Eating the Bible: Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul
288
Eating the Bible: Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul
288eBookProprietary (Proprietary)
Related collections and offers
Overview
Every cook must glance at a recipe countless times before completing a dish. Often recipes involve five- to ten-minute periods during which one must wait for the water to boil, the soup to simmer, or the onions to sauté. It is Rossner’s goal to help enrich those moments with biblical verse and commentary, to enable cooks to feed their souls as they work to feed the members of the household and guests. From the zesty “Garden of Eden Salad” to the “Honey Coriander Manna Bread,” each recipe will delight the palate and spark the mind.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781628734638 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Skyhorse |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2013 |
| Sold by: | SIMON & SCHUSTER |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 288 |
| File size: | 44 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Genesis
A Tree of Life (Genesis 3:6) Garden of Eden Salad
Towering Contradictions (Genesis 11:4) Babel Vegetable Towers
Eternal Dust (Genesis 13:16) Earthy Seasoning
Salty Sacrifice (Genesis 19:26) Salt-Encrusted Potatoes
Well Plotted (Genesis 23:19–20) Fudge Cave Cake
The Pot Simmers (Genesis 25:30) Red Lentil Soup
Magical Mandrakes (Genesis 30:14–16) Jasmine Rice with Figs
Sealed with a Kiss (Genesis 33:4) Marble Pound Cake with a Hard Chocolate Crust
True Colors (Genesis 37:3) Technicolor Salad with Silky Avocado Dressing
Gifts of Contrition? (Genesis 43:11) Pistachio Almond Chicken Parcels
The Wheels Are Turning (Genesis 45:23, 45:27) Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad
Fishy Business (Genesis 48:16) Rice Blessed with Arrabbiata-Style Fish
A Tree of Life
And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and it was a desire for the eyes, and that the tree could pleasantly make one wise, and she took of its fruit, and she ate, and she gave to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6
The Bible tells us that when God created the world, the tree was created as the symbol of life and death, of good and evil. Humankind is likened to a tree, yet God never tells us precisely which tree is the tree of life. Many have tried to figure out this quandary, but no one has come up with a conclusive answer.
Of course the apple has become the fruit we most commonly associate with this tree, but there are a few other conjectures: grapes, based on the verse "Their grapes are grapes of gall, they have clusters of bitterness" (Deuteronomy 32:32); citron, because it says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6); figs, because it says, "they sewed fig leaves together" (Genesis 3:7); and wheat, because it says in the Babylonian Talmud that a baby does not have knowledge until it can call its mother and father by name, and that a baby does not know its parents' names until it can first taste the taste of grain. Another interpretation is that the Hebrew word chet, which means sin, is like the word chitah, which means wheat.
The suggestion that the tree was a fig tree makes sense in light of the fact that Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves when they "discover" that they are naked in the aftermath of their sin.
There is something very intriguing about the fact that a tree was chosen as the life-form that would serve as an example for all mankind. One of the first things God does in the Garden of Eden is plant trees. So perhaps it really doesn't matter what kind of tree it was that God planted; perhaps God wants to keep us guessing. Perhaps God wants us simply to follow in his footsteps and plant trees too; perhaps the more trees we plant, the more we learn how to take care of the trees, and the more we will learn to emulate God, no matter what type of tree it is we plant.
Garden of Eden Salad
1 cup (240 g) bulgur or wheat kernels
1 onion, chopped
1 cup (240 g) fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
&'189; tsp. cinnamon
&'189; cup (120 g) pecans, chopped
&'189; cup (120 g) raisins
&'189; cup (120 g) dried figs, chopped
1 tsp. lemon or citron zest Juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste
Place 1 cup of bulgur or wheat kernels in a pot with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until grain is soft. Drain or add more water accordingly. Sauté onions in a separate pan until translucent, add mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes more. Add thyme and cinnamon. Mix onion and mushroom mixture together with bulgur or wheat, add pecans, raisins, figs and citron/lemon zest. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Serves 4–6.
ALTERNATIVES: Candied citron or lemon slices or citron or lemon jam, dried figs or fig bars, fresh grapes, raisins, wine or grape juice, or anything made from wheat — bread, cookies, cake, or pasta.
QUESTIONS: What type of fruit tree was this? Why wouldn't God have wanted to reveal the name of the tree? Why do you think Eve gave the fruit to her husband, Adam, to eat as well? Why wasn't she just content to eat the fruit herself?
Towering Contradictions
And they said: "Let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose head will be in the heavens, and we shall make a name for ourselves: lest we be scattered upon all the face of the earth." Genesis 11:4
The generation that survived the Noahide flood decides to build a tower. They are a growing people, slowly repopulating the world after the decimation that the flood caused. They want to build a city and a tower — to begin to put down roots, set up some infrastructure. They fear dispersion, and so they want to band together and create a community. At face value there seems to be nothing wrong with that. So why does God react in this way?
