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My grandmother, who was born in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, always considered herself Irish, even though she lived most of her life in Scotland. Although she wasn't much of a cook, she did love to make soups, one of which I have adapted here.

Cheesecake, meanwhile, originated in Greece, where it was often made from pounded cheese and honey as a wedding cake. When the Romans defeated the Greeks, they took particular pleasure in their cheesecakes and, as they marched through Europe and into Britain, expanded its popularity in other countries. It was immigrants who brought cheesecake to North America, but it was American dairymen who made the basis of our modern versions: a rich cream cheese. In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I have given this cheesecake a distinctly Irish flavour with the addition of Bailey's Irish Cream.

Swiss chard and potato soup

My grandmother used spinach to make this soup, but it tends not to have a strong enough taste for the potatoes; Swiss chard matches much better.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onions

1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed, leaves and stems chopped separately (to make about 6 cups chopped leaves)

2 cups peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil¼ cup thinly sliced Swiss

chard

Method

Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and Swiss chard stems and sauté for 2 minutes or until softened. Add potatoes, chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil. Simmer soup for 5 minutes; add Swiss chard leaves (reserving ¼ cup for garnish) and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until potatoes are very soft and chard is wilted.

Purée soup in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add Swiss chard (be careful, as it will pop and splatter oil) and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisped. Drain on paper towels. Garnish soup with crinkled Swiss chard. Serves 6.

Lamb pot pie

Pot pies are a staple of Irish cooking. Although they are often covered with potatoes and called shepherd's pie, I prefer this slightly spicy, very tasty pastry-covered version.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

11/2 pounds (750 grams) ground lamb

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons paprika

11/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup chopped raisins

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon quick-cooking oats

4 cups washed, stemmed and sliced spinach

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste

1 pound frozen puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg, beaten for glazing

Maldon salt

Method

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add lamb, garlic, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring to break up lamb, or until lamb is cooked through. Drain off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon.

Add raisins, stock and oats, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Season well with salt and pepper. Add more stock if sauce is thin or doesn't materialize.

Add spinach and cook with meat until spinach wilts, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in mint and lemon juice to taste and cook together for 1 minute. Place in 8-by-10-inch rectangular baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Roll out a portion of puff pastry to fit your dish. Lay on top, not stretching too tightly over the filling. Press edges to the rim of the dish to seal. Brush top of pastry with egg, make a few cuts to vent steam and sprinkle a pinch of Maldon salt over it.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is hot. Serves 6.

Irish cream cheesecake

Bailey's Irish Cream infuses this cheesecake. Use block cream cheese for the best texture. Don't worry if the cheesecake cracks, which usually means that it's slightly overbaked; the cake will be covered with cream.

Ingredients

Crust:1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Filling:

1 pound (500 grams) room-temperature cream cheese, cut in pieces

2 tablespoons room-temperature butter, cut in pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup full-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

Garnish:

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Method

Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and remaining melted butter in a bowl. Stir mixture together and pat into an even layer on bottom of prepared pan. Chill in refrigerator while you make filling.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl or food processor. Add brown sugar and beat together until very smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. When egg traces disappear, beat in yogurt, flour, vanilla and Bailey's Irish Cream.

Pour filling into chilled base and place it on a jelly roll pan. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour or until slightly browned and set. The centre should have a slight wiggle. Leave oven door ajar, turn off heat and let cake sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour.

To finish cake, whip together cream and Bailey's and spread over cake. Serves 8 to 10.

lwaverman@globeandmail.com