When I first skimmed through Around the Catholic Table by Emily Stimpson Chapman, I was a tiny bit disappointed because I thought the recipes would be focused on the Catholic Liturgical Calendar or the Catholic Saints. I then read through the Introduction and discovered Emily’s passion for cooking and hospitality, reflecting her parents’ love of hosting, and how her passion flourished with Thursday Night Dinners at Franciscan University, and continues today, hosting family and friends with her own family.
It turns out there is a concept of hospitality that is very Catholic! Just look at The Rule of St Benedict! I was reminded of how much St. Benedict valued hospitality and encouraged the monks to receive guests as they would lovingly receive Christ.
It was also particularly touching to discover that this beautiful cookbook began as an e-book and was given to those who helped support Emily and her husband Chris through the adoption journey of their three children.
The recipes are Emily’s “simplest, tastiest, and most crowd-friendly recipes for hosting”. Emily reminds us that our home doesn’t have to be picture-perfect and our meals don’t have to be culinary feats.
These recipes can be joyfully prepared, even with limited budgets, and busy households and are perfect for fun, low-stress family gatherings.
There are Thirty-Minute Meals and modifications are specified for Gluten-free, Dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and nut-free.
The cookbook is punctuated by thoughtful essays by Emily about the Catholic understanding of food, practical aspects of hosting including cooking for guests with food allergies or special diets, getting the house ready, feeding little kids and food prep with little kids running around.
I love that Emily clarifies the difference between entertaining (impressing people) and hospitality (loving people).
While this month has been busy, I have managed to host a couple of times and I made my first recipe from this book that both impressed my guests and allowed me to lovingly serve them yummy food!
If you’d like to purchase this delightful Catholic cookbook, please visit this link:
Around the Catholic Table (St. Paul Center)
If you prefer Amazon links, your purchase through my affiliate Amazon link for Around the Catholic Table will earn me a very small commission that does not inflate the price you pay. Thanks for your support!
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