Unusual though it may sound, it was the Holy Bible that inspired Cholena to cook. She found it to be a rich repertoire of recipes. She was intrigued by everything that was connected to food in the Bible. The first recipe she read was also from The Bible. Whether it was the delicious hearty stew known as “Esau’s Pottage” that made Jacob give up his birthright or Rebekah’s “Tasty Dish” that was good enough to steal a father’s blessing or Grilled mackerel on a stick – the Galileans’ unusual breakfast prepared by Jesus Himself – she always got drawn to countless food traps in the Bible! She used to read and reread the verses that involved food. Trying to think of all the ingredients found in the Bible, like saffron and endive and the leeks and olives, and goats cheese and putting them into the many meals prepared by the Biblical characters like Zachariah for instance – what would have gone inside his Temple Loaf? Was it rosemary or perhaps camel’s milk yogurt or maybe simply just raisins…?! And how about The Passover meal – she wondered how her favourite leg meat piece when roasted on open fire, would have tasted especially when covered with fresh mint and served. Not to mention the fast food served to the angels by Abraham. Here’s an unusual reading of the Bible verses by the author that she shares, exclusively for Different Truths.
Most of us, when asked where we have learnt to cook or how we got the interest to cook, would have most probably said that it was thanks to our mother, grandmother, and sometimes father or some celebrity chef that we have watched on TV. But, I got my interest in cooking from reading The Bible, an unexpected source isn’t it!
I was intrigued by everything that was connected to food in the Bible. In fact, the first recipe I read was also from The Bible. Whether it was the delicious hearty stew known as “Esau’s Pottage” that made Jacob give up his birthright or Rebekah’s “Tasty Dish” that was good enough to steal a father’s blessing or Grilled mackerel on a stick – the Galileans’ unusual breakfast prepared by Jesus Himself – I always got drawn to countless food traps in the Bible! I used to read and reread the verses that involved food. Trying to think of all the ingredients found in the Bible, like saffron and endive and the leeks and olives, and goats cheese and putting them into the many meals prepared by the Biblical characters like Zachariah for instance – what would have gone inside his Temple Loaf? Was it rosemary or perhaps camel’s milk yogurt or maybe simply just raisins…?! And how about The Passover meal – I wonder how my favourite leg meat piece when roasted on open fire would have tasted especially when covered with fresh mint and served. Not to mention the fast food served to the angels by Abraham…
When Sarah was instructed by Abraham to make cakes, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how she 
made them. Was it barley that she used to make those flat breads? Did she bake them? If yes, how did she bake them? Did she place them on preheated ground? Did she cover them with hot embers till baked (like how we dum Orappam) – because that would have been a quick process or did she know some other way. Then the tender calf Abraham gave to the servant to be prepared in a hurry – how was it made then? Cut into small pieces and broiled on skewers or roasted whole over the open fire without any fancy preparation?! Did he toss in some spices? I am sure it would have been served with some sort of large grain and may be a vegetable dish too – cos I would have liked it that way. Then the curds and milk served as dessert, can I call it Angel’s Food Cake?
Whenever my mind reeled in endless questions and flooded with an imagination like this. I could always hear my mom shouting at my older brother, “Look at your sister reading The Bible all the time… why don’t you be like her!”
©Cholena Nashan
Photos by the author.
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