The Essential Amish Cookbook: Lovina Eicher Answers Your Questions (& Shares 3 Recipes)
Lovina Eicher is an Amish mother of eight and author of the Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column (and formerly the Amish Cook column). She answers your questions in today’s post. Lovina is the author of The Essential Amish Cookbook and the Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column.
To enter to win a copy of The Essential Amish Cookbook, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw a random winner and post it next week.
Lovina apologizes for not being able to get to all the questions (life as an Amish mom is busy!) but thanks to everyone who submitted one. I added some of my own questions at the end. I hope you enjoy.
A note on The Essential Amish Cookbook
Just a quick note before we get to your questions. I have been reading through the cookbook the past several days. It has beautiful photos and a lot of recipes that look delicious.
Lovina typically adds a comment at the end of each recipe, either a helpful hint – for instance, what you can substitute if you’re missing an ingredient, general tips and suggestions, or something personal, e.g., like about how her family likes the dish.
Here are a few examples:
The first year I had a garden, I planted twelve zucchini plants. I had more zucchini than I knew what to do with! The next year I planted two plants and they both died, so I didn’t have any zucchini that year. So goes life with zucchini.
This is our favorite cheese ball. We always made it when I was growing up. We like it with a variety of crackers.
Potato salad is popular in the Amish community. It can be served at weddings, funerals, reunions, and picnics. At home we would eat potato salad on bread for sandwiches.
Some of the recipe names are plain and descriptive.
You’ll find a lot of classics, like Meat Loaf, Bread and Butter Pickles, Church Peanut Butter Spread, Plain Apple Pie, and Breakfast Casserole.
Others are quite creatively named, suggesting surprising ingredients or other innovations.
Here are some of my favorites (meaning names, not going by taste, as I haven’t tried these – yet):
Lazy Day Lasagna
Hobo Suppers
Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies
Stay-Crisp Coleslaw
Refrigerator Rolls
Poor Man’s Steak
Amish Wedding Nothings (aka Knee Patches)
And some of the recipes are simply surprising in their combination of ingredients. For example:
Buttermilk Cookies with Glazed Maple Nut Frosting (And Bacon Bits)
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread
Banana Whoopie Pies
Peanut Butter Cracker Fudge
On to your questions now. And I think it’s time for me to go grab a bite.
Lovina Eicher Answers Your Questions
Michael Sparks: When it comes to cooking, what season do you enjoy cooking the most and why?
Lovina Eicher: I like summertime cooking best. It’s easier and cheaper, because there’s the garden to go to for a lot of ingredients.
Erin: Maybe Lovina has already answered this, but I’d like to hear more about cooking for a big group.
Lovina: The ladies in our church help each other with baking when we host church services. For weddings, we have recipes that we share with each other. Working together makes things much easier.
AJ: I wonder if calf liver with onions in gravy is a traditional Amish food? What about stuffed pig belly? What about goose or duck?
Lovina: Beef liver and onions are eaten by a lot of Amish families, but I am not sure whether that dish would be called “traditional.” Personally, I don’t care for liver and onions at all, so my family doesn’t get them too often! My children agree with me, but my husband does like it.
Pat M: We live around the Arthur/Arcola Illinois area. We’ve purchased numerous baked goods over the years from Amish bakers and have noticed they all seem to be stingy with spices. For example cinnamon anything; i.e. rolls… hardly ever have much cinnamon in them; especially compared to how most of we English prepare them. Do the foods Amish make for sale to the public often differ from what they make for themselves at home?
Lovina: Not in our area. We cook and bake just the same at home as we do for things we sell. Some cooks are just better at it than others. I love cinnamon and vanilla, and I will put extra in my foods sometimes. Maybe it’s just that community.
Carol J: I have always wondered HOW the Amish gals and children can get their feet clean, after going barefoot, most of the time?
Lovina: I grew up being barefooted most of the summer when a young girl at home. Now I’m sold on Crocs, and due to fallen arches, I can’t go barefooted for long anymore. As far as cleaning feet—hot water and soap go a long way!
TiaB: I’d be interested in knowing what an average two week meal “diary” looks like at Lovina’s house.
Lovina: Never the same and too much time to write out—sorry! Check out my cookbook.
Mary Turner: I have noticed that the Amish recipes use lots of onions, I can’t eat onions, will the recipes be ok without them?
Lovina: You could use onion salt or some other similar seasoning. Another idea would be to leave an onion whole in soups and take it out before serving.
Additional Questions
Which dish(es) are your family’s favorites?
