A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook

by Patricia J. Telesco

Banish the ordinary in eating forever with this cauldron of culinary magic. "A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook" provides magical sustenance for family and guests with over 300 carefully selected recipes whose ingredients were especially chosen to promote magical goals--and plain good eating! Encourage psychic insight, prosperity, luck, creativity, and more--through the food that you eat.

Genres: Cookbooks, Witchcraft, Cooking, Nonfiction, Wicca, Paganism, Reference

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Patricia "Trish" Telesco is a professional author with more than 50 metaphysical titles on the market.

Trish considers herself a kitchen witch whose love of folkore (and a bit of Strega) flavor every spell and ritual. Her strongest beliefs lie in following personal vision, being tolerant of other traditions, making life an act of worship, and being the magic!

Trish travels minimally twice per month to give lectures and workshops around the country. She has appeared on several television segments and maintains a strong, visible presence in the public through journals like Circle Network News, and on the internet.

Her current pet projects include supporting pagan land funds and coordinating spiritually oriented tours to Europe.

Telesco began her Wiccan education and initiation on her own, but later received initiation into the Strega tradition of Italy. She is a trustee for the Universal Federation of Pagans, a member of the Authors Guild, a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and a professional member of the Wiccan-Pagan Press Alliance.

In March 2012 her husband, Paul Telesco, was diagnosed with a tumor on his brain stem. Since that time, Telesco has been focused on raising awareness and fund-raising

Reviews

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kitchen Witch's Cookbook / 1-56718-707-2

This is a very eclectic source and, true to Telesco's usual style, aims to be a "lowest common denominator" book that will appeal to as many people as possible. As such, the recipes presented here are not "new" wiccan-themed dishes but rather regional dishes from around the world, with their "magical significance" penciled in. Nor is the "magical significance" limited to wiccan and pagan traditions - Telesco frequently notes dishes as being sacred to Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist cuisine. I suppose publishing is a business and we can't blame anyone for trying to make a buck, but it is a bit irritating to read about olives being sacred to the Judeo-Christian Noah... as opposed to the more obvious "witchy" choice of Athena, especially when this is a book ostensibly being marketed towards wiccans, not Christians.

As a further attempt to be all things to all people, this book is neither vegan nor vegetarian, as there are quite a few recipes involving meat, creams, and cheeses. However, there is a whole section on tofu and another for rice, so there's an awful lot of choices available throughout the recipes. I think this is a nice compromise for everyone involved and no one gets left out or has to go hungry.

For the recipes themselves, each recipe is lavishly laid out with an explanation of the history of the dish, the country of origin, the associated holidays, sacred symbols, and religion or god/dess(es), as well as suggested variations which could promote different intents. In the face of all this wonderful detail, I do find that I am again faced with the absolute hardest part of being a wiccan in the USA: lack of European ingredients! With one recipe calling for "1 whole pig (about 14 pounds)" and dozens more calling for the addition of flower petals I've never even heard of, this cookbook may be very daunting to people who don't have access to a local butcher or gardener. I'm not certain I'd try the flower recipes anyway, as Telesco offhandedly points out that "some" of the flowers of certain varieties of plants are quite poisonous, while others are not... but with no indication of how to tell which are safe and which are not.

I guess as a bottom line, I got some enjoyment out of this cookbook. We're all pretty picky eaters in my family and we tend to stick to the tried-and-true, so a lot of the more exotic recipes were fun to read about but I probably wouldn't actually make. I did glean at least 10-20 new recipes that I enjoy and, really, that's about the best I hope for with a cookbook. As a spiritual guide, I don't know how practical it is - admonitions to make "every meal magical" and to avoid cooking when tired or irritable because negative magic will slip in fail to consider my own busy lifestyle and the fact that if food doesn't get on the table because I couldn't slip into a serene-enough state of mind, then family will either go hungry or order delivery. And while the total immersion into a magic lifestyle is tempting, I expect that the modern witch will end up being disappointed and frustrated at the inevitable failure to serve every meal by candlelight with the TV turned off and the radio silenced. I would suggest buying this book for the recipes, taking some of the philosophy as a nice goal (but not a realistic destination), and enjoying the results and not worrying about the failures.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just flipped through this. Lots of interesting & tasty recipes. Little bit cringy in terms of being outdated-- there are recipes thd treat anything non-Christian as pagan whether they're pagan cultures or not (like Judaism or Islam) and there's a recipe attributed to Buddhism that has a Christian name. I'm not sure if there's an updated version where this has been fixed but it was kind of interesting to see "yeah we were kinda weird back when we only had dial-up." Anywho the food itself looks good and I'm planning to make a whole bunch of recipes from this book.

[SAWthegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm looking into buying this cookbook. It's so helpful and full of inspiration and the cook styles and difficulty level that everyone could find something they would find like to try.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, they really organized the dishes well and presented them along with key information on the elements, energetic correspondences and more. It was easy to understand and the recipes turn out great.

