All ingredients are to taste - use more or less as you like.
Pork shoulder roast, bone in, cheap with as much fat as you can get.
2 – 3 Whole bay leaves
2 Chopped onions
2 – 3 Chopped carrots
2 – 3 Garlic cloves
1 Tbls each Salt, oregano, grnd cumin, grnd coriander seed, crushed juniper berries
Cover all with water (put a fold up steamer basket on top to keep meat under), bring to boil and simmer 2 -3 hours. Bake the meat 1 hour at 350*. Serve chopped or pulled. Save leftovers, if any, for soup.
Strain and save stock for soup. Delicious with meat and hominy and topped with fresh chopped onion, chili pepper of choice, cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Crapaw’s Mexican Soup
Pozole or Menudo
Pozole is made with either pork or beef. Menudo is made with beef tripe.
1-½ lbs of Meat (see above).
2 tsp. Salt.
3 qts. Water.
1 tbls. Oregano.
1 clove Garlic, mashed.
1 #3 can (20 oz.) Hominy.
1 cup Red Chili Sauce (recipe below).
1 tbls. (2 cubes) Chicken bouillon.
All the above are approximate. Adjust to taste.
Cover the meat and ½ the salt with the water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium heat until tender (about 1 ½ hr. for the pork, longer for the tripe).
Add oregano and garlic, continue simmer for 30 minutes.
Add Hominy, Red Chili Sauce and Chicken bouillon, continue simmer for 20 minutes.
Add remaining Salt to taste.
Serve with chopped Serrano chilies, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and lime quarters to squeeze over soup. Add Hot Sauce to taste.
Red Chili Sauce
As usual, everything is approximate and to taste.
12 large dried red chili pods.
3-½ cups water.
2 cloves garlic, sliced.
2 tbls. Oil (Bacon drippings are best).
2 tbls. Flour.
2 tsp. Salt.
2 tsp. Oregano.
Stem and seed the chili pods. Bring to boil in the water and simmer 20 minutes. Put in a blender with the garlic, oregano and salt. Puree until smooth.
In a large skillet, make a roué with the oil and flour, stirring until smooth and brown. Remove from heat and stir in the chili puree and stir out any lumps. Return to heat until thickened, then add remainder of cooking water and simmer 10 minutes.
Pozole is made with either pork or beef. Menudo is made with beef tripe.
1-½ lbs of Meat (see above).
2 tsp. Salt.
3 qts. Water.
1 tbls. Oregano.
1 clove Garlic, mashed.
1 #3 can (20 oz.) Hominy.
1 cup Red Chili Sauce (recipe below).
1 tbls. (2 cubes) Chicken bouillon.
All the above are approximate. Adjust to taste.
Cover the meat and ½ the salt with the water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium heat until tender (about 1 ½ hr. for the pork, longer for the tripe).
Add oregano and garlic, continue simmer for 30 minutes.
Add Hominy, Red Chili Sauce and Chicken bouillon, continue simmer for 20 minutes.
Add remaining Salt to taste.
Serve with chopped Serrano chilies, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and lime quarters to squeeze over soup. Add Hot Sauce to taste.
Red Chili Sauce
As usual, everything is approximate and to taste.
12 large dried red chili pods.
3-½ cups water.
2 cloves garlic, sliced.
2 tbls. Oil (Bacon drippings are best).
2 tbls. Flour.
2 tsp. Salt.
2 tsp. Oregano.
Stem and seed the chili pods. Bring to boil in the water and simmer 20 minutes. Put in a blender with the garlic, oregano and salt. Puree until smooth.
In a large skillet, make a roué with the oil and flour, stirring until smooth and brown. Remove from heat and stir in the chili puree and stir out any lumps. Return to heat until thickened, then add remainder of cooking water and simmer 10 minutes.
Sweet Corn Thingey
1 Box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
3 Tbls Sugar
¾ Stick of butter
1 Cup Sour cream
3 Eggs
1 Can cream corn
1 Can corn (do not drain)
In bowl, put corn muffin mix and sugar. Soften butter and sour cream and combine with beaten eggs and cans of corn. Mix all together. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish (sprayed) and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve however you want.
3 Tbls Sugar
¾ Stick of butter
1 Cup Sour cream
3 Eggs
1 Can cream corn
1 Can corn (do not drain)
In bowl, put corn muffin mix and sugar. Soften butter and sour cream and combine with beaten eggs and cans of corn. Mix all together. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish (sprayed) and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve however you want.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Bread things you should know
Bread Basics By: Chuck Peppler
One thing is worth remembering: yeast dough cannot be overworked (the way pie dough can), and yeast dough’s are the most forgiving of mistakes.
