Penne Pasta "Quills" for the Evangelists

There are hundreds of kinds of Italian pastas, and each one has its own special name.  Each pasta name actually means something which can be really fun and symbolic for making a connection for a creative dish or celebration.

Penne pasta is a tubular shaped pasta with slanted ends. The name means “quills” or “feathers” and is so named because of this shape. We associate quills with feather pens and writing. Many saints who were writers, doctors, evangelists are depicted holding a quill.

Because of its shape, penne complement virtually every sauce and are exceptional when paired with a chunky sauce. Penne pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. It is also a good shape to use for baked dishes.

Red is the vestment color used liturgically for the feast of martyrs and also for the evangelists. St. Mark, whose feast is today was both. Making a dish using the "quill" shaped pasta in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes will include the symbols both of him as a writer of the Gospel represented by the quill shape and as a martyr/evangelist with the red.   While I chose a sun-dried tomato and cream basse option, any of the marinara sauces would be equally fitting for an evangelist. 

Evangelist Feast Days

St. Mark - April 25

St. Luke - October 18

St. Matthew - September 21

St. John - December 27

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Penne

2 C. dried penne or mini penne pasta
1 T. olive oil
1/2 C. sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 C. cream
1/4 C. freshly grated parmesan
1/2 t. garlic powder

Boil pasta. While waiting for pasta to cook, saute sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for a few minutes. Add cream and mix. Add parmesan and garlic powder. Mix. Drain pasta and pour sauce over warm pasta. Serves 4.


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St. Matthew Winged Cupcakes

The following recipe was submitted by Julie Machado, from Marta, Julie e Maria, for the feast of St. Matthew. Thank you, Julie!

A symbol for St. Matthew is a winged man or angel. Some link it to the geneology at the beginning of his Gospel while others to the angel that appeared to Joseph. I had the idea to make winged cupcakes, with the figure of a man, but you could also draw a lion for St. Mark, an ox for St. Luke or an eagle for St. John and put on the wings. (View the various symbols here.)

First, melt some chocolate, put it in a frosting dispenser or plastic bag with the tip cut off and draw angel wings on wax paper. Let them set in the refrigerator.

Make cupcakes and frost them according to whatever recipe you like best. I used a sugar and spice recipe from a cupcake book. Draw a man stick figure on the cupcakes using the melted chocolate. Stick the wings on.

It is hot here so my wings started melting pretty fast out of the refrigerator.

"Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her."  Matthew 1:20

Additional recipes for the feast of St. Matthew can be found in the archives.

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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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St. Mark Fruit Plates

Hi there!

Just popping in to share fun, healthy and easy fruit plates for the feast of St. Mark.  I do think they're kind of cute too:)

They're so easy, kids of all ages could even assemble themselves!

We made individual fruit plates but one large plate would be sweet too.

For one individual plate, I used approximately 2 cutie oranges.  In addition, making 4 plates used 2 kiwi, 1 apple and 1 banana.  

(I cut slits in the apple for the teeth....The kids liked this part the best:)

+Happy Feast of St. Mark+

"Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King."~Catholic Culture

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A Lion Sandwich & Snack on the Feast of St. Mark

"And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle." Revelation 4:6-7 

We made these cute and simple sandwiches for last year's "Heavenly Zoo Garden Party" inspired by Charlotte.  I'm planning on making them again today in honor of the feast of St. Mark, since he is symbolized by a winged lion.   Our sandwiches were just turkey and cheese, surrounded by shredded carrot.   Add a couple chocolate chips for the eyes and pipe on frosting for the mouth.  

I may also serve some Lion and Cheese Crackers, which I came up with for our 2011 Heavenly Zoo Garden Party.  This little guy was inspired by a Bear Cheese and Crackers Snack, to which I made a couple tiny modifications. Our Flower Silicone Cups worked great for his mane and the kids loved the cheese, crackers and olives. 

You can find other ideas for the feast of St. Mark in the archives. 

