Our Lady of the Pillar Rice Cake Sticks

Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilar) 

First Marian Shrine 

 Patroness of Spain 

Feast Day: October 12

Our Lady of the Pillar is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary from her appearance to the Apostle James the Greater in 40 AD, as he was praying by the banks of the Ebro River in Spain. He was disheartened with the lack of converts to Christianity.  Mary miraculously appeared before him atop a pillar accompanied by angels. She assured St. James that the people would eventually be converted and their faith would be as strong as the pillar she was standing on. She gave him the pillar as a symbol and a wooden image of herself and instructed him to build a chapel on the spot. The wooden image is enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. 

Several years ago, Anne shared a beautiful pillar cake, made from a swiss roll cake which is in the archived posts.  It is lovely. I also had an idea for a simpler, no baking involved pillar for her feast day. These rice cake sticks or rolls, make nice pillars - either on their own or as a place to set an image of Mary (as is included in the above photo). It is a snack idea that provides a fun way to open a conversation about our lady under this title and the symbolism of the pillar.

As an added note: In the United States the feast is also tied to Christopher Columbus and our Columbus Day holiday. When Columbus embarked from Spain on his journey, to find a sailing route to India, he placed the three ships under Mary's patronage. As the weeks dragged on with no land in sight, the sailors grew restless. Columbus' journal indicates he invoked Our Lady under this title, declared that if they did not see land by her feast day they would turn back. On October 12, 1492 the navigators spotted indications of approaching land - one of the islands of the Bahamas.

Our Lady of the Pillar, pray for us!
Nuestra Señora del Pilar, ruega por nosotros!

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St. James - Santiago Peregrino Drinks

During a visit to Compostela, Spain a couple years ago I became more familiar with the images and symbols of the Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James, the pilgrimage routes to the cathedral where his remains are buried. St. James, Santiago in Spanish, is the patron saint of Spain and of pilgrims, particularly the pilgrims on the Camino.

St. James is usually depicted in one of two ways: a fighter or a pilgrim. 

As a fighter, he is Santiago Matamoros or St. James the Moor Slayer. It is in this guise that he appeared to the local armies who were trying to drive the Moors out of the Iberian peninsula.

He is also portrayed as a pilgrim, Santiago Peregrino. He is dressed in robes with the traditional cockleshell on his hat, a bag with supplies, a gourd for carrying water and a staff, which are traditional symbols of the pilgrim. 

A pilgrim is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. The English word for pilgrim derives from the Latin peregrinus which means foreigner. The Spanish word for pilgrim is peregrino while in Italian is is pellegrino.  It was there that I made that connection that a favorite sparkling mineral water from Italy, San Pellegrino, shares this pilgrim name.  The sparkling water is named for the town in Italy where the water is bottled, which in turn was named after a French bishop - St. Peregrine which comes also from the Latin peregrinus.

Since St. James is the patron saint of pilgrims, what better way to toast St. James than with a glass of "pilgrim" water.  San Pellegrino waters are a refreshing drink - whether the natural sparkling water or one of their flavored varieties. Our family loves these and looks for any excuse to celebrate with them. It is a great last minute idea because there is no preparation, just buy a bottle or a six-pack and you are ready to go. Particularly for this feast day the blood orange flavor, Aranciata Rossa, seems fitting since St. James was a martyr and shed his blood for the faith.

"O God, who brought your servant Abraham out of the land of the Chaldeans, protecting him in
his wanderings, who guided the Hebrew people across the desert, we ask that you watch over us,
your servants, as we walk in the love of your name to Santiago de Compostela.

Be for us our companion on the walk,
Our guide at the crossroads,
Our breath in our weariness,
Our protection in danger,
Our albergue on the Camino,
Our shade in the heat,
Our light in the darkness,
Our consolation in our discouragements,
And our strength in our intentions.

So that with your guidance we may arrive safe and sound at the end of the Road and enriched
with grace and virtue we return safely to our homes filled with joy.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Apostle Santiago, pray for us.
Santa Maria, pray for us."

