by Patricia Telesco
To help get your cookbook started, here are some recipes to which all kinds of wonderful magic can be added.
Bread Pudding (Winter)
Winter was often hard for the farmer, so the staple of the farm family was bread, which required few costly ingredients. It was considered ill fortune to burn or throw away bread. Instead the leftover bits were either given to the animals or made into this tasty treat.
2 c. candied fruit
1 c. sliced almonds (or other favorite nuts)
1⁄2 loaf thinly sliced bread
1⁄2 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs
1⁄2 c. milk
1⁄4 tsp. nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix together candied fruit, almonds, and bread. Grease a bread pan well. Next, layer the mixture in the bread pan with dabs of butter between each layer. When the pan is full or the ingredients are exhausted, prepare a mixture of well-beaten eggs, milk, and spices. Pour this over the layered bread and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Magical Affiliations: luck, kinship, sustenance through hard times
Flower Salad (Spring)
All around nature is blooming, so why not celebrate its color with a salad of fresh petals? Many flowers, besides having natural magical associations, are edible. The only caution here is to rinse your petals in cool water to remove any garden debris.
Mix together 1⁄2 cup each: gladiolus, carnations, dried chrysanthemums (crushed for garnish), nasturtiums, roses, tulips, and violets.
Change proportions to personal pleasure, color significance, and general beauty. Dressing may be herbed vinaigrette, yogurt, or a bit of sweet cream.
Magical Affiliations: growth, improved creative energy, new endeavors, romance, simple pleasures, inner loveliness
Pink Dandelion Wine (Summer)
This is a think ahead recipe as it takes one year to age properly. During summer months when those pesky dandelions are plaguing the lawn, smile graciously, pluck them (thanking the earth), and make some ritual wine for next year!
2 qts. dandelion blossoms
2 qts. water
1 lemon
2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon
4 to 5 c. sugar
1⁄3 cake active yeast (or wine yeast)
Take the blossoms, remove stems and leaves, and boil in water. Remove from the heat and let stand overnight, then strain. Then add lemon, raspberries, cinnamon, and sugar (so it is overly sweet to the taste). Warm mixture over low flame until the sugar is dissolved (honey may be substituted in equal proportions).
Next, when the mixture is lukewarm, add active yeast that has been suspended in warm water. Cover the pan with a towel and let it sit for three days undisturbed. As you check it, visualize the energy in your wine increasing even as the bubbles are forming (a sign of fermentation starting).
Finally, strain the mixture again and bottle in loosely corked bottles. Once the corks no longer pop out, taste to see if the wine needs any additional sugar. If so, return it to the stove and sweeten to taste, but bring it to a boil so as to kill the yeast. Cork tightly and let age for one year in a cool, dark area for best results.
Magical Affiliations: creativity, god energy, increasing power, psychic attunement, love
Potato Pie (Fall)
Potatoes are a primary food item in American households because of their durability in harsh conditions and long shelf life.
1⁄4 lb. mashed potatoes
1 qt. milk
1⁄2 stick butter
4 eggs
1⁄4 tsp. salt (optional)
1⁄4 tsp. pepper (optional)
1⁄2 tsp. garlic (fresh minced)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Place mashed potatoes in a large bowl. Blend in milk, butter, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, and Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Put mixture into a greased baking pan and bake at 325 degrees F until fluffy and ginger colored.
Add for magical significance: meats (for prosperity or grounding), sharp cheese (for protection), and broccoli and/or cauliflower (for growth or foundations).
Magical Affiliations: endurance or strength, benevolence and sharing, thankfulness