Bread & Wine

Oh, “Bread & Wine”. How happy I am that you’re here! When I saw on Shauna’s blog several months ago that she was looking for bloggers to receive an advance copy of her newest book, I thought it was just about the best thing ever. As an avid, avid reader, the theory of advanced readers thrilled me. It’s like seeing a movie before it’s in theatres or hearing a single before it drops. It’s also kind of like overhearing a really juicy conversation or winning excellent tickets to a concert. Equal parts exciting, exclusive and just a little bit sneaky.

So you can imagine my excitement when the book arrived in my mailbox at the end of February. I promptly curled up in bed and basically read the book cover to cover. There were a few chapters that were read while sitting on the stationary bike at the gym because spending an entire weekend reading in bed seemed just a tiny bit too indulgent, even for me. So, of course, here we are, six weeks later, and I haven’t posted my review. Some of this might be due to my irregular blogging as of late, but I have to blame at least a little bit of it in my nervousness to write a review that could potentially be read by Shauna herself. I’ve felt such a deep connection to “Cold Tangerines,” “Bittersweet” and now, “Bread & Wine.” As I’ve said before, Shauna found me at a really vulnerable time in my life, and her sweet words (whether hopeful or despairing) helped me find grace and clarity. And they still do. Even though life has settled down sweetly in the past six months, I found the same resonation of hope and grace and life in this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

So instead of a formal review, I’ll just come right out and tell you that I loved it. I loved it for its spiritual-ness, its foody-ness, its humor and its honesty. Please, please read it. You will love it. And if you love food and cooking, you will love it doubly more. Here is a brief synopsis of my favorite “Bread & Wine” moments:

1.       The concept of “life around the table” is something I’ve thought about a lot in the past few years, but never really articulated. And, of course, there are two tables we’re talking about here. The first is the table my living room…the new one that I bought when I moved in November with its shiny wood, leather seats and painfully bare top at the current moment (note to self to finally buy a table runner). This table was a labor of love, since I had to send the set back four times before a perfect version was delivered to my dining room, but sitting at that table and eating dinner with family and friends is one of the greatest joys of my Pittsburgh life, and I’m so glad for the happiness we’ve found around it already, even in just a few short months. The second table, naturally, is the Lord’s table. Communion and nourishment in a bigger way. And just as Shauna says, life should really be lived around the Lord’s table. Whether in quiet reflection or the loudest moments of our lives, we’re aiming to live in communion with God and each other.

2.       Two of my favorite recipes came from Part 1 of the book: Steak au Poivre and Green Well Salad. Before moving in with M I could probably count on one finger the number of times I made steak. Yes, folks, that’s right. One time. And it was a disaster that I’m pretty sure a) made M terrified of me in the kitchen and b) spurred my hate-hate relationship with the broiler. But Steak au Poivre sounded so delicious and shockingly easy to make, that I had to give it a try for the sake of my meat-loving boyfriend. And it was. Aside from the fact that our steaks were probably a bit more well-done than the book suggests (due to my unreasonable fear of food borne illness, much to M’s disappointment), we were eating medium-well, but even then, we loved them. And the sauce was delicious. And if you like peppercorns, this will be your new go-to entertaining meal. And then came the Green Well Salad. Caramelized onions are my weakness, and combine them with goat cheese, pears, grapes, dried cherries (or in my case, cranberries) and walnuts…and you really can’t lose. However, the best part for me might have been the salad dressing. For some reason, the thought of making homemade salad dressing was up there with painting the Mona Lisa, but turns out it’s very simple. And way more delicious than the bottled stuff. I added Dijon mustard with horseradish to my dressing, and it was the perfect accompaniment to nearly everything I ate that week.

3.       Present over perfect. It was close to the end of the book where I found this construct that really resonated with me. I am Type A, a perfectionist, a detail-oriented person. I love to host dinner parties, but I hate messes and last minute tasks and dinner guests who don’t use coasters. And sometimes I don’t do the things I love for fear of the anxiety and craziness that comes from always aiming for “the perfect.” And I miss out. I miss out on really great conversations had with friends while there is laundry piled up on my floor. I miss out on enjoying our company because I’m huddled over the kitchen sink cleaning every dish that I’ve used. There’s only so much you can control, and being present is worth 100 times more than a perfectly clean kitchen and neatly folded laundry. No one notices if there are a few dishes in the sink or if you’re wearing the same yoga pants as yesterday. No one cares if your counters have smudges of tomato sauce or your dining room table as a few watermark rings. But people do care if you don’t make them feel like they are heard and appreciated and welcomed. So I’m trying to remember this as we entertain more and more…to welcome the company and the experience of community around the table with these dear friends and to stop worrying about the appearance of my home or the complexity of my meal. Sound, sound advice.

So friends, please buy a copy of “Bread & Wine.” Find it on Amazon or download it on your iPad, or if you’re really desperate, ask me, and I will gladly give you one of the ten copies I pre-ordered on Amazon before receiving my advanced copy. And then tell me you read it, so we can cook and chat together.

Visit Shauna at her website by clicking here: http://www.shaunaniequist.com/
And order "Bread & Wine" on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Wine-Letter-Around-Recipes/dp/0310328179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365714550&sr=8-1&keywords=bread+%26+wine

To Bread & Wine,

Lia