With so much information
available on the Internet, I do not buy cookbooks as often as I used to. That
is a shame, really, because a cookbook has personality and gives the reader a
certain perspective that allows the recipes to mix into a culinary diary of
sorts. Today when you go onto the Internet to find a recipe, you are just
getting the recipe. You do not get the point of view or the personality that is
a part of the history of that recipe, which is unfortunate.
While I am no longer collecting
cookbooks, I do have some that I have not opened in years. I cannot possibly
give them away, and it is fun to occasionally revisit a favorite book like the
one that I picked up in Ohio a few years ago.
It is a beautiful book, called “
Cooking
from Quilt Country: Hearty Recipes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens,”
written by Marcia Adams. In 1989 the author also hosted the 26-part national
PBS cooking series, “Amish Cooking from Quilt Country.” Adams was fortunate
enough to be invited to spend over a year in Amish and Mennonite kitchens;
there she was introduced to a cooking lifestyle that is untouched by time. The
book, like the series, explores cooking that is closely associated with the
land and the seasons.
The Amish have a unique cooking style,
very simple and rustic, yet fresh; they make everything from scratch, and that goes for their food as
well as every item they use in their daily life. I have tried a few recipes out
of this cookbook. While the Amish do use a lot of white sugar (which, granted,
is processed) and other ingredients that are not typically on my standard list,
the book is still really fascinating. The cookbook goes into the history of the
Amish and the Mennonites, giving examples of a typical Easter meal or a wedding
meal and the tradition behind the dishes.
Adams writes that “It would be impossible to write a book about the food
of the Amish without reviewing their history, for their history has written
their recipes” (xii). “Cooking from Quilt
Country” illustrates the history and the recipes of the Amish, blending these
elements into an entertaining and enlightening narrative. I have quite a few
cookbooks still on the shelf, and I’m excited about the idea of sharing more of
my favorites in future posts.
Until next time, eat well.
