New Website!!!

The Catholic Foodie has officially moved to a new server.

The address? http://www.catholicfoodie.com

Come visit us!

Of course, this location will remain up. So, you can still see all the older posts. But, I am also moving all of the older posts to the new location, one bit at a time.

Come see us over at The Catholic Foodie™... Where food meets faith!™

Catholic New Media Awards 2009

Nominations for the 2009 CNMA are now open.

The Catholic New Media Awards is the successor to the Catholic Blog Awards and will highlight other areas of Catholic New Media including Catholic Podcasts.

The nomination period for this year's awards began on May 1, 2009. Voting is to begin on June 1, 2009.

In order to nominate, you will have to create an account. But, believe me, it is painless. And, besides, then you'll get to nominate your favorite blogs and podcasts!

Here are the categories for this year's awards:

Blogs
People's Choice Blog
Best Blog by a Cleric
Best Blog by a Religious
Best Blog by a Man
Best Blog by a Woman
Best Group Blog
Best Written Blog
Most Spiritual Blog
Most Informative Blog
Funniest Blog
Most Entertaining Blog
Best New Blog

Podcasts
People's Choice Podcast
Best Podcast by a Cleric
Best Podcast by a Religious
Best Podcast by a Man
Best Podcast by a Woman
Best Group Podcast
Most Informative Podcast
Best Produced Podcast
Most Spiritual Podcast
Best New Podcast
Funniest Podcast
Most Entertaining Podcast
Best Video Podcast

Web 2.0
Best Catholic News Website
Best Social Networking Site
Best Overall Catholic Website

If you have no idea which blogs or podcasts you would nominate, then I humbly suggest you consider where you are hearing about these awards (like... here!).

Seriously, if you do enjoy The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast, I would ask you to consider nominating it for an award.

Bon appetit!

Abita Beer ROCKS!

Ever heard of Abita Beer? I certainly hope so!

We have reviewed both the Abbey Ale and the Strawberry Harvest Lager in previous shows.

In this episode, I take you to the Abita brewery to meet Mr. David Blossman, the President of Abita Brewing Company.

Abita Brewing Company started in 1986 just north of New Orleans in Abita Springs, LA. It was the first, and today is the largest, craft brewer in the Southeast.

Abita strives to craft quality beers, using only the finest ingredients and the "pure artesian water of Abita Springs." That's right... artesian water. Very cool.

Abita brews 7 flagship, or year-round, beers: Amber, Light, Golden, Jockamo, Purple Haze, Restoration, and Turbodog.

There are 5 seasonal beers: Bock, Red Ale, Wheat, Fall Fest, and Christmas Ale.

Two harvest brews: Strawberry and Pecan.

Two "big beers:" the Andygator and Abbey Ale.

And a Select label, which changes every few months.

Want to find out if Abita Beer is available in your neighborhood? Check out the Abita Beer locator.

Recently, Abita published a cookbook: Abita Beer: Cooking Louisiana. I hope to review this cookbook for you soon.

Also on the menu today... Abita Turbodog! Imagine that... I spend some time talking with David Blossman and I just have to have a beer when I get home! Listen as I review this excellent beer.

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 17 here or listen to it below:

Are You Like Me?

I love to cook. Some people garden to "get away from it all" and relax. For me, it's the kitchen, not the garden. The kitchen is a magical place where my troubles recede and the joy of cooking and living takes center stage. If it was up to me, I would spend the majority of the day in the kitchen. But I know that most people are not like me.

I like to take my time cooking. I tend to take the scenic route. Sometimes that unnerves my family. The kids are impatient and Char would like to eat early. I'm a night owl and I like to eat late. Try as I might, I can't seem to speed things up.

When I bake bread, I knead by hand. When I cook a gumbo, I chop the onions, bell peppers, and celery with care and attention. And, of course, the roux takes a good 35 minutes.

No one taught me how to cook. I taught myself with practice. When I was in the seminary in Mexico, I was put in charge of a cooking team that rotated weekends with three other teams: the Italians, the French, and the Mexicans. Why? Because I was from Louisiana and, surely, I must have been a culinary sophisticate. True, I excelled in the kitchen, and I often joined in on the other weekends... just because. And I learned.

