Disciple: The Last Supper? Not So Fast

Brendan Murphy on April 11, 2014

A new class takes a look at how Jesus might have eaten… and how we can follow his example.

By Christine McTaggart

At a time when it seems every week brings a new diet, tip, focus or approach to staying healthy, sometimes it gets frustrating and confusing enough to make a person want to ignore it all and go back to basics.  But what are those basics? To what dietary era should one look for a foundation? Zacki Murphy, the dynamic founder and proprietor of Zacki’s
Culinary Creations, proposes the solution with a question: What would Jesus eat?

She answers that question through her unique class, “An Ancient Mediterranean Meal: Foods from the Time of Jesus.” In it, she enlightens students on what foods were common during the time of Jesus’ ministry, demonstrates the processes by which meals might have been prepared (with a few modern conveniences, of course), and reminds us that food alone does not make a meal.

“[‘An Ancient Meal’] is about not taking our food for granted,” explains Murphy. “It’s also about extending hospitality and taking time to enjoy community.”

Raised in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, Murphy’s love of cultivating both food and hospitality began at a young age. She had her first garden at the age of five and quickly became known around town as the “Mint Girl,” for she grew so much of it, she sold it to Fowler’s Food Store for $.05 a bunch.

“Gardens and growing things from scratch have always been a part of my life,” says Murphy. “It’s one of the things I try to teach—to appreciate where our food comes from.”

Learning to cook the food she grew soon followed. Family dinners taught her the importance of the communal table, and, as she watched and helped her parents entertain, the foundations of hospitality took root.

After studying art education at Peace College and the University of North Carolina, Murphy left home for New York and a career in modeling. For 28 years, she successfully pursued that career and enjoyed the professional opportunities it presented to travel the world, as well as the personal time it allowed her to continue her culinary and art studies.

It was on a trip to Sicily in the mid-70s for a photo shoot that the seeds of “An Ancient Meal” were planted. Sitting on a beach enjoying squid salad, pita bread and cold wine, she began to think about modern Mediterranean food, its freshness and unique flavor.

She says simply, “I began to fall in love with their food.”

Little did she know where that love would lead.

Following her modeling career, she spent time as a restaurant owner and food stylist for Martha Stewart, always creating and nurturing her love of cooking, and in 2005 she found herself preparing meals for 100 missionaries during an Atlanta gathering. On the last day, she decided to revisit her love of Mediterranean food and make them what she called a “Jesus feast.” But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

“I’d started going back and thinking through the Mediterranean meals I could make, and I realized that biblically, because of kosher laws, you could not have had squid and tomatoes and potatoes and peppers,” recalls Murphy. “So I adapted the menu and fed them this Jesus feast, and I got such an interesting reaction from them, I repeated it years later when I was at [UNC women’s basketball coach] Sylvia Hatchell’s bible study.”

That year was 2010, and once again, the feast was a success, encouraging Murphy to seek out expert guidance at Duke Divinity School, researching kosher laws and nutrition during the time of Jesus. Armed with her new knowledge, Murphy started creating recipes based on the ancient Mediterranean diet, and as word spread, a business was born.

As part of that business, Murphy worked with her sister, Karen Murphy Ireland, to develop a course that became “An Ancient Mediterranean Meal.” The program includes a cooking class, a dinner (“the Feast”), and a presentation of the historical aspects of food gathering, Kosher food laws, nutrition, food preparation, hospitality and the communal table. She teaches it to churches, study groups, nonprofits, corporate boards and others interested in culinary arts. From the start, the reaction surprised her, and not just the enthusiasm for learning something unique.

“You’d be surprised what folks think might constitute a Jesus meal,” she laughs. “One man told me he thought there may be locusts and honey!”

The reality is a bit more appetizing. It’s not unusual for “the Feast” to include hummus and pita points, Mediterranean salad with pomegranate molasses dressing, roasted chicken with rosemary and olive oil, vegetables, fruits and, of course, Jesus bread.

She emphasizes the health benefits as she teaches. “Food at that time was pure. We didn’t have chemicals, and, for the most part, it was fresh or preserved with natural ingredients. The ancient Mediterranean diet was not easy, but it was very healthy.”

The message is often received loud and clear. “After one class I met a sweet, heavyset, self-described ‘McDonald’s boy,’” Murphy recalls. “He said ‘this opened my eyes to a different direction. I didn’t think I’d even like this food. It’s not only delicious, it’s pretty, and I don’t feel stuffed! You may have just changed the way I look at food.’ And I thought if I can affect a positive change in just one person who’s on an unhealthy path, maybe this is worth it.”

“I feel like I’m serving the Lord in a very positive way,” she continues. “I’m talking about health, history, Jesus, hospitality and bringing people to the communal table to spend time together.”

It’s clear her communal table is one that needs to accommodate many. “An Ancient Meal” has reached beyond denominations and beyond state boundaries. She’s become an ambassador for bringing the best of an ancient time to a modern world, and she hopes those who take her class will join her on her quest.

“I want to take this out and shout it from the mountain! I want to spread the word,” Murphy says. “That can be difficult as I’m a single entrepreneur, but there’s not a day that I don’t give the Lord thanks for this opportunity, for giving me a voice and a chance to go out and represent him. This is a gift God gave me, and I feel like teaching it is a blessing.”

Christine McTaggart is the communications director at the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.