O Glorious St. Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist, preaching the Good News of Christ. May you help us to know Him well so that we may faithfully live our lives as followers of Christ. Amen.

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Bible Cookies for the Year of Faith

A couple years ago, when trying to come up with a snack for our Little Flowers Girls' Club meeting on the virtue of Wisdom, I came up with these cute little Bible Cookies to place on top of our cupcakes.  Lacy expanded on this idea by cleverly adding a little bookmarks made from fruit roll ups!   We just made them again, since one of our Kindergarten Themes this past week was "B is for Bible" inspired by A is for Altar, B is for Bible, and I thought I'd share the directions with you all, as we begin The Year of Faith.   

Bible Cookies 

Ingredients:

• Fig Newtons (we made these with "Gold" Peach & Apricot Newtons)
• White Icing (I used Wilton's Icing Writer, but any white icing/frosting would work)
• Red Fruit Roll-ups

Directions:

Begin by trimming off one long side of each fig newton with a sharp knife.   This creates the book, with three sides of "pages" showing with the binding on the remaining side.  

I have found that standing them on their end and cutting straight down leaves a nice clean edge, versus cutting through the cookie/cake:  

Using a sharp knife, cut "bookmarks" from the red fruit roll ups. Stick them into the end of the "book" (newton) using a toothpick (or the end of the knife, like I did).       

Decorate the cover and binding with icing to complete the "Bibles."

This idea can also be modified, using different flavored/colored cookies and decorations, like we did for our "Story of a Soul" cookies last year.  

These cookies would make a great snack anytime during this "Year of Faith."  They are also perfect for the feasts of the Evangelists, Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or for the feast of St. Paul and any other of the many saints that are symbolized with a "Book."   

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Cherry Turnovers for the Feast of St. Mark

A few years ago Barbara posted a recipe for St. Gregory's Cherries and shared the legend of Pope Gregory the Great and his longing for cherries on St. Mark's feast day.  You can read more about the legend in her post. Since today, April 25, is the feast of St. Mark, I thought I'd share another recipe using cherries.  This is a very easy recipe to make, and perfect for any children that like to help in the kitchen.  My girls made these last month, when studying the state of Virginia, and everyone agreed that they turned out scrumptious!  

Cherry Turnovers 

recipe adapted from Macaroni Kid

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of Frozen Puff Pastry (2 sheets)
• 1 Can of Cherry Pie Filling
• 1 Egg

Directions:

Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets and cut into 4 squares each.

Fill each square with about 2 Tbsp of the cherry pie filling.

Fold over the pastry dough and seal with fingers.

Beat egg and add a tsp of water to make egg wash, then brush top of pastry with the egg wash.

Bake at 375 until golden brown and allow pastries to cool.  Enjoy!

Be sure to check the archives for additional recipes for the today's feast of St. Mark.  And if you end up making something special, be sure to take pictures to share in this week's link up! 

O Glorious St. Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist, preaching the Good News of Christ. May you help us to know Him well so that we may faithfully live our lives as followers of Christ. Amen. 

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A Lion Cake for St. Mark's Feast Day

This Lion Cake was submitted by my friend Jacinta. She made it for her son's birthday, on the feast of St. Leo, but it would also be perfect for the upcoming feast of St. Mark, since he is often symbolized as a lion.  Thank you Jacinta!

Lion Cake

(recipe from Parenting Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) round cake
1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
Orange food coloring*
1 can (5 oz) crunchy chow-mein noodles
2 Junior Mints
1 small tube brown decorating icing
3 red Starburst or Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews
6 brown M&M's Minis
2 gummy peach-flavored rings [Note: there's no official name for this]

What you'll need:

A bread knife
A resealable sandwich-size bag (Ziploc)
A serving platter

*If you can't find orange food coloring, use a mixture of red and yellow food coloring to achieve the right color.


Trimming the cake:

1. Place the cake on a clean work surface. Using the bread knife, trim a 1 by 5-inch long piece on an angle from opposite sides of the cake to create the lion's jawline (see picture). Discard scraps. 

