By Canadian book standards, Judy Walter has written a bestseller.
The Lethbridge, Alta., area farm woman has sold more than 6,000 copies ofAt Home in the Kitchen: Mennonite, Hutterite &Amish-Style Cooking,and has done a second printing of the self-published cookbook.
In her tidy kitchen on a former Hutterite colony south of the city, a hedge sits between her glass doors and the fields beyond.
“I’m a farmer at heart,” said Walter with a smile.
Food and its preparation were a major part of her formative years growing up on a Hutterite colony. She grew to love cooking and baking, but that wasn’t on her mind when she followed her mother around the big communal kitchen.
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“I didn’t start out loving cooking because cooking for that many people kind of intimidated me,” said Walter. But with food so much a part of life and work, she developed the skills she used in later life in raising her two daughters.
“When my girls left home and they wanted to have all of our favourite recipes under one cover, I started putting them together. I thought, well, you know what, why don’t I try making this a profitable venture because it’s a lot of work.”
Health issues and caring for aged relatives interfered with her cookbook project for a time, but eventually the 308-page tome came together.
The result is a compilation of recipes Walter has developed and borrowed over 40 years. Eleven chapters deal with appetizers, yeast breads, sweet breads and brunches, soups and sandwiches, salads, main dishes, vegetables and side dishes, pies and pastry, cakes, desserts and cookies.
The recipes concentrate on food made from scratch that can be managed by novice and experienced cooks, she said.
The difference between Hutterite, Mennonite and Amish cooking is minimal, she adds. It’s all “comfort food,” but basic ingredients and preparation are the common elements.
Walter said many people assume this type of cooking is high in calories, but quality ingredients and portion control can keep the pounds off.
“People say to me, ‘Judy, how come you’re not this big?’” said Walter, with her arms spread wide.
“I love meat, potatoes and gravy, I absolutely love it. But if you eat just a small portion …. I have this wonderful metabolism, so I eat very moderately and I love salads.”
She used her brother’s work crew as food tasters when selecting recipes for the book. Then it was a matter of compilation and editing, which was no easy task. A spelling error somewhere inside, substituting “four” for “flour” still rankles.
“I found it a little bit stressful because I’m a perfectionist. I wanted it to be perfect. It’s not perfect, but it’s as perfect as I can make it.”
Many Amish and Mennonite cookbooks don’t have photographs, but Walter was insistent on their inclusion. But making the food for the photo shoot was a chore in itself.
A planned shoot at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton National Park was scrapped due to howling winds, so she and photographer David Tanaka went to the park’s Cameron Lake instead, hauling food through the parking lot and out to lake’s edge for the shot.
Walters now lives alone so her skills in cooking for large groups only get used when she visits her daughters and seven grandchildren in the United States. As well, she brings food to her brother’s seeding and harvest crews each year.
Walter doesn’t know if she’ll undertake another book but her love of cooking will remain. She shares that love through a website and a blog at judy-athomeinthekitchen. blogspot.com.
3 to 4 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Oriental style noodles, toasted OR chow mein noodles
In a large salad bowl, toss together the vegetables. Break noodles into bite-size pieces and stir in. Add desired amount of dressing and toss. Garnish with sunflower seeds.
Dressing
4 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
In small saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, chicken seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add oil and stir until well blended.
Source: At Home in the Kitchen cookbook.