FLOUR: What distinguishes wheat flour is that it contains gluten. Gluten is what makes flour stretch without breaking, thereby enabling it to trap the carbon dioxide that the yeast releases, thereby turning it spongy, i.e., it permits the bread “to rise”. Wheat flour comes in many varieties that significantly influence the flavor and texture of the end product. There are four varieties of “regular” flour: bread flour, pastry flour, cake flour, and “all-purpose” flour. An important thing to remember about flour is that its moisture content varies over wide ranges depending on the humidity, storage conditions; therefore all recipes involving flour as a major ingredient can give only approximations to the amount of flour required. Don’t take them too literally. Fluff your flour before measuring. A bag of flour that has been dropped or tapped (and the flour slightly compacted) may contain 20 percent more flour by weight for the same volume; that is a cup of compacted flour may contain 20% more flour than the same flour if it is sifted before measuring. Note that sifting does not make up for differences in moisture content. DOUGH: There are only two things that you have to remember about yeast dough: Don’t let it get much above body temperature (or you’ll kill the yeast, and the dough needs to have enough flour in it that it will not stick to your dry (i.e., lightly floured) hands as you kneed it. If you bake in Dutch Ovens then you can be very casual about how stiff your dough is. Bread is only a mixture of bread (high gluten) flour, yeast, salt, and water. That’s all there is in a loaf of French (or Italian) bread. However, it is possible to add almost anything to yeast bread and come up with a fine result. This would include herbs, cheese, meat (cooked), dried or glazed fruit, butter, oil or other fats, nuts, other flours (whole wheat, rye, oats), eggs (raw or hard boiled), etc. (Note: pasta is just a dough made with flour and raw eggs as the only source of liquid; no yeast, of course.) Rising: Most bread recipes call for letting the dough rise twice. If you prefer (or need - i.e., pizza) a dough that will have larger bubbles after it is baked, let it rise just once but to somewhat more than double in bulk. If you want a very fine textured product, let it rise three times, e.g., brioche. Although most recipes say “let it rise until doubled in bulk” I suggest going under that limit for the first rising and an equal amount (say 1/4 of the bulk) over on the second rising. Do let it rise in a warm draft- free place (so that one side of the bowl is not at a different temperature than the other). Although many recipes say “dust with flour and cover with a cloth”, you may be happier oiling the bowl lightly and turning your ball of dough around until it is lightly coated and then cover it with a damp towel.
SHAPING DOUGH: There are several ways to shape bread in a Dutch Oven. Try these: 1. Form a round loaf by rolling the edges under the ball and place in the D.O. 2. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 9”x18”. Make cuts from the sides about 1/3 of the way toward the center. Then you can braid the loaf toward the center. Before braiding you can fill the bread with a variety of ingredients. (chilies and cheese, broccoli cooked chicken, Pizza toppings (they call it Calzone) cheese, fruits, nuts, etc.) 3. Divide the loaf into three sections. RoIl them into long strands and braid them together. Bruce Tracy in the World championships did a double braid and placed a smaller braid on top of a larger one. 4. For Sourdough form into a ball and place in the DO. Before cooking make slices across the top with a serrated knife and pour % cup of cold water over the dough. 5. For rolls: a. Roll small sections of dough into balls b. Take balls of dough and roll them into strands about 7” long and tie them into a knot. 6. Take balls of dough and wrap them around a marshmallow (you can add nuts or raisins if desired) Take that ball and dip it in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar LIQUIDS: Water and milk are the most commonly used liquids. Water gives bread a crisper crust; milk provides a velvety texture and added nutrients.
SWEETNERS: Sugar, honey and molasses provide “food” for the yeast to help it grow, enhance the flavor of the bread and help brown the crust. Don’t use artificial sweeteners because they don’t properly “feed” the yeast. SALT: Salt is a flavoring needed to control the growth of the yeast and prevent the dough from rising too much, which can cause the bread to collapse. If you reduce the salt in a recipe, you’ll need to decrease both rising times, too.
FAT: Butter, margarine, shortening and vegetable oil make bread tender. In addition to tenderness, butter and margarine add flavor.
EGGS: Eggs are sometimes added for flavor, richness and color.
