WICCA COOKBOOK BRINGS MAGIC INTO THE KITCHEN

'Wicca Cookbook' brings magic into the kitchen By Cyndie Claypool de Neve North County Times GO TO ACTUAL ARTICLE HERE! As a Wiccan, Jamie Wood noticed that the ceremonies she and her fellow witches celebrated lacked a significant ingredient: food that represented each nature-based festival. Though the Wiccans would gather in Cardiff to honor the changing seasons, said Wood, the potluck meals that followed rarely included produce from the appropriate time of year. "A lot of times the food didn't coincide with the ceremony," explained Wood, a children's book author and former Encinitas resident. For example, in the Middle Ages Wiccans celebrated the spring equinox with such foods as olives, eggs and dandelion wine. But many of today's Wiccans are not aware of the link between seasonal food and the eight festivals that celebrate each new equinox, solstice and other yearly changes of nature. So Wood organized a cookbook specifically for Wiccans and based it on medieval times and the cycles of the seasons. The book she co-wrote with her sister-in-law, Tara Seefeldt of Arizona, is more than just recipes. "The Wicca Cookbook: Recipes, Ritual and Lore" (Celestial Arts; $19.95) begins with an eye-opening history of witches and their religious beliefs. The idea came from the Berkeley publisher Celestial Arts. A Del Mar literary agent asked Wood ---- her former employee ---- to recommend an author. Wood eagerly suggested herself and Seefeldt, a Wiccan who is working on her Ph.D. in medieval history. Celestial Arts said the timing was right for the cookbook. According to a press release from the publisher, some scholars estimate Wicca to be the second-fastest growing religion in the United States. "From the Harry Potter books to the TV shows 'Charmed' and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch,' to movies like 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Practical Magic,' interest in magic and Wicca is on the rise," states the release. While those shows and books are considered fantasy, for Wiccans they exemplify some of their beliefs, which they follow with optional ceremonies, festivals and a daily honoring of nature. In fact, said Wood, "Charmed" and "Practical Magic" are good pictures of the Wicca way of life. Wiccans and witches are the same thing, explained Wood. However, some try to distance themselves from the "witch" label because of its negative connotation. But regardless of the terminology, the followers' spiritual beliefs overflow into all aspects of their lives, including food. "It's really a way of life," said Wood, who temporarily lives in Orange County with her husband and two sons, ages 3 1/2 and 1 1/2. According to Wood, Wicca is a pagan religion birthed in Europe but similar to the animism of Native American beliefs. "The primary aspect of Wicca is a connection to nature," she said. "It's acknowledging that everything is alive with spirituality." For example, when Wood goes to pick a fruit or vegetable from her garden, she asks the plant for permission and for direction to the ripest ones. Then she thanks the plant. Wood and Seefeldt write in "The Wiccan Cookbook": "You need not belong to a coven of witches to practice these age-old traditions: You just need to believe that something wiser and older than you is in control. Through heightened consciousness ---- seeing the life force in everything ---- you can direct nature's gifts for your highest good as well as for that of others." The cookbook's introduction continues, "To ensure the most potent magic, we suggest that you consecrate your kitchen, stove and utensils." They then explain how to prepare one's kitchen by creating a pentacle ---- a representation of a pentagram ---- and recite incantations "while the moon is waxing." For "The Wicca Cookbook," Wood and Seefeldt interwove their own dishes with recipes from medieval times. "There are a lot of recipes that have flowers and herbs, because people were living off the land then," said Wood. "We modernized some of the recipes. For one, the first step was, 'Catch a rabbit,' " she laughed. "One called for six pints of sheep's blood. They used everything when they lived off the land. I was like, 'Can't we use apple juice?' " Each recipe is accompanied by a historical explanation, medieval lore, Wiccan spiritual direction or incantation to recite while cooking. Wood, who wrote the book when she lived in Encinitas and was pregnant with her second child, said the spells that she suggests casting while preparing a dish are positive and nurturing. The witches' creed, she said, is "Do what you will as long as you harm none. Don't cast a spell on people or over people." She added, "Whatever you send out comes back to you three times: the good, the bad and the ugly." The cookbook chapters are separated by the four seasons and organized into the eight nature-based festivals, with explanations about the significance of each. These religious ceremonies are held outdoors, said Wood, who likes to celebrate with a coven of witches in Cardiff. "The church is mother earth: a grove of trees, the beach, a mountain top." During the ceremonies, she said, the Wiccans start by visiting with each other and "smudging" with sage bundles to cleanse themselves. Then they pay homage to the elements of nature, such as the four directions of the wind and the cycles of life. On Friday, Groundhog Day, Wiccans will celebrate Candlemas. "That's basically a time about nurturing little seedlings," said Wood. "It's getting ready to prepare the ground." As she wrote in the book, "Traditional foods of Candlemas include those that represent growth, such as seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.), as well as dairy foods, bread, cake, curry, peppers, onions, leeks, garlic, honey and herbal teas." The festival is a time to think about one's New Year's resolutions, she explained, and to prepare for spring. "Candlemas is a great time to honor all the seeds of inspiration," said Wood, adding, "A lot of people light a candle to encourage the sun to grow in strength." CANDLEMAS PATE 1 cup hazelnuts 1/3 cup sesame seeds 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup milk Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the hazelnuts and sesame seeds on separate baking sheets. Lightly roast in the oven for seven minutes. When the nuts are cool, rub off the skins. Grind the nuts and seeds together until they resemble fine crumbs; you can use a mortar and pestle or a small hand nut grinder. If you prefer a coarse pate, grind half the nuts and seeds finely and half coarsely. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, sage and oil. Add the nut and seed mixture, blending well. Add the milk. The mixture needs to be moist as the nuts will absorb some of the liquid. Serve chilled in ramekins or on small individual salad plates. Serves 4 to 6. Jamie Wood will have book signings at 7 p.m. on March 9 at Heaven on Earth, 765 S. Coast Highway in Encinitas, (760) 753-2345; and at 4 p.m. March 24 at Borders, 11160 Rancho Carmel Drive in Carmel Mountain Ranch. Contact staff writer Cyndie Claypool de Neve at (760) 740-3511 or cyndie@nctimes.net. GO TO ACTUAL ARTICLE HERE! If you would like a press kit, please send request to maito:Jamie@jamiewood.com