Bonne Bouchee: Honoring the Feast of St. Joseph

by Sandra Scalise Juneau

What began many centuries ago in Sicily as a means of giving thanks for relief from a famine, and was then planted in the fertile soil of Louisiana’s abundant festive spirit, honoring the feast of Saint Joseph has become a unique celebration of multi-cultural influences. The tradition of Saint Joseph’s feast day altars was introduced in Louisiana during the wave of Sicilian immigration in the 1800s. This expressive prayer of thanksgiving to Saint Joseph flourishes today with impressive displays of devotion bringing together a diverse gathering of the faithful in a true sense of community.

Countless hours of preparation for the altars begin weeks before the feast day, March 19. This year, the date falls in Holy Week, so celebrations will be held March 8-15. (See sidebar for schedule.)
What is described as a labor of love is more about the love than the labor, as friends and family gather in homes and church buildings for the annual ritual of baking their specialty cookies and cooking their traditional foods for the altars. The foods displayed on the altars are rich in religious symbolism, combining the elements of food as art and love.

No two Saint Joseph altars are alike; they are as individual as Christmas trees. They can be elaborate and large enough to fill a school gymnasium, or as intimate as a small table display at home. Usually the altar is built in three steps, representing the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. A statue or picture of Saint Joseph is always the central figure on the altar, surrounded by fresh flowers, candles, fruit and vegetables, seafood and cooked foods of every description. The entire meal is meatless, as the feast always occurs during the season of Lent.

The candles represent a special petition, or favor, asked of Saint Joseph. The altars are often made to request a favor, or in thanksgiving for favors received. During wartime, families frequently ask for protection for their loved ones in the military, displaying their photographs on the altars.

As a child of Sicilian heritage, being chosen to represent one of the “saints” for my grandmother’s Saint Joseph’s altar was a special privilege still remembered as a cherished experience. There were three “saints.” I represented Mary; my cousin Joseph, the child Jesus; and an older cousin, Saint Joseph. After the altar was blessed in a special ceremony, we—the “Holy Family”—were seated at a separate table and given a small taste of each of the foods on the altar. As I recall, my cousin Joseph wasn’t too fond of the exotic foods, such as Pasta Milanese (spaghetti sauced with tomato gravy flavored with anchovies, fennel, currants and pine nuts) topped with Mudica (seasoned breadcrumbs) and Fried Carduni (a special vegetable that is seasonal during Saint Joseph’s time). Since this “blessed” food could not be wasted, I graciously offered to add his portion to mine. I feel sure that this single incident was the awakening of my Sicilian taste buds.

Last summer, I had the privilege of spending time in my grandmother’s Sicilian village, Poggioreale, one of the few places in Sicily where the traditions of the Saint Joseph altar are still celebrated. I baked Saint Joseph fig cakes called Cuccidatta with some of the few women who continue to treasure the custom. While with these gracious ladies, I discovered that much of the tradition, the symbolism and even the recipes remain the same in Sicily as we celebrate locally. The only exception is that in Louisiana we usually have Cajun boiled crawfish on our altars!

When all of the elements of the Saint Joseph altar come together—the flowers, candles, fresh fruit, many-flavored cookies and rich cooked foods—there is a unique aroma that can only be described as ambrosial, or food for the gods. This ancient tradition is still nurtured on the northshore. If you are fortunate enough to visit one of the many local Saint Joseph altars, don’t forget to pick up a “lucky bean,” the symbol of “abbondanza,” the abundance of sharing in the blessings of faith, hope and love.

Pasta Milanese

A pasta dish that is the traditional mainstay of all Saint Joseph’s Day meals, this Sicilian specialty combines the tomato sauce with fennel, anchovies, currants and pine nuts to create a truly distinctive flavor sensation.

1 gallon basic tomato gravy
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup anchovies, rinsed and drained or anchovy paste
1/2 cup dried currants, soaked in 1/2 cup wine
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 Tablespoon powdered cinnamon
2 cups fennel or anise, including green fronds, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
Mudica (see recipe below)

Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add anchovies, mashing into oil, and cook over medium heat. Add tomato gravy, thoroughly blending anchovies into the sauce. Season sauce with cinnamon. When thoroughly warmed, add currants and wine and allow to cook until wine evaporates. Add pine nuts just before serving.