FINISHING TOUCH: For a shiny crust, brush the top of the bread with an equal solution of whole egg, water and milk. If desired, sprinkle with poppy, caraway or sesame seed or rolled oats. For a softer, deep golden brown crust, brush with softened butter or margarine. For a crisp crust, brush or spray lightly with water. For a soft, tender crust, brush with milk. After glazing (brushing with one of these ingredients), slash the top of the loaf with a sharp serrated knife, cutting about 1/4 inch deep, once down the center of the loaf or across the loaf a few times.
COOKING: Except for excessive heat bread dough is the most forgiving and indestructible of bakery goods. You cannot “overwork” it. Just kneed it long enough until it is satiny to the look and feel. If you do overheat it and the yeast dies, do not despair. Dissolve some more yeast in water, kneed it into the dough, and add enough flour to bring it back to the consistency you want. Then proceed as if nothing has happened. In a 12” Dutch Oven use 24 coals to maintain 350 degrees. (8 coals on the bottom and 16 on the top). There should not be a bottom coal directly in the middle. (this could result in a hot spot) The coals on the top should be in a circle around the outside lip of the lid. Turn the pot and the lid 90 degrees in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes to eliminate hot (burn) spots on the bread. The bread should brown up to a golden color and slightly pull away from the sides. You should also see the same golden color on the sides. To tell if bread is done, tap the crust. If the loaf sounds hollow, it’s done. Remove loaves from the Dutch Ovens after 1-3 minutes so the sides remain crusty, and place them on wire racks away from drafts to cool. Loaves left in the oven gain moisture and the crust goes soft.
CUTTING BREAD: Place loaf on a cutting board or other surface suitable for cutting. Slice with a serrated bread knife. You can cut wedges or slice the bread in half and cut slices from the center toward the outside.
BREAD TEXTURE I PROBLEMS: Great Traditional Yeast Bread and Rolls Are: High and evenly shaped Uniformly golden or dark brown Even in texture with no large air holes
Not high - water too hot for yeast - too little flour - not kneaded enough - rising time too short - pan too large.
Coarse texture - rising time too long - too little flour - not kneaded enough - oven too cool.
Dry and crumbly - too much flour - not kneaded enough.
Large air pockets - dough not rolled tightly when loaf was shaped.
Yeasty flavor- rising time too long - temperature too high during rising time .
One thing is worth remembering: yeast dough cannot be overworked (the way pie dough can), and yeast dough’s are the most forgiving of mistakes.
FLOUR: What distinguishes wheat flour is that it contains gluten. Gluten is what makes flour stretch without breaking, thereby enabling it to trap the carbon dioxide that the yeast releases, thereby turning it spongy, i.e., it permits the bread “to rise”. Wheat flour comes in many varieties that significantly influence the flavor and texture of the end product. There are four varieties of “regular” flour: bread flour, pastry flour, cake flour, and “all-purpose” flour. An important thing to remember about flour is that its moisture content varies over wide ranges depending on the humidity, storage conditions; therefore all recipes involving flour as a major ingredient can give only approximations to the amount of flour required. Don’t take them too literally. Fluff your flour before measuring. A bag of flour that has been dropped or tapped (and the flour slightly compacted) may contain 20 percent more flour by weight for the same volume; that is a cup of compacted flour may contain 20% more flour than the same flour if it is sifted before measuring. Note that sifting does not make up for differences in moisture content. DOUGH: There are only two things that you have to remember about yeast dough: Don’t let it get much above body temperature (or you’ll kill the yeast, and the dough needs to have enough flour in it that it will not stick to your dry (i.e., lightly floured) hands as you kneed it. If you bake in Dutch Ovens then you can be very casual about how stiff your dough is. Bread is only a mixture of bread (high gluten) flour, yeast, salt, and water. That’s all there is in a loaf of French (or Italian) bread. However, it is possible to add almost anything to yeast bread and come up with a fine result. This would include herbs, cheese, meat (cooked), dried or glazed fruit, butter, oil or other fats, nuts, other flours (whole wheat, rye, oats), eggs (raw or hard boiled), etc. (Note: pasta is just a dough made with flour and raw eggs as the only source of liquid; no yeast, of course.) Rising: Most bread recipes call for letting the dough rise twice. If you prefer (or need - i.e., pizza) a dough that will have larger bubbles after it is baked, let it rise just once but to somewhat more than double in bulk. If you want a very fine textured product, let it rise three times, e.g., brioche. Although most recipes say “let it rise until doubled in bulk” I suggest going under that limit for the first rising and an equal amount (say 1/4 of the bulk) over on the second rising. Do let it rise in a warm draft- free place (so that one side of the bowl is not at a different temperature than the other). Although many recipes say “dust with flour and cover with a cloth”, you may be happier oiling the bowl lightly and turning your ball of dough around until it is lightly coated and then cover it with a damp towel.
