"Food That Really Schmecks"- Cookbook review
Book Review: "Food that Really Schmecks"
Author: Edna Staebler, 1968
Notes: Mennonite Country Recipes from Bevvy Martin, My Mother, and Other Great Cooks
Review by: Paul McCutcheon | July 7, 2025
My aunt lived in Galt (before it became Cambridge) in Waterloo county. She gave this book to my Mom one Christmas, and we all had a lot of fun with “Home Remedies For Things That Might Ail You” section.
Later I looked at the book, and it was a revelation.
I had never thought of cooking as something that might be enjoyable, a social activity, something fun.
The book has a lot of Mennonite or German recipes.
Ms Staebler (I almost feel I should call her Edna) has a breezy, encouraging style – she tries things, sometimes things don’t work out, sometimes she can’t find things at the store, she exchanges advice with her friends. Recipes can be a bit fluid, she suggests variations; try this-or-that. Her mom, her friends Bevvy and Lyddy Ann become characters worthy of Stuart McClean.
There is pithy advice on how to deal with leftovers, sour milk (for cakes!) or stale bread abound, alongside main dishes and desserts (lots of desserts). Even in 1968 she noted how almost all ham was already prepared, and chickens with flavor were hard to find.
Between the pages, you’ll find a lot of charm. She confesses she’s never made a “real” angel cake as she finds the commercial mixes fairly reliable and foolproof – but then she provides her mothers recipe with the notation “Good Luck”. If you think that is cheating, she has 35 cake recipes, and everyone sounds enjoyable.
I would rate this as a Canadian Classic, right up there with “Sunshine Sketches”.🍁❤️
Thank You for reading!