Part cookbook, part grief therapy Faith in the Kitchen is a healing journey through the hopes and dream of a family, containing recipes collected over 20 years, recipes of "comfort food," as well as memories, devotionals, and stories. We are all unified in our need for physical and spiritual nourishment and this book addresses both needs. Faith Whiteside is a native of North Florida and South Georgia with a M.S. in Home Economics Education from Florida State University. She is a retired teacher, mother of six and grandmother of ten who wrote this cookbook to encourage and empower cooks of all ages to have fun in the kitchen!

Excerpt from the Introduction:
One of my earliest memories is hearing my grandmother read from the Bible, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” This scripture unifies all of us in our need for physical and spiritual nourishment. Jesus knew that people could relate to being hungry and thirsty, both in the flesh and in the spirit. Scripture also tells us that God will send us hope where there is pain, and reconciliation where there is brokenness; we only need to pray and have faith to receive. It sounds too easy, but I am living proof of God’s mercy.
When I met Frank Whiteside, I was recently divorced with two children and he was a widower with three children. After we married, he showed me through love, laughter, and courage how to be a humble steward of God’s gifts. He was the head of our household-loyal, humble, dedicated to the family, and often heard to ask “What can I do for you?” You can imagine our delight and surprise when God blessed our marriage after one year with a baby boy! That made a total of 6 children, 3 dogs, and never ending fun-filled chaos!
Twenty years later, Frank lost his 6-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. As I watched his casket being slowly lowered to its resting place in the quiet old cemetery of his hometown, Apalachicola, Florida, a well-spring of memories flooded me. There was an intense pain unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The pain was “grief”, and it was frightening. Hopes and dreams shared together for our future abruptly ended. The children were grown and now was supposed to be “our” time; I felt robbed. So, I reached out for that sweet source of strength that I knew would sustain me. I prayed, “God, thank you for the gift of our extraordinary love, and never let me take any of our time together on this earth for granted. Sustain me with your ever present love, and anoint me with the strength to walk in dignity through this valley of the shadow of death...”
And so, my grief journey began with the first meal that I prepared after Frank’s death. Cooking reminded me of his love for good food and the joy that we still share as a family at meal time. Frank loved to eat, and I love to cook! So, I decided to utilize the memories to write a cookbook, while also bringing honor to the partnership where I felt closest to God’s plan for my life. This is that cookbook: passing on recipes of “comfort food,” as well as memories, devotionals, and stories I’ve collected in my lifetime. In the writing, healing has taken place; and through it all I have felt God’s loving closeness and direction.