Bagna Cauda is a popular Italian hot dip that literally means “Hot Bath” that is often served on Christmas Eve in Italy. The sauce is very simple to make and is lick-the-bowl-delicious. It’s perfect for dipping almost anything in such as crusty bread, fresh and grilled vegetables, cheese, and fried potatoes. Tater tots, bread, and soft-boiled quail eggs (or regular eggs) are particularly delicious pared with the sauce.

It’s a good idea to hold a piece of bread under whatever you are dipping to catch the drips. It’s a fun and easy dish to make that’s perfect for sharing and will be enjoyed by everyone. Have plenty of napkins and toothpicks available as the sauce is hot and toothpicks are safer than burning your fingers. Also, be sure to use unsalted butter as the Anchovy paste is very salty. You can always adjust the salt level after you taste it.

Sauce Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of Anchovy Paste
6 cloves of garlic – peeled
1 small shallot
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions for the Sauce

1. Warm all of the ingredients in a small pot on low to medium-low heat until the garlic is soft – about 30 minutes. You don’t want to fry the ingredients but slowly cook them instead.
2. Once the garlic cloves are soft, remove the herb sprigs and blend up the sauce with an immersion blender.
3. Serve the sauce hot in the pot or a ramekin. You could also use a fondue pot and or candle underneath the pot or ramekin if you have one. A ceramic bowl works well so you can pop it in the microwave to heat up once the sauce cools too much. It’s also a good idea to give the sauce a stir once in a while as the heavier ingredients tend to settle to the bottom.

Suggested Items for Dipping

• Fresh crusty bread such as a French baguette or Italian focaccia
• Bocconcini and cherry tomato skewers
• Tater tots – baked or fried according to their directions
• Cheese cubes
• Red pepper slices
• Snap peas
• Grilled asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, shallots – use your favourite vegetables!
• Soft-boiled quail (or regular) eggs
• Cherry tomatoes
• Carrot Sticks
• Previously cooked or roasted nugget potatoes.
• Roasted chestnuts

Put on some Christmas music and enjoy!

A Few Christmas-Inspired Conversation Questions

Each guest needs to answer one of these questions before they dip:

• What is your favourite holiday tradition?
• What is your favourite winter memory?
• What is your favourite Christmas song and why?
• What is your favourite Christmas movie or movie scene?
• What part of Christmas do you look forward to the most?

Inspiration for the Dish

The holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has become an annual staple in many homes. The story is familiar even to those who have never seen it: the sour, disdainful Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, hates Christmas and the Whos who delight in it so much. He descends upon Whoville to steal all their presents and hollywho wreaths and feasts of roast beast—everything the Grinch thought gave Christmas its meaning and joy. But when he leans over the side of Mount Crumpit on Christmas morning, expecting to hear the disappointed wails of a town full of Christmas-less Whos, he is shocked to hear something quite different:

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Was singing without any presents at all!
He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming! It came!Somehow or other, it came just the same!… 

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes, or bags!”…
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!

And the sour old Grinch is redeemed, his heart growing three sizes that day. 

Interestingly, in Dr. Seuss’s story, the Grinch has no backstory. We don’t know how he came to be so grumpy and judgemental and… Grinchy. Why is he?

In the December 1957 edition of the magazine Redbook, Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, explained, “I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noticed a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”

This is a significant observation not only of Dr. Seuss himself, but of humanity in general. We all have a grinchy side. We’re all guilty of bitterness, resentment, judging those who are different, even of being green with envy and hate. In the words of Scripture, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Romans 3:10b-11). We need a Savior who redeems us from our “grinchiness,” or sin, and gives us a new heart and a restored relationship with him.

This simple recipe combines sour and spice to create a grinchy yet delicious soup. The accompanying conversation invites reflection on our own grinchiness and the need for redemption it reveals.

