Elm Creek Quilts [13] The Quilter's Kitchen

by Jennifer Chiaverini

  To make the filling: Place a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the butter. Add the onions, carrot, celery, and mushrooms and cook until the onions have softened and are just turning golden, about 10 minutes. Slowly, stirring well, add the flour and cook until it is fully incorporated. Slowly, stirring all the while, add the stock a tablespoon at a time, and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 4 minutes. Off heat, add the cream, sherry, lemon juice, zest, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir well. Add the turkey, spaghetti, and peas and stir well.

  For the topping: Place the panko, Parmesan cheese, and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Sprinkle over the filling.

  Transfer to the oven and cook until golden, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

  Cranberry Spritzer

  Yield: 8 cups

  4 cups cranberry juice

  4 cups seltzer

  1 lemon, sliced

  1 lime, sliced

  Place all the ingredients in a large pitcher and serve immediately.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Christmas

  For the rest of the morning, Anna and Sylvia worked steadily and briskly, spurred on by the approaching deadline and the amount of work that yet remained. Despite Anna’s protests that she enjoyed Sylvia’s stories, Sylvia, lost in her own thoughts, shared no more tales from the manor’s past.

  By noon they had made good progress—and had worked up an appetite. Anna offered to cook them a hot lunch, but Sylvia insisted that Anna was already working hard enough and sandwiches would suit her just fine. So Anna scrounged for cold cuts and condiments while Sylvia sliced a loaf of bread, and before long they were sitting with their backs against the wall with paper plates balanced on their laps, munching sandwiches and complimenting each other on the work they had already accomplished.

  “Our efforts will be well worth it,” Sylvia promised, “when you’re cooking up a storm in your dream kitchen.”

  Anna didn’t doubt that for a moment, but state-of-the-art appliances and cabinetry didn’t make a kitchen the heart of a home. When the workmen had finished and all the pots and pans and dishes had been transferred from cartons to well-organized cupboards, one problem would remain: how to make the spirit of Elm Creek Quilts and the history of the Bergstrom family apparent to everyone who crossed the threshold.

  After lunch, they resumed their work with renewed energy, chatting about the new kitchen layout, the convenience of the center island and improved pantry shelving, and the luxury of nearly doubling the square footage by knocking out the wall to the adjacent room. “The manor doesn’t lack for pleasant places to sew,” Sylvia said when Anna asked her if she would miss her sitting room. “What we need is a larger kitchen.”

  And a more welcoming kitchen, Anna added silently, wishing she could think of a way to make it so.

  They had been steadily filling cartons and dragging them into the banquet hall out of the way for more than an hour when Sylvia suddenly cried out, “Great-Aunt Lydia’s aprons! I can’t believe they’ve been tucked away here all this time.”

  Anna abandoned her work and hurried over to see the latest newly discovered treasure. Sylvia had climbed to the top of a four-step foldable ladder to reach a cabinet above the refrigerator and was holding on to the safety bar with one hand while groping into the cabinet with the other.

  “Here, let me do that,” Anna said, alarmed by the older woman’s precarious balance.

  “Nonsense, dear, I’m fine,” Sylvia insisted, but then relented. “Oh, very well. You are a bit taller.”

  They traded places. Anna reached deep within the cabinet and withdrew a stack of neatly folded cotton prints—florals, fruits, novelties, mostly small-scale designs in a rainbow of pastels. Anna handed the stack to Sylvia, who eagerly draped each apron across the counter as Anna hopped down from the ladder and joined her in admiring the collection. There were fourteen different aprons, similar in size but varying in style and embellishments, with no two fabrics the same. Some covered only the skirt while others also covered the blouse; several had large pockets on the front, while others boasted lace trim and others were tailored to show off a trim hourglass figure. Judging by the faded fabric, loosening seams, and occasional stains and burns, all had been used often.

  Sylvia tied a daisy-print apron around her waist and turned around to model it for Anna. “It’s hard to believe such pretty things began as feed sacks, isn’t it?”

  Anna fingered a lace-trimmed apron made from a print of ripe red cherries on a yellow-and-white check background. “Feed sacks?”

  “Oh, yes. When I was a girl—and even when my grandmother was a girl—feed for farm animals as well as flour and other kitchen staples were sold in cotton sacks. Farming families were much too frugal to waste perfectly good fabric, so we washed the empty sacks and stitched them into clothing. My great-aunt Lydia had a penchant for pretty aprons, as you can see, which she indulged with what she considered ‘free’ fabric.”

