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Sound & Spirit Recipes
for the Program "Ghosts"

While researching Sound & Spirit's Halloween Special, "Ghosts", we ran across numerous mentions of food being prepared for the dead. Sometimes this food is placed in the tomb at the time of burial; but often this food is part of the hospitality offered to one's ancestors at a special, yearly festival when their spirits are believed to return to earth [e.g. All Hallow's Eve, Dias de los Muertos, and the Bon Festival]. Very often this food is some kind of bread, or some small form of grain cake or dumpling. We became interested in finding out just what these various "breads for the dead" were like; and so we went to some lengths to track down traditional recipes to try out in our kitchens and taste at our weekly, Thursday afternoon, Sound & Spirit tea. Here are three recipes we'd like to share with you--let us know if you like them!!


Soul Cakes

"A soul cake, a soul cake, pray good missus a soul cake..."

Soul Cakes of various sorts are found through out European traditions. They were left out for wandering souls, or placed on their graves on All Hallow's Day/All Souls' Eve [that's November 1st, the evening before November 2st which was All Souls Day]; or given to beggers or the poor in lieu of the dead. It was said by some that for every cake given away and eaten, a soul was released from purgatory. The children's custom of going from door to door a-souling, singing the above mentioned chant, asking for soul cakes, can be seen to be behind the Halloween custom of "Trick-or-Treating". Behind all of this, of course are ancient Pagan customs associated with Samhain, the Celtic New Year holiday on October 31st [it's pronounced "sow-in" (rhyming with "now")].

Ingredients:
Two sticks butter
3 and 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 cup fine white sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
1 teaspoon each, cinnamon, ginger, allspice
2 eggs
2 teaspoons malt vinegar (or cider vinegar)

Oven: 350 degrees bake 20-25 minutes

Method: Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender (or a large fork); Blend in the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and spice; and mix to a stiff dough with the beaten eggs and vinegar. Knead thoroughly and roll out, 1/4 inch thick; cut into 3 inch rounds and set on greased baking sheets. Prick cakes with a fork and bake; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar while still warm.

Alternative method: Cream butter and sugar. Mix in lightly beaten eggs and vinegar. Sift flour and spices, add and mix to a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly and follow the rest of the directions above.


Pan de Muerto

"Bread of the Dead"


(photo: Jeffrey Nelson)

In Mexico, October 31st, November 1st and 2nd [i.e. Hallowe'en, All Saints' and All Souls' Days] are celebrated as Días de los Muertos, the Days of the Dead. Families come together; they set up special altars or ofrendas, with flowers, candles, lights, food and pictures of their "dearly departed ones," who are welcomed home for a visit. They make special food, and often visit the graves of their ancestors for a picnic. Various regions of Mexico have different types of bread, Pan de Muerto, are baked, place on the ofrendas, and eaten in celebration. The following recipe is the type of bread made and shaped in and around Mexico City. It is a sweet, fragrant egg bread, shaped in large rounds topped with a "skull" and crossed "bones". Warning: As a yeast bread, Pan de Muerto takes between six and seven hours to make (this includes the five hours alotted for three risings and the baking as well as the mixing, shaping and glazing.) It is possible to refrigerate the sponge, or the dough at points in the process, so to spread it out over a few days. But know that this is a complex, time-consuming project. It could be worth it once a year though, no?

The Sponge

Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 cakes yeast or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons warm (NOT hot) water
3 large eggs (room temperature), slightly beaten
4 scant cups unbleached flour (plus extra for working the dough)
An extra large mixing bowl, vegetable oil, waxed paper or plastic wrap, and a clean dish towel.

Method: Warm your oven at lowest possible setting; turn it off after it is just warm (about 70 degrees). Dissolve yeast in the warm water in an extra large mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt and eggs, mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour and mix to form a sticky, stretchy dough (it takes up to five minutes). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, scrape the bowl, flour your hands and work it into a rounded ball. Lightly oil the mixing bowl; put the dough in, turn it over immediately; cover the dough with oiled waxed paper or plastic wrap and cover it with the clean dish towel; place in the warm oven (turned off by now) to rise. Let it rise until it doubles its size; this takes about two hours. "Punch" it down, and prepare to incorporate it into the dough. Note: This "sponge" can be refrigerated, or even frozen, at this point; if you do this, be sure to remove it from the cold and allow it to return to room temperature before you continue (Please don't try to heat or microwave it, for that would kill the yeast!!)

The Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
The sponge (see above) pulled apart into little pieces
4 egg yolks (some recipes call for 8-15 egg yolks) lightly beaten
with 2 tablespoons warm water
4 scant cups unbleached flour (plus extra for working the dough)
1/4 cup water
flavorings: either 1 teaspoon orange blossom (Neroli) water and/or the grated rind of 1 orange; or 1 teaspoon anise extract and/or 1 tablespoon aniseed; or some combination of the above ingredients. Some recipes even call for chopped-up bits of dried and/or candied fruits, figs, raisins, pineapple, citron, pumpkin...Use your imagination.

Method: Mix the sugar and butter; add the pieces of the sponge and mix well. Gradually add the flour and the egg yolks (alternate 1/3 flour, 1/2 egg...finish off with flour.) Beat in the water and the flavorings. It should form a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, scrape the bowl, flour your hands and work it into a rounded ball. Lightly oil the mixing bowl; put the dough in, turn it over immediately; cover the dough with oiled waxed paper or plastic wrap and cover it with the clean dish towel (Note: One can refrigerate the dough at this point and finish it off the next day. If so, allow it to return to room temperature before continuing); place in the warm oven (about 70 degrees) to rise. Let it rise until it almost doubles its size; it takes about one-and-a-half hours this time.

Grease two large cookie sheets. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (poke it first and watch it shrink!), knead it a little bit, divide in two and return one half to the bowl. Each half will be shaped into one large loaf. To form the loaves, take the first lump of dough, pinch off 1/4 of it and lay it aside. With greased or floured hands, pat the 3/4 dough left into a smooth round ball. Flatten it a bit on the counter till it's about 1 inch thick and 8 inches in diameter. Press the edges down to give it a sort of rim; let it bulge up a little in the middle. Place this shaped loaf on one of the greased cookie sheets. Take the 1/4 dough you put aside and divide it into 4 pieces; Roll one of the pieces into a ball and roll the other three out into long strips. Form the 3 strips into "bones" with bumps on the ends, and the round ball into a "skull" with holes for eyes, nose and mouth. Place these on the greased sheet with the loaf; cover gently with oiled waxed paper or plastic wrap and cover it with the clean dish towel; and let rise in warm oven (about 70 deg. again) for one hour. Do just the same with the other half of the dough you put back in the bowl.

The Glaze
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Remove the loaves and "bones" from the oven and then heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the cloth and waxed paper or plastic wrap from the risen dough. Carefully stretch the "bones" over the top of the loaf forming 3 crossed-bones. Gently press the "skull" on top (you may wish to pinch and poke it a little to make it look more like a skull beforehand.) Brush the entire loaf with some of the beaten egg mix. Do just the same with the other loaf. Bake until the loaves are golden brown (and spring back firmly when touched (carefully) - between 15 to 25 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door and let the bread set in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven; brush with melted butter; remove to baking racks and sprinkle generously with sugar. Allow to cool completely before storing in paper or plastic bags.

Alternate Method: The dough may be shaped into smaller loaves; or into the shapes of people or animals. If smaller loaves or figures are formed, the baking temperature should be raised from 375 degrees to just below 400, and one should check to see if they are done sooner rather than later.


Shiratama Dango

"White Rice-flour Dumplings"


(photo: Ellen Kushner)

In Japan, the Bon Festival is celebrated in late summer (early autumn in rural areas); it's a time when the spirits of departed ancestors are believed to return to earth. They are welcomed, given hospitality for three days, and then wished well as they return whence they came. Sound & Spirit was told that "rice balls", or more accurately "dango" [i.e. "rice-flour dumplings"], are offered to the spirits to fortify them for their long journey back to heaven.

Ingredients:

Dumplings:
1 cup white glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup water

Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin (white rice cooking wine)
1 tablespoon starch (corn or potato, as an optional thickener)

bowl, boiling water, bamboo skewers, grill or broiler

Method: Place rice flour in a bowl and add water; let it soak for a few minutes. Mix it up into a stiff dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and drop into the boiling water. They will sink first; but will rise to the surface shortly (sometimes with a small nudge to encourage them lest they get stuck to the bottom of the pot.) Once they are floating, let them boil another minute. Remove, drain and rinse in cold water to firm them up. Drain again and skewer, three to a stick.

To make the sauce, mix the liquids (add the starch when cold, stir well); heat gently, stirring till sugar dissolves and starch thickens and clarifies.

Grill the dumplings over medium heat till surface is nicely browned [They could be broiled instead.] Drizzle the sauce over them and serve.

Note: Dango can be served with chilled fruit and/or fruit sauce, chocolate sauce or jam/preserves, or covered with sweet azuki bean paste.

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