Shepherd's pie features Irish cheese

It's almost time for the wearin' of the greens.

Even the American version of St. Patrick's Day -- actually a holy day in Ireland -- calls for more than quaffs of Jameson and pints of Guinness.

Hearty Dubliner Shepherd's Pie makes a festive meal and gives you a chance to use imported Irish Dubliner cheese.

Five things I learned:

1. The biggest mistake I made on this was not cooking the carrots long enough. They took longer than potatoes, which were perfectly mashable after 15 minutes, but the carrots, which were supposed to mash up and give this a rich orange color, came out in stubborn chunks and no amount of mixing seemed to make a difference. Instead of a golden color, it came out more mottled and made me wonder if the dish had developed some sort of pox. Tasted OK, but not what I wanted.

The recipe said to cook the potatoes and carrots together, but next time I'll do them separately, because I don't want to overcook the potatoes. If the spuds cook too long, they come out gluey and dry.

2. This recipe is actually a blend of one from Kerrygold, an Irish brand of dairy products, and a recipe from Everyday Food magazine, which supplied the mashed carrots concept. The Everyday Food one called for yellow potatoes, which I took to mean Yukon gold. I tried that, but I'd like to try it with russet potatoes, too.

3. As to Irish butter, Kerrygold says its cows eat a certain kind of grass that makes the butter richer and creamier. Perhaps it does, but I was too cheap to buy it. Dubliner cheese, on the other hand, I've been curious about but didn't know where to find it. This time it reached out and grabbed me in the fancy cheese section at Wegmans. No excuse not to try it now.

4. When I got the Dubliner home, I had a little bite. To me, it tastes like a sharp cheddar. The company's website also said it features nutty flavors of Swiss and Parmesan. It made the potatoes richer and, if you will, more Irish.

5. The recipe includes 3/4 cup of Guinness Irish Stout, which gives some depth to the meaty filling. If you don't like that, add a few squirts of Worcestershire sauce. If you want to try the Guinness but don't want to buy a whole six-pack of this lovely brew, you can probably get a single bottle of it at the grocery stores or six-pack shops. If you don't see it in the single-bottle cooler, ask someone if you can get one. Wegmans did that for me.
