Food & Faith in Our United Methodist Churches
If you’re viewing this story in email, please click on TheCall2Cook.com for best presentation and to see all the photos. My car smelled good, like Mexican spices, for days before I actually stepped up to the stove to prepare this Tennessee Taco Soup. That’s because this hearty, comfort-food soup came from a mix prepared by a church... Continue Reading →
All summer long, I had a wish to get corn on the cob from a local farm to serve at our free drive-through lunch ministry. It finally happened in August when we discovered Huff Farm in Maryville, Tennessee. One of our ministry helpers, Marci, met Eddie Huff at a local farmers market and gave me... Continue Reading →
The bacon-wrapped chicken is making me hungry. And I’m definitely stealing the recipe for cornbread salad. Today I’m a guest in the kitchen at Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Our mission is to cook a Sunday dinner for the 37 “grannies” who are served and loved by Wesley House Community Center. Tanda Montgomery,... Continue Reading →
The first time I saw cornbread salad at a church dinner, I was reluctant to try it. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ll say you should definitely try this. I couldn’t find the origin, but cookbook writers have wondered if this recipe is related to the old Southern snack enjoyed by our elders --... Continue Reading →
I learned how to crack an egg at Kitty’s house. I was maybe 10 years old, staying overnight on a weekend. I said I wanted to learn to cook someday. Kitty’s mother decided we could all make brownies together. I was so nervous as Kitty’s mom stood beside me. She instructed me how to gently... Continue Reading →
“It’s not gourmet. It’s just simple.” That what Ann Low Reego said about the shrimp creole recipe she shared with us, along with a love story to make us smile. This dish really is easy to make, and the results are simply lovely – lovely enough to serve on Valentine’s Day for 47 years in... Continue Reading →
I’m on a small team of people who run a food ministry in north Knoxville, Tennessee. Our friend Marci Villanueva created these cookies because we need to use up sweet potatoes stored in our freezers, but also because we wanted to provide dessert a little special for last Saturday's free takeout lunch. The sweet potatoes... Continue Reading →
August 27, 2020 As the people lined up for their breakfast this morning in an alley, Shades of Grace United Methodist Church quietly celebrated 10,000 meals served since the pandemic became a reality in Kingsport, Tennessee. “We’ve never missed a single day of serving,” said the Rev. Will Shewey, even though COVID-19 forced Shades of... Continue Reading →
Eston Boles was a great cook, his daughter remembers. He had to be, because he was the eldest of 13 children born to tenant farmers in Spring City, Tennessee. “His mother taught him to cook to help her,” says his daughter, the Rev. Sherry Boles. When Sherry’s parents married, they moved to Chattanooga, but Eston... Continue Reading →
It took me all week to write this, because I was ashamed. On Sunday night, we resumed our “Second Sunday Dinner Party” after canceling it for two months due to COVID-19. This dinner was so, so different than the monthly meals our friends and I have prepared since December 2018. The obvious difference is fear... Continue Reading →
The Call to Cook 