Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self-Discovery and Spiritual Truth

A small but growing group of authors write cookbooks that explore the spiritual metaphors of cooking. Reinhart has written a number in this genre, including Brother Juniper's Bread Book and Sacramental Magic in a Small Town Caf . As both a lay brother in an Eastern Orthodox service order (Christ the Savior Brotherhood) and an excellent bread chef (editor of the revised Joy of Cooking's bread chapter and former instructor at the California Culinary Academy), he speaks with both spiritual and culinary authority. In this nutritious and delicious book, Reinhart uses the twelve stages of bread-making (mise en place, mixing, primary fermentation, punching down the dough, weighing the individual pieces, rounding, resting, shaping, secondary fermentation, baking, cooling, then devouring or storing) as symbols of our spiritual walk. Tempering of the soul, for example, is ""the testing and strengthening of our commitment to the vision of our quest. When we make bread we have enough experience with the end result so that we know what we are shooting for."" Reinhart uses long stories (which are sometimes a tad long-winded) from his own spiritual journey and experience. For those who share the love of excellent bread and the desire for a serious spiritual walk, this book will be a tasty treat. (Feb.)