Everything about the kitchen fascinates me. The tools and gadgets, the pots and pans, the cutting boards and wooden salad bowl, my wooden spoons... and my mortar and pestle. I have a particular love for my mortar and pestle. Wood. Darkened by olive oil and years of beating garlic.

And then there are the smells. The feel of the food in my hands. I become an alchemist in the kitchen, striving to make the magic with simple ingredients. Eating is secondary. Lagniappe. A bonus.

What about eating? The dinner table is another matter for another post. But, after cooking, eating is not that important. Meals with the family and seeing them enjoy my creation... that is the fulfillment, the culmination of the process.

Yes, I love to cook.

How about you?

[This post was inspired by a post on The Copywriters' Kitchen. Check out Lorraine's post - 10 Good Reasons to Start Cooking From Scratch.]

Catholic Sushi

My son loves sushi. It really is his favorite food. And yes, this is the son who started eating raw oysters at the age of three. He is something else!

Christopher wanted to write a post for The Catholic Foodie. Of course, sushi was the first topic that popped into his head. He suggested we call it "Catholic Sushi." So, this short post is from Christopher. He wrote it, I typed it. Enjoy!

Hello, my name is Christopher Young. And I will be telling you about my favorite food, sushi! Sushi is very tasty. I made tuna sushi before. My favorite type is salmon. It's just... well, good! For those of you who like sushi, good for you. Those who don't, I feel sorry. I hope you liked what I have said. And until next time, Bone Appitite!

Summer Steaks

Do certain smells ever bring you back to your childhood? Sometimes that happens to me.

As a matter of fact, that happened to me Saturday evening. I fired up the grill, and I seasoned four thick steaks with kosher salt, coarse-ground black pepper, a dash of cayenne, oregano, rosemary, basil, and crushed red pepper. Yum.

When steaks hit the grill, I was a kid again, riding my bike all over the neighborhood. I used to love riding my bike. I rode every day after school (and all day in the summer). I knew every crack and crevice in the sidewalks and streets of my neighborhood. As a matter of fact, I owned the roads in my neighborhood, or, at least if felt like I did. But at dusk I would set my sights on home. It wasn't the dark that drove me home, it was hunger.

Friday night was steak night at our house. Before I even hit the driveway, I could smell it: meat on the grill. It wasn't one of those fancy grills you see today... stainless steel with propane. No, this was charcoal. I still remember the charcoal lighter. It was an electric ring shoved down into the coals. When it got hot, it would glow a dangerous bright red.

Sausage went on the grill first. I remember stabbing sausage slices with toothpicks and dipping them in yellow mustard as I watched the steak cook. It was the perfect appetizer.

After the sausage came the rib-eyes. Dad made a marinade/basting sauce out of Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce and butter. It smelled tangy and thick. Dad always cooked the rib-eyes well-done. I wouldn't grow to appreciate steaks medium-rare until I was old enough to buy and grill them myself.

Now, while dad was outside grilling, mom was inside washing iceberg lettuce and cutting and prepping potatoes. Iceberg lettuce salads with Wishbone Italian Dressing always accompanied the steaks, as did Sandy Fries. The fries were named after my mother, Sandy. In my mind those fries were magical. I don't know who started calling them Sandy Fries, but I know that the name stuck and they were a household favorite.

Mom would peel the potatoes and cut them up just like you would for regular french fries. She would rinse them with water and then let them sit in a colander. When everything else was almost done, she would season the potatoes with salt and pepper, shaking them around and repeating until all were seasoned. Then she would add a scoop of flour and shake, shake, shake until all the potatoes were coated. She would continue to shake until all the loose flour was out of the colander. Then she fried them in hot oil (back then she used Crisco) until they were golden brown. You talk about good, yeah!

And all those thoughts came to me because I put steaks on the grill. The smell and sizzle did it. True, it was a Saturday, not a Friday. But the afternoon was perfect. Not hot like June. Not hot and sticky like July. The sun was bright, but the air was cool. Perfect grilling weather.

