Pac-Cymru Cawl and bread with parsley garlic butter for St. David's Day, serves 8

I'm working on inventing some recipes that I hope will be edible blends of Welsh and other cuisines, so this year for St. David's Day I wanted to do a seafood cawl.

Outside the Pacific NW, salmon is considered our "national" cuisine and if you tell people on the east coast that you're a Portlander but you don't like it, they seem disappointed. I never did like it until I moved to the east coast for a while and couldn't get it and that lead me to appreciate what a really fantastic thing good, fresh, wild salmon is, so I wanted to create a "cawl" with salmon. Ceri demanded mussels (ala Mussels Meirionnydd), so that's what he got and it's not Pacific Rim without sourdough bread, in my opinion.

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After I made this, I was fortunate enough to find Welsh Shellfish Cawl on the Visit Wales site, and that looks really fantastic so I want to try making that next. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Image via Wikipedia

• 1 lb fresh salmon filet, wild coho or king if you can get it
• 1 lb mussels
• 1 C cooked crabmeat
• 2 quarts water or vegetable stock
• 2 C cabernet
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 large sliced carrot
• 1 small rutabaga, sliced
• 6 medium potatoes, quartered
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 C oyster mushrooms
• 4 chopped cloves garlic
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1 t crushed rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

   

  
  Sourdough bread with parsley garlic butter
  
  • stick of butter or 8T butter, softened
  • 3 T fresh chopped parsley
  • three cloves garlic, cooked soft and crushed
  • 1 t parmesan cheese
  • baguette or boule of sourdough bread

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bring water or vegetable stock to a boil. Add onions, carrot, rutabaga and salt and pepper and reduce heat to simmer one hour.

In separate saucepan, saute chopped garlic and three whole cloves for bread with mushrooms until garlic has begun to brown.

Reserve whole cloves for bread, add chopped garlic and mushrooms to pot.

Add wine and potatoes and simmer another 15-20 minutes until tender.

Add herbs, leeks, cabbage, crab meat and salmon until cabbage is tender.

Add mussels and cover for about 15 minutes or until shells have fully opened.

While mussels are steaming, cream softened butter for bread with chopped parsley, parmesan and whole cloves garlic.

Score bread through to bottom crust in 2' slices, taking care to leave bottom crust attached.

Wrap bread in tinfoil, leaving top open, and place on cookie sheet.

Spread butter liberally in between slices and bake in 350F oven about 15 minutes or until mussels are done.

Serve hot.

photo by Jon Sullivan, public domain courtesy of http://pdphoto.org/

An Interview with Gwenno Dafydd - Welsh Actress, Singer, Writer and Broadcaster

In the run up to this years Saint David's Day Parade AmeriCymru spoke to Gwenno Dafydd Welsh Actress, Singer, Writer and Broadcaster and former Partnership Consultant and Representative at NSDDP. Gwenno also co- wrote the official Saint David's Day song Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi'.

AmeriCymru: Hi Gwenno and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You have been involved in the organization of the Annual St. David's Day Parade for some years now. Care to explain for our readers how you became involved in this project?

Gwenno: I wasn't in the very first National Saint David's Day Parade (NSDDP) in 2004 which was quite a small event of a couple of hundred attendees and little publicity. I did hear about it afterwards and decided as a very patriotic Welsh woman that I had to be there the next year, which I was.

AmeriCymru: You also wrote the official St David's Day Parade song 'Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi'. Care to tell us a little more about the song and in particular where readers can go to hear it online or purchase sheet music?

Gwenno: In the 2005 NSDDP I was taking part and ringing one of the six bells (reproductions) of Saint David's bells that had been made for the occasion and suddenly, as we were just approaching Cardiff Castle at the tope end of Queen Street, I felt as if I’d been struck by a bolt of lightning (literally!!!) I just had this feeling that I had to create a song, an anthem that could be sung by children, adults, brass bands and choirs.

I got really excited about this idea but didn’t say anything to anyone. I just went away and wrote a verse and a chorus in both Welsh and English and took it to my song-writing partner at the time, Heulwen Thomas, a peripatetic violin teacher and told her what I had in mind. She wrote the music, I took it to the NSDDP Committee and in the 2006 Parade we performed the song in front of the National Museum of Wales at the end of the Parade.

