Family Food for Feast and Feria

Here's an entry for The Virtual Kitchen's Blueberry Bash.

This is an easy recipe from my mother-in-law, and I do believe this was her mother's recipe, also. The pie shell is a meringue crust. For my husband this recipe is a must (and comfort food) for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. It means summer is here, and evokes all sorts of cozy family summer memories.

The shell isn't pure meringue, as the crackers and nuts add some texture. The contrast of the crunchy shell and sweet smooth whipped cream and blueberries makes a delicious summer treat.

Shell:
3 egg whites, beaten stiffly
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup rolled soda crackers
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup nuts, chopped

Filling
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar, to taste
flavoring vanilla, cognac, other liqueur (optional), to taste
1 quart fresh blueberries (or other berries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar and pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time, continue beating until stiff peaks form again.

Fold in vanilla, soda crackers and nuts.

Pour into buttered pie pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool

While baking, whip heavy cream (with sugar and flavorings). Add blueberries, mix through the cream. Chill.

After pie crust has cooled, pour filling into pie crust.

Chill until ready to serve.

I had huge success for my lamb cake this Easter, and really I have to give all credit to Elizabeth Foss, since she shared her recipe on the Easter Menu discussion from the 4RealLearning Forums. I have a different cake mold than the Wilton version, but the recipe and directions worked out perfectly. I had no breakage, no floppy cake. The cake itself was firm but moist and tasty. The decorator icing was delicious...a bit on the sweet side, but that's typical for decorator icing. I used the No. 21 tip and made stars to recreate the fluffy lamb's wool. I used jellybeans for the eyes and mouth, dyed coconut green and sprinkled on the top of the base to recreate grass.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your family's secrets. I'm reproducing the recipe so I can keep it for my records (every year I forget what I did the last time).

Pound Cake:

1 1/2 cups butter
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs, one at a time. Sift flour and add to batter. Add vanilla; mix well.
Place batter into a greased and floured pan; follow Wilton baking instructions.

I didn't need to double the recipe. The leftover batter was enough to fill one 10 inch layer to use as the base for the lamb. Next year I might double to make a layer cake. The pan cooked much more quickly than the lamb, so watch that carefully.

I didn't ice right away. From my decorating class I had the recommendation to wrap up the cake in many layers of plastic wrap and then freeze the cake. I do believe I was supposed to "crumb" the cake, which was to put a thin layer of frosting all over the cake before freezing, but I skipped that part. The freezing would make the cake firm for decorating and keep it moist.

Hazelnut Frosting

1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Butter
5 cups Confectioner's Sugar
4 Tbsp. Frangelico (or more to get the right consistency)

Cream butter and shortening with mixer for 3 minutes on high speed. Add Frangelico. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes.

I did double this recipe and had only a little leftover. I LOVED the Frangelico addition. I think next time I might add a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness, but I'll have to think that one over.

I used decorator bags, which turned out to be hard for me to squeeze. Next year I'm going to try to use a Decorator, perhaps like the one from Pampered Chef, which will not require as much thumb movement.

The party is over. Dh's birthday on Saturday, and yesterday hosting my family's Epiphany party, with 14 adults and 12 children under the age of 9, I'm a bit exhausted. But I thought I would mention our baking highlights:



My husbands enjoys football, and is a big Penn State and Pittsburgh Steeler fan. I decided to splurge and purchase this Stadium Bundt Pan. He loves cake, and has fond memories of his mother's fancy decorated birthday cakes, so I thought he might enjoy this.

He really did. I used the Kahlua Cake recipe. It makes 9 cups of batter, but in the future I'll only put 8 cups in the cake, as I had an overflowing lava of a mess and quite a smell in my house. But the cake was still good. I sprinkled the powder sugar and it looked like a stadium at a snow game. We're very wishful for snow around here.

Yesterday was Epiphany and our family celebration. The day before I made our King Cake. This recipe makes two rings, and I did a few changes, as I was short of energy and time. I had to let the bread dough rise several times, because I just didn't have free time to roll it out.



And rolling this dough out takes time. I have never been able to reach the dimensions of 15 x 30 inches, so I don't. I think I did about 22-25 inches long. I doubled the amount of the filling. The first ring, I mixed the melted butter with the sugar combo, accidentally omitted the granulated sugar. I spread the filling all over the dough (didn't divide into strips) and then rolled it like a cinnamon roll. My ring wasn't perfect, but it's oh, so tasty!



