Forgotten Feasts

A Feast A Day: Elusive Eleusinians!

September 14th marks the first day of the secret rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries, an epic to-do Hellenistic era. They were held annually for over two thousand years. These important initiation rites were held every year in ancient Greece for the cult of Demeter and Persephone in the town of Eleusis, northwest of Athens. The rites were believed to involve visions of the afterlife leading to speculation that hallucinogenics were involved.

To be drunk with kykeon, or just mix barley water mixed with pennyroyal for the non-psychoactive version.

Here's the Ancient Greek Feast!

Oinomelo (Greek Wine such as a sweet Patras with Honey)

Greek Bread (such as Anthrapakis) and Olive Oil

Tzatziki

Herbed Olive Puree

Freshly shucked Oysters

Bean Soup

Figs

Fruit Salad

Ancient Greek Mullet

Tuna with Herbs and Vegetables

Lamb Skewers

Whole Roast Kid

Roast Suckling Pig (A piglet was sacrificed during the rite)

Sweet Meats with Honey

Honey and Sesame Fritters

A Feast A Day: Birthday Inferno!

September 13, 1231 is the birthday of Divine Comedian Dante Alghieri!

Here's the 13th century menu:

Funghi Altri Modi (Stuffed Mushrooms with Pancetta)

Farcimina (Spiced Pork and Veal Sausage with Brie)

Inside Out Fresh Sardines or Anchovies

Cauli Verdi (Cabbage with Fennel and Apples)

Rapa Armata (Armored Turnips)

Meat Ravioli in Broth The Medieval Kitchen Page 62

Cibariuna ex Carne (Hearty Spicy Beef Stew)

Rice Pudding and Spiced Plum Mousse with Honey

Caliscioni (Marzipan Dumplings) The Medieval Kitchen Page 206

Torta in Balconata (Tiered Fruit and Nut Tart)

Here's the 13th century "Inferno" menu:

*Please note that the extra spices weren't necessarily available to the cooks of medieval Florence.

Funghi Altri Modi (Stuffed Mushrooms with Spicy Pancetta)

Farcimina (Spiced Pork and Veal Sausage with Brie––Add dash of Paprika)

Inside Out Fresh Sardines or Anchovies (Serve with Chili Sauce)

Cauli Verdi (Cabbage with Fennel and Apples––Add a pinch of Chili Flakes to Cabbage)

Rapa Armata (Armored Turnips––Add Whole Black Peppercorns while boiling )

Spicy Meat Ravioli in Broth The Medieval Kitchen Page 62 (Add a dash of Chili Oil to Broth)

Cibariuna ex Carne (Hearty Spicy Beef Stew––Add 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper when adding Cheese)

Rice Pudding and Spiced Plum Mousse with Honey

Caliscioni (Marzipan Dumplings) The Medieval Kitchen Page 206

Torta in Balconata (Tiered Fruit and Nut Tart)

A Feast A Day: Cavemen!

On September 12, 1940 the Lascaux Cave paintings are discovered by four teenagers outside Regourdou, France. They are over 15,000 years old and pretty vast.

Here's our caveman style feast inspired by the antics of those crazy omnivores over at the Raw Paleolithic Diet web site:

Salad of Field Greens and Wild Field Mushrooms

Perch and Trout Ceviche

Steak Tartare with Quail Egg

Venison Carpaccio

Nuts and Wild Berries

A Feast A Day: Neyrouz-a-palooza!

September 11th marks the start of the new year for the Egyptian holdouts at the Coptic Orthodox Church. This is the Feast of Neyrouz (apparently derived from the Persian for "beginning of the year.") The Coptic calendar started on August 29, 284 A.D. in commemoration of the people who died for their faith under the Roman Emperor, Diocletian. The year is divided into 3 seasons (Endless Summer!) with this date being the 1st of Thout. It follows the Gregorian Calendar pretty closely for church that split from Roman Catholicism in 5th century––It even has leap years!