The NSDDP Committee were delighted with the response we had with the song and asked if it could be sung the following year. They were trying to find ways of engaging schools and children in the parade and as I had worked as a supply teacher for fifteen years and also did a lot of Directing Theatre in Education, they invited me on the Committee as the Voluntary Schools Liaison Officer and since 2006 I have been responsible for engaging the schools and their pupils.

I have also been a professional broadcaster and performer for the last thirty years and I saw a way of using the song which I had co-written, as a way of levering a lot of publicity in the media which it did. When the children came on board was the year the parade grew phenomenally from a few hundred to well over 1,500. This growth meant that we had to ask for help from Cardiff City Council and the National Assembly for Wales as we were all volunteers. And it was all becoming too much for us as volunteers to organise.

In November 2009 I resigned from the NSDDP Committee as I was finding that the work to promote, lobby for additional funding, engaging interest and organising was taking over my own self-employed life so much so that I wasn’t able to earn a living.

However, last year I was approached by Cardiff City Council and employed to bring the children onboard. There were at least 900 schoolchildren present and probably another 600 including parents and friends. I also presented the Council with a very comprehensive report which would enable them to organise the children’s participation from now on from within their own Education Department.

Here are details and photographs of some of these events. You can also hear the youtube of me singing the song which I recorded as part of the Songs of our Nation project last year.www.gwennodafydd.co.uk/4html

The song made history by being the very first Welsh medium song to be sold as a download from a website and it was launched by World famous singer Bryn Terfel and Tim Rhys Evans Choir Master of Only Men Aloud, award winning choir. There are four versions of the song available – piano and voice, SATB, (Mixed Voice Choir) male voice and female voice. http://www.ylolfa.com/dangos.php?ISBN=9781847711342

AmeriCymru: You were also involved with the design of the 'Pembrokeshire Banner'. Can you tell us more?

Gwenno: Whilst I was still on the NSDDP Committee we were looking for ways to engage more people and one of our members had seen that the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Birmingham had a big focus on County participation. Another of the Committee had talked about getting the old Colliery Lodge Banners involved so I came up with an idea of having County Banners for every Welsh County so that people could walk behind their County Banner every Saint David’s Day and even if they didn’t come to Cardiff for the NSDDP there would be something that would link them to the ‘Mother’ parade in Cardiff. The banner is based on the words and images of some of the lyrics ain the song and also symbols of Saint David’s Cathedral. It seems fitting that the first County Banner should come from Pembrokeshire, spiritual home of our Nation’s Patron Saint and also where I grew up. The full story about the banner and beautiful and inspiring images can be found here: http://www.fishguardartssociety.org.uk/ThePembrokeshireBanner.html

The Banner is now permanently on display in Saint David’s Cathedral and was blessed by The Right Reverend Wyn Evans, Bishop of Saint David’s in a Homecoming Ceremony attended by Fishguard Choir, Goodwick Brass Band, Civil Dignitaries, the makers and their friends and families last February.

Although the National Saint David’s Day Parade happens in Cardiff every year, the only thing that is really mobile about the parade is the song and banners which can be re-created ‘anywhere in the world’ by schools, Welsh ex-patriot groups, choirs and chapels.

I was recently invited to become an Ambassador for Cardiff in recognition of all the voluntary work I have done in developing Saint David’s Day Celebrations in Wales and further afield. I would like to develop this role long term to becoming the Saint David’s Day Ambassador for Wales working towards developing world-wide celebrations of our Nation’s Patron Saint, Dewi Sant

AmeriCymru: Do you think March 1st should be, or ever will be , a national holiday in Wales?

Gwenno: Back in the sixties all Welsh schools had a half day for Saint David’s Day with the Eisteddfod in the morning and the afternoon free. I think this would be a good compromise so that people would be able to go along to the Parade in the afternoon.

Ben Bore (Rhys) / Rhys Wynne
License CC Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5

AmeriCymru: OK...prediction time. How many people are going to turn out for the parade this year and what's the weather going to be like?

