Product Description

In the 1960s, Edna Staebler moved in with an Old Order Mennonite family to absorb their oral history and learn about Mennonite culture and cooking. From this fieldwork came the cookbook Food That Really Schmecks. Originally published in 1968, Schmecks instantly became a classic, selling tens of thousands of copies. Interspersed with practical and memorable recipes are Staebler’s stories and anecdotes about cooking, Mennonites, her family, and Waterloo Region. Described by Edith Fowke as folklore literature, Staebler’s cookbooks have earned her national acclaim.

Including this long-anticipated reprint of Food That Really Schmecks in our Life Writing series recognizes the cultural value of its narratives, positing it as a groundbreaking book in the food writing genre. This edition includes a foreword by award-winning author Wayson Choy and a new introduction by the well-known food writer Rose Murray.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1200698 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

About the Author

Edna Staebler who recently passed away in her 101st year was an award-winning journalist and a regular contributor to Maclean’s, Chatelaine, and many other magazines. She is the author of Cape Breton Harbour, Places I’ve Been and People I’ve Known and the Schmecks cookbook series. Must Write: Edna Staebler’s Diaries, edited by Christl Verduyn, was published by Laurier Press in 2005.

Rose Murray, a former English teacher, studied cooking techniques in Paris, Costa Rica, and Hong Kong. Her recipes have regularly appeared in Canadian Living, Elm Street, and Homemakers. The author of nine cookbooks, including A Year in My Kitchen and The Canadian Christmas Cookbook, and contributor to more than forty others, Rose Murray lives in Cambridge, Ontario.

Wayson Choy is the author of Paper Shadows, The Jade Peony, and All That Matters. He was the subject of Unfolding the Butterfly, a full-length film documentary by Michael Glassbourg and has appeared on television and radio across Canada. He is presently working on his second memoir as well as a novel.

Customer Reviews

A mouth-watering medley of country home cooking recipes
Written by award-winning journalist Edna Staebler, Food that Really Schmecks: Mennonite Country Cooking is the commemorative edition of a classic cookbook originally published in 1968, now featuring a new foreword by award-winning author Wayson Choy and a new introduction by food writer Rose Murray. Interspersed with Staebler's true stories and anecdotes about cooking, Mennonites, her own family, and daily life in the Waterloo region, recipes in Food That Really Schmecks range from Crusty Chicken Potpie to Beet and Red Cabbage Salad to Porridge Bread, Maple Custard, Emanuel's Dandelion Wine, and much more. A mouth-watering medley of country home cooking recipes that pass the test of time with flying colors.

Mennonite cooking that really schmecks!
I'm not a big cook, but this is one cookbook that I have added to my library. Edna Staebler, now 97 years of age, was a native of the Waterloo region of Ontario, which is really the heart of Canada's German community, and is where many Mennonites and Amish settled. Although she worked as a journalist for some time, she eventually put together this cookbook based on recipies that she had gathered primarily from fiends and family. Many of the recipies are Mennonite or influenced by Mennonite and German cooking. This book also consists of a number of anecdotes, so not only is it a great cookbook, but an entertaining read as well.

If I could only have a couple of cookbooks...
If I could only have 2 or 3 cookbooks, this would be one of them. I have been using this and "More Food that Really Schmecks" for years. The recipes are easy, interesting and taste great! There's a no-nonsense, comforting quality to them. The short stories add interest. I have over 400 cookbooks and keep going back to this favorite.