Old Order Amish, like the English and Irish, aren't exactly known for their haute cuisine; simple and unpretentious, the one-dish casseroles, basic roasts and home-baked desserts that grace their daily tables are probably best described as comfort food.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Grandma kept us happy with those familiar dishes back in the day when everyone gathered after church for a big Sunday meal -- and the Amish are representative of those family-oriented, simpler times.

So it's not surprising that "The Amish Cook at Home" (Andrews McMeel, $29.99), by Lovina Eicher, would offer chicken potpie, beef casserole, ham and pea salad and apple fritters. As Mrs. Eicher, the mother of eight, makes clear in her weekly syndicated column from which the cookbook grew, German reverence for food is wed to the virtue of frugality.

Or as co-author Kevin Williams, who also edits "The Amish Cook" dispatches, puts it, "The Amish refer to themselves as Plain People, and their recipes reflect that."

Today's cook might have trouble imagining serving something so undeniably ... homespun as dandelion jelly or venison sausage to their families.

Ditto with poor man's steak, a fried meatloaf-like dish often served at Amish weddings, or an egg salad recipe that lists 6 pounds of ground hot dog among the ingredients, along with six cups of Miracle Whip and two cups of mayonnaise.

It'd have to be a pretty ginormous crowd for that one.

Like the column on which it is based, "The Amish Cook at Home" is much more than a hands-on tutorial to preparing Mrs. Eicher's favorite dishes. Structured around the four seasons, it also offers an inside look at Amish culture and daily life.

Each of its four chapters begins with a description of the fruits, vegetables and meats served that time of year.

Sprinkled among the 100 or so recipes that incorporate those ingredients are photos of life on Mrs. Eicher's Michigan farm, informational notes about Amish history and personal essays by family members on topics such as why some of their brethren don't celebrate Thanksgiving (they give thanks every day "to the bounty our Creator has given us") and how they deal with those scary spring storms (kneel and pray).

The book contains a few surprises, chief among them the fact that Tex-Mex is growing in popularity in Amish communities.

As Mr. Williams explains, Old Order Amish have been traveling with increasing frequency to Mexico for medical treatments that aren't available or are too expensive in the United States. On their return, they've brought with them crops such as jalapenos, tomatillos and cilantro.

But mostly, the book serves as a valentine to a way of life that's all but been forgotten yet still manages to capture our imagination.

Brian Whipkey, editor of the Daily American in Somerset, one of more than 100 papers across the country in which "The Amish Cook" appears, says Mrs. Eicher's column promotes a sense of "familyness."

Readers are so devout that on the rare occasion when Mrs. Eicher misses one of her handwritten installments, they call to complain.

"It's like a reprieve," says Mr. Whipkey. "People can relate to it."

You can read Lovina Eicher's "The Amish Cook" column online at amishcookonline.com. "The Amish Cook At Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith" is available at most major book stores, as well at online sellers such as Amazon.com.