Gwenno: No idea how many people will be there this year. I do hope it will be successful as a huge amount of people’s hard work has gone into it over the last few years and it would be very sad for those efforts to have been wasted. I am no longer involved in the practical organisation as it was just too time consuming and I gave several years service duing which time it grew from a few hundred to many many thousands so I feel I have made my contribution on one level. I will continue to develop my own projects including the two Facebook groups I have set upand am focussing my efforts on developing the idea

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Gwenno: Yes – use the two Facebook groups I have set up ‘Celebrate Saint David’s Day’ and ‘National Saint David’s Day Parade’ to let others know how you intend to celebrate Saint David’s Day. Get a copy of the song and sing it, make a banner either based on the Pembrokeshire Banner or on your own design, let’s grow these celebrations world-wide and make all those who came originally from this tiny little speck of a Nation realise that it is a very special place and we need to make a big noise about it. Come here on holiday, go and visit the Pembrokeshire Banner in Saint David’s Cathedral and remind yourself what a privilege it was for you to have Welsh blood coursing through your veins.

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Buy The Saint David's Day Song Here!

If you, your school, choir, church or dinner wants to sing the Saint David’s Day song which has already been performed in Ontario, Patagonia, Vancouver, Disneyland Paris, the Houses of Parliament, Llandaff and Saint David’s Cathedral, by choirs and schools throughout Wales then you can buy a manuscript copy online from: http://www.ylolfa.com SATB, Male Voice, Female Voice and Piano and Voice versions are available.

More info about the St David's Day Song and Pembrokeshire Banner here.

Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi - Piano a llais by Gwenno Dafydd a Heulwen Thomas

www.ylolfa.com Chwilio'r catalog | Search the catalogue,Y Lolfa - Welsh Books. Buy online: books in Welsh and English for adults, children, Welsh learners & visitors to Wales from Wales' leading printers and publishers.

St David's Day USA

We have linked all our St David's Day content from this page. We hope there will be something here to interest everyone. Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd! Happy St David's Day! Blogs 10 Ways to 'Thank the Lord You're Welsh' this St. David's Day! New shirt designs for Saint David's Day in the AmeriCymru store St David's Day Events Around The USA Lets Send Laura To Wales! - St David's Day Appeal! St David's Day - 'Stories in Welsh Stone' Competition Americymru Welsh Pub Quiz Pack for St. Davids Day St Davids Day Menu Calling All Welsh Bands & Musicians - IRFT St David's Day Special Second Chance to WIN 2 Tickets to Karl Jenkins Concert ' Music Masters of Wales' in New York City on March 6th Discussions St. David's Day Ideas Forum

St Davids Day Menu

In case you missed it...try our 2007 three course St David's Day recipe. More Welsh recipes to come. Follow the links at the bottom of this post to find individual course recipe pages. Saint David's Day March 1st is Saint David's Day, the National Holiday of Wales, a day to celebrate for the Welsh and Americans of Welsh descent. In Wales, people celebrate Saint David's Day by attending church services, wearing leeks and daffodils (national symbols of Wales and St. David), holding parades and children's parties in the schools. Saint David, Dewi Sant in Welsh, lived in the 6th Century and is unique among British saints in that a surprising amount of information was recorded about his life. He was probably the son of Usai, the king of Ceredigion, and the daughter of a lord of what would later be called Pembrokeshire and was the student of another Welsh saint, Paulinus. Dewi Sant was renowned as a teacher who founded monastic settlements and churches in mostly pagan Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. Today, Saint David's Cathedral stands on the site of a monastery he founded in Glyn Rhosyn (Valley of Roses) in Pembrokeshire. The monastic rule of Dewi Sant taught humility, simplicity and asceticism and he practiced these himself: that monks ploughed, planted and tended their crops themselves, without draft animals; that they drank only water and ate only bread with salt and herbs and never meat or beer; that they spent their evenings in prayer, reading and writing; that no member of the monastery had any personal possessions, everything belonged to them all. Dewi Sant's last sermon was recorded as including the words, "Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about.... Do the little things in life," and this phrase, "Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd," ("Do the little things in life") is a phrase used today. Saint David's Day Menu  Herbed Lamb Chops with Balsamic Glaze w/ Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Spring Peas Welsh Pot Bread Strawberry-Rhubarb Caerphilly Crumble