SHAPING DOUGH: There are several ways to shape bread in a Dutch Oven. Try these: 1. Form a round loaf by rolling the edges under the ball and place in the D.O. 2. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 9”x18”. Make cuts from the sides about 1/3 of the way toward the center. Then you can braid the loaf toward the center. Before braiding you can fill the bread with a variety of ingredients. (chilies and cheese, broccoli cooked chicken, Pizza toppings (they call it Calzone) cheese, fruits, nuts, etc.) 3. Divide the loaf into three sections. RoIl them into long strands and braid them together. Bruce Tracy in the World championships did a double braid and placed a smaller braid on top of a larger one. 4. For Sourdough form into a ball and place in the DO. Before cooking make slices across the top with a serrated knife and pour % cup of cold water over the dough. 5. For rolls: a. Roll small sections of dough into balls b. Take balls of dough and roll them into strands about 7” long and tie them into a knot. 6. Take balls of dough and wrap them around a marshmallow (you can add nuts or raisins if desired) Take that ball and dip it in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar LIQUIDS: Water and milk are the most commonly used liquids. Water gives bread a crisper crust; milk provides a velvety texture and added nutrients.
SWEETNERS: Sugar, honey and molasses provide “food” for the yeast to help it grow, enhance the flavor of the bread and help brown the crust. Don’t use artificial sweeteners because they don’t properly “feed” the yeast. SALT: Salt is a flavoring needed to control the growth of the yeast and prevent the dough from rising too much, which can cause the bread to collapse. If you reduce the salt in a recipe, you’ll need to decrease both rising times, too.
FAT: Butter, margarine, shortening and vegetable oil make bread tender. In addition to tenderness, butter and margarine add flavor.
EGGS: Eggs are sometimes added for flavor, richness and color.
FINISHING TOUCH: For a shiny crust, brush the top of the bread with an equal solution of whole egg, water and milk. If desired, sprinkle with poppy, caraway or sesame seed or rolled oats. For a softer, deep golden brown crust, brush with softened butter or margarine. For a crisp crust, brush or spray lightly with water. For a soft, tender crust, brush with milk. After glazing (brushing with one of these ingredients), slash the top of the loaf with a sharp serrated knife, cutting about 1/4 inch deep, once down the center of the loaf or across the loaf a few times.
COOKING: Except for excessive heat bread dough is the most forgiving and indestructible of bakery goods. You cannot “overwork” it. Just kneed it long enough until it is satiny to the look and feel. If you do overheat it and the yeast dies, do not despair. Dissolve some more yeast in water, kneed it into the dough, and add enough flour to bring it back to the consistency you want. Then proceed as if nothing has happened. In a 12” Dutch Oven use 24 coals to maintain 350 degrees. (8 coals on the bottom and 16 on the top). There should not be a bottom coal directly in the middle. (this could result in a hot spot) The coals on the top should be in a circle around the outside lip of the lid. Turn the pot and the lid 90 degrees in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes to eliminate hot (burn) spots on the bread. The bread should brown up to a golden color and slightly pull away from the sides. You should also see the same golden color on the sides. To tell if bread is done, tap the crust. If the loaf sounds hollow, it’s done. Remove loaves from the Dutch Ovens after 1-3 minutes so the sides remain crusty, and place them on wire racks away from drafts to cool. Loaves left in the oven gain moisture and the crust goes soft.
CUTTING BREAD: Place loaf on a cutting board or other surface suitable for cutting. Slice with a serrated bread knife. You can cut wedges or slice the bread in half and cut slices from the center toward the outside.
BREAD TEXTURE I PROBLEMS: Great Traditional Yeast Bread and Rolls Are: High and evenly shaped Uniformly golden or dark brown Even in texture with no large air holes
Not high - water too hot for yeast - too little flour - not kneaded enough - rising time too short - pan too large.
Coarse texture - rising time too long - too little flour - not kneaded enough - oven too cool.
Dry and crumbly - too much flour - not kneaded enough.
Large air pockets - dough not rolled tightly when loaf was shaped.
Yeasty flavor- rising time too long - temperature too high during rising time .