Lovina: Hard question—we have lots of favorites. Favorite breakfast: eggs, fried potatoes, bacon and toast. Other meals: meat—beef, pork, chicken, fish—we love it all. Fresh veggies out of the garden, various soups and casseroles. We like a variety, so it’s hard to choose a favorite. And each family member has a different favorite!
What was the hardest part about doing this book?
Lovina: 1) Time—there is just so much extra time with raising a family. 2) Meeting deadlines.
What was the best part about doing this book?
Lovina: When it finally went to press.
Which is your favorite dish to make? Least favorite?
Lovina: My favorite thing to make is bread or rolls. My least favorite would be something I don’t like to eat, such as sweet potato casserole.
How do you write your column?
Lovina: I write my column with pen and paper. Some columns I can write in 15 minutes while others I need to just get away from everything so that I can think. I write every Wednesday or Thursday.
What are some interesting things you have heard from readers of your column over the years?
Lovina: A lot tell me they consider us like friends or family due to “hearing” from us every week. Reader mail has held lots of encouragement for me!
Here’s more on The Essential Amish Cookbook. You can find the book via several retailers at this link.
Update: Lovina Eicher’s Essential Amish Cookbook Winner (Plus 3 Recipes)
We’ve got a winner of The Essential Amish Cookbook following the Q-and-A giveaway with author Lovina Eicher.
But first, here are 3 of Lovina’s recipes for you – a main dish, a salad, and something sweet. Thanks to Herald Press for letting us reprint them here.
3 Recipes from The Essential Amish Cookbook
Want to test-drive a few of Lovina’s dishes?
Here are three recipes you can try, along with the additional notes from Lovina that she adds to each recipe in the book.
Hobo Suppers
- 10 red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 (16-ounce) package smoky links, cut into pieces; or 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into pieces
- Salt and pepper, as desired
- Cheese, sliced
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the cheese. Divide the mixture into the amount you want for each serving, placing individual servings on sheets of aluminum foil. Fold foil over, wrapping tight, and set on grill for 10 minutes on each side.
Open up foil; if potatoes are soft, add a slice of cheese. (If potatoes need more time to cook, close pouches and return to grill before adding cheese.) Re-wrap and grill a few more minutes until cheese is melted.
Alternatively, can be cooked in oven at 400°F for 10 minutes, then turned over and cooked for 10 additional minutes. Check doneness of potatoes before adding cheese.
—
Hobo Suppers make a great dinner when it’s hot outside and I don’t want to heat up the kitchen. I gather the onions and green bell peppers right out of my garden and we head to the grill. The children help assemble these suppers wrapped in foil.
From The Essential Amish Cookbook by Lovina Eicher. ©2017 Herald Press. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Amish Macaroni Salad
- 3 cup cooked macaroni
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 cup whipped salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix macaroni, carrots, celery, and onion in a big bowl until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, mix mustard, whipped salad dressing, vinegar, salt, sugar, milk, and salt and pepper. Combine with macaroni mixture and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate and serve.
—
This is one of my husband, Joe’s, favorite salads. I like to add chopped hard-cooked eggs sometimes. We usually have plenty of eggs, as we have our own laying hens.
From The Essential Amish Cookbook by Lovina Eicher. ©2017 Herald Press. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Caramel Pecan Rolls
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (110°F-115°F)
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 5 cups bread flour, divided
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping
- 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Caramel sauce
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Heat milk to lukewarm; pour into a mixing bowl, along with the yeast liquid. Add melted butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Add beaten eggs. Add 3 cups flour and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups flour and stir to combine. Remove from mixing bowl and knead until soft and smooth, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
Prepare filling ingredients: Set out 1/4 cup butter to soften. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; reserve. Separately, prepare topping: Stir all the topping ingredients together; reserve.
Make caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and cream to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle reserved topping on top.
Once dough has doubled in size, cut in half and roll each half into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. Spread with softened 1/4 cup butter. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon sugar over butter. Roll up dough from one long side; pinch seams and turn ends under. Cut each roll into six slices. Place slices in pan, cut side down. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 1 minutes; invert onto a serving platter.
—
If you like pecans, you will like these rolls. Some of our children like nuts, and some don’t care for them at all.
From The Essential Amish Cookbook by Lovina Eicher. ©2017 Herald Press. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Essential Amish Cookbook Winner
I used random.org to draw a winner from your entries. The lucky winner is:
Comment #92, Susan Campbell
Congrats Susan. Email me your shipping address (ewesner(at)gmail(dot)com) and I’ll pass that to Herald Press so they can send you your cookbook.
If you didn’t win, you can find links to get the cookbook here.
