Saint E-Clares Okay, it’s really “eclairs,” we know. But these delicious desserts have the perfect name for the feast of St. Clare! It seems like a lot more work than just buying store bought eclairs. . .but wait until you taste them. It’s well-worth the effort to...
Our Lady of the Snows-Cones Santa Maria Maggiore is a Papal major basilica in Rome, Italy. It’s also known as Our Lady of the Snows, after the story of its founding. A husband and wife who were without heirs made a vow to donate their fortune to the Virgin Mary. They...
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...
Transfiguration Toad-in-the-Hole A fun food/activity for the Transfiguration is making toad-in-the-hole. (This is the American egg-in-toast version, not the English sausages-in-batter version.) We read the story of the Transfiguration from one of the gospels and make...
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...
Assumption Herb Roast with Horseradish Cloud The blessing of herbs is traditionally associated with the feast of the Assumption. This tasty roast can be made with blessed or unblessed herbs and served alongside a fluffy cloud of horseradish whipped cream. I use...
Rosemary Smashed Potatoes A quicker, slightly more rustic take on mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes keep their peels and some lumps. Other herbs can be substituted. 2 ½ lbs red potatoes4 Tablespoons butter1 cup buttermilk2 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)2 teaspoons...
Strawberry Basil Lemonade This is lemonade with a sophisticated herbed twist. Other fruits and herbs can be substituted. Make it a cocktail by adding vodka to the finished drinks. We love this lemonade for the Assumption and also for the feast of the Holy Cross, which...
Assumption Meringue Clouds These light and airy cloud-like cookies are crispy on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside. They’re an excellent addition to a Christmas cookie plate, but we also love them for baby showers, wedding showers, tea parties, and...
St. Bartholomew Skinned Chicken & Biscuits Catholics have always had a sense of humor when assigning patron saints to professions (see St. Agatha and bell-makers, and St. Lawrence and cooks), so it should come as no surprise that St. Bartholomew—who was martyred...
St. Bartholomew Skinned Applesauce Any combination of apples will work. My favorite is granny smith + honeycrisp. 4 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)¾ cup water½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)¼ cup brown sugar (optional) In a saucepan, combine the apples and...