Monday, May 16, 2011

Mennonite Girls Can Cook, a cookbook review


I want to begin reviewing cookbooks which will help to stretch the food budget and I can't think of any better book to start with than Mennonite Girls Can Cook.


I was thrilled when I found out the ladies of my favorite food blog were writing a cookbook.  You know how sometimes you look forward to a book and it turns out to be such a let down?  Well, that didn't happen with this cookbook.

It is filled with easy to read heritage recipes as well as recent favorites, beautiful pictures... some of them showing the process of making the dish and many showng what the completed recipe would (or should) look like.  Because one of the ladies has celiac disease, there is a nice selection of gluten free recipes.

There is a  full page telling the story of each of the ten contributors as well as a selection of their popular Sunday Bread for the Journey writings.

One thing I must tell you regarding the heritage recipes, many are from a Russian-Eastern European background since the Canadian Mennonites (at least part of them) came from this area of the world.  I didn't know that!  Having said that... there are still lots and lots of great recipes the same as Americans are used to with Mennonite cooking.



As you can see, the instructions and pictures are clear, many of them just right for the beginning cook.  However, there are plenty of intermediate recipes and a few containing multiple steps to complete for the experienced cook.


I love to read cookbooks and this one offers spiritual as well as physical food.  :)


This book is highly recommended!  It is available at Amazon... here.  The proceeds the ladies receive are going to a charity which feeds the hungry.

9 comments:

Vee said...

It truly is a wonderful cookbook and I can just imagine you sitting down for a nice read with it much as I've been doing. I've made a lot of the recipes already, but two new ones have been tried, both in the breakfast section. We do love breakfast meals around here. A very nice review!

matty said...

It's out?? OMGoodness. I feel an Amazon order coming on! I have so enjoyed the last cookbook you recommended!

Sharon said...

Hello. I also love reading cookbooks!! I am especially addicted to church cookbooks!!
Thanks for your interesting insights.
Sharon

The Journey said...

Looks like a great cookbook. I am running out of space for the cookbooks. Linda

Judy said...

Brenda...thanks so much for your kind review of our cookbook! It was a while in the making...and we are so thrilled to have the cookbook available at long last. We had a fun time putting it together...and now we are enjoying the end result. And the best part? That hungry kids are being helped with every book sold!

ellen b. said...

Thank you so much for your very positive review of our book. Blessings on your cooking adventures!

Bev K said...

Thank you for reviewing our book so favourably. We are overwhelmed by the interest in our book and very thrilled to share it with everyone.

Mama Squirrel said...

"a Russian-Eastern European background since the Canadian Mennonites (at least part of them) came from this area of the world."

Depends on which part of Canada (and even which part of Ontario) you are living in. A lot of Mennonite settlers (including some of my family) came to our part of Ontario from Pennsylvania about 200 years ago; they were of Swiss-German background. Later on the Russian Mennonites came (in several waves), and a lot of them settled in Western Canada, or in other parts of Ontario. It is the same with Mennonite settlements in the U.S.--the later arrivals often settled in the prairie states.

Just so you know!

Heather L. said...

I'm still waiting on my copy to arrive!!!! Can't wait to see it. Listened to an interview of Lovella on the radio yesterday which was fun. The gluten-free recipes from the blog are some of the very best I've found -- especially the pizza and pie crust. People rave about them and I don't think I'll ever find better.