A holiday shopping idea that's heartwarming and appetite pleasing, and also does good:
"Living to Cook," a collection of favorite recipes from Pittsburgh food writer and professional cook Jane Citron, is now available at local bookstores. All proceeds from sales of the book will go to the Jane and Carl Citron Endowed Chair in Colon Cancer at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the
UPMC Cancer Centers Patient Assistance Fund.
For nearly three decades,
Jane Citron wrote about food for local publications including The Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Her words and recipes are known to a generation of Pittsburghers. In 2006, she died after battling colon cancer. Her family decided to publish this book -- partly a memoir about serving favorite dishes to her family and friends, and also a resource filled with recipes and Citron's personal cooking and tasting notes -- to honor her memory and her love of cooking.
The hope is that proceeds from the book will also further her commitment to finding ways to prevent, treat and eventually cure colon cancer. More than 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed this year with colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to UPMC. If diagnosed in the early stages, the survival rate for colon cancer is as high as 90 percent.
As you ponder the perfect gifts for your food-loving friends and relatives, consider giving them this unique piece of Pittsburgh food history.
Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Michelle K. Houser, UPMC
Image courtesy of UPMC