Smoked Salmon on Soda Bread
(Serves 8)

1/2 lb. smoked salmon (sliced thin)
Brown Soad Bread
4 T butter softened
black pepper
gherkins
lemon wedges

Follow recipe for Nan's Soda Bread. When baked and cool, slice the loaf, then cut each slice in half. Dob each piece with butter, add a piece of salmon, and grind black pepper on top. Serve with small, sour gherkins and lemon wedges.

Tips & Glossary: Irish

A special note about these recipes: they came from my friend Nan—yes, the very She of the Marley and Me LitPick (January '07). She lived in Ireland for a while and married an Irishman. These recipes are some of her family standbys. Nan is both a discerning reader and a wonderful cook.

Irish cooking is quite familiar to many Americans, and so you won't find surprises in the ingredient or spice lists. You probably have much of what's called for in your pantry—or else it's readily available in any grocery store.

You'll also notice these recipes call for a lot of root vegetables. They are are a staple of the Irish kitchen: potatoes, carrots, and parsnips are particular favorites. In Ireland, vegetables are served simply, but with lots of butter.

Meats are subjected to the slow-cook method. That's because, historically, the Irish used less-expensive, tougher cuts of meat. Our Irish Lamb Stew, for instance, actually calls for meat from the lamb's neck, not exactly the most tender cut of meat.