Taste and See: Discovering God among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers

by Margaret Feinberg

Join Margaret Feinberg, one of America's most beloved teachers and writers, as she sets out on a remarkable journey to unearth God's perspective on food. What you discover will forever change the way you read the Bible--and approach every meal. This groundbreaking book provides a culinary exploration of Scripture. You'll descend 400 feet below ground into the frosty white caverns of a salt mine, fish on the Sea of Galilee, bake fresh matzo at Yale University, ferry to a remote island in Croatia to harvest olives, spend time with a Texas butcher known as "the meat apostle," and wander a California farm with one of the world's premier fig farmers. With each stop, Margaret asks, "How do you read these Scriptures, not as theologians, but in light of what you do every day?" Taste and See teaches us Taste and See is a delicious read that includes dozens of recipes for those who, like Margaret, believe some of life's richest moments are spent savoring a meal with those you love. See you around the table! Praise for Taste and See : "Margaret Feinberg's appetite for the feast of His grace makes you hunger for more of a fulfilling life. Read and taste the richest food for the soul!" --Ann Voskamp, bestselling author of WayMaker and One Thousand Gifts "Margaret is a storyteller who never ceases to see the beauty of the world around us. If you love God, good food, and life around the table, this book will take you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the Bible." --Jennie Allen, bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head and founder of

Genres: Christian, Food, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Living, Cookbooks, Christianity

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

A self-described "hot mess," Margaret Feinberg is a popular Bible teacher and speaker at churches and leading conferences such as Catalyst, Thrive, and Women of Joy. Her books, including The Organic God, The Sacred Echo, Scouting the Divine, and Wonderstruck and their corresponding Bible studies, have sold nearly one million copies and received critical acclaim and extensive national media coverage from CNN, the Associated Press, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and more.

She was recently named one of 50 women most shaping culture and the church today by Christianity Today, one of the 30 Voices who will help lead the church in the next decade by Charisma magazine and one of the ’40 Under 40’ who will shape Christian publishing by Christian Retailing magazine. Margaret lives in Morrison, Colorado, with her husband, Leif, and their superpup, Hershey. She believes some of the best days are spent in jammies, laughing, and being silly.

Reviews

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feinberg selects certain foods from the Bible and goes around the globe in research and searching the Biblical significance. Wow! Makes me think of food in the Bible differently. Fun writing and recipes included. Looking forward to doing this study.

[Melissajoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might want to grab a snack before you start this book, because it’s going to make you hungry - physically and spiritually.

Margaret Feinberg shows us that God really does want us to TASTE and See that the Lord is good. She points out examples from God’s Word that food and fellowship can and should be used to draw us closer to Him.

Each chapter takes the reader of an adventure that leads you deeper into God’s Word and finishes with multiple recipes to try at home.

Whether you read this book on your own or with a group of fellow foodies, you are sure to delighted. And hungry.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was so much information packed into this book! I learned so much about food, Scripture, and Jesus. I will definitely be recommending this book, and I'll be referring back to it myself in the future!

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted it to be meatier (pun intended) than it was but it was still extremely helpful in a few chapters in connecting foods and their meaning. I felt like the chapters on olives, dates, and bread were the most helpful and well done. The light give here was worth it. Not a deep dive but definitely a good exposure to these ideas.

[Lisa Brantly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Supper of the Lamb (Robert Farrar Capon) instead. 2.5 stars. Rounded up... Might be some good recipes

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

My soul craved this book and I didn’t even know it! It has brought me closer to God and the people around my table. I have a feeling it will be one I keep coming back to and reflecting on. Now, I can’t wait to try out all the recipes!

[Kelsey Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It was a fascinating read and I learned so much I didn’t know about the historical context and culture of the Bible from a food perspective. It challenged me in my faith and made me want to cook everything in the book at the same time! I’d love to try out another book by Margaret Feinberg because I enjoyed her style of writing.

