Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Feast of St. Dominic, August 8
El Greco: St Dominic in Prayer, 1586-90
This is a special feast day in my extended family. We celebrate one brother's birthday, one sister's wedding anniversary, and it was Great, Great Aunt Clair's birthday, a very special, saintly lady, may she rest in peace.
About St. Dominic, see Catholic Culture, Patron Saints Index, and a goldmine of links from the Dominicans (of course!).
St. Dominic was born in Spain, but fought Albigensianism, a Christian heresy in western Europe. Father John Hardon has an excellent explanation of Albigensianism. (Image: Pedro Berruguete, St Dominic and the Albigenses, c. 1495).Dominic founded the Order of Preachers. The reason why so many people were being sucked into this heresy was plain ignorance. So his mission was preach the Gospel, the Truth. From the Encyclopedia of Catholic Saints (August), there are some interesting notes on his life:
It was while he was still a student that he was given the first opportunity to show that charity and loving kindness which were to be the hallmarks of his life. The harvests had been poor, the reserve supplies of food were quickly running out, famine was already devastating the countryside and would soon reach Palencia. As always it was the little people, the poor and the humble, who were the first to be affected. The professors at the university took no notice; so long as they were paid they could always buy something on the black market. The students were as carefree as usual; if the worst came to the worst, they could always go somewhere else in search of learning and food. But Dominic at once sold all his possessions, including all the books that he had annotated with his own hand. For a scholar, and particularly for a scholar in those days, this was a great sacrifice, but Dominic explained it simply: "I do not wish to study dead parchments when men are dying of hunger." He used the money to buy food for the poor, but the words that he spoke--clear, simple and full of the spirit of the Gospel--aroused his fellow-citizens to their duty, and works of charity began to multiply all over the city. For Dominic was a scholar whose search for truth had drawn him closer to his fellow-men and not, as so often happens, away from them.
So beautiful! What a reminder on what our studies and reading should bring us. And these actions at the age of 16!
I couldn't find many quotes from this saint...but the ones I did find all point back to penitence and fasting. Another prod that in this day mortification is still very much needed.
========
A man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either command them or be enslaved to them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil.
========
Fight the good fight, my daughters, against our ancient foe, fight him insistently with fasting, because no one will win the crown of victory without engaging in the contest in the proper way.
========
Possess poverty. (Dying words)
========
For this saint's feastday, I don't think anything elaborate would be appropriate. We won't be fasting, but simplicity will be the aim. I'm going to trace back to Dominic's Spanish roots and use a recipe (once again) from my favorite Spanish cookbook My Kitchen in Spain by Janet Mendel for the main dish. My tomatoes are ripening and this recipe is perfect for using some of those luscious fruits, Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Tomato. Accompanying this I will have brown rice, a simple green salad and fresh fruit salad for dessert.
Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Tomato
Pollo con Tomate
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 pounds chicken legs and/or thighs
4 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (about 8 large tomatoes)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pimentón (I'm omitting)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. brandy
Choppped fresh flat leaf parsley
Heat the oil on medium high heat in a deep skillet, then add and brown the chicken pieces, about 10-15 minutes. Remove when browned all over, and drain extra fat except 2 tablespoons.
Either microwave or boiling water method, blanch and peel the tomatoes. Seed the tomatoes and chop coarsely, making 5 1/2 to 6 cups.
Heat remaining oil in skillet on high, add all remaining ingredients except parsley. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken back to the pot. Lower heat to medium and simmer uncovered, about 45 to 75 minutes. Remove the chicken when done, but continue cooking the tomato sauce over medium heat until very thick and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Add chicken back to the pot to reheat. Remove bay leaves, serve garnished with fresh parsley.
Another sidenote on St. Dominic. He's the patron of scientists, astronomers and astronomy. I wish I realized this before I went to the grocery store. Seems a star fruit would be in order for our fruit salad. ;-) But we'll eat out on the porch and perhaps do a little star-gazing tonight, as the night is clear.
15:00 Posted in Cultural , Family , Family , Food Allergies , Liturgical Year , Main Meal , Poultry , Summer Meals , Vegetables and Salads , Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: chicken, summer, tomatoes, St. Dominic, Saint Dominic, Albigensianism
Thursday, June 08, 2006
French Way with Food
Read about The French Way in my family blog. How inspiring for my family table to read these French cultural traditions about their gardens, cooking and family meals.
11:54 Posted in Blog , Cultural , Family , Family , Sports , Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
Thursday, June 01, 2006
A Mother's Symphony
A while back someone told me of this wonderful project: Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project. This is an online collectino of Historic American cookbooks done by Michigan State University and the MSU Museum.
The past few days I've been browsing and getting ideas...one thing that comes to mind is that dominant ingredients (i.e., the top 8 allergens) that we find in almost everything today might not be so prevalent in these older recipes. I'm also looking for instructions on making things from scratch, especially from our garden. I like pulling up the old-fasioned way of doing things...usually requiring less ingredients. Some culinary skills and products are a lost art...for example, do you know how to make gooseberry water ice?
