I really enjoyed this book! It was great to see how a Food Network celebrity sees food from a Christian perspective without shoving religion down your throat (pun intended!). The combination of autobiography, food porn talk, and Christian values was awesome! I will definitely check out the author's other books!

Tasting grace (Saboreando Gracia!) It's a good book. It is about Melissa D’Arabia's journey and how she has grown in her culinary phase and how she has experienced God in her life. I wanted to read the book because I saw her devotional on the Bible App and I really liked it. I was hoping the book will explain more about the relationship between the world of food and God.
The narrative is very eloquent and does not bore you. At the end of each chapter there are some points to ponder.
I am an international reader and some of the chapters are focused on an American audience.
If I wanted to translate this book into Spanish, some topics would not be as relevant. However, her testimony is very encouraging and makes you reflect.
All opinions expressed on this review are mine alone.

Tasting grace {Saboreando Gracia!) Es un buen libro. Trata del viaje de Melissa D’Arabia y como ha crecido en su fase culinaria. Al igual de cómo ha experimentado a Dios en su vida. Quería leer el libro porque vi su devocional en la App de la biblia y me gusto mucho.Esperaba que el libro explicará más acerca de la relación entre el mundo de la comida y Dios.
Su base narrativa es muy elocuente y al final de cada capítulo hay algunos puntos para reflexionar.
Soy una lectora internacional y algunos de sus capítulos están enfocados a una audiencia americana. Entonces si quisiera traducir este libro al español, algunos temas no tendrían tanta relevancia. Mas sin embargo su testimonio es muy alentador y te hace reflexionar.
Todas las opiniones expresadas en este comentario son completamente mías.

I just reviewed Tasting Grace by Melissa d'Arabian. #TastingGrace #NetGalley

Storytelling in with lovely reminders that God has made us for purpose in community. I appreciated the way d'Arabian could see food in every step of her journey.

Most food writers' stories are not accessible to the average home cook. They talk about culinary school and fancy ingredients, about five star restaurants and how they "only" eat this or that while traveling because it is superior. I"m not saying all food writers or chefs who also write fall into those categories, but many do. Melissa d'Arabian is not like that. Her writing was real, authentic, vulnerable, and endearing. I love how she blended her childhood of not enough with her adulthood of excess to her mom life of learning to feed her family. I love how her faith has informed her food choices and cooking, and how she calls Christians to consider food in light of what God has done for us. This book was easy to read, but full of insight that I will ponder and apply to my life for many years to come. I loved watching her on the Food Network, and I enjoy her cookbook, but now I adore her as a person too!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary ecopy. All opinions are my own.

This book is not a cookbook, so please be advised.

It is more of a devotional over many chapters integrating thoughts about food and God's word. It is from a Christian perspective.

As a Christian, I really enjoyed Melissa's meditations. Each chapter should be read and pondered for a day, week or so before moving to the next chapter. She shows how God has shown her Himself expressed as ways she's interacted with food over the years, weaving in stories of her life.

I really enjoyed it and if you are looking for a nightly or weekly devotional, I highly recommend.

I had never heard of Melissa d'Arabian before I read her book. Her life story is quite interesting. Her rise to food network stardom is truly presented as an act of God's grace. Ienjoyed hearing her views on glorifying God through hospitality around the table. Yes we our meant use the gift of food that God has given us to share love. I would have liked to hear more clearly the scriptural foundation of her views on food.

I feel a little conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the motivational and inspirational content. The author is a terrific writer who pulls no punches but nonetheless maintains a loving and gentle approach. I highlighted many passages relating to fostering a healthy relationship with God and food (his creation). On the other hand, I would have preferred the remainder of the book to contain practice advice to put into practice what she discusses. For example, if you are on a road trip and facing the choice of bacon egg bites at Starbucks versus a butter croissant, which do you pick? How do you implement in the real day-to-day world what she suggests? It's one thing to say "choose foods that are closest to how God created them." So yes, pick a sweet potato over a bag of Doritos. But I would've liked more real world dilemmas and how to handle them. Instead, the rest of the book is a memoir, which I just didn't find all that interesting. If you were familiar with the author from her TV days (I wasn't) maybe that's your cup of tea. I still recommend this book for the inspirational and motivational content.

