Recipe for Joy: A Stepmom's Story of Finding Faith, Following Love, and Feeding a Family

by Robin Davis

There were three things food writer Robin Davis promised she would never she would never move back to Ohio, she would never get married, and she would never join an organized religion. Never say never—today, Davis is a recent transplant to the Midwest wife and stepmother, and converted Catholic. In Recipe for Joy , she shares her stories of food, faith, and family life, and discovers that “food” is the language she can speak when stepping into unfamiliar territory. 

Recipe for Joy tells Davis’s story of recognizing God’s plan, doubting it, and then discovering why God’s plan is her newfound path. The stories in Recipe for Joy are grouped by themes based on the courses of a meal, and each chapter ends with a recipe inspired by the theme. Recipe for Joy reveals that food and faith can go hand in hand and that God uses people (and some really good meals) to bring us into a closer relationship with God.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Robin seeks inspiration in crowded places like commuter trains, shopping centers, bars and sporting events, but also takes a notebook into places far from the beaten path, like deserts and swamps, not minding the company of snakes and spiders, and generally prefering them to weasels in suits and snobs in fashionable dresses.

Robin thinks fiction is a great route to understanding what is true and important. But, why not make it fun by creating stories of people who break the rules and seldom ask for
permission? Robin hopes to entertain readers with intriguing plots along with insightful explorations of the thoughts and feelings of intelligent,interesting characters.

Robin has short stories and a novel published in the erotic romance subgenre, and is currently working on a collection of short stories and a new, non-erotic contemporary novel .

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo, Robin Davis! I loved your story and how you presented it with the chapters following courses of a meal (and the recipes that concluded the chapters.) The book is well written and utterly authentic. Your story is touching, inspirational and one that will resonate with many readers, including and especially blended families. I especially enjoyed how you incorporated your journey with God and faith into the story. It's a quick, fun read and would be great for book club discussions. I highly recommend it.

[JM Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really fed my soul in ways I didn't expect. I deeply appreciate the author's honesty and frankness about her experiences– I think sometimes parents in general, but stepmoms in particular, don't feel like it's okay that we have doubts, that we second guess ourselves, that we don't always love the situation that we are in. Robin Davis writes beautifully about her own challenges in choosing this life, and left me with a tremendous feeling of hope. I also really like the way the book was laid out and the way the recipes are included.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this book by Robin Davis. I reviewed it in my monthly column for The Catholic Post:

http://readingcatholic.com/785/

I also enjoyed doing a Q&A with author Robin Davis, that can be read here:

http://readingcatholic.com/qa-with-ro...

I loved the recipes in the book, and made the proscuitto-wrapped asparagus appetizer almost immediately after reading that chapter. It was a huge hit. I will definitely make more of the recipes from the book.

Highly recommended!

[Vene · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Full disclosure: Written by a friend of mine.) Boy, you think you know someone and then you read their memoir. Beautiful, talented food writer gives up fancy newspaper job in San Francisco for new city, new man, and new family in the Midwest. Food and cooking is a constant, but even the best of us falls apart at the dinner table sometimes. Very personal, very real. Uplifting without being phony. Small victory for stepmoms everywhere.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent memoir. The author really gives an honest look at her struggles, doubts and joys as her life takes a 180-degree turn and she marries a widower with 3 young kids. I enjoyed the food tie-in as that is my love language as well. Beautifully written and inspiring. I'll read it again with pencil in hand to take notes--and not just for cooking ideas.

[Janet Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a seriously fast and good read. Robin Davis' storytelling-style captivated me almost from the start, even though I was warned that the early pages are somewhat sad and sobering. (They are.) She took me on an "adventure" of both her life and, more surprisingly, mine, leading me to land in a place called grace. That, and her goat cheese salad recipe, made it well worth the read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! Robin immediately captivated me with her story and kept me turning pages until the end. The recipes following each chapter/course were a special touch to a heartwarming book.

[Jane Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Being from Columbus Ohio and having read her columns in the Dispatch, plus an article about her in a women's magazine, I was anxious to read it - her journey was amazing - hope her life is still going well.

[Chris Saneholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - Robin was so open with her writing! Such a beautiful love story all the way around.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous, tender story. A must read!

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story, and like others I was captivated from the start and nearly read this in one sitting. A story of faith, family, and love.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read about the importance of faith, food, and family. good recipe choices too!

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful true story by a food critic/chef who married a widower with children. Davis compares the course of her life to courses of a meal. Very clever. Catholic based but you could substitute any faith for the lessons learned. Favorite quotes...“Faith doesn’t make life easy. Just possible” “I have learned that Catholic is not a label but a faith, and that Catholics are cut from many different fabrics. The church is full of mystics and dogmatic, progressives and conservatives. But we are a community, united in love.”