[Kim Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book and study guide with a group from my church right before Covid hit. I came across it the other day when I was doing some cleaning and decided to read it on my own. Feinberg leads us through a culinary adventure of the foods throughout the Bible (ie fish, figs, bread, salt, olives, and lamb) She travels to the Sea of Galilea, Madera, California, Yale University, Redmond Salt Mine, Croatia, and McKinney, Texas to learn about and bring us a closer to the intentions of the foods God has provided. The lessons are rich and thought provoking and bring us closer to God at our table. I hope to gather with my friends again and discuss this book together over some of the wonderful recipes provided.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting bible study. It made me look at and appreciate food in a different, more spiritual, way.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and how it weaves food, the bible, fellowship and Jesus all together. It's beautiful.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS BOOK! Full of the most interesting foodie (more like ingredient) adventures around the world. Really deepened my awareness and understanding of symbolic foods in the Bible. Favorite chapter is probably A Loaf of Bread Just Out of the Oven!

[Alyson Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book Andy found for me. It was a deep dive into the Biblical history of certain foods while the author was “re-discovering” each food in a current, cultural context. All with suggestion on recipes and ways to savor God’s goodness in our everyday lives and diets. This was a treat!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this quick little read that brought together my love of food and scripture.

[Greta Schrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited to join the Launch Team for this book.
I have loved everything Margaret Feinberg has written and her new book is more of her wonderful writing. Taste and See is a look at how the God's gift of food speaks to His love for us. Some make food a evil thing to be avoided so they can wear skinny jeans, or the drug of comfort or use it as a tool of control against something we struggle against. Food is, always has been, and in God's economy always will be, a gift. It is God's creative means to help us stay alive, is an outlet for hospitality to others and a tool for the celebration of life's greatest moments with others. I highly recommend this book for your reading pleasure. I could not put it down.

[JennanneJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Go to store.
2. Buy olives, figs, bread, fish, meat.
3. Read this book.

This is a quick and easy read. It is fun to read more about the food of the Bible. The food used for feasts and the food used in stories, parables and illustrations of the Bible.
I wouldn't say this is a meaty book (Whoops! LOL), or theologically heavy, but it is a fun, lighter read.

[Erin Laramore · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for this look at how food in the Bible can help us better understand Bilblical culture. We need food to live. God starts the Bible in a garden full of fruit trees and food that man cultivated and ends in the Wedding feast of the Lamb. I first heard of Margaret Feinberg at a Women of Joy conference last summer. She spoke on this subject matter as this book had recently released at the time. Hearing her speak of the importance of Olives (did you know that Gethsemane was an olive press? Did you know that olive oil was what was used to anoint priests and kings?), salt (as in, you are the salt of the earth....), and other food items, I knew I wanted to read this book. The research Ms. Feinberg did was pretty amazing - from exporing salt mines in Utah, a bread kitchen at Yale and a fig farm in California, to fishing in the Sea of Galilee, picking Olives in Croatia, and meeting the Meat Apostle in Texas. She also celebrated Passover while in Israel and shared all of those experiences as well as how they brought the food related scriptures to life. Though I'm not a "foodie" by any stretch, for those who are, there are also several recipes at the end of each chapter as well. I would recommend to those who want to get a unique "taste" of the Bible as well as people who enjoy food in general.

[Kathy Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reviewing the first three chapters of Margaret Feinberg's new book, Taste and See. After reading Margaret's book, Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool and Wild Honey, I started to realize the significance of so many details in the scriptures that had been insignificant to me before. The Bible can be compared to the layers of an onion: there are so many layers that every time you read it you uncover more tasty morsels. Speaking of tasty morsels, the first three chapters of Taste and See burst with flavor and richness as Margaret writes about gathering at the table with others in fellowship to taste God's goodness, fishing in the Sea of Galilee, and harvesting figs in California.

God is "good"! Food is "good"! Have you ever noticed how similar the spelling of these two words is? I love this quote from Taste and See: "Food was not created just to satiate our bellies, but create a place where God can meet us and fill our hearts." Margaret's new book gives us a recipe for a richer relationship with God by exploring the metaphorical richness of food in the Bible. I invite you to come to the table and read this amazing book. You will never look at the mention of food in the Bible the same way again.

[Misty Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited because, I was chosen to be a part of the book launch team and have received the first three chapters. If you have read and love Scooting the Divine, The Scared Echo, Fight Back with Joy, Wonder Struck, The Organic God, and Hungry for God as much as I do this book will not disappoint. Margaret Feinberg again teaches us a new and exciting way to see God in everyday things. In this book she introduces us to new people and new places. Her writing paints a picture in your mind and you feel like you are there.