Calling All Welsh Bands & Musicians - IRFT St David's Day Special

A Message From Sean Owens of IRFT Celtic Radio It is that time of year! We will be running an "All Welsh Artist" St David's Day show again this year, all artists that are interested in participating should have their music to us NO LATER then 2.23.10 I am working on setting up the specifics now. The run time of the show will be based on how much music we have! To be included in this show artists should be FROM Wales, PERFORM music in in the Welsh language, or, Be a Welsh group living abroad! ALL GENRES WILL BE ACCEPTED! If you know of any interested artists, send them our way! Our contact info is as follows: email single or multiple songs to irftradio@gmail.com send entire CD's to: IRFT C/O Sean Owens 21829 Russian River Drive Sonora, Ca, 95370 As of right now the show will run from 2.28.10 (Sunday at noon) through 3.2.10 (Tuesday) at 2 AM (PSDT) EVERY artist that submits music gets played! We are also looking for as many folks as possible to record "Holiday greetings" that we will broadcast during the duration of the show! In Welsh OR English! They can promote their music in this spot as well! They do NOT have to be an artists to do this spot! ANYONE can send in a greeting! Seán Owens IRFT Celtic Radio www.irftradio.comlu.com

Dont Forget St Dwynwen's Day! January 25th - The Welsh Valentine's Day

From the Wikipedia:- "Dydd Santes Dwynwen, literally meaning 'Day of Saint Dwynwen' in Welsh, is considered to be the Welsh equivalent to Valentine's Day and is celebrated on 25 January every year. It celebrates Dwynwen, the Welsh Saint of love. 25 January is the feast day of Saint Dwynwen.".....MORE. Make your own St. Dwynwen's Day ecard HERE The large lighthouse and cross at Llanddwyn

Only Men Aloud and Bryn Terfel: The First to support the Song for Saint David’s Day

Bryn Terfel and Tim Rhys Evans, Musical Director of ‘Only Men Aloud’ came together to support the launch of a manuscript on the web, a special song for Saint David’s Day, which has been adopted as the official song of the National Saint David’s Day Parade. (NSDDP) The launch of the ‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ manuscripts on the web, were celebrated by the presentation of the very first copies to Bryn Terfel and Tim Rhys Evans, and the manuscripts will be available for sale from Y Lolfa website www.ylolfa.com from the 5th February 2009 onwards - the very first time a Welsh medium publication is sold in an electronic format.

“It’s a great pleasure and honour for all of us in ‘Only Men Aloud’ to be the first to receive this exciting new song to celebrate our Nation’s Patron Saint. All the best to the ‘National Saint David’s Day Parade’ for many years of continued success in song and spirit.” said Tim Rhys Evans.

Bryn Terfel received the very first copy of the Piano and Voice arrangement and Tim Rhys Evans the first version of the Male Voice Choral arrangement from Gwenno Dafydd, who wrote the words both in English and Welsh. Heulwen Thomas composed the original music for piano and voice and the Male Voice, Female Voice and Mixed (SATB) arrangements were made by Eilir Owen Griffiths.

All four versions will be available to buy for £2 a copy (with a discount if anyone buys more than 5 copies) from Y Lolfa website – www.ylolfa.com.

Garmon Gruffydd from Y Lolfa said” It has been possible to buy English books from the web for quite some time, but it is an honour for us to be the first publisher to sell Welsh medium e-books. As well as selling the four versions of ‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ we intend to sell a number of novels in the form of e-Books.

‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ will be published on February the 6th .

Purchase 'Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi' HERE.

"Dunkin Like David" Promo Video

For more info see St Davids Day Blogspot

Boston British Consulate Looking for Welsh Ex-patriots, Welsh Americans, and People with a Love for Wales

The Welsh National Assembly and the British Consulate of Boston are looking to connect with the Welsh presence in New England. March 1st, 2009 is Saint David's Day. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, and on the days surrounding March 1st the Boston British Consulate and the Boston Cymrodorion Society will be organizing and sponsoring a number of Saint David's Day events. A classic Welsh hymn sing called a Gymanfa Ganu will be held in Salem, MA. Lectures on Welsh history, a Saint David's Day polar bear plunge, and a Saint David's Day feast will be celebrated. To cap off the events Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales will be joining us at the British Consulate at 1 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA for a celebration on Monday, March 2nd.

