May 6, 2005

Good excercise . . .

by

Secrets of Salsa: A Bilingual Cookbook by the Mexican Women of Anderson Valley, which has sold more than 20,000 copies since it was first published in 2000, was little more than “an English-language exercise at school,” according to a story by Diane Peterson in Lakeland, Florida’s The Ledger. The book, the hardcover rights of which were acquired by independent publisher Chelsea Green in 2002, has been awarded a Tabasco Community Cookbook Award and California Human Development community organization award. The cookbook was conceived by Kira Brenna, an adult education teacher, who asked students to write down their salsa recipes as an English language exercise. The book includes recipes by 23 Mexican students.

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.

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