Happy St. Joseph's Day!

Thanks T same to you. I really do not like this day at all. Every March 19th I am very upset.

Its also my brothers Birthday! Carmine Joseph

The big 3-0...

March 17th and 19th are happy but sad days for me. They were my little nanny's and grampy's birthdays. I miss them both terribly

Lisa why are you upset?

Michelle they are celebrating where THEY are so you should in Memory of them!

I am both Italian and Sicilian but I have no idea what Saint Joseph's day is, please explain!

Two days after the feast of the great
Irish saint comes the day of the carpenter
of Nazareth, Saint Joseph, 'the just man,'
of whom the Gospels say little but who
is beloved by generations of Italians and
Italian-Americans, celebrated on March 19.
Though often pictured as an aged man,
bearded and bent with years, Joseph has
more recently been seen as younger,
more fitted to his role as protector of
the young Mary and her Child.

Saint Joseph is patron of many places
and many trades. He is the guardian
of the spiritual home of Christians, the
Church, and of the material home, too.

The tradition of a St. Joseph's
Day began when there was a severe
drought in Sicily in the middle ages.
In desperation, people asked
St. Joseph, their patron, to intervene.
They promised, if rain came,
they would prepare a big feast
in his honor. The tradition says these
prayers were answered with rainy weather.
In gratitude, huge banquet tables
were set-up in public and poor people
were invited to come and eat as much
as they wanted. Today, special foods,
linens, flowers, and statuary adorn the
St. Joseph's Altar which is built with
three steps representing the Holy Trinity.

Generosity marks this day,
as it did the character of Joseph
himself. In many nations it's a day
of sharing with the poor and needy,
and nowhere is this better carried out
than in the nation that perhaps loves
San Giuseppe the most: Italy.
In many Italian villages, especially in
Sicily, everyone of any means contributes
to a table spread in the public square
as an offering for favors received from
prayers to this kindly saint.

The bread made for this day is
often shaped like a scepter or
a beard; villagers representing Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph are guests of
honor at the feast, and other guests
are the orphans, widows, or beggars.
After Mass, all go in procession to
this festive table. After the priest blesses
the feast, everyone shouts, 'Viva
la tavola di San Giuse!' then eats.

At the end of the meal every guest
is given something to take home.
For this feast, a unique minestrone is made;
people add any vegetarian ingredients that
happen to be handy to the soup. [This is
the origin of a Sicilian expression minestra
di San Giuse, i.e., confusion or chaos.]

Although all kinds of lentils and
dried beans are eaten on Saint
Joseph's feast, cheese, usually a
popular a part of the Italian diet,
is not served; instead of grated
Parmesan, this minestrone is
served with dry toasted bread crumbs.

Taste authentic March 19th recipes
preserved by Italian-Americans?

Thanks R&T, I never heard of it.

I will ask my mom why she never informed me of this holiday, I think I should get off from work for it.

Michelle

Thanks T! That was a great explanation!

We got our pastries for St. Joseph's Day! Can't wait until I get home to enjoy!

My Italian hubby always talks about this holiday but had no clue of the meaning - I just emailed it to him. He was like how did you know today was St. Joseph's Day? I told him my Italian girls told me...now he thinks I am turning into a true Italian (esp. since I officially changed my name with dmv yesterday - I now end in a vowel!)

All Dh knows about is sfinges....he even emailed me this .. guess he wants dessert!

For the adventurous...looks like a lot of work...I think the Italian pastry shop may be just as good....

SAINT JOSEPH'S DAY CREAM PUFFS
(ZEPPOLE DI SAN GIUSEPPE)
Pgs. 316-317 Nella Cucina

MAKES ABOUT 48 PUFFS

On March 19, the feast of San Giuseppe, every Italian household makes its version of zeppole, or cream puffs. The shells can be made ahead and frozen, and the filling can be made a day before serving. The lard is what makes the recipe authentic, but you may use all butter.

PUFFS

2¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups water
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3½ tablespoons lard
6 large eggs

CREAM FILLING

¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1½ teaspoons almond extract

Confectioner's sugar

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease and flour
a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the water, add the
butter and lard, and when melted, remove pan from the stove and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon, then return the
pan to medium-high heat, beating the mixture
until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon or hand
mixer to blend each in well before adding the next egg.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain
nozzle with some of the cream puff mixture. Squeeze out 1¼-inch puffs about ½ inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake the cream puffs about 20 minutes or until golden brown. When done, carefully
slit the side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape and prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Transfer the cream puffs to
cooling racks.

In a small bowl, mix the starch and sugar for the filling. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and
butter over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the starch mixture and cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken, about 2
minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat
and slowly add the eggs, beating well. Return the mixture to the heat for just a few seconds to cook the mixture, being careful not to scramble the
eggs. Pour the filling into a bowl, add the almond extract, and blend. Cover with buttered waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, use a small knife to cut off the top third of each cream puff. Add about 2 teaspoons filling (more if the puffs are larger), replace the tops, and put puffs on a decorative platter. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve immediately.

Variation: Fill cream puffs with jam, chocolate cream filling, or ice cream. Drizzle chocolate sauce over the top instead of confectioner's sugar.

My mother (italian) and father (irish) always made sure we celebrated St. Patricks Day and then on St. Joseph's Day, we always had the bread and pastries with dinner. I have to get pastries after work today for FH--he takes advantage of a holiday with his name!!

Felice Santo Joseph a lei troppo!

Happy Name Day to my hubby!!!!! I'm so upset though, every year I give him a card and I buy him the sfinge and zeppoli pastry, but this year, the darn card store had no more cards left!!! That's what I get for waiting until the weekend before to buy it!

Michelle, don't be sad -- you're nanny and grampy are together watching over you!!!!!

Anna, Happy Birthday Carmine Joseph!!!!!!

Its also my Birthday .

i love the st. joseph day pastries!!! my mom buys them every year...since my brother is named Joseph!!
yummmmmmmmmmmmm......i love the ones with cannoli filling!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRAN M!!!

Happy St. Joseph's Day and Happy Birthday Fran

another little fact: whatever u gave up for lent...you can have today!! i gave up cookies..so I can have them today....this was posted in my church's misselette this past sunday.

no fasting today!