It seeems a little too cold outside to think of this as the start of Spring. In many places the heavier snows are just starting to fall. But this is the second of the four great fire festivals of the Celtic people that mark the cross quarter days, (six weeks between the Solstices and Equinoxes). Imbolc which is thought to mean "in milk", or "in the belly" in Gaelic, is also known as Candlemas. This is the day dedicated to the Goddess and Saint Brigid. This is a time of re-birth as the tender young seedlings prepare beneath the snow to push towards the light. As the days grow steadily longer and eventually warmer the earth is born anew. Lambs will be born soon and Ewes are milked to create the festival dishes to honor the Goddess. Milk was very important to the survival of the people of the Northern latitudes, During Imbolc it was a custom to pour milk or cream onto the earth in thanks and offering for the return of fertile fields. Fertile fields meant food for the tribes and for the grazing animals. Well fed and healthy animals meant milk and meat for the tribe. Well fed people meant a higher birth rate, and growth of the tribe, a larger tribe meant greater protection from invaders. Imbolc was a time of hope and promise for the coming Spring.
Ancient people collected the tallow and fats throughout the winter's cooking in preparation of making new candles for the year. That tradition of making and blessing the candles persists today in Candlemas. Many catholics have the household candles blessed by the church at Candlemas.Since this festival marks the re-birth of the sun, Imbolc is considered a time for new beginnings, initiations, and purification. This is the origins of "spring cleaning". Out with the old and in with the new, a new start for a new season! Altars at this time of the year are typically decorated with white flowers, white candles, or white lace and ribbon. The corn dolly is dressed in white as bride. Typical feast foods consist of corn meal breads and dairy based dishes.
Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room.
Do a self purification rite with Elemental tools -- cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit).
Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year.
Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration.
Take a Nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring.
Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made.
Also called: Candlemas, Oimelc, Brigid's Day; merged with Lupercalia/Valentines Day
Dates: February 2, early February
Colors: white, red
Tools: candles, seeds, Brigid wheel, milk
Energy: conception, initiation, inspiration
Goddesses: Brigid, Maiden
Gods: Groundhog, other creatures emerging from hibernation; young Sun
Rituals: creative inspiration, purification, initiation, candle work, house & temple blessings Customs: lighting candles, seeking omens of Spring, cleaning house, welcoming Brigid
Recipes...
BOILED CUSTARD
1 quart milk
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Scald milk in heavy pan - do not boil. Thoroughly beat eggs, adding salt and sugar. Beat a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour egg mixture into hot milk, stirring well. Slowly bring just to a boil until mixture coats a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and beat until cool. Add vanilla and chill well.
DUBLIN SUNDAY CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
5 pounds Corned beef brisket
1 large Onion stuck with 6 whole cloves
6 Carrots, peeled and sliced
8 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 small Bunch Parsley
1 head Cabbage (about 2 lbs) cut in quarters
Horseradish Sauce:1/2 pint Whipping Cream2 - 3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all other ingredients except cabbage and bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Turn to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises. Remove the thyme, parsley and onion. Add cabbage. Simmer for 20 minutes until cabbage is cooked. Remove the meat and cut into pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and season it heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Serve with horseradish sauce.Horseradish Sauce: Whip cream until it stand in peaks. Fold in horseradish.
BAKED CUSTARD WITH GINGER
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Finely Grated Fresh Ginger
3 large Eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups Milk
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Mix brown sugar with ginger and divide evenly onto bottoms of 6 buttered individual custard cups or ramekins.In medium mixing bowl, blend eggs with milk, sugar, vanilla and seasonings. Pour evenly into prepared custard cups. Place cups in a large pan, then fill with hot water to come halfway up sides of cups (a hot water bath or bain-marie).Bake at 350 F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted near edge comes out clean. Remove cups from bain-marie. Run knife around edges to loosen. Place serving plate over top of cup and carefully invert custard onto plate. Serve warm or cover, chill and serve cold.