The other ring I made another batch of filling without mixing the butter and this time including the granulated sugar. I melted the butter, brushed it on the dough, and cut it in half, into two strips. I think put the filling, closed the edges and "braided" the two. It was easier than three, as I could keep the strips closed and not lose as much filling. I still struggle with the edges, so that the ring closes, but I was so pressed for time. I did the egg wash and colored sugar.

The cake is best served warmed with a bit of butter on the sliced piece. Yummy!


Last, but of course not least, was my first attempt at this Allergy Free King Cake. Don't be aghast, but I used Crisco and store-bought icing, added Jelly-Bellys and Sour Lifesavers for decoration. My flour changes were 1/2 cup barley flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 tapioca starch, 1/4 cup corn starch and a small amount of soy lecithin and xanthum gum. The taste is delicious, although my version was a bit dry and crumbly. I would remove about a 1/4 cup of flour combination or maybe add a bit more shortening.

My son mainly enjoyed the candies and frosting, but enjoyed nonetheless and was thrilled to have his own cake.

"King Cake" is the Louisiana term for the sweet bread served on Epiphany. This is the day that opens up Carnival or Mardi Gras. It seems almost every country has their own version of an Epiphany cake or bread. I couldn't find all the names or types for all the countries, but here's a smattering:

Hispanic Countries: Rosca de los Reyes (Cake of the Kings). This is a fruit and nut filled ring or crown topped with icing and decorations, and bean or tiny doll inserted.

France: Galette (or Gateau) des Roi (or Rois) (Cake of the Kings). Usually this is a round and flat cake, honey-spice or sponge inside. It is decorated with pastry, fruits, or sugared frills. Each cake has a bean, small token or miniature doll inside. A nice tradition: there should be one more piece than the number of guests. The extra portion, la part a Dieu--God's share--is for the first poor person who knocks at the door. The day of the Kings means sharing as well as receiving. Nobody who asks for food or alms will leave empty-handed that day.

England: Twelfth Cake is eaten with Lamb's Wool (mulled ale with roasted apple pulp). Inside the cake are a bean and a pea. The man to find the bean was the King of the part, and the woman with the pea is the Queen.

I found this great cookbook called The Festive Bread Book by Kathy Cutler. In her book she has 7 different types of bread or cakes for Epiphany, including ones from Spain, Brazil, Holland and a Twelfth Night Bread of Lady Carcas. This book is OOP. The other book I keep recommending, Celebrations of Bread by Betsy Oppenneer, only has one recipe for Epiphany, Rosca de Reyes.

The Epiphany Cake I posted previously will be a new addition to our Epiphany celebration. We usually serve this King Cake as part of our family celebration. This recipe is from from La Cucina Egeriana. by Eleanor Bernstein, Ferraro, CSJ and Maria Bettina, from Notre Dame Centre for Pastoral Liturgy.

It makes two 9x12 bread rings. The rolling and braiding is a little tricky and time consuming, but it is so delicious and beautiful. My family likes a sweet icing, so I put it on top and sprinkle with colored sugar (purple, green, and gold). The recipe calls for an egg wash with a colored sugar sprinkle.

Cake:
1 stick butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
4 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
5 cups flour plus 1 cup for kneading surface

Melt 1 stick butter, milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a saucepan. Cool to lukewarm. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, yeast and water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand until it forms (5-10 minutes). Beat eggs into yeast mixture. Then add milk mixture and lemon and orange rinds. Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, reserving 1 cup for the kneading surface. Knead dough until smooth (about 5-10 minutes). Place in large mixing bowl that has been greased. Turn dough once to grease top; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Filling:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Topping:
Either 1 egg beaten or Confectioner's Sugar Icing
Then 1/3 cup each colored sugar of purple, yellow and green
2 plastic babies (3/4 inch) or 2 red beans

For filling, mix pecans, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. For topping, tint sugar by mixing in food coloring until desired shade is reached. For purple, use equal amounts of blue and red. (Use just a drop or two at a time).