~A St. James Pilgrim's Prayer 

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Seafood Paella for New Year's Eve

My father was born and raised in Colombia. Growing up, I always remember paella on New Year's Eve.

Seafood paella, especially, can be expensive to prepare so doing so during Christmas seems to 'fit' for me... and continues the long time family tradition I remember from childhood.


Photo Source

"Paella is a typical Spanish dish and is traditionally cooked in a "paellera"—a round flat pan with two handles—which is then put on the table. It is normally made using shellfish but can also be made with chicken or rabbit. In many Spanish villages, especially in coastal areas, they use a giant paellera to cook a paella on festival days which is big enough to feed everybody. A paella is very flexible so if you don’t have the exact ingredients or if you find some of them hard to get hold of, substitute them for something similar. Getting fresh shellfish can be a problem, but you can always use frozen fish and use fish stock instead of water to increase the flavor." Catholic Culture

This is the recipe I am using as my base tomorrow. I found live clams (only 2 but they are large) and mussels at the local grocer today. They also had a great deal on already peeled/cooked shrimp. I picked up frozen scallops and canned crabmeat, and whole clams and oysters. I am substituting fish stock (wax boxed like Swanson chicken broth) as my shrimp were already peeled. Perhaps the most important factors in a good paella are the rice and saffron. You cannot substitute for the saffron! The rest is pretty forgiving. Standard long grain American white rice isn't absorbent enough and the sticky Asian varieties don't work well either. A regular short grain rice is the best but I couldn't find any so will substitute a medium grain. I am doubling my recipe because I am borrowing my Anglo mother’s 20” paella pan.

If you have ever overcooked a boxed rice mix such as Rice-a-Roni... that caramelized crunchy part that separates from the bottom of the pan is SUPPOSED to happen with a properly done paella. So many recipes are available and in Spain and South America they vary widely by region. Many excellent paella recipes can be found here: http://www.spain-recipes.com/paellarecipes.html along with links to purchase paella pans, saffron, and more.

Seafood Paella

Serves four (ideal for a 13- or 14-inch paella pan).

This paella is good when served with lemon wedges, but it's even better when spread with a bit of alioli, a garlic mayonnaise that is the Spanish version of the French aioli. To make alioli, add a few cloves of chopped garlic and a large pinch of salt to a mini-food processor (or a mortar), process (or pound with a pestle) until very fine, and then slowly drizzle in olive oil to make a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency. Add lemon juice to taste, and process again.

1/3 lb. shrimp, peeled (reserve the shells for broth)
Pinch of saffron threads
Salt to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 lb. scallops (or calamari, cut in rings)
1/2 onion, grated on the largest holes of a box grater
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ripe tomato, halved and grated on the largest holes of a box grater (discard the skin) (canned/diced just fine)
1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
8 small mussels or clams (1/2 lb.), scrubbed
1 lemon, cut in wedges for garnish

In a medium saucepan, boil 3 1/2 cups of salted water. Add the shrimp shells and simmer, covered, for about 10 min. Strain the broth, and return it to the saucepan. Toast the saffron gently (in a dry skillet or toaster oven), crush the threads with the back of a spoon, and add to the shrimp shell broth. Taste for salt; the broth should be well-seasoned.

In a 14-inch paella pan, heat the oil on high. Meanwhile, pat dry the shrimp and scallops (or calamari). When the oil is hot, sauté the shrimp and scallops until almost cooked through, about 2 min. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Pour out all but 1 Tbs. of oil from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion softens, about 5 min. Add the tomato, season with salt, and sauté until the mixture, called the sofrito, has darkened and is a thick purée, 10 to 15 min.

Meanwhile, bring the shrimp shell broth back to a simmer. When the tomato-onion sofrito is ready, add the rice to the pan. Sauté until the rice loses its opaqueness, about 1 min. Increase the heat to medium-high. Pour in 3 cups of the simmering broth (reserving the remaining 1/2 cup) and stir or shake the pan to evenly distribute the rice in the pan. As the liquid comes to a boil, arrange the mussels or clams in the pan, submerging them as much as possible below the level of the liquid. From this point on, do not stir the rice.

