Irish Colcannon and Irish Soda Bread

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Whether you're watching a parade, or simply enjoying a parade of delicious Irish treats, we hope you revel in the holiday. This traditional colcannon by Robin Robertson mixes the best of Irish culinary tradition: mashed potatoes and kale.

Serves 6

What You Need :

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 yellow onion, chopped 
1 leek (white part only), rinsed and chopped 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
3 cups kale, finely shredded 
3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine 
3/4 cup hot soymilk 

What You Do:

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, salt the water, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. When potatoes are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the margarine and soymilk, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the kale and cabbage mixture, season again if necessary, and serve hot. 

Irish Soda Bread

Especially good served warm, rustic loaf this is best eaten the same day it’s made.

By Robin Robertson

Makes 1 loaf

What You Need:

• 1-1/4 cups soymilk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the soymilk, vinegar, and oil in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until blended. Stir in the raisins. Add the soymilk mixture and mix well to make a stiff dough.
3. Shape dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Pat the top down slightly, then use a sharp knife to cut an X shape on top. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

I want to wish you a Happy Chinese Valentine Day! August 26th

China's Qixi Festival takes place on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month (mid-August by our calendars) and has its root in an ancient legend about two lovers separated by the Milky Way who can only meet once a year on this night. This year the festival takes place on Wednesday, August 26.

Some conservative Chinese citizens have criticized the traditional festival for its Westernization as couples have participated in Valentine's Day rituals on the day. In recent years, the West's Saint Valentine's Day on February 14 http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Arts/Valentine_Clip_Art.html has exploded in popularity in China. Flower vendors hit the streets, convenience stores sell stuffed animals (though not much chocolate, given the Chinese traditional aversion to sweets), and tables are full at restaurants.

In China's metropolitan areas, it's not difficult to find young men who complain about the difficulty in finding girlfriends or wives. Not only is there a well-known shortage of available women because of the country's "one-child" policy, but Chinese women are increasingly practical and look for suitors with promising jobs and those who already own cars or apartments. In China's countryside, arranged marriages are still the norm.

Qixi festival tells the story of Niulang, the cowherd, who fell in love with a beautiful fairy Zhinu when grazing his cow. But their love was interfered with by Wangmu, wife of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Deity in Taoism. She separated the couple by drawing a river, the Milky Way, with her hairpin between them.

Touched by their love, magpies come in flocks every Qixi festival to form a bridge spanning the galaxy with their bodies so that the couple can meet.