When dough has doubled, punch down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll half into a rectangle 30 x 15 inches. Brush with half of the melted butter and cut into 3 lengthwise strips. Sprinkle half of sugar mixture and pecans on strips, leaving a 1-inch lengthwise strip free for sealing. Fold each strip lengthwise toward the center, sealing the seam. You will now have 3 30-inch strips with sugar and nut mixture enclosed in each. Braid the 3 strips and make a circle by joining the ends. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Place each cake on a 10"x15: baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush each egg and sprinkle top with colored sugars, in sequence.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from baking sheet immediately so that sugar will not harden. While still warm, place 1 plastic baby or bean in each from underneath the cake.

To freeze, wrap cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap. Before serving, remove plastic and thaw. The cake is best if heated slightly before serving.

Ethel Marbach is an author I really enjoy. Most moms will recognize her by the name Ethel Pochocki and her Bethlehem Books titles such as Once Upon a Time Saints.

Her earlier works as Ethel Marbach are all out of print, but I've had fun reading Holy Housewivery: A Do-It-Yourself Handbook and the companion, Holy Housewifery Cookbook. She is a wonderful, humorous writer, with a great grasp of the Catholic faith and traditions and what it entails to be a wife and mother. I'd say she's a combination of Mary Reed Newland and Erma Bombeck.

My favorite works by her are these tiny series of pamphlets entitled Family Liturgical Customs printed by Abbey Press in the 1960s. They are small, but packed full with ideas. And I was just thrilled to come across this suggestion for an Epiphany Cake. I plan on substituting the wheat flour with a wheat-free combination so my son can share in cake on Epiphany. This comes from her Family Liturgical Customs No. 2: Christmas.

(As an aside, dear reader, there are 5 pamphlets in this series: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. I still haven't found a copy of Advent or Lent. I've been looking for many years. This Christmas pamphlet was a new-found addition. Anyone have a copy that they could share? Copy it for me? I am also offering scanning text or copies of my pamphlets in exchange.)

Our King's Cake for Epiphany contains three beans (or a dime, nickel and penny wrapped in foil) and they who find them are Kings for A Night. There's much X-Ray eyeing and, when Mother turns her back, secret probing of promising-looking lumps on the cake. We bake an inexpensive spice variety in a tube pan, spread it with simple vanilla butter frosting, and crown it with a ring of gumdrops. Gumdrops can be such regal jewels! Here is the recipe for our King's Cake (Mother called it Eggless-Milkless-Butterless Cake):

Epiphany Cake

Mix in saucepan:

1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup shortening or lard
2 cups seeded raisins
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and cloves, each
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil for 3 minutes. Cool. Add mixture of

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon water

Sift and blend in:
2 cups flour (I'm going to do a mixture of barley and oat flour, with some starches)
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a greased and floured tube pan, pour batter. Drop in beans or money.

Bake at 325 degrees about one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Finally! I'm happy to report on our successful Birthday weekend. Thank you to all that have followed my whining posts about testing and finding a decent birthday cake recipe that is free of wheat, eggs and dairy and tastes semi-acceptable...and my birthday cake Trials 1 and 2. Thanks for the love, support, and recipes that you have given!

My son turned 3 on Friday. Dh and I spent the day with him, and I did a small (trial cake #3) cake for that day for just the immediate family. After all, you have to blow out candles on the actual day, right? This was a yellow layer cake, made with the combo of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch and xanthum gum as the flour mix, and Egg Replacer. It actually passed the DH Taste Test, although we had to laugh at the rubbery texture to cut into the cake. The texture was fine to eat, but it was hard to even cut it with a fork. But I used this recipe for the Birthday party, also.

On Sunday was his extended family birthday party. It was a party of 17, with 7 of his cousins that live nearby. One family couldn't make it, or the number would have been 23. Because it was my son's party, I strove to make everything allergy and kid friendly. There were only two things my son couldn't eat, but he usually chooses not to, anyway.

Birthday Party Menu:

Appetizers:
Tortilla chips and salsa and hummus
Potato Chips and dip (This was based in sour cream, so he couldn't eat it. I could have made it with Tofutti sour cream replacement, but since ds isn't interested in it, I didn't bother.)
Raw veggies: carrots, last of the garden cherry tomatoes and celery sticks

Dinner:
Chicken in Beer. I used the broiler, and used a variety of chicken parts.
Mashed potatoes--margarine, chicken stock, salt, pepper and garlic powder to add to the potatoes for flavor. I didn't use enough salt this time, but otherwise okay.
Broccoli Salad -- I used the recipe from my mother-in-law, although less sugar and raisins. I couldn't find an egg-free mayo, so this wasn't safe for ds.

