Margaret Feinberg’s appetite for the feast of His grace makes you hunger for more of a fulfilling life. Read and taste the richest food for the soul!
ANN VOSKAMP, author of The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts
I could not put it down! I lost track of time like reading an adventure novel, when in fact she is writing a factual and biblical documentary. Impressive! I’m the least foodie man on the planet, and yet I loved Taste and See.
SHANE FARMER, lead pastor of Cherry Hills Community Church, Denver, CO
Margaret is a storyteller who never ceases to see the beauty of the world around us. If you love God, good food, and life around the table, this book will take you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the Bible.
JENNIE ALLEN, author of Nothing to Prove and founder of IF:Gathering
Margaret Feinberg takes us on a gourmet tour of the earth and through the Scriptures that will fill your mind and satisfy your soul. Enjoy this scrumptious read.
KYLE IDLEMAN, pastor and author of Not a Fan and Don’t Give Up
I love Jesus, food, and the Bible . . . not in that particular order, of course . . . if you do, too, then this is the most delicious book you’ll read this year!
LISA HARPER, speaker and author of The Sacrament of Happy
Feinberg explores the foods of the Bible in this delightful book . . . Christian foodies are in for a real treat.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Only once have I received a prayer request for a friend because she was traveling alone in Israel to master traditional fishing methods and in Croatia to hand-harvest olives. But these escapades typify Margaret Feinberg’s research into biblical food—from fish to figs and bread to barbecue—all to nourish us with special spiritual fodder as well as memorable meals. Deliciously written!
CRAIG L. BLOMBERG, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
Like an expert chef reaching for only the finest ingredients, Margaret Feinberg seasons her prose with generous dashes of wit and wisdom, whetting our appetites for the bounty of knowledge and inspiration she dishes out, chapter after delicious chapter. Oh, the people she meets and the meals she eats and the places she goes. Inviting us to travel with her from California to Croatia, Texas to Connecticut, Utah to Israel, Margaret reveals how our healthy dependence on food parallels our deeper dependence on the One who provides what our hearts need most. Her writing style is warm, and her message compelling, as she encourages us to taste and see the goodness and richness of God. What a feast!
LIZ CURTIS HIGGS, bestselling author of Bad Girls of the Bible
Every Christian I know is looking for what this book provides—HOPE. This book is just like Margaret! Intensely personal, deeply moving, spiritually challenging, and a joy to be around. Taste and See is a spiritual goldmine.
RAY JOHNSTON, lead pastor of Bayside Family of Churches
Don’t miss this feast from Margaret Feinberg. It’s one part rich storytelling, two parts authenticity, and three parts compelling exploration of Scripture. The refreshing images and insights in each chapter of Taste and See will nourish your heart and soul. It left me coming back for more.
KARA POWELL, PhD, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute
Margaret takes us on a wonderful, witty adventure to explore the world of food and the Bible. You’ll literally travel the globe dining on incredible meals with mesmerizing people, excavating rich spiritual insights, and laughing at the hilarious stories. Make sure you take this journey!
DAVE FERGUSON, lead pastor of Community Christian Church
Taste and See is part cookbook, part Bible study, and part biography. My friend Margaret takes you on an inspiring journey to discover there is more to biblical foods than meets the eye. Believe me—you will love this book.
PHIL WALDREP, founder of Women of Joy Conferences
In this rich and personal book, Margaret invites us to literally taste faith, not just believe it. It is an invitation you don’t want to refuse. A delectable, grace-filled, God-nurtured world awaits!
NORMAN WIRZBA, Associate Dean at Duke University and author of Food and Faith
ZONDERVAN
Taste and See
Copyright © 2019 by Margaret Feinberg
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
Epub Edition December 2018 9780310354871
ISBN 978-0-310-35682-0 (audio)
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Feinberg, Margaret, 1976- author.
Title: Taste and see : discovering God among butchers, bakers, and fresh food makers / Margaret Feinberg.
Description: Grand Rapids, MI : Zondervan, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018036503 (print) | LCCN 2018040618 (ebook) | ISBN 9780310354871 (ebook) | ISBN 9780310354864 (softcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Food—Religious aspects—Christianity. | Dinners and dining—Religious aspects—Christianity.
