5 comments about Mennonite Community Cookbook: Favorite Family Recipes.

1. The Mennonite Community Cookbook is a major compilation of eleven hundred recipes drawn from Mennonite cookbooks and updated with standard measurements and directions but otherwise unaltered. These simple yet flavorful dishes were contributed by Mennonite families all over the United States and Canada, and include such offerings as Old-Fashioned Bean Soup, Salmon Roll with Egg Sauce, Toasted Spice Cake, and Baked Stuffed Turnips. Each recipe is quite short, yet the instructions are crystal clear and easy for cooks of all skill and experience levels to follow. The Mennonite Community Cookbook is a simply superb repository of old country flavor and culinary creations that have weathered the test of time.



2. I grew up in a Mennonite home and many of these foods, I've given this to cookbook to many of my friends and extended family members. Some really great dishes, try the graham cracker fluff it's a favorite at our house.



3. The recipes in this book are for farmers, who are cold all winter and hot all summer, so they are hearty and filling. However, if you are trying to cook light, they are easily modifiable. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef or sausage. Use turkey sausage instead of pork sausage, etc. You can often substitute canola oil for butter. You really only need to use shortening or lard when it effects the consistency, like in pie crust. Even made as they are written, these recipes are much healthier than the average fast food or restaraunt meal. They are also healthier than the average prepared meal out of the grocery store freezer. They are meant to be served up with heaping helpings of fresh vegetables. Some are great simple fare to serve up when you don't have time to cook. I find that the farmer's summer supper (a mixture of torn bread, fresh fruit and fresh milk) is great on hot summer nights when its too hot to turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen. I have used the sour milk griddle cake recipe for decades (substitute buttermilk if the idea of using sour milk bothers you, or sour fresh milk with a tablespoon of vinegar). Recently, I have gotten totally hooked on the buckwheat pancake recipe. I love the cornbread recipe, and I often make it by substituting a can of creamed corn for the milk. Its much healthier than eating store bought bread, with whole grain and vegetables both in the same bread.



4. My wife asked me to find another copy of the "Mennonite Community Cookbook" to give to my daughter so she wouldn't have to take ours. I don't want my wife to be without this cookbook, so was happy that Amazon carried it :-)
   
   As several of the other reviewers point out, the recipes included in this cookbook are not low anything (insert Fat, Salt, Sugar, Carb, other unhealthy item, etc). That being said, they can generally be adapted by a good cook to be more healthy by substituting alternative ingredients.
   
   This book gets a lot use in our house and I, as a recipient of the excellent meals that result, highly recommend it!



5. This cookbook is our families favorite and not just because we are Mennonite! I cooked this way long before I became Mennonite and this book has many recipes that we all use in our family for every day eating. When my children got married and moved out on their own, each one of them received this cookbook as a present. They all looked forward to getting it. Even still, 15 years after the last one married, I still receive calls from them asking if I could help them with recipe so-and-so on page whichever. Hahaha. Makes an empty nester still feel useful I can say for sure and for certain!
   
   Anyways, this cookbook has so many recipes in it that are good, healthy ways to eat. And then there are those that are not, but those are the ones that usually taste the best! We love the recipe for chicken in sour sauce which is heavy with sour cream. And the corn casserole to go with it. Usually followed at the end by one of the many great pie recipes here too. I wouldn't be without this cookbook in my kitchen and refer back to it often.
   
   So if you are looking for a good, easy to use cookbook that is packed full of easy to make recipes and that have lots of comfort foods in it too, then this is the cookbook for you and your family. Mine liked it a LOT better than even the new Better Homes and Garden cookbook!

5 comments about The Amish Cook: Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family.

1. I checked out this book from the library and after reading most of it, I decided I had to have my very own copy so I purchased one on Amazon the very next day. It is a wonderful explanation of how the Amish got their name, how they arrived in PA and there are many delicious recipes, too many to copy. I can't wait to try them as I love to cook from scratch. I purchase Amish food often and was pleased to find these recipes. The recipes consist of everyday ingredients most have on hand. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to eat well. The little stories are wonderful too.



