Food

On a culinary crusade: Reverend Monte Hoyles prepares a meal and shares the story of how he learned to love cooking for a crowd

“Food plays an incredibly important role in scripture,” Father Hoyles tells me. From the manna in the desert to the multiplication of fish and loaves to The Last Supper, there are countless dinner parties in scripture. Dinner parties are the topic of conversation. We speak with Father Hoyles about why he likes to cook and entertain, how he learned to cook and where his recipes come from.

BY ANNIE LUST

Reverend Monte Hoyles opens the door with a smile and ushers his dinner guests inside. It’s a warm, sunny day, and the large kitchen window streams in plenty of light. I sit at the kitchen table as Father Hoyles takes his position at the counter. I’ve asked him to multi-task - to answer questions while he prepares a meal. He is preparing pork and sauerkraut, roasted root vegetables and “Mom Hoyles’ ” apple cake. Father Hoyles chats as he chops and stirs. He seems to be in his element, in fact. Not simply cooking but entertaining comes naturally to Father Monte Hoyles.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Mary Hoyles cooked for a crowd. In 1976, she and her husband, Louis, bought a variety store in Attica, Ohio. Among other things, the store included a lunch counter. Mary baked pies and cooked meals for the people who visited. Of course she cooked for her family, too. “Comfort food” is how Father Hoyles describes the meals his mom cooked. Pork and sauerkraut (recipe, next page), beef and noodles, and ham loaf were some of Mary’s signature recipes. Her desserts were spectacular as well. It’s not a surprise because Mary had her baker’s license when her four sons were growing up. Cherry pie, rhubarb pie, apple dumplings, and apple cake (recipe, next page) were just a few in her dessert repertoire. Holiday meals were memorable, too. “My mom always made Hot Cross Buns at Easter and kuchen at Christmas,” he said.

ABOVE: Father Hoyles chops apples for the apple cake.

PHOTO BY SCOTT W. GRAU/ SPECIAL TO THE DIOCESE OF TOLEDO

BRINGING HOME TO SEMINARY

It was not until many years later when Father Hoyles was in seminary that he would begin his own cooking journey. It started for a very practical reason, “I missed the cooking from home,” Fr Hoyles explained. During his seven years in seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum, he began hosting dinners for a group of seminarians. “I would remember things from my childhood, and I would call my mom.” Gesturing to a book on the counter, he explained that he began writing down the recipes she shared with him. Today, the recipe book is one of his prized possessions.

SHARPENING SKILLS

After seminary, Father Hoyles was assigned to St. Joseph in Maumee followed by two years in Washington, D.C., studying Canon Law. He was assigned Chancellor of the Diocese of Toledo in 2011 and began living at the Episcopal Residence (Residence of the Bishop). Father Hoyles credits Amy Morford, the chef for the Episcopal Residence, for the majority of his cooking knowledge. “One day I said ‘I want to learn sometime how to use a knife properly.’ She gets her chef’s knife, a potato, and a cutting board and replies ‘Okay, let’s learn.’”

On Saturdays, when Morford was off-duty, Father Hoyles became the unofficial chef for Bishop Thomas and the other priests living there. Father Hoyles embraced the opportunity to try recipes and hone his cooking skills. “I enjoyed cooking for a small crowd,” he said.

PHOTO BY SCOTT W. GRAU/ SPECIAL TO THE DIOCESE OF TOLEDO

GATHERING AROUND THE TABLE

Father Hoyles began his assignment at the Sandusky parishes on July 1, 2018. That is where he hosted our small dinner party. As we take our seats to share the meal, Father Hoyles tells us that pork and sauerkraut is one of his favorite meals; his mom often made it when he was young. The aroma rising from the plate in front of me hints that it might be a favorite of mine once I am finished, too.

“They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.” (Acts 2:4647)