FAMILY RECIPES
Growing up in a first-generation Irish-American household, we had plenty of meat and potatoes and what I'd call ordinary vegetables: carrots, peas, corn, green and wax beans, and beets, parsnips, and turnips, too, although those root vegetables might not be so common (and were not favored by the young ones in the family).

Our mother cooked almost everything "from scratch," even so far as growing our own vegetables, raising or own chickens (and fetching our own eggs), and there was always a goat or a cow, or some pigs, and one summer Toro the bull, not to mention the geese, who would turn on us and chase us just for sport, I believe. We raised these animals just a few at a time on our little "farm," our summer place in the country.

Saturday nights we could almost count on Boston Baked Beans and Brown Bread, from scratch of course, and if we were lucky, an apple pie or another homemade dessert. And there was always some Irish Bread to slather with butter or peanut butter and sugar (that's the American influence).

With ten for dinner every night, our grocery budget required stretching. "Tonto's Order" as we called it, consisted of coffee, sugar, flour and beans (Navy or pea beans for baked beans). With a few more ingredients, Mama could make a scrumptious meal. There was a cake for every birthday and gingerbread was a staple, a favorite of our little sister. A family favorite dessert was Dutch Apple Cake from a recipe cut out of the Boston Globe's Chat section. The Chat was the equivalent of the Internet bulletin boards, where women (mostly) with assumed names like The Fireman's Wife or Medico shared recipes and the like.

I'd like to share some of the recipes I grew up with. I'm a vegetarian now, so I'll leave out the pot roast, meatloaf, chicken and fish recipes, although they were pretty straight-forward, for the most part, baked, broiled, pressure cooked, and boiled.

You'll also find on these pages a range of vegetarian recipes and some traditional and contemporary Irish recipes. And recently I've become fascinated with all the ways thyme is used in recipes, so you will find a section on cooking with thyme.

Old Family Favorites

• Ginger Bread
• Dutch Apple Cake
• Fresh Apple Cake
• Mrs. Todd's Date Bread
• Dot's Brownies
• Toll House Cookies
• Cranberry Bread
• Banana Bread
• Zucchini Bread

FEATURED IRISH RECIPE

There are many variations of Irish Bread. It is most often made in "rounds" and baked either on a cookie sheet or more often, and traditionally, in an iron skillet. Many modern cooks grease up a "loaf pan" in rectangular shape in varying sizes. For convenience in baking and slicing, the loaf pan is my preference.

This recipe for Irish Bread is one that I have made often. I like that it is somewhat moist. The sprinkle of sugar on top, although unusual, helps make a crunchy crust.

Pat's Irish Bread

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins

2 Tablespoons caraway seeds (only if you like them) or candied cherries and candied pineapples (optional) ~ I've always omitted these options.

2 cups sour milk*
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Mix dry ingredients. Add sour milk and melted butter. Stir all together. Put in greased pan 9 x 5" or 11 x 4" or two small ones.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes then 325 for 50 minutes.

*Sour milk:
2 Tablespoons vinegar plus milk to 2-cup level.