We are approaching the summer driving season and interstates tend to bore people. Including me.  Although I will say that my wife would almost rather get a root canal without a painkiller than get in the car and drive on the highway.  Myself, I kind of like the anonymity of the interstate, just putting my […] Read more

CAPTION:  My oft-read copy of The History of The Amish is still in pretty decent shape after 20 years and numerous moves. I have been writing about, experiencing, and chronicling Amish culture for almost 25 years now. During that time my “office” has gone from my parents house in Middletown when I was 18, to Oxford, […] Read more

This is a fun recipe that I received from an Amish woman in the state of Delaware.  How fun this sounds!  I mean, I admit I am a bit of a pizza purist: thick crust, plenty of cheese, a slightly sweet tomato sauce…but I’m also all about incorporate into pizza into anything and everything I can […] Read more

Time for my weekly round-up of favorites from across the blogosphere. PARIS REVIEW:   Oh, wow….as a writer, having anything mildly associated with me appearing in The Paris Review: super cool:)  This past week this venerable bastion of literary greatness actually makes brief mention of Elizabeth Coblentz, our original Amish Cook columnist.  In typical Paris […] Read more

While grocery stores, convenience stores, vending machines, and fast food have all somewhat encroached on the traditional Amish diet, home-canning remains a staple.  As gas freezers catch on in Amish settlements, freezing food is becoming a population method of preservation also. But a freezer only has so much space.  A cellar, or in this case, […] Read more

I love collecting handwritten recipes that have been tried and tested in  authentic Amish kitchens.  Writing recipes just seems to be a vanishing art as more and more once written stuff migrates to the internet and computers.   Sure you can go buy Van Camps Pork &  Beans, but this recipe seems so easy that […] Read more

  Print THE AMISH COOK: Homemade Yeast Doughnuts Ingredients YEAST DOUGHNUTS 2 packages yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 1 cup scalded milk 6 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 /4 tablespoon shortening 3 eggs 4 tablespoons sugar Instructions Sift flour in a separate bowl. Pour water over yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and let […] Read more