2. These recipes are great in this book, and the best thing about these recipes is that you do not have to go to a specialty store to find the ingredients. Everything in this book you will probably already have in your pantry, and everything in this book is wonderfully flavored. The recipes are for a large group of people, so if you make a recipe make sure to have a lot of people ready to eat. There are some really interesting stories about the cook and her family in the book too. Well worth the money!



3. This cookbook has wonderful recipes from the Amish but it is much more.
   It reads like a diary of Elizabeth Coblentz's life as an Amish wife, mother, and grandmother. Very interesting details like how she used to make 9 loaves of bread every week and would have them coming out of the oven when her 8 children came home from school. She takes the reader along on a wonderful read of the Amish life; quilting, canning, church, gardening, and much more.



4. This is such a wonderful book. it isn't the typical turisty type of Amish book, but REAL. It is beautifully written and true to life of an Old Order Amish family. Well done, Kevin Williams. RIP Elizabeth Coblentz.



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.

4 comments about Cookbook From Amish Kitchens: Breads (Cookbooks from Amish Kitchens).

1. No need for a bread machine with these recipes! Simple, down to earth, and best of all....Delicious! There is no substitute for the home made taste of fresh baked bread and muffins. These recipes are simple to follow, and easy to make. The Potato Bread recipe is my personal favorite, but then again, mmm love those bran muffins also!



2. I have all of these adorable little 'Cook Books from Amish Kitchens', and have really enjoyed them. The are very small and simple... the complete opposite of a coffee-table/display-style cookbooks we see most often today. This is a thin pamphlet with matte paper and does not include interior photos of any recipes (excluding the cover). The text is in a handwritten-style font and clearly explained. The recipes are very homey with basic ingredients and techniques; nothing fancy. Simple, delicious recipes in a simple, small booklet. RECOMMENDED.



3. these recipes are indeed well thought and written however if you aren't planning to feed McNails navy you better be good at dividing the amounts the raisen bread recipe was the first one I made when I saw it made 5 loafes I divided it by 2 they came out great and I could of done all 5.



4. I love this little cookbook. It has a variety of recipes. I have tried three of the recipes so far and each one has turned out very good and very tasty. For this money you can't pass this by.

1 comments about The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook: Plainly Delicious Recipes from the Simple Life.

1. When I saw the title of this cookbook, I knew it was going to be wonderful. The Amish are known for their simplicity, home cooking, love of family, and dedication to God. This book did not disappoint me. It more than met my expectations. For most people, home cooking has become a way of the past. I love to cook but must admit that I`ve also fallen prey to the ease of prepared foods.
   
   Reading the recipes in this book made my mouth water. Most of the recipes were easy to prepare; they run the gamete from soup, breakfast cereals, main dishes, desserts and more.
   
   The names of many made me curious. How did they get their names: Hasenpfeffer Stew, Knepp Soup, Stonaflesch, Shipwreck Stew, and Potato Rivvel Soup? I can hardly wait to try out the recipes.
   
   This book meets my criteria for a good cookbook. It has a spiral binding, making it easy to leave the book open to a particular recipe without fear of it closing. The cover is easily wiped clean and there is an excellent index, a substitute and measurement page and a resource page.
   
   Along the sides of each page are notes. Some of the notes are recipe hints, information concerning the Amish, prayers, and space for the reader's notes. The soup recipes look delicious. The recipe for Church Cinnamon Rolls will be one of the first I try along with Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake. This cookbook will make a nice gift!

5 comments about The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook.

1. This is a great cookbook that also shares the life of the Amish. My daughter has read almost everything that Beverly Lewis has written and is really enjoying this cookbook.



2. Readers with even a passing interest in Christian fiction will automatically connect prolific author Beverly Lewis' name with book covers featuring modestly clad, bonneted Amish women. While also an accomplished children's author her series of fictional tales from the Plain community are those that have captivated the hearts of her loyal audience nation-wide.
   
