Well, it’s not so rare as its namesake, but the once-a-year convergence that is happening this month is still a gastronomic treat.
Pi(e) Day, which is becoming more popular every year, is March 14. (3.14 = pi, the relation of a circle’s diameter to its circumference.) In celebration of the existence of this mathematical constant, we indulge in the eating of (round) pie. Three days later, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by everyone with any claim to a relation (or not) to Ireland. The best way to do this, in my humble opinion, is by imbibing Guinness while eating something delicious and Irish for dinner, and finishing with the last slice of the pie that was first broached on the 14th.
And may I take the opportunity to show off the perfect plate for the occasion? A pie plate with a “formula” for consumption, which of course includes pi. The reverse spells it out for the innumerates among us.
Harris Teeter provided a perfect example of the Convergence last week, when it celebrated both the Green and the Pi(e) occasions (combined, begorrah, by key lime pie, I kid you not), and by displays which kind of shmooshed into each other.
I considered the key lime for a hot minute, but then I bought the apple pie. I have standards.
My last post mentioned the joys of unboxing, and so it was with a shipment of Guinness sent to me by the nice folks at Taylor Strategy, on behalf of Guinness, ahead of St. Pat’s Day.
They included two lovely Guinness glasses, a four-pack of draught stout, and a card describing their initiative to bake bread at the Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, distributed through the Maryland Food Bank. That’s a terrific idea, and I only wish they had included a loaf. It would have gone down a treat with the Guinness Potato Cheese Soup I made using one of those cans.
The soup was just a classic mix of onions and garlic sauteed in butter, with sliced potatoes added along with Guinness and stock, then cooked until the potatoes were tender, pureed (easy with a stick blender), then cheddar cheese added and stirred until melted in. I had a package of Buffalo Wing flavored cheese (no wings in it, just the seasoning!) so this batch needed no further spice.
The only drawback was that using a cup of Guinness did not leave enough to pour and enjoy with the meal. Good thing there were three more cans!