Cook the paella on medium-high, rotating and moving the pan over one or two burners to distribute the heat. When the rice begins to appear above the liquid, after 8 to 10 min., reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to simmer, rotating the pan as necessary, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 min. more. Taste a grain of rice just below the top layer; it should be al dente. (If the rice is not done but all the liquid has been absorbed, sprinkle a bit of hot broth to the pan and cook a few minutes more.) Arrange the shrimp and scallops (or calamari) in the pan.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook gently for another 2 min. to help ensure that the top layer of rice is evenly cooked. With the foil still in place, increase the heat to medium-high and, rotating the pan, cook for about 2 min., until the bottom layer of rice starts to caramelize, creating the socarrat. The rice may crackle somewhat, but if it starts burning, remove the pan from the heat immediately.

Let the paella rest off the heat, still covered, for 5 min. Sit everyone down at a round or square table. Remove the foil and invite people to eat directly from the pan, starting at the perimeter, working toward the center, and squeezing lemon over their section, if they want.

This post was submitted by Lara in MO for publication here at Catholic Cuisine. Thank you Lara!

I want to add that not only is this an excellent dish for New Year's, it would also be great to make for the feast of St. Raymond of Penafort , which is celebrated on January 7th, and any other saints of Spanish descent.

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Sopa de Ajo Castellana

Since St. Teresa of Avila was born in the Castile region of Spain, I thought it would be fun to try and combine some regional Spanish cuisine into our menu for her feast. One of the more common foods from Castile is Garlic Soup. From what I read, it was often eaten, about 3 hours after breakfast, on winter mornings, to help recover form hard work and the cold.

I ran across many recipes for this soup, but decided to try the following one from Cooking Light Magazine.

Sopa de Ajo Castellana

(Castilian Garlic Soup)

Originally, garlic soup was a peasant's dish made with the most basic ingredients: garlic, bread, and water. Traditional additions of broth, spices, ham, and poached eggs made much tastier soup. The cooked egg whites give the soup a cloudy appearance.

INGREDIENTS

Soup:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2 ounces Spanish serrano ham or prosciutto, diced
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
• 3 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Croutons:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed hearty country bread (about 4 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or sweet paprika

Remaining ingredient:

• 4 large eggs

PREPARATION

To prepare soup, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 crushed garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add ham and 1 teaspoon paprika; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, pepper, saffron, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the croutons, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and 1 crushed garlic clove in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, tossing to coat. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until toasted. Sprinkle bread cubes with 1/2 teaspoon paprika; toss well.

Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Break 1 egg into each of 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the broth mixture evenly among bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until the eggs are set. Top each serving with croutons.

Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups soup and 1/2 cup croutons) Pin It

Memorial of St. Dominic, August 8

This is an adaptation of an earlier column from my blog.

August 8 marks the memorial of St. Dominic, priest, founder of the Order of Preachers. As this is a special family day that marks birthdays and anniversaries, I like to give a little recognition to this saint who has become part of our family feasts.

St. Dominic was born in Spain, but fought Albigensianism, a Christian heresy in western Europe. Father John Hardon has an excellent explanation of Albigensianism. The main reason so many people were being drawn into this heresy was plain ignorance. So his mission was preach the Truth of the Gospel.

For this saint's feastday, we're keeping it simple, since penitence was a focus in his preaching. I'm going to trace back to Dominic's Spanish roots and use a recipe 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.

The fresh tomatoes have a sweeter taste than most Italian tomato dishes. I realize the cooking time is lengthy, and I actually shortened the tomato cooking time without loss of flavor.

Chicken Sautéed with Fresh TomatoPollo con Tomate
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 pounds chicken legs and/or thighs (or whole chicken cut-up)
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 (see below)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. brandy
Chopped 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.
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.

Note about pimentón, or smoked paprika: Apparently, there really isn't a true substitute for the Spanish paprika. It's not the same as Hungarian paprika at all. Only one place suggested sweet paprika and then add cayenne for some heat. See Smoked paprika and European spices for further information. I made this last time, omitting the pimentón and the flavor was quite nice.

