Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Autumn in the Air

Even here in Atlanta, I am starting to feel the pull of the seasons. I didn't intend to be away from this blog for so long, but there are just so many other things going on. We have been making a push to finish the Tumbleweed House so it is 100% inhabitable by next Spring.We are also getting ready for our trip to South Africa, which is feel is being looked after by a very different Goddess.  But I still can't deny the beauty of the Autumn Equinox as the time where Persephone descends once again into the Underworld to be with her husband. 

I thought, to honor the turning of the season I would provide a "Greatest Hits" of the past posts on this topic.

Like the song Meet Me on the Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie. Just pretend it isn't tied into the movie Twilight.


There is also the post I did last year on the Equinox.  I had woven a crude crown of orange flowers and placed them on Persephone to honor her return to the Underworld.

And I always do enjoy a good seasonal recipe from the Greek cookbook.

And, last year I also posted this photo I took of Persephone up at the land in Asheville.

And not to mention, the Autumn Equinox marks the two year anniversary of this blog. 

So, Praise Persephone and this changing season. Rejoice in her descent. I leave you with this poem, my favorite by John Keats; To Autumn.

TO AUTUMN.
                                            1.
    SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
        Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
    Conspiring with him how to load and bless
        With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
    To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
        And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
            To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
    With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
        And still more, later flowers for the bees,
        Until they think warm days will never cease,
            For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
                                            2.
    Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
        Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
    Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
        Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
    Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
        Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
            Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
    And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
        Steady thy laden head across a brook;
        Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
            Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
                                            3.
    Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
        Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
    While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
        And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
    Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
        Among the river sallows, borne aloft
            Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
    And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
        Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
        The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
           And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Easter Beltane?

As you know, I love a good holiday.  I love them so much I will gladly celebrate secular versions of any of the major religious observances.  Easter is an interesting problem this year.  Normally, it is so much closer to the Spring Equinox.  Since the typical symbols of Easter are actually more appropriate for the Spring Equinox it was always such an easy fit.  But this year, with Easter on April 24th, it is actually much closer to Beltane. I have written about Persephone's Beltane before.

I decided with Easter and Beltane just around the corner, it was time again to consult the Hellenic Cuisine Cookbook and find and appropriate offering for the holiday feast. 

The cookbook conveniently references May Day or Protomayia in Greek.  They suggest that it is "traditionally a day for an outing for which we suggest the following menu:"

Lamb Cooked in Foil
Pastitsio (Baked Macaroni)
Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Vegetable Platter
Greek Cheese Pie
Greek Bread
Coffee or Cool Drinks
Pasta Flora
Fresh Fruit

In only the way that this cookbook can do, it doesn't provide any information on some of these recipes.  I couldn't find the "Pasta Flora" at all so I had to google it. It also seems that Pastitsio is a staple and since it is one of my favorites I have posted the recipe here before.  I love the lushness of this menu, too.  The foods seem so sensual and rich, which is perfect.  I decided to share a Dolmathes recipe here, which not only would honor Persephone this Beltane but also her brother, Dionysos who embodies much of what Beltane means. 

And, true to form, the cookbook doesn't offer just a regular Dolmathes recipe.  But I did fine one titled "Vine Leaves Stuffed With Rice".  I present it to you unedited for your reading and cooking pleasure.  I can never get enough of the way these old recipes are written even if it means I go "huh?" when I try to cook one. 

Needed:
50 Vine Leaves, Fresh or Canned
2 cups Rice
3 Medium Onions, Chopped
1.5 cups olive oil
1 lemon
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons pignolia nuts (pine nuts) and currants (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Prepare as follows: fry the chopped onions in oil until golden brown.  Add the washed rice and rest of ingredients and about 1 cup of water.  Cover and let simmer for a few minutes.  Let mixture cool.  Rinse and drain vine leaves.  Fill each leaf carefully, using one large or two small leaves for each dolma, making sure that the shiny side of the leaves remain on outside.  A teaspoon of the filling is sufficient and do not roll too tightly to allow room for rice to expand.  Place a few coarse leaves on bottom of pot, and arrange domathes side by side and layer upon layer until all leaves and filling are used.  Add three cups of water, a little salt, oil and the juice of one lemon.  Cover with a heavy plate and let simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the rice is cooked.  Serve cold. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A Persephone Greatest Hit: Breakfast

I wanted to share this recipe again.  Since it is Autumn, pumpkin puree and pie filling has made its way back to the store shelves.  That means I can make the vanilla yogurt and pumpkin breakfast again.  It tastes like fall and is a great way to start a cool October morning.  And November, and December.