But I digress. I found today this lovely poem which speaks so clearly of doing things cheerfully. Read between the lines: sanctifying my work and doing it all for love -- love of God and love for my family.
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S SYMPHONY
To do the best that I can, from morn till night,
And pray for added strength with coming light;
To make the family income reach alway,
With some left over for a rainy day;
To do distasteful things with happy face,
To smile instead of frown at Fate,
Which placed me in a family always late
For meals; to do the sewing, mending and
The thousand small things always near at hand,
And do them always with a cheerful heart,
Because in life they seem to be my part;
To know the place of everything and keep
It there, to think, to plan, to cook, to sweep,
To brew, to bake, to answer questions,
To be the mainspring of the family clock.
(Or that effect) and see that no tick, tock
Is out of time or tune, or soon or late,
This is the only symphony which I
Can ever hope to operate.
MARION WILEY
From the introduction of Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled During Her Visit Among The "Pennsylvania Germans" By Edith M. Thomas.
17:58 Posted in Books , Cultural , Meditation | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this
Monday, May 22, 2006
Best $2 I've Ever Spent....
We enjoy taco night at home. The taco meat I make from scratch (prepackaged seasonings usually have wheat starch and some kind of lactose). Our condiments are many and varied, although they don't include sour cream or cheese: tomatoes, lettuce, onions, refried beans, black olives, green chilies, allergy-safe guacamole and salsa.
Pre-food allergies, we used to have soft (wheat) flour tortillas for our tacos. With present-day food allergies, I switched to store-bought fried taco shells. The corn tortillas are safe for ds.
We tried the soft corn tortillas. They were horrible, smelled terrible. I followed the directions and heated them in the microwave. Yuck. A friend of mine whose parents are from Mexico told me her mother was horrified and disgusted to think of how those tortillas might have tasted. Raw and uncooked! She suggested using a griddle to heat them up. My friend also suggested that I fry the corn tortillas myself. The fresher the tortilla, the better. I have fear of frying and only 2 burners right now, so I haven't taken that plunge.
But right after this conversation, I chanced upon Alton Brown on "Good Eats" on fresh corn tortillas. I was riveted...apparently they aren't just corn flour and water. The corn requires soaking in water a type of calcium carbonate (lime) to break down its components (more info) to create masa for the dough.
The very same week I found a traditional tortilla press at our parish festival's White Elephant Sale for $2. What luck, I thought! I can actually try out making these from scratch!
My local grocery store just expanded the Hispanic section and I found instant masa mix (I used Goya), so tonight my son and I made corn tortillas to accompany our tacos. The instructions on the bag weren't perfect, so it took longer due to trial and error. There are kinks to work out the next time, but overall this was quite a success! Ds was able to be hands on with a mixture without any worry of an allergic reaction, and he was making something he could eat. "I'm making Forteeyas!" He also interchangeably calls them "pancakes."
I think a tortilla press should be added to the list of kitchen tools for children. Maria Montessori would approve! The ease of use for this hand press was amazing. Ds caught on after the first try and needed no coaching or help after showing him. He placed the dough ball in the middle and pressed down with success each time. To see his flattened tortilla was such a joy!
And we enjoyed eating them. These tasted and smelled much better than the store-bought and ds was savoring every bite.
The $2 press is a huge success!
21:35 Posted in Breads and Biscuits , Cultural , Family , Montessori , Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this | Tags: tortilla, tacos, Montessori, kitchen tools
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Papal "Sweet Miter" Cakes
Our diocesan paper Arlington Catholic Herald had in this week's issue a small photograph entitled Papal Miter Cakes Mark Anniversary. It was marked as a CNS photo. The caption read:
Baker Manuela Maier displays "sweet miter" cakes in the small Bavarian village of Marktl am Inn -- the German birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. The Church marked the first year of his pontificate April 19.
The cookies looked delicious -- 3 different kinds shaped in a papal miter or mitre form. I'm in search of two things: the authentic German name, and a close match to the recipes of the cookies.
We had a great time today searching for answers over at 4Real Learning Forums. I was able to get more clues, thank to the other mom sleuths. Here's the picture of the cookies. The photo is actually a REUTERS photo, by Michaela Rehle.
There are some cookie cutters in the shape of a mitre sold at St. Nicholas Center. The shape of the mitre would make these suitable to serve for all papal and bishop saint days, plus a great treat to celebrate our own pope's anniversary.
I don't have a firm guess at the recipes yet, nor the German name. What is German for "Sweet Mitre"? I'll keep you posted when I get any updates!
Meanwhile, I have cooking in the oven Garlic and Citrus Chickenrecipe by Giada De Laurentiis. I saw this episode and was so excited to see something on TV for an easy roast chicken that was allergy free without me having to do adjustments! It's the little things that get me excited.
The weather is getting warmer, though, so my menu planning is going to change to cooler cooking -- grilled foods and warm weather dishes. But I haven't put on my summer thinking hat yet....
17:05 Posted in Cultural , Desserts , Liturgical Year | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this