Where Food Meets Faith
Most of you who read this blog frequently know I went to the United States last summer. Now towards the end of the year it’s still hard to grasp I really went there. I hardly can’t believe it. It was a dream come true, because one of the things I always wanted to do was visit the United States to see how it is like. During my stay, which was made possible by the great people over at SQPN, I attended SQPN’s Catholic New Media Conference, where I made a lot of new friends. One of those friends I met was Jeff Young, who started to podcast not too long ago. Over at SQPN they refer to him as the “Catholic Foodie”, because there are a number of Jeffs around already. So who is Jeff Young, and what makes him tick? I interviewed him in honour of October being the Catholic Speaker Month over at Fallible Blogma.
What do you do in your daily life?
“I am a high school teacher by profession. I teach Spanish and Religion. In addition to teaching I am on staff at my parish. I am the director of high school catechesis and the Confirmation preparation program. I have been married for 11 years to Char. We have three children, ages 7, 8, and 10. Their names are Christopher, Annabelle, and Grace. We homeschool our children. We live in Louisiana, about 40 minutes from of the New Orleans. Both Char and I love to cook. And we love to eat! Char comes from a family of foodies (which is why I fit in so well!).”
I heard you are member of the Pauline Family. Can you tell something about that? What does that mean and what’s the connection with your ministry?
“Char and I are members of the Holy Family Institute, one of the nine institutes founded by Blessed James Alberione. [Some of the more well-known institutes of the family are the Daughters of St. Paul and the Society of St. Paul.] It is a secular institute established exclusively for the married and widowed. He founded it at the end of his life, and It was officially approved by the Church in 1993. Members of the Institute make formal Church-regulated vows (poverty, chastity, obedience, and fidelity to the Pope), just like religious men and women do, and they live out those vows according to their state in life. Therefore, they do not live as religious, but as married men and women striving to imitate the Holy Family. Vowed consecration adds a great depth and value to the normal joys and sufferings encountered in daily life. Char and I made our first vows almost three years ago.
The Pauline Family has been officially charged by the Church (Pope Paul VI) to minister & evangelise in the arena of social communications. At the time of its founding there was no internet or social media. TV, radio and print media reigned supreme. Times have changed. Our life in the institute dovetails nicely with one of my great interests and pleasures… namely technology. I am a geek, that is true. And the Holy Family Institute has helped me to have courage and a sense of mission in my work with social media.”
How did you come up with the idea to do a podcast about a combination of food and the Catholic faith?
“The idea for the Catholic Foodie came about organically. As I mentioned, I love technology. I had been podcasting and blogging for my classes at school for a couple of years. I also podcasted for the Confirmation program that I run. But I felt like something was missing with these endeavours. After a while, it became a strain to produce new content. I just didn’t have much joy in doing it. It was work. I began to realise that if I wanted to continue podcasting and blogging then I needed to blog and podcast about something that I was passionate about. One day, last October (2008), the idea just hit me. I love good food and I love cooking! I also love my faith. Why not combine those two? Out of that idea came the Catholic Foodie. Apparently, I was on to something because it grew very quickly. I now know that there are many “catholic foodies” out there.”
What’s your favourite dish?
“My all-time favourite food is pizza. I love to make my own, but I the also love little hole-in-the-wall / local / mom & pop establishments. We have one such restaurant here in Covington, Pizza Man. Excellent pizza. So far, it is my favourite… better than any other pizza I have ever had. Thin crust, which you can watch being tossed in the air. A mountain of quality toppings. A sauce that borders on the divine. And a dumpy, yet quaint atmosphere. There is a juke box there. And they have a large glass Plexiglass window separating the dining room from the kitchen. The chefs always interact with the children crowded around the window. We always walk out of Pizza Man smelling like pizza, because the aroma in the restaurant is so thick. Char hates that part of eating there, but I love it! Oh, and they have Abita beer on tap!
Other than Pizza Man, I’d have to say that I love most of the classic Louisiana dishes (chicken and andouille gumbo, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, fried shrimp / catfish / oysters… Generally, lots of seafood), as well as Lebanese cuisine, and sushi.”
Ale, Lager or Stout? And why of course! 
“I think I would have to say that Ale is my favourite. Ale is stronger and bolder than lager, but it is not as heavy as a stout. And, of course, there are many types of Ales… lots of variety! Here are few of my favourites: Delirium Tremens, Abita Abbey Ale, Affligem Doppel / Tripel, Grimbergen Double / Tripel, Leffe, Blonde Doppelbock, Paulaner Salvator, Spaten Optimator, Abita Turbodog, Corsendonk, Jockamo IPA and many, many more!”
Another thing Jeff just LOVES is coffee! We had a lively discussion at the CNMC about American domestical beer and American coffee. I didn’t have real great experiences with both and when he announced he would dedicate a Catholic Foodie episode on coffee, of course I had to call in and send him a coffee care package as well. I was glad to see it was very well received. 
Everybody loves eating, going out to restaurants and for me it’s a natural thing associated with Catholicism to enjoy life and therefore also enjoy eating. In Dutch we have a description for that kind of life style, we call that the Burgundian way life. I just love the concept of his podcast and the way he does his ministry. You should check it out over at catholicfoodie.com
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Good job of interviewing, Inge! And good job, too, Jeff!
Thanks for taking the time to write this article about the Catholic Foodie which gives us a little more insight in to Jeff Young’s life.