Incidentally, we're also celebrating Enkutatash, Ethiopian New Year, at the same time, so Melkam Addis Amet!

It should also noted that meat eaters will most likely stay away for Coptic Cuisine (lots of vegan), that Christian Coptics do  A LOT of fasting and that we're using the term "feast" here to refer to a festive occasion rather than actual copious amounts of food. 

Our festive Coptic menu:

Kosheri (Lentils and Rice with Tangy Tomato Sauce)

Bamia (Sweet and Sour Okra)

Warah Enab

Spinach with Garlic

Fool Medemmas (Fava Beans)

Khoshaf (Marinated Fruit Salad)

A Feast A Day: A Feast For the Agdes!

On September 10, 506 A.D. the Council of Agdes (Agatha) was held in the Languedoc area of France. The thirty-five bishops who made the schlepp came up with rules that at the time were revolutionary, like "Don't get a wild hair and sell the church without asking first."

From all accounts, the whole thing was necessary but boring, the accommodations were bad and the trip over was a pain in the ass. However, Caesarius of Arles deserves much praise for presiding over the council in Languedoc, because the food was probably awesome.

A 'Late Summer in Languedoc' menu for Bishops in need of a good snack:

Enjoy with your favorite Languedoc Roussillon wine.

Baguette with Authentic Olive Tapenade

Grilled Mushrooms stuffed with Pélardon Goat's Cheese

Salad of locally grown tomatoes, cucumber, soft Cévennes onions and a combination of any these locally grown lettuces (Batavia, Feuille de Chêne, Chêne Blonde, Frisée, Laitue Pommée, Escarole, Lollo Rouge or Blond, Rocket (Arugula), Mâche, Roquette de Provence, Dandelion Greens and Cress.)
Serve with Homemade Vinagrette

Sweet Onion Soup from the Languedoc Cévennes

Camargue Rice from the Languedoc

Cassoulet

Boeuf Bourguignon with Truffles

Tarte Aux Pommes

Lime & Basil Sorbet from Le Couvent

(Thanks to Lizzie Betts-Gosling the correct link to the recipe on this.)

A Feast A Day: Bounty!

William Bligh, the infamous captain of the Bounty, was born on September 9, 1754.

Here's a Tahitian Tamaaraa (feast) in his honor!

Poisson cru (ia ota)
Ceviche with Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Chevrettes (Tahitian Freshwater Shrimp)

Maoa (Turbot)

Pahua Taioro (Clam mariniated in Grated Coconut, Seawater and Shrimps)

Fafaru (Fish marinated in Seawater)

Poe (Taro Root with Vanilla topped with Sweet Thick Coconut Sauce)

A Feast A Day: Live Long and Prosper!

On September 8, 1966 Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek television series premiered on NBC. The original 3 year series spawned a phenomenal fandom, conventions, books, comic merchandising, six spin-off (or "continuation") series, 10 movies to date (one based on King Lear), games, parodies and now commonplace terms––The term "Class M Planet" has been bandied about by astronomers when discussing possibly habitable celestial bodies.

If you are breathing right now, believe it or not, Star Trek has affected your life in some way, so let's toast to Gene Roddenberry, his wife (aka Nurse Christine Chapel) Kirk, Spock, Bones, Ahura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov. And let's not forget the Klingons, the Romulans, all the rest of the strangely humanoid, bipedal aliens and Trekkies everywhere!

This menu contains recipes from K'tesh who has a GeoCities page you can visit here.

Starters:

Klingon "Fire Skin"
(This really seems like Flambé of Pork Rinds to me but the page backs it up with canon, so I'm going to go with it.)

Bularian Canapes
(Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (revised addition), "Bularian Canapés, for the record, are actually just odd crackers with Cheez-Whiz and olives")

Kohlanese Stew (Oyster Stew)

"Gladst" (Wakame with Mountain Vegetable Salad) ––Wakame recipe here. This dish is very awesome looking, very Star Trek

Klingon legs of "tlhlngan Ha'DlbaH" (Grilled Octopus)

Pipius Claw (Deep Fried Chicken Feet served on Poached Halibut with Fried Purple Basil?)

