Good Friends Cookbook

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

This compilation of recipes is the second in a series, the first being
Fare for Friends. Both cookbooks are part of an effort to raise money
for hostels for physically and psychologically abused women in
Mississauga, Ontario.

As can be expected with such a compilation, the range of food covered,
particularly in terms of complexity of preparation and “formality,”
is immense. On the one (sticky) hand there is Sticky ’n’ Gooey but
Good Bars, and on the other there is Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
Everything from desserts to condiments to cakes and pies, which the
compilers have thoughtfully distinguished from desserts, is covered.
These are, for the most part, recipes of the people, for the people, by
the people. Some recipes are unsophisticated, some border on, well,
tacky, or at least sticky, but most are for the kind of food that is
very welcome at the end of a hard day or when a sit-down company dinner
must be prepared.

The compilers have maintained a refreshing sense of humor and
perspective with this project—as is amply shown by the sometimes
whimsical and tongue-in-cheek recipe titles—even though the cause
supported by the proceeds is both tragic and serious. This is a cookbook
that will be used frequently and, as a important plus, the proceeds go
to support a very worthwhile social effort.