[1] Something new in ice cubes: the Titanic hits the iceberg (photo courtesy The Caveman’s Guide).

We have a quirky sense of humor. When we saw this quirky—some might say macabre or tasteless—ice cube mold, we had to have it.

The mold makes cubes in the shape of the H.M.S. Titanic and the iceberg it unfortunately encountered.

We like to keep surprising our guests, and these did it. We’re not so sure they’ll have the same impact the second time around, but there are always other guests.

The shapes will be most noticeable in clear drinks: gin and tonic, Sprite, and the like.

You can also use them for:

We found them in The Caveman’s Guide which sells them on Amazon.

March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is National Corned Beef & Cabbage Day.

Corned beef and cabbage is a St. Patrick’s Day standard. But wait: The dish isn’t from Ireland, but from New York City’s Lower East Side.
 
 
WHAT IS CORNED BEEF?

Although the exact beginnings of corned beef are lost to history, it most likely was created when people began preserving meat through salt-curing—an ancient practice.
 
Is There Corn? No.

Corning refers to curing or pickling the meat in a seasoned brine. The word refers to the “corns” or grains of rock salt (today, kosher salt is used) that are mixed with water to make the brine. (Curing meat and fish with salt was an ancient practice in numerous cultures.)

Typically, brisket is used to make corned beef. Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow (photo #2)

The dish has many regional variations and seasonings. Smoking a corned beef and adding extra spices produces pastrami.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

Historically, cattle in Ireland were not used for meat but for dairy products. Pork, affordable, was the predominant meat.

It wasn’t until England’s 16th century conquering of Ireland that the cow became a meat animal—but its availability was limited to the Irish population because of the cost.

Then came the massive migration of Irish, Jewish, and other populations from Europe to the U.S.

Corned beef was a staple in middle-European Jewish cuisine. Irish immigrants learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors on New York’s Lower East Side.

They adopted it as a cheaper alternative to imported Irish bacon. (Irish bacon is a lean, smoked pork loin similar to Canadian bacon. Here are the different types of bacon.)

In the U.S., pork was much more expensive than the American staple meat, beef. Brisket, which required several hours of cooking to tenderize, was an affordable cut.

Bacon and cabbage is a popular Irish dish, so the marriage was made:

Irish Americans substituted corned beef for the bacon, and Corned Beef & Cabbage was born (photo #3).
 
 
MORE CORNED BEEF RECIPES

[1] Corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and Irish soda bread (photo © Chef Eric LeVine).

[2] A brisket, transformed with into corned beef (photo © Omaha Steaks).

[3] One idea for leftovers: corned beef and cabbage tacos. See the other recipes below (photo © Tortilla Factory).

[4] Make a Reuben sandwich with leftovers. Since cole slaw is grated cabbage, dice the leftover cabbage and mix with mayo, shredded carrots, diced onions, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, and a pinch of sugar (photo © An Affair From The Heart).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] This bright green dip has layers of flavo5.

[2] A packet of dip mix provides ranch dressing flavor to the dip (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Hidden Valley).

[3] Everything’s better with bacon (photo courtesy Edwards Virginia Smokehouse).

We recently tasted this dip at a friend’s house, and liked it enough to ask for the recipe.

Turns out, it’s a Hidden Valley recipe, sent in by a customer. It includes everything from ranch dip to guacamole to chicken, bacon and hot sauce.

It may not be Irish in spirit, but it’s bright green in color (photo #1).

You can make the dip the day before, and let it chill until you’re ready to make the pita chips.

You can also use store-bought chips; but the fresh-from-the-oven chips are so much more of a treat.

For green beer to accompany the snack:

 
 
RECIPE: “GREEN WITH ENVY” CHICKEN & RANCH GUACAMOLE DIP

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pita chips. Heat the oven to 350°F. Separate each pita bread round horizontally, to yield 2 thin rounds. Stack the rounds, cut them in half, and then cut each half into fourths to form triangular wedges. Spread the wedges smooth side down on a large baking sheet.

2. MAKE the dip. Whisk together 1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix, 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush the mixture on the pita pieces and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the chips so the smooth side is up, and bake 5 minutes longer or until brown and crispy.