Dessert:
Birthday Cake
Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies .
Popsicles (although I forgot to serve them)

The goodie bags were filled with safe candy: Skittles, Nerds and lollipops.

The cake was a huge success. I pulled out my decorating tools and did a quick job, a bit rusty, but it was a big hit. I haven't decorated a cake for two years. I hung up my decorator's hat after my son's 1st birthday party and his (then) new allergy diagnosis. I'm so happy to have found safe and tasty alternatives and now know that he can still have pretty cakes. I'll get to practice some more.

All the stress over finding the right cake recipe, I found out what my son really wanted was the icing. He's the icing monster. So going the extra step making the frosting and decorating the cake was exactly what he wanted. This cake was less rubbery in texture than Friday's, so it was the best by far. The cake is sweet, and combined with the frosting, it's VERY sweet. It's dense in texture, but moist.

Yellow Birthday Cake

4 Tbsp. Egg Replacer
7 Tbsp. warm to hot water
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup white rice flour
1 tsp. Xanthum gum
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or shortening (I used Earth Balance Margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla (I used Cook's vanilla, which has no alcohol)
1 cup rice drink
4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (with safe flour) 2 round 8" cake pans.

In mixer, add the Egg Replacer and warm water and whip until fluffy. Set aside. Meanwhile, sift all dry ingredients except baking powder.

Cream margarine, sugar, and vanilla. Add rice drink and sifted dry ingredients except baking powder and mix well. Mix in baking powder until blended, but don't overmix at this point. Fold in the whipped Egg Replacer.

Divide batter into half and spoon into pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and cake bounces back after touching middle. It will not brown, but be light in color.

Batter can also be used to make cupcakes, cooking for less time, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove when done, cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Then remove and place on racks to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting
To avoid hydrogenated oils, I used Earth Balance margarine and Earth Balance or Spectrum Shortening.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup shortening
2 tsp. vanilla
soy or rice milk (small amounts)
2 pounded powdered sugar
pinch salt

Cream margarine, shortening, vanilla and salt. Slowly add in powdered sugar, beating slowly with mixer. Add in milk in small splashes until reach desired consistency.

Set small amounts aside for coloring and decorating and ice cake with remainder of frosting.

Next hurdle: Allergy Free Speculaas cookies for St. Nicholas Day and safe cookie frosting.

Subtitled: Birthday Cake Trial, Take 3.

It's nice to have a few feast days before my son's birthday, so I can have an excuse to bake some trial cakes. Oh, I know, I can bake any time that I want. But I like extra motivation. I enjoy having a Purpose to bake.

So I tried again today. My son has made it clear that chocolate is not what he desires, so a yellow or vanilla cake is on the testing block today.

So far, so good. We'll ice it and serve tonight and get my dh's verdict. In trying to find a comparable birthday cake recipe both dh and I feel a frustration that no cookbooks really give a good description on what the final product of the cake will be. There really should be a rating system, on the scale of 1-10, 10 being best, of what the cake compares to non-substitute type cake. I don't want to get my hopes up in seeing a title for "Yellow Cake" and realize that with all the substitutes I am going to have a flat, brown, dry, crumbly, or gooey cake...or worse, inedible. Don't tell me that cooking with legume flour is yummy -- to me, I can taste it, and I don't like it. I learned my lesson the hard way. But I digress.

For the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, I am making a cross cake. I baked the cake in my new Pampered Chef stoneware 9x13 pan. That helps to prevent the sticking and gives even baking...a plus for all the downsides of no egg, dairy or wheat. Then cut the cake in half lengthwise. Cut the other half into two pieces. In a tray or covered cookie sheet place the large half of the cake in the center. Place the smaller pieces one either side of the whole long piece to form the cross shape.

Ice and decorate. And eat.

UPDATE: Verdict -- not good. I undercooked the cake and the oat flour was overpowering. So instead of a dry cake, we had a moist overly sweet cake. But the presentation was nice. I had to trim more pieces to make the cross bar smaller and the middle beam longer, but all the imperfections were covered by the icing.

