This comes from Patricia Telesco's book, A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook.
Monday - Originally known as Moon's Day. Cooking on Monday will improve magicks for creativity, insight, maternal nature and Goddess-related efforts.
Good foods to eat are mushrooms, for moon magick, and potatoes, for grounding. Here, then, is a recipe for potato-mushroom gratin, courtesy of epicurious.com
Potato-Mushroom Gratin
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut length-wise into 1/8"-thick slices
1 1/2 tsp coarse Kosher salt, plus extra for the mushrooms
3/4 tsp ground black pepper, plus additional for mushrooms
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (approx. 3 oz), divided
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
12 oz fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Oil a 13x9x2 glass baking dish with 2 Tbsp oil. Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes so they overlap. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 cream over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender, adding additional cream by tablespoonfuls if dry, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; maintain oven temperature.
Sprinkle thyme and garlic slices over gratin. Toss mushrooms in a medium bowl with 3 Tbsp oil; sprinkle on salt and pepper. Arrange mushroom slices atop gratin around the edge of the dish. Drizzle with 1/4 cup cream; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Continue to bake uncovered until mushrooms are tender and potato edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cooking by Days of the Week
I have met Patricia Telesco but I don't own any of her books. Maybe I should buy one or two, to generate good book selling karma :) This list comes courtesy of the wonderful invention that is the internet (thanks, Al Gore *L*)
Source: A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook, Patricia Telesco
Monday: Originally known as Moon's Day. Cooking on Monday will improve magick for creativity, insight, maternal nature, and Goddess-related efforts.
Tuesday - Tiw was a god of athletics, combat and law. Consider meals to improve physical well-being, encourage justice, or increase strength and strategy.
Wedesday - Odin (Woden) was a god of the mystical, poetry and resourcefulness. Meals prepared today can accent magick for improved focus on your spiritual path, artistic ability or imagination.
Thursday - Thor, the god of strength and commitment, ruled over this day. Consider dishes prepared to enhance vigor, stamina, devotion and dedication.
Friday - From Frigg, the goddess of relationships and fertility. A good day to create foods for any lunar magick, love-related spells, and improved productivity.
Saturday - Saturn was a god of harvests and planting. A good week day to consider combining with harvest-themed meals, or to sow any seeds to bring positive traits into your life.
Sunday - The sun is the ruler of this day. Any solar magick, god-related foods and foods for leadership, logic, study, etc. are enhanced when prepared on this day.
There you have it.
Source: A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook, Patricia Telesco
Monday: Originally known as Moon's Day. Cooking on Monday will improve magick for creativity, insight, maternal nature, and Goddess-related efforts.
Tuesday - Tiw was a god of athletics, combat and law. Consider meals to improve physical well-being, encourage justice, or increase strength and strategy.
Wedesday - Odin (Woden) was a god of the mystical, poetry and resourcefulness. Meals prepared today can accent magick for improved focus on your spiritual path, artistic ability or imagination.
Thursday - Thor, the god of strength and commitment, ruled over this day. Consider dishes prepared to enhance vigor, stamina, devotion and dedication.
Friday - From Frigg, the goddess of relationships and fertility. A good day to create foods for any lunar magick, love-related spells, and improved productivity.
Saturday - Saturn was a god of harvests and planting. A good week day to consider combining with harvest-themed meals, or to sow any seeds to bring positive traits into your life.
Sunday - The sun is the ruler of this day. Any solar magick, god-related foods and foods for leadership, logic, study, etc. are enhanced when prepared on this day.
There you have it.
Kitchen Deities, Part II
There are so many aspects of the Divine that are associated with the hearth, fire, and food preparation. And why not? Food sustains life, and that which sustains life is sacred. These days, many of us are fortunate to have an abundant supply of affordable food. Sadly, though, many are not. For those of you interested in helping feed those in need, donating non-perishable food to a local food pantry can be a ritual in itself. Just leave the food with a prayer that it nourish those who receive it.
The post I made just a moment ago included a list of various kitchen deities, but it seems that there are more than I originally thought. Fortunately, the Pagan Soccer Mom has a list at her blog ( silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com ). She was also kind enough to list some of the foods and herbs that are sacred to these hearth deities. I recommend visiting her blog. I plan to provide more detailed information about some of the deities and include suitable recipes as I have in the past.
