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Carrot Cake
Mon, 07/28/2008 - 13:59 — kitchenwitchIngredients:
1-3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrots (5 to 6 medium)
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In mixer bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Notes:
This is my favorite birthday cake. Since my birthday is on Midsummer, I associate this cake with that holiday too. But its warmth and heartiness lends itself well to cooler weather and harvest celebrations as well.
This cake has energy related to prosperity, fertility and lust and is particularly aligned to the sort of sweet, devoted love of an idealistic young couple eager to starti a new family making it great for a wedding cake. That also makes it appropriate for your Heiros Gamos (or Sacred Marriage) on whatever holiday it happens to fall on.
Quick Witch Tips:
Extra Hot Chocolate
Mon, 07/28/2008 - 09:56 — kitchenwitchIngredients:
Per serving you need-
1 cup of milk
a dash cayenne pepper powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Cocoa
1 tsbsp powdered milk
1 drop vanilla extract
Combine all dried ingredients and mix well. Warm the milk in a sauce pan, stirring constantly. Do not allow it to boil!
Notes:
I have heard this called Mexican and Aztec hot chocolate, though I'm not sure that's accurate. Either way, it warms you to the toes and keeps you warm much longer than other folks's cocoa and it's got a greater depth of flavor. It's also not very sweet so you might want to provide your guests with a sugar bowl.
For some, chocolate is a traditional Day of the Dead offering and this makes a great libation during Samhain and Rites of Passing. For others, this beverage combines the energies of Ares and Aphrodite and that means passion- like Beltane. But it might be too hot.
This beverage is warming in more ways than one. It's a playful blend of male and female energies that will get your circulation going and may spark a bit of lust while it's at it. Be prepared for the release of some very playful energies when you prepare this beverage; Perfect for snuggling on a cold winter's night.
But this isn't an adult's only beverage; kids love it too and t's great for a sledding break.
Quick Witch Tips:
Just add some cinnamon, ceyenne and vanilla to some instant hot cocoa for a quick treat.
Anise
Sat, 01/05/2008 - 15:19 — kitchenwitchBotanical Name:
Pimpinellaa anisum
Zones:
most
Other Names:
Aniseseed, Sweet Cumin, Anisi Fructose
Anise is a graceful, feathery annual resembling members of the carrot family with branching ridged, round stems and small, star like white flowers which appear in clusters in the late summer.
Propagation:
Anise likes a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained, alkaline soil. It is suitable for all areas of North America, but the seeds won't ripen without a good hot summer. Anise needs 120 days to produce fully ripened seed heads. It is an annual, and grows 1-2 feet high. It does not transplant well, though it will live happily in a pot indoors or on a patio. Sow in the late spring.
It is a good companion plant with coriander, but shouldn’t be grown with carrot.
History and Folklore:
Anise is one of the oldest known plants that were grown for both culinary and medicinal use. It was an important in 2nd century BCE Egypt where it was grown for food and medicine and as an ingredient in liquor.
Anise was one of the ingredients in mustaceus; a special cake made with digestive herbs that was served as a finishing dish for feasts. This may be the origin of the modern-day wedding cake.
In 1305, King Edward I declared anise a taxable drug and the revenue earned through its import helped repair damages to the London Bridge.
The Native Americans called anise “Tut-te See-hua”, which means, “It expels the wind”
The best anise is grown in Spain, but it is also grown in Turkeyi and Egypt.
Harvesting & Storage:
Pick the leaves as you need them and collect the flowers as they open. The fruits are ready for harvesting when they are gray-green at the tips. Cut the plant, retaining a good deal of stem and hang upside down in a paper bag to dry. The seeds will drop off and collect in the bottom. Store the seeds in a dark, dry place.
Gather the stems and dig up the roots in autumn.
Household Use:
Crush the seed and use in potpourri.
Roast the seed and use as a breath freshener.
Oil of anise is a natural insecticide.
Animals on the other hand seem to love it. It is said that the oil added to bait to catch fish, rats, mice, or anything else, will increase your chances. Dogs also like anise, and it is sometimes added to dog food. Anti-bloodsport activists would use it to put hunting dogs of the scent and ruin the hunt.
Magical Attributes:
Anise is associated with the element of air, the God Apollo, the planets Mercury and Jupiter and the astrological sign Gemini. Anise is also considered masculine.
Hang an anise seed head from your bedpost to restore lost youth.
Use anise in dream pillows to keep away nightmares and ensure a good night’s sleep.
Fresh anise leaves or anise seeds used in a potpourri will protect a room from evil spirits and intentions.
It can be used in holy waters for blessing and exorcisms.
It is said that the scent stirs up lust.
Anise seeds carried in a sachet will ward off the evil eye.
Anise aids in divinationi and may be added to a rituali bath and/or burned while meditating or divining.
Anise has been used as an offering to entice spirits to aid in magical operations.
Healing Attributes:
Anise is helpful for all sorts of coughs and helps to relieve congestion. It is useful added to syrups and lozenges. Or a tea can be made by steeping one teaspoon of the seeds in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. Take up to one and a half cups per day. You can also make a tincture to keep on hand by using two ounces of seeds per ½ quart brandy and a pinch of lemon peel. Let sit two to three weeks. Take one teaspoon as needed.
Some say anise is high in estrogen content and can be used to stimulate the flow of breast milk. It is also used to ease the pangs of childbirth. It may also help relieve the discomfort of menopause.
Anise seed is good for the digestive system and can be used to stimulate the appetite, aid in digestion, or relieve cramps, nausea, flatulence, or colic. A few seeds taken with water will cure hiccups.
