October 2012

“Not eating when there is no food is not fasting, it’s starving. Fasting is done only when there is food, and we voluntarily abstain from food.” - Daniel Lima, Jump In NW

Fasting is something that most of us would like to never have to think about, yet it is something God calls us to do. But fasting is more than just abstaining from food; fasting is also about abstaining from all forms of selfishness.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? 

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isa 58:6-7 NIV

When we seek justice more than pleasure, righteousness more than a meal, we are truly the disciples of our Master.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

 

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The Soul of an Apprentice

The Story of God's Faithfulness

One thing that I love and appreciate about God's character is His faithfulness. And though I praise God for showing Himself faithful to me over and over again, today I would like to zoom out and look at the big picture of God's faithfulness through out all time and give praise to Him for His faithfulness on the grand scale! From Genesis to Revelation, we can see His faithfulness by the working out of His purposes and promises with His people.

Follow along with me as I highlight some key events through out the Bible. Can you see the thread of God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan weaved all throughout the story?

After God had created the all things, He begins in Genesis 1:28 by commanding mankind to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth". God's desire was to fill the earth with a people for Himself, a worldwide worshiping community. Things were all good in the garden until mankind disobeys God and sin enters into the picture. Not long after that in Genesis 11, mankind begins constructing a tower and saying "let us build this tower so that we will NOT be scattered over the face of the earth" (Gen 11:1-4). They were defiant of the very command given by God initially to spread out and fill the earth. So God intervenes on the building of the Tower of Babel, confusing their languages and causing them to scatter all over the earth (Gen11:7-8, Acts 17:26). This is where diversity comes into the picture! But God still desired to have His own worshiping community among the earth. Now that the people were scattered, God initiates a plan to re-gather worshipers from each of these languages and people groups.

How is God going to reach all of these nations? Israel! He sets aside the nation of Israel that would go and be his missionary nation.

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the people on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3

What is the 'blessing' of Abraham? It is salvation through faith in Christ! But also God has a larger context for what He is going to do for the world through Abraham and his family. He would bless Abraham and his family so that he would in-turn go and bless all the nations of the world. This was command was for all the descendants of Abraham, including Isaac to whom God repeats the command in Genesis 26:4, "...through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed". And to Jacob God says in Genesis 28:14 "All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Jesus would come through the people of Israel as the object of blessing for all nations and the family was the means.

What does this mean for you and me? The New Testament speaks of us as spiritual descendants of Abraham, fellow members of this family through whom all nations would be blessed.

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29 (see also Eph. 2:11-19, Rom 9:8)

As His people and His church, heirs according to the promise, we have a part to play in the mission of God that His people have always had through out time. We have a part to play in the story of God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan for the world!

The thread of God's faithfulness continues through out the rest of the Old Testament as we can see God's design for Israel to be a light to the nations. Story after story we can see God making His own name great and building up a reputation for Himself among the nations through His interactions with Israel. Here are a few examples: The Ten Commandments served purpose in God's grand plan. God's said "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations" (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). Gods reputation spreads to the nations after parting the Red Sea and Jordan. This is the reason Rahab feared God (Joshua 2:9-10). God gave Solomon great wisdom so that "Men of all nations came to listen" (1 Kings 4:34). You can see a powerful impact on Gentile nations that other stories have such as Shardrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:29) or Daniel surviving the lion's den in Daniel 6.

This same thread carries on into the New Testament as well. Christ comes and models God's heart for all the nations of the world in stories like his interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42) and healing various Gentiles like the demon-possessed man from the Decapolis and telling him to reach his own people with the good news of God's mercy and goodness (Mark 5:1-20, 7:24-30). Luke 4:44-43 tells of a time that Jesus left a city that had many needs saying, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Many other story display the ambition of Jesus' heart and ministry to make the Kingdom of God known where it had not yet been known. We can see this same heartbeat in the Apostle Paul as well through out the book of Acts and the Epistles as he and his missionary band struggle to raise up churches all over the world. He says in Romans 15:20, "And so I make it my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not yet known, so that I wouldn't build on any other man's foundation."
How amazing that we have written accounts of God's faithfulness to His people and His plan in the past. Now we know that He is indeed faithful in keeping His promises and carrying out His great plan of redeeming a worshiping people for Himself among the world. So what's next? What has God promised for our future?

Revelation records a scene recorded by John that has great meaning in light of God's promise to Abraham, this thread of God's faithfulness and plan through out the Old and New Testaments.

"And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and by your blood you purchased for God members of every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelations 5:9

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Revelation 7:9,10


As we can connect what is happening in Revelation with what God started in Genesis 1 and 12. God will be faithful to finish what He has promised. Matthew 24:14 says, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come." God is a faithful God with a mission, and from cover to cover the story is a story of His faithfulness in carrying out His great mission.

There is incredible news for us! This same God full of power and goodness and faithfulness wants and plans to use you and I as He finishes the final chapters!

Here is my challenge for you now: What is one thing you want to do this week in response to what you have learned about God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan of redemption?

