The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

Speaking Schedule...

editorkevin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:59:48 +0000

The show must - and will - go on, regardless of my crazy life. So I am really looking forward to a slate of speaking engagements coming up. My programs are called a "Questions & Answers With The Amish Cook's Editor." The programs consist of a short talk, but then I just spend time taking questions about any aspect of Amish cooking, culture, or the column. It's a fun time and I really hope to meet as many of you in person as possible at these events. You all make this column possible and I'm grateful beyond words, so I hope my talks can provide you with some education and enjoyment. And I do think I'll be making one stop, courtesy of my publisher, in the Pacific Northwest sometime soon, so site visitors from there, stay tuned. So here is the schedule, I hope to meet many readers!

March 29: Carnegie Library of Steuben County, 322 South Wayne Street, Angola, Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

March 30: Noble County Public Library, 813 East Main Street, Albion, Indiana, noon

March 30: South Whitley Public Library 201 East Front Street, South Whitley, 6:30 p..m

April 17: Farmland Cultural Center, 1:30 p.m.

May 4: Distinguished Speaker Series, Bartholomew Co. Public Library, 536 Fifth St, Columbus, Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

Vaccines, Flu, and a Neat Photo....

editorkevin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:11:15 +0000

SIGH, I've deliberately steered clear of this topic (vaccinations) forever because I'm not a doctor or a scientist so I just don't feel I know enough to have a cogent conversation. The Amish are often paraded out as evidence of the link between childhood vaccines and autism. The argument goes that autism is allegedly more rare among the Amish who, as a group, supposedly don't vaccinate their children. This definitive statement that the Amish "don't vaccinate their children" just isn't true. That I can say with certainty. It is true that some don't, but I know first-hand plenty of Amish that do. If we've learned anything from all the stories posted on this website is that there are very few "absolutes" that apply to all Amish. Read here about the Amish and vaccines, I found this accurate based on my experience. The mounting pile of evidence points to no conclusive link between vaccines and autism. Again, though, I am not a scientist...which is why I have steered way clear of this topic. People have pointed to mercury in vaccines as being harmful and I don't like that...I also don't like petroleum being part of the plastic bottles I drink soda out of and aluminum being in the deoderant I use....so I think people who complain about chemicals everywhere are not nuts...I don't like it either...but scientifically speaking using the Amish as evidence for an autism link is tenuous.

Anyway, I'm talking about vaccines this morning because of a groundbreaking study conducted on Hutterite colonies about the impacts of flu-shots given to children. It appears that vaccinating the colony children protected the entire community from flu outbreaks. Click here and, really, the main reason for calling this topic to anyone's attention is the great photo with this that - in a single shot - shows the communal aspect of Hutterite life.

Mennonites on the Move...

editorkevin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:34:15 +0000

This is a strange story, but also fascinating because it is an illustration of the many "splinter groups" that have developed on the edges of the Amish and Mennonite churches. While splinter groups do occur in every church they tend to happen less in churches where the structure is more centralized. The Amish and plain Mennonite churches are so decentralized that fragmentation and splits can form for the seemingly smallest issues. So for a fascinating window into another world, click here to read. And if you're in rural Kentucky, this church is headed your way!

I Shouldn't, But Oh What the Heck......

editorkevin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:41:07 +0000

There are plenty of good blogs out there about the Amish (I hope mine is one). There is Erik Wesner's wonderfully informative www.amishamerica.com and one of our site regulars has a nice Amish-themed blog at http://itswonderfulgood.blogspot.com/2010/02/mesimplified.html .So I hate to give attention to a blog that I DON'T think makes the grade, but, what the heck, you gotta have a little fun sometimes. Someone called my attention to this blog. Take a look at it! Sheesh....now, really, one of the joys of the internet is that it allows a person to just do as they please. There's no law against creating a fictional blog that is an enjoyable read and that is what I would characterize Rebekah's blog - fiction. I just don't buy a word of it. Read the "about me" section...Rebekah confesses to: "sneaking to the barn and blog during milking hours." It's funny, but - in my opinion - it's fiction. What is even funnier is when people believe that something like this is real (Rebekah has a list of "followers", I pray they are just people who enjoy funny fiction). There are a gazillion reasons I think the blog is contrived, but diction is one. Some people over compensate when trying to replicate an "Amish voice", by sprinkling in phrases like "gut"..."ja"....and other stuff...things that a typical Amish person just wouldn't say in the course of conversation. On the other hand, this blog just sound too sterile...it just doesn't ring true. What do you think? Star cake anyone?

SIGH, Hollywood Does It Again; Silliness in Upstate New York Continues.....

editorkevin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:32:34 +0000

On March 28, the Lifetime channel will show a movie called "Amish Grace", a depiction of the tragedy at Nickel Mines, PA that saw a deranged gunman charge into a schoolhouse and start shooting. Of course, Hollywood then has to start shooting also, shooting a film. Hollywood's depiction of the Amish is always overromanticized, over-glamourized, or over-simplified. Too often rush-job producers sanitze and simplify what is actually a very rich and complex culture. The film is based on the book of the same name "Amish Grace", but the authors, all three are esteemed academics, declined to participate in the film's production. I can see why...based on early reviews, Hollywood has again failed to portray the Amish accurately. In fairness, I am only basing my opinion on reviews....I'll watch the actual movie and then decide, but it doesn't sound good. Take a look at this scathing editorial about the movie in the Harrisburg, PA Patriot-News.