The post I made just a moment ago included a list of various kitchen deities, but it seems that there are more than I originally thought. Fortunately, the Pagan Soccer Mom has a list at her blog ( silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com ). She was also kind enough to list some of the foods and herbs that are sacred to these hearth deities. I recommend visiting her blog. I plan to provide more detailed information about some of the deities and include suitable recipes as I have in the past.
More Kitchen Deities
A while back I made a few posts about kitchen deities from various countries, as well as recipes from their cultures. Since I haven't done that in a while, I thought I would make a few more posts regarding gods and goddesses of food, agriculture, and the hearth.
Below is a list of kitchen deities, courtesy of www.thepaganpath.net:
Agni - Indian fire god and god of the home and hearth
Atar - Zoroastrian god of celestial and terrestrial fire
Ayabba - African goddess of the hearth
Bast - Egyptian cat-headed goddess, goddess of the flame and fire
Brigit - Celtic fertility goddess and goddess of the fire, hearth, healing, poetry, and wisdom
Chantico - Aztec goddess of the hearth fires and volcano fires
Chiconahui - Aztec goddess of the hearth and guardian of the home
Chu Jung - Chinese god of fire
Gibil - Babylonian god of fire
Ephesus - Greek god of fire and volcanoes
Hestia - Greek goddess of the hearth, fire, and family life
Hyang Api - Indonesian god of fire
Hyang Kehen - Indonesian god of the hearth
Kagutsuchi - Japanese fire god
Kiyoshikojin Seichoji- Japanese god of the cooking stove
Loki - Norse god of the fire, hearth, and lightning. Also known as the trickster god.
Ong Tao - Asian god of the hearth, stove, and household
Pele - Hawaiian fire goddess, goddess of volcanoes
Prometheus - Greek Titan, he stole fire from the gods and presented it as a gift to humans
Sanpo Kojin - Japanese god of the hearth
Tsao Wang - Chinese god of the hearth and family
Ut - Siberian goddess of the hearth
Vesta - Roman goddess of the hearth and eternal fires (Roman version of Hestia)
Vulcan - Roman god of fire and volcanoes
Xiuhtecuhtli - Aztec fire god
Although the kitchen has traditionally been viewed as the woman's domain (you may not agree with this, but there's no denying it is a common viewpooint), you can see that there are many gods associated with the hearth. More specifically, these gods are associated with the fire in the hearth, fire being masculine, as the sun.
There are also many gods and goddesses of agriculture and the harvest - Dionysus, Bacchus, the Corn Mother, John Barleycorn, Dumuzi (Sumerian), Demeter, etc.
If you are considering putting together an altar for a kitchen god or goddess, do some research and either fine a harvest or hearth deity from the pantheon you follow, or find another kitchen deity with whom you identify.
A simple, small table or shelf in the kitchen (or just outside the kitchen if the space is small) can house your kitchen altar. Some things you can include are dried kernels of corn, seeds, dried herbs and flowers, a representation of fire or the hearth such as a dollhouse fireplace or stove, and a picture or other representation of your deity. You can make it yourself out of clay. Craft and hobby stores have a large selected of dollhouse miniatures, so you can even include food or plates. I've been working on my kitchen altar for some time and I made most of the items out of polymer clay. My only problem is living in one place long enough to set up the altar! Hopefully when I move back to the US...
Stay tuned for more information on kitchen deities, recipes, and tips on making an kitchen altar and for making your kitchen the heart and soul of your home.
Below is a list of kitchen deities, courtesy of www.thepaganpath.net:
Agni - Indian fire god and god of the home and hearth
Atar - Zoroastrian god of celestial and terrestrial fire
Ayabba - African goddess of the hearth
Bast - Egyptian cat-headed goddess, goddess of the flame and fire
Brigit - Celtic fertility goddess and goddess of the fire, hearth, healing, poetry, and wisdom
Chantico - Aztec goddess of the hearth fires and volcano fires
Chiconahui - Aztec goddess of the hearth and guardian of the home
Chu Jung - Chinese god of fire
Gibil - Babylonian god of fire
Ephesus - Greek god of fire and volcanoes
Hestia - Greek goddess of the hearth, fire, and family life
Hyang Api - Indonesian god of fire
Hyang Kehen - Indonesian god of the hearth
Kagutsuchi - Japanese fire god
Kiyoshikojin Seichoji- Japanese god of the cooking stove
Loki - Norse god of the fire, hearth, and lightning. Also known as the trickster god.
