ANCESTRAL FOOD. HERBAL WISDOM. MAGICAL COOKERY. SEASONAL CELEBRATION.
A berry, a berry, a red rowan berry, A red rowan berry brought me beauty and love. The Story of the Fairy Rowan Tree Samhain is right around the corner so it’s time to post the recipe I promised for Rowan Berry Caramels. These lucky charms will not only dispel evil spirits and satiate hungry […]
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I bet you didn’t know that today is the birthday of the Rowan Tree or Mountain Ash. In Russia, Ryabinnik, September 23rd was the day the rowan berries were considered sweet enough for harvest, and harvest they did. Baskets of rowan berries were cooked into jam, jelly, confiture, kissel, wine, kvass, bread, pies, and candy […]
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One of the most abundant, nutrient-dense, healing, and beautiful foods of autumn, is the wild rosehip. Why is why over at Gather Victoria Patreon I’ve devoted an entire mini cookbook to the ruby red fruit of the family “pomme’. Once a staple in cuisines around the world, I find many people today aren’t quite sure […]
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Oh my, it is almost the Autumn Equinox! This means it’s time to share this rustic Crabapple Galette inspired by the Great Mother goddess Modron and the great Fairy Queen Morgan Le Fay. Crabapples and berries have long played a role in the magical lore of the Second Harvest or Mabon. (You can find more […]
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Wreaths are time-honored symbols of the cycles of the seasons and the great wheel of the year. This Venusian Tea Wreath is woven with herbs and wild botanicals that embody the energetic principles at work in the heavens and landscape this season. It will not only cast a beautifying spell over the front door – […]
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I’m sorry to have been out of touch for so long! I’ve been so busy finishing the next batch of recipes for the Gather Victoria E-Cookbooks over at Gather Victoria Patreon it seems I’ve spent nearly the whole summer working without posting anything new here. So to rectify that I’m going to give you a […]
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“A soule cake, a soule cake, Have mercy on all Christen soules for a soule-cake.” John Aubrey, 17th century I’ve been researching old-world recipes in search of Halloween food inspiration, and these sweet little barmbrack “Soul Cakes” are the result. Barmbrack is an Irish cake made with tea and spiced and speckled with berries, dried […]
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Halloween takes its roots in ancient festivals and feasts honouring the dead, like Samhain. This makes it a perfect time for cake…not just any cake, but a cake in remembrance of the Haliorunna. Never heard of them? They were the oracular priestesses of the “underworld mysteries” whose rites of divination and ancestor veneration were demonized […]
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My family background is pretty diverse (stretching across Europe from Spain, France, Greece to Eastern Europe and Russia) so I harvest and write about the many foods my ancestors have eaten for literally thousands of years. But I also resonate deeply with the food cultures of the Coast Salish Peoples whose territories I occupy. How […]
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“O night, faithful friend of mysteries; and you, golden stars and moon, who follow the fiery star of day; and you, Hecate, goddess with threefold head, you know my designs and come to strengthen my spells and magic arts; and you, earth, who offer your potent herbs to magic; and airs, winds, mountains, streams, and […]
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A couple of years ago, completely hidden in a dark thicket of trees, I discovered a beautiful gnarled crabapple – gleaming with clusters of hundreds & hundreds of rosy, autumn fruits. I was thrilled! I love crisp truly tart apples (which are getting harder to find) so the crabapple fits the bill perfectly. Crabapples are […]
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“Has artemisia come to help us unlock the deep dreams that day to day living has swept seemingly out of reach? Has she come to guard us and protect us while we realign ourselves with the strength of feminine energy? Has she come–with her liver cleansing and digestive tonic– to help ease the pain of […]
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Every year I fall for a particular plant and start to use it in practically everything. This year I’ve been bewitched by the deep smoky, earthy and sagey flavour of Suksdorf sagewort or coastal mugwort. Of all the mugworts I know, our native suksdorf sagewort has to be one of the most deliciously aromatic -and […]
