My Irish grandmother, Annie Allen, arrived at Ellis Island in 1909, a twenty-one-year-old with two little boys, four and two, in tow. I can’t imagine. She joined her husband Bill, who’d come ahead two years earlier to work and save money for her passage, Bill had never met his son Sam. Grandma set up house, had two more kids, and lived a long life in her own home, cooking, baking, and tending her garden until she passed in her late 80’s. As a young lad, her youngest grandchild, I relished her “Irish Cake,” sitting with her for tea—a ritual she kept every afternoon around four whether I was there or not. During my time, Grandma’s Irish Cake was a Christmastime deal only. During the rest of the year, we had store-bought Irish Cake wannabe or raisin bread, either from the grocery or home-made.

Irish Cake is variety of soda bread, loved by many. It’s easy and quick to make, but don’t skip on the key ingredients—real good butter, cream of tartar, and especially buttermilk—or you won’t be getting the authentic experience. We never captured her exact recipe, which I’m sure came straight from County Down, where Grandma probably learned it from her mother, Mary Anne McKee. This recipe has been thoroughly tested in Dad’s kitchen and approved for annual consumption by the family.