Faith-Full

As you may have noticed, I've been MIA for a while. It's not my fault; my internet's been down. What a strange feeling that is - it's like you're floating without a tether to the real world, which is ironic since all you can experience is the real world, in fact. Do we live in the Matrix or what?

Anyhow, I've got over 600 emails to read, the majority of which are food stories from the NY Times or the ASFS list-serv (an incredibly diverse bunch of foodie-scholars and journalists who discuss topics ranging from homemade cheese to the politics of local eating to the chemical properties of HFCS). So hopefully I'll be posting some interesting links soon, though the majority of them may be old news. I mean, I haven't even watched that video of the British woman singing yet! (though that is next on my to-do list, believe me)

I did want to briefly mention that I'm reading Sara Miles' Take This Bread and boy howdy, is it a page-turner! Rarely can you say an autobiography, much less one about a conversion, can't be put down, but I find myself stealing a paragraph or two every time Maggie gets momentarily engaged in some activity (then I look up to find her eating a dust bunny or sticking toys in the dvd player...yes, she's attained the age of mischief).

It is truly one of the best memoirs of faith I've read, and it's so completely engaged with food! Luckily, it's not exactly the book I'd hope to write (thank goodness, because I couldn't ever write as well as her!), but it's going to be a total inspiration when and if I ever get around to my own ideas. Sara writes mostly from her gut and her experience, whereas I plan to write more on the theological-ethical-ritual aspects of food. But in both cases, we agree that food is a primary pathway to God, and the main way that we understand our faith (and the way, we believe, our faith can be most effectively shared and lived).

So kudos to Sara, and definitely read this book!!!! And bon appetit.