For the frosting:

1. Spoon 3 Tbsp of the untinted vanilla frosting into a resealable plastic bag. Add the food coloring to the remaining frosting to tint it orange.

Assembling the cake:

1. Place the cake on a serving platter. Spread the cake evenly with the orange frosting.
2. Poke the chow-mein noodles into the sides of the cake for the mane; insert more chow-mein noodles into a widow's-peak shape into the top 2 inches of the cake to create the lion's forehead.

For the face:

1. Snip a small corner from the bag of untinted vanilla frosting. Pipe two 1 ½-inch circles for the lion's eyes.
2. Place the Junior Mints onto the circles for the irises. Pipe a small dab of vanilla frosting on each Junior Mint to add sparkle to the eyes. Place a chow-mein noodle above each eye for the lion's eyebrows.
3. Using the brown decorating icing, pipe a W shape for the lion's mouth, as pictured.
4. Microwave the red Starburst for 2 to 3 seconds to soften slightly. Knead the Starburst together to make a 1 ½-inch triangle and place it in the center of the cake for the nose.
5. Add the M&M's Minis for freckles. To finish, lay the gummy peach rings on the upper left and right corners of the cake for the lion's ears.

You can also find the directions for making Lion Cupcakes and other foods in honor of St. Mark in the archives! 

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St. Mark Lion Pizza

Feast of St. Mark Lion Pizza

We made this pizza for the Feast of St. Mark but it would be great to use for St. Leo the Great or any other "roaring" occasion!

This was lion was very easy using a Take-N-Bake pizza.
Ingredients:
Take-N-Bake Cheese Pizza
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C cooked sausage (for mane)
sliced mushroom (for nose)
8 slices pepperoni (for ears and eyes)
Small sliver of red bell pepper (for mouth)
2 sliced olives (for center of eyes)
Assemble ingredients like the picture below:
(Add shredded cheddar cheese over the mozzarella first)

Happy Feast of St. Mark!

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St. Gregory's Cherries (Crisp)

Legend has it that on St. Mark's Feast Day, St. Gregory the Great, when he was the pope, suddenly had a great craving for cherries. The servants and gardeners were puzzled at what to do, since the cherry trees, which were plentiful, were just in bloom. As the legend goes, one gardener, in search of cherries, was visited by St. Mark in a cloud of fire, and asked why he was in such a state. When St. Mark heard the story about Pope Gregory, he gave a blessing upon one cherry tree, and it was suddenly covered with ripe, red cherries. In gratitude, it is said that the pope "wolfed down a bellyful."

And still today St. Gregory the Great is associated with cherries, and what better way to pass on the legend than to enjoy a dish of cherries? This dessert recipe is just about as easy a recipe as you will find. It calls for Bisquick and a can of pie filling, so I call it a "cheater" recipe, but it's very good, nevertheless. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or even just a few tablespoons of half & half, and you have a dessert worthy of the legend. You can make this recipe with any flavor pie filling, but of course we will use cherries on St. Gregory's Feast.

This would be a good dessert to enjoy on St. Mark's Feast Day, as well, as even today the pope will enjoy a cherry dessert on his feast day to remember St. Gregory's craving.

Cherry Crisp
serves 6

1 can cherry pie filling (or any other fruit)
1 ¼ cup Bisquick
½ cup sugar
½ t. cinnamon
1 egg
¼ cup melted butter


Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour fruit in 8 x 8 pan. Mix Bisquick, sugar and cinnamon. Beat egg and pour over Bisquick mixture and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Pour melted butter over dry mix. Bake 25 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with ice cream or cream.

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Memorial of St. Jerome, September 30

This is a busy week for popular feastdays, but I didn't want the memorial of St. Jerome to fall by the wayside. St. Jerome is a Doctor and Father of the Church, a very important saint in our Church history. He is most remembered for his translation of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, which is still used today. His patronage list is more bookish in nature: archeologists, archivists, Bible scholars, librarians, students, and translators.

