Did you know your beer is green?

Today is St. Patrick's Day. It is also my sister's birthday. She was tormented for years with green dresses, cakes with green icing and all the accouterments of the day set aside for the wearin' of the green. I returned home from New York today, and yesterday I picked up my sister at the airport. She will be there through the weekend. Happy Birthday, sis! She celebrated her birthday by getting all liquored up in NYC today. Too bad we aren't accepting stories here anymore, she's got a good one.

Now I personally don't like this dish, but I know my father does. My two sisters brought him some "takeout" so he could have some. Here's a recipe from the Food Network.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

• One 3-pound corned beef brisket (uncooked), in brine
• 16 cups cold water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 large head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 thick wedges
• 8 small new potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

Serving suggestion: Whole-grain mustard or HORSERADISH SAUCE, recipe follows.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water.

Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid; add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and cloves. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, and braise until very tender, about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to a large platter. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. Lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Ladle some of the hot cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper. Serve immediately with the mustard or horseradish sauce.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons jarred grated horseradish (with liquid)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, zest, and 2 teaspoons salt. Season generously with pepper to taste. Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: about 1 3/4 cups