Irish gingerbread

Butter	½ cup + greasing
Sugar, brown	½ cup
Golden or dark corn syrup	½ cup
Molasses	½ cup
Ginger, candied, minced	¼ cup
Egg, beaten	1
Milk, warm	½ cup
Flour	2 ½ cups
Ginger, ground	1 tablespoon
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking dish with butter, and then line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. 
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, syrup, and molasses, and whisk constantly until the butter melt and the sugar dissolves; do NOT boil! 
4. Stir in the candied ginger, and then set aside until cooled to room temperature. 
5. Stir in the egg and milk until well combined. 
6. Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. 
7. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and pour in the butter mixture. 
8. Stir with a wooden spoon, working from the middle to the side of the bowl, until the ingredients are well combined; add a little more warm milk, as necessary, to absorb all the flour. 
9. Spoon into the baking dish, and smooth out the top with the back of a large spoon. 
10. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly risen. 
11. Allow to cool slightly, or cool to room temperature, before cutting. 
12. Serve with whipped cream or powdered sugar. 

Recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.

Roast chicken with herb stuffing

Chicken stock	2 cups
Chicken (roasting, not broiling) with neck and giblets, rinsed, very thoroughly dried	4 ½ pounds
Butter	3 tablespoons
Onion, chopped	1
Bread crumbs, fresh	2 cups
Parsley, chopped	1 tablespoon
Thyme, chopped	1 tablespoon + 6 sprigs
Chives, chopped	1 tablespoon
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Flour	1 tablespoon

1. Bring stock to boil over high heat in a medium pot, and then reduce the heat to medium-low; add the chicken neck, giblets, and other trimmings. 
2. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the stock reduces by about one-third. 
3. Strain the stock, and discard the solids. 
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat; add the onion, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until just soft. 
5. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and chives, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
6. Cook for about 3 minutes; set aside to cool to room temperature. 
7. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
8. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, and then fill the cavity with the stuffing; careful not to pack too tightly. 
9. Push the thyme sprigs lightly into the stuffing so that they protrude. 
10. Secure the opening with a small skewer, and then roast the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan for 20 minutes.
    Place any leftover stuffing in a baking dish, and bake with the chicken, if desired. 
11. Reduce the heat to 350°F, and continue roasting for 20 minutes per pound (40 minutes per kilogram), not counting the first 20 minutes.
    For example, a 4 ½ pound chicken is 1 hour 30 minutes of roasting at 350°F. 
12. Once cooked, set the chicken aside to rest. 
13. Spoon excess fat from the roasting pan, and then place on stove top on low heat. 
14. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir until a roux forms. 
15. Add the reserved stock. 
16. Increase the heat to high, and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 
17. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thick. 
18. Carve the chicken, and serve with gravy on the side. 

Recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.

Smoked salmon pâté

Salmon, smoked, skin and bones removed	1 pound
Cream cheese	1 cup
Eggs	2 yolks
Lemon juice	¼ cup + ½ a lemon
Dijon mustard	1 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon
Canola oil	1 cup
Olive oil, mild extra virgin	1 cup

Mayonnaise

1. In a medium bowl, beat the yolks slowly but firmly with a whisk until they become creamy and light yellow in color; add 2 tablespoons of juice, mustard, salt, and mix well. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the canola and olive oils, and then drizzle very slowly into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly; careful not to overbeat. 
3. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of juice, and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

Paté

1. In a food processor, add the salmon, and pulse a few times until it is coarsely puréed; transfer to a medium bowl. 
2. Place the cream cheese and 1/4 cup of mayonnaise into the food processor bowl, and process until well combined. 
3. Using a spatula, fold the cream cheese mixture into the salmon until very well combined (no white should be visible). 
4. Mix in the juice of ½ a lemon, if desired. 
5. Serve on buttered toast or bread.

Recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.