Sourdough Bread
Dave Felshaw’s Sourdough Salt Crust Bread
Starter (Ask me if you have none)
To your starter add 2 cups flour, about 1tbls. sugar and 2 cups warm (95-110degrees F) water. Mix, cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. Mixture should be bubbly in the morning. Keep back at least a cup of the new mixture for new starter. Keep in fridge. It may separate after a while. This is normal. Just mix it in the next time you make new starter. It is best to use potato water if you have it left over from cooking pealed spuds that night.
Bread
Remainder of starter
2 cups warm milk (110 degrees or less) or 1 cup hot water and 1 cup cold milk.
(check temp)
2 tbls. Melted butter or olive oil
¼ cup Honey (put in with oil so it pours out easier)
2 tbls. Instant yeast
Mix in larger bowl with dough hook and add
2 tbls. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
7 cups (about) Bread flour or all purpose flour with about 2000mgs vitamin C ground and mixed in. Add until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should pretty well clean the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to a higher speed and mix for about 5 or 6 minutes. Turn out on a floured board and knead for a few minutes. Put into an oiled mixing bowl, turning so the top is oiled, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Roll out on board, knead and divide into 3- 4 loaves. Paint top with egg wash and sprinkle kosher salt over to taste. Bake at 375-400 degree oven for 45-55 minutes. It should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. For crusty bread, bake with about 2 cups of water in a pan for steam.
Enjoy and remember to give thanks to Him who is the bread of life.
Starter (Ask me if you have none)
To your starter add 2 cups flour, about 1tbls. sugar and 2 cups warm (95-110degrees F) water. Mix, cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. Mixture should be bubbly in the morning. Keep back at least a cup of the new mixture for new starter. Keep in fridge. It may separate after a while. This is normal. Just mix it in the next time you make new starter. It is best to use potato water if you have it left over from cooking pealed spuds that night.
Bread
Remainder of starter
2 cups warm milk (110 degrees or less) or 1 cup hot water and 1 cup cold milk.
(check temp)
2 tbls. Melted butter or olive oil
¼ cup Honey (put in with oil so it pours out easier)
2 tbls. Instant yeast
Mix in larger bowl with dough hook and add
2 tbls. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
7 cups (about) Bread flour or all purpose flour with about 2000mgs vitamin C ground and mixed in. Add until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should pretty well clean the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to a higher speed and mix for about 5 or 6 minutes. Turn out on a floured board and knead for a few minutes. Put into an oiled mixing bowl, turning so the top is oiled, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Roll out on board, knead and divide into 3- 4 loaves. Paint top with egg wash and sprinkle kosher salt over to taste. Bake at 375-400 degree oven for 45-55 minutes. It should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. For crusty bread, bake with about 2 cups of water in a pan for steam.
Enjoy and remember to give thanks to Him who is the bread of life.
Crapaw's Bread
Whole Wheat Bread
(Makes 4 loafs)
Mill about 3 quarts or a #10 can of wheat kernels, including about two 500mg tablets of vitamin C. This should give more than 15 cups of bread flour.
In a mixer with a dough hook on low speed, add the following in the order given:
5 ½ cups warm (110 degree) water
1/3 cup olive oil (or whatever)
2/3 cup Honey (include with the oil)
1/2 cup Sugar (optional)
4 teaspoons Salt
5 cups of the flour
3 tablespoons instant dry yeast
Add the remaining flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowel. Change the mixer to high speed for about 5 minutes.
Pull the dough out onto an oiled board (with oiled hands) and knead by hand for a few minutes, just because it feels good. Form 4 loafs in oiled pans (I like glass pans best) cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.
Putting butter on top after the bread is baked will make a soft crust. Spraying water over the loafs once or twice in the beginning while baking will make the bread crusty.
Above all else, enjoy and give thanks to He who is the Bread of Life….
(Makes 4 loafs)
Mill about 3 quarts or a #10 can of wheat kernels, including about two 500mg tablets of vitamin C. This should give more than 15 cups of bread flour.
In a mixer with a dough hook on low speed, add the following in the order given:
5 ½ cups warm (110 degree) water
1/3 cup olive oil (or whatever)
2/3 cup Honey (include with the oil)
1/2 cup Sugar (optional)
4 teaspoons Salt
5 cups of the flour
3 tablespoons instant dry yeast
Add the remaining flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowel. Change the mixer to high speed for about 5 minutes.
Pull the dough out onto an oiled board (with oiled hands) and knead by hand for a few minutes, just because it feels good. Form 4 loafs in oiled pans (I like glass pans best) cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.
Putting butter on top after the bread is baked will make a soft crust. Spraying water over the loafs once or twice in the beginning while baking will make the bread crusty.
