WELCOME!
As I look back, I have many vivid and wonderful memories of family and friends gathering around the table to celebrate holidays, special events, and just the companionship of one another.
Meals were always a special event whether eaten at a table with cloth napkins, holiday decorations and the good china, or on a picnic table with a red checkered tablecloth on a balmy summer day.
Throughout history, meals have always occupied a special place in the world's great religions. As we gather for sustenance and companionship, we are in our most vulnerable human condition, and that's where the Divine enters. This is precisely why mealtime is sacred and shouldn't be subservient to television, texting, or other interruptions. We need each other's companionship and the opportunity to be fully human so much that we can't let distractions overwhelm us.
My wife, Natalie, and I have always enjoyed cooking. As our sons, Jared, Jeff, and Kevin got older they all became good cooks. For several years I had worked on putting together a book of both traditional family recipes and favorite newer recipes, but how do you ever say such a thing is done? So, I decided that the best solution would be to put the recipes online where they would be available to friends and family and now, of course, to anyone else who is interested. Now we have added Izabella, Amie, and Katy, three wonderful daughters-in-law, and grandchildren Evan, Annabelle, and Nicholas. With their extended families, I'm sure they will be contributing some wonderful recipes.
So! Make some great food, gather around the table with your loved ones and strangers as well, give thanks to God, share your stories, and celebrate life.
Bon appetit! - Mark Karney