In other news, Amish residents continue to be cited around Morristown, New York for building homes without proper permits. I'm just not sure why this tiny town is spending so much of its resources on this case. The courts have traditionally sided with the Amish on issues like this and it just seems as if they are attacking an ant with an Abrams tank.

Homemade Potato Bread...

editorkevin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:04:36 +0000

Leftover mashed potatoes can have varied uses. I'm sure many of you have fried them up into patties, which is delicious. But ever tried using mashed potatoes to make homemade bread? I've seen this done in several Amish kitchens. It's a great way to use the leftovers and makes for a thick, delicious bread. This is an easy recipe for Amish Potato Bread given to me by an Amish woman in Tennessee. I am not sure that many of us buy yeast in a "cake" form, so maybe someone has an idea of what equivalent 1 /2 "cake of yeast" would be in teaspoons or packets?

AMISH POTATO BREAD

2 eggs

1 /2 cup sugar

1 /4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes

1 /2 cake of yeast

3 cups bread flour

1 /2 cup butter

1 cup warm water

Beat eggs and add 1 /4 cup sugar. Add salt and mashed potatoes which have been passed through a sieve. Add yeast which has been dissolved in a little warm water. Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Place in a buttered bread pan and let rise for 2 hours. Then cream butter and remaining sugar together. Work this into the dough and let rise very slowly for 6 hours. Then work in warm water and shape into a loaf. Let rise again until very light and then bake for 15 minutes at 450. Lower heat to 350 and bake for additional 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Court Rules in Favor of Amish Farmer....

editorkevin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:56:44 +0000

An Amish farmer in Wisconsin challenged the state's new livestock registration program in court and has come away victorious. The new program would tag all commercial livestock in the Badger State with a numerical code so that disease outbreaks could quickly be traced and tamped down. But the Amish farmer saw it differently. The farmer invoked his religious rights claiming that this amounted to too much government intrusion and that the numbers could represent the "mark of the beast." Courts have traditionally helped sort out the murky middle where government needs and religious reason overlap. And in this case the judge was persuaded that the farmer's religious convictions truly would make this ID system untenable. So, in this instance, I think the Court did exactly what they are intended to do which is to umpire a dispute. Click here to read more about the outcome of the case.

Quick Poll: Should Hutterites in Alberta Be Required To Have Their Photo On Drivers Licenses?

editorkevin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:34:18 +0000

Amish Birding Symposium 2010

editorkevin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:58:15 +0000

Adams County, Ohio is a very special place for me. It’s home to probably my favorite Amish settlement and a lot of special memories. If I can slog through my current dramas I will have a new book in the future. It will be a different kind of book than ones done in the past and it will delve a bit deeper into why Adams County is such a special place for me. Now that’s all I will say for right now. Anyway, I spent this Saturday at the Amish Birding Symposium in the Wheat Ridge settlement in Adams County. This annual event is one of the neatest coming together of Amish and English that you’ll find anyway. The day-long event features a mix of speakers talking about various avian topics. There’s usually an Amish speaker. This year it was Ed Schlabach an Amish birder from Holmes County who spoke about his love of birding. The keynote speaker was Thayne Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and host of NPR’s 90-second naturalist. Throughout the event Amish and non-Amish mingle and talk and all share their common love of all things avian. This year's event was wonderful, as always. And, of course, as with any gathering that involves the Amish food is delicious and plentiful. The day begins with homemade doughnuts and juice and a lunch-break featuring soup and sandwiches is served. I saw a couple of Amish Cook readers mixed in among the 400 or so attendees. Next year, I plan on having a table to sell cookbooks, so hopefully I'll see more of you. In addition to the speakers and the food there are a mix of vendors offering bird-houses, bird books, artwork, etc. And my sister-in-law, director of education of Cincinnati-based Raptor Inc., is on hand with some of her feathered friends.

The event is now 7 years old. When it first started, it was held in the basement of an Amish man's house with just a handful of people attending. This year it was held for the first time in Wheat Ridge's spacious brand new "community building" which will be used to host various Amish events throughout the year. Such multi-purpose buildings are becoming more and more common in Amish settlements. The buildings, however, are not without controversy. Some Amish fear that the buildings are the first step towards having a formal church building. And, indeed, some Amish settlements are now holding events like funeral visitations in them...so it'll be interesting to watch this development over the years ahead....

Story...

editorkevin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:25:18 +0000

Okay, I'm not saying this is a bad story....it's just...a story, kind of blah. You know me, I always sort of have to "pick on" newspaper journalism. This is a story that ran in today's Evansville Courier in Indiana. There's nothing really wrong with the story, but I found myself trying to figure out what it's point was: okay, so the Amish run busineses and some are feeling the pinch from the recession and some aren't...okay....and???? I don't know, maybe I'm looking for too much...sometimes a feature story is just that a feature story. But if that's all it was it seems like the reporter could have dug a lot deeper and really added some more texture and nuance. SIGH.... Sooo, it's an okay little read that gives some insight into SW Indiana's Amish country.