Until all hear,
Brittany Hasenkamp


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From the Burner
- Life lessons from Christian chefs

The devil cannot just walk right up to you and rob you of your health, peace or family. He cannot just come into your life to enforce disease and destruction. If the devil can do that, then he does not have to walk about "seeking whom he may devour". He only has to walk straight up to anyone he wants to devour and devour him! But since the Bible says that he goes about seeking whom he may devour, the truth then is that there are people whom he cannot devour. You see, the devil goes about like a roaring lion trying to stir up fear in people with his roars. But the people who are not devourable are those who refuse to be intimidated by his roars because they know that the true Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), has already come and rendered powerless him who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14, NASB) They know that the devil cannot just do anything to them because the Lion of Judah resides in them, and that He is greater than the devil who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) My friend, the Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority and power. He redeemed you with His blood. Therefore, everything about you and your life is redeemed by His blood. So if you are fearful about losing your job, cover your job with the blood of Jesus. If you are worried about your children's safety in these days of terrorist attacks, plead the blood of Jesus over them. If you have received a bad report from the doctor, speak the blood over yourself. Whatever you have covered with the blood of Jesus, God declares, "Protected! Redeemed!" And the devil flees when he sees the blood. And when he flees, he takes with him sicknesses, diseases, pains, sufferings, destruction and loss. Once the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ and what you have in Him, his days of intimidating you are over, and you are numbered among the undevourable! Thought For The Day Everything about you and your life is redeemed by Jesus' blood.

Debbie Rommeney Lowe
Mercy Chefs

September 2012

“I wish my stove came with a Save As button like Word has.
That way I could experiment with my cooking and not fear ruining my dinner.
”
― Jarod Kintz, Who Moved My Choose?: An Amazing Way to Deal With Change by Deciding to Let Indecision Into Your Life

As a writer, and a wanna-be cook, I couldn't agree more! And as a Christian, I sometimes wish life would have a Save As button too, especially when I fail to ward off a temptation and fail to do God's will. Sometimes a temptation is evident, other times we fail to recognize it when it comes our way. The Bible does give us some help though in recognizing temptations, which is like the the grammar program on Word that alerts us when we have misspelled a word, which makes living - and writing - a lot easier. It's too bad it doesn't help with the cooking department.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

 

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The Soul of an Apprentice

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. (1) The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" (2) The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" (3) The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. - Luke 4:1-13, NIV

Everyone gets tempted, we cannot avoid it. But what we can avoid is falling flat on our faces every time we are tempted, for we do not need to be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Cor 2.11). The tempting of Jesus by the devil gives us a blueprint of how Satan works.

1. The first level of temptation is the easiest to overcome, yet the most difficult to detect – especially for young believers. It involves a legitimate human need, but in a way that causes us to ignore God, and our reliance on God alone. For example, food is a legitimate human need, but it can also become more important to us than doing God’s will; instead of fasting when needed, we head to the fridge - hey, we are hungry, and humans need to eat, right? And then we wonder why our spiritual lives are so flat and powerless.

Cure: The ability to listen to the Spirit is a talent every Christian must learn. Although the Spirit deals with us as individuals, the Spirit is usually loud enough when temptation comes along for all to hear. In addition, if you plant the Word in your heart and mind, you will know what God’s will is in every situation, even when you are tempted. Instead of using his powers to please himself, Jesus waited for God to provide for him.

2. The second level of temptation is material goods. After all, the world is a harsh place to live in, and if we only have enough of gold and silver, we will be able to take care of ourselves. Who needs God?

Cure: Realize that you live for God, and not for yourself. If you think you can do it on your own, God will let you. Then you will really find out how harsh the world can be.

3. The third temptation is the hardest to resist, for it involves avoiding suffering and getting what you want without pain. Life involves a lot of pain, but also a lot of joy, love, and happiness. Had Jesus accepted the offer, he would’ve avoided the cross, since everyone would’ve seen he was the Son of God and worshiped him, which would’ve ended his mission as no one would’ve allowed their Messiah to be crucified. But had he done so, it would have been the end of humankind since we would never have received eternal life without the death and resurrection of Jesus. Because he chose to do the will of God, Jesus chose to save us instead of saving himself.

Cure: When pain and suffering awaits, lean on God and surround yourself with faithful friends who can carry your burden with you (1 Peter 4:19). Trust that God will see you through even the darkest of your earthly hours. Remember also that the temptation to avoid suffering is a temptation that God uses to purge you from sin, for when you run to God for shelter, you become aware of sin that is still in you. The closer you cling to God, the purer you become.

The best part about knowing how to overcome temptation is the assurance that God has not left us to fend for ourselves - God is with us every step of the way.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” - 1 Cor 10:13, NKJV

August 2012

Last month I took our kids to Sweden to visit family. I had planned to write the blog for July on my parent’s porch, but jet lag interfered with my plan; it is hard to focus when you feel as if you are wading through a river of mud on a hazy day. So, no blog last month, but this month I have a special treat for you: the testimony of Chef Felix. It will make you want to feed God's people - and everyone else too.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

___________________________

From the Burner

 - Life lessons from Christian chefs

Christian Chef and restauranteur Felix Sienatra,
from one of the top fine restaurants in Indonesia, 
shares his testimony this month.


