Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes to Spark the Spirit of Hospitality

Hospitality is a spiritual gift, according to this beginner-level, Christian-themed cookbook, but it can also be learned. Smith, a former caterer, shares the recipes she has made for family, friends and church gatherings. Beginning each chapter with a personal reminiscence and a Bible quote, Smith emphasizes her religious orientation and traditional values. Her culinary aesthetic is equally conservative, hearkening back at times to the 1960s. Smith reports that she is acquainted with the Bush family, and her convenience-oriented, anachronistic but crowd-pleasing cuisine resembles that of Ariel de Guzman's recent Bush Family Cookbook . Salads include both green and gelatinous creations; soups are as straightforward as Tomato-Basil Bisque and as exotic as Chicken Pot Pie Soup. Entrées are old-fashioned American favorites (Ham Loaf) or inauthentic versions of international dishes (Ravioli Lasagna; marmalade-sweetened Mandarin Chicken). There are also chapters devoted to nonalcoholic drinks, appetizers, brunch, breads and dessert. Many ingredients can be found in cans and packets, and Smith helpfully supplies a grocery list and pantry checklist for every recipe. While this work won't seem particularly welcoming to serious foodies or, for that matter, nonbelievers, it may offer inspiration to some. (Mar.)