Another sidenote on St. Dominic. He's the patron of scientists, seamstresses, and astronomers. Star fruit would be in order to add to our fruit salad. I hope to eat out on the screened porch since the day is so beautiful (fall like). Perhaps we'll do some sky-watching. Although the Perseid's are also known as Tears of St. Lawrence, since they generally coincide with his feast day, the feast of this patron saint of astronomy has perfect timing!
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Staples of Our Feastday Celebrations Part Two: Wine

Otherwise entitled "Feasting for Adults through the Liturgical Year, Part Two." Continued from Part One: Bread. I just loved Mary Ellen's Feeling Wine-y. She echoed so many of my feelings about wine and alcoholic beverages in general. It so wonderful that as a Catholic we don't have to be ashamed to enjoy alcohol. Along with bread, wine is the other component of the Eucharist. All over the world grapes are grown, wine is made and shared. For many years people drank wine (or other alcoholic beverages) instead of water because of poor sanitation. Our courtship and marriage has been highlighted by the enjoying of various wines, for extra-special occasions and evening hours after the children are in bed. And for family get-togethers the two questions are always raised, "Who is bringing the wine?" and "What kind?" Generally my extended family enjoys reds, usually Cabernets. Dh and I do try different varietals and various countries of origin. A few years ago we were enjoying all wines Spanish, especially the Rioja. We love trying rich Zinfandels (the red kind). I enjoy finding some French wine that isn't overpriced. Now that it is warmer we like the drier white wines which are more refreshing sipping wines. We got over our intimidation with wine after reading the "Tastings" Column in The Wall Street Journal by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. We've also read their books, such as:

•  The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine: New and Improved: How to Buy, Drink, and Enjoy Wine
• Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion: Red, White, and Bubbly to Celebrate the Joy of Living
• Love by the Glass

All their books are quite practical and easy reading, helping the ordinary man enjoy wine. There is no snobbery involved, but just help in understanding a bit more about wine, and making memories. I never had the opportunity like Mary Ellen, so I'm no expert, but we do enjoy the adventure. Wine was used for the institution of the Eucharist, at the Last Supper. Now it is daily used at Mass all over the world, before it is transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. I also love to think about Our Lord's first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus and his mother were probably at a celebrating with family or close friends, and wine was a necessity, not a luxury! It was part of the social feasting aspect. What more blessing can we have for enjoying wine in social gatherings?

I have a few unorthodox suggestions for expanding and trying different wines, and incorporating them into family and feast day celebrations at home. Of course wine connoisseurs may not agree with some of my suggestions, but truly, we've found some very fine wines this way. It's fun to experiment and wander away from the usual standards. First start reading about different types of wines, the varieties from various regions in different countries. What piques your interest? Sweet wines? Bold reds? Dry white wines? Traditional varieties, or the new grapes? What countries do you want to "visit"? After all, wine doesn't only come from France and California. Then have fun trying out different wines. In my local area Trader Joes, Costco, Total Wine, and even Wal-Mart have many wines priced very reasonably, so one can experiment without breaking the bank. Read labels and descriptions and pick something that appeals to you. I'm in no way advocating buying "Blue Nun" for a blue bottle for a Marian feast or a sister's habit for a nun's feast day, but if some of the choices do come down to a choice of a label, go with what appeals to you! There are hits and misses, but the madness of this method is for a twofold purpose: enjoy the wine, and get to know a saint more deeply.

