Simply Delicious Amish Cooking

Title: SIMPLY DELICIOUS AMISH COOKING

Author: Sherry Gore

Publisher: Zondervan

May 2013

ISBN: 978-0310335542

Genre: Amish cookbook

Unbeknownst to many folks outside the Amish Mennonite population in America, Pinecraft, Florida---a village tucked away in the heart of Sarasota---is the vacation paradise of the Plain People. Unlike any other Plain community in the world, this village is a virtual melting pot of Amish and Mennonites from around the world, intermingled with people, like author Sherry Gore's family, who live there year-round.

Gore has put together a cookbook that represents the people who make Pinecraft unique. With hundreds of easy-to-prepare recipes, 16 full-color photographs and black-and-white photographs throughout, this cookbook includes traditional favorites such as Sweet Potato Sweet Mash and Mrs. Byler's Glazed Donuts, as well as Florida favorites including Fried Alligator Nuggets, Grilled Lime Fish Fillets, and Strawberry Mango Smoothies.

Interspersed with the recipes are true-life stories about births, engagements, weddings, deaths, funerals, celebrations, wildlife encounters, and accidents told through years of Sherry's Letters from Home column published in The Budget, the Amish newspaper. This delightful cookbook offers readers a faith-based, family-focused perspective of the simple way of life of the Plain People. It is truly a breath of fresh air from Sarasota, Florida!

SIMPLY DELICIOUS AMISH COOKING is Ms. Gore’s second cookbook. Having a large family (seven people) I love Amish cookbooks as many of the recipes are written with large families in mind. I also love that being “plain” myself, I don’t have to worry about a lot of boxed or convenience foods or specialty items to make different things.

This book is different—being as this Amish community is set in Florida, they enjoy such items as Alligator Stew or Alligator nuggets. Alligator isn’t readily available in northern Arkansas. But I would love to try it! 

We did try the coconut cream pie (wonderful), the no-bake cookies (tasted the same as our usual recipe), shepherd’s pie, and breakfast casserole. We loved everything we tried. There’s even some unexpected recipes (other than the alligator) for things such as coffee soup.

Included are pictures of the Amish/Mennonites in Florida (enjoying the beach, riding their bikes, etc) and tidbits from The Budget—the Amish newspaper. Highly recommend this cookbook. Spiral bound, so it opens easily, and stays open for ease of cooking. $16.99. 256 pages. 5 stars.