Classification: LCC BR115.N87 (ebook) | LCC BR115.N87 F45 2018 (print) | DDC 248—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018036503
* * *
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
Scripture quotations marked CSB® are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked MSG [or The Message] are taken from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Author is represented by The Christopher Ferebee Agency, www.christopherferebee.com.
Cover design: Faceout Studio
Cover photography: Shutterstock / Stocksy
Interior design: Denise Froehlich
&n
bsp; First printing November 2018 / Printed in the United States of America
Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook
Please note that endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
To the love of my life, Leif.
Your strength, courage, wisdom, and grace still take
my breath away. Thank you for picking me.
To Jonathan and Carolyn.
Without you two—your love, support, encouragement,
and the “little writing intervention”—this
book would not exist. I love you both!
Menu
1 An Invitation to a Culinary Adventure
2 A Flaky Filet of Fish
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S POWER
3 A Plate of Sweet and Succulent Figs
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S SATISFACTION
4 A Loaf of Bread Just Out of the Oven
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S COMMUNITY
5 A Dash of Sea Salt
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S PURPOSE
6 A Bowl of Delectable Olives
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S HEALING
7 A Flame-Grilled Lamb Chop
TASTE AND SEE GOD’S RESCUE
8 The Perfect Finish
Photos
Abundant Thanks
Recommended Resources
Recipe List
Notes
Free Gifts
WARNING: The following pages are likely to cause the side effects of becoming spiritually and physically hungry. We recommend devouring the pages with healthy snacks nearby.
1
An Invitation to a Culinary Adventure
“Let’s eat and get out of here as quickly as we can,” I whispered to Leif as we unbuckled our seat belts.
My droopy-eyed husband and I were soul-tired from a long, busy season of work, but had previously committed to dinner at a new acquaintance’s home. As we pulled into the driveway, I was second-guessing that decision.
Dread grew with each step along the cobblestone path, but there was no backing out now. Leif stopped short at the door and looked at me as if to say, “Go on in, dear. You got us into this.” My best hope was to get the evening over with, so I could return to bed and my pajamas. I gripped the door knocker, counted to three, and forcibly transformed my grimace into what I hoped was a believable grin.
The door swung open, and Matthew and Ashley enveloped us in hugs as if we were prodigal children returning home. Whoosh—the air around us rearranged, and with it, our attitudes.
Hospitality has a hidden power that is difficult to explain but even harder to deny. You can wake up cranky and sore, but a mere whiff of Mom’s holiday sticky buns can bring your shoulders down from around your ear lobes. Or you find yourself drowning in loneliness and, just as tears well in your eyes, the phone rings and a new friend invites you over for a hot beverage and a bowl of fresh berries. One moment the world could burn to dust for all you care, and in a blink, it is sacred ground.
As the German author and poet Christian Morgenstern writes, “Home is not the building you live in; home is wherever you are understood.”
Leif and I found home that night—against our wills, no less. These many years later, I still can’t explain how it happened. Maybe it was the soothing flicker of candlelight or the broken-in couch that swallowed us whole, but nevertheless, our hearts stilled, and time became irrelevant.
Our more-than-capable host, Matthew, revealed himself as an avid foodie attuned to the finer points of knife-work techniques, the origin of rare ingredients, and the latest culinary breakthroughs. He served us wave upon wave of hors d’oeuvres—jalapeño-stuffed olives, salted pistachios, a charcuterie board of savory meats and exotic cheeses. Each bite tasted better than the last.
An hour after we arrived, Matthew pulled his pièce de résistance from the oven—a special-order roast from a local butcher slow-cooked for thirty-six hours. My mouth watered so much I struggled not to slobber on myself, but he informed us the meat needed to rest before we could enjoy. In the meantime, he served us an arugula salad with orange slices and homemade citrus dressing. The meat arrived alongside a fresh Kalamata olive loaf and flash-fried broccoli sprinkled with lemon shavings.
Yep, Leif and I were definitely prodigal children. Every meal prior to this one during our marathon season of work suddenly felt like pig feed. Our hearts weren’t brought back to life because the dinner was swanky or exclusive; our hearts revived because the food was intentional and curated with love. The meal nourished my soul in places I didn’t realize I was starving.
* * *
The meal nourished my soul in places I didn’t realize I was starving.