Passion for Serving

Happiness is always found in giving to others, but a deep and abiding joy comes when our desires match God’s desire and will for our lives.

Chef Felix and The Wind Chime

After returning with his wife, Ling Ling, in 2004 to his hometown of Bandung, the capital of West Java, Indonesia, Chef Felix experienced difficulties for months, which tempted them to return to their successful career abroad. For several years abroad, Felix enjoyed a highly satisfying career in a coloful array of fine kitchens in Singapore, Western Australia, and Bali, including holding a position as the executive chef at Saltmill’s Restaurants in Turks & Caicos Islands British West Indies and overseeing three of its outlets. Felix had often cooked for numerous celebrities and tycoons, including Bruce Willis, the Kennedy clan, the prominent people of Silicon Valley, and the prime minister of Italy. However, in his hometown Felix was at first greatly discouraged to find that the culinary business was an arduous experience as he started his own restaurant, The Wind Chime. Chef Felix often asks himself if perhaps the restaurant would be more successful in a city with a larger number of gourmets who can truly comprehend and value his food and can afford the fare offered by his restaurant.

Eventually they decided to stay in Bandung for several reasons. They believed that God would never forsake His children and would provide for their needs. Ling-Ling and Felix   have experienced God’s faithfulness with His provision that keeps their restaurant going. God helped them as they went through the hardship of paying the bank loans for the capital and the operational costs of the restaurant. God showed His faithfulness beyond their understanding by providing somebody generous who for years has regularly sent them the funds needed monthly to run their restaurant.

Currently, The Wind Chime is considered by knowledgeable gourmets in Bandung as one of the most elegant restaurants in town. A complete dinner for a couple, including alcohol, runs about $200 which is highly expensive for Bandung prices, however, it is about half the cost of a comparable dinner in Jakarta. These Bandung gourmets agree that Felix the Chef masterfully strikes that delectable balance between delicate and simple local ingredients by marrying sophisticated flavours of imported seabass, lobster, prawns, ducks, wagyu beef, lamb with fresh flavours of local produce of asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, fiddle fern, mangoes, and apples.

Passion for giving

There are times when all the seats are full with guests enjoying their exquisite dishes, but there are also times when they do not have a single guest all day. Although some would consider the profit from the Wind Chime inadequate, Ling Ling and Felix are tremendously grateful for the income they receive from the Lord.  And while they do not make a huge amount of money, they love sharing their blessings with others, especially with people who serve the Lord full time, sacrificing their life to reach the unreached. Ling Ling and Felix have decided to not wait until they are wealthy to begin their ministry of providing exceptional food to God’s servants.  Many financial investors have offered to invest in a luxury-dining restaurant for Felix and Ling-Ling, which would provide them with a stable and sizable income; however, the investors immediately became discouraged when Felix explained his terms. The investors must agree that the proposed restaurant will, without consideration of cost, provide any menu item to the servants of God at no cost. The investors considered this request ridiculous.

When Ling Ling and Felix are asked the reason they care so much about serving God’s full-time workers, the following poem beautifully expresses the passion of their hearts:

My eyes view the hands that lead and guide
And nurture and fold for each prayer pleaded.
The beautiful feet that walk distance just for one more soul, one more soul.
The lips that proclaim hope and good news to a hurting world that needs to hear.

Do you remember their great care for us?
When our going gets tough,
When our days seem like the longest nights,
When trials and tribulations obstruct our view and block our hindsight,
When hope seems like a distant past for us?

They surrender their wills and desires for our sake,
And remind us of the promises to us that God had made,
They let go of their dreams and makes His, their own,
So we could fulfill God’s perfect design for all.

God’s servants suffer and hurt, though.
They have needs, too.
They give much, yet they need much more.
They dwell in fleshly frames that grow weak and shaky.

Who do they cling to when things don’t go well?
Who answers their midnight calls and petitions when troubles knock on their door?
Who sends them encouraging words when life gets bleak?
Who remembers the ones who are always remembering others?

Ling Ling commented, “How can we remain indifferent when we read letters from those serving in remote areas demonstrating enormous sacrifice as they serve God reaching out to the unreached in the interior areas of Kalimantan or Papua. Their families must bathe without soap, wash their clothes without detergent, and since they cannot afford shampoo, their scalps are itchy and their hair is full of ticks.”

“Frequently, many of God’s full-time workers live in remote areas where food and medical access is limited and the access to clean drinking water is also difficult,” Ling Ling continued, “yet, they remain dedicated to serve God wherever he has called them. Although they experience extreme hardships in life, when they receive the small gift from us they feel that God truly cares for them and will never leave them. They are thankful for the little donation we send them. With the small amount we are able to give, they can afford to buy chickens to provide eggs for their family’s source of protein.”

