CUISINE SCEN SIMPLY PUT (like the loaf itself) — { love Lrish soda bread! It stirs something basic, honest, simple and pure in nty soul, I love to bake it. [ love to take a warm loaf to friends, along with a big chunk of fresh farm butter (the perfect union). It smells wonderful while in the oven, it breaks into what I consider the ultimate com- fort food, and it evokes memories of one of my favorite places on earth — Ireland. ; In another lifetime, | must have been Irish. Every couple of years we return, swear upon leaving that we will purchase a cottage some- day, and ] shed tears as we depart. Friends close to me have learned not to advise me of their impending trips to the emerald isle until after their return, They have learned the hard way that I will implore them to lug home some of that great flour for my future loaves. 1 still have half a bag full in my freezer — saved for something very special. And I guess St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow is special enough. Which brings us te the theme of this week's feature — Irish soda bread. Spirited arguments have ensued for centuries over what is a true irish soda bread. Brown or white, wholemeal flour‘or all-purpose, car- away seeds — blasphemy! Raisins and. currants —~ never in my kitchen! Everyone seems to agree on one thing —— buttermilk and soda. + Passions run high on the subiect, and treasured recipes are handed over to new, brides with reverence. With good reason. f will share some of my favorite EDGEMONT VILLAGE Corner of Edgemont Bivd. + Queens tecipes over some three decades of baking. Some front yellowed news- paper clippings, one from a note seribbled on a worn paper napkin from a restaurant in Kinsale, and there are others from my 30-plus collection of Irish cookbooks, One of the very best is from right here in West Vancouver, from the Savary Island Pie Company. Founder Bileen Hall has come far from her humble beginnings on Bowen Island to her wonderful bake shop at [5th and Marine Drive. Out of necessity, raising her children, she asked (a few years back) “what can | do best?” Bake pies, was the answer, From the bakery on Bowen Island, to a stint up at Cypress, to full-blown cook and baker io her own niche at Capers for a while, finally to West Bay in 1990 to her own place, She outgrew her facility, was exhausted from doing everything herself, and took on partner Anne Akerly at exactly the right moment. The two have one of those rare, perfect, equal partnerships. Real proof of the power principle. Take home a loaf of warm Irish soda bread or sourdough or raisin- rye or apricot-pecan, Or how about one of their enormous softer-than-a- pillow incredible cinnamon rolls? You get the idea, Hall named her company after Savary Island itself, where she was raised “British style. Where my love is, my happiness, all my warm memories.” Their homey, comforting baked goods arc all of those things indeed. Drop in, select one of the books or magazines, and don’t say | didn’t warn you. (You can even have-real Devonshire cream and homemade jam to slather over a scone.) As for my own St. Paddy's Day dinner — glazed corned beef, steamed cabbage, roasted root veg- etables, horseradish whipped cream, lots of chilled ale and stout, and a loaf of soda bread. Guess which one! IRISH TOASTS No Irish get-together is without a table filled with friends, lots of free flowin’ Guinness or Murphy’s, and a toast or two or three.... Here are some of my favorites, in case you come up dry (as no sclf- respecting Irishman would ever do). a8 “May the roaf above its never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out.” “May you have food and rai- 22/94 ment, a soft pillow for your head. may you be 40 years in heaven before the devil Knows you're dead!" & “May you have warn words on a cold evening, a full moon ona dark night. and the road downtill all the way to your door,” i “May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.” (And a final one — perfect for B.C.) @ °The health of the salmon to you — along life, a full heart, and a wet mouth!” SAYVARY ISLAND PIE COMPANY SODA BREAD Use the best stoneground whole- wheat flour you ean find. Makes (wo large loaves, §c¢. (£25 kg) wholewheat flour 2 ¢« (500 mL) all-purpose unbleached white flour 4 Tbsp. (7 mL) salt 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) baking soda 4 heaping Tbsp. (56 mL) honey I qt. (2 L) buttermilk Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine the two flours, salt and soda in a deep mixing bowl, Lift through your fingers (or whisk) to combine thoroughly but lightly and to incorporate air into dry ingredi- ents. Add the honey and buttermilk. Mix into dry ingredients until dough is very soft, very moist, and - a bit sticky. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead just until dough gathers into a ball. Divide into two, and form two round loaves. Place loaves side by side (touch- ing) in a rectangular metal baking pan (large cake pan of black baker's steel is ideal) which has been but- tered and floured. Dust flour over tops of loaves. Bake exactly one hour. Coal on wire rack before slicing. ROYAL HIBERNIAN IRISH SODA BREAD Many years ago, Gourmet maga- zine published this recipe for an exceptional loaf from the Royal Hibernian Hotel in Dublin. Studded with raisins and car- away seeds, and made with tradi- tional buttermilk, it is utterly deli- cious. Serve warm (after an hours’ standing oul of the oven), cut into very thick wedges, and serve with the best unsalted butter you can CCALL’S * BUTTERICK * VOGUE h 16, 1994 - North Shore News - 45 NEWS photo Mike Wakefield SAVARY ISLAND Pie Company founder Eileen Hall (left) and partner Anne Akerly show off their most famous of breads — irish Soda Bread, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. afford. Makes one round foal, Ic. (250 mL) all-purpose flour 2 c. (500 mL) freshly purchased whole wheat flour 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) granulated sugar 1 tsp. (5 mL) baking soda 4 tsp. (2 mL) salt 1 tsp. (5 mL) caraway seeds % ce. (50 mL) butter 1 whole egg 1c. (250 mL) butcermilk 2c. (125 mL) raisins Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine in a deep mixing bow] the flours, sugar, soda, salt and car- NEW SHIPMENT CE RING FLORAL FE 50%, away seeds. Whisk together to lighten flour and mix well. Cut butter into dry ingredients: using a pastry blender unti! mixture resembles fine crumbs. Beat egg and buttermilk together until frothy. Add to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until a stiff dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently 20 to 30 strokes (no more) as in making bis- cuits. Place dough onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Form See Bread page 47 ZIPPERS REGULAR STOCK SPRING VALUES §XTENDED TO MARCH 27TH PRICE & SELEC WE'VE GOT IT ALL!