'The food at our parties is always great," reasoned Kim Anderson, director of the Montana Center for the Book when I asked her who made the assumption that writers are good cooks.

Along with the Montana Committee for the Humanities, the center has put together a Montana Writer's Cookbook, "Eat Our Words," recently published by Far Country Press.

The book is a delightful mix of great recipes and writing about food (many of the recipes are just as fun to read as the excerpts) all submitted by prominent Montana writers.

Now, in addition to savoring their words, readers can enjoy Ellen Baumler's Raspberry Pepper Jelly, Norma Ashby's Chinese Hot Dish, Judy Blunt's (tasty and adorable) Party Penguins and Stephanie Ambrose Tubbs' Undaunted Red Beans and Rice.

"This is a cookbook you can read as well as cook from," says Mark A. Sherouse, executive director for the Montana Committee for the Humanities.

The idea for the collection was hatched by Far Country Press, who contacted the Montana Center of the Book because of its connections to area writers, says Sherouse.

The center sent out a request for a recipe and a piece of writing about food and hoped for the best.

Anderson says the response was overwhelming.

"We had no idea what we'd get," she says.

"We thought it would be about 50 percent drinks," jokes Sherouse, "and we were pleasantly surprised."

The book features 92 writers, and includes recipes for drinks, dessert and everything in between.

Ellen Baumler's unique Raspberry Pepper Jelly recipe is something she came up with after moving to Montana from Tuscon, Ariz.

She knew she liked pepper jelly, and when she ended up with more raspberries than she knew what to do with one year, Baumler decided to experiment.

"Sure enough, I came up with this really good recipe," she says.

So good, in fact, that it won a blue ribbon at the Lewis and Clark County Fair.

Helena-based writer, Florence Williams contributed Peter Hoffman's Peach Chutney, along with an excerpt from an article she wrote about the New York City chef.

"I'm a casual cook. I like recipes that are delicous but simple enough that I can put them together in the evening, in between the playground and the bath," says Williams, who was inspired by Hoffman's commitment to using local, organic food at his restaurant, Savoy.

And Williams has gotten plenty of use out of his chutney recipe, which she uses as an accompaniment to roast pork.

"Due to some weird circumstances, I ended up with a freezerful of peaches last year," she explains.

Another dish featured in "Eat Our Words" that Williams has tried is fellow writer Jim Robbins' Puttanesca.

"It's fantastic," she says.

Robbins says his Puttanesca evolved from a friend's recipe, and has an unusual "deep, salty flavor."

Plus, he says, it's simple to make and "healthy if you go easy on the cheese."

Many of the recipes in "Eat Our Words" include personal introductions or little tips along with the instructions; almost all of them are written with a healthy dose of humor.

"The two best things about this recipe," writes Neil McMahon in his introduction to Lonely Boy Pot Roast, "are that it's really easy and it doesn't use the word 'roux.'"

Writer David Quammen leaves nothing to chance in his instructions for Catfish Wiley, as evidenced by his second direction: "Make a Bombay martini, dry, on the rocks, and put it in the freezer."

You're going to have to start the rice and fry the fish before you get a sip, though.

To ensure accuracy, these writers have brought all of their powers of description to bear on everything from ingredients to serving sizes.

Sid Gustafson's Swedish Egg Gravy calls for "four eggs from happy chickens" and Fred Haefele promises his Shrimp with Feta will feed "four hungry treemen."

Other recipes will appeal to the Montanan in all of us, such as Pat and Carol Williams' Irish Pasties or Greg Keeler's Trout and Morels.

Keeler's first instruction? "Catch and kill a big trout."

In addition to the fun these writers obviously had in penning their contributions, they've also submitted some pretty delicious sounding dishes, from William Hjorstberg's Roast Chicken Stuffed with Fresh Herbs and Garlic to Jon A. Jackson's Chile Rellenos Casserole.

"I'd say that most of them are eminently cookable and edible," says Anderson.

And when you're finished with your reading, and you've got a plate of Hungry Wolf Pasta and a Huckleberry Cobbler in the oven to show for it, the only thing to do is follow contributor J. Robert Lennon's direction: "Wordlessly devour."

Part of the proceeds from sales of "Eat Our Words" benefit the Montana Center of the Book.