Erin go Bragh!

There's this great deli in Northridge that serves the best pastrami sandwich. Rye bread flecked with caraway seeds, nutty swiss cheese, and the star of the show, pastrami sliced thinly with a pepper crust. Just a tad of spicy mustard and you have yourself a perfect sandwich.

I haven't found a pastrami place in these parts, but today, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day and I made corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. This is such a simple dish, I wonder why we only eat it once a year. Maybe we'll extend the holiday and find a good Reuben sandwich this weekend.

Corned Beef with Cabbage and Potatoes

1 slab of corned beef, already brined
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 whole green cabbage, quartered, keeping core intact
3 red potatoes, peeled and cut in half

This is the easiest recipe ever since I bought the corned beef already brined and ready to go. Place the meat including juices and spices in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. There is an extra packet of spices but I didn't use it. Add enough water to cover meat, add onion. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a slow simmer. The rule is 50 minutes for every pound of meat. At the last half hour of cooking, add the potatoes, and the last 5 minutes, add the cabbage. Serve with a Guinness.

May the frost never afflict your spuds.
May the leaves of your cabbage always be free from worms.
May the crows never pick your haystack.
If you inherit a donkey, may she be in foal.