Irish Pantry

Book excerpt: For those times when you need a snack-or a dessert after a good meal, or a homemade food gift, or a way to preserve the season-you need only to stock an Irish pantry to be prepared for any occasion. From jams and jellies to cakes, breads, condiments, and cured meats, this traditional look at feel-good foods bursting with nostalgia will satisfy your longing for something special. Chef and restaurateur Noel McMeel has spent a lifetime first learning in the kitchen, then working there himself. His recipes are generations old: passed from his grandmother to his mother, and to Noel and the next generation. They celebrate a culture of thrift and good eating, the original "eating local" and "whole foods" movements. Noel offers ways to pack the heat of summer into jars with recipes like Blackberry and Lime Jam and Orange Confit, and his Traditional Irish Christmas Cake might become a regular at your holiday table. There's also Rhubarb Ketchup, Homemade Elderflower Liqueur, Spiced Oat Crackers, and a whole chapter of rubs and seasonings. Whether you're Irish or just a food enthusiast, the Irish pantry may well become a way of life.