* * *
After dark chocolate ganache flourless cake and specialty roasted coffee, Matthew took us to see an oversized refrigerator in the garage where he cured meat and aged cheeses—the ones we munched on earlier. Then, we followed him to the backyard to see his lush garden boxes of lettuces, an array of spices, and lemon trees.
The four of us talked late into the evening, and I didn’t want to leave. By the time we said good-bye, a spiritual bond had formed. We had arrived cranky, sore, and exhausted, but left satiated in our bellies and hearts. Together we had enjoyed the gift of food, the gift of togetherness, the gift of presence. As Christian Morgenstern might say, we came home.
Years later, I recounted the story of that night at another dinner party. To break the ice, the host, Janie, asked the attendees to share about their most memorable meal. When nobody spoke up and the silence became uncomfortable, Janie volunteered to go first.
She described an evening in Venice with her husband. The Italian eatery lacked menus and only had five tables. The chef prepared the meal from fresh ingredients and his latest culinary whim. When the sun-dried tomato focaccia ran out, he sprinted down the street to buy more.
“The mushroom marinara sauce, the romantic setting, the time together, just us . . . that place,” she recalls. “The restaurant is gone now and that makes me love it all the more. The memory is frozen in time forever.”
Nicholas followed with a memory from his childhood. Growing up in a military family meant bouncing from town to town and base to base. While stationed off the coast of San Diego, his parents slipped him cash for a beachside fish fry.
“I loved the freedom of going alone,” he remembered. “I was only ten, and the fish had been caught that day. Moist. Tender. The best filets I’ve ever eaten.”
Next, Emily described a holiday meal surrounded by family and a table laden with pan-roasted turkey, cranberry stuffing, and sweet potato pie: “That was the last Thanksgiving with my grandmother. I still try to follow her recipes, but they never taste as good as when she made them.”
After I shared about my remarkable meal with Matthew and Ashley, Yang went last. She described the meal her adopted parents served on the first night she arrived in her new home. They tried to make the transition easier by serving her a syrupy-sweet teriyaki chicken atop mushy Minute Rice.
“I remember wondering how I could live with these people when the food was so bad,” Yang said.
We couldn’t help but laugh. But then Yang explained that her new mom appeared with dessert. A package of almond cookies from China. They tasted like home, and the tension dissipated.
In exchanging stories about our most memorable meals, we shared more about ourselves than our culinary preferences—we revealed our deeper longings. For Janie, the pasta in Venice uncovered the desire for closeness with her spouse. Nicholas’s fish fry revealed his need for independence from a young age. Emily’s Thanksgiving memory unveiled the importance of family, tradition, and memories. Yang’s almond cookies spoke of a deep need for belonging.
I saw a pattern unfolding before me that I couldn’t ignore. The stories were different, but the theme remained the sam
e: God had been intentional in each gathering. He used these encounters to uncover a deep need and satiate a deep hunger.
Driving home, I became curious whether it was all a fluke. Were my friends and I uniquely vulnerable during meal times or were our table experiences shared by others? Was there a connection between spiritual and physical hunger?
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Digging even deeper into my story, I realized that there were layers below the surface of the charcuterie and the thirty-six-hour roast. My deepest hunger was my longing for connectedness and friendship. I was raised by hippie-like parents who moved to new remote locations every few years. Few children ever lived nearby, so I spent much of my youth surrounded by adults and ached for contact with others my age. The few hours I spent with schoolmates in class never felt like enough, and I carried a deep loneliness during childhood. As an adult, I still ache for the rich relationships and the rootedness that comes from knowing and being known. And although my story is unique, I have a suspicion this hunger resides in each of us.
When we exit our mother’s womb, the umbilical cord connecting us to our mother is snipped, severing our constant nutritional source, and from that moment on, we are perpetually hungry. Infants hunger for safety and security. Children starve for guidance and knowledge. Adolescents yearn for someone, anyone, to accept them and understand them. Adults crave all manner of things—power and success, recognition and affirmation, belonging and community. At midlife, amid juggling work and family, our longings shift toward questions of impact and influence. In our twilight years, we crave good health, stability, and the grace to finish well.
It’s not just our life stages that stoke our deeper appetites. Inherent in every human are longings for meaning and purpose. We yearn to know that God still cares and that the details of our lives really matter. We desire friends who will make us laugh and cry and feel again. We long to be recognized by someone who thinks we’re special and smart—and maybe even funny or a little sexy, on our best days.
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