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  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts

  • March Is Zeppole Season

    Ready, set, let the drooling begin because the Zeppole di San Giuseppe are ready to float off the trays at your favorite Italian bakery. And, to us, if they aren't light and airy, they don't meet the test. After all, they are named for the famous airships!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e86d3acf4970d-800wi

    The very best are filled to order like this one from Modern Pastry in Boston's North End. 

    But, while we remind you about these each year, we want to know where your favorites are sold. 

    What is your source for Zeppole and what style do you love? Add your thoughts in the comments below, Tweet it to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestion to this post as an update.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • March Is Zeppole Season

    Ready, set, let the drooling begin because the Zeppole di San Giuseppe are ready to float off the trays at your favorite Italian bakery. And, to us, if they aren't light and airy, they don't meet the test. After all, they are named for the famous airships!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e86d3acf4970d-800wi

    The very best are filled to order like this one from Modern Pastry in Boston's North End. 

    But, while we remind you about these each year, we want to know where your favorites are sold. 

    What is your source for Zeppole and what style do you love? Add your thoughts in the comments below, Tweet it to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestion to this post as an update.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • March Is Zeppole Season

    Ready, set, let the drooling begin because the Zeppole di San Giuseppe are ready to float off the trays at your favorite Italian bakery. And, to us, if they aren't light and airy, they don't meet the test. After all, they are named for the famous airships!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e86d3acf4970d-800wi

    The very best are filled to order like this one from Modern Pastry in Boston's North End. 

    But, while we remind you about these each year, we want to know where your favorites are sold. 

    What is your source for Zeppole and what style do you love? Add your thoughts in the comments below, Tweet it to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestion to this post as an update.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

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    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016302bf8798970d

    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b42979970b

    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016302bf8798970d

    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b42979970b

    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016302bf8798970d

    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • It’s Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Every March, Irish Soda Bread starts showing up everywhere. We've seen it at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Markets. But, we prefer the versions from a few favorite area bakeries.

    Where do you buy your favorite Irish breads? Tell us in a comment below or send us an email and we'll add your ideas as an update.

      6a00e54fc42bb88834014e60460637970c-800wi

    Clear Flour Bread had both white Soda Bread with raisins and traditional whole wheat brown bread (above) last weekend. They hope to have it Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through St. Patrick's Day. We recommend getting there early before they run out of the day's supply. And, call ahead on weekdays to see if they happen to have some.

    Clear Flour Bread, 178 Thorndike St., Brookline, MA 02446 (map & reviews) Phone: 617.739.0060

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b429b9970b-500wi

    Any time of year, you can find a full line of exceptional Irish Breads at Greenhills Irish Bakery in Adams Village, Dorchester. They add caraway seeds to their Irish Raisin Soda Bread (above). It tastes just like the recipe Penny learned to make with her Irish cousins.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b42a69970b

    They also make this Irish Brown Soda Bread that's perfect with meals, a Treacle Soda Bread for those with a sweet tooth, and Irish Barm Brack – a raisin yeast bread. 

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, 780 Adams St, Dorchester, MA (map & reviews) Phone: 617- 825-8187 ‎ 

    DSC_2563 - Version 22013-03-06-irish-soda-bread-trader-joes-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We even took one for the team and taste-tested this "Trader Joe's Blarney Scone Irish Soda Bread." It was not a superlative version but, that said, soda breads are forgiving and there was none left a day later. 

    Over on the Boston Chowhound board, a couple of trusted hounds recommended Hi-Rise Bread Company in Cambridge and Keltic Krust in West Newton as their favorite spots for soda bread. 

    (Update: Keltic Krust closed in 2014)

    Tomorrow, we'll help you learn to make your own soda bread with a great collection of recipes, one of Ed's all time favorite carbo-loading versions, and a great video that shows the technique for Brown Bread that no recipe can completely capture!

    (Update: Here's a link to that post. Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection.)

    Related Posts:

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: © 2011- 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread
    Soda Bread Knows No Season
    Wholesome Irish soda bread recipe especially for St. Patrick's Day
    Irish Soda Bread Scones