ST CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA; 25th NOVEMBER

ST CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA

25th NOVEMBER


 

St Catherine was a young noble woman from Alexandria who had consecrated her virginity to Our Lord and, like St Catherine of Siena, had a mystical vision in which Christ placed a ring on her finger. She must have had a great deal of courage, for she upbraided the Emperor Maximinus for his persecution of Christians. The Emperor assembled seventy pagan scholars to refute her arguments regarding the faith. She however, in her learning and articulate discussion, converted the pagan scholars to the faith instead.
The Emperor then attempted to execute her on a spiked wheel, but, when she ascended to the gallows, a bolt of lightening destroyed the wheel and killed the executioner. In the end she was beheaded. She was named as one of the fourteen Holy Helpers and is invoked against sudden death.
She, of course, was the inspiration for the fireworks called the Catherine Wheel and is the Patron saint of philosophers.
Michael P Foley, in his book, “Drinking with the Saints” recommends Domaine Weinbach from the Alsace region of France, which produces Cuvee Sainte Catherine, so named because the grapes are picked around her feast day.
Set out below is a recipe for the traditional English celebration of St Catherine's Day, Cattern Cakes, from the site; Lavender and Lovage, by Karen Burns-Booth, at https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/.../st-catherines-day...
CATTERN CAKES
(Makes 12 cakes/biscuits)
INGREDIENTS:
9 ounces self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces currants
2 ounces ground almonds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
6 ounces caster sugar
4 ounces melted butter
1 medium eggs, beaten
extra sugar, for sprinkling
extra cinnamon, for sprinkling
METHOD:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl: flour, cinnamon, currants, ground almonds, caraway seeds and sugar.
Add the melted butter and the beaten egg and mix well to give a soft dough.
Roll the dough out on a floured board, into a rectangle about 12″ x 10″ – 30cm x 25cm.
Brush the dough with water and sprinkle with the extra sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Gently roll the dough up like a Swiss roll, not too tightly, and then cut the rolled up dough into 3/4″ – 2cm slices.
Place these slices on to a well-greased and lined baking tray or biscuit/cookie sheet, making sure that they are spaced well apart.
Bake in a pre-heated oven 200C/400F/Gas 6 for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy to the top.
Allow the cattern cakes to cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with extra caraway seeds, sugar and cinnamon if you like.
Store in an airtight tin for up to 7 days.
Image from Lavender and Lovage (see above).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ASSUMPTION - RECIPES FOR THE FEAST

Image
 FEAST OF ASSUMPTION RECIPES FOR THE FEAST DAY MAIN COURSE: YIOUVETSI - GREEK TOMATO-BAKED LAMB WITH ORZO DESSERT: ILES FLOTTANTES ALCOHOL John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak, who authored the esteemed liturgical work, “The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living” (Crossroad, 2005, at p. 124), included a traditional Greek recipe for the Assumption which is served in their New York neighbourhood on Assumption Day: Yiouvetsi Lamb with Orzo Pasta [see also goodfood.com.au Jill Dupleix “Greek Tomato-Baked Lamb with Orzo] 1 2.5kg Leg of Lamb on the bone 2 onions finely sliced 5 garlic cloves, slivered Salt and freshly ground pepper Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons Oregano (dried) 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup red wine 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tspn ground cinnamon 1 400g tin tomatoes, chopped 1 litre hot chicken stock ¼ cup feta cheese 1 tspn cumin ½ tspn ground allspice 400g orzo pasta METHOD: 1 Heat oven to 160 degrees. Make slits in the lamb and insert garli...
Read more

SISTER MIRIAM MICHAEL STIMSON OP - CATHOLIC SCIENTISTS; DIED 15th JUNE 2002

Image
  SISTER MIRIAM MICHAEL STIMSON OP CATHOLIC SCIENTISTS DIED 15th JUNE 2002 Marian Emma Stimson was born into a devout Catholic family in Chicago on December 14, 1913. She had an interest in health and medicine – her brother suffered from polio, she had a sister with a heart condition and her mother had such high blood pressure after she gave birth to twins that she suffered from memory loss. In 1935, she joined the Adrian Dominican Sisters, taking the name Sister Miriam Michael Stimson OP. She received a B.S. in Chemistry from Siena Heights College in 1936. She continued her studies at the Institutum Divi Thomae in Cincinnatti, where she received her M.S. in 1939. She then joined the chemistry faculty at Siena Heights College, simultaneously working toward her Ph.D. at Institutum Divi Thomae, which she completed in 1948. She earned her Doctorate and engaged in teaching and research, studying cancer and wound healing treatments. Notably, she was instrumental in the invention of Prep...
Read more

ST LONGINUS; FEAST DAY 15th MARCH

Image
  ST LONGINUS FEAST DAY 15th MARCH St Longinus. Detail of stained glass window, Church of St Nectan, Devon James Tissot, (1800's - 1902), "The Confession of St Longinus". Bernini, (1629-1638), Statue of Longinus, St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican. Longinus was the name attributed to the soldier who pierced the side of Christ with a lance. He is venerated as a martyr, with his feast day, by the traditional calendar, on 15th March. The Martyrologium Romanum, 2017 (Justisias Books), provides, at p. 62: “Idibus Martii. Luna 15: Caesareae, in Cappadocia, passio sancti Longini militis, qui Domini latus lancea perforasse perhibetur.” The piercing of the side of Christ by the centurion is specifically mention in John’s Gospel, (19:25-35), as follows: ”19. And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20. This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was n...
Read more