Equipment

• Stockpot or large saucepan
• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• Blender
• Soup bowls

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium Sweet Onion, chopped
4 cups or 900 ml Pho Broth (I use Campbell’s)
6 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream (optional)
2-3 Tbsp Thai Green Curry paste (to taste)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
3 – 5 Dried Wasabi peas per bowl (garnish)
1 pinch of Parsley leaves or 2 Chives per bowl (garnish)

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. 
2. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned (about 6 minutes). 
3. Add the Pho broth and bring to a simmer. 
4. Add the peas and simmer until they are just tender (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove the pot from the heat and add the mint and Green Curry paste. 
6. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée (or use an immersion blender). If the soup appears too thick, mix in with a little extra Pho broth or water. Blend until smooth. 
7. Taste & season soup with salt and pepper. If you want a bit of added spice, add a little more Thai Green Curry paste. The soup should be nice and spicy and slightly sour or… Grinchy!
8. Serve warm or cold. When plating, add a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche (optional), and top with 3-5 wasabi peas, chives, and/or a few leaves of parsley.

Chef it Up!

Make the soup especially grinchy by getting creative with the garnish. Use a piping bag to create a grinch-like smile (pictured below) with the sour cream or crème fraîche. Then arrange two wasabi peas as eyes.

Conversation Guide

TO THE HOST: Showing clips from the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, either before or while you eat the dish, will add to the experience. The first 4-5 minutes and the last 3 minutes fit best.

Here are YouTube links to those portions of the movie:
Grinch Movie Clip BEGINNING
Grinch Movie Clip END

Also, as this conversation invites us to explore our sin and ugliness, please be vulnerable in sharing about your own brokenness and mistakes. Simply reading this script without being real about your own sin—and redemption by Jesus—could create a judgemental tone that would not be beneficial.

Read: We’re all likely familiar with ‘the Grinch:’ the green, small-hearted sourpuss who tries to steal Christmas from the Whos. But what does that character represent, and how did he become that way?

Ask: How do you think the Grinch became The Grinch? Does the character remind you of anyone in particular?

Read: The original story of the Grinch was written by the beloved author Dr. Seuss. Interestingly, he offered this explanation for the character’s origin: “I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noticed a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”

Ask: Can you see the Grinch in yourself as well? How? When does he tend to come out most?

Ask: What have you done in those “grinchy” moments that you wish you could undo?

Read: Whether we’ve lashed out in anger and broken a relationship, judged or mistreated someone who believes or looks different, made harmful or painful choices, or a million other things, we’ve all done “grinchy” things. We likely justified them at the time. Maybe we still do. The Bible names this element of our human condition very plainly, calling it “sin.” This word may bring up painful connotations when you hear it, but it simply means “missing the mark” or falling short of a perfect standard of righteousness. In his letter to the early church in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Ask: Do you agree with this assessment of humanity? How have you sought to respond to it at a personal level: seeking to right your wrong actions, make some sort of penance, etc.? What effect has that had?

Read: As a Christian, I believe that each and every person is created in God’s image, and that we are designed to have a relationship with Him. I believe that this is what brings true joy, meaning, and purpose to life. But this grinchiness, or sin, keeps us from having a relationship with God, and experiencing that purpose and joy. Thankfully, God took it upon himself to remedy this condition, as we are incapable of restoring ourselves to him on our own. This was the purpose behind Jesus coming to earth.

Ask: (optional, feel free to skip if you will be serving A Shepherd’s Ragout, or A Taste of Grace): How might Jesus redeem us from our broken human condition and separation from God? In light of that purpose God had for him, how do you react to the fact that he entered the world as a human baby?

Does Christmas without presents and Hollywho wreaths and feasts of roast beast lose its meaning for you? What makes Christmas important to you?

