~ Continual Feast ~
. ~ A cookbook full of wonderful recipes and ideas drawn from throughout the Christian tradition, with suggestions about when, and why, these dishes might be served. ~ It contains more than 275 recipes with which to celebrate all the holidays throughout the Christian year, as well as the many shared rituals that strengthen family bonds and enrich the significance of the day to day events of our lives. ~ How these rituals, rites and feasts came about, how they are celebrated around the world, and how you can bring them into your home are described every step of the way. ~ Includes wonderful illustrations. ~ A Continual Feast brings new meaning to "breaking bread together." A book to cook from and learn from, it includes: menus for holidays and every day recipes for all occasions from church picnics and Sunday suppers to birthdays, namedays, confirmations, and baptisms; wonderful cooking projects for children; recipes for Christmas giving; thoughtful suggestions on taking food to others; customs associated with many great Christian holidays from Advent through Pentecost as well as various saints days around the world; traditional meanings associated with particular foods; tips on fasting and abstinence; recipes that incorporate leftovers; quotations from the Bible and various theological and gastronomic sources; many recipes of varied ethnic origins; a wealth of Christian history and thought. ~ "Vitz celebrates the convergence of many ideas in the Christian tradition, from stories of the saints and the foods associated with their feast days, to lore on how Judeo-Christian traditions came about, to anecdotes on food names. ~ The text provides fascinating reading, thanks to the author's light, conversational style and and excellent selection of recipes...." ' " Booklist '' "Food from many countries to celebrate all the important days of the Christian year. ~ Vitz is an excellent discriminating cook who writes with intelligence, good humor, and a loving heart." " Library Journal '' "A cookbook that is quite unlike anything I've ever seen before. ~ It is a celebration of food in the Christian tradition, especially as it relates to the family. ~ With its nearly 300 recipes, wonderful drawings and thoughtful text, A Continual Feast will make a splendid Christmas gift for family people on your list." " The National Catholic Register '' " A Continual Feast has something for everyone. ~ She provides recipes for the adventurous cook, for a baptism, foods of the Bible, and even tips on how to involve children in baking. ~ An unpretentious, accessible Christian cookbook that will reward anyone eager to put the family back where it belongs." " Charisma Magazine '' Evelyn Birge Vitz is an Associate Professor in the French Department of New York University and co-director of the University's Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program. ~ Her love of good food stems from the