If you are from Wales, of Welsh ancestry, or simply have a love for all things Celtic contact Phil Wyman the Boston Saint David's Day representative for the British Consulate and the Welsh National Assembly at 978-578-1785, on the internet at http://www.freewebs.com/cymrodorion/, or by e-mail at BostonWelsh@gmail.com.

Welsh Music Industry Day - Caernarfon / Cynhadledd Diwydiant Cerddoriaeth Gymraeg - Caernarfon

CYNHADLEDD FLYNYDDOL Y DIWYDIANT CERDDORIAETH YN DYCHWELYD I GAERNARFON: HANFODOL I UNRHYW UN SY’N GYSYLLTIEDIG Â’R DIWYDIANT CERDDORIAETH YNG NGHYMRU

DYDD GWENER, IONAWR 23, 2009, 12.30PM – 5.30PM – GALERI, CAERNARFON

Yn dilyn eu poblogrwydd yn 2008, mae Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig unwaith eto’n cynnal y Dyddiau Diwydiant Cerddoriaeth Gymraeg, a fwriadwyd i fynd i’r afael â materion allweddol sydd o bwys i ddiwydiant cerddoriaeth Gymraeg a thu hwnt.

Ar Ddydd Gwener, Ionawr 23, 2009, rhwng 12:30pm a 5.30pm, cynhelir cynhadledd Gogledd Cymru yn Galeri, Caernarfon. Bydd pedair sesiwn yn cael eu cynnal yn y prynhawn a bydd croeso i gynrychiolwyr ddewis a dethol i ba ddigwyddiadau y byddant yn mynd, neu aros i’r gynhadledd gyfan.

Mae’r pynciau fydd yn cael eu trafod yn cynnwys plygio cerddoriaeth i orsafoedd radio, brandio cerddoriaeth a marchnata a hyrwyddo digwyddiadau byw. Yn y prynhawn hefyd ceir sesiynau holi ac ateb – cyfle ardderchog i roi sylw i gwestiynau neu faterion unigol, a bydd hwn, wrth gwrs, yn gyfle rhagorol i gynrychiolwyr rwydweithio.

Ymhlith y panelwyr gwadd bydd Gill Taylor (Rheolwraig / Hyrwyddwr), Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales), Gareth Iwan Jones (Cynhyrchydd, BBC Radio Cymru) a chynrychiolwyr o Dylunio Cymru, Creu Cymru a Cerdd Gymunedol Cymru, ac eraill.

Ceir rhestr lawn o’r digwyddiadau yn www.sefydliadcerddoriaethgymreig.com yn ogystal â manylion am yr ail gynhadledd, a gynhelir yng Nghaerdydd ar 30 Ionawr 2009.

Cynhelir y sesiynau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – bydd cyfleusterau cyfieithu ar gael.

Mae’r diwrnod yn DDI-DÂL, ond mae lleoedd yn gyfyngedig. I gofrestru, e-bostiwch: dai@welshmusicfoundation.com neu ffoniwch 029 20 494110

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ANNUAL MUSIC INDUSTRY CONFERENCE RETURNS TO CAERNARFON : ESSENTIAL FOR ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN WALES

FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 2009, 12.30PM – 5.30PM - GALERI, CAERNARFON

Following their popularity in 2008, Welsh Music Foundation are once again hosting the Welsh Music Industry Days, designed to address the key issues that matter to the Welsh language music industry and beyond.

On Friday January 23 2009, between 12:30pm and 5.30pm, the north Wales conference will take place at Galeri, Caernarfon. Three sessions will run during of the afternoon and delegates are welcome to pick and choose, which they attend, or stay for the course of the conference.

