Saskatchewan & Alberta Mennonite Cuisine/Recipes

[ImpulseGuy]

Greetings, new friends.

In the hopes that I'm not posting this question in the wrong place, I'd like to ask if anyone knows resources specifically for regional prairie province Mennonite cooking. My girlfriend is from Sask... and will be eventually settling here, across the border in the US. I'd like to lean more of the unique Ukranian/Low German influences in Mennonite cooking and especially if that also includes some recipes.

Any personal recipes, experience or resources are very much welcomed!

Thank you.

-Pete

[Jensen]

I've found the best resources for that type of cooking to be the cookbooks put out by ladies' groups or church groups. Of course, if you're in NM, that's not going to help find you such cookbooks.

Of course, you also have to pick and choose from the recipes. Lots of them are not all that wonderful.

I'm assuming you've already googled the appropriate sect name + recipes. You can also try searching on Hutterite and/or Doukhobour. They are similar to the Mennonites, in geographical origin, if not exact liturgical details. The Hutterites can be found in northern BC and AB and the Doukhobours are found in the Kootenay region of BC.

Have you thought about contacting your girlfriend's mum or grandmother? Tell them you'd like to gather some of her favourite family recipes to surprise her with in the future. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to share (I've done this one myself with both my grandmothers and my husband's grandmother).

[Kerry Beal]

I suspect your best source of recipes would be the cookbooks by Edna Staebler. They are all about old order mennonite cooking.

The first was Food that Really Schmecks, the next More Food that Really Schmecks and finally Food with Schmecks Appeal.

A fabulous bunch of recipes. Try the pig tails first, it's one of my favorite recipes.

[Badiane]

I suspect your best source of recipes would be the cookbooks by Edna Staebler.  They are all about old order mennonite cooking.

The first was Food that Really Schmecks, the next More Food that Really Schmecks and finally Food with Schmecks Appeal.

A fabulous bunch of recipes.  Try the pig tails first, it's one of my favorite recipes.

←

Those books are great, but that is the food of southern Ontario mennonites...quite a different thing. Much more closely related to the Pennsylvania Dutch than the mennonites of Western Canada.

You want the classic "Mennonite Treasury of Recipes", a compilation of recipes from Saskatchewan women and full of the traditional recipes of the western mennonites.

I would also recommend that you contact mennonite churches in the areas that you are interested it. Virtually all of them will have a recommendation for a cookbook produced by the women if not in the actual church, in one of the regional clubs, old folks homes or quilting circles.

If there are specific recipes you are after, I may be able to assist you if you let me know.

[ImpulseGuy]

I just wanted to thank all three of you (Jensen, Kerry Beal, Badiane) for your kind and insightful responses to my query. You've given me quite a number of directions to pursue. I'll be eagerly awaiting adding to my cookbook collection the Staebler books you mentioned, Kerry. In addition, I also found reference to a somewhat obscure cookbook available for order from North Dakota University. If I have this link correct it is:

http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/order/cookbooks/kant.htm

Badine, in particular, your suggestion was especially appreciated, for there are indeed pointed differences in the styles...

Your reference to that specific cookbook yields that it is:

Mennonite Treasury Of Recipes

Steinbach Committee 1960

Pub: Pandora Press

Extra Information: Spiral Bound

ISBN: 1550991329

Special thanks for that.

Thanks also to Jensen for the reminder to seek closest to the actual source... her mom, grandmother, and local cookbooks. I will begin my research and collection and should I run into an impasse or have additional questions about specific recipes, I will holler out again!

I'm so grateful and pleased to be a new part of this marvelously elite and sparkling community.

-Pete

Edited January 7, 2007 by ImpulseGuy (log)

[ImpulseGuy]

Bumping this post to request any additional ideas from others...

[kitwilliams]

No one has mentioned Mennonite Foods & Folkways from South Russia by Norma Jost Voth. Two volumes. I haven't done much cooking from it but I've been very pleased with the baking recipes.

Happy cooking, Pete!

Edited January 18, 2007 by kitwilliams (log)