One commentator explains that the tower was supposed to be a place for idol worship. Another claims that the problem was not the tower, or idol worship, but rather the fact that the people wanted to make a name for themselves. God commanded them to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28), and they wanted fame and glory instead. Still another commentator thinks that the problem was the community itself. The people of that generation aspired to create a community — to build together, to live together, to make a name for themselves as a community — to the exclusion of everything else, even God.
Other commentators see the act of building the tower not as a communal act, but as a materialistic one. They explain that the tower represented a desire to possess objects, the beginning of private property. God wants humans to live off the land, to be sustained by nature. As we see later time and again, God finds his vision of an ideal man in the simple shepherd, in Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and others who had time for spirituality, time to think, and time to pray to God. The generation of Babel was not God's model civilization, because they were not content to subsist on what God had provided for them, but felt a need to build, to create, to own, and to band together.
Whether the tower represented idol worship, an attempt at fame and glory, focus on communal living to the exclusion of God, or abject materialism, God makes it clear that this is not a model on which to craft a society. It is a good lesson to us all that living a more laid-back existence, subsisting on the good that the land provides us, and consequently having time to contemplate God, is not such a bad thing at all.
Babel Vegetable Towers
2 medium-sized eggplants
4 thick zucchini
2 large sweet potatoes
3 red bell peppers Olive oil Salt and pepper Dried or fresh parsley (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 400&'176;F (200&'176;C).
Slice eggplant, zucchini, and sweet potatoes into thick, equally sized rounds (about &'190; of an inch or 2 cm thick). Slice away the sides of the red pepper so that you have four large pieces. Sprinkle eggplant pieces with salt on both sides and let drain on paper towels for about 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Place between a quarter and a third of the vegetables on a greased cookie sheet in one layer, brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and let cook for about 10 minutes. Flip vegetables and brush the other side with olive oil. Bake 5 more minutes or until soft. It will take 3–4 batches to roast all the vegetables. Once all vegetables are roasted, stack them in the following order: first the red pepper, then eggplant, then sweet potato, and last, zucchini. Dust the tops of the towers with parsley before serving.
Makes 8–10 vegetable towers.
ALTERNATIVES: Challenge your guests to see who can build a higher tower out of cookies (wafers are great!), pretzels, slices of fruit, or anything else you can stack. Confuse your guests by serving a multicultural meal — food with interesting names derived from other languages/cultures: nachos, baguettes, sauerkraut, borscht, sushi, eggrolls, goulash, samosas, falafel, and so on.
QUESTIONS: Why do you think that the people in this chapter of the Bible specifically decide to build a tower and not some other structure? Why did God punish them in the way that he did (that they should all speak different languages)? Why did they fear being scattered over the face of the earth?
Eternal Dust
And I will make your progeny like the dust of the earth: so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then your progeny could also be counted. Genesis 13:16
Throughout the Bible, the Israelites are compared to various innumerable inanimate objects — the dust of the earth, grains of sand, and the stars in the sky. It is easy to understand why they would be compared to the stars in the sky — who wouldn't want to be compared to a shining star? Perhaps it is also easy to understand why they would be compared to grains of sand, but why would it be considered a compliment to be compared to dust? Dust is insignificant, it is a nuisance, and it is almost intangible.
But if we examine the significance of dust, we can turn its negative qualities into positive ones. Just like dust goes from one end of the earth to other, so too will the Israelites be scattered all over the world. Just like dust can grow things only with water, so too, the Israelites can only grow with the blessing of the Bible which is compared to water, and just as the things that dust settles on can erode while the dust itself remains, so too the Israelites endure.
A bit later on in the verses, Abraham complains to God, "Behold you have not given me children" (Genesis 15:3). This is a strange comment, seeing as how God just recently promised Abraham that his offspring would be like the dust of the earth. God responds and says, "Look now toward heaven and count the stars, if you can count them ... so shall thy seed be" (Genesis 15:5).
On the other hand, it's possible that this exchange proves that the "dust of the earth" metaphor can be understood negatively. When God responds with a new metaphor, of stars in the sky, it is actually a refinement of God's previous statement about dust. The children of Abraham will be those who will attain stardom, but they will also possess the positive character trait of humility — represented by dust.
Earthy Seasoning
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
&'189; tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
&'189; tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
Mix all ingredients together and store in a tightly covered container. "Dust" onto chicken, then bake. Also great on fish, steak, and other meats!
ALTERNATIVES: Dust your table or the perimeter of each serving plate with cinnamon or other spices. Serve dipping bowls of spices that people can dip their bread into or use to season their food: garlic powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin are all good choices.
QUESTIONS: Why dust? Yes, the dust of the earth is plentiful, but what else is so special about it?
Salty Sacrifice
And his wife looked back, behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26
One of the most vivid and unusual episodes in the Bible is found in chapter 19 of Genesis. After attempting to save the city of Sodom from destruction, Abraham and his family flee from the city. They are all given explicit instructions not to look back. Lot's wife can't resist the temptation to catch a glimpse of the destruction, and as punishment she is turned into a pillar of salt. Why salt?
