The Ancient Order of Hibernians James A. Curran Division One of Hampden-Hampshire Counties invites the public to find out while attending the fifth annual Summer Picnic Hibernian Style at The Wherehouse?, 109 Lyman St., Holyoke. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with serving at 5 and music from 5:30-9:30.
Irish soda bread HOLYOKE –Which soda bread will capture the judges’ favor this year at the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ second annual Irish Soda Bread Contest on Saturday, June 22?
Will the winning entry have raisins? Nuts?
The Ancient Order of Hibernians James A. Curran Division One of Hampden-Hampshire Counties invites the public to find out while attending the fifth annual Summer Picnic Hibernian Style at The Wherehouse?, 109 Lyman St., Holyoke. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with serving at 5 and music from 5:30-9:30.
The picnic will feature songwriter Jim O’Connor and the five-piece Boston Blackthorne Band. The award-winning Celtic and Irish American traditional and original music band has been performing throughout New England for more than 10 years.
The cost of the event is $15 for adults and $8 for children under 12. It will include hotdogs, hamburgers, salad, dessert, soda and entertainment and take place rain or shine.
The Maurice A. Donahue Memorial Scholarship will be presented at the event.
Reservations for the picnic must be made by June 19; call Paul Hogan at (413) 533-0436 or Paula Paoli at (413) 534-3697.
Paoli is coordinating the Irish Soda Bread Contest.
The idea came from Lawrence Hibernians, “and we decided to try it” last year, she said. “Everybody has their own idea of what is the best (Irish soda bread), and they’re all so different.”
Last year’s entries varied from the traditional round bread with an “x” cut in the top to one made in a loaf pan.
Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland; it uses baking soda as a raising agent rather than the more common yeast. Other ingredients include flour, salt and buttermilk. Some people like to add raisins or nuts.
Paoli is planning to enter the contest again; she did not win a prize last year. “I’ve been practicing, tweaking” the recipe, she said, revealing she is thinking of using blueberries in her entry.
There is a $5 entry fee for the contest.
Participants must be present at contest. Recipes do not have to be authentic Irish soda bread recipes.
Each entry should be cut into pieces that are suitable for judges—tapped from picnic attendees--to sample. Judging will take place at the picnic for one hour beginning at 6 p.m. First prize is a $50 gift certificate from The Cottage in Holyoke; second prize is a $25 gift certificate from there.
Last year, Tracy A. Trial of Holyoke won the first Irish Soda Bread Contest from a field of nine entries.
“Hibernians are all about tradition, trying to keep traditions alive,” Paoli said. The contest is one way to keep the tradition of Irish soda bread alive “because people have so many feelings about it” since many family recipes were brought by ancestors from Ireland.
For an entry form go to www.aohholyoke.com. Mail the form with the $5 entry fee to: Paula Paoli, 22 County Road, Holyoke, MA 01040.
For more information, call Paula Paoli at (413) 534-3697.