If you are looking for a book to help you get back in touch with the one who created you and the wonderful food He created for you this is the book. Taste and See is a wonderful journey through scripture using food to bring you closer to God.

[Sarah Styf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never would have picked up this book if I hadn't been assigned reading before a writing conference partially led by the author, but here we are. Feinberg puts food and faith into a perspective that I have never considered before. For years, I've continually brought up the idea of communion being a literary motif in many works of fiction that my students read, but I had never considered how communion, the act of breaking bread with fellow believers, plays such a significant role throughout scripture, long before Jesus performed the Last Supper for his disciples. This book encouraged a new way to look at both the Bible and the world, at my relationships with food and with people. I am so glad that I was required to read it.

[Suzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE STARS.

Love food? Read this book.

Interested in the Bible? Read this book.

Want to know more about Jeus? Read this book.

Ever wonder if God is intentional with the small details? Read this book.

I picked this one up on the recommendation of an author I very much admire and relate to, and I was blown away by how good and impactful it is. I loved how informative it was not only on the fascinating bits about the foods talked about, but also on how much those foods tie so much into who God is and who He desires for us to be.

I stopped often to savor (wink wink, hahaha) the tidbits she shared from her personal experiences as well as her research and knowing Scripture.

This one's a re-read for sure, and often! Friends, do yourself a favor and purchase this book ASAP!

[Meggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think about all the references to food in the Bible. What would it look like to take a deep dive on some of those foods, to perhaps more deeply meditate on the meaning of events in Jesus’ ministry or the experience of the Israelites? Feinberg takes this question and answers it with several unique chapters as she traveled and ate and talked her way through various foods, including figs, bread and fish. She beautifully weaves together her experiences, research and the Bible to help herself and the reader better understand God’s work of using food to better understand the way.

Also includes recipes and hospitality suggestions. This is a book I will pass around and keep coming back to!

[Rachel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this delightful book so much! Margaret takes us on a journey with food in a spiritual level, giving us new eyes to see food in the Scriptures and to notice Christ at work in our lives in the most mundane places. As someone who is a little bit of a foodie, who loves Scripture and discovering God at work in the details, this one was a match made in Heaven.

All of the chapters were great, but I especially enjoyed the chapter on olives, olive oil, and anointing. Really wonderful read!

[Candice Poindexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honored to be part of a team that received the first three chapters of this book. I've heard Margaret speak at Women of Joy twice and had the pleasure of meeting her last May. I'm a huge fan of hers. Scouting the Divine was awesome, and this new book promises to be another favorite. Reading Margaret's book is like having a conversation with a good friend who never fails to not only make you feel better but helps you see important truths in a new light.

[Mira Prater · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved studying this book this summer. It’s all about how food is holy and how that idea is prevalent in The Bible. Feinberg travels across the globe investigating the biblical stories of some of the most prominent foods mentioned in The Bible. Her writing makes you feel like you’re right there, tasting a fig or an olive. It includes recipes and I can’t wait to try some of them.

[Casi Willis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read several books by Feinberg, this one was disappointing. She always writes with humor and familiarity, but this book takes it to a level of silliness that I felt was not always respectful of the subject. There are some good recipes and some good tidbits of information, but I did not glean anything new as far as the Bible or a relationship with God. For reading Feinberg, stick to her earlier writing.

[Mary Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and 1/2 stars. The author is a Jewish roots girl so she pretty much had me when she began with fishing in the Galilee. Biblically sound and an encouragement to eat mindfully, invite others to the table and continually thank the Lord for his gift of food.

[Michelle Slomp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blends cooking, foods with deep theology and teachings that takes the reader through a journey.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author had some beautiful ways of entwining scripture and 'foodie-ness', making some new connections for me.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful blend of travel, food and Bible lessons. Made me hungry for all three!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A verse that has become a refrain in my life is John 10:10 which reminds me that Jesus came to give us life to the abundance. Taste & See is a book that further emphasizes this for me. I loved learning the importance of food mentioned in the Bible, the historical context, what the original audience would instinctually know to be true and for the ways God uses sustenance to provide, mystify and delight us. This quick read will be one I return to for satisfying insights (and yummy recipes of course)