Topics covered include plugging music to radio stations, music branding and the marketing and the promotion of live events. The afternoon will also feature Q&A segments – a great opportunity to have queries or individual issues addressed, and will of course serve as a great networking opportunity for delegates.

Guest panelists include Gill Taylor (Elvis Costello’s Manager), Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales), Gareth Iwan Jones (Producer, BBC Radio Cymru) and representatives from Design Wales, Creu Cymru and Community Music Wales, amongst others.

A full event line-up can be found at www.welshmusicfoundation.com, as well as details of the second conference, held in Cardiff on 30 January 2009.

Sessions will be conducted in both the medium of English and Welsh language – translation facilities will be available.

The day is FREE to attend, but places are limited. To register, email: dai@welshmusicfoundation.com or phone 029 20 494110

St. Davids Day Menu

Click to Enlarge This was last years suggested three-course St Davids Day recipe from Americymru. This year we will be inviting Americymru members to try out the many recipe suggestions to be found on our Welsh Recipes Group. page. We will be publishing a new St Davids Day three course menu on Feb 21st. This will allow time for people to try out some of the recipes on the groups page and allow time for anyone to prepare should they wish to try out our recommendation on the day itself. Join Americymru HERE

Saint David's Day March 1st is Saint David's Day, the National Holiday of Wales, a day to celebrate for the Welsh and Americans of Welsh descent. In Wales, people celebrate Saint David's Day by attending church services, wearing leeks and daffodils (national symbols of Wales and St. David), holding parades and children's parties in the schools. Saint David, Dewi Sant in Welsh, lived in the 6th Century and is unique among British saints in that a surprising amount of information was recorded about his life. He was probably the son of Usai, the king of Ceredigion, and the daughter of a lord of what would later be called Pembrokeshire and was the student of another Welsh saint, Paulinus. Dewi Sant was renowned as a teacher who founded monastic settlements and churches in mostly pagan Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. Today, Saint David's Cathedral stands on the site of a monastery he founded in Glyn Rhosyn (Valley of Roses) in Pembrokeshire. The monastic rule of Dewi Sant taught humility, simplicity and asceticism and he practiced these himself: that monks ploughed, planted and tended their crops themselves, without draft animals; that they drank only water and ate only bread with salt and herbs and never meat or beer; that they spent their evenings in prayer, reading and writing; that no member of the monastery had any personal possessions, everything belonged to them all. Dewi Sant's last sermon was recorded as including the words, "Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about.... Do the little things in life," and this phrase, "Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd," ("Do the little things in life") is a phrase used today.

