The Foodie Files: Part 2

I wanted to be excited about making Irish food tonight.  I really, really did.  But I just...wasn't.  So I called fun friends, bought St. Patrick's themed plates and napkins, cued the Celtic station on Pandora Radio and gave the whole fake-it-'til-you-make-it thing a shot.  And it worked!  Not only was tonight an absolute blast, but the food (my source of stress) was delicious.  I'm so thankful my roomie found the recipe below because after researching Irish food, I discovered I have an extreme aversion to literally every main ingredient they use.  Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton however...it sounded good and tasted even better.  I made a few slight adjustments to the recipe, but you can check out the original one here.  Now here's my version...

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves minced garlic

8 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (which translates to 2 large onions, 1 small onion)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup dry sherry

12 oz Guinness Extra Stout

6 cups beef stock

8 slices toasted potato bread

1/2 lb sliced cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

Put on some goggles and slice up those onions...there's a lot so be prepared.  In a large pot, brown garlic in extra virgin olive oil and add your onions.

Stir the onions for 5 minutes over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes until onions are golden brown.  Add thyme, sherry, and beer and cook for about ten minutes.

Finally, add the beef stock and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Transfer soup to ovenproof soup bowls and place bowls on a cookie sheet.

Top bowls with toasted bread and cheddar cheese and place in the oven on broil.

When the cheese starts to lightly brown, you're done!

The rest of the meal wasn't overwhelmingly Irish, but it was quite good.  I served the soup alongside salmon, asparagus, and simple salad.

We circled back around to Ireland for dessert, however.  I whipped up a few Guinness milkshakes and Bailey's milkshakes and they were ridiculously good.  Check out those milk mustaches! :)

Thanks to today's events I'll look back on 2011 as the year I made peace with Irish food.  Now to tackle the English (someday...not today, thank heavens).  I hope everyone's St. Patrick's Day was fun and safe!  Goodnight!