Felix added, “We do not know how to comfort them when they are hurting. We do not have a lot of money to support them, but we have the desire to provide them with a little joy through gifting of creating good food that God has given us. It is our hope that our food will taste like a banquet from God for His faithful and dedicated servants and bring them a moment of physical and emotional refreshment. When we hear that evangelists like them come to town to attend spiritual seminars, conferences, or training, we rush to invite them and their family to taste our food, which we hope will taste like a heavenly banquet to them. For years we have loved to serve other people with our cooking, such as, missionaries, preachers, and other people in Christian ministry,” said LingLing. Felix and Ling Ling cannot forget a touching experience of serving a family of four. Ling Ling remembers, “Their children were amazed to taste the food and they exclaimed that they did not know food could taste so delicious.”

For Ling Ling and Felix, sacrificing financially and providing for others’ needs regularly does not come natural to them; they both acknowledge that only God’s power and grace enables them to give.  They are convinced deep in their hearts that this is God’s will for them and they long to be obedient and faithful to Him no matter what. It is God’s grace and love that gives them the ability to give and share when their own financial situation is not always stable. Even when they have the opportunity to give away the best steak pieces their restaurant offers, they do so eagerly and with a grateful heart.  Whatever God has given them in their refrigerator is never withheld from His servants which He asks Felix and Ling Ling to serve. God has made them cheerful givers;  their giving is a delight, a privilege for which they are extremely thankful. God could have chosen many others to have this privilege, but they are grateful that He has appointed them to this wonderful ministry.  Not everyone has the opportunity to use their gifting and something they love, such as creating beautiful food, to serve others. Felix and Ling Ling recognize this privilege and do their best to be faithful to their calling.

The command: “Go and invite”

Clearly, God says in His word that His children are to go out and bring people to the sumptuous wedding banquet. Although the banquet in this context has a symbolic meaning of inviting people to enter the kingdom of God and to enjoy His spiritual blessings forever, Ling Ling and Felix also believe the call can be interpreted literally to include inviting God’s servants to a real ‘banquet’ which meets their physical needs.  And, Felix and Ling Ling passionately believe that they are to provide that banquet to God’s full-time workers as He enables them.

Years ago, when a servant of God told them that someday they would feed many people with the food they cooked, they did not immediately respond to it. It was years later that they started praying and asking God to show them how to use what they love to do most for His purposes and plan. Unexpectedly, He answered their prayers by sending His servants to eat at their restaurant. One time, the elders of Felix and Ling-Ling’s church did not know where to take a guest preacher to dinner.  Felix offered his restaurant. As time passed, it became clear that the prophecy made years ago by the pastor had come true. “We love doing this ministry of providing special meals for God’s servants because God Himself has provided us great banquets from time to time,” shared Felix.

Serving  food from the heart

Chef Felix serves the food with his whole heart. His passion for cooking is reflected in the exquisite execution and superior taste of his dishes. Also, he continually improves upon his already inspired menu, ensuring that his guests always enjoy an innovation of flavors and intriguing combinations. Ling Ling and Felix also lavishly serve God’s servants, who are their honorable guests, with a collection of sweet and savory menus with contrasting flavors that complement one another beautifully and is cooked with great care and passion to bring out the best in all the array of ingredients.

French cuisine is Chef Felix’s rare and incomparable endowment. The following descriptions of The Wind Chime’s cuisine, based on a reviewer in FRV Travel edition 8.5 of February-March 2012, give a glimpse of the sumptuousness and beauty of Felix’s craft. His sautéed French escargot with garlic herbed butter and champignon mushrooms delight our fancies and bring to our mind a cool, romantic Parisian dinner. The foie gras served with polenta, portabella mushrooms, truffle oil, and mango coulis is magical, eliciting maximum flavor from the very freshest of ingredients and we all are inspired to draw our lips in uttering, “Délicieux!” Preparation and creation down to the smallest detail capture the essence of French flavour in every dish. Indeed, The Wind Chime is one of Felix’s masterpiece emerging out of his experience as a “palate seducer”.

Chef Felix plates dishes complex in flavour with a refreshingly delightful presentation. A tantalizing example of his artistry is the jumbo prawn appetizer that is both attractive to the eye and promises perfect succulence with a savory flavor. The jumbo prawn rests on a thin slice of dragon fruit, accompanied with yellow mango vodka jelly that balances the rich flavor of the prawn, atop with orange flying fish roe. The intriguing dots of yellow and black sauces of salmon roe and balsamic reduction sauce encircling the island of dragon fruit resembles colorful precious stones. The drop of green color of the nasturium leaves on the body of the prawn offers a pretty touch to the palette created by  the chef. The presentation of the cuisine created by Felix shows an interesting arrangement of the ingredients and garnishes that provides an attractive textural contrast and a burst of robust flavor.

