It’s an Irish-American thing

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I talked to Henry de Vere White, one of the co-owners of De Vere’s Irish Pub (1521 L Street). This is what they eat at home for the holiday:“Corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes and parsley-cream sauce, which adds a totally different flavor to the whole plate. It’s an Irish-American thing, not necessarily Irish. It became really big here because it was hearty and affordable.

“We would also do Irish brown bread with Irish butter, smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon. We start every special meal with that. I had to go over to Ireland and [get help from] my aunt to get the recipe to work here.

“We would also have shepherd’s pie with a fried egg on top. That’s how my mom would make it for us when we weren’t feeling good, plus a little ketchup and HP Sauce. That’s comfort at its finest.”