The Best of Amish Cooking: Traditional and Contemporary Recipes from the Kitchens and Pantries of Old Order Amish Cooks

by Phyllis Pellman Good

Phyllis Pellman Good, a leading expert on Amish cooking, spent years researching the delicious recipes in this collection. From interviews with real Amish grandmothers, digging through recipe boxes, and poring over old books and diaries, she has gathered an assortment of traditional and modern dishes that have been and continue to be popular in eastern Pennsylvania, particularly in the Lancaster area. Now you too can experience the warm, comforting recipes of old order Amish cooks. Prepare to make wonderful dishes such as:
Roast Chicken

Scrapple

Corn Fritters

Creamy Potato Soup

Sweet Pickles

Apple Dumplings

Oatmeal Whoopie Pies

Shoofly Pie
All these and more will soon become your family favorites and go-to potluck dishes. According to Good, they reflect the fruitfulness of Amish fields and gardens, as well as the group's emphasis on family and community. Wonderful descriptions and introductions prepare the setting, and delicious, savory recipes fill this book with some of the best food you'll find anywhere.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1969

Reviews

[Wende · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cookbook brought back memories

My grandmother made quite of few of these recipes and I had been hunting for them for years. It was wonderful to find them.

[Sandra Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had some great Amish food in my time, so I was excited to review this cookbook. It's full of traditional and contemporary foods from the Amish community. There are some positives and negatives, though.

On the up side, I grew up on what we called Fried Dried Apple Pies. Here they are called Half Moon Pies (because of their shape), but whatever the name, they are absolutely delicious! Another traditional dish is the Potato Cakes. Now, not everyone loves these (some of my kids were not impressed), but I grew up on them, and they are delightful with just some butter slathered on top or you can drizzle with honey or syrup.

On the down side was the recipe for Pecan Pie. I LOVE pecan pie!! It's a staple in our house for Thanksgiving, so I happily prepared this version. Unfortunately, you couldn't even really taste the pecans--there was just an overwhelming taste of molasses. As much as my family loves pecan pie, this one heartbreakingly went in the garbage.

There is so much more in this cookbook, and you're sure to find plenty to enjoy. If you're not a molasses fan, though, skip the pecan pie.

I received a copy of this book from Skyhorse Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book..

Great cookbook but I would have loved to see pictures. I am fascinated with the culture and it's easy to learn about people through food so I'm excited to try the recipes. Pictures just would have been amazing.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photos, but I wish there were more of them. Some of the recipes sound ok, and there are interviews with and memories from older members of the community, so you hear how things were done a long time ago.

Most of these recipes seem like they’d be... kind of bland and heavy.

[Mack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent recipe compilation. Each section includes a bit of information on Amish culture, and often each recipe has a little anecdote from an elder. Unfortunately, this made it a bit cluttered and more difficult to reference.

I love that colored photos were included, but I wish there were more.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I admit that I was more interested in the baked goods in this cook book than the meals but it was interesting learning a bit more about the Amish and what they ate.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never actually read cookbooks, but I read the intro to this one that has a neat little explanation about the Amish, their history, and their food. The recipes in this book seem sound, although I haven't tried any yet, and it has pictures to some of the more popular recipes.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of mouth-watering recipes. The only disappointment is that it doesn't include a recipe for Amish macaroni salad. Guess I'll just have to keep buying that.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traditional Amish cooking is delicious basic and simple dishes. The author as assembled a nice collection of recipes covering a wide variety of foods.