   Filling her pages with the rich, food-centric culture of Amish life - particularly for the womenfolk - Lewis would seem the perfect "Englisher" to tackle assembling The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook, drawing from the culinary tradition that she has researched for use in her novels. What casual readers may not realize, as I myself did not, is that Lewis' own maternal grandmother was raised in the Plain community. This daughter of Old Order Mennonite's left her roots in order to marry a young man called to ministry in the world beyond their sheltered community.
   
   Ada Buchwalter's life became the inspiration for some of Lewis' work, her talent in the kitchen and handed-down recipes forming the basis of this cookbook. Along with recipes from Beverly's family -- her grandmother, mother, aunts, siblings and daughter - Lewis called upon a plethora of talented cooks living in Amish communities. The result is a combination of cultural cookbook and family memorabilia. Lewis shares her remembrances of traditional recipes from her family in the "Note from Bev" section that occasionally follows a recipe, providing a selection of memories, serving suggestions, personal comments on flavour, and such.
   
   Each major section: "Appetizers and Beverages", "Breakfast Specialty Dishes", "Breads", Salads and Salad Dressings" and so on, opens with a quote from one of Lewis' novels. These quotations are always taken from a food-related scene in which an item from the relevant category plays a part. Better still, Lewis' fans will be thrilled to find that some of the intriguing foods described in the novels are given recipes in the cookbook. Whether it's "Old-Time Lemonade" from The Betrayal, "Cornmeal Mush" from The Postcard, "Cottage Cheese and Pepper Salad" from The Covenant, or one of many others - the opportunity to take a trip through the culinary landscape of Lewis' novels is a unique treat.
   
   The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook draws heavily from modern Amish cooking practices rather than those you'd think of in a book including "heritage" in its title. The majority of the entries do include some form of prepared short cut, and even those older recipes passed down through Beverly's family have been modified for modern cooks. Those mainly interested in "from scratch" recipes are likely to suffer from some disappointment. One of the most striking examples is the traditional sourdough friendship bread recipe that calls for a box of instant pudding. Some of the recipes call for regional ingredients - those living outside of territories traditionally associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch may find themselves improvising and substituting. Thankfully recommended substitutes and brands are provided in many cases.
   
   It's refreshing to read a cookbook with recipes that still incorporate cream, butter, lard, and shortening. The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook is certainly traditional in respect to the amount of rich, creamy goodness and sweet treats packed between its pages. And with five of 13 sections relating to desserts such as puddings, cakes, pies, cookies, and a generous listing of jello dishes in the salad section, those with a taste for the sweet things of live will be well-satisfied.
   
   Most charming of all are the favourite Bible passages, commonly quoted wisdom, and domestic tips included on nearly every page. Reflecting the simple life and humility aimed for by these hard-working folk, such tidbits of knowledge contribute strongly to the theme. Practically fitted with a lay-flat, plastic comb binding, cooks ranging from novice to expert will find this companion easy to work with in the kitchen.



3. This book provides me with the Amish Friendship Bread Starter, to me this is important. I have starter now and love to bake the bread, but will be moving and will have to use all my starter, now I can begin again. I also, love the variety of good home cooking recipes.



4. I am very pleased with the cookbook. It has alot of good recipes in it that I have tried, and alot more that I want to try. Also I like the little notes that are in the book. It gives you a feeling of being right there in an Amish community. I am very much into cooking and baking from scratch. I recomend this book for anyone that likes Beverly Lewis books and cooking. As in her books not being disappointed with her writings you will also enjoy the cookbook. This was the first item I ever ordered off of Amazon.com, I am so pleased with the product, and the service with them that I have ordered more items from Amazon.com and continue to be pleased with the items and the service.



5. I was disappointed in this cookbook. Some recipes seem to be authentic. Many were not. I though I'd see some of the very things Lewis writes about in her novels. Very few. I went from cover to cover to mark things I wanted to try, and I only had 3 recipes in the whole book. This one will stay on the shelf, sadly, collecting dust.

