The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library Food)

Capon is one of my favorite writers, period. At times his writing can be too flowery, but it is often brilliant and never dull. Reading Capon takes time and personal investment, but it is well worth it. This book in particular is one of my favorites and it is a joy to read.It is difficult to describe this book in any way that does it justice . . . its more than a cookbook with some theology thrown in. It is a book with great recipes that will renew your love for food, your awe at God's creation, and your delight with daily life. Capon elevates the material world to its rightful place and is the best Christian writer I have ever read when it comes to the humanity of Christ and its importance. It is one thing to say that Jesus was fully God and fully human, it is another to delight in it. Pick this book up for any reason, whether you are a foodie, a Christian, or just love good writing. Highly Recommended.Some of my favorite passages . . ."O Lord, refresh our sensibilities. Give us this day our daily taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in, and sauces which are never the same twice. Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with, and casseroles that put starch and substance in our limp modernity. Take away our fear of fat, and make us glad of the oil which ran upon Aaron's beard. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings, and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true men-to fast till we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand. Drive far from us, O Most Bountiful, all creatures of air and darkness; cast out the demons that possess us; deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition; and set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve thee as thou hast blessed us-with dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Amen." (27-28 - "prayer for the return of sanity to our tables")"Man invented cooking before he thought of nutrition. To be sure, food keeps us alive, but that is only its smallest and most temporary work. Its eternal purpose is to furnish our sensibilities against the day when we shall sit down at the heavenly banquet and see how gracious the Lord is. Nourishment is necessary only for a while; what we shall need forever is taste." (40)"Only miracles are simple; nature is a mystery." (84)"It is a false piety that walks through creation looking only for lessons which can be applied somewhere else. To be sure, God remains the greatest good, but, for all that, the world is still good in itself." (86)(on cooking for your children) "Feed them, yes; but do not cook for them. Cook for yourself. What they need most of all in this vale of sorrows is the sight of men who relish reality. You do them no lasting favor by catering to their underdeveloped tastes. We have not acquired our amplitude for nothing. No matter what they think, we know: We are the ones who have tasted and seen how gracious it all is. What a shame if we were to hide that light under a bushel." (131)"Many women are poor cooks only because their native greatness has been beaten down by ingratitude. A husband's hunger is one of the principal ornaments of his household. How sad, then, when he spends his day blunting the edge of the easiest, truest compliment he can pay his wife." (147-148)"If I had only a single temporal blessing to wish you, I would not hesitate a moment: May you be spared long enough to know at least one long evening of old friends, dark bread, good wine, and strong cheese." (148)

I freaking LOVE this book. It is deeply profound and whimsical and ridiculous and sassy all at the same time. This isn't really a cookbook, but more of a meditation on what it means to cook and eat and love things as they are. I will never chop an onion or look at baking soda the same way again. Father Robert calls for us to pay attention to the actual things in front of us and to slow down and savor the deliciousness of life, just because God created realities like wine and cheese and the magic of flour and water becoming bread. "Food is the daily sacrament of unnecessary goodness, ordained for a continual remembrance that the world will always be more delicious than it is useful." (pg. 40)Capon reminds us that "We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great." (pg. 189) His view of God as one who delights in creation and encourages us to do the same is beautiful.Anyone who loves food and cooking and wonders where theology might relate to those must read this book. It is hilarious and totally worth underlining and rereading over and over again. Glad to have my own copy.

Is it a theological reflection, a cookbook, a memoir about food? Yes, yes, and yes. An incredible read - requires more than one reading to really absorb the wisdom contained herein. "The company that forms around our dinner tables, they actually create our humanity. . . food is precisely an epiphany of the greatness of our nature. . . it is a sacrament, a real presence of the gorgeous mystery of our being" (p. xxvi) - Father Capon drew me in with these words. My family is a family of foodies thinking that relationships are formed around food production, cooking, and of course eating! Think of it - everyone eats. The need for food is a universal human requirement that transcends culture, beliefs, and biases....Throughout Capon introduces his philosophies of food...e.g., Never serve anybody a whole anything (p. 23). I found myself often laughing, thinking, good point. I like this read alongside some of Michael Pollan's works. Why? Capon connects eating with creation and our humanity. Gone is the fast food, eat whatever's available approach. Instead, care for how we cook, the ingredients we use, those we dine with - a real sense of intentionality and hospitality is infused within this book. Slow down, use fine ingredients, the way we cook and the foods we eat reflect our inner being, our care of self and others.Who would like this book? Those interested in food memoirs, those who care about food practices, community and hospitality, those who like to cook (some wonderful recipes and tips!), those who are interested in a theology of creation and how that translates into behaviors.

I am not a religious person, and when I found that the author of this book was a priest, and that much of the book was religiously oriented, I was hesitant to buy it. But I finally did, and I am delighted!! Mr. Capon is highly opinionated and passionate about food, the world, and personal experience. He is often laugh-out-loud funny, and is thoughtful and earnest in his discussions. He is, however, distinctly from a different time, when women were the family cooks, etc. With an understanding of his world, this book is enormously enjoyable. As a cook and a lover of food of all sorts, I find myself in agreement with many of his opinionated diatribes! But, whether or not I agree, I still find his writing charming and warm, and his thoughts interesting.

I loved this book; in parts!Very thoughtful in places, causing exceptional reflection on the whole topic of food and how we as created humans relate to creation.Unbearably irritating in other sections, to point of being anal.Only a few of the recipes are likely to be tried, but I suspect that is not the point.Glad I bought the book on the recommendation of a good friend. We plan to meet up to discuss our thoughts as a result.

Its not what you would expect from a cook book come book of food stories, written by a priest, full of wisdom and insight and some excellent recipes too. This is more like a dinner conversation where you are talking and cooking, drinking and discussing - it's an easy read and a full of insights. For anyone who likes food - I mean eating, talking and cooking - this is a must for your bookshelf

I've never read a book like this. Part cookbook, part theological perspective. Pages on how to chop an onion, eating cheese, making bread, railings against the cereal barons and why lunch need only be cheese and beer.

Amazing, weird, wordy and unforgettable, with the longest recipe I've EVER read.

Quite hard reading. Better to select passages