Herbed Lamb Chops with Balsamic Glaze

Recipe And Ingredients 4 large lamb loin chops extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbs chopped fresh sage 2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary 2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme 1 Tbs dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper 1 tsp salt 2 large Walla-Walla onions, sliced thick 3 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon 2/3 cup Balsamic vinegar Preparation: Pour 2 Tbs olive oil into hot pan over medium heat. Season lamb chops on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pan. Pour onions over chops and cook until lamb is browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes each side, stirring onions until they are clear. When lamb is cooked, remove chops and cover. Sprinkle brown sugar over onions and saute, stirring frequently until onions are browned and coated with sugar. Add garlic and herbs and saute for about a minute. Add vinegar and wine and boil in pan until reduced to glaze, about three minutes. Spoon over chops and serve. Welsh Pot Bread Welsh Pot Bread Serving Suggestion Recipe And Ingredients 2 new, unused, unglazed or painted, bare 6-inch terracotta flower pots Parchment paper 1 1/2 cups Spelt flour 1/2 cup milk warmed to room temperature 1/2 cup water warmed to room temperature 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 oz or two packets fresh or dried active yeast 1 egg 4 tbsp melted butter 2 Tbs finely chopped scallions 1 Tbs chopped fresh chives, chopped 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbs honey 1 tsp chopped fresh sage 1 tsp crushed fresh rosemary leaves 1 clove crushed garlic Seasoning flower pots This step can be done in advance of preparing the bread, at any time. Pre-heat oven to 175F Thoroughly wash pots inside and out and dry well. Coat pots all over (including the rim and the bottom) with olive oil inside and out, using a basting brush or paper towel. Place pots in oven on a cookie sheet and bake at 175F for about 20-30 minutes, or until dry. Remove pots from oven and allow to cool. Repeat this process three times. Preparing Pot Bread Preheat oven to 400F. Slightly warm two tablespoons of the milk and dissolve the honey in it. Allow to cool to lukewarm and add the yeast and mix into a thin paste. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until yeast is well grown and foamy. Sift together flours and salt in large bowl, make a well in the center and pour the yeast mixture into the well. Add water, butter, onions, herbs and garlic, mix together well and knead on floured surface about 5 minutes, adding additional spelt flour in small amounts until it becomes a smooth, elastic dough. Pat dough into a ball shape. Place dough ball in a lightly warmed, greased bowl and cover in a warm place for approximately one hour, until dough has risen to double in size. Turn dough out onto floured surface and punch down only to knock out all the air, kneading lightly. Separate dough into two equal-sized balls. Place a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of each pot and place a dough ball on it. Cover each ball of dough and put in a warm place for approximately a half hour to an hour, until dough balls have risen to double in size or until they stop rising. Gently brush tops of each loaf with well-beaten egg. Place pots on cookie sheet in oven preheated at 400F for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and turn out to cool. Strawberry-Rhubarb Caerphilly Crumble Caerphilly Castle Caerphilly Crumble Recipe And Ingredients This dessert is a sweet, early spring treat in the UK and the US and there are many versions of it to be found. Our version is simple and easily modified for larger or smaller groups. Today Caerphilly cheese is made in different parts of the UK but it originated, of course, in the area of the town of Caerphilly, in South Wales. Rhubarb was probably brought to the United Kingdom thousands of years ago and is today grown in Wales and popular in desserts, wines and other recipes. Serves 4 Filling 2 Tbs. orange juice 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 1/2 cup diced fresh or frozen rhubarb 1 1/2 cup hulled and sliced strawberries 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp chopped crystallized ginger 1 Tsp. freshly grated orange zest Topping 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/3 cup orange juice 1/4 cup crumbled Caerphilly cheese 2 tbls butter OPTIONAL 2 Tbs. crushed almonds Preheat Oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch pie pan. Mix fruit with orange juice, crystallized ginger, sugar, cornstarch, and orange zest and pour into pie plate. Mix oats, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and almonds. With your hands, mix in butter and Caerphilly cheese, pressing it into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Slowly add orange juice as needed until you achieve slightly smooth crumbles that hang together. Spread topping over fruit mix. Place pie dish in oven over cookie sheet or foil to catch any bubble over. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until top is well browned. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche.

"The Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons" An Interview with David Western.

AmeriCymru: What is a lovespoon and what is it for? Are there comparable or similar customs in other cultures?

David: "A lovespoon is a heavily ornamented, non-functional gift of love or strong emotion. How's that for dry? Originally, it was a handmade spoon given by its maker to the girl who had captivated his heart in the hopes its acceptance would lead to the beginnings of a courtship. The custom was known throughout Wales and was known to exist in Sweden, the Alpine regions and even down to Hungary; it is even reputed to have occured in areas of Spain, France, Italy and Greece. It is in Wales however,that the lovespoon has survived the industrial revolution and it is the only country where it has survived in a notable fashion."

AmeriCymru: How did you become involved in carving spoons?

David: "My usual line is that I am too small for rugby and I lack the voice for choral singing, but I am a dab hand with a knife so lovespoon carving was a good way to stay Welsh! It is, of course, much more complicated and longwinded than that, but hiraeth and a desire to hold onto an element of Welshness was certainly at the root of it."

AmeriCymru: Who do you carve them for and what do your customers want from a lovespoon?

David: "The vast majority of my lovespoons are carved to commission order for clients who wish to create an heirloom gift expressing something 'of them' in a meaningful and emotional way. Both I and my customers want a lovespoon which says 'who they are' and what is good about them and their lives. That is a pretty tall order for a little piece of wood, but a lovespoon can deliver that result in a way few other things can."

AmeriCymru: Can you tell us something about the design elements of a lovespoon? Are there classic patterns that have particular meanings?