1. Follow the feasts in the Church that incorporate wine and blessings. The older form of Roman Ritual contains several blessings for wine or the New Roman Ritual. There are specific feast days officially connected to the blessing of wine, such as the feast of St. John the Evangelist on December 27 and St. Blaise, February 3. There are also local church traditions connected with wine, such as the upcoming feast of the Transfiguration in Rome. In France on St. Martin of Tours, November 11, Beaujolais Nouveau is drunk. Both celebrate the new wine in various stages. There are also annual blessings of grapevines in spring and of the harvest of grapes in the fall.
2. Find a winery or type of grapes grown near where the saint was born or lived, or even where his remains are held. It's fun to pinpoint the region of origin or mission territories or relics of saints. Finding out about the wine of the region helps one understand the local climate and geography. Arid and dry? Very wet all year? Mountainous or coastal? I find I can understand the saint and his daily hardships when I learn about where he/she lived. How about a Spanish saint, such St. Josemaria Escriva, who was born in Barbastro, Spain? He was born near the Somontano Region, which produces several varieties of wine. For more Spanish ideas see Spanish wine and map of regions. Cava, port, and sherry would also fit into the Spanish heritage. Frascati, a refreshing white wine, would be perfect for any pope's feast day, particularly those that fall during summertime. While on a trip to Rome, we had a day excursion nearby the pope's summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. We enjoyed with our dinner the local wine, Frascati, and found out that it is a favorite with Romans (including the Pope) during the summertime. St. Robert Bellarmine was from Montepulciano, which is a town in Florence, but also a type of wine grape is from that area.

3. Find the type of drink from time period of saint or an old winery that dates from around time of saint. Since the majority of saints on the calendar are mostly from Europe, the choices will generally be European wines. But Blessed Junipero Serra is an outside example. He founded many of the older vineyards during his mission work in California. According to the fun book The Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey, and Song: A Spirited Look at Catholic Life & Lore from the Apocalypse to Zinfandel by John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak, Mission wines have been used in the United States since 1769. The priests needed wine to say Mass, so they planted their own vineyards. Angelica is the first variety produced. "Private companies raising the old Franciscan grapes include Robert Mondavi and Gallo. Angelica is often bought by churches for use as altar wine at Mass by priests..." (By the way, I highly recommend The Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey, and Song. Don't be put off by the title. The book is sometimes irreverent, but nothing sacrilegious or contrary to the faith. It's an A to Z approach to various beers, ales, wine, etc. with short lessons on the Catholic Church, the Catechism, history, and culture. It's delightfully written and has good recipes, too.) Loosely one could use American Mondavi or Gallo wines to cover feasts like the angels, Saint Anthony, Saint Francis, Saint Junipero Serra and any other saints used for Californian missions.
4. Find vineyards/wineries named after saints, feasts, religious orders, popes, maybe same country of origin. We've tried California's Franciscan for Franciscan saints, Italian Feudi di San Gregorio for our family's name saint, St. Gregory and other Italian saints. One special treat wine for us is Châteauneuf-du-Pape. According to Zmirak, "[t]his spicy, dense variety of wine is usually red, and typically excellent". The name means "the pope's new Chateau or Castle", with the papal keys usually found on the label. The vineyards were established during the time of the Avignon Papacy or Western Schism. So I would consider using this wine for a) French saints near this region, b) for saints like St. Catherine of Siena, who worked so tirelessly to bring the pope back to Rome, and also for c) Papal saints, just because the visual of the papal keys on the label is great for discussions.
5. Match the wine to the type of personality of the saint. For St. Jerome, St. Paul how about fiery, red, bold wines, like Zinfandel? For St. Therese the Little Flower seems fitting to have a dessert or sweet wine. St. Francis and St. John Bosco seem so fun and joyful that a bubbly or sparkling wine would imitate their personality. And for St. Augustine or St. Thomas Aquinas, it seems only a scholarly port would do.
6. Choose a seasonal saint wine. Consider cool whites for summer saints and reds to warm oneself during the winter months. Also consider Wassail or mulled wines for those cold times.
7. Have the liturgical colors reflected in the wine. For feasts of Virgins, Popes, serve white wines. For feasts of Martyrs, Apostles, Bishops and Cardinals, serve red. For the Solemnity of Pentecost, serve red wine. For the Solemnities of Easter and Christmas and Epiphany, serve white and maybe white sparkling wine, like Champagne or Cava. It does go against our family tradition to suggest whites for the high feast days, because our favorites are reds, and for big feasts and family events, red is the wine of choice. We just spend a little more for a fancier wine.

It looks overwhelming written out, but I'm really not suggesting anything out of the ordinary or difficult. It's the process and the enjoyment of wine in a social setting that's fun.

A toast to the love of our Mother Church and her saints! Pin It