Kathleen Maher's Irish Stew

UPDATE: The winner, using random.org, is Laurel! Congrats! Today I am so excited to have Kathleen L. Maher with us to share her family recipe for Irish stew. She is also graciously giving away a $15 gift card to Amazon to one lucky commenter! But first, allow me to tell you about her new Civil War novella, Bachelor Buttons. Here's the blurb:

The daughter of immigrants who fled the Irish Potato Famine, Rose Meehan longs for a better life than the tenements of New York City. Courted by two men--a young doctor who represents material security, and a poor violin instructor who has captured her heart--she must choose between a life of advantage-grabbing or a life of faith. When Manhattan explodes in mob rule following Lincoln's unpopular draft, the heroic action of one suitor brings provision for those she loves, and reveals God's plan.

I knew I would like this novella even before I opened it because it dares to set the story against a very tumultuous piece of American history: the New York City draft riots of 1863. That's why I started reading it in the first place. But what kept me reading--and what made me LOVE it--was Kathleen Maher's commitment to history (even the parts we're not proud of), and the sweet romance that  unfolded against the backdrop of war. Having researched this time and place myself, I found myself nodding and mentally applauding the author for capturing cultural nuances and delivering them to us in such an intriguing package. I can't wait to read more from Kathleen Maher. Even more delightful: the romance in this story is based on the true courtship story of Kathleen's Irish immigrant great-great-grandmother. Now for her recipe! I'll let her take over from here...

Irish Stew

Irish immigrants like my great, great grandmother were often poor and had to make due with whatever they might have had from their gardens and in their larders. Stew was a perfect fallback meal, utilizing what was on hand with room for embellishment. For my stew, I like to use the same plain staples like carrots, onions, potatoes and meat that most kitchens would have had handy 150 years ago. Simple, easy, and hearty enough for the coldest New York winter day.

Ingredients for “shanty” Irish stew 2-3lb roast or stew meat—bite sized squares 1 large onion—chopped in 1-inch chunks 3-4 cups water 1-2lb carrots, peeled coins or baby carrots 5 lb potatoes peeled, 1 ½ inch chunks 3-4 Tablespoons flour 1 cup milk Salt and pepper to taste Optional extras for “lace curtain” Irish stew: 1lb lamb, cut into chunks 1  tbsp Garlic 2 Celery stalks, chopped into ½ inch crescents ½ cup peas beef broth in lieu of water Cut meat (chuck roast, and optional lamb) into bite sized squares, sear in Dutch oven or sauce pot on high heat with 3 Tablespoons oil. Add onion (and garlic), caramelize on medium heat.   Add water (or broth), , cover and simmer for 1 hour on low. Add potatoes, carrots, (celery) and simmer for another half hour. Separate juices into medium saucepan: measure flour into mason jar and add 1 cup warm juices, seal jar and shake vigorously together (for fewer lumps in gravy), return to pan of juices on low heat, stirring until bubbling, add milk, then salt and pepper to taste. Combine gravy with meat and potatoes and serve! Yield: Enough for one large Irish Catholic family

The Give-Away

To enter the drawing for the $15 Amazon gift card, simply leave a comment answering the following question: What's your ethnic heritage? We know Kathleen's is Irish, and I can tell you mine is Swedish and Norwegian. Now it's your turn! A winner will be selected using random.org on Friday, May 24. HINT: Bachelor Buttons is only 99 cents at Amazon through the month of May! So regardless of whether you win the gift card, hopefully those of you who are interested can treat yourselves to a great summertime read!

Widow-cover-3-125.jpg

Bonus Give-away

This week on her blog, History Repeats Itself, Kathleen shares why she was skeptical of my novel Widow of Gettysburg before she read it, what she thought afterwards, AND she's giving away a copy of Widow as well as a copy of her novella Bachelor Buttons. Hop on over to enter her drawing-it closes on Friday May 24!

About Kathleen: Kathleen L. Maher’s novella Bachelor Buttons releases through Helping Hands Press in May, 2013 as part of a Civil War sesquicentennial collection. Her Civil War manuscript won the historical category of ACFW’s Genesis contest in 2012. She has finaled in several writing contests since 2009. Represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency, Kathleen blogs about New York State history and enjoys reading and writing reviews for historical CBA releases.  She and her husband live in a 100-year-old farmhouse in upstate NY with their three children, two rescued Newfoundland dogs and a tuxedo cat.