The rib-eyes were great, by the way. That's not coming just from me. Char and the kids said so. Best steaks I had ever grilled, they said.

So, when was the last time you grilled steaks? How did you grill them? Medium-rare?

Funny Blog Stats

As a podcaster and blogger, I like to check my stats to see how I am doing. You know, how many people visiting the site, how many podcast downloads, etc. Well, there is one aspect of stat-checking that always makes me laugh: Google's list of the top 20 search queries in which my site comes up.

Here's a baker's dozen of those top search queries for The Catholic Foodie (the list is in no particular order):

1. green onion pancake
2. the listener episode 6
3. marhaba habibi
4. kings episode 6
5. alton brown catholic
6. pleasure p if you were my
7. orthodox easter music
8. lebanese songs 2009
9. maronite liturgy
10. didi habiby
11. make up libanese
12. beautiful sunday line dance
13. arabic girlfriend

If you have been reading / listening for a while, you'll know why I think this list is so funny. So much of this stuff appears nowhere in my show or on the site. Go figure.

I don't know which is the funniest... "alton brown catholic" or "beautiful sunday line dancing"?

The only ones that would pertain to this site are "marhaba habibi," "alton brown," "orthodox easter," "lebanese," and perhaps "arabic." I have no idea where the rest of it came from.

Okay, I think I've decided. "alton brown catholic" is my favorite.

Which one is your favorite?

Oysters in the Raw?

I love oysters. I'm supposed to as a Louisiana Boy! I used to shuck them when I worked as a bartender in a seafood restaurant in Baton Rouge. Monday nights: .25 oysters on the half shell. Those were busy nights down here!

Oysters are considered to be an aphrodisiac. And I believe it! My wife and I spent two weeks on Margarita Island, Venezuela for our honeymoon. Beautiful place. I remember eating a couple dozen oysters with her one afternoon. Nine months later we had our first child!

In addition to raw oysters, we also like them fried. Oyster po-boys are right up there with shrimp po-boys in my book. Love 'em. And, seafood gumbo would not be complete without oysters.

Our first child, our son, was introduced to raw oysters at the age of three. We were at Morton's in Madisonville, LA. We ordered oysters on the half shell. When he saw them, he was adamant... he wanted one! I have pictures. I was very impressed with him.

Do you eat oysters? What is your favorite way to eat them?

Easter, L'Angelus and Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

Holy Thursday dinner, Easter vigil, Easter Sunday, stuffed artichokes, Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager, and feedback... all on the menu today at The Catholic Foodie™, where food meets faith!™

We also have a song from an excellent Louisiana Cajun band, L'Angelus. Please check out their link below. If you are looking for a fun, lively, exciting, foot-stompin' band, then L'Angelus is the one for you! And they're Catholic too! Check 'em out!



Ponchatoula, Louisiana is known for its strawberries, and Ponchatoula strawberries are sold in supermarkets and fruit stands across South Louisiana and beyond. They are also found in Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. A light, crisp lager, it is perfect for the warm summer days here in Louisiana. It is a very drinkable beer. Not heavy. Nice tingle from the carbonation. Best cold. As a matter of fact, when Char first tasted it she said it would be a perfect beer to accompany boiled crawfish. I couldn't argue with that!

When you pop the cap, there is a distinct scent of strawberries. Real strawberries. As a matter of fact, we bought half a flat of strawberries a week ago and, if I were blindfolded, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between those strawberries and the beer. Yes, it smells that good!

It's not a strong beer. 4.2% ABV (alcohol by volume). Not too sweet either. Not heady. And the head recedes rather rapidly. Not much lacing around the glass. As I mentioned earlier, it is a very drinkable beer. If you don't like fruit beers, I wouldn't shy away from tasting this one. The scent is there, and you can taste the strawberries, but the taste is not overwhelming. It is understated, which is good.

If you click on the link below and visit Abita's website, you will find a store locator. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a store near you that sells this beer. Try it out and let me know what you think!

