St. Joseph Altars [Hardcover]

Kerri McCaffety (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2003

This photographic tribute displays the rich cultural tradition behind New Orleansí St. Joseph altars and their delicious dishes. While examining the spiritual significance of the altars and the accompanying foods, author Kerri McCaffety also discusses their cultural importance to both Sicilian Americans and the people of New Orleans. New Orleans is home to one of the largest Sicilian-American populations in the United States, and the community preserves many of its Old World traditions. During the Middle Ages, Sicily went through a period of severe drought. For relief, the people turned to their patron saint, St. Joseph, promising a huge banquet in his honor in return for the needed rain. The tradition evolved and now features todayís St. Joseph altars, constructed in thanks for answered prayers. Every year on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph, beautiful and elaborate altars are constructed and piled high with delicious food. In St. Joseph Altars , Kerri McCaffety combines historical knowledge with luscious photographs of this Sicilian tradition. She took 140 color photographs in thirty different homes to reveal the beauty and majesty of the St. Joseph altars. St. Joseph Altars is also an heirloom cookbook; it contains twenty recipes for several of the most popular St. Joseph altar dishes. Contributed by both Sicilian grandmothers and New Orleans chefs, these traditional recipes include ciabatta (bread), cioppino (fish stew), and various biscotti (cookies).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kerri Mc Caffety's work is lush with natural light that makes the images sensual and rich, and transforms the places she photographs into poems."

About the Author

KERRI McCAFFETY is regarded as a top photographer and nationally recognized talent whose art hangs in galleries and museums throughout the country.

Kerri McCaffety counts among her accolades the 1999 gold Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers and the 1998 Author of the Year award from the New Orleans Gulf South Booksellers Association. Her first book, Obituary Cocktail: Great Saloons of New Orleans , was named one of 1998's best books of the year by the New Orleans Times-Picayune . Ms. McCaffety came to New Orleans to study at Tulane University, where she earned a degree in anthropology, with a concentration in ethnographic documentary. She has since photographed people and their environs in Europe, Central Africa, and Haiti. Her writing and photojournalism have appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Accents, The Oxford American, Historic Traveler, Town and Country, Travel Leisure, and Louisiana Cultural Vistas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (September 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589801407
• ISBN-13: 978-1589801400
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vivid Reminder, February 19, 2004

By 

Joseph Urso (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Joseph Altars (Hardcover)

Growing up in a Sicilian family in the 50's, the St Jospeh Altar was a labor of love for my parents. I can recall the women gathered around the kitchen table with their own special paring knives for making cookies and secret recipes for the traditional dishes of their homeland. The photographs are a vivid reminder of those tables laden with so many pastries with the strange sounding names.

Although this book is seen from the celebrations in New Orleans, it still captures the story of the St Joseph Altar with the prayers and rituals of the occassion. I can still hear the beautiful sung Litany of St Joseph translated into English in this book, and taste the crunch of "mudica" (toasted breadcrumbs)on the pasta. This book would be a treasure to hand down to your children as you tell them of their grandparents and great-grandparents or as a gift for anyons who remembers San Guiseppe's feast day. It is a scrapbook of a time past for most Sicilian familes who have blended into the cultural melting pot, and a reminder of a heritage that should be kept alive for future generations.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars St. Joseph Altars, January 3, 2004

By 

smartnurse123 (Slidell, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Joseph Altars (Hardcover)

A beautiful book with super pictures. If you cannot come to New Orleans to see the St. Joseph Altars in person, then at least buy the book and enjoy the pictures. The Feast of St. Joseph is on March 19th.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars St. Joseph Altar, January 5, 2009

By 

BELIEVER IN REVIEWS - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: St. Joseph Altars (Hardcover)

Because of my devotion to St Joseph, I wanted to have a St. Joseph altar at our church. After 17 years of "wanting to" with the help of (St Joseph) this book and many friends of St Joseph from our church, this dream became a reality in 2007. This book not only gives you ideas of how to do your first St. Joseph Altar, but it also gives you original recipes to make and put on the altar. From St Joseph Bread to St Joseph sawdust to top the traditional pasta dish served with a hard boiled egg, it's all here to make your first altar a success like ours!