A BOOK REVIEW OF GATHER AROUND THE AMISH TABLE BY LUCY LEID

It was with great excitement that I cracked the cover of Gather Around the Amish Table (Herald Press) by Lucy Leid.  I enjoy cooking and an Amish cookbook is exactly perfect in my eyes.  This cookbook will not disappoint cooks or those who enjoy reading about the Amish!

The book is separated into sections on:

• breakfast, 
• breads and spreads, 
• soups, sandwiches, and pizza, 
• salads and pickles, 
• vegetables and side dishes, 
• meats and main dishes, 
• cakes and pies, 
• cookies, 
• desserts and candy, 
• snacks, beverages, and extras.  

The photography is beautiful.  There are photos of the recipes as well as lovely Amish scenes.  Lucy gives kitchen tips throughout the book, such as, “Just after removing homemade bread from the oven, cover the loaf in the pan with a tea towel for about 10 minutes.  The bread will then slip easily out of the pan.”  Little tips and words of wisdom are sprinkled liberally throughout the book.

Cooks will like that Lucy includes three different pie crust recipes; one does not even require you to roll the dough out with a rolling pin, the Oatmeal Pie Crust.  The difficulty level of each recipe varies.  There are plenty of simple recipes and then there are the five different doughnut recipes that intimidate me but look absolutely delicious!  I always get nervous when using yeast for some reason.

Most of the recipes start out with a little introduction of a story behind the recipe such as where the recipe came from, who they served it to, or at what time in their life they first made the recipe.  This makes the book so much more than just a cookbook.  Each recipe is a small peek inside the home of an Amish friend.

I highly recommend this charming cookbook to all who enjoy cooking as well as those who care for the Amish.  These are all tested recipes, sure to please your family and friends.  Personally I have found dozens that I want to try on my family and to give as gifts.  This is a book that will be reached for many times during the year.  Gather Around the Amish Table was published September 1, 2015.