Recipes and Recommendations for Imbibing Beauty through Books and Beverages
By Annie Nardone
Reading good literature should be a daily event. Carving out a set time and place to read soon becomes a wonderful habit, no less than necessary food for the mind. In the following collection I am including literary recommendations (“The Pages”) accompanied by a beverage (“Pints, and Pours”) with which to pair them. Each recipe aligns with the author’s era and art in some way.
The pages: The supper of the lamb by Robert farrar capon
“You see, I hope, how hard it is to rush past even a single detail. The world is such an amiable place.”— Robert Farrar Capon 1
Storyteller, chef, and Episcopalian priest, Robert Capon doesn’t just tell us the how of traditional cooking, but invites us into the why. Supper of the Lamb is a call to see beauty and delight in slowing down, reveling in the time invested in a simple, home-cooked meal made with friends. The magic of Capon's writing is his ability to weave the simplicity of cooking techniques with his personal recipes. Each chapter blends spiritual wisdom into common acts of goodness, making any gathering a soul filling occasion.
I confess that I read cookbooks like most people read fiction. The Supper of the Lamb is pure delight, a box of rich word truffles to be slowly savored, just like a satisfying novel. My copy is fully underlined and highlighted because the prose is brilliant and wise, the recipes are basic, and Capon shares some of the best advice on living well.
The book is seasoned with wry humor. He opens chapter 1 with “Let me begin without ceremony,”2 and proceeds to guide us through the preparation of lamb for eight guests. He continues at a leisurely pace through breads, meat, vegetables, desserts, and beverages with simple recipes and suggestions for leftovers. His chapter on proper cutlery is a standout as he gently chides us all for our serrated bread knives. He begins the chapter entitled “The Suspended Solution” on preparing the perfect gravy, confessing, “At long last (you have been patient), I am ready to thicken the stew.”3 Yes, lead on, my friend.
Enjoying a good beverage in a cozy chair while reading is a delightful escape. Slow down. Linger over the words. This book would be a perfect book club selection because each chapter offers a recipe or two, creating a potluck opportunity for gathering.
Pair your reading with one of the following drinks. Capon concludes by sharing several cocktail recipes, including this twist on an old standard cocktail. The mocktail recipe is my own.
PINTS AND POURS
Sweet Martini
2 parts dry gin
1 part sweet vermouth
Twist of orange peel
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, pour, and serve with the peel on the rim.4
Citrus Basil Refresher Mocktail
Muddle 2-3 fresh basil leaves in a tall glass with a splash of fresh lemon juice. Fill the glass with ice, seltzer and an orange slice. Stir and serve.
—-
Annie Nardone is a lifelong bibliophile with a special devotion to the Inklings and medieval authors. She is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute and holds an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University. Annie is a writer for Cultivating Oaks Press and An Unexpected Journal. Her writing can also be found at Square Halo Press, Rabbit Room Press, Clarendon Press U.K., Calla Press, and Poetica. Annie is a Master Teacher with HSLDA and Kepler Education and strives to help her students see holiness in everyday life and art. She lives in Florida with her husband and six cats, appreciates the perfect cup of tea, an expansive library, and the beach with family.
--------------
1 Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb (New York: Random House, 2002), 22.
2 Ibid., 1.
3 Ibid., 98.
4 Ibid., 267.
