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August 14

1598 - Hugh O'Neill defeats the English at the Battle of Yellow Ford
1778 - Gardiner's Catholic Relief Act is enacted and grants rights of leasing and inheritance to those who have taken the oath of allegiance: the first rolling back of the penal laws
1784 - Nathaniel Hone, painter and member of the Royal Academy at the time of its founding in 1768, dies
1814 - Mary O'Connell is born in Co. Limerick. Known as Sister Anthony, she serves in the American Civil War as a nurse
1850 - The Irish Franchise Act is enacted and has the effect of increasing the electorate from 45,000 to 164,000
1903 - The Land Purchase Act (Wyndham Act) is enacted and allows for entire estates to be purchased by the occupying tenantry, subsidized by the state
1907 - H. Montgomery Hyde, author and unionist MP, is born in Belfast
1968 - Golfer Darren Clark is born in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
1969 - First deployment of British troops in Northern Ireland
1992 - Boxer Michael Carruth wins an Olympic Gold medal in Barcelona
1998 - The Family Mediation Service, which enables separating couples to reach agreement on a range of issues relating to their break-up, is to be expanded nationwide
1998 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern pledges that the Stormont Agreement relating to the release of prisoners convicted of killing gardaí has to be honoured by the Government
1998 - "The Sovereign Nation", a publication of the 32-County Sovereignty Movement is launched in Dundalk
2000 - The Irish Locomotive Driver's Association rejects a bid to end the two-month-old rail dispute
2001 - Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid strongly criticizes the IRA after they withdraw a plan to put their weapons beyond use
2002 - Emer McGrath from Ballynew in Ballinrobe on the Mayo/Galway border becomes the country’s top student with eight Leaving Certificate A1s and one A2.

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Food

Orange 'Irish Whiskey' Marmalade

Just a few easy additions brings every-day orange marmalade into the realm of the special.

Ingredients:
1/4-cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/4-cup granulated sugar
1 cup good-quality orange marmalade
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Metho😛
1. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until a candy thermometer reads 200 degrees. Stir in the marmalade and cook until the thermometer reads 240 degrees.
2. Stir in the Irish whiskey and cook, stirring, until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. Spoon the marmalade into a clean jar, cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes about 1 cup.

Serve on toasted Freckle Bread or Irish Soda Bread.

Spiced Beef

Served cold and thinly sliced, this is a great buffet favorite in many Irish households during the holiday season. While not difficult to prepare, it does require quite a bit of time and care. The following recipe is adapted from several in our collection.

Ingredients:
6 lb sirloin tip or eye of the round roast
3 bay leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon powdered mace
6 finely ground cloves
1 large clove of garlic crushed and made into a paste with salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
2 teaspoons molasses
2 heaping teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons saltpetre
1 bottle Guinness

Metho😛
1. Mix all the flavorings and spices together
2. Place the beef in a large bowl and rub all over with the spice and flavoring mixture
3. Cover and refrigerate
4. Rub in the mixture once or twice a day for a week; turn the beef as you repeat the rubbing in process. The spices and flavorings will now be mixed with the juices drawn from the beef
5. Tie up the meat firmly and place in a large pot. Rub in a last teaspoon of ground cloves
6. Cover with cold water to which a bottle of Guinness has been added
7. Simmer gently for 6 hours. Allow to cool in the cooking liquid. When cool, remove from the cooking liquid, place on a serving dish and cover with a weighted plate
8. Refrigerate until serving time
9. Serve cold, thinly sliced.

Cheese Tart
Edited & adapted from Food Ireland

This would make for a lovely luncheon dish or a light supper. Serve with a crisp green salad. While the pastry might make fresh bread and butter unnecessary on most tables, it's always a staple on ours - and it always disappears!

Ingredients:
Short Crust Pastry
3/4 cup of flour
Pinch of salt
3 oz Kerrygold butter*, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1/2 oz Kerrygold butter
1 small onion
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
3 slices back bacon*, cut into strips
8 button mushrooms, wiped and cut into thick slices
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
6oz Dubliner cheese*, grated
1 cup skimmed milk
3 medium size eggs, beaten
1oz pack fresh Mediterranean herbs, finely chopped
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Metho😛
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs
2. Add the water and form into a ball. Roll out the pastry until large enough to line an 8 inch pie plate
3. Place a piece of foil over the pastry to cover the base and sides.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further five minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F
6. Melt the butter and cook the onions until softened but not browned. Add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms, then cook for a further five minutes. Spoon the mixture into the pastry base, adding the tomato halves and sprinkle over the Dubliner cheese.
7. Mix together the milk, eggs, herbs, mustard and seasoning and pour over the filling.
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the filling is just firm to touch.
Serves 4-6

Mulled Wine
Contributed by Anne Kennedy of Great Food. ie*
Christmas wouldn't be a celebration without mulled wine: aromatic, fragrant, spicy and warming, it makes the house smell wonderful!

Ingredients:
2 large oranges
3 pints of water (48 fluid ounces)
8oz granulated sugar
2-3 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
2 bottles of good red wine
1 apple, sliced and cored
1 orange, deseeded and sliced
Brandy (optional)

Metho😛
1. Slice 2 oranges and place in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, 8oz granulated sugar, 2-3 cinnamon sticks and 10 cloves. Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Strain the syrup. (The syrup can be prepared in advance and left to sit in the fridge for a day or two.) Return the syrup to the pan, bring to the boil, add 2 bottles of red wine, add a sliced, cored apple and a whole deseeded sliced orange into the mixture and serve.

Cook's note
You can add a few shots of brandy if you wish.

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Thanks for taking the time to read. Remember to vote, shout and subscribe.

Anthony Colby