If you are interested, you can find another Abita Beer we reviewed in episode 8: Abbey Ale.



Many thanks to Bonita for leaving us this recipe in the SQPN forums: Bobby Flay's recipe for shrimp & grits. Thank you, Bonita!

Here are a couple of links to recipes for shrimp-stuffed artichokes:
Emeril's baby shrimp-stuffed artichokes
What Did You Eat?

Also, be sure to check out The Copywriters' Kitchen!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 16 here or listen to it below:

A Few Quick Foodie Reads

Here are a few foodie blog things I am currently reading...


What are you reading?

10 Food Blogs I Read Daily

There are so many excellent food blogs in the blogosphere. I follow lots of them. Today I want to share 10 Food Blogs that I subscribe to in my Google Reader. They are listed in no particular order. You may want to check them out:

1. Copywriters' Kitchen

2. The Wicked Noodle

3. Greek Food Recipes & Reflections

4. Enjoy the Delicious

5. Foodie in Disguise

6. Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen

7. Catholic Cuisine

8. My Kitchen Addiction

9. My Life as a Foodie

10. The Amateur Gourmet

These are just a few of the food blogs that I read. I will share more with you in a few days. Until then... What food blogs do you recommend?

Easter Sunday Lamb, Fam and Vino

Greetings, folks! And Happy Easter!

We attended a beautiful and prayerful Easter Vigil Mass at our parish Saturday night. Then, we woke up early Sunday morning to the sound of excited kids filled with anticipation to see what the Easter Bunny had left them. It always makes me happy to see my kids so happy. Once the excitement of the Easter Bunny began to wane (and after a bit of overindulgence in Easter candy), we packed up and headed to Baton Rouge to spend Easter with Char's parents.

The kids hunted Easter eggs (filled with candy... and money!). Afterwards, they swam for a couple of hours, while the parents and grandparents chatted outside on the deck. Though the forecast predicted severe thunderstorms and sustained tornadoes, the afternoon was warm and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky.

Being Lebanese, our Easter dinner had a Lebanese motif. Not surprising, huh? It was absolutely delicious. Lamb, tabouleh, lamb-stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh nayee, stuffed artichokes (not really Lebanese, but delicious nonetheless), and grilled sausage. All of this was accompanied by wine. Lots of wine. The dinner was followed by a coconut cake baked by my lovely wife, Char. And then there was the houka. And the cigars. And more wine. It was a great day.

I am sure that we will talk more about our Easter dinner on episode 16, which I will record in just a day or two.

What do you eat for Easter? Let me know and I will share it on episode 16! You can email me at catholicfoodie@gmail.com. Or, if you are feeling creative, you can record an mp3 file, or just call the feedback line at 985-635-4974.

By the way, if you like the show and want to help spread the word, please consider leaving a comment on iTunes. You can also Digg The Catholic Foodie... or simply let your friends and family know about it. You may want to join The Catholic Foodie on Facebook. And if you are on Twitter, you can tweet this site.

Until next time... Bon appetit!




Simple seasoning yields phenomenal lamb!


Tabouli (tabouleh)


Lamb-stuffed grape leaves


Kibbeh Nayee


Mint from my mother-in-law's garden


Me... enjoying the day!

Why "The Catholic Foodie?"

Lots of exciting things are happening here at The Catholic Foodie! Most of these things are in the works, so I can't reveal much now. But I can say that the mission of The Catholic Foodie is growing very quickly, and it is becoming much bigger than I initially anticipated.

Thank you for listening to the show, reading the blog, and spreading the word!

So what is The Catholic Foodie all about?

The Catholic Foodie... "where food meets faith!" produces fun and entertaining media that foster growth in faith and community. The goal? To strengthen families and to encourage a stronger sense of community through social networking.

The mission of The Catholic Foodie is based on the what Fr. Oscar Lukefahr, C.M. calls "the sacramental principle," which in its basic form "states that created things are good and are signs of God's presence and grace." As Fr. Lukefahr mentions, the sacramental principle is distinctly Catholic and is the basis for all we do as Catholics. God became man in Jesus, and the Incarnation changed everything.