So, here is my original post from the end of last year: 


There is no specific reason why I am associating this with Persephone except that one of the three ingrediants is pumpkin.  When I think "Pumpkin," I think "Autumn" and so I think "Persephone". 

I am not exactly sure where I saw this - it was on either on Yahoo! or MSN.  With the glut* of on-line articles about how to reign in your weight for New Year, this particularly suggestion sounded very tasty. 

It starts with Vanilla Yogurt.  I couldn't remember the amounts, so I guessed.  I got regular low fat vanilla yogert - just the grocery store brand.  One serving was a cup, but I didn't think I needed that much so I went with half a cup.  Next you add 100% pure pumpkin puree:  I added with a tablespoon which turned out to be plenty.  Mix.  Then add ground cinnamon to taste.    And Voila! A yummy morning treat or anytime snack.

*No pun intended...?

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Recipe Time!

I love going back to the old standby of the Hellenic Cookbook from the Greek Orthodox church in Detroit for its culinary gems.  I missed posting something for the Autumn Equinox and there is still a month before Halloween/Samhain, but I thought I would share this tasty sounding recipe for Greek Pumpkin Pie as a offering of the Autumn season. 

It is written, like all the recipes in this collection, with the imprecision of all good Greek household recipes. I have transcribed it directly from the book without any changes to language or ingredients.  I think there are some substitutions that could be made.  For instance, it explains how to prepare the pumpkin but I think the modern Greek cook could replace that part with canned pumpkin puree.  And you certainly can't beat any dessert that uses a pound of butter. 

Ingredients:
1 lb pastry sheets
1 lb butter (melted)
1 medium sized pumpkin
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
3 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup white raisins

Cut and prepare pumpkin, removing seeds.  Proceed to cut into 1 inch cubes.  Using medium disc, pass pumpkin cubes through food chopper.  Place ground pumpkin in cheese cloth and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand overnight to remove moisture.  Using only 8 cups of strained pumpkin, place in kettle adding olive oil and one cup of butter. Simmer for one our, stirring to prevent scorching.  During last five minutes, add sugar and raisins.  Remove from heat and add one cup walnuts.  Set mixture aside to cool.  Brush bottom of pan 14x20" with melted butter and line with pastry sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with walnuts.  Repeat this process until 1/2 lb of pastry sheets are used.  Pour pumpkin mixture in center and cover with remainder of pastry sheets; brushing each sheet with butter and sprinkling with walnuts.  Top with six individually buttered pastry sheets.  Trip and cut into 2" diamond pieces.  Pour remaining butter over pastry and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Syrup:
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup honey

While pastry is baking, boil sugar and water until a clear thin syrup is formed.  Stir in honey and remove from heat.  Cool.  Spoon cool syrup over hot pastry. 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Pudding Cake for Persephone

As we approach the summer solstice, I can't help but reflect on Persephone's journey.  This is the mid-point of the time she spends with her mother on Olympos.  As much as she aches to return to her husband, I am certain she is trying to be a good daughter and hold tight to the time she has with Demeter. 

Even knowing that Autumn will come and Persephone will return to her kingdom, I can also imagine Demeter doing everything in her power to keep Persephone by her side. Things like serving her favorite foods. 

I thought, what better in this hot hot mid-summer than a little ice cream and cake.  I turned to the "Hellenic Cuisine" cookbook of the Greek Orthodox Church in Michigan from 1957.  I've shared the joys of this cook book before, on several occasions, and love its infinite wisdom.  One suggestion it makes for a feast in the month of June is Ice Cream and Amegthalopeta, or Almond Pudding Cake.  Sounds delightful.  Enjoy, in the originally published form: 

Almond Pudding Cake
(Amegthalopeta)

2 cups finely chopped almonds
6 eggs, separated
3 tsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups zwieback crumbs (paximathy)

Beat egg yolks until thick and light colored; add sugar, a little at a time and continue beating.  Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Mix almonds, paximathi and baking powder together and add to egg yolk mixture, alternating with egg whites.  Pour into baking dish and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about half an hour.  Test with toothpick.  Remove from oven and pour on top the following syrup:
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups water
1 slice lemon
Boil together until slightly thickened and pour over cake at once. 



