Posted on 02/23/2011 8:51:13 PM PST by Natural Law
One of the blessings of our US Catholic communities is the contributions of each of the many cultures represented in our parishes. As we prepare ourselves for our Lenten Observation it would be fantastic if we share the unique and special Lenten traditions and recipes of our communities and childhoods. Surely we can collectively do better than salmon loaf every Friday.
Never understood why a major fast food chain like McDonalds would not want to cash in and promote fish specials on Fridays during Lent.
These are people that would do anything to make a buck, celebrate any minor movie with a cheap plastic toy tie in, yet they ignore a major chance to market a product that many Christians are limited to eat on a certain day.
Me too. I was introduced to Tuna Pizza in Israel and it is fantastic. A Friday special home delivered would make a lot or Catholic kids happy.
Here is my recipe for Mexican Bean Pot — but it is for 50 — so change the size of the cans, etc. and adjust. Everyone loves this soup — and easy to make.
Cinco De Mayo Soup (Mexican Bean Pot )
2 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves (minced)
3 onion (chopped)
1 large can chicken or vegetarian broth
2 T green chiles (diced) (or use 2 cans of mild diced
2 can corn niblet (#10, drained) (or I use a huge package of frozen corn – it’s actually better.)
2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz each, drained) If you want more soupy texture — don’t drain.
1 can black beans (#10, drained and rinsed)
1 can garbanzo beans (#10, drained and rinsed)
I can red beans(#10, drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust for taste
1/2 tsp pepper (adjust for taste
1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
Add one large container of salsa (biggest on the shelf)
In a large pot, saute garlic and onions in oil on low for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, and sour cream.
It can have a bit of a kick to it, so keep some water handy. I also sprinkled a little bit of jack and colby cheese on top.
Variations: add leftover turkey, chicken, ground beef
Makes big pot for about 40-50
My daughter makes a similar recipe but adds some soy chorizo. I know its from the vegetarian section, but it really adds some substance to the soup.
Grilled cheese sandwiches and real malts. Because we usually gave up candy, those sweet malts meant a lot. Fridays in lent were quite popular.
People think that clam chowder is difficult — it really isn’t.
Make your basic potato soup to serve around 12+ — leaving out the bacon if you are making it for a Friday meal and omitting some water or draining off some water.
Add 1 large (quart size) can clams
Add i large (quart size) can clam juice
Simmer to mix flavors. I will usually add a quart of half and half too. Reheat over low heat and add salt and white pepper to taste.
How’s that sound?/
Another Lenten tradition that we don’t think of — take down any Gloria or Alleluia wall hangings or refrig magnets.
Put them back up on Easter Sunday.
With some real good sour dough bread it sounds decadent.
My families favorite is plank cooked salmon. I cook them on the BBQ on a cedar plank;
1) Soak the planks in water for at least a couple of hours because part of the cooking process is the steam that escapes.
2) Place the salmon fillets on the plank and rub with olive oil, course ground black pepper and kosher salt. Dust the tops with brown sugar and a lemon slice.
3) Place into a covered hot BBQ and cook until the meat separates easily... about 20 minutes. (some burning of the cedar is necessary to generate the smoke that adds to the flavor)
4) Serve hot and enjoy!
I did not notice if it’s called a special but in NY tv Mcdonald commercials would show fish sandwhiches during lent or in the store fish sandwiches ads. Someone is Catholic in that company.
Enlarge By Ernest Coleman, The Cincinnati Enquirer via GNS
Lou Groen invented the Filet-O-Fish sandwich and salvaged sales.
FILET-O-FISH FACTS
• Hawaii is the top state in weekly Filet-O-Fish sales. Ohio is second.
• About 23% of all Filet-O-Fish sandwiches are bought during Lent.
• McDonald’s buys more than 61 million pounds of fish per year for the sandwich in the USA.
• Lou Groen invented the Filet-O-Fish to attract Catholics, but it’s popular among Jews and Muslims whose dietary observances prohibit other McDonald’s fare.
• In addition to Filet-O-Fish, these icons also were developed by McDonald’s franchise owner-operators, not by the central corporation: Big Mac (M.J. Delligatti, Pittsburgh, 1967) and Egg McMuffin (Herb Peterson, Santa Barbara, Calif., 1972).
Sources: McDonald’s, The (Cincinnati) Enquirer research
By Paul Clark, The Cincinnati Enquirer
CINCINNATI — In 1962, Lou Groen was desperate to save his floundering hamburger restaurant, the first McDonald’s in the Cincinnati area.
His problem: His clientele was heavily Roman Catholic. In those days, most Catholics abstained from meat every Friday, as well as during Lent, the 40-day period of repentance that begins this week with Ash Wednesday.
