Tourists have long traveled to Amish
Country to observe a different and simpler way of life. Though the sight
of buggies and old-fashioned clothes speak for that simplicity, they
don't take an observer into the heart of the Amish ethos. In The
Amish Cook, Kevin Williams and Elizabeth Coblentz bring us deeper
into Amish beliefs and the rhythm of that life. Williams, founder of
Oasis Newsfeatures, was long the editor of a cooking column written
by the Old Order Amish grandmother, Elizabeth Coblentz. Her column was
a beloved part of the newspaper, and went on to syndication. In The
Amish Cook the two collaborated to unite those columns with recipes,
and with insights into Amish daily life. Their work is supported by
Laurie Smith's color photographs of the countryside, of household artifacts,
of barns and laundry hanging on a line.
The Amish Cook begins with
a short history of the Amish (it's not 'Pennsylvania Dutch' but 'Pennsylvania
Deutsche' for the German inheritance). Dividing the book into four parts
- breakfast, dinner, supper, desserts and special occasions, Coblentz
and Williams take us through the daily routines of Amish life, routines
that include sewing, cooking, gardening, ironing. They may pause in
the routine to let life slow while care and attention are given to the
removal of a child's splinter. The reader is pulled into the slower
rhythm, the sense of love and fellowship that is an integral part of
Amish life.
The focus is on Elizabeth's columns,
and her writing is honest, direct and always concerned with the people
around her. This is a book that can touch us all and make us determined
to simplify our own lives, if only in a small way.
There are numerous sidebars explaining
barn raisings, the Amish language, a dire teenage phase of life called
Rumspringa - teenage rebellion. This phase, so dear to parents everywhere,
exists among Amish teenagers as well. There are accounts of day-to-day
life, birthday suppers and an Amish wedding (among other foods, 250
pounds of fried chicken cooked by friends and relatives).
The recipes are by nature simple
recipes, some such as Favorite Potato Casserole reflecting common farm
ingredients, some, such as a tiny dumplings called Knepfle or soup called
German Rivvel Soup reflecting the German heritage. These are recipes
to make when the day is filled with many other activities. As we read,
however, we remembered that when an Amish recipe calls for butter, it
is home-churned butter of a quality that we can hardly find today.
About
the authors: Elizabeth Coblentz passed away in late 20002,
just before The Amish Cook was published. Her column will be continued
by one of her daughters. Elizabeth was born and lived in Indiana her
whole life. In addition to her weekly newspaper column, she was a writer
for the local Amish newspaper, The Budget, for more than forty
years. Kevin Williams lives in Middletown, Ohio, and was first introduced
to the Amish while writing a high school research paper that eventually
gave him the idea for The Amish Cook. He is the founder of Oasis
Newsfeatures, Inc.
The authors have kindly shared these
recipes:
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