Ong Tao - Asian god of the hearth, stove, and household
Pele - Hawaiian fire goddess, goddess of volcanoes
Prometheus - Greek Titan, he stole fire from the gods and presented it as a gift to humans
Sanpo Kojin - Japanese god of the hearth
Tsao Wang - Chinese god of the hearth and family
Ut - Siberian goddess of the hearth
Vesta - Roman goddess of the hearth and eternal fires (Roman version of Hestia)
Vulcan - Roman god of fire and volcanoes
Xiuhtecuhtli - Aztec fire god
Although the kitchen has traditionally been viewed as the woman's domain (you may not agree with this, but there's no denying it is a common viewpooint), you can see that there are many gods associated with the hearth. More specifically, these gods are associated with the fire in the hearth, fire being masculine, as the sun.
There are also many gods and goddesses of agriculture and the harvest - Dionysus, Bacchus, the Corn Mother, John Barleycorn, Dumuzi (Sumerian), Demeter, etc.
If you are considering putting together an altar for a kitchen god or goddess, do some research and either fine a harvest or hearth deity from the pantheon you follow, or find another kitchen deity with whom you identify.
A simple, small table or shelf in the kitchen (or just outside the kitchen if the space is small) can house your kitchen altar. Some things you can include are dried kernels of corn, seeds, dried herbs and flowers, a representation of fire or the hearth such as a dollhouse fireplace or stove, and a picture or other representation of your deity. You can make it yourself out of clay. Craft and hobby stores have a large selected of dollhouse miniatures, so you can even include food or plates. I've been working on my kitchen altar for some time and I made most of the items out of polymer clay. My only problem is living in one place long enough to set up the altar! Hopefully when I move back to the US...
Stay tuned for more information on kitchen deities, recipes, and tips on making an kitchen altar and for making your kitchen the heart and soul of your home.
A Few Ideas
I don't want to be one of those cookbook authors who refuses to share recipes from books for free, but I can't give away all of the culinary secrets just yet :) Some of the recipes I've included in this blog so far have been mine, while others have come from other sources (which I have dutifully cited).
Here are some of the dishes that will be included in the Summer section of the book, encompassing Midsummer and Lammas/Lughnassadh. There will be meat, dairy, and gluten-free recipes as well.
Appetizers and Drinks (note to self - find cute title :P)
Shrimp Enchilada Dip (recipe featured in an earlier blog entry)
Guacamole (everyone has a recipe for this, I know, but I promise you mine is amazing)
Summer Wine Punch (a refreshing mixture of wine and fruit, but lighter than sangria)
Mango lassey with mint
Main Courses
Grilled Kofte (the Turkish influence is creeping in!)
Grilled vegetable Skewers with Middle Eastern-style marinade (also a grilled chicked version)
Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Vegetables
Sides and Salads
White Bean Salad
Red Potato Salad with Dill
Quinoa Tabbouli
Dessert
Grilled Pineapple with Ginger, Honey, and Lime
That's just a sample of the recipes I have been working on and plan to continue testing. The book will also include information about the magical uses of some many of the foods included in the recipes, plus a few surprises.
Here are some of the dishes that will be included in the Summer section of the book, encompassing Midsummer and Lammas/Lughnassadh. There will be meat, dairy, and gluten-free recipes as well.
Appetizers and Drinks (note to self - find cute title :P)
Shrimp Enchilada Dip (recipe featured in an earlier blog entry)
Guacamole (everyone has a recipe for this, I know, but I promise you mine is amazing)
Summer Wine Punch (a refreshing mixture of wine and fruit, but lighter than sangria)
Mango lassey with mint
Main Courses
Grilled Kofte (the Turkish influence is creeping in!)
Grilled vegetable Skewers with Middle Eastern-style marinade (also a grilled chicked version)
Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Vegetables
Sides and Salads
White Bean Salad
Red Potato Salad with Dill
Quinoa Tabbouli
Dessert
Grilled Pineapple with Ginger, Honey, and Lime
That's just a sample of the recipes I have been working on and plan to continue testing. The book will also include information about the magical uses of some many of the foods included in the recipes, plus a few surprises.
