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The Catholic Foodie

Where Food Meets Faith

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  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Seafood
      • Crawfish
      • Fish
      • Oysters
      • Shrimp
    • Vegetarian
  • Appetizers
  • Sides
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Drinks
  • Desserts
  • Cuisines
    • African
    • Asian
    • Cajun
    • Creole
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
  • Seasons
    • Christmas
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      • Meatless Meals
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What Is The Catholic Foodie All About?

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About Jeff Young The Catholic Foodie

Who Is The Catholic Foodie?

Jeff Young is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast, which has 15,000-plus followers. Jeff was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now lives in New Orleans. He is a friend of many of the city’s famous chefs, and co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on CCR 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM in Baton Rouge. Jeff is also a conference speaker and has spoken on topics ranging from “growing faith around the table” to “using social media in the New Evangelization.” Jeff’s first book is now available for pre-order from Liguori Publications. The book is titled Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, and it is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2014.

How Did The Catholic Foodie Come About? 

I used to be a teacher. I taught Religion, Spanish, and Latin. And I have always been a geek. I like computers and gadgets, and I tend to be what social anthropologists call an early adopter. When it comes to technology, I like to be on the cutting edge. So it is no surprise that I picked up an iPod shortly after it made its debut, and I quickly jumped onboard with the new phenomenon of podcasting that followed in the wake of the iPod’s release. I introduced this new technology into my classroom, recording lessons, coupling the audio with slides, and publishing them on iTunes as a video podcasts for my Spanish students. I did the same thing in an audio format for the high school students I taught in my parish’s Parish School of Religion and Confirmation Preparation programs. The kids loved it, saying it really helped them to study and to learn, and I was having a ball.

In October of 2008 I started thinking of launching another podcast, this time one that wasn’t related to work. I wanted to do something fun, but also something I was passionate about. I kept going back to the topics of food and faith. Not only were those two things very important parts of my life, but I noticed they resonated with other people too. By the end of the month, I had registered the domain name CatholicFoodie.com and I had my tagline in mind: Where Food Meets Faith. Over the next couple of weeks, I built the website and launched the first episode of The Catholic Foodie podcast, just in time for Thanksgiving. I had no real plans of where I wanted this thing to go. I was having fun, and people started listening. I was surprised to see the show quickly gained a following, and in the summer of 2009, I was invited to become an affiliate of the Star Quest Production Network (SQPN), a worldwide Catholic new media network of podcasters. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Catholic Foodie has come a long way since then. In addition to the website and the podcast, I am now a co-host on a locally-produced radio show called Around the Table, which is broadcasted in Baton Rouge and New Orleans on Friday afternoons. I am a frequent guest on radio shows around the country, talking about food and faith, and the number of readers and listeners of The Catholic Foodie continues to increase. The recipes on the website are a great resource, but my main goal is to inspire and encourage families to get back into the kitchen and around the table.

The recipes on the website are a great resource, but my main goal is to inspire and encourage families to get back into the kitchen and around the table.

God created us to seek communion – with himself and with others – and one of the primary ways we experience communion is around the table… the table of the Eucharist at Mass, and also the family dinner table at home. From Genesis to Revelation, food plays an important role in God’s relationship with his people and in our relationship with each other. As a matter of fact, if you look at the book of Revelation, you’ll see that we are all heading for a huge feast… the wedding feast of the Lamb!

So The Catholic Foodie is about food, but it’s not just about the food. It’s the meals. It’s the families around the table. It’s communion.

I see The Catholic Foodie as a door-opener, a greeter. If Revelation shows us that we are all headed toward the wedding feast of the Lamb, and the Mass – the Eucharist – is a foretaste of that eternal feast, then I see my job as the greeter. I open the door. I smile. I welcome newcomers and invite them to make themselves at home.

I do all of this by talking about “food meets faith.” There’s a rationale behind this phrase. Notice that it is not “faith meets food.” The order is intentional. We are humans and we have to eat to survive. But we also like to eat. Eating is pleasurable. And when we are not eating, we like to talk about food. Food is a wonderful place to start a conversation. And food dovetails so well with faith, it can be relatively easy to move from food to faith, from the common to the extraordinary. At least, that’s what I try to do.

Thank YOU for joining me here around the table at CatholicFoodie.com!

Words from Listeners, Readers, and Friends:

“Like food? Want to learn more about your faith? Jeff is personable, easy to listen to, and very knowledgeable about both subjects.” – Mike Lindner, from What Does Mike Think?

“I’m not a cook, though I like to eat. I do love learning about my Catholic faith, though. I didn’t expect to become a big fan of the Catholic Foodie as I have; Jeff makes me want to try my hand at some of the cooking and recipes. It’s not JUST about food, though, and his perspective on faith is valuable catechesis, and I appreciate every show.” – Sarah Reinhard, SnoringScholar.com.

“Though he doesn’t live in New Orleans proper, Jeff Young’s love of food, cooking and God is influenced by this Catholic city in which delicious meals abound! If you are interested in how the Church’s past and present history intersects with food, this is the podcast for you. Young’s talents as an educator shine through; he explains concepts in a lively way that never sounds preachy.” – Soyviz.

Popular Recipes on CatholicFoodie.com

Lebanese Spinach and Lentil Soup
Lebanese Spinach & Lentil Soup
Pizza Dough with Beer
Making Pizza Dough with Beer
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Hatch Chile Chicken Tortilla Soup
We save the seafood gumbo for special occasions is that it is so expensive to make. But now I think I have found a variation of seafood gumbo that I can make more often. It’s a Louisiana favorite: Shrimp & Okra Gumbo.
Shrimp & Okra Gumbo
White Beans and Rice
White Beans & Rice
Oven-Baked Salmon
Oven Baked Salmon

Recipes here:

  • Lebanese Spinach & Lentil Soup
  • Making Pizza Dough with Beer
  • Hatch Chile Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Shrimp & Okra Gumbo
  • White Beans & Rice
  • Oven Baked Salmon

Get My Book!

My first book, published by Liguori Publications, is titled Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine. It is now available online and at your favorite Catholic bookstore!

Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie

Order yours today!

As a husband, father, and educator, Jeff Young is passionate about faith, family, education… and food! That’s why he founded The Catholic Foodie™, which produces fun and entertaining media to inspire and foster growth in faith and family.
When he’s not in the kitchen, you can find Jeff writing or building attractive websites that work.

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Popular Posts

We save the seafood gumbo for special occasions is that it is so expensive to make. But now I think I have found a variation of seafood gumbo that I can make more often. It’s a Louisiana favorite: Shrimp & Okra Gumbo.

A Louisiana Favorite: Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo I love me a good gumbo. As I have said before, I make chicken and andouille gumbo …

Barbecued Shrimp: A Classic New Orleans Recipe

Barbecued Shrimp Wonderful, deliciously-delicious shrimp. I love shrimp. There's nothing like those little …

Lebanese Stuffed Squash (Kousa Mahshi)

Kousa Mahshi: Stuffed Squash, Lebanese-style I hated squash as a child. And during the summers we used to get …

New Orleans Classics

Red Beans and Rice

  Red beans and rice and everything nice! You know, Louis Armstrong used to sign his letters, "Red Beans …

Quick and Easy Crawfish Cakes

Recipe submitted by Shelly Kelly.Since I had Catholic Foodie episode 30 playing while I cooked tonight-and we were …

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About The Catholic Foodie

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold. Read More…

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