Yum
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions. This book sounds so yummy. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
I would enjoy a new cookbook. It’s been awhile. I enjoy visiting the Amish community in Hazleton, Iowa. I have also found some of the baked items there to contain a lighter amount of spices than I use. Enjoyed this post!
Does the Amish farmer ever use any fertilizer, round up, or other chemicals on their farm? Do you buy any ingredients from the stores or are you self sufficient from your own farms?
Diane I don’t know that Lovina will be able to answer follow-ups here but I can just jump in and say that the majority of Amish farmers are conventional farmers, meaning they use fertilizers, pesticides, etc. There is an organic farming movement among the Amish and that has grown in popularity but it is still a minority.
As far as self-sufficiency among the Amish, I would hazard to guess that Lovina does get things from the store, as few if any Amish are really self sufficient. We had a good post on that topic written by an Amishman here a few years back:
https://amishamerica.com/how-self-sufficient-are-the-amish/
https://amishamerica.com/do-amish-use-pesticides/
Love Amish Cooking
I don’t care for fancy food. I like plain cooking. Like the Amish cook. Would love to get a cookbook with Amish recipes in it.
Longtime Fan
I’ve been reading Lovina’s column for over 13 years. I love hearing about her life and family. I also love the recipes that come at the end of the column.
Pen & Paper Sounds Refreshing!
I love that you still embrace writing and the lost art of good penmanship. As a necessity in the English world on the job, I have seen my penmanship deteriorate over the years as a result of relying on computers and texting. Thanks for sharing insights into the Amish world!
Thanks
Love reading the columns. Learning about Amish cooking, baking, and general every day things.
Shoo fly pie
Was hoping for a really easy shoo fly pie recipe….Lovina, you are a delight
Liver For Supper
Try pork livers onions and buttered noodles,you might like it. Also, pickled chicken livers are an excellent side dish with any meal.
Garden full of good things
garden is full of squash and cucumbers, I made bread and butter pickles and put squash in to. Do you have a receipt for bread and butter pickles? Donna
Love reading your posts
Thank you for answering our questions.
Interesting and knowledgable
I found Lovina’s information very good. I have an Amish I acquired many years ago and use it today. I Like make foods from scratch and not from a box. I have always admired the Amish for their cooking and work ethics.
Custardy corn bake.
I would love the recipe that you make a corn custard…whether with fresh or frozen corn kernels I wish to make. Fluffy & delectable. I know I need eggs….but I can’t find satisfying recipe. I made it years ago and I’m pretty sure I used corn starch. And I think I used frozen corn…but not sure how to put it all together anymore.
Can hardly wait to see your book
This sounds like a very good Amish cook book, I can hardly wait to see your cook book. I don’t really like to cook and I don’t cook fancy as far as I can tell Amish cooking is just that good food not fancy, we are looking to have more variety in our meals.
Amish Cooking
I would like to learn more about Amish recipes
and cooking.
I have always enjoyed learning about the Amish ways. Seem like such good people. Amish cookbooks are some of the best.
I have always enjoyed learning about the Amish ways. Seem like such good people. Amish cookbooks are some of the best!
Amish Cookbook
I absolutely love cooking and baking with Amish recipes. I enjoy the old ways of working with recipes, everything always seems to taste better. I hope to win a copy of this cookbook. Thank you for the chance to win.
Great article
We are new to the Lancaster, Pa and love the food here.
Pot pies
What is the
Origin of the thick noodles used on chicken pot pie and ham pot pie?
Beverages
What is the beverage at brakefast and dinner do you drink black iced tea, coffee?
Entry for Cookbook Drawing
Hello, Lovina. I very much look forward to each of your newsletters. I feel sometimes as though I am right there visiting with you. Blessings on you and your family!
Cookbook and community
I love the questions that were asked and loved reading the answers. The cookbook sounds good.
Cookbook Giveaway
I have been a huge fan of Lovina’s columns for many years and have several of her other cookbooks. I would love to have her newest one also!
Lovina Eicher Answers Your Questions (Essential Amish Cookbook Giveway)
I like the traditional old fashioned way of cooking without the complication of too many unnecessary ingredients.
Mmmmm
All those questions about food made me humgry!
Amish Cooking
When participating in a Road Scholar program in southern Michigan comparing Amish and Mennonite cultures, we ate a little Amish food at a family’s place in or near Shipshewana, Indiana. The meats, hot side dishes, cold salads, and desserts were delicious! I loved baked oatmeal for breakfast. We made noodles that we could bring home in a Ziploc bag and cook after we returned home.
