my goodness, my supper

My Goodness, My Guinness

Canada loves the Irish stout, both by the pint and in traditional pub foods

The Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

By Mia Stainsby

Apparently, St. Patrick's Day in Canada would not be the same without Guinness. Last March 17, sales of Guinness beer broke the two-million mark in this country.

And if you're not one for quaffing pints of it, the alternative is to cook with it, as the Irish have done for centuries, putting it into their stews, savoury pot pies, breads and seafood dishes. This year, in time for the big celebration, Guinness Canada came up with some recipes for the Canadian market.

"Black is the new green this year," Guinness brewmaster Fergal Murray declared when he visited Canada recently. "Canada is the fastest-growing Guinness draft market in the world. This is an amazing country with a very sophisticated beer culture."

Guinness has been crafted since 1759 and the key ingredients are barley, hops, yeast and water.

The company's famous "widget" technology made it possible to have a draft beer at home, causing the Brits to call it one of the most significant inventions in the past 40 years.

(The widget is a moulded plastic device, invented in 1998, that is placed in every can or bottle of Guinness. When opened, a small amount of beer and nitrogen, both trapped in the widget, is forced through the beer, creating the famous foamy head.)

If you're at a pub, according to the Guinness people, pulling a pint of Guinness requires a three-step process: Tilt a clean, dry, tulip-shaped pint glass at a 45-degree angle under the tap. Pour the beer until the pint is three-quarters full and let the creamy liquid surge towards the top of the glass. Allow the surge to settle completely, then fill the glass to the rim for that white, creamy head.

Irish cuisine has come a long way of late, but it is still strongly associated with pub food and that's because pubs are the heart of Irish social life. There are some 12,000 public houses in the country, with a thousand in Dublin alone. They are the Irish equivalent of the town hall, cultural centre, political arena and, at some times, the cradle of revolutionary activity.

It is no surprise that Irish pubs -- complete with Irish food, drink, hospitality and good humour -- are replicating themselves around the globe. One company in Ireland makes it their business and has built more than 400 pubs in 40 countries, in cities ranging from Dubai to Rome and in five styles: country cottage, Victorian, shopfront, Gaelic with Celtic details and the brewery pub.

And Irish pubs are the only place you can experience crack without doing drugs. Well, it's pronounced crack, but spelled craic, a word describing the lively atmosphere in those pubs, something there'll be plenty of on St. Patrick's Day.

GUINNESS, FOR THE RECORD

Things to consider while quaffing a Guinness:

- The band U2 was discovered at a Guinness-sponsored talent search in Dublin in 1977.

- On average, 10 million pints of Guinness are downed every day, across the globe.

- Every drop of Guinness is brewed at St. James' Gate Brewery in Dublin.

- Some 13 million pints of Guinness are expected to be consumed during St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

- Guinness won the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for inventing the widget, which enabled Guinness to produce the first-ever draft beer in a can. Jay Ingram, of Discovery Channel's The Daily Planet, lists the Guinness widget as the greatest technological advance of the last 10 years.

- A pint of Guinness has fewer calories than a pint of one-per-cent milk or orange juice.

FUSILLI WITH GUINNESS CHEESE SAUCE

This is a hearty pasta with bite from the cayenne and sharp cheddar. The Guinness adds interesting savoury notes. It will go well with a dark, crusty bread, especially to scoop up every little bit of the sauce. A fresh green salad on the side and you've got a St. Patrick's Day meal.

1/2 pound fusilli

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 small onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup Guinness Draught, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

In large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

In the meantime, melt butter in saucepan until foamy. Add onion and cook until translucent, about three to five minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Add milk and Guinness and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Whisk in mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and gradually add cheddar, whisking between each addition until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dilute sauce to desired consistency with more milk if desired.

Divide pasta among four warmed pasta bowls, top with sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 appetizer or two main course servings.

GUINNESS-STEAMED MUSSELS WITH CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE

The sweet, soft flesh of the mussels works well with the spicy sauce in this dish. Guinness Draught and the smokiness of the chipotle peppers gives it depth. This can serve as an appetizer or a main course. Very nice with a crusty baguette.

