It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week contributor Tim Johnstone pulls together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.
Ah St. Patrick’s Day. The pageantry! The green beer! The not-really-Irish Americanisms of one of the country’s favorite excuses for drinking. This week’s recommendations offer a more traditional take on the best of the Emerald Isle. And yes, that does include a noteworthy cocktail.
Donal Skehan, an Irish food writer, photographer and rising TV personality has had an interesting past. He has performed in bands, published award winning blogs and several books based on his “The Good Mood Food Blog.” He has shared a number of traditional Irish dishes (he suggests that most Irish food is comfort food) through his books and blogs. And since corned beef and cabbage isn’t really an Irish thing (it is an American creation), I am sharing one of his favorite recipes this week. Dublin Coddle with Pearl Barley. The ingredients are readily available and while you will need to convert a couple measurements from their metric origins, that really shouldn’t be a deal breaker here. C’mon now! It’s coddle. AKA rechauffe. Basically, leftovers. This is the best thing to dig into after a few celebratory beverages.
Nobody was more surprised at his sudden success than Hozier. He was largely unrecognized in his home country when his single “Take Me To Church” was first released. That would not last for long. Five years on, he has toured the world, sold out concerts in his wake. His place in the world changed, he set to the task of following up one of the most important debut records of the last 10 years. And here it is: Wasteland, Baby. If you were a fan of his first album, this will not disappoint. I was fortunate to get some time with him on the phone a couple weeks ago. We talked about the new album, pressure he was under, dance, his gospel influences and more. You can listen here.
I have Gary Lightbody and Andrew Hozier to thank for my introduction to the poet Seamus Heaney. I am a fan of poetry but I’m not always comfortable reading it because it never sounds in my head as it does when it is read. That’s on me. Heaney is an Irish national hero who has had such an influence on Irish culture. His work is lovely for many reasons. Helen Vendler of The New Yorker called him “by turns mythological and journalistic, rural and sophisticated, reminiscent and impatient, stern and yielding, curt and expansive” In my recent interview with Hozier (above) I asked him about his thoughts on Seamus Heaney. You can hear his thoughts right here. This part of our visit comes about 8 minutes into our conversation.
Hands down, this is one of my favorite Irish movies. There are lots of them actually (here and here and here and here and also here) but this is one I go back to often. It features terrific performances, a great deal of humor and charm, and a wicked sea-beastie. In addition to all of that, it’s a wonderful movie for those who love the language and accents of all involved.
I’m sorry. Let’s just get this out of the way right now. I’m sorry. I’m pretty sure that if you have more than a few of these you are going to Vesuvius some day-glo green comeuppance. Everywhere. This drink, the Fat Frog, is an Irish favorite. This is likely due to the fact that, to quote one fan, it “gets u rat assed quik.” There is nothing at all noble about the ingredients. They are all beverages I stay very far away from. Let’s be honest. St.Patrick’s day has become one of America’s grandest displays of ritual excess. This drink, just one step removed from 151 and kool-aid, makes it perfect for a day of debauchery and bad accents. But. And here’s where I could get in trouble. Because, in the spirit of the day, I would try one in a minute. I might even have two. By then I’d either be down for the count or half naked, wearing a pair of four leaf clover novelty underpants and covered in glitter belting out Thin Lizzy songs in the local parade. Totally worth it.
Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s music correspondent as well as our resident gatherer of all things interwebs related. He’s currently chasing his spirit animal. He is not a fan of pudding but he’s looking forward to this.
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