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MCC and Herald Press release "Simply in Season"
By mcc.org - news release
Jun 26, 2005 - 10:36:00 PM

AKRON, Pa., June 24, 2005 — Not so long ago most fresh food on North American tables came from home gardens and local farmers markets. Today, the average item of food travels more than 1,000 miles before it lands on our tables. This system is a remarkable technological accomplishment but has not proven to be healthy for our communities, our land or us.

Through stories and simple "whole foods" recipes, "Simply in Season," a new Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) cookbook from Herald Press, explores how the food we put on our tables impacts our local and global neighbors. The cookbook shows the importance of eating local, seasonal food and invites readers to make choices that offer security and health for our communities, land, bodies and spirit.

Today most of us make no connection with the season and the origin of the food we eat. Written in the spirit of MCC's first cookbook, "More-with-Less," "Simply in Season" makes this connection by featuring the use of local, seasonal foods in wholesome, delicious dishes.

The cookbook authors, Mary Beth Lind of West Virginia, and Cathleen Hockman-Wert of Oregon, spent nearly two years gathering more than 1,600 recipes from some 450 contributors across Canada and the United States.

The 352-page, full-color cookbook offers 307 recipes for spring, summer, fall, winter and "all seasons."

It also features a colorful fruit and vegetable guide to assist readers in learning about the selection, storage, handling, preparation, and serving of fresh fruits and vegetables featured in the recipes.

"Simply in Season" is the third cookbook in the MCC World Community Cookbook Series. The two previous cookbooks, "More-with-Less" and "Extending the Table" each offer unique recipes and writings to assist readers in raising awareness about world food issues and the interconnectedness of our global community.

"Simply in Season" is available from your local bookstore or online bookseller in paper edition, retail price: $13.99 ($17.49 in Canada) ISBN: 0-8361-9296-6; and plastic comb edition, retail price: $19.99 ($24.99 in Canada) ISBN: 0-8361-9297-4.

MCC is the relief, development and peace agency of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of Canada and the United States. For more information about "Simply in Season" and other MCC cookbooks, contact Herald Press at www.heraldpress.com or 1-800-245-7894, or log onto www.simplyinseason.org.

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Photo available: "Simply in Season," a new cookbook released by MCC and Herald Press, celebrates local and seasonal foods (Photo provided by MCC)

Photo available: "Simply in Season" author Mary Beth Lind (Photo provided by Mary Beth Lind)
Photo available: "Simply in Season" author Cathleen Hockman-Wert (Photo by Cathy Passmore)

Media contacts:
Larry Guengerich
Mennonite Central Committee
Media and Education Coordinator
(717) 859-1152 #282
(717) 333-2826 (Mobile)
e-mail lrg@mcc.org
www.mcc.org