Of course, at The Catholic Foodie, the created thing we focus on is food. Yes, food can be a sign of God's presence and grace! And food fosters community because we often eat food with others. Not only do families eat together, but many business deals are made over a shared meal as well.

So, how has the Incarnation changed everything?

In the Incarnation, Jesus:
- did not shun the body but, rather, emptied Himself and "was born in the likeness of men."
- called Himself the Bread of Life and commanded us to eat His Body and drink His Blood.
- tended to our bodies by healing the sick, raising the dead, and multiplying the loaves and fishes to satisfy our bodily hunger.
- instituted the sacraments, which work their spiritual effects by means of the body.
- revealed Himself to the disciples in "the breaking of the bread."
- reassured the apostles that He had indeed risen from the dead by cooking fish on the seashore and sharing a meal with them.
- enjoyed faith and fellowship with Joseph and Mary for years around the family table.

What about the growth of The Catholic Foodie?

All I can say right now is that The Catholic Foodie is becoming much more than a blog and a podcast (but something that incorporates the blog and podcast). As soon as I am able to do so, I will share more details with you. Until then, please consider sending me your answer to the following questions:

What do you see as the mission of The Catholic Foodie? Is it something different than I mentioned above?

What do you enjoy about The Catholic Foodie?

What could we do to make the blog and podcast better?

Please leave your comments here on the blog or email me directly at catholicfoodie@gmail.com. If you would like to leave voice feedback, please call 985-635-4974.

Until I hear from you... Bon appetit!

Holy Thursday & Good Friday - Episode 15

On the menu today... an interview with Dr. Brant Pitre, feedback from Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR and Char & I discuss our Holy Thursday dinner plans.

Dr. Brant Pitre is the Donum Dei Professor of Word and Sacrament at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, LA.



Join us here on The Catholic Foodie, where food meets faith!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 15 here or listen to it below:

I confess... I love dem crawfish! - Episode 14

Confession and crawfish? Yes! Both are wonderful, and both are on the menu today at The Catholic Foodie.

Confession is a sacrament. It is an efficacious sign instituted by Jesus to give grace. According to the gospels, the power to forgive sins was the first power given to the apostles by the Risen Lord.

Although confession lines are much, much shorter than communion lines, it is obvious that confession is making a comeback. In this episode, we will see some evidence of that. As a matter of fact, I see a beautiful openness to the sacrament in the teens entrusted to my care and, in this show, I share how I explain the sacrament to teens and their parents.

Crawfish is a South Louisiana delicacy. Experts have told us that this year's crop will not be plentiful. But, our experience this past week tells us something different. We have been to three crawfish boils... and, twice this week, we have come home with ice chests full of crawfish! Wow!

All of this and more is on the menu at The Catholic Foodie, where food meets faith!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 14 here or listen to it below:

Crawfish Boil Recipe at Nola Cuisine

This is not my (secret) recipe, but the post is good and the photos are... wonderful!

 

 

 

 

Crawfish Boil Recipe at Nola Cuisine

via New Orleans Cuisine by Danno on 4/8/09

From Crawfish Boil

Charlie from Cajun Grocer was kind enough to send me 15 lbs of their wonderful Live Louisiana Crawfish, so I was more than thrilled to have a crawfish boil over the weekend with a few family and friends. I got a ton of great pictures that I am really happy with and which I hope do those large beautiful crawfish justice.

From Crawfish Boil

Here is my Crawfish Boil Recipe that I used to cook those beautiful mudbugs!

From Crawfish Boil

Also be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to New Orleans Cuisine using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

South Louisiana Crawfish: Scarce this Year or just a bit Delayed?

"Daddy, can we get crawfish for my birthday again this year?" my 7-year-old asked as her birthday neared. She loves our boiled crawfish and believes, as we do, that we boil the best in the world (got the coveted recipe from my mother-in-law).

