Catch members of "Turf " Live at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub
COOKING WITH TURF ~ TRADITIONAL IRISH BAND.....Enjoy the Indigenous Music of the Island of Ireland at Your Special Event!
(408) 422-1463 or (209) 768-8651
Cooking With Turf is an acoustic band located in Northern California who play Irish music to promote the tradition
in all its forms and to create a closer bond among all lovers of Irish music!
Cooking With Turf plays jigs, reels, and other music to dance to, and we can conjure up a good song and maybe
a bit of the traditional Irish step dance as well!
We are available to play at your event, indoors or out, plugged in
or acoustic! Book early for:
- St.Patrick's
Day
- Weddings and Wakes
- International, Celtic, or Irish Fairs
- Highland Games
- Company Parties
- Community Events
- Farmer's Markets
- Vineyard Tasting Room Passport Days
- Celtic Christmas Events
We look forward to sharing our music and down-home enthusiasm with you!
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What Is Turf and How
Do You Cook With It?
Turf, or "peat" is an organic fuel formed by the
accumulation and partial decomposition of vegetable matter in areas where the climate is wet and mild, and the drainage is
poor. Peatland or bogland covers about 15% of Ireland.
In the summer time peat or "turf"
is cut into blocks with a spade and set in stacks to dry. Dried peat burns easily with a smoky flame and a very distinct (and
pleasant) odor.
Peat was the source of heating and cooking in Ireland for centuries. It is still
used in some areas of Ireland for heating. The following picture depicts the cutting, drying, carrying and selling of "turf"
or peat. Turf burns without tending and remains lit even if moved.
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Influences and Favorites....
Our musical influences include: Dervish, Lunasa, Altan, Danu, DeDannan, Kevin Burke, Matt Molloy, Theo Paige,
George Grasso, Dave Cory, Téada, Liz and Yvonne Kane, The Mulcahy Family, Frankie Gavin, and the list goes on!
The
sounds of Ireland,
that restless whispering
you never get away
from, seeping out of
low bushes and
grass,
heatherbells and fern,
wrinkling bog pools,
scraping tree branches,
light hunting cloud,
sound hounding sight,
a hand ceaselessly
combing and stroking
the landscape, till
the valley gleams
like the pile upon
a mountain pony’s coat.
-John
Montague’s “Windharp”
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In Our Spare Time....
We can be found with our fiddles and flutes at traditional Irish
seisiuns throughout Northern California, including O'Flaherty's Irish Pub in downtown San Jose, P. Wexford's in
Modesto, and the historical Magnolia Saloon in Coulterville. Please join our email list by writing to Leap2Three@yahoo.com!
We hope to see you at the pub!
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So What Is A Seisiun Anyway?
Seisiuns (or sessions) are informal gatherings of Irish traditional musicians that
happen mostly in pubs. For more information, check out this helpful link:
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