Feasting With Meaning

Feasting usually means a meal full of lush food and drink, with all sorts of revelry to follow. Yet there  is also a religious aspect to it, a facet that gets pushed aside.Old Testament readers will know  about these, along with their meanings and place in yearly celebrations.For those who don't there's a brand new book to aid in deciphering each feast.

Sonya A. Mozingo is the author of that book, A Year Of Feasting:Manual On The Seven Feasts Of God, Seen From a Christian Messanic  Jewish Perspective(2016 Archway Publishing). This is not the usual cookbook that has recipes for Passover or Succot. It's an explanation of the different feasts  occurring throughout the calendar. The author had many years of troubles before she turned to religion to help reunite her family and give her purpose in life. Feasting and celebrating has helped her understand basically why we are on this earth and what is our purpose in the eternal scheme of things.Ms. Mozinga explains foods' symbolism and their connection to a particular dinner. For those looking into a deeper historical meaning, with Old Testament references, this is not the book for you. The preparations and rituals are explained in simple terms. This is a great book for churches and youth groups who want to have interfaith celebrations. It can be used as a template when conducting services as well.

So, are there even any recipes in this book on feasting? Yes, but not in the traditional cookbook sense. Ms. Mozinga gives broad ones. For example,  the Feast of Pentecost or Shavout , there are the traditional loaves of wheat bread mentioned along with the individual cups of mixed herbs  blended with oil and vinegar.Tables also have trays of barley, olives figs, pomegranate and and grapes. Then there's a mention of cheesecake from Sam's Club. It would have been nice to have a home made  cheesecake recipe, perhaps one flavored with pomegranate juice or figs. Rosh Hashanah has the traditional apples dipped in honey along with a loaf of challah bread and a tray  of sweet potato muffins. There are also carrot, dishes integral to the ceremony, Again, it would have been nice if Ms. Mozingo had included a challah recipe or a salad one for the carrots., The Passover feast is pretty exact. Celebrants must have unleavened bread or matzoh, along with maror or bitter herbs. There is also matzoh ball soup but she recommends getting packets at Harris Teeter, a local Southern grocery chain, I would have liked to have seen at least one matzoh ball soup recipe and some variations on it.

A Year of  Feasting :Manual On The seven Feasts of God is an excellent book fr those wishing to recreate the different Jewish feasts .This book shows how Judaism  has always influenced Christianity and how the two are interwoven. Buy this book,, its' more food for the soul and spirit than it is for the body.