Does anyone have a yellow or vanilla cake recipe I can try? No eggs, wheat or dairy? Please?

Tomorrow I would like to try to make a heart cake. I don't have special cake pans, so I'm going to do another cut-up version. Here is one version using just round cake pans and this one uses square and round cake pans.

Otherwise known as Birthday Cake Trial Number 1.

I've asked my son what he wants for his birthday. "Ribbons. Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing (inspiration from Chrysanthemum). Lots of frosting."

When the cake is so important to the celebration, I have to keep trialing.

I made a visit to our local health food store and got a few ingredients to try different recipes. I also found a cake mix from Cherry Brook Kitchens. It's Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Peanut, Egg and Nut Free. The ingredients completely reflect a simple cake recipe, no preservatives or chemicals, but just a quick way to make a cake. All the ingredients that you need for gluten free and egg free baking takes a while to measure and sift. I was thrilled, and thought that would be our first trial. I made the chocolate cake mix for Mary's Birthday. It was just one layer, and I used a simple cake decorating buttercream icing (but no butter used). These proportions cover just one layer cake.

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1-2 Tbsp rice or soy milk
dash almond extract or liqueur of some flavor

Beat all ingredients together until creamy. If too liquidy, add more sugar. If too thick, add more milk


I didn't have time to make a beautiful picture -- my son was eager to get into the frosting. So just simple candles in the shape of an "M". We lit the candles, sang "Happy Birthday" and "Immaculate Mary" to Mary and cut the cake.

The Verdict? Deep chocolate taste, but dry. Not crumbly, but dry like sticks-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth-dry. But not inedible. In a pinch I'd do it again. I was wondering if I could doctor the cake mix like I do other mixes -- sour cream, pudding, chocolate chips, etc. (all those would be dairy free).

The frosting was good. At least to ds. It turns out, ds doesn't seem to LIKE chocolate cake. I think he wants yellow or vanilla. Back to the drawing board.

I'm a little blue today. One reason is tonight our family is gathering to say goodbye to a friend who is leaving for a teaching position on the West Coast. We might not ever see him again. This is a good friend I met at Franciscan University of Steubenville twelve years ago. After he finished grad school there, he went to Catholic University and just completed his Doctorate degree.

Steven became an adopted member of my family in a way. He started off as my friend in our circle at school, but when he visited my family in Virginia they welcomed him with open arms. My husband and brothers-in-law also consider him a friend. Over the years he's shared with our family holiday meals and get togethers. The meals have been fewer lately due to busy schedules, but it is sad to know that this is one of the last.

Having just celebrated the feast of St. Bartholomew yesterday, I find Jesus' description of Bartholomew (Nathaniel) "He has no guile" is perfect for Steven. He's an honest, sincere, just, and holy man. He's always a pursuer of Truth. It is a blessing to call him a friend.

His "last supper" request was a dessert I made regularly while at FUS, Kahlua Cake. My nickname for this cake should be "Ladies' Helper"--whenever I needed some help that required extra muscles, I would promise this cake as an exchange for help and I always had willing volunteers.

This recipe from a housemate in college. I know, it's not homemade, and gasp! requires a boxed cake. I was always going to work on tweaking a homemade chocolate cake recipe, but that was B.F.A. (before food allergies). This recipe hasn't been made in a while because it is definitely not allergy friendly.

While mixing and smelling the aroma during baking, a flood of memories came rushing back. How much has happened in twelve years! I'm looking forward to having a little piece of chocolate consolation tonight.

Kahlua Cake
1 package Devil's Food Cake mix (Duncan Hines my preference)
1 cup Kahlua (may substitute non-name brand of a coffee liqueur)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (mini-morsels work best)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt or tube pan.

Mix all ingredients except chips together and beat 2-3 minutes.

Add chocolate chips and beat 1 minute.

Pour into a greased and floured Bundt or tube pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. It's okay to undercook -- better moist. If toothpick inserted has a few crumbs but not liquid, cake is ready.

Before serving (after cooled) sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

I've also drizzled melted chocolate over top and garnished with strawberries in the center hole and dipped strawberries around the side of the cake. Presentation is important -- but the taste is even better. This cake is moist, chocolately and unbelievably good.

