Although Italy cannot claim St. Patrick as their favorite son, Patrick’s parents were citizens of Rome so it’s easy for Italians to translate the green in their flag to the “wearin of the green” on St. Patrick’s Day.
Everyone’s Italian on St. Patrick’s Day. My Irish friends may disagree but it goes something like this. The food traditions of Italy began with the ancient Etruscans, a pre-Roman civilization that apparently liked to eat and eat well. Archeological remains of clay pots, bronze cooking vessels and cheese graters may have established the Etruscans as the original “foodies”.
Enter the Irish. Celtic tribes from central Europe, hearing of the well laid tables of the Etruscans, were attracted to the region of Eturia (now known as Italy). Around 350BC the Celts built a settlement alongside an Etruscan village near Monterenzio (BO) and began to invite themselves over for dinner.
The lush valleys, rich copper and iron deposits and strategic location convinced the Celts that an Etruscan-Celtic alliance would be to their advantage. This resulted in a peaceful coexistence, intermarriage and the building of a settlement at Monte Bibele in the Bolognese hills. So began a Celtic-Italian fusion that inspired me to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day “wearin’ the green”, white and red colors of Il Tricolore, the Italian flag.
Take a St. Patrick’s Day tour of Italy beginning with Italy’s Celtic roots and then travel to Rome to visit its Irish churches. St. Isidore, San Clemente near the Roman Colosseum (known for its frescoes and twelfth-century mosaics), San Silvestro and St. Patrick with its Celtic design cathedral windows. A burial plaque commemorating Brian Boru’s son, King Donnchadh of Munster, can be found among the Roman columns of the 4th century basilica of St. Stefano Rontondo . He died during a pilgrimage to Rome and was buried here in 1064.
Today there are many Irish pubs in Italy and you can be sure they will be serving Guinness on draught and Irish whiskey on March 17th along with pasta and pizza and Irish Espresso.
Irish Espresso
Here is a recipe that we have adapted from home roaster and coffee aficionado Jim Slaughter who claims it makes the “best Irish coffee in the world”. Combine the whiskey and brown sugar together in a heat-resistant container. Then use the espresso steamer to heat the whiskey until hot and the brown sugar is dissolved, about eight to ten seconds. Transfer to an Irish Coffee mug and carefully pour the lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the coffee as you pour to get a creamy float on top.
One Irish Coffee Mug about 5 or 6 fl. oz.
One long shot of good espresso
Two fingers of decent Irish Whiskey (Jameson or Bushmills)
One generous teaspoon of demerara or brown sugar
FRESHLY prepared heavy cream sweetened with white sugar, beaten until it’s the consistency of custard, but not whipped to fluffiness.
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