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I received a nasty note from a random reader yesterday, not about stuff I've become accustomed to, but about: store-bought food. She was indignant about the fact that recipes appear in the Amish Cook column that include - gasp - store-bought ingredients. So I thought this would be a good time just to refresh people on this. I'd say 50 years ago it was uncommon for an Amish Cook to use much store-bought stuff. But it's not like the Amish are some isolated Amazon tribe separated from the rest of the planet. Amish society is changing and over the past 20 - 30 years as farming has become less and less of a viable way for many to make a living this pace of change has accelerated. One of the changes has been an increasing dependence and reliance on store-bought processed foods. This - in my opinion - has led to a rise in obesity among the Amish, mirroring trends in the rest of society. That said, I've found the same Amish culinary creativity using the store-bought ingredients as when they were purely scratch cooks. Yes, an Amish housewife may now by some store-bought soups, jellos, and Saltines at the store, but they'll still apply the same cooking principles of simplicity and heartiness to them. So, don't be surprised to see store-bought ingredients in Amish Cook recipes in the future. It's now a pretty common occurrence in Amish culinary circles. For instance, try this pork chop recipe from an Amish kitchen!
PORK CHOPS
6 center cut pork chops
1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Place uncooked pork chops in baking dish. Combine mushroom soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped onions. Mix all together and pour over chops. Bake, covered, for 1 1/4 hours. Remove, cover, and bake 1/2 hour longer or until tender.
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Re: Store Bought Stuff...
We make the Crescent Chicken a lot. Love that dish and it is something different than just plain chicken all the time!
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
Once again,people just need something to whine about. I use alot of canned soups in my cooking. I use our own meat(most of the time) and our homegrown veggies,but it seems like a waste of time to try to do everything from scratch. There is so much else to busy-up my day..what in the world is wrong with a few shortcuts or time-savers? You can still cook hearty ,homestyle meals using some purchased items!! How silly to think otherwise!
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
Oh, need an oven temp for the pork chop recipe...
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
Both these recipes sound really good and easy- I'm a fan of canned soups, I agree with Luv, they make excellent substitutes for bechamel. I'm going grocery shopping today, and I'll be adding the ingredients for these recipes to my list! And with schooling the 4 children and getting them to there activities, I need recipes that throw together with simlpe found ingredients. It would be really nice if I could use whole organic foods in all my cooking, it's just not practical.
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
The cresent chicken is a good use of leftover chicken and I can put it together in probably 5 minutes. It is soo good! You'd probably want to make a double-batch for your family :-)
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
I find nothing wrong with using canned soups for cooking! I remember Alton Brown talking on his show "Good Eats" about the use of canned soups in cooking. (I wish I could find the episode online!). Basically, they have the essentials of a good bechamel, for example, in a convienient/low cost/time saving can. There are low-sodium, low-fat, heart-healthy options to be had. Personally, I think the use of canned soups in recipes is quintessential 21st American cooking at its finest!
Some people, as you have found from book reviews, are just food snobs. How many of us whip up a homemade batch of mayo before we have a sandwich? Who has the time to soak/cook beans for a last minute chili or soup? Canned and frozen ingredients are generally high-quality, cost-effective, and great time-savers. I know how imperative they can be in my meal-planning for our family of 4.... I can only imagine what it would be like to cook for 10 people or more every day! Bring on the Campbell's!! LOL
My favorite canned soup recipe was given to me by my SIL at my bridal shower:
Cresent Chicken
1 can (8 ct) cresent rolls
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 soup can of milk
shredded cheese
paprika
-Place several pieces of chicken in each cresent triangle and roll up. Place in a greased 9x13 casserole. (If there is any chicken leftover, I just sprinkle it in the dish around the cresents). Mix the soup and milk together and pour over the cresents. Cover the top with your favorite shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and the cresents are puffed up and browning on the top.
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
Also, it's not like they (usually) have lots of little kids and work and could use a few short cuts. It's just people making assumptions.
Re: Store Bought Stuff...
Exactly, Paula...the Amish have a great culinary tradition, but the average Amish Mom also has 6, 7, 8 or more children so "short cuts" are not frowned upon!