About this project
My dear friend and author, Woodeene Koenig- Bricker, approached me in late 2019 to ask if I would want to collaborate with her on her upcoming project "Dinner Party With The Saints", by creating recipes for each of the saints in her book. She described the story concept and I was immediately drawn in. How creative and charming to imagine these saints and holy figures at a dinner party. It falls under my favorite two words to spark story ideas: "What if.... "
I was already a fan of Woodene's work, so it was a quick yes. I love historical cooking and it seemed like a perfect diversion during the long winter months. And when Woodeene mentioned Saint Francis of Assisi it tugged at my heart strings. Saint Francis was a constant in our home during my childhood. My parents kept a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi in our garden, and my aunt created a beautiful needlework of him (pictured here) which remains one of my most treasured possessions. Woodeene went on to mention Oxtail Soup for St. Augustine and I thought of how my late mother would speak of oxtail soup from her childhood as if it were manna from heaven.
One problem: the deadline was in one month, and I work, am a caregiver, and would be out of town for two of those weekends. Thankfully, for several reasons, deadlines were extended. From November 2019 thru February 2020 I spent nights and days off researching, writing and testing recipes, and photographing the dishes. (The decision was later made to exclude the photographs from the book, but I happily share them here. ) It was a very intense time. I had my local grocer and food stores on speed-dial to source out ingredients, and at some points trips to the store were made almost daily so I could test and re-test the recipes. Editing rounds continued into Fall, 2020.
The process started with a list of saints from Woodene. For some saints she listed specific dishes, others had a variety of foods that represented them. I researched each saint and how they lived, as well as the cooking methods and ingredients for the time in which they lived. References included ancient cookbooks such as De re Coquinaria (Cookery an Dining in Ancient Rome), by Apicius, long a favorite of mine. If you want to learn about a culture, look at how they eat and prepare food - so much can be extracted from that. I tried to remain historically accurate when possible, with as many recipes as possible, while also making the dishes palatable and accessible for the modern cook. And some recipes are pure whimsy, more tributes than history.
My favorite recipe to create was for Blessed Solanus Casey. In researching his life, I learned about his daily "breakfast penance" (he put all breakfast in one bowl - coffee, orange juice, cereal and milk). He so loved the bees that he would serenade them with his harmonica. And he had a charming "ice cream miracle". So I created a dish to encompass all these things - a sundae for Blessed Solanus that represents his breakfast penance and love for the bees - a breakfast-in-a-bowl sundae.
The end result is a lovely portrayal of these saints and holy figures, and so much more. It's a captivating story of their gathering for a dinner party, but also fact and history for each figure. Woodeene is an excellent author and historian - you're sure to enjoy her work. As well, I hope you enjoy my recipes.
Thank you so much for supporting our work.
God Bless.
Needlework of St. Francis of Assisi, done by my late Aunt.
With thanks...
Along the way I had so much support and help from my twin sister Maura, my older sister Kala and others. Maura was my chief taster and gave me honest feedback on the dishes. She was, and always is, my #1 cheerleader and supporter. I would be lost without her. God bless Maura.
My sister Kala helped immeasurably by washing the seemingly never-ending piles of pots and pans. She was my photography assistant, and a great overall helper and support system, as she always is. Kala supplied fabric from her quilt shop to serve as photography backdrops and accents. I work at her shop, and she generously gave me time off here and there so I could meet project deadlines. God bless Kala.
Thanks also to my cousin Cheryl (another great cook) who acted as my recipe editor, and to Des and Emily - great kitchen helpers.
As I worked, I held with me the memory of my beloved, late family members. My late sister Beth, an incredible baker and cook in her own rite, remained in my heart. My late parents, aunts and ancestors were with me as well - all such wonderful cooks and bakers. Their collective spirit and memories provided me inspiration, strength, and encouragement from above.
And last but not least, thanks to Woodeene for inviting me along for the ride.