In the middle of the Dormition Fast falls the Feast of the Transfiguration.  I was looking around for traditional recipes for the feast and came across a neat "book" at the EWTN website.  It has lots of recipes for various feasts, including these two for Transfiguration:
August 6: Feast of the Transfiguration
The origin of this Christian festival has been attributed to 
Saint Gregory the Illuminator who flourished in Lower 
Armenia during the fourth century. He is said to have 
substituted it for a pagan feast of Aphrodite called 
"Vartavarh" (the flaming of the rose) and the old name was 
retained, in that region at least, to designate the 
Transfiguration, because "Christ opened his glory like a 
rose on Mount Thabor."
In Armenian villages the day is still celebrated with 
unusual ceremonies in the course of which peasants lead to 
the church a sheep with decorated horns, on each tip of 
which is placed a lighted candle. Flowers, fruit, and 
sheaves are also brought and laid before the altar. 
Following this ceremony a fair usually takes place; there 
are races and games, and a crown of roses is the customary 
prize. During the feasting that follows is likely to appear.
Pilaff
3 cups cracked wheat            6 cups stock
4 cups minced cooked            1/2 cup melted butter
     lamb                       pepper
salt                            cinnamon
Soak the cracked wheat (cracked barley may be substituted) 
overnight. Drain the wheat, mix with the meat, and salt to 
taste. Place in a large kettle, add about half the stock 
(water and bouillon cubes may be used, allowing one cube for 
each cup of water), and heat slowly. Cook for about an hour, 
stirring almost constantly and adding stock as necessary. 
Serve in hot, deep plates, pour melted butter over each 
serving, and dust with pepper and cinnamon to taste.
The Feast of the Transfiguration was slower to be observed 
in the Western Church and is not mentioned until the ninth 
century. It was made universal by Rome on the day when 
Hunyady gained his victory over the Turks on August 6, 1456. 
It is now the titular feast of the Church of St. John 
Lateran, and on this day the Pope presses a bunch of ripe 
grapes into the chalice at Mass or uses new wine. Also in 
Rome raisins are blessed on the Feast of the 
Transfiguration, and the Greek and Russian Churches too 
conduct a special ceremony for blessing grapes and other 
fruits.
Since the grape is given so much prominence on this feast, 
we may give the following recipe:
Spiced Grape Jelly
8 lbs. Concord grapes          2 sticks cinnamon
2 cups vinegar                 1 tablespoon whole cloves
                     sugar
Wash, remove from stems, and drain the grapes. Put half of 
them in a preserving kettle, add the vinegar, cinnamon, and 
cloves and then the rest of the grapes. Cook gently for 
about fifteen minutes or until soft. Strain through a jelly 
bag without pressing so that the juice remains clear. Take 1 
cup of sugar for each cup of juice, boil to the proper 
consistency for jelly, pour into hot glasses and cover with 
1/2 inch of paraffin.
3 hours ago
1 comment:
I hadn't come across this book - thanks for the tip!
Post a Comment