Inspiration for the Dish:
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11, KJV)

Out of all the Christmas movies and TV specials, my (Gary’s) favourite moment is Linus’ monologue in A Charlie Brown Christmas. After Charlie Brown wonders if anyone knows what Christmas is truly about, Linus slowly walks to centre stage, cues the lights, and recites Luke 2:8-14, the account of a herald of angels announcing the birth of the Messiah to a group of shepherds. Then he gathers up his blanket and strolls back to Charlie Brown and says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

This dish is inspired by what shepherds would commonly eat during a “night shift” tending their flocks. They’d pack a ration of dried figs, cheese, and cured meat in a sling tied around their waist. Then, they’d settle for the evening and make a simple stew over a fire.

This Shepherd’s Ragout contains dried figs and apricots, goat’s cheese, and some savoury vegetables and herbs. The meat is lamb, symbolic of Jesus, the Lamb of God. This stew is served in a classic Jewish potato kugel, which is shaped to represent the manger in which Jesus rested after his birth. A puff pastry star, representing the star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem in another part of Jesus’s birth story, adds a finishing touch.

The angel’s announcement that night is one of a new kingdom entering the world, one that will offer a radically different definition of peace, power, glory, and human flourishing than those of earthly kingdoms.

Yet the arrival of this new kingdom and king was announced not to leaders and authorities, but lowly shepherds. Shepherds were often poor, unskilled, and illiterate, and considered by many to be “unclean” because their occupation required them to break Jewish law and work on the Sabbath. How remarkable it is that the “Good Shepherd,” who will reign over a kingdom that will outlast all others, was revealed initially to people such as these! Let’s get started on creating a dish that tells this story.

Equipment Needed

• Oven
• Muffin Tin
• Box Grater
• Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven
• 2 Cutting Boards
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Large Pot
• Chef Knife
• Wooden Spoon
• Pastry Brush
• Star Cookie Cutter or cardboard template
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheet

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 lbs Lamb Shoulder, cut into bite sized chunks
1 lb Ground Lamb
2 medium sweet onions
3 medium carrots
3 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
6 sprigs fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1⁄4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1L beef stock
1 small can of tomato paste
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup diced dried figs
1 cup chopped dried Apricots
1⁄2 cup red wine (Merlot or Malbec recommended)
1⁄4 cup cornstarch slurry (1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1⁄4 cup red wine or water)
140 grams Soft Goat Cheese
1 egg
I – 8” x 12” sheet of Puff Pastry
6 Yukon Gold Potatoes
Olive Oil as needed
Butter as needed, room temperature.
Dried Thyme
1/ 4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Lamb Instructions

1. Dice the carrots and one of the onions, and finely chop the garlic.
2. Preheat oven to 250℉ (skip if using slow cooker)
3. Add olive oil to the bottom of either a dutch oven or slow cooker and set to medium heat, until it begins to simmer (you could also use a wide-bottomed metal pot or sautè pan with high sides, but these must be oven safe).
4. Add the lamb shoulder, cut into bite-sized chunks, and turn regularly to brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may need to do this in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding and achieve a proper sear. Remove to a bowl after fully browned.
5. Add the ground lamb to the pan, season with salt and pepper and brown until cooked through. Remove this to a bowl also.
6. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the pan and sautè for 3-5 minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
7. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red wine (or more if needed), using a wooden spoon to scrape the pan and ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom.
   Add the browned lamb back to the pan, along with beef stock, tomato paste, and roasted tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
8. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir thoroughly to distribute it throughout.
9. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the herb springs, apricots, and figs.
10. Season again with salt and pepper, then place in the oven for 3-4 hours (or set the slow cooker to 250℉ and set for 3-4 hours). Check a few times to stir and ensure that there is enough liquid (add beef stock or red wine as needed). It’s finished when the meat is fork tender.

Potato Kugel Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Rub a stick of semi-softened butter into a muffin pan, ensuring that the butter is liberally applied, then spray the entire pan with non-stick canola oil.
3. Peel potatoes and shred using a box grater into a large bowl. Shred one onion in the same manner. Stir these together with your hands so that the onion is evenly mixed with the potatoes.
4. Season the mixture with dried thyme, sea salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix evenly.
5. Scoop up a handful and squeeze out excess water, then press it into the greased muffin tin to form a nest. Repeat until all the spaces in the tin are filled.
6. Spray the top of the nests with cooking spray, then bake at 375℉ for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and slightly browned.

