Kitchen Meditations with Kendall Vanderslice

What comes to mind when you hear the word rest? Is it a hammock swaying between two trees? Is it a slow afternoon in the kitchen, or laughter around a table with friends? Perhaps rest feels like something elusive, something you want but can’t find time to claim? Or maybe it just seems lazy when there is so much that must be done. In this episode of Kitchen Meditations, we’re going to spend some time reflecting on what these complicated feelings might be. Bake and Pray, Any Day: On Demand

Are you a salt fiend? Or someone who prides yourself on the fact that you don’t need any to enjoy what you eat? Did you know that salt is one of the most important, if underappreciated ingredients in just about every dish? It plays so many roles in our food, aside from just aiding the flavor. And it’s been a powerful political tool throughout history too. How does that reshape your understanding of Jesus’ quip, “you are the salt of the earth”? Buy tickets to our Holy Week Bake & PrayOrder Kendall’s book By Bread Alone Kale Salad: 1 teaspoon diced red onion2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar1/4 cup olive oil2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese3 small bowls of kaleTwo pinches of salt1/2 of your favorite croutons (my favorite? Homemade using the leftovers of my latest Bake & Pray loaf!) Place the red onion in a glass jar and cover with the balsamic vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add the olive oil. Once combined, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Divide the kale between three bowls, massaging a pinch of salt into one and letting it sit for five minutes. Add dressing and croutons to all three bowls, then salt one of the unsalted bowls. Taste all three and observe the differences based on the use of salt! If you're a fan of Kitchen Meditations, then you'll love listening to the ⁠audiobook version of By Bread Alone⁠—narrated by Kendall Vanderslice. Now through April 17 you can listen for 50% off. ⁠Start listening today⁠.

Have you ever carried a 50 pound bag of flour? There’s a special trick to it: you have to pick it up from underneath and flip it over your shoulder, otherwise it’s too unwieldy to handle. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman mixed into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. Three measures of flour is just a bit more flour than one of those 50 pound bags, which means this woman was leavening a whole lot of dough. In today’s episode of Kitchen Meditations, On Leaven, we’re going to reflect on what it means for the Kingdom of Heaven to be like yeast. Learn more about Aminah’s work: http://robdunnlab.com/people/aminah-al-attas-bradford/Learn more about the sourdough microbiome: https://asm.org/Articles/2020/June/The-Sourdough-Microbiomehttps://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipehttps://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-mason-jar-193124 If you're a fan of Kitchen Meditations, then you'll love listening to the audiobook version of By Bread Alone—narrated by Kendall Vanderslice. Now through April 17 you can listen for 50% off. Start listening today.

Our life with Christ begins in water. That terrifying, beautiful element that makes up 60% of the human body and covers 71% of the earth's surface. Baptism is a sacrament as mysterious as Communion, God present with us and transforming us in ways we cannot completely understand. In both we are called into a community that holds onto this mystery of faith together with us—or for us when we don't have the strength to hold onto it on our own. In this episode, we're talking about water—magnificent and dangerous at the same time. As wild as it may seem, I think the waters of baptism and the mixing of bread can each teach us something beautiful about the other. Order your copy of By Bread Alone today!

Six years ago, the Catholic Church made headlines when it re-affirmed a long held stance on Communion: the bread used for the Sacrament must contain wheat. The stance can be traced back to the writing of Thomas Aquinas and is shaped by cultural relationships to flour. Today on Kitchen Meditations, we're examining why wheat has been so integral in the history of the church—and why I believe that the structure of wheat itself encourages us to search for God's work in other grains as well.Order By Bread Alone Learn to bake bread with the Bake & Pray workshop Find great gluten free recipes on Canelle et Vanille and in Peter Reinhart's gluten free cookbook

This week’s episode is a reading from the preface of Kendall Vanderslice’s book By Bread Alone: a baker’s reflections on hunger, longing, and the goodness of God. We hope you enjoy this small taste of what’s to come. Order your copy of By Bread Alone today!

Dive into the colorful world of King Cake, a sweet symbol of Mardi Gras steeped in history and celebration. Explore its intriguing origins and the festive rituals surrounding Carnival traditions. The podcast contrasts the vibrant King Cake with the French Galette de Rois and delves into the significance of Shrove Tuesday treats like Semlor and Paczki. Discover how these delicious pastries serve as a prelude to Lent, weaving together themes of indulgence, community, and cultural heritage.

I love Lent. Perhaps you’re someone who grinds your teeth and muscles through the weeks of fasting. Maybe you stay silent because you just don’t feel like fasting is all that important, but everyone around you is…super invested. Or perhaps you believe Lent is an unnecessary season, an attempt to earn favor with God when we already have God’s grace. Although “Lent” is not a season outlined in Scripture, it’s been a way for Christians to mark time since at least the early 4th century. To kick off season two of Kitchen Meditations, we’ll share with you why Lent might be just the season you need this year. Lent history Medieval Lent practices Orthodox Fasting Learn to bake sourdough this Lent with the Baker’s Table Pre-order Kendall’s book, By Bread Alone

Have you ever attended a dinner where you were left awkwardly picking at just a slice of bread, slathered in butter, while everyone else around you enjoyed a large feast...unable to partake because of food allergies that weren't accounted for in the meal? It's a terrible feeling to be unable to eat the same food as everyone around, or worse yet, to be unable to eat with them at all. And yet it's the reality for a rapidly increasing number of Americans these days. How do those of us who love hospitality respond? How do we extend hospitality at a time when finding food that everyone can eat is so complicated? And how does a theological vision that approaches food as a delightful gift from God account for the reality that, for many people, the act of eating is more of a burden than a joy? In this episode of Kitchen Meditations, we're talking about food allergies—why they seem so prevalent these days and the opportunity they give us for a new approach to hospitality. Links and Resources: CDC Data on Food Allergies FARE Food Allergy Statistics Pre-order Kendall’s book, By Bread Alone

Have you ever read the Bible as…a dietary manual? For some of you that might sound strange, for others…well, you might know exactly what I’m talking about. Christian dieting books abound that promise spiritual freedom, if only you eat according to strict guidelines laid out in various parts of scripture. In our fourth episode on Diet Culture, we’re going to look at the underlying assumptions behind most Biblical diet books…then consider a different theological approach. Links and Resources: Pre-Order By Bread Alone today! Check out our Worship at the Table program. Learn more about intuitive eating.