Taste and See: Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers

Speaker and teacher Feinberg (Scouting the Divine) explores the foods of the Bible in this delightful book of scriptural lessons, travel anecdotes, and recipes. In essaylike chapters, Feinberg describes meeting with food producers from around the globe to gain a deeper perspective on the relationship between food and spirituality. In “A Flaky Fillet of Fish,” she joins a crew of fisherman on the Sea of Galilee who expectantly wait for God to deliver their catch. (Related recipes include Leif’s Baked Halibut and Mom’s Almond-Crusted Tilapia.) In “A Plate of Sweet and Succulent Figs,” Feinberg visits a farm in Madera, Calif. that challenges her notions of perspective and attentiveness as she witnesses the tiny fruits emerging from massive trees. In “A Dash of Sea Salt,” she descends into the caverns of a Utah salt mine and considers images of salt in the Bible, a symbol of “new beginnings and a separation from the past.” She also harvests olives in Croatia, visits a butcher in South Texas, and attempts to make 18-minute matzo. Feinberg’s approach is conversational and practical, and she includes sidebars of simple activities based around showing grace before eating (such as going around to highlight each person’s best attribute or “fruit of the spirit”). Christian foodies are in for a treat. (Jan.)