It's often explained that Lot's wife's punishment was exacted in retribution for her inhospitable actions. When the angels visited Lot, rather than welcome her guests with open arms — or at least keep their visit a secret — she acted like the rest of the people of Sodom, infamous for their unfriendly attitude toward visitors. She went to her neighbors and asked to borrow salt for her guests, so that everyone would know of their presence.
While Lot's wife was punished for having looked back to witness the destruction, her manner of death is interesting in that it preserved her for all time. In that respect, it was in some ways a legacy that she was granted. Perhaps she looked back at Sodom out of concern for her loved ones, and therefore God preserved her for eternity, despite her previous display of utter disdain for Lot's guests.
Salt-Encrusted Potatoes
4.5 lb. (2 kg) baby potatoes (a mix of red and yellow is nice)
8–10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 egg whites
2 cups (480 g) kosher salt
Preheat oven to 400&'176;F (200&'176;C).
Scrub potatoes clean and dry well. Spray small baking dish with non-stick spray. Place potatoes in baking dish and distribute peeled garlic cloves. In a separate bowl, mix egg whites with salt and pour on top of potatoes to cover. Pack the salt in tight. Bake for about an hour. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. At the table, crack open the crust. Remove potatoes from the dish, dust off and enjoy! The potatoes do not taste salty — rather, the salt seals them in and bakes a moist, creamy, perfect potato.
Serves 8–10.
ALTERNATIVES: Place an extra dish of coarse or "kosher" salt at the table. Serve salty things like sardines, feta cheese, potato chips, peanuts, cold cuts, hot dogs, pickles, olives, saltine crackers, etc.
QUESTIONS: Why do you think that Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt? Salt is also known to be a preservative — can you think of a reason God might have wanted to preserve Lot's wife? What would have been a better punishment for Lot's wife in your opinion? Why?
Well Plotted
And afterwards, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpela, facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And the field and the cave within it were established to Abraham as burial property, purchased from the sons of Chet. Genesis 23:19–20
These verses complete what is one of the most long-winded passages in the Bible: the story of the purchase of the Machpelah cave. One commentator explains that the repetition is to call attention to the fact that the plot of land and the cave became the uncontested possession of Abraham and his family.
Another commentator asserts that the story was included both to ensure that the land of Israel would be confirmed as Abraham's inheritance, but also to stress the land's superiority above all other lands for both the living and the dead. This is the beginning of the people's physical connection to the land.
But this can even go a bit deeper, explains another commentator who sees the purchase not only as proof of possession, but as a major statement about the Israelites and their connection to the land. The fact that Abraham's first real possession is a pair of graves and a burial mound where many future generations could be buried, is as important a statement about the importance and centrality of family.
In addition, Sarah was an equal part of the plan to purchase the field of Machpelah and then be buried there. Abraham and Sarah were partners both in ensuring the importance of family and in connecting the Israelites to the land of Israel for all time. They wanted to ensure that in the future, the land would not just be inhabited by the Israelites, but inherited.
Fudge Cave Cake
1&'189; cups (340 g) butter or margarine, softened
1&'189; cups (300 g) sugar
6 eggs
2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
2 cups (250 g) flour
&'190; cup (95 g) cocoa powder
1&'189; cups (360 g) walnuts, chopped
Glaze (optional)
&'190; cup (95 g) powdered sugar
&'188; cup (30 g) cocoa powder
1&'189;–2 Tbsp. milk (or nondairy creamer, soy milk, or water)
Preheat oven to 350&'176;F (180&'176;C). Grease a Bundt or tube pan.
Beat butter or margarine and regular sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add powdered sugar, blending well. By hand, stir in flour, cocoa, and walnuts until well blended. Spoon batter into pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 1 hour. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients and spoon over top of cake. Serve.
Serves 10–12.
ALTERNATIVES: Serve chocolate coins for dessert. Purchase and serve cookies that look like little mountains (like Mallows or Mallomars). Purchase and serve a chocolate jelly roll cake or mounded cake to represent the cave.
QUESTIONS: Why was it so important to Abraham to own a plot of land for the burial of his wife? Why didn't he want to own a plot of land before this? Why was this plot of land a cave?
The Pot Simmers
And Esau said to Jacob, "Please give some of this red, red stew, for I am faint"; and he was therefore named Edom. Genesis 25:30
There is much confusion and many questions that come out of the series of verses that describe Jacob's "purchase" of Esau's birthright for the infamous "mess of pottage." The first question that comes to my mind is why was Jacob cooking lentil soup, and why did the Bible feel a need to tell us about his culinary experiments in the kitchen?
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Eating the Bible"
by .
Copyright © 2013 Rena Rossner.
Excerpted by permission of Skyhorse Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction,
Genesis,
Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers,
Deuteronomy,
Biblical Ingredients,
Glossary,
Acknowledgments,
Index,