  “She made enough for the whole family,” Anna remarked. “Even a family as large as yours.”

  “True, she did, but if my great-aunt loved a particular fabric, she made sure the apron fit her and her alone so that she wouldn’t have to share it and it would last longer,” Sylvia handed one of the slender, tailored aprons to Anna, who held it up to her more ample figure, shook her head, and returned it. “Lydia thought she had the other women of the family fooled, but they knew what she was up to. She was such a delightful person otherwise that her sister, my great-aunt Lucinda, convinced the others to indulge her in this one vanity.”

  “Lucinda must have been a very tolerant sister,” Anna said, knowing that her own sisters never would have allowed her to get away with something like that.

  “She was, indeed.” Sylvia rested her hand upon another, more generously sized apron sewn from a holly leaf print on a red background. “It helped, I think, that Lydia made Lucinda this special apron from a holiday fabric that she particularly admired. Why don’t you try it on?”

  Anna obliged, and Sylvia’s face lit up with satisfaction upon discovering that it fit Anna as well as if it had been made especially for her. “It suits you,” Sylvia declared, looking her over. “The red fabric complements your dark hair and coloring. Lucinda looked pretty in it, but I think it looks even better on you.”

  “It was Lucinda’s favorite?” Anna asked, embarrassed by the praise.

  “Oh, yes, but she wore it only during the Christmas season, which for us began on December 6 with St. Nicholas Day.” Sylvia’s gaze grew far away, and Anna knew she was imagining the kitchen as it had appeared long ago, when her great-aunts had filled it with the enticing aromas of a Christmas feast. “All the women of my family were fine cooks, but Lucinda was an especially skilled baker. She made all the traditional German Christmas cookies we children loved so much—Anisplätzchen, Lebkuchen, and Zimsterne—and, of course, she joined in when all the women of the family made apple strudel.”

  “I bet that was quite a production,” said Anna, who had made traditional apple strudel in culinary school. It remained one of her favorite memories of her student years—chatting with friends while they peeled apples, confiding similar dreams to run their own restaurants someday, debating how much of which spices created the most “Christmasy” flavor, and laughing over their first attempts to stretch the dough.

  “Gerda’s apple strudel was legendary in the Elm Creek Valley,” Sylvia said, “and although the succeeding generations followed her recipe to the last pinch of salt, no Bergstrom woman could equal her in the kitchen. It was our tradition to make many strudels each year, one for the family to enjoy at breakfast on Christmas Day and others to give to friends. Unfortunately, the tradition died out with my generation. My sister and I tried to make strudel after our mother passed away, but you know how women of that time cooked—they rarely wrote anything down, and rarely used standard measurements.”

  Anna nodded. “They measured by handfuls and pinches, not c
ups and teaspoons. My grandmother still cooks that way. I had to watch her very carefully while she cooked, or I never would have learned the secrets to her tomato sauce and pasta.”

  “It’s a shame when those old recipes fade from family memory.” Sylvia sighed, untied her great-aunt’s apron, and placed it on the counter with the others. “What I wouldn’t do for a taste of apple strudel the way my mother made it, or a bite of Lebkuchen fresh from Lucinda’s Santa Claus cookie jar. So many of my fondest Christmas memories bring me back to this kitchen, warm and festive and fragrant with cinnamon and gingerbread. Those, to me, are the flavors of Christmas.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” said Anna.

  She untied the apron and was about to place it with the others when Sylvia held up a hand to stop her. “No, dear, it’s yours. Perhaps you’ll indulge me by wearing it this Christmas as you prepare your own special holiday dishes.”

  Touched, Anna nodded and folded the apron carefully. “I will. Thank you.”

  But she had already decided to indulge Sylvia in a way that she hoped would please her even more. This Christmas, she would treat Sylvia to all of her favorite holiday flavors, from the Christmas cookies of her childhood to the traditional German Jägerschnitzel for Christmas dinner, and a hot cup of cocoa with a slice of apple strudel for dessert.

  Anna had a feeling the legendary Gerda Bergstrom would approve.

  Jägerschnitzel (Pork Loin with Mushroom Gravy)

  Serves 6

  8 thin pork cutlets, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness (just over 1 pound)

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

  ½ teaspoon black pepper

  2 large eggs, beaten

  1½ cups panko breadcrumbs

  4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

  4 slices bacon, finely chopped

  1 medium onion, finely chopped

  1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  2 cups chicken broth

  2 tablespoons sour cream

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

  1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have 2 paper-towel-lined plates ready.

  Sprinkle the pork cutlets with the salt and pepper.

  Place the eggs in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs on a plate.

  Dip the cutlets in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs to coat evenly.

  Place a large skillet over medium heat and when it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cutlets, in batches, and cook until evenly browned, about 2 minutes per side, adding oil as necessary. Place on one of the prepared plates to drain, then transfer to the oven to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

  Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Raise the heat to high, add the onion, and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and butter and continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft and brown, about 10 additional minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and cook until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the sour cream and herbs and stir to combine. Serve immediately over the pork cutlets.

  Cornish Game Hens

  Serves 8

  Four 1-pound Cornish game hens, rinsed with cold water several times and patted dry with paper towels

  1½ teaspoons kosher salt

  ½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper

  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  Juice of 1 small lemon

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  Remove the backbones and press the hens down flat. Transfer to a wire rack placed in a large roasting pan and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Dot with the butter and pierce in several places with a sharp knife. Roast until the juices run clear and the hens have browned, about 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan juices and drizzle over the hens. Serve immediately.

  Mushroom Medley

  Serves 6 to 8

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 pound button mushrooms, wiped clean

  1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, wiped clean and trimmed

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

  ½ teaspoon black pepper

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Transfer the mushrooms, in a single layer, to a baking sheet, place in the oven, and roast until they are lightly browned and have released their juices, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

  Sage and Thyme Potatoes

  Serves 6 to 8

  3 pounds new potatoes, halved or quartered

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  4 to 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, plus additional fresh thyme, for garnish

  1½ teaspoons kosher salt

  ½ teaspoon dried sage

  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

  Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and sage and mix until combined. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet or in a large baking pan and roast until browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkled with thyme.

  Anisplätzchen(Aniseed Cookies)

  Yield: 18 cookies

  1½ cups all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon baking powder

  1½ teaspoons ground anise seeds

  3 large eggs

  1 cup sugar

  ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

  Lightly butter a large baking sheet.

  Place the flour, baking powder, and anise seeds in a medium bowl. Place the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and mix on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Slowly, while the mixer is running, add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Drop by teaspoonfuls on the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Let stand, uncovered, overnight at room temperature.

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the cookies puff and are beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

  Lebkuchen (Gingerbread Cookies with Almonds)

  Yield: 3 dozen cookies

  1½ cups sliced or slivered almonds, ground until very fine

  2½ cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon ground ginger

  ½ teaspoon ground cloves

  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  ¾ cup honey

  ¾ cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  2 large eggs

  8 ounces (11/3 to 1½ cups) mixed candied fruit

  2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  3 tablespoons water

  Candied cherries, for garnish (optional)

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three baking sheets.

  Place the almonds, flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and mix to combine. Place honey, brown sugar, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and mix on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the candied fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

  Using a small cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into 2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a greased glass or measuring cup, gently flatten the balls to ½-inch-thick disks. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges are browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

&nb
sp; Place confectioners’ sugar and water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spread the icing evenly over the cookies. Garnish with candied cherries, if desired. Air-dry.

  Zimsterne(Cinnamon Stars)

  Yield: 2 dozen cookies

  3 cups sliced almonds

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

  2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for rolling

  3 large egg whites

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  Place the almonds, cinnamon, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until finely ground. Add 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and process until combined.

  Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on high speed until they hold stiff peaks, about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining cup of confectioners’ sugar and continue mixing on high speed until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes longer. Set aside 2/3 cup of this meringue mixture for glazing the cookies.

  Add the almond mixture to the remaining meringue and mix on low speed to combine.

  Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper and sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar. Place the dough on the paper and pat into a flat circle. Sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar and top with a second piece of the parchment paper. Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and arrange on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining scraps.

  Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and set, about 10 minutes. Spread the tops of the cookies with the reserved meringue and bake until the glaze just begins to color, about 5 minutes longer. Cool on a rack.

  Apple Strudel

  Serves 8 to 10

  If you can only find small sheets of phyllo (9 x 14 inches), simply divide the apples and make two small strudels, each using five sheets of phyllo.

  3 large assorted apples, like Macintosh and Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 3 heaping cups)

  ½ cup raisins

  ¼ cup plain toasted breadcrumbs