For the adventurous type, patrons can also look forward to The Wind Chime’s renowned and very exquisite Chilean sea bass and pan-seared French foie gras with toasted brioche and apricot emulsion. But among the top-notched dishes offered is The Wind Chime’s Butcher’s Wife Steak. It is especially prepared from one-hundred and eighty grams of Australian wagyu complemented perfectly with potato dauphinoise, grilled asparagus, and a mixed capsicum stew, served in a portabella mushroom and topped with chanterelle sauce. This unique dish takes us to another level of indulgence. The steak is so tender, succulent, and flavorful that with the last bite the diner is left broken-hearted with the realization that the enjoyment of the incomparable dish is over.

A wonderful dessert or two after a filling meal is what The Wind Chime offers for a dramatic and explosive ending to a grand night. Their gorgeous hot chocolate truffle presents a mix of sweet and sour blends of chocolate mousse-filled meringue embellished by yogurt sherbet. This luscious dessert continues with chocolate lava cake with a packed surprise in its core and generous adornments of liquor- coated cherries. While their wine selection is slightly limited, their wine collection includes great wines produced all over the world.

According to local people living in Bandung who have frequently traveled abroad for business, the food served at the Wind Chime surpasses the quality of the food served at several well-known and prestigious French restaurants in both San Francisco and Paris. The high-quality of the Wind Chime underscores even more the exceptional ministry God has given Felix and Ling-Ling to bless God’s workers with the rare opportunity to experience world-class food in Bandung, Indonesia.

Felix the chef has been given an extraordinary gift from God, so he asks the Lord to continue to grant him and his wife the great honour to serve Him by providing His dedicated servants heavenly ‘banquets’ at The Wind Chime, a restaurant God has built through this dedicated couple. As they give they are engulfed with the tremendous joy of the Lord  as they experience His will for their lives to become the extension of His loving care to His dedicated servants. As their food is a perfect fusion of divine flavors and visual beauty, so are their lives a perfect fusion of their gifting and passion and God’s will.

June 2012

Last month I filled in as a pastry chef at Canby Grove Conference Center. It was hectic and messy, but really tasty! Because making desserts to large groups can be tedious - since you need to make large volumes of one kind - I decided to get creative, and created a couple of new recipes that I thought I would share with you. Summer is, after all, a great time to get together and enjoy the company of good friends; what better way to end a great meal than with a great dessert!

Susanna Krizo
Editor

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White Chocolate Coconut Scones

8 dl / 3,5 cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
100 g / 3,5 oz butter
3,5 dl / 12 oz milk
100 g / 3,5 oz sugar
White chocolate chips
Sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Blend flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl Add butter, and cut the butter into the flour with your fingers.
Add the cold milk and form the dough quickly (you want chunks of butter, not a uniform dough). Divide the dough into about palm sized portions, flatten the dough with your hand to a disk. Add white chocolate chips and sweetened coconut on top of the disk and make a half moon shaped scone, hiding the chocolate and coconut inside. Sprinkle some coconut on top of the scone and bake in the oven until the surface is slightly brown, about 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

These scones are ideal for camps, since they can be made the day before, and refrigerated overnight.

 
Chocolate Apricot Cake

150 g / 5,25 oz melted butter
2 eggs
3 dl sugar / 10 oz
4,5 dl / scant 2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbs cacao
1 dl melted chocolate
1,5 dl / 0.5 cups milk
Apricot jam (choose one that is of good quality)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Whip eggs and sugar until white and fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cacao. Add the flour mixture, milk and cooled butter to the egg-sugar mixture alternating all three. Add melted chocolate. Bake in the oven for 15 min. Allow to cool.
 
Chocolate glace

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
4,5 cups confectioners' sugar
1,5 cups baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
0,5 cup milk

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Cut the cake in squares, spread apricot preserve on the cake, pipe chocolate glace on top (I made a cross beginning from each corner, and added a floret where the lines cross in the middle)

You can also put a circle of chocolate sauce on the plate under the square for a nicer presentation.




Breakfast Breads

I found these two recipes at allrecipes.com. We got rave reviews from our guests!

Coffee Cake 

FOR THE CAKE

1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened 

2 cups Scant Sugar 

3 cups Flour, Sifted 

4 teaspoons Baking Powder 

1 teaspoon Salt 

1-1/4 cup Whole Milk 

3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff

  

FOR THE TOPPING

1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened 

3/4 cups Flour

 1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar 

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon 

1-1/2 cup Pecans, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don't overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm---delicious!

 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients 

1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup lite sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

I sprinkled chocolate chips on top of the batter; it gave a nicer looking presentation for the otherwise rather dull looking bread.

May 2012

The Soul of an Apprentice
- Food for your Spirit

Soil and Seed

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. - John 12.23-26, NIV

Just as Jesus willingly gave his life, so should we. As long as we refuse, the abundant life remains an unclaimed promise.

