Sophia Lebano
St. Lucy Eyeball Punch

St. Lucy Eyeball Punch

St. Lucy Eyeball Punch The stories say that the tortures suffered by St. Lucy included having her eyeballs poked out, and she is often depicted in art holding her own eyes. So, we like to make this punch in her honor on her feast day. (It’s also fun for Halloween)....

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St. Martin’s Weckmänn

St. Martin’s Weckmänn

St. Martin’s Weckmänn Weckmänn means “watchman.” These little bread men have been keeping watch over the celebration of Martinmas in Germany since the Middle Ages and make a lovely accompaniment to Six-Can Soup. To help them look more like Saint Martin, bishop of...

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Eggs in Purgatory

Eggs in Purgatory This dish, originally from Southern Italy, features eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce. The sauce is purgatory and the eggs are the souls hoping to escape, although the metaphor breaks down a bit once we get to the table . . . unless our tummies are...

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Peruvian Jugo Surtido

Peruvian Jugo Surtido

Peruvian Jugo Surtido Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. He served the poor, the sick, and his fellow Dominican brothers, working in the infirmary and the kitchen. He maintained an austere lifestyle, which included fasting and abstaining from meat....

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Martinmas Six-Can Soup

Martinmas Six-Can Soup

Martinmas Six-Can Soup I first saw this recipe in one of those parish fundraiser cookbooks at my grandmother’s house in Memphis, TN. It was called six-can soup, because each of the ingredients comes in a can. I like it as a simple, tasty, easy-to-assemble meal that’s...

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Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes Soul cakes are a Christian Hallowtide tradition dating to the medieval period in England, Wales, and Ireland. They were baked for All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. On those days, adults and children would go knocking door to door, offering...

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Edible Rosaries

Edible Rosaries

Edible Rosaries To celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we like to make an edible rosary! This can be accomplished with just about anything: mini muffins or donuts or cereal pieces at breakfast time, nuts or goldfish crackers or dried fruit at snack time,...

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Holy Cross Pesto Sauce

Holy Cross Pesto Sauce

Holy Cross Pesto Sauce There is a tradition that basil grew up around the foot of the cross, where Jesus’ blood and Mary’s tears hit the ground. St. Helen is said to have found the True Cross hidden beneath an overgrowth of basil. So for dinner on the feast of the...

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Devil’s Spit Punch

Devil’s Spit Punch 1 bunch fresh mint leaves1 pint blackberries2 L lemon lime soda64 ounces of blackberry soda or juice1 pint berry sorbetIce cubes (optional) Combine soda and juice in a dispenser or punch bowl. Add the mint leaves and blackberries. Using a small...

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Battle of Heaven Cocktail

Battle of Heaven Cocktail

The Battle of Heaven Cocktail 2 lime wedges4 mint leavesIce1 ½ ounces blackberry brandy½ cup club soda2 fresh black berries Muddle two lime wedges and four mint leaves in an eight ounce glass. Fill the glass two thirds full with ice cubes. Add one shot (one and a half...

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Angels/Devils on Horseback

Angels on Horseback / Devils on Horseback These appetizers can be found in the classic 1888 Victorian cookbook Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. I can’t resist them for this feast day! The “angels” are shucked oysters in Mrs. Beeton’s, but other recipes use...

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St. Lawrence Grilled Peaches

St. Lawrence Grilled Peaches

St. Lawrence Grilled Peaches St. Lawrence was a 3rd century deacon of Rome. The stories say he was martyred by the local prefect for refusing to renounce his faith or to surrender the treasures of the church to the Roman government. Because he’d been rather cheeky in...

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Done on this Side Chicken

Done on this Side Chicken

Done on this Side Chicken This chicken recipe, brined and seasoned using ancient Roman ingredients and methods, is my family’s all time favorite chicken. The spice blend is based on recipes from De Re Coquinara (The Art of Cooking), a Roman cookbook from the 4th...

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