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I just love this cheese! Brimming with vitalizing nutrients and gut-healthy probiotics, this beautiful “Boursin” yogurt cheese is not only a show stopper at parties, it’s absolutely delicious, easy to make, inexpensive, and really, really good for you. You can make a creamy spreadable version (like cream cheese) which is what I’ve pictured here or […]
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This magical Venus Vinegar is composed of the most vitalizing wild foods, herbs, and medicines offered by Mother Nature this season. It is no ordinary herbal vinegar, but a nutrient-rich, beautifying, fortifying tonic that is fruity, tangy, spicy, and earthy all in one. By balancing the fruits, shoots, and seeds that embody the energetic principles […]
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My love affair with the cornucopia began nearly two decades ago when I came across a simple black-and-white clip art icon. Something spoke to my heart, and I saved it, though for what I wasn’t yet sure. Years later, it became the Gather logo after being transformed into a beautiful paper-cut image created by one […]
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“Mystery glows in the rose bed, the secret is hidden in the rose.” 12th Century Persian Poem Don’t underestimate this demure little cupcake. Much more than overindulgence in sugar or cupcake feminism, this divine rose confection is a direct connection to a feminine spiritual heritage thousands of years old. And they offer a scent and […]
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I wrote this post for the Goddess Cusine Collection over at Gather Victoria Patreon. I wanted to share it because the season of First Fruits will soon be upon us. Before the rise of Christianity, August was associated with pre-Christian Mother Goddesses credited with providing not just the grains and crops for nourishment but a […]
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I’m sharing this recipe for Rose Sugar Navettes (little boats) in honor of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene on July 22nd. These are eaten across Provence, as they have been for several centuries, to commemorate the arrival of the “Three Marys” at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (after the crucifixion) in a divinely guided, rudderless boat. While they are traditionally […]
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It’s time for Lilacs! White Lilacs, that is. Lilac is associated with the month of April, which is associated with Venus, the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. Appropriately, the white lilacs are in full glorious bloom here in Victoria. The “Early Flowering Lilac” Syringa x hyacinthiflora blooms 2 weeks earlier than colored lilacs, closely […]
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This recipe round-up of Hallowed dishes, sweets, and treats is not meant for October 31st but for November 6th when the traditional Celtic festival of Samhain (Summers End) was celebrated. On this night the veil between the worlds was at its absolute thinnest and carving ghoulish gourds, donning scary costumes, and trick or treating were […]
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Tomorrow I will gather blossoms in my garden as part of my annual summer solstice ritual. Each year I preserve these in magical floral extracts which I use in baking and cocktails and others will be consumed directly in cookies, cakes, or tarts later that evening during a Midsummer picnic. This floral-infused lemon tart is […]
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If you’re looking for a vegan dish for the upcoming Celtic holiday Imbolc, I suggest Flummery! Dairy products were sacred to both Brigid the goddess and St. Brigid the saint, but from Ireland, Scotland, to Wales, oatmeal was – and still is – almost a sacred food of its own! While I’ve never heard of […]
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Soon the blessed Winter Solstice will be here, and thank Goddess for the return of the light! For the Germanic and Northern European peoples from which I descend these dark days were preoccupied with the old winter magic known as holiday baking. Cakes, breads and buns, tarts, and strudels were prepared to celebrate the imminent […]
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It’s the time of the year when the sun’s powers are at their height and plants are brimming with life-force energy. This is why I’m sharing this very special libation from the Gather Victoria ECookbook, Black Balsam. Inspired by my Latvian ancestry, Black Balsam is hailed “true taste of a Baltic Summer” and is the […]
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Round and golden as the sun, filled with lush plump strawberries and perfumed with rose petals, this cake is inspired by Goddess Cuisine. I created it last year for Gather Victoria Patreon in honor of the Green Holyday (known today as Trinity Sunday). Its motifs mirror the sacred embroidered textiles known in Russia and Ukraine […]
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