Book Review & Giveaway: Food For Thought (w/ sweet bonus prize for homeschoolers)


Okay, so I lied. I said I was going to do the giveaway and review on Sunday. I'm doing it now.

Food For Thought: Reflections & RecipesHere, ladies and gentlemen, is an eminently practical book. And an eminently wise book.

Francis Foucachon is a classically trained French chef from Lyon, and a veteran of both the restaurant wars and the church planting wars. He has endured the slings and arrows of food and hospitality, and has emerged on the other side with gifts to give us.

I highly recommend his book; even if you buy it for yourself and never lend it out, if taken to heart it will be a gift to others.

I recommend it because it is full of joy and gratitude. It is difficult to find a book that talks about what food is for, and what people are for, that doesn't become either pedantic or shrill. Joy and gratitude are the solution to that. There is such a thing as good food, what food ought to be. And thinking on that can help you be what you ought to be.

The book is divided into three parts, the first dealing with what food is for, the second dealing with hospitality and Sabbath, and the third with food itself.

Foucachon is a church planter and pastor. His is a very Christian book. He first explores the place and purpose of man and food. Man is to be grateful to God, and creation is part of what he should be grateful for. Creation was made for our joy, and even after the Fall this is so. Therefore we are commanded to eat and drink.

Once we know our place, we see how vital hospitality is. This is where Food For Thought really comes into its own. Feasting, and especially Sunday feasting, should be a central part of the Christian life. And you can't have no feast by your lonesome. Hospitality is hard work, but it's worthy work. Foucachon is full of practical, simple advice on how to make hospitality happen. The book is worth the purchase for this section alone.
Francis Foucachon

The last part makes up fully half of the book, my friends. Recipes! Yes, half the book is recipes. And wonderful recipes too. Not for nothing have the French ascended to the top of the foodly heavens. And if you think French cuisine is over-complicated food prepared by and for snobs, you have another thing coming. I hope you like butter, cream, and wine. Buy the book here.

Hospitality is about giving. So I welcome you to my blog. Make yourself at home. Let me get you a beer. And oh, yeah, I have gifts. Giveaway time!

Roman Roads Media has offered not only to give away a copy of the book accompanied by Chef Foucachon's instructional video on French cuisine, but is also including a very very sweet prize for homeschoolers. a copy of The Aeneid portion of their Old Western Culture: The Romans video curriculum. I have viewed it and it is fantabulous.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest ends Wednesday the 17th at 11:59pm EST. A few of the ways of entering can be done once a day. Go to town!

Alas, contest is only open to those in the U.S. and Canada.

Comments

  1. I hate that my first comment is for a giveaway entry. I promise I have tried to comment before on other posts, but I am a technological 60 year old in a 30 year old's body. Hopefully this will get me in the door and make future commenting easy! It feels weird reading as much as I do and not adding to the discussion from time to time.

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    1. Thanks for commenting! As for reading and not commenting, that's what just about everybody does. And it's cool. But I have to tell you, I love getting comments. Keeps the fires fueled.

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  2. The comment box wouldn't let me keep typing. Go to meal for company: roast chicken and veg. Make sure to go high on the heat for the crispy chicken and throw in some sliced fennel bulb.

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  3. Go-to dish for company: Greek chicken and potatoes, with sides of olives, pepperoncinis, and Greek salad. I like this because even visiting kids will eat most of it, and most folks with food allergies can enjoy it as well!

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  4. mmm. I don't have company who aren't my parents very often. Fajitas are our go to though. Or at least what we call fajitas. We make gaucomole, refried beans, greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream), chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumber, onions and whatever else takes our fancy and prepare some beef or chicken strips. Then everyone can build their own wrap. And it's delicious

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  5. Go to dish for company: Lasagna. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to dress up, and easy to build a multi-dish meal off of. A salad and bread always accompany followed by a cobbler or pie and the wife does a bang up job on all it.

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    1. That's a family favorite as well. Lots of spinach for me, please.

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  6. Our go to dish for company? Roast chicken and root vegetables or made from scratch pasta and sauce (although, come to think of it, red beans and rice make a frequent showing too). We aim for simple, delicious, and filling.

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    1. Simple is best when having guests. Which is why good actual food is so important. Scratch pasta...love it. I enjoy making gnocchi, but not much else.

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  7. My video entry sir. Thanks for the opportunity
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGwIEwyXfEw&list=UUaM0YvlrHBGB6uqprISp90g

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    1. Junkie, make sure you go into the contest widget above to submit this link, right now those five entries aren't showing up!

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  8. the food would be eay finger food and then use the little hot dogs and roll them up in dogh
    and then the i would use the finger food they are easy to mke

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