Since I'm half Irish, I can say, without offending anyone, that the Emerald Isle isn't known for many foods. Even then, those that are linked to it usually only pop up about March 17 every year. And I don't think green beer, ice cream or pudding qualifies as an Irish food. However, there are plenty of good cooks out there who just happen to have Irish blood. As much as my father loved St. Patrick's Day, I don't think the McConahys did anything special on that occasion. Maybe my mother made some green Jell-O salad mold with fruit in it. I think she baked scones with raisins one year. And I know we had corned beef. One year, I did an entire St. Patrick's menu including O'Brien potatoes and another year, made Mulligan stew. No Guinness but I just read the beverage contains antioxidants, which help prevent heart disease. To Guinness drinkers, and I know a few, that comes as good news. I guess any dark beer contains the same nutrients but I'm getting off the subject. St. Patrick's Day requires full use of the imagination. Sure, you may have to hunt down shamrock or leprechaun shaped cutters to make cookies, but think of all the happy folks you'll have -- either before or after the Guinness. Traditionalists stick to the corned beef/hash menu, but the food specialists at McCormick's have a few ideas of their own. So if you're planning a St. Patty's Day bash, you don't have to comb through cookbooks or Web sites. We'll give you two right now. Even though this doesn't officially qualify as an Irish recipe, a Culinary Conversation contributor sends us zucchini "apple" pie. Catherine Litwinowicz of New Castle said she has "fooled her grandchildren and family many times" by using zucchini instead of apples. So when zucchini season is booming, you'll have a new recipe to try. By the way, if you want that green beer, just add 5 drops of food color to a 12-oz. can. May the luck of the Irish be with you. After drinking green beer, you may need it.





Paddy's Puddin' Combine two packages instant vanilla pudding mix with 3 1/2 cups milk and 1 tsp. McCormick green food color. Fold in 8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed. Coarsely crush an 18-oz. package of chocolate sandwich cookies. Alternate layers of cookies and pudding mixture in a large bowl, finishing with a layer of cookies. Top with shamrock candies, if desired.





Corned Beef Pinwheels 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish 8 drops McCormick green food color 6 green onions (green part only) 4 burrito-size flour tortillas 6 oz. sliced cooked corn beef Mix cream cheese, horseradish and green food color in medium bowl until well blended and smooth. Chop two green onions and stir into mixture. Reserve 1 tbsp. cheese mixture. Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture on one tortilla. Top with several slices of corned beef. Place one green onion top at edge of tortilla. Starting at this edge, roll tortilla up tightly. Seal opposite edge of roll with reserved cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients. Wrap each tortilla roll individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve. Unwrap and cut tortilla rolls into one-inch slices to serve. Makes 18 (2-piece) servings.





Zucchini "Apple" Pie Toss together 4 cups sliced zucchini, cooked until crisp tender, 2 tbsps. lemon juice and a dash of salt. Mix in a bowl 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, a dash of nutmeg and 3 tbsps. flour. Add zucchini and mix well. It will be runny, but that's OK. Pour the filling into a 9-inch crust and dot with butter. Add top crust and bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until golden brown. (To contribute a recipe to Culinary Conversation, contact Lugene Hudson at (724) 654-6651, extension 620 or send to P.O. Box 60, New Castle, Pa. 16103 or lhudson@ncnewsonline.com.)