The Amish Cook: Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family

by Elizabeth Coblentz, Kevin Williams

Ten years ago, aspiring newspaper editor Kevin Williams convinced Elizabeth Coblentz, an Old Order Amish wife and mother, to write a weekly cooking column called "The Amish Cook." Each week Elizabeth shares a family recipe and discusses daily life on her Indiana farm, spent with her husband, Ben, and their eight children and 32 grandchildren. THE AMISH COOK, a full-color cookbook based on Elizabeth's columns, compiles more than 75 traditional Amish recipes, photographs of the Coblentz farm, practical gardening tips, cherished family tales, and firsthand accounts of traditional Amish events like corn-husking bees and barn raisings. A truly unique collaboration between a simple Amish grandmother and a modern-day newspaperman, THE AMISH COOK is a poignant and authentic look at a disappearing way of life.• “The Amish Cook” column is syndicated in more than 100 newspapers nationwide.• Elizabeth wrote THE AMISH COOK in longhand by the light of a kerosene lamp.• Elizabeth has been a writer for the Amish newspaper, The Budget, for 40 years.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Amish, Nonfiction, Food, Culinary

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 2002

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend had this book on her coffee table and I picked it up while visiting and could not put it down. I really am intrigued by the Amish way of life and reading Elizabeth Coblentz's letters was an amazing insight into her world. She wrote a weekly column for the Amish newspaper, The Budget. Her writing has inspired me to buy a really nice journal and just record the weekly happenings in my life. Even the small mundane things like the weather....this is something that I think my children and grandchildren may actually enjoy reading some day. The recipes sounded amazingly delicious and surprisingly easy. If you like the slower way of life, good home cooking, and getting a personal glimpse into an Indiana Amish woman's world, than I absolutely recommend this book to you!

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe my expectations were too high when I picked up this book, but I was somewhat disappointed after reading it.

The recipes featured are obviously traditional and basic, but also not so traditional and basic that I felt like they had been polished over years and years of hard work - just to a stage of "this will do".

Together with the honestly very dour stories of Amish life between recipes, I overall felt very sombre at the end of this cookbook, and not at all educated or inspired.

[tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it weird that they reject modernities of the western world, but use paper plates and styrofoam cups. There are some interesting bits and I appreciate the documentation and commitment to sharing a part of their Amish lives. I do admire their emphasis on community. But it did not really meet my expectations though. I was hoping for a more idealistic, pastoral self-sufficiency rooted in caring for the Earth. My bad.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet writing, gorgeous photos. Most of the recipes look good, although I think I'll skip the ones she prefaced with "we used to eat this, but kids these days have it so good and they probably wouldn't touch it."

[Gayle Ayres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I could become so emotionally involved in a cookbook. I cried after her last entry in the book...so beautiful.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this book are amazing, the description of there lives and feelings was nice to read.

The recipes are good, I was a bit shocked that there are a ton of recipes with store bought items.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The background information and reflections about the Amish way of life were most interesting. Most of the recipes were for foods I already prepare...plain but good simple Midwestern fare.

[Rosemary Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Very readable collection of articles with some recipes for good measure. I'm sure I will read it again from time to time

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 75 recipes for home cooked Amish dishes.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really good recipes and the stories behind them are nice.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely lovely book! Simple recipes woven throughout wonderful stories of a life I have always been drawn to. I just love the simplicity of the Amish!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew everything about the Amish until I read this book. This book gives a very detailed account of activities that most Amish books miss. I read this book for two reasons. Of course I read it for the recipes, but I also read it for Elizabeth's newspaper stories. I can just say WOW. Pretty personal. Who says living Amish is easy? Well, read this book and you can see for yourself how much work there is to be done. I sure didn't think two of the recipes that I would be copying down would be pizza dough and pizza sauce! Another thing I found interesting and had never noticed before.....she had 8 kids and the grandchildren names were the big surprise. Most of the first born males and females in the families were named Elizabeth or Ben after the authors husband. She had like 6 grandchildren named Elizabeth and 5 named Ben and they all get together all the time. How confusing!