I just love the subtle nuances of these recipes.  The differing spelling of Paximathy/Paximathi is original.  And I couldn't begin to tell you what it means by "alternating with egg whites".  Or, heck, what size baking dish to use! 

But imagine serving this on a hot summer's day and honoring Demeter and Persephone. 

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Spring Cocktail

I have a longer post brewing about my perceptions of the Persephone Myth in relation to the Beltane Season.  For now, I'll just say that even though she is frequently a symbol of springtime and the earth's fertility, she is unable to spend the Beltane holiday with her lover, and that must make her sad. 

So, to cheer her up, here is a link to a site to make festive cocktails out of sparkling wine. 

Cheers, Persephone!

Oh, and by the way... it would probably not be a good idea to mix any sort of mint based drink for her.  It doesn't make her feel very good. 

Friday, April 2, 2010

Persephone's Spring Feast

As I did at Christmastime, I thought this holiday would be a fine time to consult the Hellenic Cookbook for some yummarific recipes for your spring festivals.  As you might imagine, the book offers a varity for all of the traditional orthodox observances. 

They offer the Resurrection Feast, which is described as a "joyous gathering at the table immdiately following the midnight easter mass."  Christian or not, spring is the time for any sort of resurrection.  If you look at it in nature the trees are budding and the flowers are blooming.  If you look at it from my spiritual perspective, the deity of choice is Persephone returning from the underworld granting her mother, Demeter, permission to revive the world.   The Resurrection feast indicates that it begins with Greek Easter Soup and "may be followed by":

Varity Lamb Platter
(Chops, Liver, Lung or Kidney)
Colored Easter Eggs

As a continuation of the Easter/Spring Menu, the Hellenic Cookbook suggests the following items for Easter Sunday Dinner. 

Fruit Cup
Greek Easter Soup
Roast Spring Lamb with Stuffing
Wole Roasted Potatoes
Peas
Greek Salad Supreme
Yogurt
Red Eggs
Sweet Breads
Greek Easter Cookies

Everything sounds so wonderful, it is nearly impossible for me to decide which recipe from the book that I wanted to include.  I was just about to post the recipe for Greek Easter Soup, but it involves bits of offal that I am not sure I could bring myself to cook with.  Instead, I chose a recipe that I have made for Easter Dinner before.  I love this recipe for the way it is written.  You can hear your Yia Yia giving you instructions as you cook.  Trust me, if you try this it will be divine.  So, here is the recipe as it appears in the book.

Lamb with Macaroni or Spaghetti (Arni Guvetsi)

2 lbs. Lamb cut in peices
1 lb Macaroni or Spaghetti
1/2 cup butter
2 onions minced
Salt, pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato pate diluted in a cup of water

Brown meat in butter, together with minced onions.  Add diluted tomato paste, salt, pepper and enough water to cover meat.  Cook for one hour or until meat is partly done.  Add macaroni or spaghetti and continue cooking until macaroni is done.  If the liquid is absorbed before the macaroni is cooked, add a little hot water.  When served, grated cheese may be sprinkled on top if desired. 

Happy Springtime Resurrection and Renwal, however you celebrate it! 

(photo by me featuring my Nana's china and crystal set for Easter dinner)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Daffodil Cake

I was looking for some Greek Easter recipes to share for any springtime celebrations, but then I stumbled upon this recipe!  What a great thing to try for the Spring Equinox this coming weekend. 

Daffodil Cake (Easter Dinner Cake)


Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar white part:
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sifted cake flour
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold water powdered sugar


Sift 1/2 cup cake flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar
together three times. Beat egg whites till frothy; add
cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Beat till soft
peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup granulated
sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture at a time
over top; fold in.

Yellow part: Sift 3/4 cup cake flour and baking powder
together three times. Beat yolks with juice and water
until thick, 5 to 7 minutes; gradually beat in 1/2 cup
granulated sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture
at a time over top; fold in.

Alternately spoon yellow and white mixtures into an
ungreased 9- or 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees
F for 35 to 40 minutes. Invert and cool. Dust cake
with powdered sugar.


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Persephone's Breakfast

There is no specific reason why I am associating this with Persephone except that one of the three ingrediants is pumpkin.  When I think "Pumpkin," I think "Autumn" and so I think "Persephone". 