CANNARICULI (HONEY COOKIES)
4 cups Flour
1 cup Marsala Wine
2 Large Eggs
4 teaspoons Sugar
1 pinch Salt
Oil for deep frying
Honey
Make a well in flour in mixing bowl or on work surface. Add wine, eggs, sugar, and salt. Mix well, until thoroughly blended. Knead dough vigorously until smooth and glossy. If using processor, continue mixing for at least 1 minutes after ingredients are combined. Roll dough to an 1/8" thickness or less. Cut dough into 2" squares, starting with 1 corner, roll each square of dough loosely on the diagonal to form pastry roll about the thickness of a pencil. Meanwhile, heat oil for deep frying. Fry pastries by batches in hot oil until golden brown, being careful not to crowd pan. Use a slotted spoon to remove fried pastries from oil. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to serving platter. Drizzle honey over top or dip Cannariculi into honey. Makes 4 to 5 dozen
LIEBKUCHEN (Honey Cakes)
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
1 cup sour milk* (see below)
2 Tablespoons vinegar
6 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Prepare sour milk and mix dry ingredients. Set both aside. Cream margarine and sugar, add egg, beat until light. Add honey, sour milk and vinegar. Mix thoroughly. Chill one hour. Roll out to 1/4" thickness. Cut into 2"x3" rectangles and place on buttered cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes. Frost with plain vanilla frosting. *
For sour milk, add 1 T. vinegar to 1 c. milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
NOODLE KUCHEN
7 eggs
1 cup sugar
16 ounces cottage cheese
2 cups sour cream
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup butter
1 pound broad egg noodles, cooked
Topping:
1/4 cup crushed cornflakes
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sugarsour cream to garnish
Mix eggs and sugar. Add cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and raisins. In separate bowl, add butter to warm noodles, stirring until melted. Combine noodles with cottage cheese mixture. Pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350. To make topping, combine cornflakes, cinnamon, and sugar. Sprinkle over top of kugel. Bake 1 hour. Let dish set for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and garnish with sour cream.
PANNEKOEKEN (German Pancake)
2 Tablespoons butter
6 eggs1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in oven pancake pan. Heat for 2 minutes or until butter melts. Spread evenly in pan. In large bowl, beat eggs slightly. Stir in flour, sugar and salt. Gradually add milk, beating until smooth. Pour into pan.Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until it reaches a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately slide pancake onto a serving plate. Fill with fresh fruit and top with confectioners sugar. Serves 6.
GRANNY'S IRISH SCONES
16 ounces Self-Rising Flour
4 ounces Margarine
3 ounces Sugar
Milk
2 Eggs
5 ounces Raisins or currants
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Mix flour and margarine together with your fingers until the mixture is fine; add sugar, raisins and baking powder. Beat eggs and add. Pour in enough milk to make mixture into a sticky dough (not too wet). Lift out onto a floured board and flatten out to 1-1/2" in thickness and cut out scones with a biscuit cutter. Place 6 on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with a little beaten egg (this helps them to brown). Bake 15 minutes in preheated 400~ oven.
IRISH SODA BREAD
1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour -- unbleached, enriched
1 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour -- stone-ground
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 1/4 cups Buttermilk
Set the baking rack in the center of the oven and place a baking stone (if available) on the rack.Preheat the oven to 375.In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk. Mix quickly to incorporate the milk evenly. It may be easier to mix with the hands than with a spoon. Form the dough into a loaf shape and place in a nonstick 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, until well browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove from the oven and the baking pan. Place on a wire rack to cool.
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Stalks celery, sliced thinly
3 Carrots, diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Curry powder
2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
5 cups Chicken stock
2 Tablespoons Long grain white rice
2 Tomatoes; peeled & chopped
8 ounces Chicken; cooked & diced
1 small Apple; cooked, peeled, cored & diced
Salt to taste
Fresh celery leaves
Heat butter and oil in a saucepan. Add onion, celery and carrots; cook gently 5 minutes. Stir in Curry Powder and flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in stock and bring to a boil; add rice and stir well. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, chicken, apple and salt. Cover again and simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with celery leaves and carrot strip, if desired, and serve hot.
BAILEY'S IRISH CREAM TRUFFLES
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 Tablespoon Butter
12 oz semisweet chocolate pieces
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
Melt chocolate pieces, Bailey's and heavy cream together over very low heat. Whisk in yolks, one at a time, mixture will thicken. Whisk in butter. Refrigerate several hours, or overnight until firm. Make small balls with a teaspoon. Roll in powdered sugar or cocoa.
ROSE - HIP WINE
3 pounds of rose hips
3 pounds of sugar'
1 gallon boiling water
Wash the rose hips and cut them in half. Put them in large bowl and pour boiling water on them. Stir well with wooden spoon. Cover bowl and leave for two weeks. Strain off liquid into another bowl and add three pounds of sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cover bowl and leave for 5 days, stirring daily. Bottle, remembering to cork loosely at first, and store in a cool, dark place. Push in corks when wine has finished fermenting. It will be ready to drink in 6 months.
