Very bad spuds. - The Wild Geese2024-03-29T10:12:57Zhttps://thewildgeese.irish/forum/topics/very-bad-spuds?commentId=6442157%3AComment%3A18673&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI'm currently reading The Gra…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2013-04-30:6442157:Comment:187832013-04-30T11:48:31.403ZJim Curleyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/JimCurley
<p>I'm currently reading The Graves Are Walking, a book on the famine. I thought this passage fascinating:</p>
<p>"The Halls, an English couple,who visited Ireland in the early 1840s, went even further than [Adam] Smith, crediting the potato with producing the hardiest peasantry in the world. And, indeed, on metrics of physical well-being like height and strength, the early- nineteenth-century Irishman was a wonder. Half an inch taller than the Englishman and an inch taller than the Belgian,…</p>
<p>I'm currently reading The Graves Are Walking, a book on the famine. I thought this passage fascinating:</p>
<p>"The Halls, an English couple,who visited Ireland in the early 1840s, went even further than [Adam] Smith, crediting the potato with producing the hardiest peasantry in the world. And, indeed, on metrics of physical well-being like height and strength, the early- nineteenth-century Irishman was a wonder. Half an inch taller than the Englishman and an inch taller than the Belgian, the Irishman was stronger than both. On a Victorian contraption called a dynameter, the average physical strength of the Irishman was 432 lb, compared to 403 lb. for the Englishman and 339 lb. for the Belgian."</p>
<p>In 2002, I visited the Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, nd remember reading that the pre-famine peasant Irish diet of potatoes and buttermilk was a very good one in nutritional terms.</p> The praties are just fine. T…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2013-04-29:6442157:Comment:186762013-04-29T21:20:35.964ZRyan O'Rourkehttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/RyanORourke
<p>The praties are just fine. They ought to be incorporated generously into a well-balanced diet. Yes, if one crams cakes and pastries and other high-carb, high-sugar foods down at an alarming rate, problems will arise. But including generous portions of potatoes (without loads of butter, cheese, salt, etc.) will do a body good.</p>
<p>And from a taste standpoint, like Tiffany has said, they are versatile and can be presented in such a multitude of ways. </p>
<p>Brings to mind one of the…</p>
<p>The praties are just fine. They ought to be incorporated generously into a well-balanced diet. Yes, if one crams cakes and pastries and other high-carb, high-sugar foods down at an alarming rate, problems will arise. But including generous portions of potatoes (without loads of butter, cheese, salt, etc.) will do a body good.</p>
<p>And from a taste standpoint, like Tiffany has said, they are versatile and can be presented in such a multitude of ways. </p>
<p>Brings to mind one of the courtroom scenes from the film, "My Cousin Vinny," when the witness said, "No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits." Well, no self-respecting Irishman / Irishwoman neglects a hearty helping of praties on a regular basis. :-)</p> Ha! They DO get a bad rep, do…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2013-04-29:6442157:Comment:186732013-04-29T21:09:46.952ZTiffany Silverberghttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/TiffanySilverberg
<p>Ha! They DO get a bad rep, don't they?! But that's because we tend to fry them (and double fry them)! They are such versatile little nuggets!</p>
<p>Ha! They DO get a bad rep, don't they?! But that's because we tend to fry them (and double fry them)! They are such versatile little nuggets!</p>