3 comments about Cookbook From Amish Kitchens: Soups (Cookbooks from Amish Kitchens).

1. Excellent in all phases: description was the selling point for me for my soup-loving gift recipient. It was all it claimed to be, shipped and received timely and in excellent condition.



2. I have all of these adorable little 'Cook Books from Amish Kitchens', and have really enjoyed them. The are very small and simple... the complete opposite of a coffee-table/display-style cookbooks we see most often today. This is a thin pamphlet with matte paper and does not include interior photos of any recipes (excluding the cover). The text is in a handwritten-style font and clearly explained. The recipes are very homey with basic ingredients and techniques; nothing fancy. Simple, delicious recipes in a simple, small booklet. RECOMMENDED.



3. This simple small book of soup recipes has some of the best tasting soups we have ever had.
   Using everyday ingredients, you can create a delicious, satisfying soup for anyones taste. Really a terrific find. Easy to follow recipes are good for any level of cooking experience.

5 comments about Cooking from Quilt Country : Hearty Recipes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens.

1. What can I say I'm perpetually busy with three small boys and cooking always seems to allude me culminating in constant eating out.
   
   I have several cookbooks, either the kids won't eat the recipes I make, they taste awful, or it's to expensive with all the ingredients.
   
   This book is an absolute jem for the mother who needs to be able to fix a simple meal, quickly, and without all the ingredient fuss. Most of the recipes in here call for flour, butter, oil, lard, sugar. You know your basic staples.
   
   My kids love these recipes. The apples I made in brown sugar, fantastic. Tastes just like Cracker Barrels. I also like the fact that when your cooking this way the preservatives are at a absolute minimum, which is great.
   
   For those of you who commented on how healthy this book is please look into your history books or pictures of your grandparents. You can't find the fat person. I've been to several countries and America is by far the fattest. The other countries all lacked skim milk, low fat this, fat free this, and corn syrup in everything.
   
   I am by the way overweight and haven't gained a pound from this book. Moderation my dear. I've actually lost weight. Great book, I highly recommend.



2. We easily found what we were looking for, ordered it and received it in a timely fashing.



3. Wow, the recipes are so delicious. I have tried almost every recipe in the book and not disappointed yet.



4. The Whole Wheat Bread in this book is superb!! I have tried for YEARS to make a decent bread that wasn't as dense as a brick. I was so excited when I finished this recipe that I was actually jumping up and down in my kitchen. The bread is nice and spongey inside and a great soft crust on the outside. I think using the mashed potato in it is the secret, no? The peanut butter cookies in Marcia Adams other book, "New Recipes from Quilt Country" are also excellent. I'm not taking these books out from the library any longer- I'm ordering them now!



5. I got the cookbook last week, i took 3 days to tab the recipes/pages i wanted to try. I had a ball cooking all this weekend; it really was fun! These are the results, in the order that i made them:
   Hot Water Pie Crust: 0 stars! 1 cup of lard made the dough, my hands and everything smell like lard by the time i got done. After refrigerating it overnight, smelling it in the morning with intention to prebake it for the Brown Sugar Pie recipe, i decided to toss the dough in the trash instead. Yuk.
   Apple Pancake: 5 Stars! Really good.
   Pat-In-Pan Pie Crust: 5 Stars! Excellent EZ crust!
   Amish Brown Sugar Pie: 5 Stars! YUMMY!! It stuck to the sides of the glass dish really bad but the pie was soooo good that it didn't matter. OH, if you try making it, it is SUPPOSTO' be kinda runny, but if you wait at least 6-8 hours it thickens more and overnight in the fridge it actually solidifies pretty good.
   Asparagus Pie: 1 star. The overly thick sauce stayed put on top like mashed potatoes (but without the good flavor of the potatoes and never ran between the asparagus or eggs, it just sat on top :P , and having eggs there was a bit odd but okay. The flavor was nothing great. Definitely won't be making that one again!
   Dandelion Greens w/ Hot Bacon Dressing: 4.5 Stars. Really tasty, just way too thick; using 1/2 flour will fix the recipe next time. Definitely will make again.
   
