In Kitchen’s Past and Present
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ”
My mother was a Home Economics teacher, and through her example, I learned the value of reading a good cookbook. If you read a cookbook just for the recipes, you miss history, ethnic uniqueness, and spirituality. Most cookbooks tell the story of the food’s identity, and it is through the blood, sweat, and tears of the evolution of a particular food that the spirituality of the meal takes place.
The spirituality of cooking became apparent as I read a cookbook in the past couple of weeks entitled, The Native Mexican Kitchen by Rachel Glueck and Noel Morales. Glueck and Morales describe, “Anglo thinking is to Mexican thinking what baking is to cooking. The former follows recipes, precise quantities, and exact timing. The latter follows intuition, feeling, sensation, and subtle cues. It is not just an art, but a form of magic.”
Food and recipes are part of its ritual and spirituality in various books throughout the Old and New Testaments. From the Passover meal to the Last Supper, and many examples in between, food was used to educate (Passover), to provide care (water into wine), and spiritually prepare the faithful (Last Supper). Food, its preparation, and sharing around a table can be a transformative moment. Over and over, God takes a mundane mixture of food items and gives them flavor, communal sharing, and spiritual significance.
Today, think about your family’s cooking history. What were the recipes and food that were important to your family? What times did the extended family gather to eat special meals? What were the rituals behind your meals? Were there any that felt sacred? For example, Sunday brunch after church or Christmas dinner. Whenever you say grace before you eat, the meal becomes holy. Do not waste precious time just eating. Make each experience sacred and spiritually fulfilling. God wants to make every part of our lives sacred, including the food we eat.