His solution: He created the Filet-O-Fish — a sandwich that saved his restaurant and eventually would be consumed at a rate of 300 million a year.
“Frisch’s (the local Big Boy chain) dominated the market, and they had a very good fish sandwich,” recalled Groen, now 89.
“I was struggling. The crew was my wife, myself and a man named George. I did repairs, swept floors, you name it.
“But that area (where his restaurant was located) was 87% Catholic. On Fridays we only took in about $75 a day,” said Groen, a Catholic himself. “All our customers were going to Frisch’s.
“So I invented my fish sandwich, developed a special batter, made the tartar sauce and took it to headquarters.”
That led to a wager between Groen and McDonald’s chief Ray Kroc, who had his own meatless idea.
“He called his sandwich the Hula Burger,” Groen said. “It was a cold bun and a slice of pineapple and that was it.
“Ray said to me, ‘Well, Lou, I’m going to put your fish sandwich on (a menu) for a Friday. But I’m going to put my special sandwich on, too. Whichever sells the most, that’s the one we’ll go with.’
“Friday came and the word came out. I won hands down. I sold 350 fish sandwiches that day. Ray never did tell me how his sandwich did.”
But the chain made Groen modify the fish recipe.
“I wanted halibut originally,” Groen said. “I was paying $2 a pound for halibut. That sandwich cost me 30 cents apiece to make. They told me it had to sell for 25 cents. I had to fall back on Atlantic cod, a whitefish, and I added a slice of cheese. But my halibut sandwich far outshines that one.”
Groen wasn’t complaining. “My fish sandwich was the first addition ever to McDonald’s original menu,” he said. “It saved my franchise.”
And fed it. By the time he sold his franchise in 1986, Groen owned 43 McDonald’s restaurants in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, about half the number in the region today.
But his prosperity didn’t include a slice of Filet-O-Fish’s national sales.
“Not a penny,” he said. “I made my money by selling the product and being the best operator I could.”
Charles Faulks, operations director for McDonald’s Ohio Region, called Groen’s contributions legendary. “Lou exemplified Ray Kroc’s philosophy that you can succeed if you believe in your brand, treat your people right and give back to your community.”
Groen entered the fast-food business in 1958. One day, while working in his father-in-law’s Cincinnati restaurant, Groen was leafing through Restaurant Management magazine when he spotted a couple of advertisements for franchise opportunities.
“They were tiny little ads,” he said. “One was for McDonald’s 15-cent hamburgers. The other was for Beverly Osborne Chicken Delight. I said to my wife, ‘If we do this, we’ll be eating a lot of these. Would you rather eat hamburgers or chicken?’
“She picked hamburgers.”
When Groen answered the ad, he was told that $950 would buy him exclusive McDonald’s franchise rights in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and parts of Pennsylvania. “But I didn’t have $950,” he said.
So he invested a couple of hundred dollars in a district franchise that included Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. He opened his first store in 1959.
So when was the last time he ate a Filet-O-Fish?
“It’s been a while,” he said. “I broke my leg last year, and at age 89 I don’t get out much. But I do love that sandwich.”
I'm pinging our Eastern brothers and sisters: Kolokotronis, kosta and Nyer for their preparation plans
Withdrawing from the culture for 40 days is what I like best. It’s so much more peaceful to live within each hour although I have to admit that the initial days without television or computer or radio are hard to do.
It’s a way to listen and focus on God.
Does anyone else on here experience a level of attack that becomes intensified during the Triduum? Holy Thursday is very difficult and it seems that every failing and every fault I “own” becomes magnified. It does seem to be an attack from the enemy because it ceases late on Good Friday as fast as it begins.
It is difficult for me to go through and prayer is the only way I can.
My late Bro-i-l was Greek Orthodox and the Orthodox Lent is very difficult for me. Good thing I’m Latin!
No dairy!
I keep thinking we should go back to having the strictness — let folks know it’s not just a diet but meant to be really giving up something.
No dairy!"
For those of you who are interested in trying to fast through Great Lent as the Orthodox do, remember that none of us run a marathon without training. The Greeks say "sega, sega", slowly slowly. Start out just fasting from meat this year, or even just fasting from meat during the weekdays and regularly attend the devotions which are available to you during the weekdays. They are rich in grace and theology and will help you with your fasting. When you feel that your resolve is faltering, pray simply, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". If you stumble at some point, it's OK. Just get up and try again. God doesn't need your fasting and it's no insult to Him if you fail. Fasting is for us and is among the greatest gifts The Church has given us.
The fast includes fasting from eggs, too? I think I remember that.
*maybe incorrectly!
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