Seeds need good soil to grow into strong plants, and a gardener to remove weeds that would otherwise choke the tender plants. Likewise, the Gospel message needs a good heart to produce much fruit.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. - Luke 8.14-15, NIV

God tests our hearts to see what’s in them (2 Chron 32.30-31). Although being tested by God is not something we look forward to (for the battle of the flesh against the spirit can be fierce), afterwards there is joy.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. - James 1.12 NIV 

Unfortunately, instead of willingly giving ourselves, we experience a desire to isolate ourselves, for relationships hurt; we want to protect ourselves. But soon we realize that we’ve made a mistake: we find that loneliness causes pain too.

Pain is part of life. It cannot be avoided, but it can be embraced. When we embrace pain, we let it transform us into something different. We become more compassionate, patient, forgiving, willing to suffer for, and with others. This in turn heals relationships, arresting pain before it even begins.

A seed that refuses to die remains unfruitful; a seed that dies produces more seeds. It is God’s desire that we die to the life we cannot keep in order to receive the life that we cannot lose. When we do so, we become fruitful: our lives become filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These lead to healthy, joy-filled relationships. We no longer feel a need to isolate ourselves, instead we seek others out.

Jesus died for us to have his kind of life - eternal and abundant. When we hold on to our kind of life, we will never know God’s kind of life. We must die to our desire to grasp, covet and envy, for as long as believe we must protect our lives, we will surely lose them. As soon as we let go, we receive the life that cannot be lost; the abundant life becomes a reality.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

_________________________________________

God's Garden

- Herbs, Spices, Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains

Preparing the Soil

Soil is the most important part of gardening, for the soil provides plants with water and nutrients. Plants make their own "food" by converting carbon dioxide and water into starches and sugars through photosynthesis. In addition, the plants need nutrients in the form of minerals, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur; and in smaller quantities boron, copper, iron, chloride, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. In fact, soil is 50 percent minerals and 50 percent water and air. These minerals, water, and air must be held together somehow and that is done through clay, sand, and silt.

Providing the right kind of drainage is the most important part of preparing the soil. Soil that consists mostly of clay drains poorly, and pools water which can suffocate the plant’s root system. Soil that consists mostly of sand drains quickly – sometimes too quickly - killing the plant due to lack of water. Silt is a sedimentary material that together with water makes mud, which is why it is the half-way house between clay and sand. When all of these three components are found together (in a ratio of 40-40-20), you have loam. Loam is what gardeners want in their garden due to its optimal nutrient content, and water retention ability.

Although loam is optimal, it needs to be tilled; however, the old method of roto-tilling kills beneficial fungi, dissects worms, and other micro-organism the soil needs to remain a healthy environment for plants. Tilling by hand is hard work, something that deters people from becoming gardeners. But what if you didn’t need to till? What if you could create the perfect soil without having to dig?

Tired of tilling, Patricia Lanza created an ingenious concept called Lasagna Gardening (how appropriate for Christian Chefs!)

http://www.amazon.com/Lasagna-Gardening-Layering-Bountiful-Gardens/dp/0875969623

Instead of digging into the soil, you will build a new soil above the existing soil through layers of organic materials. Anything organic can be used to create a layer: fruit and vegetable scraps, cardboard, newspapers, grass clippings, leafs etc. Not only will a lasagna garden keep your home and garden clean, and the landfill emptier, it provides an excellent home for micro-organisms that will make your plants grow strong. A lasagna garden can be started in the fall, in which case it will “cook” throughout the winter. Or, it can be started in the spring, in which case you will need to add some soil around the plants for the root-systems until the lasagna has been “cooked” and the layers have transformed into soil. Either way, the lasagna garden will produce a plentiful harvest with minimal effort, something busy professionals are sure to appreciate!

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

_______________________________________

From the Burner

 - Life lessons from Christian chefs

Being "In Your Gift"

Hello Sisters and Brothers! Just thought I would share a little encouragement as the events of recent begin to grow and express themselves.

I had an awesome weekend cooking for a Men's Encounter weekend here in North Carolina. The menu was well received and was blessed at the reaction of the men who "Tasted and saw... Just thought I would share these "first thoughts" as I got home and passed out! haha Praise the Lord! Wow what a weekend... As we are challenged by prophetic encouragement from Sister and Brother Chefs and leaders in our lives, such as  "We are moving towards a new encounter with Christ. We shall see him like we have never seen him before, Get ready church, ” by Chef Fred; and from Bro Rodney, “Are you ready? Are you ready?..."

Through the exhaustion and physical struggle of what we do in our jobs comes the Blessing. As we were cooking this weekend one of the pastors and Encounter leaders visited us in the kitchen late one night and told us how awesome it was to see persons “ In their gift.” And it was very encouraging to hear that - that someone could see the passion, joy, and love that we were expressing through our cooking. The blessing was in the expression of Our Father: by using our gifts we were on Holy Ground, and encountered a relationship with God in a new and powerful way. A Holy Spirit, that set our hearts, minds, and mouth free to taste, speak, run and dance, and cry that God is Good! The blessing of being obedient to the call to get away with Him, and to let Him get into you; in giving a little time, we received, and in receiving - like Peter, Paul and all the disciples - We Got the Goods!

