Would you like to eat a home-cooked meal in an Amish home?
If you don’t yet have Amish friends who’ll feed you, you can always track down a home business providing meals for the public.
Photo by Beverly Kehe-Rowland. Jamestown Post-Journal
Last year we heard about two such places, in Lancaster County and NE Indiana.
Today, a look at another, in upstate New York.
Beverly Kehe-Rowland writes about her friend Cindy Burkholder, who serves dinners in her Panama, NY home:
In the beginning the business was set up in a building built next to their house by her husband. It was constructed especially for preparing and serving dinners, but after two years the family relocated to Panama where a very large room was added to their new home for the same purpose.
All baking is done on the morning of the day the dinner is to be served with the afternoon set aside for preparation of the remainder of the delicious meal. Her older daughters serve the food, while 7-year-old Irene and 9-year-old Sarah stand off to the side hoping one of the “English” will give them a smile.
Previously they required a minimum group size of 12. But now there is an open seating option – available one day per month this year from May to November.
Pricing ranges from $16-20 per person. Here’s the meal description via Beverly:
Groups have the option of one or two meat choices when reservations are called in. I recommend the turkey and stuffing and the flavorful, tender roast beef. Chicken, ham and meatloaf are additional options. All meals include real mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed peas, creamy plate salad, date pudding, bread served with butter and jam, choice of pie and coffee, tea or water. All dishes are made from scratch with real butter.
There’s an internationally-known resort not far from Cindy’s home, so she has hosted guests from Europe and Canada.
Vegetable pizza. Photo: Beverly Kehe-Rowland
Here’s the location and contact info to make a reservation:
Cindy’s Home Cooking
348 Weeks Road
Panama, New York
716-782-3069
As a bonus, Cindy shares 7 recipes. Here’s how she makes that Amish classic, the Haystack supper, for her family.
You’ll find the rest at the article link above, plus more details on setting up a meal at Cindy’s:
Haystacks
Ritz crackers, crushed
Cooked white rice, fluffed with fork
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 qt pizza sauce
Lettuce, bite size pieces
Tomatoes, diced
Doritos, crushed
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
Taco sauce, optional
Combine pizza sauce with ground beef. On each plate, layer desired amount of crackers, rice, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes and Doritos. Pour cheddar cheese soup over all. Serve with taco sauce.
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I would like to learn more about Amish cooking.
Pam we will have a Q and A from Lovina Eicher hopefully pretty soon, it’s in motion. She has some good cookbooks, and there are others as well by Amish authors though not as well known (for instance, community cookbooks put out by women in a certain settlement).
Truly family style!
I’ve had the pleasure of eating at two Amish home-based “eateries” in the Shipshewana IN area in the past few years. Both times, I was on a bus tour, and our group (of approx. 40 or so) was the only one at each place at the time. Kind of intimate, and we were encouraged to ask questions about anything Amish. I was impressed that at the last place, the same kind of salad dressing (homemade) was served as my mother used to make. Only difference was she used Miracle Whip, not mayo. (I must admit I do not like any kind of salad dressing, or typical condiments! I’m a “plain” eater, I guess! 😉 We also walked away with homemade Amish peanut butter (made with marshmallow & I think honey) and I believe a small loaf of bread. Mothers & daughters & some friends served the meal. Never saw so much homemade mashed potatoes and pies (tonnage!). At the second place, Dad/Grandpa was there to give us a little history of his acreage and businesses—a LOT of land. This was clearly a wealthy Amish family!
I’ve often seen interesting Amish recipes, but they call for things I don’t have and don’t know where to get. Some I could get at an Amish bulk store, I’m sure, but that would take a lengthy trip! For example, one recent recipe I found called for 3/4 cup of instant pudding (I’ve seen that in Amish stores, but not around these parts!)
Alice Mary
Miracle Whip seems like it would give quite a different taste than mayo 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever had that in a salad dressing.
Amish Food
To me it’s hard to distinguish between Amish and English food. I am quite often invited for meals at my Amish friend’s homes. They prepare much the same food as do my wife and I for each other. I will say, however that many of their meals feature more casserole dishes mainly because the Amish have many more mouths to feed at one time. Casseroles usually take less time to prepare, and greater amounts of one dish is easier to serve. Our very good friend – almost a daughter – makes some of the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.
When, on the rare occasion when we can get “our” adopted Amish family together at our house – eleven of them and another 6 or 8 of us, we serve chicken, pulled pork or beef, baked beans, coleslaw… but our desserts are never as good as those made by Amish women.
We all play the same games and enjoy each other’s company This is why we love our Amish friends and they love us.
Ken If I had to choose one “category” of dish to eat forever (very hypothetical I know…), I might just go with casserole. Lot of variety there. Sounds like you have some good friends.
My friend & I will be visiting an Amish Farm near Mayo.
Those local Amish People are not known to serve meals @ their homes.
Chautauqua County Amish Dinner
I am interested in a Amish meal prior to October 26. Is this possible?
You’d need to contact them directly – this is just an informational website, we don’t represent or take reservations for the business. Try the number I’ve listed in the post above, hope you’re able to book a meal!