Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Thomas Nelson,,via the Booksneeze Program, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
Today I have a cookbook that isn't one,
a memoir that is more,
but the two together and you have this book that is a 'love letter to life around the table"!
Synopsis: As a follow up to her two bestselling books, Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines, author and blogger Shauna Niequist returns with the perfect read for those who love food and value the community and connection of family and friends around the table.
Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread and Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It’s about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It’s about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. With wonderful recipes included, from Bacon-Wrapped Dates to Mango Chicken Curry to Blueberry Crisp, readers will be able to recreate the comforting and satisfying meals that come to life in Bread and Wine.
Review: This collection of essays features recipes that come from chefs, cookbooks and restaurants- like all of us, Shauna finds a recipe she thinks her family will like, makes it and it either succeeds and becomes party of the lineup, or it doesn't come back. All of the recipes included can be individualized - Shauna's husband is on a gluten-free diet and many of the recipes are gluten-free and call for oats or ground almonds. But you could easily convert them to a regular gluten recipe if you wanted.
As a Southerner, I know that food can bring people together, break the ice, end a family argument and even start a family feud (who got Grandma's recipe box?). It is a magical science, based on individual palates and tastes, yet we can all agree with certain recipes being universal.Food can bring comfort to our souls and feed us spiritually, as well as biologically. Shauna expounds on this with her collected essays. This is the perfect book to give as a present for anyone who loves food, is Christian and believes that food nurtures the soul! I would include it in a gift basket with items to cook with. In fact, I am thinking of making 2 up for Miss Grace's teachers, for Christmas, as I think it would be a lovely way of keeping the 'joy of the season'!
I debated which of the recipes to share with you today and I decided to go with one that would be perfect for making with your kids, Summer boredom buster!, or to make up a gift pack, to include with this book as a present (just be sure to make a double batch, so you have some to munch on too!). The inspiration comes from Gaia Cookies made by The Gaia Cafe in Grad Rapids, MI.
Gaia Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped dates, raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, or any combination of all of them!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees
2. Cream together the sugar and butter, then add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and miz well.
4. Add coconut, nuts, and extra ingredients until combined.
5. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper lines cookie sheet and chill for a few minutes so dough will not spread out as much.
6. Bake cookies for 14-16 minutes, until golden.
Makes 2 dozen smalelr cookies, or 1 dozen large cookies!
ENJOY!
About the Author: Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French Literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She is married to Aaron Niequist, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek Community Church and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron & Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac. Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. You can find out more about Shauna and read her blog at www.shaunaniequist.com.
Synopsis: As a follow up to her two bestselling books, Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines, author and blogger Shauna Niequist returns with the perfect read for those who love food and value the community and connection of family and friends around the table.
Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread and Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It’s about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It’s about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. With wonderful recipes included, from Bacon-Wrapped Dates to Mango Chicken Curry to Blueberry Crisp, readers will be able to recreate the comforting and satisfying meals that come to life in Bread and Wine.
Review: This collection of essays features recipes that come from chefs, cookbooks and restaurants- like all of us, Shauna finds a recipe she thinks her family will like, makes it and it either succeeds and becomes party of the lineup, or it doesn't come back. All of the recipes included can be individualized - Shauna's husband is on a gluten-free diet and many of the recipes are gluten-free and call for oats or ground almonds. But you could easily convert them to a regular gluten recipe if you wanted.
As a Southerner, I know that food can bring people together, break the ice, end a family argument and even start a family feud (who got Grandma's recipe box?). It is a magical science, based on individual palates and tastes, yet we can all agree with certain recipes being universal.Food can bring comfort to our souls and feed us spiritually, as well as biologically. Shauna expounds on this with her collected essays. This is the perfect book to give as a present for anyone who loves food, is Christian and believes that food nurtures the soul! I would include it in a gift basket with items to cook with. In fact, I am thinking of making 2 up for Miss Grace's teachers, for Christmas, as I think it would be a lovely way of keeping the 'joy of the season'!
I debated which of the recipes to share with you today and I decided to go with one that would be perfect for making with your kids, Summer boredom buster!, or to make up a gift pack, to include with this book as a present (just be sure to make a double batch, so you have some to munch on too!). The inspiration comes from Gaia Cookies made by The Gaia Cafe in Grad Rapids, MI.
(this was the only pix I could find of the original Gaia cookie to give you a frame of reference-
Miss Grace has been gone all week, so I'm waiting for her to get home to make some of these!)
Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped dates, raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, or any combination of all of them!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees
2. Cream together the sugar and butter, then add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and miz well.
4. Add coconut, nuts, and extra ingredients until combined.
5. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper lines cookie sheet and chill for a few minutes so dough will not spread out as much.
6. Bake cookies for 14-16 minutes, until golden.
Makes 2 dozen smalelr cookies, or 1 dozen large cookies!
ENJOY!
About the Author: Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French Literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She is married to Aaron Niequist, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek Community Church and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron & Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac. Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. You can find out more about Shauna and read her blog at www.shaunaniequist.com.
Comments
Post a Comment