HOLLADAY, Utah — Michelle Huxtable believes having people to dinner is a delicious and inviting way of serving the children of God.
"You feed them. You serve them," said the Holladay mother. "When you call someone and invite them to your home, it says something significant. They come and there's a spirit there. And after they leave, the spirit lingers. That's exactly how I feel about it."
That's the major reason Huxtable and her next-door neighbor, Alyse Christensen, decided to devote two years and $60,000 to creating "The Gathering of Friends" cookbook — a beautifully photographed volume that could easily take its place next to a Martha Stewart book.
"I think people will love the pictures as well as the recipes," Christensen said.
Both women are busy LDS mothers. Huxtable has six children; Christensen has four.
They were sitting outside in the sun one summer day watching their children swim and planning a wedding shower when they decided to create a cookbook that would incorporate their ideas and philosophies about entertaining.
As the idea took root, they enlisted Kristy Witt, a freelance graphic artist and mother of six; a creative friend by the name of Abby Jane Taylor; and a young photographer, Matt Christensen.
Two years and many sleepless nights and tedious decisions later, "The Gathering of Friends" cookbook is hitting the market.
"It just kind of evolved," Huxtable said. "I was just really passionate about it."
Huxtable had been involved in interior design for 20 years and had helped her husband in his high-end housing construction business.
Christensen says she has always loved to entertain. She'd love for others to understand it's not as hard as it may appear.
Both women grew up in homes where their mothers entertained and loved to cook. They said the book provided a place to write down the recipes and ideas they've been sharing with friends and family for years.
They're selling the cookbooks largely by word-of-mouth and through their Web site — www.gatheringplace.com — for $24.95 each.
"We're kind of defying the odds," Huxtable said. "We're going about it unconventionally."
There will probably be other "Gathering" cookbooks coming. Huxtable already is partway finished with a book that is focused on eight weeks of smart menu planning. She wants to leave a legacy for her daughters and her grandchildren.
"I have these daughters getting married who want to re-create what we've had at home," Huxtable said.
She sees her "work" almost as a spiritual quest.
"People serve in different ways," Huxtable said. "I believe so strongly that sharing a meal, breaking bread together, creates a meaningful exchange that changes people and their relationships. Food is a love language. We feel that when someone comes to your home and sits at your table and breaks bread with you, your relationship is forever changed. We sought to create a book that celebrates the idea of treating your family as friends and your friends as family."
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com