St. Patrick's Day culinary traditions

"May the luck of the Irish be with ya," my father announces expecting me to offer the traditional response. Missing my cue, my dad repeats with a raised voice and thick, imitation Irish brogue, "May the luck of the Irish be with ya!" Remembering my role on St. Patrick's Day I lightly shake my head grinning and respond, "And with you the whole year through dad."

My father nods in acceptance as we share a handshake and a smile. This is one of the last memories I have of my dad who two years ago accepted his invitation to heaven. On this St. Patrick's Day my mind floods with memories of my father - fishing, hunting, card games, camping trips, long car rides and even longer conversations - I miss my dad.

Dad loved St. Paddy's Day. On March 17 we often visited family, played cards, ate disgusting cabbage and devoured delicious corned beef - St. Patrick's Day was a big deal in our home.

My father did not descend from Ireland but my mother did. I remember as a child playing in my grandmother's house and having my great-grandmother Fowler, speaking in an accent barely resembling my own yell, "Paddy, (my middle name) come here and give yer granny a little peck." Not often understanding her words and often wanting to avoid her peck, I would giggle and run in the opposite direction knowing her 90-year-old frame could never catch this 5-year-old energetic boy.

Now most of my Irish heritage is gone, lost in the lives of those who remember the old country and the old ways. I miss my grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts and mom and dad who all lived the Irish way: work hard, laugh hard, be honest and eat well. I strive to embrace my culture and honor my family following the Irish way and by reliving my culinary past.

I only recently arrived to a palatable understanding with Irish food. In the past, I disregarded cabbage, stew, crubeens, soda bread, corned beef, offal and black pudding as a curiosity not to be consumed. I now embrace my culture and have acquired a reverent understanding of my gastronomic, hereditable past.

So, on St. Patrick's Day I prepared a corned beef and enjoyed it with cabbage, a rustic mustard, potatoes, Dubliner cheese and a slightly cool Guinness. With the leftovers, I will fix my father's favorite breakfast, corned beef hash with a fried egg. As I consume my breakfast I will remember being forced to eat this horrible food as a child and will remember the love of the man teaching me to consume my heritage - a breakfast I now love.

• Corned Beef Hash (Adapted from Food & Wine)

* 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

* 3 baking potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

* 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

* Salt and freshly ground pepper

* 1 1/2 pounds cooked corned beef, fat trimmed and meat cut into 1/2-inch dice

* 4 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 cup canned tomato sauce or 8 ounces of Guinness (my choice)

* 1 tablespoon hot sauce, plus more for serving

* 6 large eggs

* Snipped chives, for serving

1. In a very large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the potatoes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the corned beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce or Guinness and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes.

3. In another large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Crack the eggs into the skillet and fry sunny-side up or over-easy. Spoon the hash onto plates and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve right away.

Send comments or other suggestions to Bill Rutherford at bprutherford@hotmail.com.