It's that time of year again

Can I just say, I've been bouncing around for the past couple of months, super excited for Lent!   I know, I'm probably one of the very, very few Catholics that are.  Most are looking at giving up chocolate or soda for a full 40 days with resignation.   First, I don't have to give up chocolate (hot chocolate for the win!) and I absolutely love looking up crazy medieval lenten recipes to try.  

This year, starting on Wednesday, I will be having a TON of apple dishes.   Remember the apples I got back in October?  I still have 13 of those bags frozen in my freezer.  Lots and lots of apple pie!  However, I also want to try a few new fish recipes.   Like this one:

1.18. Pancakes in Lent
Take fillet of pike and saffron, well ground. [Add] white flour, tempered with wine, and cut figs (small] in the dough. Have boiling hot fat and bake [the pancakes] in it.

(15th C, http://www.coquinaria.nl/kooktekst/Edelikespijse1.htm#1.18 )

Now, I'm not sure if the translation is off or if - as I've read from plenty of secondary sources- that they really did "cheat" when it came to the no animal products rule.  However, rather than fat (or lard, as the google translate program wants me to use), I'll just cook it up in olive oil.   

From the same cookbook, this sounds pretty decent for breakfast:

1.17. Porridge of almonds and bread in Lent
Make thick almond milk and add saffron. Take the crusts of white bread, cut in small pieces, and let them boil in it, and add chopped figs and grains of stoned raisins from oversea.

I'm not sure what stoned raisins are yet (other than possibly the Califonia Raisins on drugs...)  but raisins and figs in a porridge sounds pretty yummy.

However, since I still have a few days before Lent (and a freezer that is currently half apple/ half meat), I'm thinking of trying a few out of Lent recipes like this:

To boyle Chickens after the French fashion.

  Quarter the Chickens in foure peeces: then take after the rate of a pinte of wine for two Chickens: then take time & parsly as small minced as ye can, and foure or fiue Dates, with the yolkes of foure hard Egges, and let this boile together, and when you will season your pot, put in salt, sinamon and Ginger, and serue it foorth. 

(16th C, http://www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/ghhk/)

 

I do need to use up the rest of the eggs before Lent.  I plan on making the cinnamon bread again (very very yummy) as well.   

 

I know it's a bit silly, but I am really excited for this year's Lent!