From My Nameday Come for Dessert by Helen McLoughlin:

Father: This is the faithful and wise servant whom the Lord has set over His household.

All: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the righteous
generation shall be blessed.

Father: Let us pray. O God, may blessed Jerome intercede for us in
heaven as he once instructed Your faithful on earth and directed them in the way of eternal salvation. Through Christ, our Lord.

All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!

The symbols of St. Jerome include a lion, a skull, and a book or scroll would also be appropriate.

As we're reading Margaret Hodges St. Jerome and the Lion and also Rummer Godden's book by the same title, lions will be roaring today. The cute lion cupcakes for St. Mark's feast day would be perfect for this feast. I think I can transform Devil's Food Cupcakes into a few lions.

My Nameday, Come for Dessert also mentioned making a lion cake for this feast. Her idea is based on the Cut-Up Cakes from Baker's Coconut, which I mentioned previously on St. Mark's feast day.

Book Cakes are also appropriate for Doctors and Fathers of the Church (for their writings), and Genoise Book Cake is a delicious sponge cake recipe. One could also use cake pans in the shape of a book. The white chocolate cake used for St. Gregory the Great can also be used for other book cake inspiration.

As far as the skull symbolism, you might not have time today, but it's a good reminder to order the materials to make Mexican Sugar Skulls for the Day of the Dead (All Souls Day) feasting, since it's in one month. Our family personally can't make these, unless someone has a substitute for meringue powder and egg whites. That is the glue to hold the sugar together, so it's indispensable. Please leave a comment if you know another way that we can avoid egg and still make those fabulous sugar skulls!

Enjoy the feast of St. Jerome. Think of him today and read a bit of Scripture, write those overdue thank-you notes or write a letter to a far-away friend.

St. Jerome, pray for us! Pin It

San Marco Pasta and Animal Cakes

I love all the ideas for St. Mark's feast day! Since Jessica had commented that so many of the recipes from Cooking with the Saints were complex, I thought I should put in a plug for this one recipe for St. Mark's Feast Day. I tried it two years ago, and mentioned it on my blog. This makes a lot of pasta and vegetables, so next time I would definitely cut back. If you're abstaining from meat, I'd either save this for Saturday or skip the chicken and make it a vegetarian feast. But it's really, really delicious!

Pasta San Marco

San Marco Sauce
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. chicken meat, skinned, boned, and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary (I omitted)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cornstarch (optional, for thickening)

Pasta
1 1/2 lb. fettuccine (we use Tinkyada rice pasta because of food allergies)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Vegetables
1 medium green pepper, cut in julienne strips
1 medium red pepper, cut in julienne strips
2 cups broccoli florets (approx. 2 broccoli crowns)
1-2 medium zucchini, sliced
1-2 medium yellow squash, sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat large, heavy skillet with tight-fitting lid, or large heavy pot with lid, over moderate high heat and add oil. Add chicken to pan when oil is fragrant and sauté, stirring and turning frequently for 5 minutes until browned on all sides. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and sauté for half a minute. Add chicken stock and loosen ingredients off the bottom of pan. Add final ingredients, stir and put on gentle simmer and cover for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chicken should be tender, but not soft. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When finished, add olive oil and toss to prevent it from sticking.

Prepare the vegetables, julienne strips for the peppers, small florets for the broccoli, 1/4 inch thick slices and halved for the yellow squash and zucchini. Add olive oil to a heavy saucepan and sauté the vegetables until just crisp-tender.

Mix together pasta, sautéed vegetables and sauce in large bowl and serve promptly.

This should feed about 8 people.

I don't limit myself to the actual feast day for celebrating with food. Sometimes we can't always do it all in one day, but if it's an important feast day, or if it's enjoyed by my son, we spread out the celebration and discussion. And even my favorite cookbook author, Florence Berger mentioned how she saves a recipe for later in the year.

