The Amish Cook at Home

Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith

by Lovina Eicher and Kevin Williams

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7372-3
ISBN-10: 0-7407-7372-0
Format: Hardcover
Size: 10 x 9 in.
Page Count: 224 pages

“A cultural overview as well as a cookbook, The Amish Cook at Home by Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams is filled with gorgeous photographs and appealing recipes. In conversational tone, Mrs. Eicher shares her family recipes and stories; as I read, I often felt as though I was reading a personal letter from her. Sidebars include anecdotes about Mrs. Eicher’s family, information about Amish history and culture, and hints on gardening and canning.” ––Frugal Creativity http://frugalcreativity.blogspot.com/2009/07/amish-cook-at-home-review-and-giveaway.html

As the world around us seems to grow increasingly complex and busy, it’s comforting to know that syndicated columnist Lovina Eicher is here with The Amish Cook at Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $29.99), a beautiful homage to life in an Old Order Amish community, filled with delicious recipes offering comfort, simplicity, and sustenance.

Part almanac, part cultural overview, part culinary calendar, The Amish Cook at Home is structured around the four seasons, which heavily influence Amish life and cooking. Inside you’ll find:

• Recipes full of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and meat, including such culinary traditions as Dandelion Jelly, Chicken and Dumplings, and Concord Grape Streusel Pie. (And don’t be surprised to also find such treats as Breakfast Burritos, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños, and Pizza Casserole.)
• Informational notes and sidebars about Amish history, culture, and lore, some contributed by members of Lovina’s family and her column editor and co-author, Kevin Williams
• Stories of Old Order days and glimpses into events including weddings, funerals, and tax time
• Anecdotes from Lovina’s family life shared with her husband, Joe, and their eight children
• Almost 100 recipes and beautiful color photos depicting life in Lovina’s rural Michigan community

The Amish Cook at Home will be welcomed not only by faithful readers of Lovina’s syndicated newspaper column, The Amish Cook, but also by a new audience eager to embrace a simpler way of life, even if for only an hour or two while making a tasty, home-cooked dish straight from Amish country.

A round face, a ready smile, and the ability to “multitask” long before it became trendy in cubicles and cars across America define Lovina’s life. It is this calm sense of simplicity, this living connection to a time when life wasn’t so fast-paced, that has endeared Lovina to millions of readers of “The Amish Cook” column.

The column is not something Lovina had expected to be juggling along with her many other daily duties. Running a household of ten people can sometimes leave little time to spare as is. But Lovina stepped up to the task of writing the column under some very difficult circumstances, and in the process really grew into her role.

—K.W.

Serves 4 to 6

This is a thick soup. The color is light, like a cream sauce. I usually like to serve a fresh garden salad with it.

1 3/ 4 cups chicken broth
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 / 2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 / 3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 1 / 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Velveeta or Colby cheese (cubed or sliced)

Combine the broth, potatoes, asparagus, onion, and salt in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Whisk the milk and flour together well in a small bowl and whisk into the broth mixture. Stir in the cheese until melted. Pour into warmed soup bowls and serve immediately.

Variation: I once fried bacon strips and then crumbled them in with everything. It was very good! You could also sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top as a garnish.

1/2 recipe sourdough bread dough (page 55)
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

FROSTING

1 tablespoon water
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 / 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Take each ball of dough and roll it out as thin as possible on a floured surface. Brush the dough with the melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.

Roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Cut each roll into slices 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Place the slices 1/2 inch apart in a buttered jelly roll pan, cover with waxed paper, and let rise for 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while making the icing. Combine all the icing ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.