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup Guinness Draught, room temperature

1/2 cup fish stock or chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime

1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 cup creme fraiche or whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

In a large pot with a lid, melt 1 tablespoon butter until foamy. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle peppers and saute for 1 minute. Add beer, stock and lime juice and bring to a boil. Add mussels, cover and steam until mussels open, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, divide mussels among 4 warmed bowls. Whisk creme fraiche (or whipping cream) into cooking liquid and simmer to reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in cilantro and ladle hot sauce over mussels. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

GUINNESS BISON (BUFFALO) BURGERS

Buffalo meat makes a good match with the smooth flavour of Guinness. If you cannot find ground bison, you could substitute extra-lean ground beef, but it wouldn't be quite the same, would it? This recipe was developed for Guinness Canada for its Canadian market.

4 slices white country-style bread, 1/2 inch cut, crusts removed

1 cup Guinness Draft, at room temperature

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 pounds ground bison

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 large egg

1/3 cup freshed chopped parsley

6 to 8 crusty buns

Strips of crisp, smoked bacon, slices of sharp cheddar, smoked gouda or smoked mozzarella cheese

Soak bread with 3/4 cup of Guinness until beer is absorbed, about five to 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup of Guinness with garlic, Dijon, ketchup, salt and pepper. Place all of the other ingredients in a large bowl, add the soaked bread and the Dijon mixture. Mix until ingredients are well incorporated. Shape into 6 to 8 patties.

Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat and grill patties, turning once, until cooked through. Toast buns and top with crisp bacon and cheese of choice.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

GUINNESS AND GORGONZOLA DIP

There's no room for wallflowers at a St. Patrick's Day party. This dip is sharp and bold. Serve it with chips, crisp veggies, flat bread or large cubes of dark bread.

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

2/3 cup Guinness Draught, room temperature

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

8 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled

3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives, divided

In a food processor, blend cream cheese and creme fraiche. Add Guinness and blend until smooth. Add all other ingredients, except chives, and pulse until smooth. Pour mixture into serving bowl and blend in 2 tablespoons chives. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Let sit for 30 minutes to allow flavours to blend, then serve.

Makes about 2 cups.

pogue mahone ya daft wee

Paddy had been drinking at his local, all day long and most of the night, celebrating Saint Patrick's Day.

Mick the bartender finally tells him, "You'll not be drinking anymore tonight, Paddy. Off you go!"

Paddy lifts his head from the bar and replies, "Alright, Mick. I'll be on me way then."

Paddy spins around on his stool and then falls flat on his face followed by a huge groan.

"Shoite!", he says disgustedly.

Paddy struggles to pull himself up on the stool and dusts himself off. He bids g'night to Mick and takes a step towards the door before falling flat on his face a second time.

"Shoite!", he says cursing himself.

He looks to the doorway and thinks to himself, 'If I can just get to the door and inhale some fresh air, I'll be fine'.

So Paddy crawls on his belly to the door and shimmy's up the doorframe. He sticks his head outside, lights up a Dunhill and takes a deep breath of fresh air.

Feeling much better, Paddy takes a bold step out onto the sidewalk and falls flat on his face a third time.

"Bi'Jesus almighty... I'm right fockin' focked!", he says to no one in particular. "I can't go on."

All looks lost for a minute or two.

But Paddy can see his own house just a few doors down, so he crawls down the street to his front door, hauls his soiled self up the doorframe, pushes open the door and shimmy's inside.

He takes a long look up the steep stairs and screams, "No fockin' way! L'ard Jesus, gimme a fockin' break!"

Slowly he screws up his courage and mutters, "I'll go on".

Paddy manages to crawl up the stairs to his bedroom door and says, "I think I can make it to the bed." He takes a final step into the room and falls flat on his face.

"Aw, fock me", he says before dragging himself onto the bed and falling fast asleep.

The next morning, his wife Jess comes into the room carrying a cup of black coffee and says, "Get up, Paddy, you ole bag o' dirt. Did you have a wee bit too much to drink last night or wot?"

Paddy says, "Jeez I did, Jess, I truly did. I was fockin' pished. How'd ja know?"

"Mick called. Says you left your wheelchair at the pub, ya daft wee cunt ya."