This site developed by Big Blend Magazine™. copyrighted since 1998. No part of it may be reproduced for any reason, with out written permission from Big Blend Magazine, P.O. Box 90153, Tucson, AZ 85752. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily that of this publication or any of its staff. We reserve the right to edit submittals. All subject matter is intended for general information only and not to be take as personal advice in any matter. Although every effort is made to be accurate, we cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies or plagiarized copy submitted to us by advertisers or contributors.

Big Blend Magazines          Big Blend Radio Shows         Big Blend Marketing        Contact Us

A Biblical Feast

Ancient Mediterranean Flavors for Today’s Table
Written by Kitty Morse

Second edition. Updated with all-new color food photography. Originally published as 'A Biblical Feast: Foods from the Holy Land for Today'.

A land of wheat, and barley, and vines,and fig trees, and pomegranates;
a land of oil olive and honey. Deutronomy 8:8

Herb-coated goat cheese, pungent garlic and leeks, succulent lamb, fresh sardines, tender fava beans, honey sweet dates, crunchy pistachios and almonds... Although we usually think of the ancient Hebrews and early Christians eating only “manna from heaven” and the oft quoted “loaves and fishes,” the Bible tells us that a cornucopia of delicious foods sustained the inhabitants of the Jordan River Valley. Many ingredients like lentils, leeks, garlic, almonds, figs, olives, wine, barley, and honey remain staples of the contemporary Mediterranean kitchen, yet we know little about their rich legacy.

A Biblical Feast: Ancient Mediterranean Flavors for Today’s Table is inspired by the 84 primary foodstuffs mentioned in Scriptures. The appropriate Biblical verse heads each of the almost fifty kitchen-tested recipes, as does the explanation of the ingredients’ culinary, historical and spiritual links. Twenty-two full color photographs and specially commissioned illustrations make it easy to reproduce the dishes. Sample menus provide new ways to celebrate every occasion, whether secular or religious.

Mainly, A Biblical Feast: Ancient Mediterranean Flavors for Today’s Table demonstrates that the people of the Holy Land were simple folk who ate uncomplicated yet wholesome food that up to now has never gone out of style.

Sample Recipe - Honey-Almond Stuffed Dates
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries,and to be cooks, and to be bakers.1 Samuel 8:13

Dates were a staple of the ancient Hebrew diet. Biblical botanists believe that at one time the Jordan River Valley was a virtual forest of palms. This explains why Deutronomy 34:3 refers to jerichoas the "city of palm trees".

Ingredients
12 medium Medjool dates
1 cup almonds, finely ground
1 cup honey

1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Method
Slice dates open, but do not cut in half. Remove pits.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm honey until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in almond meal. Cool until the consistency of caramel.
Pour sesame seeds into a shallow bowl.
Scoop up 1 heaping teaspoon of honey-almond mixture.
Roll in sesame seeds and form into a spindle shape. Stuff into a date.
Repeat process with remaining filling and dates.
Recipe photo by Owen Morse - copyright 2009.

Kitty Morse was born in Casablanca of a French mother and British father. She is the author of nine cookbooks, including Couscous, a nominee for Jacob's Creek Best Softcover, and Chronicle Books’ best selling Cooking at the Kasbah, a finalist for Michelin Australia's Best Food Book in 1999. In January 2002, Bon Appetit magazine featured her recipes under the title: Moroccan Cuisine: Cuisine of the year. She has taught Moroccan cooking for close to three decades, including on one occasion, a class hosted by Julia Child to benefit the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Kitty has been a guest on radio and television nationwide. She led an annual gastronomic tour to Morocco for more than twenty years. She. She divides her time between Vista, CA and her family riad in the medina of Azemmour, south of Casablanca.

Learn more at www.ABiblicalFeast.com

Shop Online at www.BardDate.com  for Quality Medjool Dates & Gift Boxes & Date Products!

Kitty Morse was interviewed on Big Blend Radio about her book. To listen, please click here for the mp3 file.