Capon is one of my favorite writers, period. At times his writing can be too flowery, but it is often brilliant and never dull. Reading Capon takes time and personal investment, but it is well worth it. This book in particular is one of my favorites and it is a joy to read.
It is difficult to describe this book in any way that does it justice . . . its more than a cookbook with some theology thrown in. It is a book with great recipes that will renew your love for food, your awe at God's creation, and your delight with daily life. Capon elevates the material world to its rightful place and is the best Christian writer I have ever read when it comes to the humanity of Christ and its importance. It is one thing to say that Jesus was fully God and fully human, it is another to delight in it. Pick this book up for any reason, whether you are a foodie, a Christian, or just love good writing. Highly Recommended.
Some of my favorite passages . . .
"O Lord, refresh our sensibilities. Give us this day our daily taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in, and sauces which are never the same twice. Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with, and casseroles that put starch and substance in our limp modernity. Take away our fear of fat, and make us glad of the oil which ran upon Aaron's beard. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings, and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true men-to fast till we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand. Drive far from us, O Most Bountiful, all creatures of air and darkness; cast out the demons that possess us; deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition; and set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve thee as thou hast blessed us-with dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Amen." (27-28 - "prayer for the return of sanity to our tables")
"Man invented cooking before he thought of nutrition. To be sure, food keeps us alive, but that is only its smallest and most temporary work. Its eternal purpose is to furnish our sensibilities against the day when we shall sit down at the heavenly banquet and see how gracious the Lord is. Nourishment is necessary only for a while; what we shall need forever is taste." (40)
"Only miracles are simple; nature is a mystery." (84)
"It is a false piety that walks through creation looking only for lessons which can be applied somewhere else. To be sure, God remains the greatest good, but, for all that, the world is still good in itself." (86)
(on cooking for your children) "Feed them, yes; but do not cook for them. Cook for yourself. What they need most of all in this vale of sorrows is the sight of men who relish reality. You do them no lasting favor by catering to their underdeveloped tastes. We have not acquired our amplitude for nothing. No matter what they think, we know: We are the ones who have tasted and seen how gracious it all is. What a shame if we were to hide that light under a bushel." (131)
"Many women are poor cooks only because their native greatness has been beaten down by ingratitude. A husband's hunger is one of the principal ornaments of his household. How sad, then, when he spends his day blunting the edge of the easiest, truest compliment he can pay his wife." (147-148)
"If I had only a single temporal blessing to wish you, I would not hesitate a moment: May you be spared long enough to know at least one long evening of old friends, dark bread, good wine, and strong cheese." (148)
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The most amazing and inspirational cookbook (and more) ever!!!
This is the most unique cookbook I've ever had in my hands!! Far and above!! But please note: this is NOT just a collection of recipes!! It has a number of recipes from appetizers, breads, soups, breads, noodles, meats, seafood, pastries, and even mixed drinks; but is is far and away absolutely not a collection of recipes!!It gives significant tips and advice and lessons for preparing foods and drinks, desserts, breads pastries, etc; and yet, it is n absolutely not a book of lessons on preparing food and drink!!It heralds the excellence of all the best of foods and drinks in the manner of doing them with excellence, though not contentiousness!! Carrying on the best of culinary traditions in the manner of our parents and grandparents, yet budget minded but not cheap nor cutting corners!!It is a theological framework for recognizing the best of food and drink preparations as divinely handling the very best of God's creation and giving witness to God's majestic glory; and yet it is far and away absolutely not a doctrinal treatise!!It has vast humor; yet not silly!!It is, quite frankly, the most odd cookbook I have ever seen; and yet it is the one I cherish above others and shall keep close by, knowing that the more I refer to it the better person -- er, cook -- I shall be!!
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peter upton
Its like a slow conversation over dinner
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2013