I just finished reading “Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes,” by Shauna Niequist with my church’s women’s book club group. Well, not with them. I read it on my own at the same time they were reading it to discuss “together” weekly. (Zoom fatigue on my part.)
I really enjoyed “Bread and Wine,” even on my own. Woven throughout the book were sacred reminders of the shared experiences around the table with loved ones that I miss the most, in these COVID-19 days.
“I’m not talking about cooking as performance, or entertaining as a complicated choreography of competition and showing off. I’m talking about feeding someone with honesty and intimacy and love, about making your home a place where people are fiercely protected, even if just for a few hours, from the crush and cruelty of the day.”
― Bread and Wine”
I am cooking a lot these days. I cook mostly anyway, but I find myself plunging into new recipes and new areas (baking!).
With so many other entertainment options on hold for now, mealtimes are highlights of the day. What flavors will amuse our palates tonight? What exotic spice might delight us? We come together.
Breaking bread together at the table is a slice of time to set aside worry, savor the nourishing meal, and be grateful for the company we share, even if it is just our own with our higher power.
Feeding those I love is the greatest service, the greatest comfort I can provide right now.
Recipes I’ve made lately (there’s a theme):
- Slow cooker short rib ragu
- Slow cooker black bean and pork stew
- Baked lemon ziti
- Lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze
Writer on the Wall 
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