   That's what i've cooked this weekend, along with a roast and pork chops etc. It was a fun weekend experimenting with the Amish cooking. Overall i give the recipes 4 stars, but mind you, if i was grading it on a curve i'd give it 5.5 stars because any cookbook that you find several recipes that have potential to become favorites is actually doing pretty-excellent.

5 comments about Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook Volume 2.

1. Wanda Brunstetter has a great many friends in various Amish settlements throughout the United States. Her first compilation of Amish recipes (Amish Friends Cookbook) from Barbour Publishing was so successful and appreciated that she has now published a second collection of Amish recipes further showcasing their culinary legacy adapted for modern American kitchens. Along with the recipes themselves, "Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook: Volume 2" is enhanced with the addition of interesting facts from Amish country providing a chapter by chapter introduction to those memorable and mouth-watering recipes. With a spiral binding allowing it to be laid flat upon a kitchen counter or table, "Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook: Volume 2" even includes a special chapter on snacks. With some 200 wide-ranging recipes from Apple Pancakes; Old-Fashioned Ginger Cookies; Streusel-Top Fruit Pie; and Strawberry Pizza; to Poor Man's Steak; Savory Meat Loaf; Wiener Stew; and Cauliflower Salad, "Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook: Volume 2" will prove to be a popular addition to personal, family, and community library collections.



2. I bought both one and two of Wanda Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbooks. They are both wonderful. I love all the recipes...they sound delicious and are clear and easy to use. I especially love the stories she writes at the beginning of each chapter about the different sects of the Amish. They are facinating and welcome to help understand the groups a little better.
   
   I would recommend either book.



3. I love the selection of recipes in Wanda's cookbook~! The lemon bars from Holmes County Ohio are wonderful! I have been to Holmes County and it is so great to see it in her book~ Also I used to live in Florida, so the Sarasota area is also wonderful to see in her book, and of course ALL of the receipes! Wanda gives such great insight into the Amish with this book, even though a cookbook! Any cook would love this one! I really recommend it to anyone interested in the Amish and their world. They are wonderful cooks and bakers! Hands off to Wanda for this one!



4. The thing I love most about this cookbook is that Wanda spends a lot of time with the Amish folks herself, so you can be certain that these recipes are time tested and authentic. If you are curious about the foods that the Amish eat, then this is the book for you because the recipes are easy. There are no "hard to find" spices or ingredients and the food is delicious!! I absolutely love the introductions before the recipes. I actually sat down and "read" this cookbook which is something you don't typically do with a cookbook. This alone makes it a great gift for any occasion, as to me, it is not just another cookbook!



5. A true sense of Amish pride radiates from the pages of Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook Volume 2. In this one book you can almost feel the love transmit from the author to the reader as she reveals the simplistic beauty that captures the purity of the land and way of life through the many pictures included with each recipe.
   
   Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook Volume 2 consists of two hundred Amish County recipes. Each one is a tantalizing tribute to the Amish community. Some of my favorite recipes included:
   
   Iced Cinnamon Biscuits
   Maple Twist Rolls
   Beef Volcanoes
   Million Dollar Fudge
   
   In addition Ms. Brunstetter includes information about the Amish communities that are in the United States. I was amazed to learn that the Amish community has grown to a population of over two hundred nationwide. Some of the places in which the Amish reside include Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Tennessee, and Christian County, Kentucky.
   
   As an added bonus to the many recipes this book contains there is a unique section that offers home product recipes that include: earache remedy, cough syrup, and air freshener. This section was a welcome addition since it shows how to make useful products with natural ingredients.
   
   Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook Volume 2 is an outstanding collection of the best recipes you will ever experience. You will find that this book becomes a permanent fixture in your recipe collection. It will be one book that you will proudly pass on to future generations.

5 comments about Amish Friends Cookbook.