“He delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14)


Few things are more frustrating to people than to be faced with a task and not be given the time, the training, or the tools to get the job done. And fewer situations are more likely to produce this frustration in a person than the workplace, and the general state of affairs in our contemporary spiritual lives. Those of us who desire to serve and lead, to teach and learn, and share the keys to success in the Culinary industry, and the Eternal, share a common thread with those who lead us spiritually: one premise that is revealed is that a Chef IS a pastor! The people in our sphere of influence are loved incredibly, cared for, and responded to as the Bridegroom loves His bride. We must express that Love, care, and response, in the same way we see Jesus teach. We want our employees to succeed so as to bring favor, and yes, “Glory” to the owners, and operating philosophy of a finely run Food Service establishment. While in the workplace, or culinary school, we look to our Chef to lead us us and teach us the ways that we are to live, move, and work, to accomplish the mission of becoming successful cooks, and representatives, of the Food Service operation we are in. Whether it be the Catering event, the day to day Restaurant presentations, or the daily feeding we do in commercial residential feeding, Camps, Missions, or correctional facilities.

While in church life, the worship, service, and sermons, are theologically sound, verbally astute, and passionately presented—feeding and fueling the soul more often than not, they can end up not being enough. And we find out it is what we "bring" to the services, worship, and preaching - our hearts and attitudes open to the Spirit and Love for what we do - the same attitude must prevail in our culinary training, and jobs. What is really cool is when it comes to really training and equipping men and women to actually make a difference in their daily world, and being trained and equipped. Ultimately (at the end of all our trying on our own) we go to the source, the headwaters of that Living water that needs to flow from within.

The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” And Jesus did so. On another occasion Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They followed, and Jesus delivered on His promise. These two occasions show us that the desire to be taught the things of the Spirit is strong in the heart of godly men and women, and that Jesus is more than accommodating.

Furthermore, Jesus doesn’t just train us, He also entrusts us with the resources to get the job done. As the scripture says, “He delivered unto them his goods.”

How strange it must have been for a fisherman named Simon Peter to be called by an itinerant rabbi named Jesus, to follow Him so as to become a “fisher of men.” In his later years Peter wrote, “His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). He was writing from personal experience. Jesus called him, trained him, trusted him, and entrusted him with the high privilege of presenting the Gospel to ordinary men and women with extraordinary results—thousands were saved!

Peter had no idea that first day he met Jesus just how radically different his life would become in a few short years. The same is true of you. Your life matters to God far more than you may realize. And by placing it fully in His hands, trusting Him to keep you in step with His Spirit, you can do whatever the Lord has called you to do—for He has also given you everything you need to get the job done.

As we look to earthly leadership, we get the tools, equipping, training, and inspiration we need, and as we look to the Lord we receive the same thing!  We become trained, and entrusted to represent the teachers, and ultimately THE Teacher - Jesus.

I encourage you to run to the Word for that communion, communication, and that “touch” from God, who Loves us incredibly, and learn from Jesus, God manifested for us. Jesus said to Peter and through the living word today to us,“ Do you really love me?  Feed my sheep...” Read John 21 and put yourself in Peters place and get ready to be amazed at the change that comes from being an obedient servant, and one with a teachable spirit and positive attitude towards the things of God. I am sure you will be as amazed as Peter was about himself!  Life is a great experience, Sisters and Brothers; the great adventure from our Our Father God. I pray that in all things you remain solid “in your gift,” and rooted in the Word, and built on a firm foundation of solid Rock.

You got the goods! You got THE God! You got the "I AM"! Now you can go forth, and say as Moses did, "I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:14) It's that personal and that intimate; expressing the Spirit of God in Jesus in your heart.

Rock and Roll! Jesus is the Rock and we ROLL!

 

Chef Leo Griego
Board of Directors, CCI
Vice-President

______________________________________________________
 
Did You Know?
- Miscellaneous helpful hints and technical advice from the kitchen

When baking, use a little flour to quickly remove the dough from your hands when you are done. It'll save you the unpleasant task of having to clean the sink.

Chef Jim Krieg
CCE, CEPC

April 2012

News & Updates

Our third annual conference was a great success! Thanks to all who participated. 
Don't forget to begin to already think about attending the next year's conference!

___________________________________

The Soul of an Apprentice
- Food for your Spirit

This month we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. In a biblical culinary sense, Christmas is the appetizer, Good Friday the salad, Resurrection Sunday the main course, and Pentecost the dessert.

Neither the Nativity, nor the Cross, would have any meaning without Resurrection Sunday. Similarly, without the empty tomb, Pentecost would have remained a Jewish holiday - a fun one - but not the earth shaking event when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of heavenly fire, which still transforms us.

But why the empty tomb?

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." - Acts 17:29-31, NIV

For thousands of years God overlooked the great sins of humankind, and there was a good reason for it: without the power of the Holy Spirit, humans could not resist the devouring power of sin

The empty tomb changed all of it: the Holy Spirit came to be our strength in the battle against sin.