We did not let her indulge in her favorite food on her birthday because, at the time, crawfish were selling for $3.79 a pound. That is an outrageous price to pay for crawfish in South Louisiana. That's what happens when the crop is not plentiful. Crawfish season begins in January and peaks in April or May. It doesn't really end until late June. Usually you can hear the propane tanks heating up the crawfish pots on sunny afternoons in January and you can smell the seasoning all the way down the block.

The prices do tend to be high in January, but nowhere near $3.79 a pound. By March, prices are usually down to around $1.79. At peak season you can find them for $1.19. The crawfish themselves are not the only expense. There's also the seasoning and all the extras that go into the boil: lemons, lemon juice, garlic (lots of garlic!), corn, potatoes, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, and some people even throw in smoked or andouille sausage. Oh, and don't forget the beer! Boiling crawfish is not cheap, but it is worth it.

The prices are so high this season because of Gustav and company. The major storms that hit and affected the Louisiana coastline in the fall pushed salt water into the ponds and rivers and left debris that impacted the crawfish food source. This stunted the crops. For the last couple of months we have heard experts forecast a terrible season, saying there simply won't be much crawfish this year. However, all hope is not lost. Many believe the crops are just delayed and that we will see an increased yield as we move into the peak season.

Spring is here, and as far as I can tell, the crawfish season is in full swing. True, my daughter did not get crawfish for her birthday, but she has had her fill of it this week. Just in the last five days we have been to four crawfish boils, and one night we came home with an ice chest full of crawfish from a boil we didn't even attend!

A bad season or were the crops just delayed a bit? If you ask my family, we'd say, "The pots a-boilin' and bugs are clean. It's time for a party y'all!"

Bon appetit!

For more information on Louisiana crawfish, please visit Louisiana Crawfish Company and the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival.

Fast food... Fast faith - Episode 13

Welcome to The Catholic Foodie, where food meets faith. We have quite a selection on the menu today: youth ministry, vocation, & fast food. Wow. What do youth ministry and vocation have to do with fast food? You'll find out in episode 13. As you may recall, I mentioned in episode 12 that I was to attend Abbey Youth Fest this past Saturday. As the Confirmation Director for St. Peter Parish in Covington, I had the pleasure of bringing 124 teens & chaperones to this exciting event. I also had the opportunity to interview a number of people. In this episode you are going to hear a priest, a seminarian, and a full-time youth minister weigh in on youth ministry and vocation.

So, what is Abbey Youth Fest like? I like to describe it as a "Catholic Woodstock." 2500 to 3000 teens in a huge open field on the grounds of a Benedictine monastery. A huge stage, towers of speakers, a giant flat-screen TV, dynamic presenters, fun and energetic bands, tons of priests and religious, teenagers who are excited about Jesus and the Church, confession offered all day long, a beautiful liturgy celebrated by Archbishop Hughes, vespers in the evening, candle-light adoration with benediction, and lots of volunteers preparing food... fast food. Goodness! All of this and more is on the menu today at The Catholic Foodie, where food meets faith.

So where does fast food come into play? In this episode we take a philosophical look at fast food and its impact on society. I think it is safe to say that we live in a fast-paced society. We are always on the go. In this kind of social climate, fast food really does fulfill a need.

Here's an interesting question: Is our fast-paced society to blame for fast food, or is fast food to blame for our fast-paced society. My answer: Why can't it be both? Fast food does indeed fulfill a need, but it also allows society to move even faster. We don't have to stop to cook. We don't have to set the table. We can simply go through a drive-thru and get our favorite burger and fries in a paper wrapper and cardboard container. And our condiments come in plastic packets. It's so easy. Just throw it away when finished. No clean-up necessary. Unfortunately, in all of this, we miss each other. We fail to connect.

In the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Gilbert! Magazine, we read the following in the editorial:

"As Chesterton says, every meal could be called breakfast; it is breaking a fast, and it should also be be a feast of thanksgiving , no matter how humble the fare. Ideally it begins with prayer and ends in laughter. Many, maybe most, of our good memories come from times around the table, eating, drinking, talking and laughing with those we love. If the family is the center of society, the table is the center of the family. It is a demonstrable fact that families who sit down together for at least one meal a day are more tightly knit, supportive, and healthy. It is communion" (p. 7).

