is no absolutely right way to make it. Instead, you simply can’t go wrong.

According to Maureen Phillips, who was born in Ireland and now lives in Cape Coral, "buttermilk is the key."

Do not go the shortcut route of souring milk with vinegar, she advises. "Use the real thing."

Her version gets rave reviews from family and friends. Phillips says it’s easy to make because you don’t have to knead it like you do most breads.

A tip in addition to buttermilk: "I always use the freshest and most natural ingredients I can find."

Along with Irish soda bread, she sometimes will make jams, such as rhubarb or gooseberry, which go well with the cake-like bread.

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