I dedicate this post to the children and the parents, everywhere, especially Newtown, Connecticut. Every year, in December, a marvelous thing happens. At least I think it’s wonderful. And not for the reasons you might think. Christmas comes around, bringing with it a sense of magic in the air, some thing that I felt as … More Remembering the Magic and Wishing for Peace on Earth
Meat eating presents modern society with a bit of a dilemma. How to raise and slaughter large numbers of animals under humane conditions, while keeping the price down and within wallet reach of most consumers? That’s the major issue, tinged with other, often moralistic, questions. First, right up front, I am not a vegetarian, and … More The Meat of the Matter: A Question of Sacred Reverence
Alas, we’ve just missed La fête de l’huître, a popular festival that takes place at Riec-sur-Belon, Brittany at the end of July. Maybe next time … For more about oysters, see “Oysters Tales and Pearls of Wisdom.”
The day before Lent descends. With a litany of names. Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday. Boeuf Gras. Shrove Tuesday.* Boeuf Gras? Symbol of the fattened ox, the last meat devoured before Lenten stringency took hold. With roots in the Minotaur and Labyrinth myth. What really drove the Lenten fast? And how did Boeuf Gras begin? During … More Boeuf Gras, or, Fat Bull = Fat Tuesday
[A photograph, and nothing more, for silent contemplation.]
St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) always enthralls me because of the elaborate “tables” that Italian women created in honor of Saint Joseph. In many ways, these “tables” remind me of Mexican Day of the Dead altars. Here’s a link that takes you to a site with first-person accounts of the feast-day celebration and customs.
Amidst the mythology of Saint Patrick’s Day, a little Irish food history to cheer you on your way — be it to stove, pub, or church. John Linnane wrote a wonderful introduction to the history of Irish cuisine before the arrival of the potato. Here he comments on the customs of feasting, very appropriate for … More Irish Food History
CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN 