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TANTALIZING
TAHITI
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TASMANIA
DISCOVER
SCOTLAND
STREET FOOD
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ISSUE 16
Winter
CAD/US $6.95
2015
NEW
ZEALAND
read eat
travel
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO
, LOVE TO
AND LOVE TO
TIMOTHY VOLLMER
DESTINATIONS
USA
Pie Perfect
Sarasota
WHERE ON EARTH
PINECRAFT, SARASOTA
by
Palm trees, peanut butter cream pie
and plain people — this is Pinecraft.
WAHEEDA HARRIS
I
’M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO
when offered the choice between cake
and pie, will always choose the latter. On
my first visit to the west coast of Florida,
I learned that Sarasota’s food scene
embraced the wealth of local ingredients from
the land and the sea, and had a neighbourhood
that was well-known for pie — Pinecraft.
A winter destination for travellers from both sides
of the Canada-US border, Pinecraft has become the
preferred haven for Amish and Mennonite snowbirds
of the Midwest since the mid-1920s, happily escaping
winter’s grasp to spend time in the endless sun.
The plain folk congregate in this eight-block
section of Sarasota between November and April,
renting small bungalows or trailers, and living where
fresh ingredients are plentiful year round. Pinecraft’s
HARRIS
borders swell each season withWAHEEDA
over 5,000 visitors
who travel south on the Florida Line Run buses,
mainly from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana, while the
permanent community now numbers 3,000 yearround residents who prefer nearby sandy beaches
and the laid-back lifestyle of Florida.
But traditions are still held close to heart by the
plain people. Days start early, with Pinecraft locals
making their way to the market or stopping in local
restaurants for breakfast, like Der Dutchman
Restaurant, where the morning buffet has all the
Amish favourites, like fluffy oversized biscuits with
sausage gravy, cornmeal mush and stacks of
buttermilk pancakes.
by
34
TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL JANUARY–MARCH 2015
And note for the pie lovers — 26 different pies
are on offer daily, including two that are sugarfree, a nod to the senior snowbirds who may
need to change their diet due to the common
diseases of aging.
Bicycles and adult-sized tricycles are the
preferred mode of transport, an easier option
than horse-drawn carriages, while shuffleboard
in Pinecraft Park is the daily entertainment ritual.
Although electricity is common in Pinecraft,
television is not, and spotting the occasional
cellular phone is part of this community’s
lifestyle, tucked into the pocket of traditional
black pants or a calf-length blue dress.
In this paradise for plain folk, conversation
with neighbours over the fence is the
norm, yard sales and auctions are a regular
indulgence and using the freezer replaces
the old-school tradition of canning the
seasonal bounty of fruit and vegetables.
Cookbook author, magazine editor
and mother of three, Sherry Gore
first came to Pinecraft in 1998 and
knew she would eventually
make her home here. When
she did move here and
joined the Plain Church,
she went from a selfprofessed ho-hum
cook to learning
the proper way
THIS PAGE:
Cherry pie.
FACING
PAGE:
Bicycles on
the streets of
Pinecraft.
DESTINATIONS
k
Coo
to make several traditional Amish dishes, including pie.
“The passion was there, but the technique wasn’t. I needed a
way to make a living, and decided cooking would be a good
way to earn some money, “explained Gore. “Working and
learning with the ladies of the church helped me learn proper
cooking skills and I started to sell baked goods and noodles at
Yoder’s Market.”
Gore learned the right way to make pie, and knew her
devotion to this dessert would never end, even if she found that
her upcoming cookbook Me, Myself, and Pie was better
described as a “romantic comedy.”
Although Gore kindly reveals the secrets of Amish cooking
in her books (Taste of Pinecraft, Simply Delicious Amish
Cooking, Pinecraft Pie Shop series, as well as in Cooking & Such
magazine), the secrets of pie are part of the secret collective
knowledge of the local women, as I found out when I asked
one of the senior pie makers at Yoder’s Amish Village, who
smiled and wouldn’t reveal any details about her pie skills.
At this popular Amish restaurant, getting a table may
take some time (line-ups are common), and tourists will find
many Amish and Mennonite locals crowding in over lunch or
dinner to socialize as they choose between the popular fried
chicken, pot roast or cabbage rolls. And they all know to save
room for dessert: Yoder’s extensive pie list includes over 30
varieties available daily, including two versions of Florida’s
well-known key lime pie, one more tart, one more sweet.
Gore shared that during a carry-in (what the
Amish call a potluck), where the food is always
plentiful, casseroles, meatballs, poor man’s
steak, little meatloaves, cheesy scalloped
potatoes and mashed potatoes are
staples. But everyone knows to keep
his or her fork as the dessert table is
always heavily laden, especially with
pies, displayed as close as possible
to the shared dining tables.
USA
it
SERVES 4
Grilled Lime Fish Fillets
A NEW TRADITION for those living in Pinecraft
is regular access to fish — whether from the local
market or going fishing. Not usually found in
traditional Amish dining options, but very popular
with Pinecraft residents.