The lion cupcakes are so cute! To continue the lion theme or finding other animal cakes for other feasts (and perhaps a retro adventure), first see Helen McLoughlin's Lion Cake from her book, My Nameday, Come for Dessert. It wasn't until much later that I realized that the ideas for her cut-up cakes came from Baker's Coconut little booklets, such as this one, Animal Cut-Up Cakes. I love the idea of cutting up a cake to make unique creations (very frugal and creative), but I'll hold back on the coconut.

Tradition has said that the young man in St. Mark's Gospel that flees from the Garden when Jesus was arrested was actually St. Mark. Now how to incorporate clothing in the dinner menu? ;-) Pin It

Cupcakes for St. Mark's Feast Day

It is very exciting to be part of this blog - which is a fabulous resource for celebrating the liturgical year in our homes and kitchens. Thank you to Jessica for making this idea a reality and thank you for inviting me to contribute.

Jessica mentioned the lamb cupcakes for the Annunciation being part of an "in like a lion out like a lamb" set from Martha Stewart. So to keep the set together here is another chance to convert it to a liturgical year theme. How about some lion cupcakes to celebrate the Feast of St. Mark - evangelist, apostle, martyr (April 25).

St. Mark is often pictured with a lion, particularly a winged lion. Tradition has long connected the authors of the Gospels with the four creatures in Ezekiel and Revelation. St. Mark is represented by the winged lion because Mark's gospel begins with the description of John the Baptist as a "voice of one crying out in the desert" and because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King. So to incorporate this symbol into a feast day celebration you could try some lion cupcakes. You could use the lion paired with the lamb from Martha Stewart , but we opted for these caramel corn lions since we are not big coconut fans. The cupcake lions could also be used for the Feast of St. Jerome (Sept. 30) or if reading Daniel and the lion's den.

Make cupcakes in the flavor of your choice. We used butter cream frosting with a slight tint of brown food coloring for a golden colored frosting. Molasses could also be used to achieve the coloring. Frost cupcakes and pipe on eyes and mouth with a darker brown or chocolate frosting. Circle each cupcake with caramel corn to make the mane.

You can purchase pre-made caramel corn or use this easy (and delicious) recipe to make your own. I was thinking the recipe could be used again for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (okay, it's a stretch, I admit).

Caramel Corn Recipe

2 1/2 qts. popped corn

1/4 c. corn syrup

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

Cook syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt in microwave, on high for 2 minutes, stir once. Add baking soda and vanilla. Stir well. Place popcorn in a large brown bag; pour syrup mixture over popcorn, stir a with wooden spoon. Roll up top of bag and put in microwave. Cook on high for 1 minute. Shake and repeat (but shake after first 30 seconds).

HT: Michaela

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Risi e Bisi ~ Venetian Rice and Peas

St. Mark the Evangelist

Image from Catholic Culture

In Catholic Traditions in the Home and Classroom, author Ann Ball recommends making Risi e Bisi for the Feast of St. Mark, whose feast is celebrated on April 25th.

St. Mark was martyred in Alexandria, but his relics were brought to Venice in the ninth century.

Serving Risi e Bisi, a springtime soup of creamy rice and peas, on the Feast of St. Mark, is an ancient tradition that dates from the days of the Republic of Venice. Back then, this soup would be presented with much ceremony to the doge, the leader of Venice.

Ann Ball tells us that "the peas represent the arrival of spring, and the rice represents abundance."

The following recipe is adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe that I found on Food Network:

Risi e Bisi

Ingredients:

1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 rounded cup white rice
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Place chicken broth in a small pot and warm over low heat.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic. Saute garlic 1 minute, then add rice. Toast the rice 2 minutes, then ladle in 1/3 of the stock. Bring to a bubble. Stir rice occasionally, allowing the rice to get starchy and the stock to cook into the rice. Add more stock when rice starts to become dry. Continue stirring and ladling broth until rice is al dente, 22 minutes. Stir in peas and cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

For a vegetarian version of this dish, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

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