Puff Pastry Star Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Beat one egg in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Cut star shapes from a sheet of thawed puff pastry with either a cookie cutter or sharp knife (use a template for consistency of shape), transferring each star to the baking sheet.
5. Lightly brush each star with the egg wash, then bake for approximately 15 minutes, until fully puffed and golden brown.

Plating

Carefully remove the potato kugels from the muffin tin (they will stick to any part of the tin not sufficiently greased) and place one in the centre of each plate. Fill kugels with a generous amount of ragout, then garnish with a crumble of goat cheese and chopped parsley. Top each with a puff pastry star and serve!

Shepherd’s Ragout Conversation Guide

Watch: Show the clip of Charlie Brown asking the question and Linus reciting Luke 2:8-14 from A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s free on AppleTV+ or available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. If you can’t find it, or aren’t in a space that allows you to watch it, an alternative would be to read Luke 2:8-14 yourself.

Here is the clip currently available on Youtube:
A Charlie Brown Christmas

Ask: The question, What is Christmas all about?—is what Charlie Brown yearns to know in A Charlie Brown Christmas. The response, of course, is Linus’ famous monologue.

Read: Linus recites part of the Gospel of Luke: 2:8-14. So, quite simply, Linus’s answer to what Christmas is all about is “The Birth of Jesus.” We’ve all probably heard the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But let’s look a little deeper…

We’ll consider the shepherds. The stew at the heart of this dish is inspired by what shepherds would often eat. They’d pack some dried figs, cured meats, and cheese in a sling tied around their waist, then when settling down around a fire at night use these ingredients to make a simple stew. Shepherds were of low social status, often poor and illiterate, and considered “unclean” by many because their occupation required them to work on the Sabbath, breaking Jewish law. They spent their lives in the hills around Jerusalem shepherding the sacrificial sheep for the Jewish temple.

Conversation Questions

• Why was Jesus’s birth such good news, and why do you think these shepherds were the first to receive it?
• What is the best news you have ever been surprised by?
• Why might God have chosen to announce the birth of Jesus to these shepherds instead of someone else?
• What does this reveal about God?

The classic Charlie Brown comic strip that was called Peanuts was created by Charles Swartz. It was printed in Sunday newspapers all around the world for over 50 years. During the comic, all of the characters including Lucy, Snoopy, Sally and Charlie Brown try to separate Linus from his security blanket. Throughout the 50 years of the comic strip Linus simply refuses to give it up. Yet here as Linus reads the Christmas story, he drops his blanket, in front of a crowd with a spotlight on him alone. All of a sudden he is unafraid and drops his blanket.

• Why do you think Linus drops his blanket in the midst of sharing the Christmas story? Why is he no longer afraid?
• Do you think Jesus’s birth changed the world? Do you think it changes the world for Linus? If so, how?If not, why not?
• What would Jesus’s birth have meant to the shepherds? Do you think for them it would have had any similarities to what it meant for Linus? What does Jesus’s birth mean to you?

Read: When it got right down to what Christmas is all about, Linus put the birth of Jesus in the spotlight. As he talks about Jesus his need for security is gone. He drops his blanket because his security is now found in something new. In the same way, the Shepherds in the fields that night – lonely, poor, oppressed – rush into town in excitement forgetting everything, even the sheep! For Jesus has entered into the world and with him there is no longer a need for fear for God is among his people.

Luke 2:8-20

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

God’s grace changes everything.

When I (Gary) was initially putting my first feast together, I was praying and asking God to show me a unique way to communicate His grace through a dessert. I went to the library and stumbled upon a book called 1001 Foods To Eat Before You Die. Each page highlighted one unique ingredient. As I flipped through the book I was surprised to discover a page about Miracle Berries. Miracle Berries are a natural berry from West Africa, that contains a unique ingredient that food scientists have called Miraculin.