I was attracted by the colorful cover but also the theme a mix of food writing and christianity. I also found out more about the author's background. All in all a good book, easy to read, with many things to highlight/ think about.

I love reading books about food. But this book puts a unique spin on the genre, because it tells the story of how the author overcame a lot of struggles because of how food helped her connect to God and others. I really enjoyed this book. I loved reading about the hardships the author overcame and there were a lot of parts of the book that gave me a lot to think about and helped me to look at food and God from a new respective.

I posted a review of this book on my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_i6YFzgQ0F/

I’ll admit that the first reason I selected this title was the cover. The colours stood out and it piqued my interest. Reading more about the content intrigued me even more.

Wow. That’s all I can say (which is obviously untrue as I’m going to say a lot more below.) I read this in one sitting and will be buying a copy to read again, to highlight, to make notes in. I’ll be recommending it to a ton of friends and family members who are about food or passionate about people.

There were a few statements that made me pause – not in a bad way, but more of a I need to think about this a bit longer. Each chapter includes an invitation at the end, drawing the reader into a real-life application of this refreshed viewpoint on food. I thought of them as little morsels of food for thought.

Part autobiographical, part motivational inspiration, D’Arabian tackles subjects of acceptance, grief, success, value, identity, connection, and so much more.
For such an easy-to-read book, it’s chock full of anecdotes and reflection on a variety of topics relevant to our relationship with food, society, and more. It’s not a follow this diet tome at all, but a gentle encouragement to reshape your connection with food and others.

While reading, I felt as if I was having a kitchen conversation with a good natured, down to earth friend.

Overall, Tasting Grace provided a unique perspective into food and spirituality. It’s a gentle call to authenticity and connection, written in a captivating tone as it invites conversation, introspection, and most importantly a call to accepting grace. I’ll be contemplating this further while I attempt the author’s Potato Bacon Torte.

My thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah for the complimentary copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Go pick up a copy for yourself and let’s compare notes. Full review on my blog:
http://lifelovelaughterlinds.ca/2020/03/26/book-review-tasting-grace-by-melissa-darabian/

I loved reading this book. I found her writing to be lovely and relatable. There was a lot of... food for thought and I found it very inspiring as well!

I enjoyed this book....that Melissa d’Arabian can put into words for others how her faith and her love of cooking can coincide into such a great outcome and to share that with others is inspiring. I have always enjoyed watching Melissa on Food Network....when she competed, has her own show, and is guest-judge on Guy’s Grocery Games!! She seems to be such a nice and relatable person. What she puts into this book shows her compassionate, faithful personality, giving insight to others on another way that we can open our hearts to Jesus in our lives. Thanks to NetGalley and Waterbrook Books for the opportunity to read this e-book in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley #WaterbrookBooks

Tasting Grace is well written, in language the reader can understand and follow. The book includes story, some background, and helpful suggestions.

Here is the text of my review on my blog link above:
I am currently on the milk diet portion of my weight loss surgery journey so of course I am reading a book about food. The book I am reading is called Tasting Grace by Melissa D’Arabian. This book takes you on a Biblical journey with God about food. I am realizing that I have been viewing food wrong my entire life. Food comforts, it heals, it nourishes, it serves, it satisfies, and it rescues. If you want to know how it does these things then I suggest you read D’Arabian’s amazing book.
Chapter four hit me the most. It talks about letting go and allowing God to get you to the results you are wanting or needing. Want and needing are two different things. I reflected on my journey with food right now. I am wanting to lose weight for the sole purpose of making breathing easier for me at the say so of my doctor and most everyone in my life. They have this belief it will make breathing easier. I’m struggling with believing this, but I also know that I want this result. I also know I need it too. How do I let go and let God get me the result I am wanting? But stepping back and looking at the way I approach food. I have forgotten one of the aspects that I was taught as a child, blessing my food before I eat it. This was not a showy thing, not like how I experienced it as a child in the middle of a crowded restaurant listening to the men in my life preach during their prayer to those around them, but the important part of the praying before a meal is to thank God for it and ask for it to nourish our bodies and bless us.
I enjoyed this book a lot. My eyes were open to the possibilities. I think your eyes will be too.

