Shepherd's Pie Throw Down.

Every year, we host a St. Patrick's Day party. I try a traditional Irish dish to serve each year. The problem? The Irish are not known for their exquisite culinary tastes. This year, I have decided to make Shepherd's Pie, a very traditional Irish dish. Ironically, my mom used to ALWAYS (I'm talking bi-weekly) make Shepherd's Pie and I HATED it. Hate may not be a strong enough adjective for my feelings towards Shepherd's Pie (don't you really want to come to my party now?). It was not my mom's cooking, but rather that I was a fussy teenage girl.

In preparation for the party, I had to research the perfect recipe. With no help from Irishman Bobby Flay, I was able to find millions of variations to the recipe out there.

Much to my dismay, Bobby Flay (who claims to be soooooo Irish), does not have an Irish Shepherd's Pie recipe. Can you believe that? So, I had to take it upon myself to help poor misguided Bobby out and conduct my own Shepherd's Pie Throwdown.

I started with Alton Brown's recipe . It was tasty, but called for ground lamb instead of ground beef. I grew up on ground beef Shepherd's Pie and now I know why. Ground lamb is both impossible to find and expensive. I followed the recipe using beef, but found the rosemary and thyme seasonings to be too strong with the beef. I think it would have been much better with lamb, but I'm cheap and lazy when it comes to cooking. Also, corn is not a traditional ingredient. Chris enjoyed it, and said, "It tastes very Irish." Hummmm. Is that a compliment? Not sure.

Next up, Rachel Ray's recipe. I cooked this one for the experts... my mom and dad. They both said it was "lovely," but they are my parents and they have to love everything I do. The recipe was completely idiot-proof. However, it requires dirtying three pots, and I'm not all about the cleaning process (again, I'm a lazy cook). I also thought the recipe was bland.

I was going to try Paula Dean's recipe, but truthfully, I can't stand the lady so I didn't. Also, it calls for making it with a cornbread layer on the top and the potatoes on the bottom. This is not a traditional Shepherd's Pie. Don't mess with a good thing, Paula.

What I REALLY wanted was something in between Alton Brown's herby concoction and Rachel Ray's blandness. That is when I went to the best Irish chef I know....

My mom.

I know, I know. You all want the recipe so you can run home and serve it to your family for St. Patrick's Day. Well, she doesn't really have a recipe. Yes, she is one of those good cooks that can get away with that. I am not. I am a nurse. I function best with precision and exact measurements. Preferably in milliliters and grams. Perfect for an Irish recipe. But, this is the best I could get out of her...

"I chop up carrots and parsnips small (parsnips are optional for you), microwave them and put in with meat

mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, maybe some shallots....cooked in fry pan

I always put in a dash of curry - optional for you, but it does add a zing

I used to put in a few raisins.....adds a sweet taste....

Sometimes use a can of beef/veg soup - not diluted - makes it more moist."

Basically, my mom's theory to Shepherd's Pie making is to throw in anything you have in the kitchen and put mashed potatoes on top. Sounds good to me!

Stay tuned next week for the recipe I choose!