A Taste of Heaven

By Cate Hennessey, Guest Contributor

A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns, by Madeline Scherb

After the holidays, as the cold sharpens, even the kitchen can take on a gray cast. I’m restless. I want something new. I want to travel.

This year I found a perfect antidote for deep winter blues:  Madeline Scherb’s A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns. Much more than a recipe collection, the book acts as a doorway into the sustainable world of monastic communities, as well as the beer, wine, cheeses, breads, chocolates, cheesecakes, and other delicacies produced by them.

The book’s four sections, Celestial Spirits, Holy Cheese, Sweet Temptations, and Other Edifying Edibles, provide historical context on individual monasteries, the labor that sustains them, and the products that result from the labor.

Recipes then follow, and each includes at least one of the ingredients discussed in the section. For example, the Holy Cheese section includes a profile of Gethsemani Abbey in Genesee, New York; the accompanying recipe for Spinach Crepes calls for Gethsemani Abbey cheese. (The crepes, by the way, are creamy and delicious; the cheese is very mild, and the nutmeg in the cream sauce completes the dish.)

the book acts as a doorway into the sustainable world of monastic communities, as well as the beer, wine, cheeses, breads, chocolates, cheesecakes, and other delicacies produced by them.

Just as exciting as the recipes and the history are the suggested travel itineraries for those interested in visiting the monasteries in person. Some of the foods featured in the book (like olive oil from Ganagobie Abbey in Provence) can only be purchased by visiting the monastic community that produce them, and Scherb writes about these places and products with such reverence that I am more than tempted to book a plane ticket to Europe.

Luckily, there’s a greener (and less expensive) option:  several monasteries in upstate New York comprise one of the itineraries, and I’m busy planning a spring train trip instead.

While foodies, travelers, and history buffs will adore A Taste of Heaven, readers who prefer light fare may prefer to borrow it from the library before deciding to add it to their home collection; the amount of butter and cream in the recipes will be surprising to the health-conscious.

Also in the spirit of the monastic communities, most of the recipes require love, time, and patience to prepare, but the end results are delicious. Brother Simeon’s Lentil and Artichoke Stew spices up the house and palate with coriander and cloves. Caramelized Bananas with Westmalle Tripel (a Trappist beer) and Rum provides a scrumptious alternative to Bananas Foster. And Trappist coffee – made with Chimay (another Trappist beer), strong hot coffee, brown sugar, and cinnamon – is sure to become a new favorite treat – especially when topped with whipped cream.

Despite the richness of the recipes, this is a quiet, contemplative book as a result of Scherb’s pilgrimage to each of the monasteries featured in the book. But contemplative is certainly not dull.

In fact, Scherb’s discussions – from the detailed instructions on how to store and pour a Trappist beer to her eloquent descriptions of the monasteries – are so engaging and informative that by the end I felt like I’d taken a class at a university. Even better is the book’s comprehensive guide to other monastery cookbooks and resources, which allows readers to continue their exploration.

A Taste of Heaven feeds the mind, the body, and the soul, and Scherb believes that “[p]erhaps the best way to taste food made by monks and nuns is to share it with someone you love.”

Another way to share the communal spirit (and chase away those winter-bound blues) is to visit local businesses in your pursuit of ingredients for the recipes:  State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD, carries a full selection of Trappist beer. Co-owner Robert Murray is happy to offer advice and answer questions. And Talula’s Table in Kennett Square carries Trappist-style cheese (though not the specific cheeses detailed in the book). Other delicacies require online ordering, and the useful shopping guide at the back of the book provides all contact information.

Aerial view of Melk Abbey, Austria. Photo by: P. Martin.

—

A poet and essayist, Cate Hennessey is a professor of English at Cecil College. In her spare time, she reads adventure stories with her daughters and dreams of horses. Her most recent work appears in the Fall 2009 issue of the Gettysburg Review. Cate lives in Russellville, PA.