Miraculin temporarily covers the sour receptors on the tongue, so that foods that are traditionally sour become sweet as candy. I immediately thought of God’s grace, as when I encountered God’s grace in my life, I was profoundly changed from the inside out. Creating a dish with flavors that would literally transform from sour to sweet on your tongue is a wonderful edible metaphor for the very real transformational experience of encountering God’s grace. It was the perfect dessert to end my first feast. Now I close every feast with a variation of a Taste of Grace using the Miracle Berry.

The transformation from sour to sweet is a powerful edible illustration of how Jesus covers the sourness of our sin, allowing us to have a relationship with God. The Miracle Berry covers our sour receptors on our tongue similar to how Jesus covers our sin. When we encounter God’s grace we can experience God for who He really is, just as we can taste the lemon for what it really is. Behold I make all things new.

Recipe

This recipe makes 8, 4 ounce Panna Cottas. 25 minutes to prep. 3 hours to set.

The two key ingredients to this dish are the miracle berry and naturally sour ingredients such as a fresh lemon. There are many freeze-dried miracle berry options available. I purchase my MBerry tablets on Amazon.ca. 

Make the Panna Cotta a few hours ahead of your jelly so it has time to set.

Panna Cotta Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of milk.
2 cups plain Greek yogurt. I recommend the Oikos with 2% MF.
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped.  Alternatives are 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste, or 4 teaspoons vanilla extract.
1 teaspoon of liquid honey
4 teaspoons of unflavoured gelatine
1/4 cup water for hydrating the gelatine
4 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice.
1 Miracle Berry per person
1 Lemon wedge per person.

Panna Cotta Instructions

1. Hydrate the gelatine in 1/4 cup of water.
2. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the bean pod and seeds to the cream. (You can also use vanilla paste or extract.)
3. Bring the milk and vanilla, to a low simmer in a pot on medium-low heat. Stir in the hydrated gelatine and honey. Remove from the heat, transfer from the hot pot to a bowl and let cool for 15 min. Remove the vanilla bean.
4. Whisk yogurt into the cooled cream mixture. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. (add the lemon juice last after the Panna cotta mixture has cooled as you don’t want it to curdle) Pour into glasses or dessert dishes. Let set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

After the Panna Cotta has set, top it with a thin layer of the Meyer Lemon Jelly and garnish it with a fresh raspberry, a sprig of mint, and some lemon zest. (Recipe below)

Meyer Lemon Jelly Ingredients

5 Meyer Lemons
1/3 cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (3 lemons), plus 2 lemons cut into quarters (Meyer lemons are a gourmet lemon that is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. If you can’t find Meyer lemons you can simulate their unique flavour by adding 3 Tablespoons of Passion fruit juice or fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice to your regular lemon juice. Regular fresh squeezed Lemon juice will also work, but Meyer lemons are highly recommended.)
4 teaspoons of unflavoured gelatine
1/4 cup water
1 or two drops of yellow food colouring (optional)
Zest of 2 lemons for garnish
1 fresh raspberry per person
Fresh mint

Instructions

• Hydrate the gelatine by mixing it in a bowl with 1/4 cup of hot water.
• Wash all 5 lemons and then zest 3 of them. Reserve the zest in a bowl for garnish.
• Squeeze/juice the zested lemons and remove any seeds. If you don’t have Meyer lemons, add freshly squeezed passionfruit or mandarin juice. Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat on the stove.
• Check the color, add a few drops of yellow food coloring if desired.
• Mix in hydrated gelatine. Remove from the heat to cool to room temperature.

Plating

Once cool, top your set Panna Cottas with a layer of lemon jelly. Let it set in the fridge for at least an hour. Then garnish with a sprig of mint, lemon zest, and a fresh raspberry. Quarter the remaining 2 lemons, remove any seeds, and serve a lemon wedge with a Miracle Berry on the side.

