A Lion Lunch for St. Mamas

I first learned about this obscure, to me, saint when we visited Spain a couple years ago. In the Basque region, near my relatives' town, there is a cave containing prehistoric paintings – Santimamiñe Cave. These cave paintings date from about 13,000 BC and include a range of animals such as bison, horses, deer, goats and brown bears.

The cave's name comes from a nearby chapel of Santimamiñe, which in the Basque language means San Mamés or St. Mamas (also St. Mammes), to whom the chapel is dedicated. I had not heard of him before, but the guide shared that he was a 3^rd century martyr, often pictured with a lion. 

He was orphaned at a young age – his parents killed for being Christians. He was a shepherd who was known to preach to the animals in the fields. It is told that St. Mamas was tortured for his faith by the governor of Caesarea and was then sent before the Roman Emperor Aurelian, who tortured him again. An angel then freed him and ordered him to hide himself on a mountain near Caesarea.  St. Mamas was later thrown to the lions, but managed to make the beasts docile. A lion is said to have remained with him as companion and protector. Accompanied by the lion, he visited Duke Alexander, who condemned him to death.

In Cyprus, there is the legend that he was a hermit and when soldiers were sent out and captured him, while on the way back to town, St. Mamas saw a lion attacking a lamb, escaped the soldiers, saved the lamb, jumped on the lion's back, and rode it into town. That is how he is often depicted in icons. 

He is the patron of Langres; babies who are breastfeeding; protector of sufferers from broken bones and hernias.

Pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela brought his cult into Spain and he is more well known there. A statue depicting San Mamés and a lion can be found in the Casa de la Misericordia in Bilbao, which was once the convent of San Mamés and whose current chapel holds a relic of the saint. The stadium that is home to the Athletic Club de Bilbao is called San Mamés Stadium, and players of that club are called the "lions of San Mamés" because their stadium was built near there.

So his feast day (August 17) can be a time to learn a little more about a saint that might be new to your family, too. Since St. Mamas is closely associated in pictures with a lion it is a feast day idea. Additionally, it was a medieval belief that the lion slept with its eyes open. For this reason, they also became a symbol of watchfulness. I came across this lion themed recipe and thought it would be a fun, savory lunch idea for children to add the the other lion themed recipes on Catholic Cuisine. It is made from spiral noodles in a red sauce, surrounding a circle of colby jack cheese. Add olives for the eyes and nose, with cheese triangle ears and pepperoni strip whiskers. Who can resist a pasta lion?

Other saints who are depicted with a lion are St. Mark, St. Jerome, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Paul the Hermit, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Onuphrius, so this idea could be used at other feast days.

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Sprouted Wheat Berry Recipes

Sprouted Wheat Berry Salad - Mediterranean Style

St. Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, the Syrian city on the Mediterranean. A Mediterranean style salad using the wheat berries is a fitting feast day side dish or lunch. Directions for sprouting wheat berries shared in this previous post.

1 cup sprouted wheat berries 

1/2 cup kalamata olives (sliced) 

1/4 pine nuts 1/4 cup feta (grated) 

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (diced)

1/8 cup fresh basil (chopped)

1 T. olive oil 

1 t. balsamic vinegar

You can either use sprouted wheat berries raw or cook them. The tastes and textures vary slightly depending on how you use them - cooked slightly sweeter and a little chewier, raw more nutty flavor and slightly crisper. Both ways are good. If you cook wheat berries, put in saucepan with water to cover. Allow to boil. Take off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Drain and cool.

To make the salad simply mix all ingredients together in bowl. Chill and serve. Make approx. 4 servings. 

Sprouted Wheat Berry Bread Stick Croziers

Bread is one of the common uses of sprouted wheat berries. It can be made solely using the wheat berries ground or a combination of wheat berries chopped and wheat flour. If using only sprouted berries, they should be barely sprouted (about 48 hrs.) and not have developed the 1/4 inch tail. If chopped and added to a bread dough with flour can be more sprouted.

The staff or crosier is a common symbol of bishops, and since St. Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, following St. Peter a fun idea is to make crozier shaped bread sticks.

1 1/2 T yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 t. salt
2 T honey
1 egg
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3 -3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 - 3/4 cup sprouted wheat berries (chopped)

Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup water and, when dissolved, add remaining 3/4 cup water, oil, salt, honey, and egg. Beat smooth with wooden spoon. Beat in dry milk and 2 cups flour and wheat berries, then gradually mix in remaining flour until it is completely absorbed into dough. Dough will be somewhat sticky.

Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Shape as desired and let rise 1 hour.

For Bread Sticks: use refrigerated dough because it is easier to handle. Pinch off about 3 tablespoons dough or a 3-inch ball and roll into a log about 10 inches long and just under 1/2 inch around. curve end to shape into crozier. Place on oiled baking sheet. Cover and let rise about 1 hour. Bake for 10-12 minutes

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Sprouting Wheat - Getting Ready for St. Ignatius of Antioch

Catholic Culture's Liturgical Year website: 
St. Ignatius is one of the great bishops of the early Church. He was the successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Antioch. He was condemned to death by wild beasts during the Emperor Trajan's persecution. On his way to Rome, he wrote seven magnificent letters, which we still have today, concerning the Person of Christ, his love for Christ, his desire for martyrdom and on the constitution of the Church and Christian life. His sentiments before his approaching martyrdom are summed in his word in the Communion antiphon, "I am the wheat of Christ, ground by the teeth of beasts to become pure bread."

Wheat berries are a great visualization of this quote from St. Ignatius.  Sprouted wheat berries can be included in many dishes and are very nutritious, so would be a nice option for his feast day, October 17.

Sprouting wheat berries is easy, but you need to think ahead a little. You need a few days to get them to sprout so they will be ready to eat or use in recipes on St. Ignatius' feast. So if you want to join in and start now, you will need:

• wheat berries
• mason jar(s)
• cheesecloth
• water

Fill a mason jar about 1/3 full of dried wheat berries (to allow for expansion). Rinse wheat berries and drain. Refill jar with fresh water so that it is about an inch above or twice as high as the berries. Cover with cheese cloth and jar ring (or rubber band). Let sit for at least 12 hours. After it has sat, pour out water and rinse berries thoroughly. After jar is drained well, place on side, so seeds spread out for better air flow. A couple times a day rinse with luke warm water and drain berries and place jar on side again. Berries should sprout to 1/4 inch in 2-4 days. Once sprouted they are ready for use. To keep, refrigerate them. Will keep about 1 week. 

Notes:
~Simple uses for sprouted berries: sprinkle over yogurt, mix into salads as topping, put into sandwiches, add to soups or stir fry.
~Recipe ideas to follow. 
~Would be fitting for Easter season, too. Sprouting wheat symbolizes the Paschal mystery. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24)


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