[Vicki Chicago-Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried several recipes from this book. The Cashew Pear Pie was delicious; I’ve made it twice. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking & eating good food. Most of the recipes are fairly easy and don’t have pages of expensive ingredients. I also enjoyed the meanings behind the ingredients and the witchy aspects of the book. My sister-in-law first told me about this book and introduced me to the pear pie.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm I like the premise behind this, but I regret that it was too US centric for me (granted it IS published in the US and I am guessing for the US market mainly but still!), I can translate most veggies etc into UK terms but the thought of using premade items (and what the heck is dried salad dressing?!) just leaves me cold - an interesting book but not really for me.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so pleased I stumbled across this gem of a cookbook. I know nothing about magic, but I certainly love to make food and this has such great recipes in it, from all facets of culture. I have so many pages marked in this to make recipes.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of different types of divination, covering more modern forms to other classic, and lesser known practices. It's a fantastic way to feed your muse and find new ways to add a twist or infuse unique into your magical characters.

[Jina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been searching for cookbook with recipes full of intent, but alas this is another "here's a bunch of recipes you can apply your own intent to." I did appreciate the opening chapter and appendices...but otherwise it's just a cookbook.

[Sandy Mclaughlin-rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book from cover to cover; filled with meaningful quotes, tidbits of history, and delectable recipes!

[Teri Stich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great source of information both in the recipes and the correspondences. One I will return to time after times.

[Whitney Stanfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great magical cookbook

[Lacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5~ Will most likely purchase a copy to add to my cookbooks.

[Nex · Rating 4 out of 5]

very quirky and fun!

[SamTheBookDevotee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great recipes in this book. I think the appendices are super useful. My only complaint is that one of the recipes has the name Gypsy in the title

[Katrina White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book works well for me. The format is easy for my scatter-brained self to follow, and I appreciate the way she adds magical correspondences, holy days, gods and goddesses, etc. after each recipe. The index is insanely helpful, and the recipes I've tried have been very successful! This book has a prominent place on my kitchen shelf.

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what it sounds like: A cookbook. But every recipe in it has magical associations or ties to a certain holiday, and unlike some other cookbooks I've encountered, it's not full of recipes nobody really likes, recipes nobody actually tried to make before putting them in the book, or recipes full of mostly inedible stuff like potions or salves. It's a meal resource, and it'll teach you to line up certain types of foods with certain celebrations or meanings. I've personally made and enjoyed more than twenty of these. My favorites include Angelic Biscuits, Scones of Edinburgh, May Day Maple Hearth Bread (my absolute favorite for Beltane!), Fried Bread and Eggs, Candlemas Sunrise, Glazed Apple Bites, Fellowship Fruit Cup, Full Moon Cauliflower (absolutely delicious!), Elder Flower Fritters (attempted with both actual elder flowers as well as the alternative, apples), Clear Sight Carrots, Noodles in Faery Butter, Vareneky (crowd pleaser at my house!), Rose Sherbet, Snapdragons, and After-Dinner Wafers. My attempt to make the divinity candy was a bit of a mess though.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was different than I thought is was going to be. It has different recipes divided into sections much like a traditional cookbook. Some of the recipes seem (at least to me) a bit odd but others sound decent. They are from different parts of the world and each says next to the dish title where it is from. Personally I wish I had gotten a different one just because most of these dishes aren't going to be good for my family because we are picky eaters. For others though I think it is a decent choice.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has an introduction for those who follow Wicca, the old religion. Even if you are not Wiccan, this is well worth the buy. Recipes from every country abound as well as whimsical ones. There are recipes for putting up food. Holidays in other countries are explained.If dandelions abound in your yard, you will find recipes in here for how to use them. You don't need to throw Tofu in the trash with this book. If you are looking for something different or are bored with the same old, same old, run out and get this one.

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally like Patricia Telesco's work (though sometimes her stuff seems a little unnecessarily "hip" to me and sometimes I disagree with her basic principles). However, it's undeniable that she really knows her stuff, and this cookbook contains a lot of recipes I have personally made again and again.

[Ruadhán McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes are great and associations are generally spot-on. Unfortunately, the information in the appenixes and intro portions is pretty spotty --but I bought it as a recipe book, not as a pagan manual, and its intent seems to be recipe book, as Ms Telesco has already written other Pagan 101 sorts of books.

[13greenpixies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book has wonderful gourmet recipes accompanied by info on their origins as well as ingredient attributes. Whether you're looking for a nice entree to include in a love spell or cakes and breads to celebrate a Sabbat, you'll find it here!

[Jermirra Burley]

It was pretty helpful in making yummy dishes just can't travel with is sadly... it would be better as a download. But I got this book before e-readers became so gosh darn popular. I travel to much it seems I never have it when I really want it. :(

[Michele]

haven't had a chance to try any of them, just not enough time! lol

[Saleris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book as a cookbook. It's got a fair share of vegetarian recipes (Which I want, since I'm a vegetarian), and some of the meat recipes are veggie adaptable. Nice.

[N.L. Riviezzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'd like more from the book especially with the layout, it is pretty decent with both recipes and content.

[Darlene Weathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Cookbooks I have found. The compilation of recipe's gives you something to cook for any time of day and has a wide variety of drinks as well.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looks like some interesting foods. The book adds a magical/spiritual influence to it, which makes for some interesting reading as well.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that these recipes are from all over, and that they are old. My favorite and most used recipe is the cheddar and herb bread!

[Starlite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even tried some of the recipes!