Let's Talk Cookbooks
Specifically, I want to talk about the cookbook(s) I have in the works. For a while now (I'm ashamed to say how long), I've been toying with the idea of writing a kitchen witch cookbook. That's one of the reasons I started this blog. I enjoy cooking and I like combining ingredients for specific purposes - finding a new job, making people feel warm and loved, etc.
People who eat my food tell me how delicious it is, and I feel both grateful and humble. I say that I feel humble because the materials and ingredients that I use were created and provided by the Divine. I combine the ingredients, add heat and intent, but most of the work has been done by the earth, the sun and the rain. I strive to feel more in touch with the gods and honor them by nourishing the people I treasure, and by respectfully using the fruits, vegetables and grains that grow upon this planet. I am thankful to the animals whose bodies also provide food for us. I want to put together a book of recipes that reflect the wheel of the year with seasonal menus, potluck dishes for get-togethers and Sabbat celebrations, or just every day.
What I'm looking for is some feedback. Lately it seems as though everybody is writing a cookbook. What makes mine different? Well, all the things I mentioned above, hopefully. There are a few Pagan-oriented cookbooks on the market, written by Patricia Telesco, Karri Ann Allrich, Cait Johnson, and Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (a favorite resource). Can anyone think of any others? Other authors have included some recipes in their books about Sabbats (Ravenwolf's book on Halloween, for example), but their books haven't been all about the recipes.
I'm getting ahead of myself here, but I have ideas for three books. However, I haven't even officially started the first one yet. Right now I have lots of notes, some finished recipes, and not enough time to sit down and do all the work I need to do. I also don't have access to all of the ingredients that I need right now, which means I have had to put off testing some recipes. If anyone is interested in being a tester for recipes, please let me know! I plan to test some things when I go back to the States for my six-week vacation this summer, but I am interested to see how recipes turn out for other people. I've had to learn to really measure things, as opposed to my usual "pinch of this, dash of that, eyeball that" style.
As this jorunal entry is getting too long, I am going to wrap up and start another one that talks about some of the things that will be included in the book, should I ever get off my butt and write it! Publishing is another concern of mine. It will pretty much have to be a Pagan-friendly company, but I don't want to limit myself to just Llewellyn, in case the people there aren't interested, and I want a hard copy, as opposed to an e-book. At least for the first one. We shall see.
People who eat my food tell me how delicious it is, and I feel both grateful and humble. I say that I feel humble because the materials and ingredients that I use were created and provided by the Divine. I combine the ingredients, add heat and intent, but most of the work has been done by the earth, the sun and the rain. I strive to feel more in touch with the gods and honor them by nourishing the people I treasure, and by respectfully using the fruits, vegetables and grains that grow upon this planet. I am thankful to the animals whose bodies also provide food for us. I want to put together a book of recipes that reflect the wheel of the year with seasonal menus, potluck dishes for get-togethers and Sabbat celebrations, or just every day.
What I'm looking for is some feedback. Lately it seems as though everybody is writing a cookbook. What makes mine different? Well, all the things I mentioned above, hopefully. There are a few Pagan-oriented cookbooks on the market, written by Patricia Telesco, Karri Ann Allrich, Cait Johnson, and Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (a favorite resource). Can anyone think of any others? Other authors have included some recipes in their books about Sabbats (Ravenwolf's book on Halloween, for example), but their books haven't been all about the recipes.
I'm getting ahead of myself here, but I have ideas for three books. However, I haven't even officially started the first one yet. Right now I have lots of notes, some finished recipes, and not enough time to sit down and do all the work I need to do. I also don't have access to all of the ingredients that I need right now, which means I have had to put off testing some recipes. If anyone is interested in being a tester for recipes, please let me know! I plan to test some things when I go back to the States for my six-week vacation this summer, but I am interested to see how recipes turn out for other people. I've had to learn to really measure things, as opposed to my usual "pinch of this, dash of that, eyeball that" style.
As this jorunal entry is getting too long, I am going to wrap up and start another one that talks about some of the things that will be included in the book, should I ever get off my butt and write it! Publishing is another concern of mine. It will pretty much have to be a Pagan-friendly company, but I don't want to limit myself to just Llewellyn, in case the people there aren't interested, and I want a hard copy, as opposed to an e-book. At least for the first one. We shall see.
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