Kitchen Conversations with the Moderator Episode 3: Coptic Chickpeas with Aaron

Kitchen Conversations with the Moderator is a series exploring faith, food, and the power of inviting one another to the table, hosted by United Church of Canada Moderator Kimberly Heath.  

Drawing inspiration and recipes from the United Church’s Lenten devotional, Bless Break Share, we’re breaking bread with guests from across the church throughout Lent, reflecting on how food can nourish both body and soul.   

This week, United Church Digital Content Strategist Aaron Gallegos makes a weeknight favourite, Coptic Chickpeas, that dates back to his former career as a chef in Santa Cruz, California. Aaron shares how for him, the dish—and other foods like menudo, a Mexican tripe stew—reflect “God’s Upside-Down Kingdom,” where God embraces the things that the world discards.  

“It’s a good practice to keep during Lent to return to your roots, to let go of things that are extra, and to base even your eating on things that are basic, good for the earth, and core to sustaining people over thousands and thousands of years.” —Aaron Gallegos 

We were grateful to be hosted this week at Eglinton St. George United, one of many United Church communities dedicated to serving others through food programs and outreach.   

Stay tuned for more conversations like this each Sunday throughout Lent. Next week, we’ll be joined by Rev. Sharon Ballantyne, who’ll share her grandmother’s pie crust recipe with the Moderator.  

You can find new episodes on our YouTube channel—be sure to subscribe to be notified when episodes release. They’ll also be featured on the Kitchen Conversations webpage, where you can download recipe cards for each week’s dish and more delicious recipes from Bless Break Share.    

Bless Break Share, as well as the matching mug and apron you see in this video, are available now at UCRDstore.ca.  

Have a story to share? Send your reflections on food and faith, or a photo of your take on today’s dish, to kitchenconversations@united-church.ca.