Anise may increase the amount of iron that is absorbed into the body.
Culinary Use:
Anise is popular for desserts and baked goods. The seed may be used whole or crushed in breads, cakes, fruit dishes or cookies.
Try adding anise to the water when boiling shellfish.
The leaves or flowers may be added to fruit salads or used as a garnish.
The stem and root may be mixed into soups and stews.
Many liquors are flavored with anise including French pastis, Greek ouzo, Spanish ojen, Turkish raki, Italian anesone, Arab arrak and Egyptian kibib.
Practical Kitchen Witchery:
Do not overdo it. Large quantities of anise can be toxic. Do not use the essential oil without dilution.
Because anise may increase the amount of iron that is absorbed into the body, use caution when taking both iron supplements and anise at the same time.
Anise can be used with dogs like catnip with cats. Don't let them overdo it though, see above toxicity warnings!
Cardamom
Thu, 01/03/2008 - 21:41 — kitchenwitchBotanical Name:
Elettaria cardamomum
Zones:
tropical
Other Names:
Cinnamon palm, Cardamon, Bastard Cardamom, Grains of Paradise, Pai-Tou, Sha-Ren, Elachi, Ela, Capalaga, Malabar Cardamom, Cardamom
Cardamom is a member of member of the ginger family and has a thick fleshy root, a rhizome.
Propagation:
Sow seeds in autumn or propagate by division in spring or summer. Prefers rich, moist soil in part shade. In the north, this plant should be grown in a pot and brought in when temperatures drop below 65 degrees.
Cardamom is grown commercially in India, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Cambodia & Veitnam
History and Folklore:
It is believed that the West got its first taste of cardamom when Alexander the Great brought it back from India. It was used widely in Europe to treat digestive problems.
In Asia and Africa, cardamom has been used to flavor food for centuries and has also been used as an aphrodisiac. It is a very important part of Indian and Arabic cuisine.
Cardamom is an important ingredient in coffee in many cultures. For Arabic coffee, seeds are ground and added to coffee grounds before brewing, or pods are steeped in the coffee itself. In Bedouin traditioni, cardamom pods are placed in the spout of the coffee pot so just the right amount of cardamom flavor is added as the coffee is being poured. In Ethiopia, coffee beans are roasted together with cardamom seeds and other spices immediately before the coffee is prepared. Alli of these are parts of important hospitality traditions within their cultures.
Harvesting & Storage:
Cardamom pods should be picked when they are plump, but still immature and laid in the sun to dry.
The fruits should be stored whole and dry. The seeds can be removed and ground immediately before use. They lose flavor quickly when outside the pod and even more quickly when ground.
When shopping for cardamom pods, only buy green ones. White pods have been bleached and the brown ones will not have the flavor you’re looking for.
Household Use:
The larvae of the Endoclita hosei use this plant for food and so it can be used in the butterfly garden.
Cardamom seeds can be chewed after a meal to freshen the breath. It has a eucalyptus like flavor.
Cardamom is fragrant and often used in perfumery. Seeds can be placed in sachets and stored with linens to keep them smelling nice. And since Cardamom is an aphrodisiac, their scent might be particularly welcome on your sheets. (If you just want to sleep, use lavender instead). You can also impart their fragrance into your laundry by making a sachet for your dryer.
Magical Attributes:
To encourage a would-be lover, chew some cardamom seeds before talking to him or her. This is also useful in any situation calling for eloquence, when you must charm your audience. Cardamom seeds can also be added to lust drawing sachets. Cardamom is a stimulating herb that relaxes the body and clarifies the mind and should be used in any situation where these are needed.
Healing Attributes:
Cardamom has expectorant, stimulating, tonic, warm, aphrodisiac, antibacterial, antimycotic, antiviral, carminative, antispasmodic and expectorant effects.
Amomum spp is used most widely in Asian traditional medicine, especially in India.
A. subulatum, commonly called Elaichi is used to treat infections of the teeth & gums, throat troubles, coughs, congestion, tuberculosis
Inflammation of eyelids and stomach complaints A. villosum is used in Chinese medicine for stomach complaints, constipation, dysentery called “Tsaoko”
People who have digestive problems, particularly with gluten, may find it helpful to have a cup of cardamom tea after a meal. Or Chai tea, which contains cardamom. It is also excellent for chest congestion.
Culinary Use:
Elettaria cardamomu, or Amomun kravanb are both used for food
Cardamom is used in Turkish, Arab, Indian and African cuisine and some Scandinavian and German cookies, pastries and, of course, sausages. Its addition to a dish immediately gives it an Eastern flair. It is used in Chai tea, Turkish coffee and Belgian ale beers. Ground cardamom seeds are used in baking. You can find white cardamom, that is, seeds that have been bleached, if you do not want the black specks of ground unbleached cardamom seeds in your food.
Cardamom pods and seeds (ground or not) are used to flavor seafood, chicken, rice dishes, and stews. It is an ingredient in curry powder and Garam Masala spice.
You can place whole cardamom pods in stews or rice dishes at the beginning of cooking and remove them at the end, or remove the seeds from the pods and grind them immediately before sprinkling onto your dishes toward the end of cooking.
Practical Kitchen Witchery:
Drink cardamom tea after every meal to aid digestion and prevent gas. Milk boiled with cardamom seeds is excellent with a little honey.
Cardamom should not be used by pregnant women or people with gallstones.
All content copyright Dawn Black unless otherwise stated. No content may be distributed electronically or in print without express permission from the author.
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