Scrag (Lamb)

Darmak

A Feast A Day: The Mighty Hercules!

In some circles September 7, 1251 B.C. marks the solar eclipse that coincided with birth date of the Mighty Hercules!

This is the ancient greek version of what sounds like tabouli according to Pythagoras: "Poppy and sesame seeds were crushed with the flower stalks of the asphodel, the skin of the squill (an onion-like plant), leaves of mallow, barley and chickpeas, chopped in equal quantities with Hymettus honey."

Here's a refreshing recipe from the man himself who said he got it from the goddess Demeter:
"Cucumber seeds and stoned raisins, coriander flowers, seeds from mallow and purslane, a little grated cheese, wheatmeal and cream."

Frumenty! ("What the real people were eating in classical Greece was a barley paste made from sprouted grain mixed with flax seeds, coriander seeds and salt, other spices and herbs, as well as a barley porridge, together with goat's milk and cheese, olives, vegetables, figs and other fruit and fish.")

Roast Beast! (pig, venison or ox "Automedon held the meats, and brilliant Achilleus carved them, and cut it well into pieces and spitted them, as meanwhile Menoitios' son, a man like a god, made the fire blaze greatly. But when the fire had burnt itself out, and the flames had died down, he scattered the embers apart, and extended the spits across them, lifting them to the andirons and sprinkled the meat with divine salt.")

Diples (greek fried dough)

Loukoumades

A Feast A Day: Rificolona!

September 6th marks the beginning of the Feast of Rificolona, one of the oldest festivals in Florence. The main festival takes place in Piazza Santissima Annunziata and on September 7 there's a  procession from Piazza Santa Croce. Though originated in Florence, the celebration now takes place in other parts of Tuscany as well.
The origins of the festival seem to be the party before the party.  There were pilgrims coming in for the Feast of the Madonna at the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata and they had some time on their hands. What would you do?

Here's a menu inspired by Florentine restaurant Il Latini

To be served with Prosecco and a Tuscan Chianti Classico.

course

Tuscan Bread

Anitpasti (Prosciutto, Crostini with Chicken Liver Mousse, Bruschetta

Fagioli o ceci all' olio

Insalata

2nd course

Pasta 

Penne alla Feisolana

Papardelle sulla Lepre

Soup

Tuscan bean soup

Tuscan ribollita (bread) soup

3rd course

Main Course

Frittata Carciofi

Valigette (Beef Rolls)

Sogliola alla Florentina
 
Dolci

Schiaccioatta alla florentina

Schiaccioatta con l'uva

biscotti with vin santo (dessert wine),

muscat

coffee.

A Feast A Day: Facial Hair Flack!

On September 5, 1698 Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia taxed the folicly unchallenged, facially hirsute, mucho mustachioed, soul patchovoviches and other sufferers of Xyrophobia for their extreme facial hair.

From Wiki Answers:

"On this date in 1698, Peter the Great began to show official opposition to facial hair on Russian men in a process that eventually ended in a tax being levied on beards. All men except priests and peasants paid a yearly tax of one hundred rubles; commoners paid one kopek each."

In honor of those who have more hair on their faces than on their backs, here's a  James Beard Summer Menu!

James Beard's Cuban Bread
or
James Beard's Sweet Potato Rolls

James Beard's Cream of Asparagus Soup

James Beard's Mixed Beet Salad With Buttermilk Dressing

James Beard's Deviled Sardines

James Beard's Chicken Provencal with 40 Cloves of Garlic

James Beard's Roasted Spareribs

James Beard's Lamb Shanks with Great Northern Beans
or
James Beard's Roquefort Broiled Steaks with Watercress-Mesclun Salad

James Beard's Chess Pie