A St. Patty’s Day Tradition
Michael McDermott is originally from Cleveland, and moved to Hawaii six years ago at the invitation of his girlfriend at the time. He says that it was such a unique opportunity that he decided to tag along for the adventure, and was ready for something new and different.
Michael has a BFA in art and photography, and soon after settling here directed his talents toward wedding photography. His company is called Vivir, which in Spanish means “to live, to experience and to come alive.” Michael says Hawaii is such an attractive destination for couples from all over the world, and he loves being a part of such an important day in people’s lives. In addition to photographing weddings from Waikiki to the North Shore to the West side of Oahu, he has traveled to the Neighbor Islands, California and Spain to shoot weddings. For more information, visit vivirphotography.com.
He is interested in motion pictures, and has co-hosted public screenings at Fresh Café and the former R/D in Kakaako, to share unique and smart movies with Oahu’s art and culture community.
Michael also hosts trivia contests regularly Tuesday evenings in Chinatown at The Manifest bar. He and his co-host write all of the questions, and he says they really enjoy trying to stump the devoted crowd of trivia aficionados.
This column is dedicated to Michael for his enthusiasm in taking part in Hawaiian life.
The person who would be known to history as St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales around 385 A.D. Patrick was appointed bishop to Ireland to convert native pagans to Christianity.
He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country, and setting up schools and churches that would aid him in his conversion of the country to Christianity.
His mission in Ireland lasted 30 years. He died March 17 in 461 A.D., and that date has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since. The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737 in Boston, which was the port of entry for many Irish immigrants who fled Europe in search of a better life.
Irish soda bread is a favorite on St. Patrick’s Day, and if you want to get creative, add cranberries, nuts or any favorite to the bread and experiment.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
IRISH SODA BREAD WITH GOLDEN RAISINS
• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 5 beaten egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pint low-fat sour cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder until well-combined. Add raisins and toss until coated with flour mixture. Add the egg-white mixture and sour cream, and mix until just combined.
Pour batter evenly between the two pans. Bake loaves for about 1 hour (tops should sound hollow when tapped, and cake tester should come out clean from center).
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