[Mathew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food is so interesting to me. Not just eating food, but, reading about food. I think you can learn much more about a culture, a country, a people, all by the food they eat, how they prepare it, and rituals around how they eat it.
The Amish Cookbook gives much more than than recipes, it gives you a glimpse into the ways of the Amish. The recipes and ingredients seem to be a reflection of their lifestyle - simple and nourishing. Although this book is labelled a cookbook there is so much more inside. Each recipe is accompanied by an article, written by Elizabeth, usually about the recipe. Actually, the articles would usually take off on different tangents, such as when she would typically make the dish, a bit of history on it, her memories around the dish, maybe the last time she made it and who was at her house. She often throws in tidbits about her personal life too. News about a grandchild being born, how an early frost froze her garden, about how she helped out a neighbour can some peaches. All written very blunt, simple, right to the point, without any complaints. Actually a refreshing change from the wordy, figurative, language of novels. Makes you think about how much time and effort is taken up by the frills in our modern lifestyle.
In addition to these personal pieces, there are small notes about Amish life and the events we might associate with them. There are notes about barn raising, rumspringa, the 'rules' around using modern technology like phones and cars, even a bit about the 'Dutch English' language many speak.
The recipes. Most are simple with only a few ingredients. Some, however, sound pretty odd to me. Coffee Soup anyone? It is pretty much a bowl of coffee with bread in it. There are a couple I might photocopy, especially the bread ones. It's tough finding an easy, great tasting bread recipe.
I don't know a whole lot about the Amish, but, after reading this book I feel much more informed. Knowing what people eat, how they feel about food, and some intimate stories about their personal lives is much easier to read and leaves me feeling like I know more about these people than I would if I had read a bland textbook on the subject.

[Sarah Brazytis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gifted me by a dear friend, and a fine gift it was, too! I have enjoyed the pictures, the writing, and the recipes.

The book is laid out to feature the newspaper column of a sweet Amish housewife as she gives her readers a peek into her simple life and that of her family, and offers recipes she makes and enjoys herself. The 'Englisch' gentleman who arranged for the column often visited her home to collect the articles and just visit with the family, so he writes with sincere love and respect about her and her husband and decorated the book with charming photographs of the farm and community.

I grew up often visiting the large Amish community here in Ohio, so I loved everything about this book! It certainly isn't just a cookbook. I certainly learned some things about her Amish community that surprised me (you have to remember that each community has their own rules, traditions, and flavor separate from each other): taking their children to give Santa Claus their Christmas lists each year, doing farm work and canning/housework on Sundays that there is no meeting (Amish churches have services every other Sunday, not every week), and their daughters marrying at much older ages than popular lore, etc.

It's a fun, absolutely clean, inspiring read. If you enjoy a quiet life, simple ways, easy recipes, and learning more about a unique Christian community, this is the cookbook for you!

[library lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many who read the newspaper series by Elizabeth Coblentz will likely enjoy this book more than I did. But for me it had a very clunky delivery. This is not Elizabeth's doing, but rather falls on the publisher of the book.

There are far too many things going on from recipes to stories from Elizabeth to snipits of her favorite poems to commentary from the Editor....it become jumbled and provides a rather clumsy reading experience. The recipes themselves are strong and are a good collection to have.

I would highly recommend the book written by Elizabeth's daughter, Lovina, titled "The Amish Cook at Home". It had a much more reader friendly and relaxed style while having a definate direction.

[Anne]

So I was gifted a batch of the culinary chain letter: Amish Friendship Bread. The recipe you get with the starter sounded not so Amish in spirit, as it included a box of vanilla pudding mix. Is that like sitting in the passenger seat, because it's only a "flavor enhancer?" Whatever. So, to get a bit of traction on what Amish cooking is, I looked this one up. Nice style, some good recipes. Many familiar habits (clothes-lines, picking, root cellars). No pudding.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I was prepared for the number of recipes of my childhood that could have directly come out of this book. This is probably why I love Amish food. I've been eating it my whole life. Elizabeth's stories to go along with the recipes are also pretty neat. Gives you just a little window into the lives of such private people.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was sheer pleasure to read these columns and recipes. My grandparents were raised Amish, and so I could identify. I didn't bother to remember that there is no life style that is truly easy or simple. I just enjoyed!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the stories in this book and enjoyed reading the recipes. Unfortunately, the recipes are not exactly healthy-minded. Since we aren't farming and burning so many calories a day, their high caloric content is too much for us.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars because while I did not like the recipes as much, I thought the author's personal history and culture of the Amish was fascinating. Gorgeous photos too. I would be interested in trying out three of the recipes including Rhubarb Coffeecake.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains recipes that reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. She was from Chester, PA. Check out the 24-Hour Cabbage Slaw and Perfection Salad on p79. I made these for a work potluck and they were a hit.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about the Amish culture, religion and food. It was also fun to hear about how the two authors worked together given that Elizabeth couldn't use technology to communicate. Fun quick read with some good recipes

[ROBIN CONKEL-HANNAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed

I was looking for authentic recipes, made entirely from scratch.. These are good but I'm disappointed to see store bought ingredients.. I like the anecdotes that go with it..

[Sumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

In addition to the recipes, there is wonderful commentary and column excerpts from the author.

[Deirdre K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought Moosewood's cookbook to the used bookstore and ended up walking out with this one...worth it for the photos alone.

[S Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

got some great cookie recipes from this book.

[Jacqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to buy this. It's all my family's old recipes.

[Nancy]

This is such a lovely book. It gives a glimpse into a lifestyle that is so alien from mine. Enjoyable information and great recipes.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book because it not only gave you the recipes, but told many of the Amish traditions and what their daily life is like.