If you would like to purchase your own copy:

Tasting Grace
Melissa D’Arabian

I was given a copy by Netgalley. The opinions I express are my own and I was not influenced.

A book of food a book of personal faith.The author shares with us her success on the food network she shares how food has always been an important nurturing part of her world just as her religion her faith guides her.A warm lovely read.#netgalley#tastiinggrace

I was curious to check this out since I remember the author from her Next Food Network Star days. Full disclosure, I was a bit unsure going into this since it was marketed as having a Christian-bent and I don't subscribe to the faith anymore (though I do have a more general, non-god based spirituality) but decided to pick it up anyway. I'm glad I did anyway. I'm someone who is very introspective and appreciates growth and I loved how this book made me think and reflect back on my life. I'm not sure it will appeal to everyone who is atheist or agnostic since there are definitely a lot of references to scripture, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the teachings are pretty universal.

This book is a marriage between a Food Network star memoir, and a Christian nonfiction book about food.

I don’t love memoir type books that aren’t linear. And so this one did not hit that sweet spot for me. I did enjoy the stories and the viewpoints on connection to God through food however.

It was an interesting read, but not enough to grant more than a just a “like” from me.

I loved this book! In fact, it was one of my favourites I have read in 2019. I never thought a book on the theology of food would appeal to me so much, but Melissa d'Arabian approaches this book with nuance, beautiful writing, and lots of truth! She is practical, theological, personable and all around enjoyable to read. She made me think a lot about issues surrounding food that I haven't thought about before - but through a Gospel-centered lens. I recommend this book to anyone who loves food, cooking or is just interested in it (which is most of us!) - especially to young moms or those in a very busy season who are struggling with preparing meals, getting supper on table or knowing what to eat! While she doesn't offer a lot of "practical" solutions, simply reading this book will change your perspective and encourage you how truly important food can be!

This memoir was not what I expected. It's a very simple read, all about Melissa d'Arabian's life and specifically her roots with food. She tries to connect it to God but I believe that part falls short. The best quote I found was in chapter 7, referring to her mother... "The answer is, she taught me to love and she showed me that cooking for people was an outward expression of that love. She inspired me to cook for the people, not the plate. My mom taught me to value a big pot of chili shared with loved ones over a five-star meal eaten alone. She embodied the wisdom of Proverbs 15;17, 'A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.' (NLT)" If you follow her show and would find her life interesting, then this might be the book for you.

Tasting Grace
Discovering the Power of Food to Connect Us to God, One Another, and Ourselves

by Melissa d'Arabian


WaterBrook & Multnomah

WaterBrook

Biographies & Memoirs , Christian

Pub Date 10 Sep 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Tasting Grace through WaterBrook & Multonomah and Netgalley:


In this book we are reminded that food and our relationship too food is central to modern day life but food is not only central to modern day life, it has been central to life through history.



We are reminded too that Jesus used food to bring people together not only to feed bodies but to feed souls as well. We are encouraged too to feed not only the stomach but to feed hearts as well.



This book points out that God used food to redeem loss.



In this book we are encouraged too to let go, and leave the results to God. It is pointed out too that we need to trust our identity to God.



The author in this book points out too that food is a gift from God. We are reminded too that food can draw us closer to one another and to God.



I give Tasting Grace five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!