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A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns
 
 
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A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns [Mass Market Paperback]

Madeline Scherb (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 6, 2009
A fascinating (and mouthwatering!) look at the wonderful food and drink produced by monks and nuns in America, Belgium, France, and Germany.

Part travel guide, part cookbook, A Taste of Heaven is a delightful survey of the fine food and drink made by Catholic religious orders in America, Belgium, France, and Germany. From positively scrumptious beer and cheese to some of the richest chocolate on earth, the treats presented in this book are heavenly indeed, and author Madeline Scherb beautifully captures the heart and spirit of the holy work that goes into producing them. With vivid descriptions of the monasteries, their fascinating histories, and helpful advice for travelers on getting there and getting the most out of their visit, this book will serve as an invaluable guide. A Taste of Heaven also contains more than thirty recipes from notable chefs that incorporate the products found at these monasteries, as well as a helpful guide to buying and ordering these delectable ingredients if you are unable to travel to the monasteries themselves. Recipes include such delights as:

* Flamiche (a Belgian version of quiche that uses Postel cheese from the Postel Abbey in Belgium) from chef and food columnist Sandy D'Amato
* Brownies à la Mode with Trappistine Caramel Sauce (uses caramel from Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, Iowa)
* Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet (made with Pinot Noir from St. Hildegard Abbey near Rudesheim, Germany) from Ciao Bella Gelateria in Grand Central Terminal, New York City

Featuring lovely original black-and-white illustrations that perfectly capture the tranquil atmosphere of the monasteries, A Taste of Heaven is a treasure for anyone who loves spirited food, drink, and travel.


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A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns + Cooking with the Saints: An Illustrated Treasury of Authentic Recipes Old and Modern + Twelve Months of Monastery Soups
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a world dominated by celebrity chefs and the latest and greatest recipes blogged and tweeted by foodies, Scherb takes readers on a refreshing foray along a monastic pilgrimage through Europe and the United States. The author poses the question in this cookbook/travel guide: What can the rest of us learn from the way monks and nuns live and the exceptional products they make? The exceptional products are broken down into sections including spirits, cheese, and sweets, and honor the ingredients and traditions of monastic food making over a thousand years. The 40-plus recipes vary from the simple (Savory Cheese Melt) to the unexpected (cauliflower fritters), and more involved (chocolate chestnut torte with cognac mousse; and browned sole with shrimp, and gnocchi), are culled from various restaurant chefs, magazines and Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, a monk and cookbook author. While the recipe count is light, the book—subtly designed with small illustrations—is filled out with suggested itineraries to regional monasteries, detailed profiles of abbots and abbesses and a shopping resource. Readers will also find a guide to monastery etiquette and a suggested reading list for more on monastic life. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Tarcher; Original edition (August 6, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1585427187
  • ISBN-13: 978-1585427185
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 8 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #352,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Madeline Scherb was living and working in New York City when she got a wake-up call on 9/11. Only in her case the wake-up call said "Get thee to a monastery." She quit her corporate job, sold her home and embarked on a pilgrimage to more than a dozen abbeys in America and Europe. Scherb's book, A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns, is the first-ever travel guide to monasteries that make food. It includes recipes from chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Rick Bayless, a Shopping Guide and even a Monastery Etiquette Guide. Scherb plans to launch heavengourmet.com in 2012, where readers can shop for monastery foods; every purchase of coffee, candy or preserves helps support the monastery that makes them. Scherb also plans to launch the Compassionate Consumer Guild, a group of volunteers from all faith backgrounds who help abbeys with projects such as painting a guest house or planting a garden.

Shop: heavengourmet.com
Blog: heavengourmet.wordpress.com
Heaven Gourmet is on Facebook

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books on the Market, October 5, 2009
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This review is from: A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns (Mass Market Paperback)
A rare gem of a book that both cooks and anyone who enjoys a good meal will appreciate. The stories, the travel, and especially the food, made this a great addition to my library. I used this as my coffee table book at my last party, and had so many people interested in getting a copy, I ended up giving a few more as gifts. This is my pick of the year. Enjoy!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous, December 5, 2009
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This review is from: A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns (Mass Market Paperback)
This book will make a marvelous gift for anyone who enjoys both good recipes and cultural richness! Catholic monastic life, in silence, prayer and traditional simplicity, have created the best culinary treats through the centuries: this book is a window into this heavenly-tasting world. I personally applaud the author for including the cultural, geographical and historical descriptions of the monasteries, making this book a one-of-a-kind volume.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely book, perfect for gifts, December 16, 2009
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HS (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns (Mass Market Paperback)
A Taste of Heaven is a unique mix of travelogue, buying guide, and cookbook, with a healthy dose of inspiration for good measure. Madeline Scherb infuses her descriptions of the products made by nuns and monks with her own observations from contemplative retreats at the abbeys and monasteries. Her book is both an armchair read and one to prop up on the kitchen counter, as it contains several recipes created specifically for the book. Everyone who has looked through my copy has been intrigued - an excellent book to give as a gift!

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