Frozen Fish
Fillets 2 lbs,
thawed
Canola Oil
Paprika
Butter
melted,
½ cup
Lime Juice
¼ cup
Salt and
Pepper
1 BRUSH fish with oil and sprinkle
with paprika. Place fish in a
hinged grill basket or on a wellgreased grill 3–4 inches from
medium coals.
2 COOK 5–7 minutes on each side
or until fish flakes easily with fork,
basting frequently with mixture
of butter and lime juice. Just
before serving, sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Serve with fresh lime
wedges, and white or wild rice.
NOTE: For bacon-wrapped fillets: Before placing
fish on grill, place lime slices on side of fish; wrap
fish and lime slices with bacon slices. Secure bacon
with toothpicks.
Recipe from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by
Sherry Gore Copyright ©2013 by Sherry Gore.
Use by permission of Zondervan.
www.zondervan.com
JANUARY–MARCH 2015 TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
35
DESTINATIONS
Read
it
PUBLISHED IN October
2014, Me, Myself, and
Pie will help you bake
the perfect Amish
pie, whether you are a
pie novice or a filledpastry aficionado.
Recipes include sweet
and savoury fillings,
basic crusts, fruit pies,
cream pies, meringues,
scrumptious toppings,
and much more.
Sprinkled throughout are Sherry Gore’s personal
stories of Amish life and culture that are best enjoyed
over — what else? — a slice of homemade pie!
it
Pinecraft
www.facebook.com/pages/Pinecraft-AmishVillage/151427764956066
Der Dutchman Restaurant
www.dhgroup.com/en/fl/fl-restaurant.php
Yoder’s Amish Village Restaurant
www.yodersrestaurant.com
36
it
SERVES 6–8
Breakfast Casserole
ASSEMBLE THIS EASY casserole the night before and by the
time people are out of bed, breakfast will be on the table.
Sausage or Ham
1 lb, sliced
Eggs 6
Milk 2 cups
Salt 1 tsp
Dry Mustard 1 tsp
Grated Cheese
1 cup
Bread 8–10 slices,
cubed
1 PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
2 BROWN sausage or ham, drain fat.
3 BEAT eggs with milk, salt, and
mustard.
4 LAYER sausage, bread and cheese
in baking dish. Pour mixture over
top. May be refrigerated overnight.
5 BAKE 45 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
by Sherry Gore Copyright ©2013 by Sherry Gore. Use
by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com
But why pie? As Gore explained, “…even in times of
depression, pies are an affordable indulgence.”
Cream pies are the most popular among the Amish and
Mennonites — and the favourite pie for the community? Peanut
butter cream pie — often proclaimed as the patriarch of pies. In
her new cookbook, a recipe for peanut butter cream pie is
included, because it’s the number one pie and as Gore says,
“…it’s good to be king.”
So although Pinecraft has been dubbed the Las Vegas for the
Amish, if indulgence is all about loving pie, I’m ready to satiate
my sinful obsession.
t
si
Vi
ok
Co
SHARI SCHESKE
USA
SHERRY GORE’S
second cookbook
Simply Delicious
Amish Cooking
reflects the cuisine
of Pinecraft, with a
backbone of traditional
Amish favourites and
the influences of fresh
Florida ingredients.
Published in 2010,
the cookbook offers
recipes as well as
insights into daily life of those who live year-round
in Pinecraft.
TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL JANUARY–MARCH 2015
Freelance journalist WAHEEDA HARRIS has been
fortunate to explore six of the seven continents,
happy to learn the culture, music, style and cuisine
intrinsic to each, and insuring her hot sauce
collection keeps growing.
CHEMI UBAN
BOB JAGENDORF
DESTINATIONS
USA
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP: An Amish
farmer; Caramel apple pie;
Der Dutchman jams; Freshly
baked muffins; Yoder's Farm
Market; Vintage coconut label.
Cook
it
SHARI SCHESKE
SERVES 12
Amish Oatmeal Cake
Boiling Water 1 ½ cups
1 PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
Quick Oats 1 cup
2 POUR boiling water
over oats and let set 10
minutes.
Brown Sugar 1 cup
White Sugar 1 cup
Shortening ½ cup
Eggs 2
All-Purpose Flour 1 ½ cups
Baking Soda 1 tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Powdered Cocoa 1 Tbs
Chocolate Chips 1 cup,
divided
Chopped Nuts ½ cup
3 MEANWHILE, beat
sugars and shortening
well. Beat in eggs, then
add dry ingredients. Stir in
oatmeal mixture, and add
½ cup chocolate chips.
4 SPREAD in 13 x 9 inch
greased pan. Sprinkle
remaining chocolate chips
and nuts on top of cake.
Bake 30 minutes.
Recipe from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by
Sherry Gore Copyright ©2013 by Sherry Gore. Use by
permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com
JANUARY–MARCH 2015 TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
37