Catholic Traditions in Cooking contains text and recipes for the feasts of the church which are drawn from many cultures all over the world. Here are a few samples from the book.  Enjoy!

December 17
Virgen de la Soledad (Virgin of Solitude)

In Mexico, a plump little fritter or doughnut called a buñuelo is served all through the Christmas season. These are a big feature of the celebration of the Virgin of Solitude, Oaxaca's patron saint. Customers buy the plate in which these are served and smash it on the ground after they have eaten the cake.

Buñuelos

1/4 c. margarine or shortening
4 c. flour
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
3 tsp. anise seed
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. sugar
1 c. water

Boil anise seed in water. Set aside to steep. Strain out seeds to make a tea. Blend the dry ingredients with the shortening or margarine. Add beaten egg and the lukewarm anise tea to dry ingredients and knead the dough. Make small balls of the dough. Cover and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll the dough balls out as thin as possible. Fry in deep fat or oil until golden brown and crisp. Toss the friend buñuelos in a paper sack with the ground cinnamon and sugar to coat the cookies with the sugar-spice mixture.

- Consuela Martinez-

August 28
St. Rumbald of Kent

According to his legend, St. Rumbald must have been the shortest-lived saint on record. At his birth, he cried out "I am a Christian" three times and demanded Baptism. After Baptism, he walked to a nearby well, preached for three days and died.

Whatever the true facts about this saint, they were so long ago that we cannot determine the basis for this absurd legend. We do know, however, that for several centuries fishermen from Kent invoked the blessing and protection of this saint. From each catch, they saved the eight largest fish and sold them, putting the funds in a special fund which accumulated for an entire year. Then on Christmas Eve they spent the entire year's savings on one great feast which they called a "Rumbald" in honor of their patron. The custom died out long ago, but even now in Kent one sometimes hears the night referred to as "Rumbald Night."

Pink Salmon Fritters

1 15 oz. can pink salmon
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. flour
pepper to taste
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. chopped green onions
oil for frying

Drain salmon, reserving juice. Mix salmon and egg with fork. Add flour, pepper, onions, Worcestershire sauce. Add baking powder to 1/4 c. of the reserved liquid. Add to mix just before ready to fry. Drop in deep hot oil from spoon. Serves 2 to 4.

-Helen Nixon-

September 8
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of the Virgin is the name day for all girls named Mary. It is the day to have blueberries in some form, especially for breakfast, as the color is symbolic of the Virgin in her blue mantle.

Naturally it is not possible for anyone to have twelve birthdays in one year, but in the Coptic and Abyssinian churches, the first day of each month is celebrated as the birthday of the Virgin Mary. In addition, they also devote the entir month of May to special honors for Mary as their way of showing how important they consider her.

There are only three birthdays in the Church calendar. The stories of the births of Jesus and John the Baptist are told in detail in the New Testament, butnothing appears there about Mary's. By the end of the seventh century, early Christians had established September 8 as her birthday and kept it as a feast.

In Mexico, the people lead up to this day with a week-long fiesta in honor of the "Virgin of the Remedies." In France, this is the day of the grape harvest festival. Vineyard owners brought their best grapes to church to have them blessed, and tied some of them to the hands of the statue of the Virgin. Here, the feast is called "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest" and a festive meal is held at which the first grapes of the new harvest are eaten. In the Alps the "down driving" began on this day. The animals were brought down from the high mountain slopes to take up their winter quarters in their warm stables. The day is a festive one and ends with a large banquet uniting the family and farm hands in each home. In some parts of the Alps, the milk obtained on this day is given to the poor in honor of Our Lady along with the leftovers of the feast.

Blueberry Cheese Pie

1 9" graham cracker pie crust
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
2 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar

Soften cream cheese. Beat in sugar, beating until fluffy. Add lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Pour into pie shell and bake at 325 degrees until set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir sugar and vanilla into sour cream. Spoon on top of the pie and bake 10 minutes longer. In a small saucepan, mix water, cornstarch, cinnamon, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking. Mixture will thicken and turn clear. Add blueberries. When pie is slightly cooled, spoon cooled blueberry topping over top. Refrigerate.

Celebrate!

Catholic families in many cultures throughout the world have celebrated the reception of all of the sacraments with a meal or festive get together accompanied by tasty dishes. Other religious occasions also call for festive food and drinks. The Quinceanera is a traditional celebration of a Hispanic girl's fifteenth birthday. At Mass, the girl renews the promises made for her at Baptism, prays that God's graces will not be wasted in her, and takes Our Lady as her model, her strength and her guide. After the Mass, a joyous fiesta is held with mariachi musicians and an elaborate cake as well as favorite foods of the family. One "nibbler" we like in the Southwest is a Jalapeña Jelly Cheese Block:

3/4 c. ground bell pepper
1/4 c. ground jalapeña pepper
1 c. cider vinegar
5 . sugar
6 oz. liquid pectin
few drops green or red food color
1 block cream cheese

Grind peppers in blender or food processor. Mix all ingredients except pectinand food color in a pan. Bring to a boil and boil four minutes. Cool one minute. Add pectin and food color. Pour into clean jars and refrigerate until use. Makes approximately 2 cups.

Place block of cream cheese on a small serving plate. Spoon jelly over cheese. Serve with crackers to spread.

-Bea Whitfil-

Buttermilk Pie

1 stick margarine or butter
2 c. sugar
3 rounded tbsp flour
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 frozen pie shell

In some parts of the United States, this pie was also known as a "shoofly pie." 
Mix all ingredients well and pour into an unbaked pie shell. This will be a thin batter with little lumps of margarine floating in it. Bake at 350 degrees about 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. The top of the pie will be crusty with a smooth under filling.

In the 16th and 17th century, Portuguese nuns created many delicious sweets. Sugar plantations in the New World had made sugar cheap and available for the first time in Europe's history, and eggs were plentiful. Additionally, the Moors had left an influence of rich sweets. The nuns sold their sweets to raise money for their convents. The seventeenth century was also a time whensome very strange names were given to foods. Some of our favorites are called "Old Clothes," "Angel's Breasts," and "Nun's Belly."

Barriga de Freira (Nun's Belly)

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
8 slices of white bread, torn in pieces
4 egg yolks beaten
cinnamon to taste

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and boil for a few minutes to make a syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it has melted. Tear the bread into tiny pieces. Add the bread to the syrup, mixing thoroughly. Put the pan over low heat and gradually stir in the beaten egg yolks. Cook, stirring, just until the eggs thicken the mixture and are cooked. Put the mixture into a small serving dish or bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Decorate with nuts or crystalized fruit if you wish. Refrigerate. Serve in small squares on chilled plates. Yield: four small portions.