B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 26,1983 BY PATTY GROSS MOCK Staff Correspondent McCONNELLSTOWN - Thirty years ago, Amanda Kyper and friends served a turkey dinner to win a contest. They won, and she is still serving and winning praises with they turkey dinner today. The first dinner was served to the Huntingdon Lions Club. Sunday School classes at the Mc- Connellstown Church of Christ competed to raise money to buy an organ. Everything was donated and enough money was made to pay for the organ. That wasn't the end of the festivities, however. Amanda received requests for future dinners. “I thought, why couldn’t I do it myself?” remembered Amanda. “So 1 started, and little by little it grew." The group dinner parties have become so popular over the years that the Huntingdon County woman serves approximately sis groups a month during the busy seasons of spring and fall. As many as 60 people have shown up for the homestyle meal, at one time. Amanda requires that there be at least 20 people in the party. Busloads of diners come from all over Pennsylvania and out of state to- get a taste of the mouth watering delights. For the Kypers, hosting turkey dinners was never difficult. The turkey fanners raised 5,000 to 6,000 birds until four years ago and had a well-stocked freezer. Amanda said they have always served the same dinner. The entire menu is composed of local products all homegrown and homemade. No one apparently has walked away hungry. The Kypers guarantee that the guests get their money’s worth. Her gourmet’s delight includes: Potato sal as, slaw, endive, bean salad, pickled eggs, cranberry relish, fruit dish, heavenly rice, ‘ ! pK ypei jng room. When reservations for a group of 20 or more come in, the furniture moves out to make room for tables and chairs. People travel from all over McConnellstown area to enjoy the homey atmosphere of the Kyper home in this “after” picture. The Kyper family has been serving meals for 30 years. Turkey-cooking contest baked apples, cottage cheese and apple butter, liver paite and crackers, relish dishes, turkey salad, filling balls, fried breaded turkey breast, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles, corn, peas, rolls, sticky buns, cake or pie, large black cherries, ice cream, homemade candy, homemade nuts and coffee. It isn’t difficult for an ex perienced cook like Amanda to prepare a feast “If you tell me you want a dinner tomorrow night, T can get it ready,” proudly said the 71-year old chef. Every detail is worked out to perfection. “I’ve done it long enough, that I know what must be done,’’She said. She roasts the turkeys, prepares the potatoes, bakes the pies, sticky buns, and rolls the day of the dinner. Some of the other menu items are made in advance and stored in the walk-in freezer. The baked apples and cranberry relish are prepared in the fall of the year to preserve them and thus save valuable time. The apple cake, filling balls and noodles are made whenever her busy schedule □remits. If the sign of a good cook is doing the job without a recipe, that describes Amanda. “I wouldn’t know how to write some of my recipes. I’d have an awful time,” she confessed. “I don’t measure much!" Her cooking techniques are uncomplicated but have proven to be a huge success in satisfying appetites. The appeal for the fried turkey breast makes it an often requested recipe: Slice the breast off the raw turkey, beat the egg, and bread the meat with homemade bread crumbs. Brown the breast in a huge skillet and steam prior to serving. Remember to roast the I | I I:.- i ' leads Amanda to own business *> r i'fJ ,3§ : 'trntr :f O'Vrrrt', j » sttnr « ‘ '- i. 5 *vv , Vp' ' < Here, Amanda cooks in her kitchen. She is very proud that she serves real potatoes to her guests, and that everything on her menu is homemade and hr Amanda depends on her old cookstove to get her turkey dinners ready. She says they have always had a cookstove to help prepare their meals, but no dishwasher for cleanup. remainder of the turkey and take it off the bone. Use the liver, heart, and gizzard to make the liver paite. Let nothing go to waste! The petite, white-haired gran dmother plans on one pound of raw turkey per person. “It depends on the eaters. Sometimes you have a lot left and other times not very much. I love to see people eat. Tonight was as close as we ever came to running out of food and I don’t want to ever be that close again,” laughed the generous hostess. Amanda never restricts the amount her diners eat, as she passes things around a couple times. The tasty food that remains is purchased as a take-out before the night ends. Most of us would expect Amanda’s kitchen to have ap pliances to accommodate the large-scale cooking. However, her sink, electric stove and refrigerator prove that it is no different from most kitchens, except for the large preparation table. Amanda could never get along without one -df her appliances: a cookstove in a nearby building,' out the back door, is used for every meal. Something that is noticeably missing from the kitchen is a microwave oven and a dishwasher. Vwmesfeeid c H/offis “They wouldn’t be an advantage," she explained. Instead, Amanda praises the superb help that has stood behind her over the years. Arlene Kyle, a close friend, can outwash any dishwasher, according to her boss. One hour after the dinner guests go home, cleanup is complete. The waitress who attends to the needs of the entire dining room is Amanda’s daughter-in-law, Barbara. Granddaughter Amy, when not attending classes at Penn State, can also be found in the kitchen. Until recently Amanda’s husband, Eugene, was a fixture in the kitchen. The dish-dryer and errand-runner passed away in February. It is obvious that Amanda enjoys her job. “I always like cooking. J otherwise 1 wouldn’t be doing it." She explained that her father was a cook by profession, too. She learned from him while at home and also helped with the meals for their-family of 10. Today’s large groups do not present a problem for the cook. “It’s harder for me to cook for myself than it is to cook for thirty! ’’ she joked. The homemaker’s kitchen door is always open to the people who helped her get started her church friends. Amanda has served churches, clubs, employee groups, senior citizens and friends. The homey atmosphere is Amanda’s secret to successfully attracting the crowds. “It’s home, It’s where I live,” she cheerfully explained. (Turn to Page B 4)
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