Published: · Updated: by Kevin Williams | 7 Comments
Catered meal came with a couple of choices of these meat dishes.
The veggie and dessert selection - yum
Not the best photo in the world, but this Old Order Mennonite woman lived in this farmhouse at the time, some 10 years ago
By Kevin Williams
Wow, this is an amazing menu. An Old Order Mennonite woman sent me a menu, probably 10 years ago, from her catering business. This was a very conservative Mennonite women who dressed in traditional clothing and traveled by horse and buggy. Yet she also had a strong entrepreneurial streak (common among the Plain people) so she channeled her passion for cooking into her own home-based business. I don't think she has her catering business anymore, but I am trying to make contact with her to see. Meanwhile, I thought I'd share her menu. She would cater for large groups and it wasn't cheap. If you had a party of 10 people, catering a meal (2 meats, 2 veggies and dessert) would cost you $220 plus tax. She lowered the price per person if the group was larger (economies of scale), 21 people or more, for instance, would cost $18 a person. Not bad prices for what was probably an amazing spread.
These recipes - and she sent me a bunch - are directly from her catering menu.
Oven-Fried Chicken
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: serves 6
Ingredients
- Chicken pieces of your choice
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups crushed cornflakes
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 1 /2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Marinate chicken pieces in brine for chicken if you wish.
- Mix dry ingredients.
- Melt butter in a 9 X 13 pan.
- Dip Chicken in the butter, then coat with cornflake mixture.
- Turn pieces over to moisten crumbs.
- Bake at 350 for 1 1 /4 hours until done.
The recipe below is step one for the above chicken recipes. You can skip it the step or start soaking it in this brine a couple days before. She says "you'll be amazed at the flavor."
MARJORIE'S CHICKEN BRINE
2 quarts water
1 /2 cup salt
1 /2 cup sugar
Soak chicken pieces for about two hours in brine in refrigerator.Remove skinless pieces after 1 /2 hour.
Use for a more delicious, moist result before frying or baking chicken.
Shares
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About Kevin Williams
Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Wilma will
Hello Kevin,
I hope you will be able to help me.
I cut a recipe out of the Dayton Daily News about 2 years. It was called "Amish Apple Cake". The column in the newspaper was/is called "The Amish Cook" by Gloria Yoder. It had a glazed icing, not caramel. The pan size is 9 x 13. It was the best apple cake ever! I lost the recipe and have searched your sights trying to find it. I have found many recipes for Amish Apple Cake but none are like the one I had or as good as the original.
Thank you for any help you can give me .Reply
Kevin
Wilma, I will find it for you. First question, are you sure it was Gloria and not Lovina? Column switched writers about 3 years ago, if it was Lovina I'll have to check a different file of mine. Gloria did this recipe last year for Apple Blossom Cake:
APPLE BLOSSOM CAKE
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup nuts (optional)
3 cups chopped apples
Cream first three ingredients until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients in the order given. Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan.
Top with half cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and optional nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.Reply
hmchelen
Those are some menu's. Everything sounds so good and looks like you got your money's worth. You and loved ones have blessed weekend.
Reply
Gerry Altrichter
In the recipe for chicken, you say to soak chicken in the brine for two days before cooking...but in her recipe she says soak in brine for two hours and for skinless chicken pieces, 1/2 hour. Which is correct?
Reply
Kevin
Gerry, oops..chicken two hours...turkey is two days, Ill correct that!
Reply
J
Kevin,
Any chance this lady sent you her bread dressing recipe? If yes, would it be possible for you to publish or put the recipe in a reply here? The dessert recipes would be fantastic, too but I don't want to be greedy. Thank you.
Reply
Kevin
I do have all the recipes you are mentioning, I'll post soon!
Reply
