The jig is up. Corned beef has been around for centuries, but the St. Paddy's Day tradition of serving it with cabbage is almost as American as apple pie.

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In the early 1900s, Jiggs, a character in the newspaper comic strip "Bringing Up Father," proclaimed corned beef and cabbage his favorite Irish dish, even though it may never have graced dinner tables in Ireland. Since then, Americans have embraced it as the meal of choice for St. Patrick's Day, March 17.

Corned beef got its name before refrigeration, when meat was preserved using coarse grains of salt, called "corn." Today, beef is corned with spices strictly for flavor and not for preservation, so the meat must be refrigerated. A wee bit of updating hasn't changed the allure of this all-American favorite. Whether you're Irish or not, you'd be lucky to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with friends and a feast.

Irish Dinner

Smoked herring or oysters on the half-shell

Assorted cheese-and-cracker appetizer tray

Irish Coffee Adding just a hint of whiskey really makes this coffee special.

Irish stout or lager

Corned Beef and Cabbage This recipe is great year-round served with prepared horseradish and mustard.

Irish Soda Bread Add raisins for a different flavor.

Oatmeal Shortbread Choose from three different shapes -- wedges, rounds, or strips.