Weekend Update March 16, 2014.

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” 

Oscar Wilde

 Ireland's most popular patron saint influences cultures all over the world- need proof? Look what I found in my local grocery store:

An Irish Saint Patrick's day shirt, made in Nicaragua, under the
american crown label, sold in Texas.
Guaranteed 100% lucky in all countries.

Parades, parties, rivers of beer- all to honor a runaway slave who returned to the land of his captivity to spread the gospel. It's a funny way to celebrate a saint. It's a little like observing an international day of silence, tranquility and meditation

and calling it Disco Day.

The thing is, St. Patrick's day isn't really about celebrating a fifth century priest, it's about celebrating a country and a culture that has infiltrated and influenced the whole world. It just so happens that the Irish are lucky enough to have a Patron who identified himself so closely with Ireland and the Irish that it's hard to throw a party for one without the other showing up as the guest of honor. Its not that other countries don't have patron saints- there are even patron saints of states-

fellow Texans, behold your patron saint-
Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus.
I am not making this up.

I wonder why enthusiastic hordes of Irish and non-Irish alike celebrate St. Patrick's day, and great big crowds of no one at all have a party and rowdy parade on Antonio Margil de Jesus day. Well, I suppose it is harder to say.

One could also point out the fact that while St Patrick is the sort of dude who, when his prayers are interrupted by snakes, doesn't go all St. Francis on their pointy little heads and make friends out of them- no! in a fit of holy temper, he drives all the snakes out of Ireland. Meanwhile, St. Antonio Margil de Jesus has yet to even

drive a single mosquito from the great state
under his patronage.

Every party is bound to have at least one fact-checking party pooper who uses actual information to flatten everyone's green beer, the sort of person who will now point out that there never were any snakes in Ireland to drive out. You know what? It doesn't matter- St. Patrick is still...

one of the most interesting saints in the world.

And this week, whether it was the influence of the Irish, or the celebrated saint who is their patron, this was one lucky kitchen. Everything worked! Even the things that shouldn't have! Look:

Lemon roasted salmon and vegetables

The lemony garlic dressing that smacks into these vegetables at the last minute boosts the taste of everything. It's an easy way to use things you probably already have on hand to turn any vegetable into something a little more exciting than, well, vegetables.

Hard to go wrong with sausages, but with just 5 more minutes of work, you can turn them and the veggies they're sitting on into something amazing with this beer and brown sugar glaze:

Beer glazed Sausage and Apples

Apples, green beans and sausage. It should've been weird, but it was really yummy. Also from the department of this-should-not-have-worked, this:

Baked sweet potatoes with spinach and feta

This was supposed to be gross. I had planned on serving the spinach and cheese mixture separate from the potatoes, because sweet potatoes and spinach- not an obvious combo in a suburban kitchen. Then, in a rush of enthusiasm over all those pretty colors (the orange! the bright green!) I forgot, and piled all that bright green right on top of that beautiful deep orange. And it was great! Since everything was cooperating so nicely, when it was time for the Sweet Potato hash with spicy Hollandaise, I took a chance and googled "easy hollandaise"and this version from simply recipes actually worked! Amazing!

We added some chipotles to the sauce and some kale to the plate
Because nothing starts your day with a feeling of
superiority like kale for brunch.

A week when all things dinner mostly worked, and there was something of the green vegetable persuasion on every dinner plate. A green and lucky week. So that's what the corned beef package was trying to tell me-

I really wasn't sure what to expect from a Cattleman's ranch brisket that
had received inspiration from the Irish.
Religious civil wars?  Tragic poetry about slain cows?
 Leprechauns in cowboy boots?

And I hope this week you're lucky too.
 lucky enough to know that it matters-
what you do to protect those you love
from the worst in the world,
from the things that could poison them.
I hope that this week, you're lucky enough 
to yourself be protected
by people who understand you
and love you
and believe in the power you hold 
to put beauty in the world.
people who know how to stay completely human, 
and still make you feel as if you've found

by your very own,
very earthbound patron saint.