Jesus told his disciples:

"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. - John 16:5-11, NIV

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead works now in us.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. - Eph 1:18-21, NIV

Because of this power, we can live a life of holiness, pleasing the Father in all things (Rom 8.1-17).

As we rejoice over the fact that the power of sin was broken on the Cross, let us not forget those who do not know the power of the Holy Spirit, who have never heard of the empty tomb, who are trapped in the evil cycle of sin and death.

We know of the empty tomb. 

This Resurrection Sunday, let’s share it with those who do not.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

_______________________________________

God's Garden

- Herbs, Spices, Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains

Basil [Ocimum basilicum]

Spring is almost here, and it is time to begin to think about the garden; what could be more appropriate for a Christian chef than the “holy herb” basil!

Part of the mint family, basil is a versatile herb that grows best in warm, tropical climates. There are more than 150 different varieties of basil, the main types include the large leaf highly aromatic French or Italian basil, Asian basil, Lemon basil, and the sweet licorice flavored Thai basil. The European sweet basil, cultivated and distilled in Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the United States, is considered to be of the highest quality, producing the finest odor.

For a comprehensive list of basil varieties, visit 
http://ramonasbasilgarden.com/basil-list/

Planting

Basil is a “hungry herb,” it needs a lot of nutrition for optimal growth. It requires also five or more hours of direct sunlight, wherefore it is important to plant basil in a sunny spot and add compost to the soil regularly. Basil is very sensitive to chilling injury, wherefore it rarely survives frost.

Harvesting

When the basil plant is at least a foot/ ca. 30 cm tall, and has at least three pairs of leaves, optimally four to six pairs on the stem, you can begin to harvest the leaves. Basil will grow new leaves all season, especially if encouraged to do so by the removal of leaves. Because basil deteriorates quickly after flowering, it is important to prune the plant regularly during the growing season. Once the flowers have matured, allow the seeds to dry on the plant, collect the seeds, and save them for the next growing season.

Nutrients

Basil contains polyphenolic flavonoids, beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin K, essential minerals, and iron, making it a good-for-you food.

Pesto

Pesto, a favorite in the modern kitchen, originates from Genoa, Italy, and continues a noble tradition began by the Romans. The name pesto comes from the Genoese word pestâ, which means to pound, to crush. The allusion is to the original method of creating pesto with marble mortar and a wooden pestle, the ingredients being ground slowly. Traditional pesto contains basil, European pine nuts, (Many chefs toast the pine nuts, to bring out the nutty flavor), garlic, olive oil, and parmigiano-reggiano. Many chefs toast the pine nuts, to bring out the nutty flavor. Genovese and mammoth varieties of basil are often used to make pesto.

The traditional recipe can be easily altered, for pesto can be made of other plants than basil. Mint can be used as well, which is not surprising since basil is – after all - a mint. Outside the mint family, spinach, from the Amaranth family, can be used to make pesto. If European pine nuts are cost prohibitive, any local nuts – almonds, cashews, hazelnuts - can be used instead. You can also omit the nuts and/or the cheese altogether for a nut-free, or vegan alternative.

For an intriguing method to make pesto, visit
lhttp://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001570.html

Modern ways to serve it includes as-is with pasta, mixed with Alfredo sauce, as a sauce on fish and chicken, a dip as its own, as a spread on sandwiches, or as an addition to salad dressings.

Pesto freezes well, wherefore plant plenty of basil in the spring, and enjoy this holy herb all year long!

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

_____________________________________________

From the Burner

 - Life lessons from Christian chefs

Live a Life Worthy of the Calling You Have Received

How often do you and other Christians talk about what your calling in life is?
Well, I have a great answer to you.

 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have receive - Eph 4:1, NIV

We are called, as God tells us through his word in Ephesians, to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Speaking in the past tense, we aren’t told to search for our calling – we have already been given our calling. So what is it?

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Eph 3:16-4:6 NIV

In short, we are called to serve by being completely humble, gentle, patient, bearing one another’s burdens in love as equals, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit thorough the bond of peace. This is possible only after we understand the great love God has for us.

Our calling is to live kingdom lives here and now, for the ministry of Jesus was to live the humble, gentle, and patient life. God has called us to his kingdom, and that kingdom is already here and now. But God has also called us to make disciples of all nations, for his primary method of calling people into his kingdom is through his children. All God asks of us is to be willing to live lives worthy of the calling we have received.

Ira Krizo
Board of Directors, CCI
President

______________________________________________________

 Did You Know?

- Miscellaneous helpful hints and technical advice from the kitchen

When you use your knife, turn the blade upside down when you scrape the already cut objects to the side, it will prevent the blade from becoming dull, for scraping the cutting edge across the cutting board will dull the knife faster. By turning your knife over, you will save you time from having to sharpen your knives too often.

Ira Krizo
Board of Directors, CCI
President