Slow-roasted martini short ribs

Beef short ribs	~4 ½ pounds
Salt	2 teaspoons
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Vegetable oil	2 tablespoons
Vermouth, dry white	¼ cup
Gin	¼ cup + 2 teaspoons + sprinkle
Beef broth, low sodium	1 ¾ cups
Juniper berries, crushed	5
Lemon zest, minced	1 tablespoon
Pimiento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped	¼ cup
Flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped	¼ cup
Cocktail onions, chopped	10
Cornstarch	2 tablespoons
Water	2 tablespoons

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Season the ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.
3. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat.
4. Brown the ribs in two to three batches, for about 2 minutes per side, or until browned on all sides; transfer the ribs to a plate.
5. Combine the vermouth, gin, and broth, and stir the liquid into the pan.
6. Bring to a simmer, and stir to scrape up all the browned bits.
7. Return the ribs to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, and add the juniper berries.
8. Cover and bring just to a boil.
9. Transfer the pan to the oven, and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. (Halfway through the cooking time, rearrange the ribs so that all sides get time in the braising liquid.)
10. When done, remove the ribs from the pan; pull out the bones, and peel away the connective tissues, if desired.
11. Arrange the meat on a platter, and keep warm.
12. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid, and then cook to reduce the sauce to about 2 cups.
13. While the sauce is reducing, in a small bowl, mix the lemon zest, olives, parsley, onions, and gin; set aside.
14. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry, and then whisk into the sauce; return to boil to thicken.
15. Taste the sauce, and correct the seasonings, if needed.
16. Ladle the sauce over the meat, and sprinkle with the topping mixture, and a little gin, if desired.

Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table.

White chocolate and Meyer lemon semifreddo with vanilla-poached berries

Semifreddo
Gelatin, unflavored	1 envelope
Water	2 tablespoons
Milk, whole	1 cup
Vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped	1
Chocolate, white	1 ½ cups
Cream, heavy	1 2/3 cups
Lemons, Meyer, zested, juiced	3
Berries
Sugar, granulated	1 cup
Water	¼ cup
Lemon, zested	1
Vanilla beans, split	2
Blueberries	½ cup
Blackberries	½ cup
Strawberries	½ cup
Cookies
Sugar, powdered	1 ½ cups + extra
Almonds, ground	1 ½ cups
Salt	1 teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, softened	2 cups
Eggs	2
Lemon, zested	2
Flour, all-purpose, sifted	3 cups
Garnish
Mint	6 leaves
Chocolate, white, shaved	handful

Semifreddo

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water; set aside to soften and swell, 3 to 5 minutes. 
2. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the split vanilla bean and seeds with milk. 
3. Remove from heat, and whisk in the softened gelatin. 
4. Strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl. 
5. In a large bowl, add the chocolate, slowly pour in hot milk over the chocolate, stirring constantly, until melted; set aside and cool to room temperature. 
6. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. 
7. Mix in the lemon zest and juice into the milk mixture, and then fold in the whipped cream. 
8. Pour into a mold of whatever shape you prefer, and freeze until set. 

Berries

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, sugar, zest, and vanilla beans, and boil for 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Add the blueberries and blackberries, and poach for 2 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat, and add the strawberries. 
4. Let cool, and then refrigerate. 

Cookies

1. Combine the powdered sugar, almonds, and salt in a mixing bowl. 
2. Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle until pale yellow and fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs, lemon zest, and sugar mixture, and continue beating. 
4. Slowly add the flour, until just incorporated. 
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling out. 
6. Preheat oven to 325°F. 
7. Sprinkle your work surface with a little powdered sugar, and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. 
8. Cut one large cookie in the shape of the semifreddo, and cut the remaining dough into small rounds. 
9. Place on a cookie sheet, and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Construct

1. Unmold the semifreddo, and carefully place it on top of the large cookie. 
2. Slice into 1-inch pieces, and serve with a generous spoonful of the poached berries, mint leaves, shaved white chocolate, extra cookies, and white chocolate leaves. 

Recipe from My New Orleans The Cookbook by John Besh.