Breaking Bread | A Cookbook by Monsignor Jamie!
/
“Growing up in the Italian section of Long Island City in the 1960s, everything revolved around faith and family, and they became the foundation for both of my vocations—being a chef and a priest! My passion for cooking was born from long family dinners and time spent in the kitchen preparing them. I love using food to bring people together, and I still do that as a priest, hosting dinners and fundraisers and inviting people to gather around a table. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have — use them well and share them often!”
— Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello
Born in Long Island City, Reverend Monsignor (Msgr.) Jamie Gigantiello was raised by a close-knit family that was strong in faith and fellowship. They enjoyed gathering in the kitchen to cook together and share stories as they savored the rewards of their culinary efforts. A young Msgr. Jamie started baking cakes when he was 11; his love for food and cooking grew over the years, and his culinary journey would prepare him for his destiny as a spiritual leader and chef!
Prior to studying for the priesthood, Msgr. Jamie received a Business Degree from Baruch College and then graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He found success in the world of gastronomy, including a decade working in some of New York’s most elite restaurants and hotels, where he encountered Hollywood stars like Paul Newman and Jimmy Cagney. But he also had a passion for other stars, those of the celestial variety. Fortunately for all of us, we have the best of both worlds that coexist to enhance fellowship throughout our community. In an article by NC Register, Msgr. Jamie says that it’s easy to link his two life roles, “I became a priest to feed the stomach and to feed the soul.”
Today, Monsignor Jamie is the pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg. In addition to his parish responsibilities as pastor, he serves as Vicar for Development, overseeing the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens, including the Annual Catholic Appeal and Generations of Faith as well as Futures in Education, the Catholic school scholarship program in Brooklyn and Queens. He was sworn in as a Chaplain for the New York City Fire Department in early 2022, ministers as chaplain to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, and the New York City Office of Emergency Management, is the chairman of Emmaus Center, a Catholic arts organization, and host to a decade-long cooking show on NET TV, which has won two Telly Awards for DeSales Media. While his plate is full, Msgr. Jamie has made room for another achievement, published cookbook author!
Breaking Bread with Monsignor Jamie: From Feeding the Body to Feeding the Soul was released in late 2022 by Emmaus Press. In this cookbook, Msgr. Jamie shares incredible recipes and feasts you can prepare for your own flock of family and friends that will leave them satisfied and coming back for more. And that’s the plan! Msgr. Jamie says that “life’s most important ingredients are faith, family, friends, and food.” And we couldn’t agree more. This cookbook is filled with mouthwatering, easy-to-follow recipes from his Grandma’s eggplant meatballs and his aunt’s gnocchi to oregano chicken, Moroccan roast beef, guacamole, meatloaf, strawberry scones, and everything in between.
The proceeds from all sales of Msgr. Jamie’s cookbook go the Emmaus Center, “a forum to highlight the true, the good, and the beautiful as expressed throughout the ages”. Regardless of religious affiliation, the Emmaus Center of Brooklyn works to bring community together and to foster fellowship through art, music, performance, worship, and celebration.
Please join us in congratulating Msgr. Jamie on his first published cookbook, and thanking him for his lifelong spiritual service to our community. Copies of Breaking Bread with Monsignor Jamie: From Feeding the Body to Feeding the Soul can be purchased online at several retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Emmaus Press.
