Food to Eat and Food for Thought
at LMC

What are Mennonites known for if not quality cooking?

Over the years, the women at Listowel Mennonite have accumulated vast resources of cooking, and lets not forget -- baking experience! Twice in our history, they have gotten together in joint effort to share and dispense this experience with eachother and with the community at large.

The first cookbook was written in 1974-1975. It is titled Food to Eat and Food for Thought, and contains many delicious, down-to-earth recipes to warm the tummy as well as recipes to warm the heart.

There were three printings of the book, and it sold like hotcakes! The price: $3.00 a piece. At a recent auction sale, one of these vintage cookbooks brought $30.00 - what a mark-up!

The second cookbook, Patchwork of Many Tastes, was written in 1999 in an effort to raise money for an addition onto the church building. The tightly-knit congregation was bursting its seams! Due to the popularity of the first book, many people rushed to buy a copy of this newest edition.

It is also chock full of simple, delicious recipes and heart-warming nuggets of advice. Even the title of the book is full of meaning: A patchwork quilt is a collection of a variety of fabrics, patterns, colours and textures. Patchwork of Many Tastes is a collection of a variety of flavours, textures, colours and tastes from our church family.

Be sure to check out the sample recipe!

Patchwork of Many Tastes

cookbook

A patchwork quilt is a collection of a variety of fabrics, patterns, colours and textures. Patchwork of Many Tastes is a collection of a variety of flavors, textures, colours and tastes from our church family.

Patchwork of Many Tastes is a cookbook put together by Listowel Mennonite Church. It was put together to help raise money for the building fund at LMC. The book contains over 500 recipes.

If you would like to order a copy of the cookbook you can email, mail, or call the church at the contact information above with your name, phone number, email and mailing address. Each book costs $20.00.
Click here to see a sample recipe...

Food to Eat and Food for Thought

old cookbook

The first cookbook undertaken by the ladies at Listowel Mennonite, it began circulation in 1974. It was so popular, three printings had to be made in order to keep up with demand! The books sold for $3.00 each.

It is now out of print, and found only torn, battered, and well-loved in the kitchens of well-seasoned cooks!

Editorial From the Listowel Banner, 1975
"Food to eat and food for thought"

Our most unexpected Christmas gift and a good lesson for the New Year arrived in one package this year – a cookbook put together by the ladies of the Listowel Mennonite Church. Like most things which come across our desk, this book, titled Food to Eat and Food for Thought and personally delivered by Rev. Raymond Erb, has a story behind it.

It all began one dull, rainy November day when Mrs. Jean Scott of our downstairs staff drew our attention to a note scrawled on the back of a church ad. Without so much as a by-your-leave, the note requested that a photographer be at the Listowel Mennonite Church to take pictures of the church ladies assembling a cookbook. What's more important to us that the ‘by-your-leave' bit however, is that the note did not refer to any specific date. Not knowing what the whole thing was about, we simply relegated the matter to the ‘file' section of the old gray dome.

The next dull, rainy day or shortly thereafter, we received a visit from a

somewhat upset Rev. Erb, wondering why we hadn't showed up at the church.

Behind in our work load – as usual– we took exception to what we judged to be a rather short manner on the part of the minister and in equally short terms told him why we hadn't showed up. He in turn replied that we appeared to be "a lady under a lot of pressure." He was a lot closer to being right than wrong.

Anyway, we finally ironed out our differences and subsequently got together enough on our information to get a picture of the ladies and their cookbook. That, we thought was the end of the matter.



Home

It wasn't long however until we heard a number of the ladies on our staff talking about these marvelous cookbook put out by the Listowel Mennonite Church ladies. Always on the lookout for good, simple recipes, we tried to snap up a copy but no go. The ladies were all sold out of this (their second) printing.

We had just accepted this fact as being a just reward for a short temper when what should happen but we get a copy – for free – compliments of Rev. Ray Erb. Talk about heaping coals of kindness or whatever on the heads of you enemies – there's more to this Christian living bit than meets the eye. We were so flabbergasted that all we could do was to mumble a wholly inadequate "Thank you".

The book which will go into its third printing sometime in the new year and which sells for a modest $3.00 is an absolute gem. Even if you don't cook, you're bound to get something out of the words of wisdom which are found on every page. For example, "Remember when you throw mud, you're the one who's losing ground." Now there's a piece of earthy honesty for you. Or how about this one? "The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on his tip toes." Quite a thought, that.

All-in-all, it will be a good long time before we forget Rev. Erb, the good ladies of the Listowel Mennonite Church and their good book, Food to Eat and Food for Thought. And every time we're about to lose our temper, come what may, we've resolved to say – ten times in succession if necessary – "Remember the cookbook."

And a Merry Christmas to you too.