1. This cookbook has beautiful photography of Amish life and is well organized (recipes are easy to read with one on each page). There are nice quotes and words of wisdom scattered throughout. There are a lot of recipes for jams and pickled things however, and I would have liked to see more entrees.



2. Another good Amish recipe book. I enjoy reading all the recipe information and then trying some new ideas. I collect Amish recipe books. The recipes are easy to follow. Also any Amish pictures are nice to view. Looking forward to the next book coming in September in the cousins series.



3. This is a wonderful cookbook. The Amish always provide plain very good recipes.
   I have several of their cookbooks and this one is great.



4. Good recipe book. Copy is in excellent shape - good value.
   Will order the 2nd Amish recipe book by WANDA E. BRUNSTETTER at a later date.



5. The Pumpkin Roll recipe is terrific even without rolling it up. The other recipes look good too.

5 comments about More-With-Less Cookbook.

1. I got the "More with Less" Cookbook when it first came out years ago, but had lost it over the past few moves. I remembered a bread recipe from this book that I had really loved, so I searched and found that they had just updated this excellent book. I found the recipe, and the bread was as good as I remembered. However, I'd forgotten the other incredible resources in this cookbook... about nutrition, about eating responsibly as a citizen of the world, about being good stewards of the world's resources, about healthy eating... PLUS all the wonderful recipes that are in this book.
   I would recommend this highly!



2. My sister gave me this cookbook in the early 1980's. I've used it over the years so often that it's literally falling apart! I ordered two copies for my daughters who are now in their 20's. It's as appropriate today as it was when it was first written because of the ever increasing need for simplicity and frugality in our lives.



3. Like many other reviewers, I purchased the 25th anniversary edition of More-With-Less to replace a very old and well used copy that I lost in a divorce. Many of the recipes are like old friends, but there is also great basic cooking advice in the book. This really is the only cookbook that I use on a regular basis. My problem is with the indexing. Some of the entries in the index, like "lentils with rice" and "cabbage with beef, au gratin" are not really recipes that you will find. At first I thought the index was wrong, but the two entries I list actually refer to the comments that are on the page listed, and not to the recipes on the page listed. It took me a while to figure this out and realize that the recipes I was looking for actually don't exist. It would have been better to list these comments index entries with the separate Index to Introductory Chapters and not with the Index to Recipes. Just a word of warning, if you can't find a recipe listed in the Recipe Index, read the comments on that page and you will get a clue as to what the index entry refers to.



4. I was just searching Amazon to see if this book was available as a used book. I was thrilled to see that it is still on the market as a new cookbook!
   
   I have used this cookbook for about 30 years. It is one of the best for information on using plant proteins, substituting ingredients that have more nutrition for the refined ingredients people typically use, and general information about nutrition.
   
   The recipes in this book use ingredients that are easy to find in almost any grocery store. Many of them are very simple and can become your own by adding or changing some of the ingredients. They are clearly written with ingredients listed within the recipe as you go through the steps to make the dish--making it harder to miss one. And, the recipes are tried and true--recipes provided by people from the Mennonite community.
   
   I plan to purchase a new copy for myself and a few as gifts.



5. The More With Less Cookbook came out when I was a senior in college. My first copy wore out right about the time the 25-year edition came out. Not only are the recipes easy and nutritious, but since I have lived my entire life overseas, it helped me deal with the lack of US convenience foods. For example, I couldn't buy canned soups, but this cookbook has a "Basic White Sauce" recipe with variations that neatly and healthfully replaces them in casseroles.
   
   Along with US favorites and "health food" recipes that were revolutionary back in the day, the book is full of recipes from other countries made with ingredients that are easy to find. The index in the back is a handy tool to have when trying to put together meals with what is in the refrigerator. The introduction is informative and interesting in terms of building a healthy and simple diet, and I love the notes that accompany so many of the recipes--either a comment about how and where the submitter used it, or handy variations.
   
   After 30 years using More With Less, my daughter moved to the US for the first time. I sent her a copy of her own--to help her deal with cooking in the US!