Update: I added a photo of our St. James Torte -- I used both the stencils for the decoration. The torte was dense and tasty...definitely a recipe to repeat. The chicken was delicious, nice and juicy.

I've been looking forward to July 25, feast of St. James. See today's entry in Family in Feast and Feria for more information on this feast day.

For food, I'm going to use some Spanish recipes. In spirit I want to be in the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. For ideas of famous foods from that region, see Gastronomy of Santiago. The empanadas sound wonderful, but I don't have time to attempt wheat, egg and dairy free empanadas, but it might be something I try in the future.

So for the main meal I'm going to adapt a Tapas recipe. I love all of Penelope Casas' books, and her Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain is what I'm using for inspiration. But I confess, I'm planning my meal by what I have in the house. Our garden is slowly ripening and I also have chicken. I'm going to make

Chicken in Beer (Pollo en Cerveza)

"This chicken has a subtle lemony flavor, and although I have chosen to use the wing portion for easy handling, you might also use small drumsticks or any other part of the chicken (skin on), cut in small pieces."

Serves 6 as appetizer, but for main meal probably 2 or 3
Start preparation several hours in advance

12 chicken wings (or thighs or drumsticks with skin)
12 ounce bottle beer (minus 1 Tablespoon for sauce)
salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf

Sauce:
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. beer
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Chop the wings into three parts, discarding the tip portion. As I'm making this the main meal, I'm using whole thighs. In shallow bowl or zipper top bag, mix together the marinade: beer (except reserve 1 Tbsp.), pepper, salt, thyme and bay leaf. Arange the chicken in marinade and soak for several hours, turning occasionally.

When ready to cook, combine Sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. At this point you can either grill or broil the chicken. If broiling, arrange on a broiler pan, brush on the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Broil or grill for about 5 minutes (longer if other kinds of parts), flip and baste and salt and pepper. Continue cooking until golden but still juicy. Use a meat thermometer to make sure they are cooked thoroughly.

For dessert, I'm going to attempt to make the famous Tarta de Santiago. This will not be allergy free, but I'm up for the challenge, and to give a nice treat on this wonderful feast day for my dh. There are oodles of recipes on the internet for this cake. There are two different version -- one has a crust and filling, the other is more like a flat cake.

Some examples: Food Network,
Reading Room (nice picture), Travel and Living and Spain Recipes (another good picture).

The recipe I'm using is from my favorite Spanish cookbook, My Kitchen in Spain by Janet Mendel . I've mentioned in another post, Memories of Little Grandma. I happen to have a bag of ground almond meal (thanks to Trader Joe's), so the tart shoudn't be too time-consuming. Almonds don't grow in this area of Spain, so it is a puzzlement that this cake is made with them. Mendel speculates that it originally might have been made from chestnuts.

The torte is usually decorated with a pattern of the Cross of St. James or the cockle shell, both symbols of St. James. I prepared some patterns of the Cross of St. James and the cockle shell of St. James. Print and cut out the images. Place the image in the middle of the torte and sprinkle confectioner's sugar over the rest of the cake. Remove the pattern carefully and you'll have the cross or shell in the middle of the cake.

If you don't have time to make this torte from scratch, any cake will do. Purchase a pound cake even, and put the design on the cake. If you need to resize the pattern, use image program, such as Paint Shop Pro. After opening the image in the program, go to print and choose the size you want it to be on the page. It's that easy -- and I just discovered that after all these years of frustration!

Almond Torte from Santiago de la Compostela
Torta de Almendras de Santiago

Ingredients:
1 pound ground almonds
2/3 cup butter
2 3/4 cup granulated sugar
7 eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Greas a 10-inch springform pan.

Spread the almonds in a baking pan and toast them in the oven, stirring often. Remove from oven when light colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Give time to cool.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat, one at a time. Gradually stir in the flour, the almond meal and lemon zest.

Pour mixture into the greased pan and bake about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester in the center comes out clean and the center when lightly pressed bounces back.

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Poke the surface of the torte with a skewer and drizzle with lemon juice over the top. Add the pattern of the cross and dust the surface with confectioner's sugar.

Catholic Culture has a few more suggestions for recipes for St. James. I am going to go French a bit and serve some green beans, inspired by this recipe. The cookbooks Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf and A Continual Feast by Evelyn Vitz also have some unique recipes for the feast of St. James.