Add anise greens to boiling salted water. Greens will cook quickly, in approximately 5 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to directions. Drain liquid, leaving greens mixed with the pasta.

Sauce each plate of pasta with Milanese gravy, then top with a sprinkling of one tablespoon of Mudica over gravy.

Mudica

The breadcrumbs that are sprinkled over the Pasta Milanese like cheese are said to symbolize the sawdust of Saint Joseph’s carpentry workshop.

6 cups stale French or Italian bread, grated fine
1 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper

In a large heavy skillet, preheat olive oil. Keeping a medium heat, sprinkle in breadcrumbs, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Add sugar while continuing to stir, toasting breadcrumbs to a golden brown. Season mixture with black pepper, blending thoroughly. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Mudica can be stored in refrigerator, preferably no more than one week.

Sicilian Froscia

Stuffed or fried vegetables are found on most Saint Joseph’s Altars. The “froscia,” a Sicilian vegetable omelet, is traditionally prepared with a variety of green vegetables.

1/2 cup olive oil (add more as needed)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets, blanched and drained
OR
3 cups canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
OR
3 cups fresh green beans, blanched and drained
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped coarsely
6 – 8 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

In a large open skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, sprinkling evenly over bottom of skillet. Add vegetables but do not stir. Allow vegetables to warm through and top with cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs to a slight froth and add basil. Pour over vegetables in skillet, tilting the pan to distribute evenly. Loosen the bottom of pan to avoid sticking. Cook over low heat until egg is set. Top with 1 cup breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
Loosen omelet from pan and turn onto a large plate, flipping omelet over, then slide back into skillet to brown bottom. Flip onto a serving plate. Serve warm with lemon slices and parsley garnish.

Cuccidatta : Sicilian Fig Cookies

Filling

2 pounds dried Greek figs
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons orange zest
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Remove stems from figs. Rinse thoroughly and soak in warm water to soften. Drain off any excess water. Season figs with cinnamon, mixing thoroughly. Coat with honey, and then blend in orange zest and black pepper. Using an electric meat grinder, finely grind the fig mixture. PLEASE NOTE: The use of a food processor will change the texture of figs. Thoroughly mix ground ingredients. Divide mixture in half, wrap in plastic wrap and seal in plastic zipper bags. This mixture will keep covered in the refrigerator for several weeks, or it may be frozen for up to 6 months.

Dough

5 cups flour
3/4 cup white vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 - 2 cups warm water (gradually add more as needed to moisten dough)

In a mixer or food processor, blend shortening and flour to a cornmeal texture. Set aside. Dissolve sugar in warm (tepid, not boiling) water. Slowly add sugar water to flour mixture, blending until dough forms a ball. If dough is too dry, gradually add more water as needed. Cover, set aside and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes. Separate dough into workable sized balls. Knead each ball to a smooth texture and return to bowl. Cover again then allow dough to rest several minutes.

Assembly

Pre-heat oven to 250°. Shape figs into 1/2-inch-wide rolls, 6 to 8 inches long, and set aside. Roll a small piece of dough (2-inch ball) into the thickness of pie pastry. Cut dough into 4-inch x 12-inch strips. Fill center of dough with fig mixture. Fold sides of pastry over figs, overlapping sides slightly. Turn over, seam down and pat lightly to flatten. Cut each cookie on an angle into 1-inch x 2-inch bars. Starting on right side, cut angled slits, reverse and cut angled slits on left side, then cut a center slit, allowing cookies to bake through.Bake 15-20 minutes. Cookies should be slightly browned on bottom only. Allow to cool before icing cookies.

Icing

1 Tablespoon milk or cream
2 drops almond extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Colored nonpareils (sugar sprinkles)

Combine milk and almond extract, and then gradually blend into sugar, mixing to a smooth paste. Icing should be the texture of heavy cream. Thoroughly cool cookies before icing. Working over a small bowl, spoon icing onto each cookie, allowing excess to drip into bowl. Allow cookies to dry slightly, and then sprinkle with nonpareils. Be sure cookies are completely dry before packaging.