"You Mennonite girls sure can cook," Lovella Schellenberg has been told. She and nine friends prove it in this beautiful cookbook. Most of the authors first met on the internet, sharing recipes and stories. All but one lives in western Canada. Recipes reflect their heritage as Mennonites who German forebears fled to Russia to escape persecution. Inspired by Christ "to share the joy of hospitality," they wrote their cookbook to honor the women who taught them to delight in cooking and serving.
Dishes are hearty, but many are health-conscious. Instructions are clear, with amounts given in both conventional measure and metric weights. One of the authors, Julie Klassen, has celiac disease; she contributes gluten-free recipes.
The recipes are tempting, but the presentation and the extras make this book a standout. Many of the photographs are stunning in their beauty. Every recipe is accompanied by a brief comment from the contributor and at least one color photo. Each author takes a page to tell her own story, so readers get to know the women behind the recipes. They add "Bread for the Journey," periodic pages with scripture and reflection. Color photos adorn even the glossary and index.
Proceeds are being donated to feed hungry children. Enthusiastically recommended for church libraries.
--Monica Tenney