I mused about building a “Kiss the Blarney Stone”
menu, treating the rock as a kind of Irish mistletoe,
but ponder this for a moment: A ritual involving thousands
of lips pursing and drooling over an impossible to reach
stone. Somehow, that just didn't seem sexy.
Finally, it came to me: St. Patrick's Day is a glorious
way to celebrate the coming of spring, March 20, the
most sumptuous season, bursting with sensuality and
bloom. Associated with the vernal color, green, it ties
in a festive way to welcome the seasonal change.
The rich roots of Irish heritage include
delicious, wholesome food, like North Atlantic seafood,
farm-raised lamb and beef and organic root vegetables,
including the ubiquitous potato. Farmer's markets are
intoxicating this time of year, with vivid green peas,
earthy leeks, and emerald artichokes. The good news
for lovers? Many of these foods are aphrodisiac fodder.
Salmon, cod, and lobster are the fruits of Aphrodite
and have beneficial contents of phosphorous, iodine
and zinc, essential for testosterone production. Leeks
were favored as a love enhancement by the ancient Greeks
and Romans, so much that Emperor Nero was said to have
eaten leek soup every day. Even the lowly potatoes'
lore includes a history where Amazonian women ate them
to stimulate their sex drive. Potatoes are said to have
the same affect on the body as chocolate; they increase
serotonin levels, enhancing a feeling of well-being.
Celebrate the Irish with a nod to their festive libations,
including Irish whisky and the heady stout, Guinness.
Don't forget their incomparable, spirited music that
ranges from rock and folk music to Celtic sounds: U2,
Enya, Van Morrison, Damien Rice, The Cranberries, The
Chieftains and the Young Dubliners. And everyone loves
an Irish toast, ranging from sage to witty.
Plan a low-key, chic and light-hearted party for your
St. Patrick's Day, with an intimate party of two. Sip
an unusual libation, the Black Velvet, combining Guinness
with Champagne, sup on Irish stew with an elegant twist,
North Atlantic salmon with a buttery sauce and spin
Irish music like Van Morrison's Astral Weeks or Enya's
Shephard Moons. Raise your glass and share a toast:
Here's to me, and here's to you, and here's to love
and laughter. I'll be true as long as you, and not one
moment after.
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