Mennonites in my kitchen
Staff writer
Everything I know about Mennonites, I learned from a cookbook.
A wedding gift, the “More-with-Less Cookbook” introduced me to Mennonite values like hospitality, simplicity, and community.
My copy bears witness. It’s tattered, spotted with food stains, and still bearing an inscription, now fading, from a friend who gave it to us: “Dear Mary, More than any other cookbook, this one has helped shape our family eating habits to healthy, responsible ones. We hope you enjoy it, too.”
I did. Not only did it offer easy, simple recipes — dill bread, Vietnam fried rice, and fruit crumble were among my favorites — it taught me to prepare food more intentionally.
The book came to me in 1988, during the “yuppie” era, when Martha Stewart was showing us how to impress guests with elegant meals and fancy flourishes.
Author Doris Janzen Longacre took exception: “Serving guests becomes an ego trip, rather than a relaxed meeting of friends around that most common everyday experience of sharing food.”
Her words articulated something I had sensed myself.
The book showed me how to live less wastefully, eat more healthfully and sustainably, and save money.
I learned to replace overpriced convenience foods — often not all that convenient — with healthier, less processed, and less expensive basics like beans and rice.
I learned to use leftovers by tossing them into a casserole or soup.
I learned that you don’t need to run to the store for an ingredient if you have something similar on hand. No mozzarella? Use the cheese you have. (Ever tried a Swiss cheese pizza? It’s delicious.)
Instead of fancy dinner parties, I invited my kids’ friends and their families over for chili suppers and casual potlucks. Now that my children are grown, I treasure the memories of those simple gatherings.
Revisiting the cookbook to write this story, I see the names and hometowns of the recipes’ contributors in a new light.
Dozens hailed from Kansas communities that were once little more than names on a page to me: Hillsboro, Hesston, and Goessel.
This past week, I worshipped at a Mennonite church for the first time. I finally met, in person, the Mennonite community that has been quietly present in my kitchen for more than 30 years.
In the book, Longacre wrote, “Put dismal thoughts aside … because this book is not about cutting back. This book is about living joyfully, richly, and creatively.”
That is the gift the “More-with-Less Cookbook” has given me.