It is communion. When I first read this, the neurons started firing. I began to see another example of our fast food society, an example that we can see in our churches every Sunday. I don't know about your parish, but in mine it is amazing the number of people who leave Mass right after receiving communion. The Mass is not over. The meal is not done. Everyone else is still eating. And they leave, without even excusing themselves. Apparently, other things are more important than lingering with their brothers and sisters at their Father's table. Does this not denigrate the Eucharist to fast food? Does it not equate to "fast food Jesus?"

Another article, written by David Beresford in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Gilbert!, highlights for us the predicament of the modern family:

"Now consider the modern family suppertime, which is presented to us by our culture: it is an unholy mixture of plastic, pre-cooked protein, ugly toy dolls and clowns. Grace, if said, feels awkward. Cash can fill your belly, cash can entertain your kids. The entire event is a hollow shell, a mockery, a mini-sacrament in the culture of death, lacking even the authenticity of the pagan meal. The message is clear: there is no family, no ritual, no community, no life -- for food pay cash.

"It is now a radical pro-life act to cook and eat at home. So let us clear away the plastic, set the table with our best china and light the candles, putting a chicken on the table and knives in the hands of our children. And, beginning with grace, dig in after a hard day's work" (24).

So, what does fast food have to do with youth ministry and vocation? Fast food can break down community. Without community (especially the Church), how can we recognize the voice of God. He is the one who calls... each one of us. Are we able to hear Him? We need to start recognizing that our fast food society is breaking down community in families. What we need is to slow down. To cook a meal. To share that meal with family and friends. This builds community. Sitting at the table with others, sharing good food, fosters conversation. And conversation brings people closer together... it can also help us listen to God.

Some of the links mentioned in today's show:

Called by Name (from the Diocese of Baton Rouge)
Abbey Youth Festival
St. Joseph Abbey
Covenant 7's Facebook group page
Gilbert! Magazine

Remember, in episode 14 we will finish our discussion on youth ministry, vocations, and fast food. We are going to talk specifically about leading teens to the sacraments. Do you have any comments or questions about these topics? Let us know!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 13 here or listen to it below:




My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-f872e135158dec27f1ce9f73e89a5d3a}

Go to Joseph! - Episode 12 is up!

Dedicated to St. Joseph, this episode is about devotion to St. Joseph... even a few quirky devotions. We also visit two St. Joseph Altars and speak with the organizers. We end with a song from Cat.Chat.

Here are some links from the show:

30 Day Novena to St. Joseph

St. Joseph Home Sale Kits



Virtual St. Joseph Altar

History of St. Joseph Altar

Traditions related to St. Joseph

Thanks to the folks at Cat.Chat for permission to play "St. Joseph."

***The photo above and the ones below were taken by Mrs. Norma Richard***

Special thanks to Dr. Ann Kay Logarbo, M.D. & Mrs. Anne Dale, Jeweler for the interviews.

Don't forget to write in or call to let me know your stories of St. Joseph! Has he answered your prayers? Do you have a special devotion to him?

Remember, episode 13 will be on teens, youth ministry, Confirmation, and fast food. Do you have any comments or questions about these topics? Let us know!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 12 here or listen to it below:

Lent: There's something fishy going on... Episode 11

Fish, feedback, public displays of religion, a cooking show recommendation, and a sneak peak at episode 12... All of this and more is on the menu at The Catholic Foodie, where food meets faith.

Here are some of the links mentioned in the show:

Made in Spain

Catholic Roundup

Here's another great blog post on Why Fish?

By the way, the album art (the photo above) is a photo of one of the funniest men alive, my good friend Robert Simpson. Don't you just love his shirt? It takes the Chick-fil-a cows and their signs to a whole new level!

Don't forget to write in or call to let me know your stories of St. Joseph! Has he answered your prayers? Do you have a special devotion to him? Episode 12 is devoted to St. Joseph and I want to hear from you!

Leave feedback at catholicfoodie@gmail.com or call the listener feedback line at 985-635-4974.

You can download episode 11 here or listen to it below: