Saint Patrick's Day Dinner Ideas

Saint Paddy's Day is this coming Saturday, the 17th. In my house, the menu is sacrosanct, corned beef and cabbage ("New England boiled dinner") made with the guidance of an ancient copy of The Joy of Cooking. I'm actually more willing to fiddle with my Thanksgiving menu than my Saint Patrick's Day one. But if you're looking for some new ideas, here are some guides to help you out: St. Patrick's Day Food & Drink from Epicurious, St. Patrick's Day Feast from Cooking Light, and Irish Recipes from Saveur magazine. P.S. My corned beef will be the one made in-store at Whole Foods, where I can be sure it is free of preservatives. Read those labels carefully. P.P.S. If you're interested in whether the Irish really ate corned beef and cabbage in years past, I highly recommend reading 97 Orchard Street, a history of what was eaten by immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries in a tenement on New York's Lower East Side. Very illuminating.