Cosmic Cooking with the Astrologer and the Chef
5. Mars

Julija Simas (Astrologer) and Peta Santos (Chef)

In our cooperation with Timelords Magazine, we share with you the column "Cosmic Cooking", which deliciously combines the art of cooking with the art of astrology. Serves all. Enjoy!

Mars, the ancient war god, would not be what you would automatically associate with cooking and food, yet it’s curious that male chefs remain dominant in the restaurant world. It must be the love of knives and cutting! Mars relates to all things red and sharp, spiky, hot and iron-rich. It represents strength, stamina and courage. Astrologically it shows us how we assert ourselves, what we fight for, what makes us hot and passionate, and definitely the word for getting angry when you get hungry, hangry, belongs here.

We can find more inspiration from MARS' astrological rulerships:

• Day Sign - ARIES
• Night Sign - SCORPIO
• Metal - IRON
• Gems - RED CORAL, CARNELIAN, GARNET
• Colours - RED, MAGENTA, CRIMSON
• In the body - Arteries, blood, inflammation, adrenal glands, muscles, energy levels, cuts, fractures, burning fevers

Plants, Foods, Herbs ruled by Venus

Herbs

Cayenne, tobacco, hops, tamarind, capers, capsicum, chilli, mustards, pepper, garlic, horseradish, catnip, witch-hazel, wormwood

Foods

Spiky and thorny pants you can eat, like nettle, pineapple, prickly ash, blackberry. Strong and pungent foods and flavours, like ginger, garlic, onion. Red and hot foods like peppers and chilies. Red vegetables like radish, eggplant. Stimulating foods like tea and coffee (and tobacco). Red and raw meats of all kinds, fishes like shark and swordfish for obvious reasons! We've added iron-rich foods as well - like dark leafy greens.

Flowers and plants

Spiky and thorny plants, cactus, nettle, thistle, bougainvillea. Red and fiery coloured flowers, and you'd have to say red roses as they could well be Mars' best friend at times, hint, hint!)

What better way to show the strength of Mars and its fiery aspects than cooking over a flame and BBQ. Scorching, searing and charring food over the flames will surely reflect a Mars theme. Summon guests to be outside and take part in the action of getting things ready, sharpen knives before beginning. Enhance the Mars vibe, with cactuses, and ironware, iron candelabras and rusted lanterns, bright and bold tablecloths and colours.

Our recipe includes as many martian themes as we could produce, but as usual, have a go at making up your own Mars inspired recipe and setting.

BBQ MARINATED PORK FILLET with Veges and black rice

Ingredients serve 4

RED SAUCE

• 1 jar (370grams) Char Siu sauce
  (easily found in supermarkets and asian grocers)
• 1/2 Mandarin juiced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Peach chutney (or similar)

MEAT, FISH, PROTEIN, VEG

• 2 Whole Pork fillets, approx. 1 kg
  or substitute for swordfish, tuna,
  or firm tofu, or eggplant
• 1 large brown onion

VEGETABLES and RICE

• 1 red capsicum
• 6 spring onions
• 1 carrot
• 1 bunch silverbeet
• 6 spring onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 walnut-size piece of ginger
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 mandarin juice
• 2 tbsps peanut oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 cups black rice, steamed as per package instructions

Method

Mix all red sauce ingredients in a ceramic bowl, enough for the pork fillets to marinade in.

If using pork fillets, clean the sinew and membrane from the pork fillet and slice it into 2 cm wide chunks. Marinate the pork (or substitute) in the Red sauce for at least 1 hour. Slice the onion in 8ths, lengthwise, and thread it on skewers, alternating with marinated pork chunks.

Finely julienne capsicum, spring onions (white part only) and carrot. Arrange them on a platter.

Remove the leaves from the stalks of the silverbeet, wash and roughly chop them, stir-fry in peanut oil until wilted and cooked. Remove them to a platter. In the same pan, heat sesame oil with ginger, garlic and chilli, stir-fry all quickly until golden. Pour all over the silverbeet, and sprinkle it with toasted sesame and a squeeze of grilled mandarine juice.

With all sides prepared, heat the BBQ to medium heat. Place the skewers on the grill, brush the top side with marinade, rotate and baste for about 15 minutes until each side is cooked through and charring sears the edges of the meat. Grill the mandarines and capsicums at same time.

Serve all prepared ingredients on iron wear, bold and colourful red or fiery colours you have, decorate with flames and lanterns to your liking. Eat around the fire in or outside. Turn up the heat with music and atmosphere and serve with a cooling ale or cider, or blood-red wine.

Do send us your recipe or a photo of your scene, we'd love to see what you have come up with!
Email: julija@cosmicintelligenceagency.com

Published in: Timelords Magazine, May 2023.

Authors:
Peta Santos and Julija Simas

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