GRIOTS REPUBLIC - An Urban Black Travel Mag - March 2016

Irish Soda Bread
and instability, little thought was put into
creating an “Irish cuisine.”
Irish food, in the 21st century, is experiencing a
rebirth. Through the work of chefs like Darina
and Myrtle Allen, Irish cooking is emerging
and continuously evolving. It is reinvented,
using the incredible native and timeless Irish
foods and new multicultural elements. A new
generation of Irish chefs are building onto the
cuisine, inspired not only by their traditional
and ancestral dishes, but by the European
and American culinary scene. Some, as Chef
Qualters said, “might even call it Modern Irish
cuisine as it continues its commitment to
outstanding ingredients, treated simply.”
One of the highlights of the Museum’s “Cooking
Irish” program is the 4th Annual Maureen
Farrell McCarthy Irish Soda Bread Competition
taking place this March. Soda bread, a quick
bread that gets its name from the use of baking
soda as a leavening agent instead of the more
common yeast, is one of Ireland’s staple foods
and the competition has attracted entrants
from all over the northeast. The Museum’s
staff and board are excited to welcome both
amateur and professional entrants to the event
and hope this competition inspires people to
learn about a very unique part of Irish culture
and life, especially as we approach St. Patrick’s
Day when interest in all things Irish peaks.
In the past the Museum has received around
70 different entries in three different categories,
drawing national attention.
The Irish American Heritage Museum’s mission is
to preserve and tell the story of the contributions
of the Irish people and their culture in America,
inspiring individuals to examine the importance
of their own heritage as part of the American
cultural mosaic. As such, the Museum is unique
in the United States, where almost 36 million
individuals claim Irish ancestry. It is committed
to the basic tenet that preserving one’s heritage
is vital to providing a cultural and historical
foundation to future generations of Americans.
Rather than promoting a stage version of what
it means to have Irish ancestry, the heritage
museum focuses on preserving the actual
culture and history of Irish Americans. It strives
to be a living, breathing institution that offers
an assortment of enrichment programs. In
addition to “Cooking Irish,” historical lectures,
plays, movie screenings, a storytelling series,
genealogy programs, concerts, and open
sessions are available to the public. Families
can also participate in the annual Irish American
Heritage Day at Saratoga Race Track and the