Thank you Lovina for taking time to answer questions. I love Q&A’s!!
Grandma's Amish ties.
My Grandparents grew up near Spring Lake and Mount Pleasant Michigan. I know there were Amish ties, but not sure when they left, or how far back. My Grandparents spoke fluent German, and did many things like I see so many Amish that I have become acquainted with in my life. One of her dishes, she said was from Amish heritage, was Oxtail and Homemade Egg Noodles. I miss her cooking.
Answers
Love learning more and more about the life of the Amish.
Love Amish cooking!
I would be thrilled to try new recipes. I love to cook and bake. My husband like the plain cooking recipes. He’s not into the fancy stuff and I have to agree with him! Thanks!
New Cook Book - Recipe
Which recipe in your new cookbook are you especially excited about? I’m sure it is probably hard to choose just one.
Bread baking
When I was 10, my aunt taught me to make Irish soda bread which was very popular in our family. It uses baking soda and buttermilk for leavening instead of yeast. Sometimes raisins are added. The first loaf I made by myself would not come out of the pan! We had to soak it in water in the sink to pry it out. It was like a brick! Luckily I never had that problem again.
COOKBOOK
I know that I am a long-time reader and former reader of your mother’s column. Enjoy both and hope that you continue for many years yet.
COOKBOOK
Erik, I left a comment just a bit ago and now cannot see it. I don’t want to do a double post….are you able to see my comment? I’ve refreshed several times….sometimes I can’t see ANY of the comments but when I can I’m not able to see mine. Just a fb glitch most likely.
No problem Loretta, your first comment came through, you are entered. We just count the one comment as far as entries though you are free to comment as much as you like.
what is your favorite dessert to make? I love reading all about the Amish, and most of the recipes are wonderful, thank you for taking your time to let us into your life, have a wonderful day!
Wonderful Blog
I was browsing your blog and it looks wonderful. I’m glad I came across it. I already have a list of recipes to try.
Cookbooks
I had no idea you already had so many books. I was inspired to buy 2 of the older ones and hoping to win this one! Thank you for what you do.
Good luck!
Best of luck with cookbook sales. I think this is a wonderful look into Amish culture!
Loving all things Amish
As a devout reader of any and all things about the Amish, I cannot fathom how I missed Lovina’s book. Oh well, that will be my next best read. I love cookbooks and I love all things Amish, what a great combination.
Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us and for taking the time to answer some of our questions. ☺️
Lovina Eicher Answers Your Questioms {Essential Amish Cookbook Giveaway}
I enjoy making Amish recipes as they are fun to make and taste delicious. I enjoy reading your emails.
Enjoy collecting Amish cookbooks
I look forward to adding this new cookbook to my collection which I share with my Amish neighbors here in the Cashton, Wisconsin community. My neighbor Lester Ellen Mullet and her daughters regularly check to see if I have a new cookbook to share.
Made from Scratch Recipes
I love recipes that have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. I have an entire binder filled with hand-written recipes that I’ve collected one at a time, over the years. Thank you for taking time to answer these questions!
How are y'all commenting if you can't use computers
I’m not amish but I want this cookbook. I am terrible at cooking and only eat microwaved beans and macaroni (typically at different times). I am trying to better myself through diet and lifestyle, so this book would be great for me. This website blows my mind though. How can you post to this as a member of the amish community?
“What’s cookin’ good lookin’?” – people in the kitchen with me after I win this dang cookbook.
You know what it is.
Lovina was sent the questions, and then she replied as she typically writes her columns, by letter. This was then transcribed by Lovina’s editor and passed along by email to me. That’s how this post came to be 🙂
But, some Amish do use computers, for example in a workplace. They won’t own them at home, but there is some limited use. Not all Amish groups would sanction this however.
I love simple food.
I’m from Germany and live in Florida now and my Grandma an Mother alway made dinner out of whatever was around.
I can do the same now, not as good but close enough to feed my family.
I’d love to have the cookbook to give me new ideas.
Thanks
Thank you
I appreciate hearing from Lovina, and I’d love a chance to receive her cookbook, too.
Amish Country
Every time I am in Amish country a peace slips over me, To grow up living the Amish lifestyle is truly a blessing from God. Learning everything I can about the Amish a plus would be trying my hand at some Amish meals!
To Got be the Glory,
Lisa Maikranz
Thank you
Thank you for sharing and answering questions to teach us more of your ways. I am from Canada and hope I can still be apart of the giveaway draw!!
Love too cook
I always love to see different dishes but I love the dishes y’all make because everything is from scratch.