My mom gave me this wonderful book as a gift when I decided to go to college at a Jesuit university. For those of your who are in the dark here, Jesuits are a group of Catholic priests who are known for their involvement in missionary work and education. But little did I know that they were also excellent bread-makers!

Next, grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Turn the dough out again onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Roll out each half until it is 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. use the dull edge of a knife to create a line across each round, a little off center.

My brothers and I calculated it once, and I think we came up with the figure of 85% – we’re 85% Irish. My maiden name has an apostrophe in it, and the only bad part about being married is that I miss my apostrophe.

I like to put together a special Irish menu every St. Patrick’s Day, and a couple of years ago I was inspired to try to re-create the amazing bowl of Guinness Beef Stew that I enjoyed one night in a pub in Dingle, on the west coast of Ireland, when I was studying abroad there. Now it’s become one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes!

Guinness Beef Stew

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5-2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1″ pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, roughly sliced
1-2 baking potatoes or 5-6 red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 16-ounce Guinness
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth or stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Clean the beef and pat it dry. In a bowl toss your stew meat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat all pieces. Arrange the meat in a single layer in the heated skillet. Cook just until the pieces are browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Note that the meat will still be raw on the inside.

Meanwhile, toss all of your veggies into the crockpot. Pour the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce over the veggies, sprinkle the thyme on top, and drop in the bay leaf. When all your meat is browned, pour it into the crockpot, too. Return the skillet to the stove and pour in the can of beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan into the broth. This not only saves you some cleaning time but also ensures that you don’t lose any of the flavorful bits left behind in the pan!

Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir everything together to mix thoroughly.

Put the lid on the crock pot, and cook on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Meat should be very tender (falling apart, melting in your mouth) and veggies should be fork tender (and wonderfully cooked in the broth). Remove bay leaf and adjust the seasoning before serving, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or some hearty bread.

Chili is just one of those classic dishes that reminds me of a chilly fall night when I was a little girl. No one’s recipe will ever compare to my mom’s because mom’s chili is the culinary manifestation of comfort and warmth. Mom always serves it on a bed of rice, topped with shredded cheese. It’s just the best.

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Buttermilk Chicken

2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cleaned
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip chicken into 1/2 cup buttermilk. Roll in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt butter in 13×9x2″ pan. Put chicken in pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn each chicken breast over and bake for 15 more minutes.

Blend remaining 1 cup buttermilk and soup and pour over the chicken. Bake 15 minutes more, until sauce is bubbly.

Serve with rice, spooning sauce from the bottom of the pan over the chicken.

People often ask me when I became so interested in baking and cooking. I usually say “pretty much since I was tall enough to see over the counter.” But that’s not entirely true, because I used to love to pull a stool up to the counter in the kitchen to help my mom with whatever she was baking.

It was for this reason that she enrolled me in a baking class for kids when I was about 8 years old. Our teacher held the classes at her house. I was soooo excited sitting around her big kitchen table for the first class, where we received a folder of the recipes we’d be making each week. And the very first entry in the folder was for Apple Crisp.

My recipe for Apple Crisp has changed over the years – to be honest it often changes from crisp-to-crisp based on what type of apples I have around the house, what spices I have on hand, etc. But here is my basic go-to recipe that I am happy to share with my dear readers!

Oatmeal Apple Crisp

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, well-chilled
3 McIntosh apples – peeled, cored, and sliced
1 Granny Smith apple – peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Using a knife, cut the butter into this mixture in thin tabs. With a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the butter into the oat mixture until it is well-combined and crumbly.

Toss apples together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, tossing the apples until they are evenly coated. Pour the apples into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat mixture over the top, spreading evenly. Bake in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until apples are bubbling and crisp is well browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Freshly whipped cream spiked up with a little sugar, vanilla, and Irish Whiskey is divine!