Above all else, enjoy and give thanks to He who is the Bread of Life….
Grandma Rene's Gingerbread Cookies
Preheat oven to 350.
All is to taste.
2 C Sugar
1 Lb. Butter
3 Eggs well beaten
1 C Honey
1 Tbls. Ginger heaping
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon oil, food grade, ask Pharmacist.
1 C Milk
2 Tbls. Baking powder
8 C Flour, about
Cream the sugar and butter then mix in the order given and stir with a heavy spoon the flour to a cookie consistency. Turn out on a lightly floured board, lightly knead, then roll out to 1/4" and cut out cookies. Bake on un-greased cookie sheet about 12 minutes.
All is to taste.
2 C Sugar
1 Lb. Butter
3 Eggs well beaten
1 C Honey
1 Tbls. Ginger heaping
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon oil, food grade, ask Pharmacist.
1 C Milk
2 Tbls. Baking powder
8 C Flour, about
Cream the sugar and butter then mix in the order given and stir with a heavy spoon the flour to a cookie consistency. Turn out on a lightly floured board, lightly knead, then roll out to 1/4" and cut out cookies. Bake on un-greased cookie sheet about 12 minutes.
History of Eating
From Eden to Eden
It appears that the first food sources for Adam and Eve, were trees that were planted eastward in Eden. Adam and Eve, as well as their food sources were placed in a garden which was planted eastward, (southeast) in the land of Eden. Moses 3:8-9 states it like this:
“And I. the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there I put man whom I had formed.”
“And out of the ground made I, the Lord God, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it. And it became also a living soul. For it was spiritual in the day that I created it; for it remaineth in the sphere in which I, God created it, yea, even all things which I prepared for the use of man; and man saw that it was good for food. And I the Lord God, planted the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
It appears from these verses that the Lord planted trees, as the food source for Adam and Eve. This is confirmed in Moses 3:15, where the Lord states:
“And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it...”
From these verses it appears that the food source for Adam and Eve was the fruit of the trees, exclusively, whether it was good fruit or bad – they were both from trees. There probably are two reasons for this rather restricted diet:
1. Since Adam and Eve were immortal, their bodies did not require protein for the continued reparation of muscle and bone. All they required was a food source for energy. Fruit would have easily met that requirement.
2. When eating fruit from trees, you are not required to kill anything. The tree is not killed, as only the fruit is consumed. If the fruit is not eaten, it will ultimately fall from the tree and then decay. So, given these circumstances, a person of the high standing of Adam and Eve, were not required to kill anything to maintain life.
Revelation 22:2 tells us that during the millennium the Tree of Life will be returned to earth and that it will bear twelve different manner of fruits, and that the tree will “yield her fruit every month.”
Once Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, the scriptures mention two additional kinds of foods. In Moses 4:24-25 the Lord indicates that man can now eat herbs and the products of herbs, bread:
“Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread...”
Moses 5:1 now implies a progression of Adam’s habits. Not only does he begin to till the earth, but also to have dominion over all the beasts of the field...” He is still eating fruits, herbs and bread, but domesticating some animals. Those of the field, (not the jungle).
Many years after this, it appears that Adam’s children began to ”...tend flocks…” (see Moses 5:3). It was during this time period that Adam was commanded to offer sacrifices to the Lord, (the firstlings of the flocks). Whether these flocks were used just for sacrificing, or also for food, we are not told. But we do know at some point, they were used for food. So fowl are now being used for food, but there is no mention of mammals being used for food. Not yet.
It appears that the Lord at some point instructed the descendents of Adam that they could eat the flesh of some beasts, but not others. In Geneses 7:2 Noah is instructed to take seven each of clean beasts and two of unclean. Mankind was now able to eat almost everything, except certain classes of beasts.
After the flood was over, the Lord gave additional instructions about what could be eaten. In Genesis 9:3 he states:
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you;...”
Over a thousand year period of time, man went from eating fruit, to herbs, to bread and then tilling the earth for other foods. Finally they began to eat fowl, and then clean beasts, and toward the end of this 1,000 years, were allowed to eat all beasts.
It is my assumption that as we enter the millennium, we will begin to reverse this process. And I suspect it will take us the whole 1,000 years to get to the point where Adam began, to eat only the fruit of trees.
I also anticipate that we will receive instructions to apply the directives given to Adam and his posterity, in a reverse order. I assume that Celestial people do eat, but they only eat things that do not require the killing of any living plant or animal.
by Jerry Ainsworth 22 February, 2002
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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