A Taste of Grace Conversation Guide

For guests to truly experience A Taste of Grace, the elements need to be tasted in a specific way. When serving the dish, ask guests to wait a moment before eating, as you’ll ask a few questions first and then eat the dish together in a specific order.

Before you reveal or serve the dish:
ASK: If you asked the average person on the street “What do you think the Christian faith is all about?,” what do you think people would say?

Pause and listen. 

SHARE: Many people think that being a Christian is about religious morality—if you follow all the rules, maybe, if there is a God, He might let you into heaven when you die. 

ASK: If this view (of religious morality, a repressive lifestyle, etc.) had a flavour, what might it taste like?

Let guests share for a moment, then reveal the dish, including the lemon wedge and Miracle Berry. Invite everyone to taste the Panna Cotta and the lemon wedge.

SHARE: The sourness of the Lemon and the blandness of the Panna Cotta represent the expected flavors of moralistic religion. Unpleasant, boring, empty, negative even. Not very good. Nothing new.

ASK: If God’s grace had a flavour, what might it taste like?

Invite guests to share any thoughts, then ask them to dissolve the Miracle Berry tablet on their tongue. It will take 4 – 5 minutes to fully dissolve; moving it around the tongue and inside of the mouth will increase its effect. 

SHARE: Miracle berries are a fruit from West Africa with some unique properties. I’ll explain in more detail in a moment, but first let’s taste the lemon and panna cotta once again.

This is fun to do together as a group. Once they have tasted it and have experienced the flavor transformation…

SHARE: What you’re experiencing is a natural ingredient found only in a miracle berry called miraculin, which temporarily masks the receptors on our tongues so that the sweetness from the natural sugars in the fruit can come shining through. They’ve been there all along, but the sour elements overpowered them.

This dish is called a taste of Grace because it represents an encounter with God’s grace. When we encounter God’s grace, we can experience Him for who He really is, just as we can taste the lemon for what it really is.

ASK: Have you ever had an unexpected encounter with God or unexpected spiritual experience? If so, what was it like?

ASK: Have you ever thought about what people of faith might mean when they talk about Grace, specifically God’s Grace?

SHARE: The dictionary defines grace as unmerited favour, something you can’t earn but which is given to you freely. For people of faith, God’s Grace is the unconditional love He gives, even though we in no way deserve His love or affection. You could say that we deserve sourness, but we receive sweetness. Jesus experienced all the sourness of death, as a substitute for us—kind of like how the miracle berry transformed our taste buds and covered over the sour notes. We’re told in the Bible that Jesus did this because of how deeply God loves us and wants us to know Him.

Love like this needs to be experienced. It’s like having a rational belief that honey is sweet, compared with the actual taste of its sweetness. Jonathan Edwards, an 18th century preacher, said it this way: “When you experience God in a personal way, your heart gets a new sensory ability.”

In many ways the sour to sweet you are experiencing now is a metaphor for a new spiritual sensory ability we have when we experience God’s grace. It changes us, transforms us from the inside out. And that helps explain the difference between the perception of Christianity as an exercise in religious morality, versus a relational experience in which we are transformed by the love of God into a new person, saved by Jesus and motivated to live in obedience to Him.

ASK: Have you ever felt or tasted the love of God in an unexpected way? Have you ever encountered, or even considered, the love of God that moved Jesus to die as a substitute for you? Would you be interested in exploring this more?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8

Important Eating Instructions:

If Grace had a flavour, what would it taste like?…. Bring out Dish and explain the following instructions: 

1. Taste the Lemon and the Panna Cotta 
2. Cleanse mouth with some water 
3. Suck on Miracle berry tablet as a lozenge 4- 5 min till dissolved, do not chew 
4. Once tablet is dissolved in mouth, taste the Lemon again
5. Taste the Panna Cotta again
6. You are now experiencing a Taste of Grace