How to Have a Perfect St. Patrick’s Day

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) March 13, 2014

This St. Patrick’s Day, King Kullen is ready to help their customers have the best holiday possible by offering tips on throwing a great party and sharing recipes that guests are sure to enjoy. With King Kullen’s help, the luck of the Irish is sure to be on every party-thrower’s side.

Step one: Look the part.
It’s not St. Patrick’s Day without the color green! Start with a green T-shirt or sweater to show some holiday spirit and add accessories such as buttons, pins and jewelry. For those feeling truly festive, a leprechaun costume may be the perfect outfit.

Step two: Set the mood.
Put up some festive party decorations and make sure the atmosphere is festive as well with some fun Irish music. Some traditional Celtic or folk music will certainly get everyone in the mood for an Irish party.

Step three: Drink up!
One special drink that is popular on St. Patrick’s Day is green beer. It’s amazingly simple to make; just add a drop of green food coloring to any beer, and voila! For those looking for something more traditionally Irish, try the classic Guinness beer or an Irish coffee.

Irish Coffee
Combine 1/2 cup of hot brewed coffee, 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey and 1 teaspoon sugar
Add Food Club or Cool Whip whipped topping to add some flare.

Step four: Serve a hearty meal.
No party, especially an Irish one, is complete without a delicious and tasty meal. There are a variety of traditional Irish recipes that would be a hit with party guests, but there are just a couple that stand out as the perfect fare for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Two of these are Irish soda bread and corned beef and cabbage. We recommend purchasing King Kullen’s Irish Soda Bread, made fresh from scratch in the Irish tradition. If you are ambitious and want to bake your own, we recommend this recipe:

Irish Soda Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a nine-inch round cake pan.
Mix 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons caraway seed, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl.
Stir in a 1/2 cup of raisins.
Mix 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl, and then stir into dry ingredients.
Spread in prepared pan.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Place a three-pound corned beef brisket (trimmed) in six-quart saucepot.
Cover with about 2 quarts water.
Add 1 small onion (quartered), 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spice and 1 teaspoon garlic (minced), and cover.
Bring just to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer for two hours. (Do not boil).
Add 8 small red potatoes and 2 cups baby carrots or 8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Simmer 30 minutes longer.
Add 1 small head of cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges.
Simmer 15 minutes longer.
Remove brisket and vegetables from saucepot.
Slice brisket across the grain.
Mix 2 tablespoons butter (melted) with 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, and brush on vegetables.

Step five: Don’t forget dessert.
To top off this special St. Patrick’s Day party, end with a festive green dessert. Crispy treats make the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Luck of the Irish Crispy Treats
Line 13-by-9 inch pan with foil.
Lightly butter or spray foil with no stick cooking spray, and set aside.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in large saucepan on low heat.
Add 1 package of marshmallows.
Stir constantly until marshmallows are melted, then remove from heat.
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of green food coloring until smooth.
Quickly add 6 cups crispy rice cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.
Press into prepared pan using a buttered spatula, and let cool.
Cut into bars or use a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter.

There’s no better place to look to for help with St. Patrick’s Day than King Kullen. With more than 80 years of experience in the business, King Kullen has seen many St. Patrick’s Days go by, and as such, has learned to perfect their recipe for a great holiday party. To pick up ingredients for a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration, stop into King Kullen today.

About the company:
Headquartered in Bethpage, New York, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket. Michael J. Cullen opened the doors of King Kullen in 1930. Today, four generations later, King Kullen is still family-owned and operated. It remains a leader in the supermarket industry. From that very first store in 1930, King Kullen today operates 39 supermarkets and four Wild by Nature stores across Long Island. In addition to traditional grocery, King Kullen features a large catering and prepared foods department, freshly-baked breads and sweets, and healthy and organic areas, with pharmacies in many stores as well.

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