First I’d like to welcome all the hoppers from The Bewitching Home blog party. Welcome to LivRancourt.com! Leave a comment at the end of the post and I’ll draw a winner next week for a copy of Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft, which includes my story “An Accidental Witch” (jump here for an excerpt).
This morning I was in the kitchen chopping things and thinking about this post. I made a batch of chicken soup and then peeled some apples for applesauce, all the while turning around ideas about the magic of cooking. See, years ago I read Like Water For Chocolate, which is a lovely little novel – it was a book before it was a movie, you know. The underlying idea was that the main character, Tita, infused whatever she was cooking with her emotions. Like, in one chapter, she had erotic thoughts about her true love Pedro while preparing quail with rose sauce, and it inspired her older sister to some uncharacteristically naughty behavior.
That’s yummy on a couple of different levels.
Then there are books like the Mystic Cafe Series by Rose Pressey. In this series, the main character Elly inherits a cafe from her grandmother Imelda, who informs her that the cafe sells some pretty extraordinary baked goods, and that Elly has the magical aptitude to carry on the family tradition. Adventure and romance ensue.
And all based on infusing food with magic.
It’s a fascinating idea, and this morning, as I peeled and sliced and seasoned, I imagined the kind of spell I’d put on my chicken soup and applesauce. If I could, I’d add a ‘good health’ spell to the soup, to keep my kids strong despite the cold damp weather. In addition to the honey and cinnamon, I’d add a scoop of joy to the apple sauce, to lift the mood of whoever eats it. I’d put in a dash of ‘positive self image’ for my teenage daughter, a pinch of patience for my son, and a dollop of gratitude for my husband. He’s really a good guy.
As a witch, I’m a novice, but I know that intent is a key part of any spell. My motives may be good, though I suppose that there’s always a chance that the wrong person could get eat some of my magic food, with unintentional consequences. Heck, if that wasn’t a possibility, the books I mentioned would have a lot less conflict. Even so, I couldn’t help staring at the cutting board, willing the apples to carry a little extra joy and asking the chicken to hold some good health.
What about you? Do you believe food can carry magic? What would you make if you could?
Peace,
Liv
One last thing…here’s a link to the Bewitching Home Blog Party list, so you can check out some of the other awesome posts. The theme is witchcraft in the home, and the posts have ideas and recipes and all kinds of tricks you can pick up…
Sometimes a hickey is more than a hickey, and sometimes you have to break the rules to do what's right.
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Turi said:
Well, I know that I can’t bake for s&^t if I’m in a bad mood. Things just don’t turn out well AT ALL. But if I’m listening to music that is joyful (Michael Franti & Spearhead, often) then things go OK. And I absolutely believe that you infuse whatever you make with your intentions – good *or* bad.
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Liv said:
Well you must be in a good mood pretty often, T, b/c your baked stuff is to-die-for!
Thanks for checking in.
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Debbie Christiana said:
Hey Liv, fun post. I’m Sicilian and we believe all food is magical and wine is the nectar of of the Gods
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Liv said:
Wine IS the nectar of the Gods, for sure…but what is beer? I’m not talking Miller Light or Coors, but real craft brewed IPA or amber? Maybe it’s the spiritual drink for us earth-bound folks.
Thanks for the comment, Deb, and the chance for me to riff on one of my favorite topics.
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Chrislyn said:
I do think your emotions carry over into your food. I never cook when I’m in a bad mood–it turns out awful and puts everyone in a bad mood. On the other hand, the opposite is true also. Hmmm–I think I will try a little food spell this month. Great post!
Chrislyn
P.S. The little planchette is so cute!
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Liv said:
Thanks Chrislyn! I hope your food spell is a huge success.
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Georgina said:
I’m making the rounds of this wonderful little Halloween party and thankfully, I found your blog…it’s wonderful!! I was also reminded of the movie, “Chocolat” about the beautiful and bewitching young mother who leaves her unsettled life every time the North wind blows. Great movie and good eats too. As for any spell I might induce in any food, it would have to be my baked stuff…I love baking, especially bread. I make this wonderful Fr. cheese bread that requires high altitude flour, something I discovered after baking the first loaf…some recipes out here in our somewhat high altitude region requires special care. I’ve been fortunate to find it at my local Walmart. Just the thought of it makes me want to go and bake some, but not today!! Have other plans and work in the studio that awaits me to complete.
Anyway, I love your blog and shall return again.
Siempre,
Georgina
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Liv said:
Thanks Georgina! I have a feeling there’s a loaf of something yummy in your future very soon.
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Katarina said:
Your post got me curious about both the Mystic Café series and the Beltane book!
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Liv said:
Well there is a giveaway for this post, so maybe you’ll win a copy of Beltane.
Thanks, Katarina, for checking in!
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Tami Clayton said:
Like Water for Chocolate is such a great book, isn’t it? I love the idea of magic becoming infused with magic by the chef. For the teenager, I would infuse a similar dosing of positive self-image as well as a protection spell that gave her some peace. For the 12 y.o., it would be some focus and the ability to slow down and absorb everything she’s trying to learn.
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Liv said:
And you know, Tami, if it actually worked, the cool thing would be that you could tailor your spells to the specific circumstances, right? Thanks for checking in…
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Wendy said:
A witch after my own heart! I’m not a very good cook, but I always try to cook with intention and love. One of my fave. books is “Like Water….”
Especially the part when everyone was remembering their past loves. Really fun post!
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Liv said:
Thanks Wendy!
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Caroline said:
Love your post! I am always drawn to cooking and I love books to. So this was perfect for me.
Thanks so much for sharing
Hugs
Caroline
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Liv said:
Thanks Caroline! If you know of other books that combine the cooking and magic thing, drop me a note.
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Tenae said:
This is SUCH a lovely post and all so true. I do believe food can carry magic, especially when its prepared by someone who believes that as well. Thanks for participating!
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Liv said:
Well, and thank you for organizing the blog party, Tenae! It’s been so much fun for me to get out and see blogs that aren’t necessarily writing-related, and some of your participants are amazingly creative. Thanks again…
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beverly e said:
I really enjoyed this post and I’m inspired to try the health infused chicken soup! My grand daughter already calls my chicken stock “magic broth” because it seems to rejuvenate my mother who has Alzhiemer’s. Maybe a little intent will make it even better!
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Liv said:
I hope so, Beverly! Thanks for checking in.
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poppy said:
what a lovely post. That connection between food and magic is so strong and I think you did a lovely job of writing about it. I remember I once made sauce when I was mad and it came out so so so spicy no one could eat it. oops lol! meanwhile chicken soup made with love is as we all know grandma’s cure all
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Liv said:
Wow! That sounds like some spicy sauce.
Thanks for checking in, Poppy.
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Sue the Wicked Faerie Queen said:
I do believe there is magic in the food we prepare because the magic within us comes out as we peel, chop, and create the food for those we love.
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Liv said:
Thanks for the comment(s), Sue!
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Sue the Wicked Faerie Queen said:
P.S.
I adore your comment board.
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Ellen Gregory said:
Loved this post… Reminded me also of a movie staring Sarah Michelle Gellar called ‘Simply Irresistable’ in which similar things happen. If you haven’t seen it – check it out! It’s a cute rom com.
As for me, I rarely cook for people (coz I’m not very good). Although I do quite good desserts, my specialty being a baked cheesecake.
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Liv said:
And how are you at Vanilla Slice, Ellen?
As a good SMG fan, I’ll totally have to check out “Simply Irresistable”. Sounds like a fun movie. Thanks!