I am not exactly sure where I saw this - it was on either on Yahoo! or MSN.  With the glut* of on-line articles about how to reign in your weight for New Year, this particularly suggestion sounded very tasty. 

It starts with Vanilla Yogurt.  I couldn't remember the amounts, so I guessed.  I got regular low fat vanilla yogert - just the grocery store brand.  One serving was a cup, but I didn't think I needed that much so I went with half a cup.  Next you add 100% pure pumpkin puree:  I added with a tablespoon which turned out to be plenty.  Mix.  Then add ground cinnamon to taste.  I also added a little dash of cinnamon surgar, but I dont think it really needs the extra sweetness since the yogurt is already.  And Voila! A yummy morning treat or anytime snack.

*No pun intended...?

Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year's Feast

In 2006, my Mother-in-Law gave us a recipe book compiled by the Greek Orthodox community in Detroit, Michigan. It is the same recipe book that she has always used and has been published unchanged since 1957. Even though the Greek Orthodox community put this book together, I use the recipes for many of our traditional Hellenic festivals. Good food is just good food, regardless of the philosophy.


At the beginning of the book, there is a suggestion for a Greek New Year's Eve feast:

The Greek New Year's feast is symbolic of prosperity and good fortune - one to be shared by families and friends in open house fashion.

The Typical New Year's Eve table is adorned with fine linen and silver, and bears as a centerpiece a cornucopia (horn of plenty) overflowing with assorted fruits and nuts of the traditional Vasilopita or New Year's Cake. The Vasilopita, which is customarily prepared for New Year's Eve and in which is inserted a gold or silver coin, is cut at midnight into as many pieces as there are members of the family. The one who finds the lucky coin is said to have good fortune in the New Year.


New Year's Dinner

Shrimp Cocktail
Celery hearts, green onions, cucumber slices
Roast Suckling Pig
Pastitsio
Pork Pie with Coin
Mavrodaphne Wine
Coffee
New Year's Bread
Baklava

As I have learned in reading the Hellenic Cookbook, very rarely do the suggestions match the recipes included in the book. Those quirky Greeks! Therefore, I have no idea how to make most of these items but they sure sound like a great New Year's Feast. And with the addition of Pork, this menu would be appropriate to honor Persephone. If you set a table with the cornucopia, that would symbolize the bounty of Demeter to help usher in the prosperity of the New Year.

There is one recipe, however, that I do have. It is my mother-in-law's recipe for Pastitsio. It is probably my favorite Greek dish and I make it frequently. Family recipes like this do tend to evolve so as my Mother-in-law learned it from her mother-in-law and made her own modifications, I have done the same.

Baked Macaroni with Meat Filling - Pastitsio Me Crema

1 lb Macaroni (by this they mean traditional Makaronia, a long noodle with a hole in the middle. If you can't find this, I have found that some Ziti works just fine.)

2 lbs Ground Meat (it really does just say Meat - doesn't specify what kind. I use ground sirloin. My MIL uses both beef and pork)

2 cups grated cheese (I mix 1 cup each Parmesan and Romano)

Several cloves of chopped garlic. I like a lot of garlic, so I use probably about 8 or 10 cloves.

1/2 of a "Large" can of Tomato Paste. I have never quite been able to figure out what this means - so I just use a small can.

3 eggs
1/4 lb melted butter
1/2 cup wine (Red. Tasty)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste

Boil the macaroni in salted water, drain and return to pan. Prepare meat sauce by frying the garlic in a little butter, adding the meat, tomato paste, small glass of wine and seasoning. I like the flavor of Nutmeg, so I use a fair amount. Cook until the meat is done, adding a little water or wine of necessary to thin out the mixture a little bit if it is too dry.

Pour half the melted butter and most of the grated cheese over the cooked macaroni. Add three eggs, lightly beaten. Season the macaroni and place in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover the noodles with meat mixture.

Now make the cream sauce:

1 quart of milk
2 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons of wondra flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 lb melted butter

Place melted butter in a saucepan and add the wondra, stirring until mixed thoroughly. Add the milk, stirring all the while. Cook over low flame until thickened. Add salt and remove from flame. When cooled slightly, add the beaten eggs and mix well. Spread cream sauce over the assembled noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

Bake in "Moderate" oven for 40 minutes. I have translated "moderate" to mean 350 degrees.