David: "Lovespoons are reknowned for their symbolism and abilities to 'tell stories'. How much of this truly goes back to the old days is still open for debate, but modern lovespoons have developed a large number of well known symbols which can be used to send messages of emotion. New symbols are constantly being added to the repertoire as lovespoon carving is a tradition in constant flux. Some symbols are famous and well known; hearts for love, diamonds for prosperity, horseshoes for good luck, others are more controversial; the comma shaped 'soul symbol', chain link or balls in cages for number of children or security. Symbols are even used on spoons which may only have relevance for the person receiving the spoon."

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AmeriCymru: Do you include both those classic elements and your own creations in your spoons?

David: "Although many of my designs can stray a good distance from 'classic design', I do keep a foot fairly firmly in tradition. My spoons are all carved from a single piece of wood as is the traditonal method and all strive to capture as much emotion as I can. In this sense they are very traditional."

AmeriCymru: Do you have a particular favorite design or element that you like or like to carve?

David: "I don't really have favourites, I really do just enjoy carving! I will occasionally go through phases where I am particularly happy carving leaves or hearts or doing Celtic knotwork, but for the most part I like it all equally."

AmeriCymru: How do you arrive at the design for a spoon for a client?

David: "Whenever possible, I work with my clients to capture as many of their ideas and emotions as I can in the design. We discuss things which are important to them in their lives and look for ways to symbolize them in the spoon. It is important that they and their lives be represented as much as possible and it is this which gives the spoon a deeper meaning for them."

AmeriCymru: You've created spoons for individual clients but you also have spoons on display in collections. Where can people see your work?

David: "Except for the occasional piece I do for myself and a piece collected by the National History Museum of Wales at St Fagans near Cardiff, all of my work goes to private collection. My pieces are very personal and emotional pieces which are carved for their owners expressly. I do, however, keep a large selection of photographs on my website at www.davidwesternlovespoons.com and there is a large gallery of my work in "The Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons" as well."

AmeriCymru: Is there any one piece you are most proud of?

David: "My favorite piece is actually a collection of four spoons very simply carved from a spectacular piece of spalted maple. I did very little carving on the wood except add the occassional heart and a bowl to each piece. The simplicity of the shapes and the stunning beauty of the wood do and say everything. The might not be to everyone's taste, but that is the nice thing about lovespoons...there's something for everyone!!"

AmeriCymru: You have recently written a book. How does it feel to be a published author?

David: "It is a tremendous feeling to get a book into print and to know that the lovespoon tradition has the potential to reach thousands of people throughout North America and the UK. Fox Chapel Publishing have been extremely supportive on this project and have done a brilliant job of turning my scribbles and pictures into a beautiful book. I'm very proud of myself of course, but I feel as much or more pride for the lovespoons and the tradition which is being brought to the bookbuying world! The book, entitled "The Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons" is available from Fox Chapel Publishing, Amazon, Borders or from your local book dealer."

AmeriCymru: Is the book aimed at absolute beginners? Could a novice acquire the skills to produce a lovespoon by reading your book?

David: "While the primary thrust of the book is to assist the complete beginner to understand the process of carving a lovespoon, intermediate and even advanced carvers and woodworkers will also find plenty to interest, inspire and challenge them. The book is the most complete collection of valuable information on the history and methods of lovespoon carving currently available and I hope it will inspire lots of carvers both novice and more experienced to take up this wonderful tradition."

AmeriCymru: Should there be more lovespoons in the world? What could be done to make the custom of giving and receiving lovespoons more widely known and practiced?

David: "Lovespoons, by their nature, are messages of love and deep caring. In our rush-rush world of plastic sentiment, there is always room for these genuine expressions of emotion. Before the industrial revolution, a lovespoon was THE way to show love and affection, so the question is, are we any better off without them? I think the answer is a resounding no ! I think the Welsh have done the lovespoon a great service by embracing it as an icon and I think that will help to secure its survival for the next while, however, the cheapening and mass producing of the lovespoon (while flooding the market with inexpensive product) threatens to sterilize and distort the lovespoon. It is when the spoons are created by hand and for an emotional purpose they have their greatest power and it is this legacy which needs to be encouraged."