The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Robert Farrar Capon (Author), Deborah Madison (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Paperbacks | Publication Date: July 2, 2002

From a passionate and talented chef who also happens to be an Episcopalian priest comes this surprising and thought-provoking treatise on everything from prayer to poetry to puff pastry. In The Supper of the Lamb, Capon talks about festal and ferial cooking, emerging as an inspirational voice extolling the benefits and wonders of old-fashioned home cooking in a world of fast food and prepackaged cuisine. This edition includes the original recipes and a new Introduction by Deborah Madison, the founder of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and author of several cookbooks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the funniest, wisest, and most unorthodox cookbooks ever written.”
—Craig Claiborne, The New York Times

“The Supper of the Lamb is a rare, distilling nectar, albeit fizzy with bubbles of humor and wit...it is fully capable of rescuing us from the dangers of mediocrity daily foisted upon us by the too-fast pace of our lives.”
—From the Introduction by Deborah Madison

“The Supper of the Lamb is as awesomely funny, wise, beautiful, moving, preposterous a book as this reviewer has come across for years....It is a love letter to a world that ‘will always be more delicious
than it is useful.’”
—The New York Times Book Review

From the Inside Flap

From a passionate and talented chef who also happens to be an Episcopalian priest comes this surprising and thought-provoking treatise on everything from prayer to poetry to puff pastry. In The Supper of the Lamb, Capon talks about festal and ferial cooking, emerging as an inspirational voice extolling the benefits and wonders of old-fashioned home cooking in a world of fast food and prepackaged cuisine. This edition includes the original recipes and a new Introduction by Deborah Madison, the founder of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and author of several cookbooks.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (July 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375760563
• ISBN-13: 978-0375760563
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Gastronomy > Essays

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound and meaning ful. A cookbook like no other., June 21, 2000

By 

David Zampino "21st Century Hobbit" (Delavan, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Kitchen arts & letters) (Hardcover)

"The Supper of the Lamb" is an unusual and profound book. The author, an Episcopal priest, is also quite the home chef, and has combined his culinary insights with his theological insights in a meaningful and moving way.

The premise of the book seems two-fold -- both indicated by the book's title. First, the book does, in fact, teach how one can serve a leg of lamb for eight people over four meals. No kidding! Each meal is described clearly, with all the ingredients easily obtainable, and all the instructions easy to follow. (His insights into stew are remarkable!)

However, the second premise indicated by the title of the book, is an introduction to "The Supper of the Lamb" as it is recounted in the book of Revelation. His understanding of Sacrifice; his description of wine; and his discussion of the "Greater Heartburn" all serve to make clear that our feasting in this life is nothing less than a foretaste of the Heavenly Kingdom.

This book needs to be read through in its entirety BEFORE you attempt any of the recipies. Then, read it again while you cook. Pray, cry, have a glass of wine, and FEAST!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ferial Cooking!, April 5, 2002

By 

NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Kitchen arts & letters) (Hardcover)

Lets face it...all of us who cook (unless we are filthy rich) do a lot of work with leftovers (Ferial cooking). Yet most folks buy cookbooks that give us these grand, one time and you're done (Festal cooking) recipes. This is not what you get from Robert Capon's "The Supper of the Lamb." This book is all about Ferial cooking--and proud of it.

Capon is a true wild man. He has become one of my favorite authors (His book Between Noon and Three is one of my top ten). "The Supper of the Lamb" is earlier, yet vintage Capon.

The book is indeed a cookbook. It is also so much more. What the reader will find here, besides the recipes, are reflections on life and reality. The theme of Ferial cooking is transferred to a kind of manifesto on Ferial living. Capon sees food, and life as well, through a lens of wonder.

Capon's book is really a recipe for living life more fully. While his recipes for food are great, it is this "larger" recipe that holds the greatest appeal for me.

I recommend "The Supper of the Lamb" to you with all my heart.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic to return to again and again, October 28, 2002

By 

Candy Paull "Candy Paull" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This book was my first taste of Robert Farrar Capon's writings. One of those underground treasures which makes its way by word of mouth, The Supper of the Lamb was a seminal book in my spiritual and literary development, along with his book, The Parables of the Kingdom. It may include recipes, but The Supper of the Lamb is a cookbook for life.

Each chapter offers lyrical insight on what it means to be human. Read about cutting an onion in "The First Session" and you'll never take an onion for granted again. "Wave Breast and Heave Shoulder" is one of the most beautiful and biblical passages in the entire book. I have read the final pages of "The Burning Heart" many, many times and never fail to be moved. Some sections of the book are reminiscent of Annie Dillard's descriptive style in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek or some of the best of M.F.K. Fisher's writings. Capon's salty observations balance the high spirituality, creating a complex blend of philosophy and kitchen craft.

As Capon himself says, "We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great." This book continues to inspire my writing, my cooking, and my spirituality. If you want a flavorful literary feast, buy The Supper of the Lamb. I highly recommend Robert Farrar Capon's other books as well. Each one is a treasure.