Eat and Enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Christmas Pomegranate Cocktail

When I did a search for "Christmas Pomegranate", this video appeared everywhere.  Enjoy the Christmas Pomegranate Cocktail from Jamie Oliver. 

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Demeter's Thanksgiving Feast

Just a day away from American Thanksgiving and I am starting to reflect on what this season means to me.  Each year, I travel from Atlanta to Michigan to visit family and friends and really begin to enjoy all that the holiday season brings to me.  I had thought of it as a reverse of Persephone's journey - that Atlanta was the Underworld and that Detroit was Olympos.  Truth be told, I believe it might be the other way around.  We travel from a place where the weather is pretty nice all year round to a city already deep into winter.  In either case, there is nothing like the winter holidays, starting with Thanksgiving, to reflect on the things that are really important in our lives.  This year I am thankful for many things including my amazing partner, my wonderful and very silly feline companion, the experience of building our own cabin in the woods, and all my friends and family in Atlanta, Asheville, Detroit and all over the country. 

The great Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, once said:
If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "thank you," that would suffice.
No matter what your faith tradition, I believe these are words everyone can live by. 

This holiday I would like to share some recipes that you can make to say "Thank You" to your own friends and family and enjoy the festive harvest feast with Demeter and Persephone.  Kick off the holiday season with a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and start building your own family traditions. 

Whole grains are, as you might imagine, sacred to Demeter as the Goddess of the earth and agriculture.  As an alternative side dish with your Thanksgiving turkey, try this recipe from EatingWell.com: 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil
1/2 cup broken whole-wheat spaghetti pieces
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup instant brown rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pasta and onion; cook, stirring, until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add broth, rice, salt and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Fluff with a fork and stir in parsley.

And to compliment all the heavy holiday food, try this Pomegranate Salad from Recipezaar.com.  The pomegranate connects us all to Persephone's journey. 

Ingredients"

1 cup candied pecans
1 large bunch red leaf lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
2 cups large dark seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 ripe red pears
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh orange zest

Directions:

1.  Make candied pecans.
2.  In a large bowl, toss together the pomegranate seeds, grapes, red onion, and the blue cheese.
3.  Divide torn lettuce leaves among 8 salad plates, and top each salad with the fruit mixture.
4.  Halve and core pears and cut into 1/2-inch slices-- put a pear half, skin side up, in the center of each salad.
5.  Arrange candied pecans around the pears.
6.  Just before serving, heat balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking and stirring until brown sugar dissolves. Off the heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7.  Drizzle warm dressing over each salad, sprinkle with orange zest, and serve right away.

Blessed Thanksgiving.  May you use this season to harvest all the love that you have planted throughout the year. 

Saturday, October 31, 2009

A Halloween Dinner for Persephone

The following are recipes for a meal to honor Persephone.  They are perfect for this time of year.

Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Glaze from MyRecipes.com

For safety reasons, a portion of the glaze is kept separate to baste the pork while raw and during cooking; the remainder is served with the cooked roast. The glaze will thicken significantly if made ahead; microwave at HIGH for a few seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until glaze is thinned.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 2 teaspoons glaze mixture)

Ingredients
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 (3/4-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 minutes). Pour half of glaze into a small bowl; set aside.

Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Place pork on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Brush pork with half of glaze in saucepan. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145°. Baste pork with remaining glaze in saucepan; cook an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155°.

Remove pork from oven; baste with half of glaze in bowl. Let pork stand 10 minutes. Cut pork across grain into thin slices. Serve pork with glaze mixture.

Pigs are sacred to Persephone, so Pork is a fitting tribute to her. There is a version of her myth where Pigs fall into the underworld with her when Hades opened the earth to abduct her.  The Pomegranate glaze is representative of the wedding fruit given to her by her husband. Garnish with some parsley as the herb is also sacred to this Goddess. 

Ginger Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail from PomegranateWorld.com

• 1 cup Pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 inch-thick slice fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of orange liqueur like Contreau or Grand Marnier
• 1 750-ml bottle brut Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled

Directions:
Combine pomegranate juice, sugar and ginger in a pan over high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/3 of a cup. Stir constantly. Set aside until cool. In each glass pour 4 tsp of pomegranate syrup, 1 tbsp orange juice, and 1/4 tsp orange liqueur into each of four Champagne flutes. Top off with champagne or sparkling wine

Serves: 4

Pomegranate is, clearly, the most common association with Persephone. The ginger in this recipe gives it a bit of an autumn-like spiciness