B is for Basil

I’ve done posts on basil before because it’s such a fantastic herb.  It’s so sweet and fragrant and it just exudes loooooovvvvve.  When I lived in Istanbul, some of the restaurants I visited along the Bosphorus placed pots of basil on the tables for decoration.   The leaves were very small and the shape of the plant was bushier than the basil we typically see here.   I had one, but my brown thumb killed it.  I may be a good cook, but I am a lousy gardener, as I’ve written before.

Basil is ruled by the planet Mars.  It carries the element of fire, and its energies include love, money, and protection.  (Cunningham, 1990).

Once upon a time in Malta, when a household had a young girl of marriageable age, a pot of basil was placed on a windowsill to let potential suitors know ‘here there be baebes’.  Or something like that.

A nice tomato-basil salad or soup are both great love dishes.  Eat pasta with pesto sauce to attract money (with proper visualization and real world steps, too, of course.) For purification and protection, add basil to citrus.   

The following recipe is part of a brunch menu for the winter solstice.  If you have a pot of basil in the kitchen, you have access to this lovely herb all year long.  If you don’t have fresh and do not wish to buy it out of season, I suppose half the amount of dried basil could be substituted, but I’ve not tried it.

I serve this salad with smoky duck and sweet potato hash with eggs, buttermilk biscuits, and spiked coffee.   What better way to warm up after a sunrise solstice ritual, right?

Citrus Fruit Salad with Sweet Basil Dressing

3 oranges, peeled and sectioned

2 mandarins or clementines, peeled and sectioned

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

1 ruby grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

Place citrus fruit sections into a bowl.  Mix gently to combine.  Drizzle with Sweet Basil Dressing. Toss gently.  Chill before serving.

Serves 4

Cunningham, S. (1990). Cunningham's encyclopedia of wicca in the kitchen. (p. 130). Woodbury: Llewellyn

Our Friend, the Coconut

Do you love coconut, or do you hate it?  I love it!  When I was younger, I called them "monkey faces" because of the three little black dots on the end.  Yeah... *L*

The coconut is one of the most useful trees in the world.  Hundreds of products can be made from the coconuts themselves, as well as the leaves, the trunk, and even the husk.

Ancient Hawaiians offered coconuts to many of their deities.  Coconut groves were worshiped as sacred spaces.  The goddess Hina, a good goddess, is linked with the creation of the first coconut.

Because of this, the coconut is ruled by the moon.  Its element is water, and it carries the energies of spirituality, psychic awareness, and purification.

Coconut meat is good to eat before full moon rituals, or as part of the cakes and ale portion of the ritual.

I've been using a lot of coconut oil lately.  If you have read this blog for a while, you know how much I love coconut curried everything, and adding coconut oil instead of ghee or olive oil increases the delicious flavor.  It also has a high smoke point.

However, I haven't been cooking with the coconut oil recently.  I've been using it for natural bath and beauty products.  It seems to have hundreds of uses,as evidenced by all the blogs that list them.    I like to think it also helps to purify me and add an extra layer of protection.

What I've done with coconut oil so far:

* Homemade deodorant - mix equal parts coconut oil, cornstarch or arrowroot power, and baking soda.  Add essential oils for fragrance if desired.  Mix to form a stiff paste and store in an airtight container.  You'll find this recipe all over the Internet.  I used tea tree and rosemary oils.

* Hair conditioner - melt coconut oil (it melts at a very low temperature) and add a few drops of peppermint and rosemary oils. Massage into hair and scalp and leave for 20 minutes.  Shampoo as usual.

* Body scrub - Mix one avocado with 3-4 tablespoons soft or melted coconut butter, and enough salt or sugar to make a paste.

* Moisturizer - I rub it into my still-damp skin after a shower.  I also use it as a lip balm.

I plan to use it for some homemade mosquito repellent as well.  I feel a protective layer of glowing white moon energy around me the more I use it.

I invite you to share your uses for coconut oil or the flesh of the fruit.  I love coconut recipes!

Source:

Cunningham, S. ( 1990). Cunningham's Encylopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen Llewellyn Publications. Woodbury, MN.


This post is copyright to the author. No portion of it may be reproduced in any manner without express permission from the author.

Thanksgiving, Part III

I'll try to wrap it up in this post. Maybe one more. We may even get to dishes that were actually served at the first Thanksgiving!

Although not served at the first Thanksgiving, no table would be complete without that big, jiggly blob of canned cranberry sauce. Perhaps you make your own? If so, bless you! It's so much better.

Cranberries are ruled by the planet Mars. Their element is water and their energy is protection.

To prepare your own, add 1 bag cranberries to a sauce pan. Put in 1 cup sugar and 1 cup orange juice. Cook until the berries start to burst. Easy. If that's not easy enough, just open a can and *plop*.

Another food that was not served in the 1620s was mashed potatoes. For years I didn't like mashed potatoes. After having lap band surgery, I find the texture appealing and I now enjoy them.

The potato is an Earth food, carrying energies of protection and compassion.

Sweet Potatoes are ruled by the Moon and Earth and carry the energies of love and sex. Not that anyone is really thinking about sex after a full Thanksgiving dinner although it would be an excellent way to burn off those calories.

Pumpkins are also ruled by the Moon and Earth. Their energies are healing and money. Pumpkin pie flavored with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg can be used to attract money. You know, for Yule shopping the next day.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving celebration next week. May you be surrounded by loved ones and loving energies, along with prosperity for this new year.

Protective Spice Mix

This spice mix does double duty. You can sprinkle it on your food or just sprinkle it around your property for protection. Make a double batch and do both.

3-4 bay leaves, center stem removed, leaves crumbled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder or granulated onion and garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

In a coffee/spice grinder pulverize bay leaves, peppercorns, and dried rosemary leaves. Put in a small bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Add this to protective foods or other dishes to add protection. I'm thinking of sprinkling some on a steak or a nice pork roast this weekend.

Imbolc Recipe

For Imbolc and for the kitchen goddess Annapurna.


Traditional foods for Imbolc include lamb, cabbage, raisins, currants, and seeds. These foods represent rebirth and are excellent symbols of rebirth and renewal. These foods remind us of the coming of spring. For Imbolc, many people like to stick to traditional Celtic foods in honor of Brigid, such as lamb stew, colcannon, and Irish soda bread. These are warm, filling foods that provide nourishment during the cold winter months and represent rebirth, promise, and prosperity.

Those of you who know me will know several things about me. First, I am not always conventional, especially in the kitchen. Second, I love spice! As luck would have it, spicy foods are excellent for Imbolc. They represent the heat of the growing sun and infuse foods with protective energy. Garlic and chiles are great to add to dishes for Imbolc, and curries are appropriate.

In honor of the upcoming Sabbat (and to satisfy a wicked craving), I decided to get into my freshly-scrubbed kitchen and whip up a dish that includes garlic, chiles, spices and greens.

Saag (spinach) Aloo (potato)

This dish would also be good for Ostara, as it uses spinach. I also added some peas because I had some in the freezer that I wanted to use. In the spring, you can use fresh spinach and peas, but frozen veggies are perfect acceptable any time.

2-3 medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large bag of frozen spinach, thawed (squeeze out as much water as you can)
½ onion, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ fresh ginger, grated or finely minced (or use ½ tsp. dry)
1 green chili, minced (or ½ tsp dried chili flake)
1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander and garam masala
½ tsp turmeric (optional)

Process

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and add salt and turmeric, if using.

In a skillet heat a couple teaspoons of oil and cook the onions until almost tender. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and cook for 3-4 minutes. Don’t let it brown. Add the spinach and cook until warm. Puree this mixture in a food processor and return to the skillet. Add the spices and potatoes. Add some hot water if the mixture is dry and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve with Basmati rice.

Now you have a simple, healthy dish that is full of ginger, garlic and chilis, as well as the traditional potatoes. I can’t even begin to tell you how good this is! I’ll try to post a picture once I upload some, but photos just don’t do it justice.

Fruits of the Season: Oranges

Oranges, like most citrus fruits, are good for purification. They also, according to Cunningham, carry love energy as well. Oranges are one of the fruits that are fresh during the winter and their bright orange color reminds us of the sun that slowly starts to return at Yule.

Oranges, tangerines and grapefruits are wonderful little reminders of the sun. Dried slices of these fruits can be used to decorate wreaths or hung around the kitchen as a garland for Yule. Just having a bowl of citrus fruits on the table in the kitchen or dining room can bring some cheer. Their bright hues add a splash of color to what is an otherwise drab time of year.

A garland of dried citrus slices can also add a nice touch to your Yule/Christmas/Holiday tree. Add some sticks of cinnamon hung with festive ribbon, a garland of cranberries, and some lights and you have a beautifully decorated tree.

To dry citrus fruits, slice them into ¼-inch slices. Squeeze out some of the excess juice and dry on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in your oven. Set the oven to about 150 degrees F. Leave the door slightly ajar and dry for 5-6 hours.


Another idea for this holiday season is a pomander. What, you may be asking, is a pomander? Well, a pomander is basically a medieval air freshener. It’s a preserved orange, usually, that has been studded with cloves. They aren’t terribly difficult to make. You can find instructions all over the internet. For your convenience, I will include instructions below.





A pomander is a great thing to have in your house, not only because it smells good but also because of the combination of citrus and cloves. These make great protection/purification charms. Get together with your family or magical group and make these. Make some out of small tangerines and hang them on the tree. They make great housewarming gifts. I clearly remember the pomander hanging in the broom closet at my mom’s house when I was growing up. I believe my granny had at least one as well.

To make a pomander you need:

1 orange
1 ounce whole cloves
1 tablespoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Sandalwood oil or orris root powder *
Toothpick, ice pick, or something else to make holes in the orange
Tape
Paper bag
Ribbon

*Orris root powder comes from a type of orchid. One website recommends using the sandalwood as a preservative instead, as some people are allergic to orris root. It’s used to make ice cream here in Turkey, as well as sahlep, a popular winter beverage. You may not be able to find it, so sandalwood oil is probably your best bet.

1.Knead the fruit in your hands to loosen it up a bit.

2. Mix the spices together with the sandalwood oil (several drops).

3. Use masking tape to mark off a crisscross design on your fruit. This is where you will place the ribbon.

4. Using the toothpick or other sharp object, poke holes on the parts of the orange that aren’t covered in tape. Insert a whole clove into each hole.

5.Place the spice mixture into a paper bag. Roll the orange in this mixture until it is completely covered.

6. Leave the orange in the bag in a cool, dry place for 4-6 weeks until is it completely dried out. Roll the orange in the spice and oil mixture daily. If you notice any mold on your fruit, throw it out and start again. You’ll know it’s ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on it.

7. Shake off the spice mixture. Place the ribbon where the tape was. Sew the ends of the ribbon together to make a loop for hanging. Now your pomander is ready.

If you are using this as a protective charm, separately charge the spices and oil and the fruit. You can recharge the spice mixture every day when you roll the orange in it, or as you see fit.

Winter's Bounty

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter is upon us. Many places are still enjoying mild or warm temperatures, while others are experiencing cold, rain or even snow. Long gone are the fresh, fragrant herbs of summer, the plump juicy fruits and crisp colorful vegetables. What’s a person to do? Surely we can’t be expected to sit in our homes eating uninspiring, lifeless junk food!

Fortunately we have the gift of agriculture to help sustain us, unlike our earlier ancestors, who had to live on preserved foods throughout the long winter months. We know have access to a huge variety of produce all year round. What could be wrong with this? Well, one issue is the fact that certain things just aren’t in season this time of year. Using hothouses to forcibly grow out-of-season produce wields tasteless, inferior products that are nowhere near as lovely or tasty as the fresh, seasonal foods.

Yes, we can go to the freezer section of the grocery store and buy lovely frozen spinach, raspberries, tender peas, and even asparagus. These fruits and veggies were picked at their peak and frozen to preserve their flavor and vitamins. Canned produce is okay too, but the quality isn’t quite as good as frozen. The taste, too can be a bit off-putting. I’ve found that beets, corn and beans are the only veggies that taste okay out of a can. Everything else, to me, tastes like, well, the can.

Happily we can still find fresh fruits and vegetables growing even in winter. Some things may still need to be shipped from one part of the country to the next, or from another country, but at least these things are being harvested while they are in season, as opposed to being grown in a greenhouse somewhere.

What can we eat at Yule? What about at Imbolc? Yule is right around the corner and some of you may already be planning your winter solstice meals. At Yule we celebrate the sun’s returning, This is the longest night of the year, and in some places it is very cold, so we need hearty, satisfying food to give us energy and to ground us after a ritual.

Let us first take a look at what the season offers us in the way of fruits and vegetables. Then we can begin discussing properties of those foods, and ways to prepare them.

Some of the vegetables available in winter include Brussels sprouts, leeks, cabbages, parsnips, sprouting broccoli, and kale. These vegetables pack a nutritional punch, contribute their green hues to the season, and are all protective foods! How nice that so many protective foods are available to us during this dark half of the year. We can begin adding these foods to our diet to fill ourselves and our homes with protective energy.

We also have turnips, rutabagas (I’ve never eaten one of these. Has anyone?), bok choy, artichokes, celery root, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts. Artichokes are also protective. Chestnuts and sweet potatoes are love foods.

Fruits of the season include citrus fruits such as clementines, oranges, blood oranges and grapefruits, as well as kumquats, pears, persimmons (another food I’ve never tried but have seen at the markets here in Istanbul), kiwi, bananas, red grapes, pomegranates, and cranberries.

Citrus fruits are good for purification. Many of the fruits available in the winter are a deep red or orange, the color of the sun we are welcome into our lives again. These fruits make lovely decorations for the altar or the table, as well as a tasty addition to your Sabbat feast.

As you can see, we do not have to have a boring diet in the winter. Even though our bodies crave heavier comfort foods such as thick stews and holiday sweets, we can still incorporate fresh produce as well. The next few posts will discuss ways of using some of winter’s bounty for food, magic, and decoration. We will also continue exploring dark goddesses. Keep reading!

Sunday Leftovers - Protective Onion and Leek Quiche

I was going to write a bit more about the leek and onion quiche yesterday, but I ended up getting abducted by a horde of drunken Turks instead. Actually, no, that isn't true. This time I willingly traveled to them,instead of having them come to Sariyer to whisk me away. I had a nice little trip to the Asian side of the city on a ferry. I love how I can use a ferry or sea bus to travel from one part of this city to another!

Anywho, back to the quiche. According to Cunningham's Wicca in the Kitchen, eggs have also been used for protection. In Egypt, eggs were held in the hand while reciting protective chants. The Egyptians also consumed a diet heavy in beer, bread and onions, so in a rather roundabout way, this recipe could be used in honor of the ancient Egyptians, I suppose. Heck, why not. Get creative! Quiche is also an appropriate food for Beltain.

I took some pictures of the process but my camera isn't that great. I'm afraid you'll have to suffer through my mediocre attempts at photography.

Pate Brisee (That's crust, y'all)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup chilled shortening, cut into small cubes
1/4 - 1/2 cup ice water

If you have a food processor, this crust is super easy to put together. Put the flour, salt and fat (mmmm....two kinds of fat) into the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water a few tablespoonfuls at a time, pulsing in between. To test, pinch a little bit of the dough together. If it sticks together and isn't crumbly, it's ready.

Turn the mixture out onto a board or table and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for an hour.

After an hour, divide the dough into two pieces. (I actually used the whole thing for my 10-inch dish. The crust was a little thicker, which is how I like it.) Using a floured rolling pin and a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out into circles about 1/4 or 1/3-inch thick. Place in a buttered pie plate and poke holes all over the bottom. This will let steam escape and keep the pastry from being puffy.

Heat the oven to 375. Put a buttered piece of foil or parchment into the bottom of the crust and weigh it down with a handful of beans or a couple handfuls of rice. You can buy an expensive pie weight if you wish, but you probably have extra rice or dried beans lying around the house. You can't eat the beans or rice after, but you can store these items in a jar and reuse for future crusts.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Filling

While the pastry was busy chilling, I started making my filling. I used:

2 leeks, split down the middle and sliced into thin rings **
1 1/2 white onions, thinly sliced
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

**Note on leeks: Leeks are notorious for being hard to clean. I find that the easiest way to get rid of the deep-down grit is to split them down the middle and slice them into the pieces I want to use. I discard the tough green tops. Then, put the slices into a bowl of water. The leeks will float and after a few minutes, all the grit will sink to the bottom. Use a strainer to scoop out your clean leeks.


Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onions and leeks. Cook on low, low heat until the leeks and onions have caramelized. The smell is just fantastic! They will become soft and brown and beautiful. Season with salt and pepper.

While I was cooking the veggies, I envisioned them releasing their protective energy. I sort of "smudged" myself with onion vapor. Yum. :)

When the crust has blind baked for a while, remove it and remove your homemade pie weight. Spread the onion and leek mixture onto the bottom. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add salt and pepper. Pour over the leeks and onions and pop into the oven. Bake until set.

I didn't notice exactly how long mine baked. It seemed as though it were perfectly set after 15 minutes or so. Maybe it was because I had the oven on for a while. Whatever the reason, it baked quickly and was soon firm and lightly brown on top and OMFG delicious.

I served it with simple spinach, lightly sauteed with a smidge of butter, 2 small cloves of garlic, and a grating of fresh nutmeg. It was a truly decadent, delicious meal.



B.C. - Before Caramelization




Go ahead. Put your nose to the monitor and sniff. I won't tell!



Butter adds flavor and makes a flakey crust. Shortening makes it super tender.






I couldn't resist a light sprinkling of Parmesan.



I obviously need better lighting in my kitchen...



Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself. :)

Ah, Sunday

I'm off tomorrow too! As most of the population of this country is Muslim, our holiday calendar is a bit different. We've been off since Thursday for Kurban Bayram, the sacrifice holiday. Today I gave my kitchen a thorough scrubbing and burned some rosemary for extra cleansing. Now I'm drinking some Turkish coffee (I'm still trying to prepare it just right. I'm getting better!). I think I will make a leek and onion quiche for dinner.

It rained earlier today but now the sun is out and the sky is a light blue, decorated with a few scruffy clouds. I'm sitting my apartment listening to the 100 greatest hits of 1986 and enjoying the hum of the dryer.

The leek and onion quiche is today's protective magic recipe. Leeks and onions are both ruled by Mars and their element is fire, making them excellent protective foods. They may not be ruled by the Sun, but fire-ruled ingredients will make a nice dish for Sun-day.

Leftover Magic

Thanksgiving leftovers? Never fear, the kitchen witch is here! I wasn’t able to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast this year, but I am still here with ways for you to use up some of the leftover food you may have, and stir up some witchin’ in the kitchen to boot.

The following soup is just the thing to lift you out of the post-Thanksgiving slump. In fact, it’s good for helping lift you out of the winter doldrums, so it’s a good one to hang on to until spring. Plus, being a spicy soup, it’s good not only for warming and protection, but you can also serve it at Imbolc.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

First, let’s talk about that pumpkin. As we have discussed before, this is an excellent symbol of the harvest. Its round shape represents fertility and abundance. The seeds are also symbols of fertility and can be toasted and eaten, or dried and marked with runes for divination. If you like to do things the slower way, maybe you’ve purchased a pumpkin and roasted it yourself. If so, good for you. Roasting the pumpkin intensifies the flavor and brings out a lovely sweetness. If you’re short on time, however, canned or raw pumpkin will work just as well. This recipe is partially about the spice.

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1 hot red chili, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ½ cups pumpkin (used canned or roasted, whichever you have)
3 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
3 tablespoons butter or oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and spices. Stir to coat everything with the spice mixture and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the pumpkin, water and broth and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in your blender or use a stick immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Soup can be thinned with a little extra water or stock if it’s too thick for your liking.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves if desired.

Not in the mood for soup? You can also turn this into a satisfying, chunky curry to serve over rice. Use cubes of roasted pumpkin instead of canned, and omit the water and stock, keeping the coconut milk.