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Author Considers Her Book A 'Hardback Missionary'

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By MICHELLE BEARDEN

mbearden@tampatrib.com

Published: January 31, 2009

Does the world really need another cookbook?

Benita Long thought so. At least that the religious retail market did.

While shopping for a gift for a granddaughter at a Christian store, she found a lot of books - but few with illustrations.

"We have a beautiful faith with a beautiful promise. And we live in a beautiful world," Long said. "So why not a beautiful book that reflects that?"

She wanted a cookbook that went beyond recipes and menu planning. She envisioned a coffee-table book with stunning photographs, inspiring prose, commentary and Scripture, and exquisite Southern recipes.

The idea would expand to include a team of six and take four years to complete. And it appears that Long's hunch was right: The world was ready for another cookbook.

"Come to the Table: Food, Fellowship and a Celebration of God's Bounty" (Thomas Nelson Publishers, $25) was released in the fall and is already in its third printing with nearly 60,000 copies sold. It is available online or wherever books are sold.

Not bad for a first-time author, who divides her time between her native Augusta, Ga., and a farm in the backcountry of South Carolina.

It's not just a book to Long, who attends a Presbyterian church. She calls it a "hardback missionary" - delivering a message that life is a pilgrimage and how we present and receive our meals is part of that sacred journey.

"It's not all about what we take from the table," she says. "It's also about what we bring to the table."

The recipes are grouped into themed sections, from picnics to small group dinners to family gatherings. Each chapter includes beautifully designed table settings with the prepared dishes. A Scripture or a poetic thought from a historical or literary figure accompanies the meals.

"We borrowed homes, gardens and kitchens all over the South," Long says. "Some of the images are breathtaking. We wanted readers to consider the beauty of God's work in everything around us, even things we take for granted."

While "Come to the Table" is written from a Christian perspective, Long and her collaborators wanted it also to be inclusive. The chapter "Magnificent Table Prayers" includes sayings from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Louis Stevenson, George Washington, William Shakespeare and William Butler Yeats.

"That's my favorite chapter," Long says. "Too often we resort to the same prayers at mealtime or none at all. We found some wonderful reflections that can be used at gatherings."

One appropriate for these times comes from St. Francis of Assisi: "Blessed Lord, we pray thee to be present at our table, hallowing thy gifts to our use; that eating to satisfy our needs we may remember those who lack."

Long, who considers herself more of a hostess than a chef, says extending hospitality and celebrating family and friendships is just another practice of spiritual discipline.

"When we live joyously, it's our way of saying thank you to God," she says. "And what better way to express joy than bringing people to your table and offering them your bounty? It's a generous and wonderful gift to give."

SUPER FEAST

The Tampa Tribune asked Benita Long to devise a Southern-style meal from the cookbook that would work on Super Bowl Sunday, one of the most celebrated days in America. Her perfect meal: deviled eggs, Joe's pork roast, green apple cole slaw and hazelnut chocolate cookies or apple cake.

We'll give you the pork roast recipe. For the rest, the book is available in stores or online:

JOE'S PORK ROAST

Makes 30 servings

5 whole cloves garlic

3/4 cup red wine vinegar, divided

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 (11-ounce) can tomato soup

1 (11-ounce) can beef broth

1/2 cup Heinz 57 steak sauce

1 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

1 heaping tsp dried oregano

1 (5-pound) Boston butt pork roast

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan combine garlic, 1/2 cup of the vinegar and the oil. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato soup, beef broth, Heinz 57, brown sugar, salt, pepper and oregano. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place heavy-duty aluminum foil in baking pan. Place the pork roast in the pan, fat side up. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the roast with foil and seal tightly. Bake about 6 to 8 hours or until the roast is very tender and pulls apart easily. Open the foil and remove the fat layer and turn the oven to broil; brown the top of the roast. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Chop the meat into small pieces and place in a chafing dish over a small flame. Spoon the sauce over the meat until the desired moistness.

Michelle Bearden can be reached at (813) 259-7613.

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