Ouita Michel

Born at the turn of the twentieth century in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Elizabeth Cromwell Kremer was a woman who strove for excellence in all things. Ever resistant to the constraints of social conventions, at a time when roughly 20 percent of the US workforce was female, Kremer worked her way up the ranks of the service industry. From the home economics classrooms of the University of Kentucky to the fine dining restaurants of Louisville and New York City, Kremer's tenacity, unconventionality, and dedication helped her build a legacy that celebrated the simplicity of good, traditional Kentucky country cooking. In 1967, after taking a twenty-seven-year hiatus from work to raise her family, Kremer reentered the business world at the age of sixty-five to open a restaurant for Kentucky's newly restored Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. Under her guidance, what began as a small sandwich shop flourished into the iconic Trustees' Table restaurant at Shaker Village, which continues to attract guests from all over the world. In Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie, author and editor Deirdre A. Scaggs compiles the first-ever biography of this incredible woman. Each of Kremer's classic recipes is bookended by charming and inspiring stories of her life, drawn from oral history passed down by Kremer's family and friends as well as archival materials. A gastronomic history like no other, Simplicity and Excellence effortlessly paints a portrait of one of the most influential forces behind the preservation of Kentucky's culture through its cuisine.

Born at the turn of the twentieth century in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Elizabeth Cromwell Kremer was a woman who strove for excellence in all things. Ever resistant to the constraints of social conventions, at a time when roughly 20 percent of the US workforce was female, Kremer worked her way up the ranks of the service industry. From the home economics classrooms of the University of Kentucky to the fine dining restaurants of Louisville and New York City, Kremer's tenacity, unconventionality, and dedication helped her build a legacy that celebrated the simplicity of good, traditional Kentucky country cooking. In 1967, after taking a twenty-seven-year hiatus from work to raise her family, Kremer reentered the business world at the age of sixty-five to open a restaurant for Kentucky's newly restored Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. Under her guidance, what began as a small sandwich shop flourished into the iconic Trustees' Table restaurant at Shaker Village, which continues to attract guests from all over the world. In Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie, author and editor Deirdre A. Scaggs compiles the first-ever biography of this incredible woman. Each of Kremer's classic recipes is bookended by charming and inspiring stories of her life, drawn from oral history passed down by Kremer's family and friends as well as archival materials. A gastronomic history like no other, Simplicity and Excellence effortlessly paints a portrait of one of the most influential forces behind the preservation of Kentucky's culture through its cuisine.

Wallace Station and Windy Corner are situated in some of the most beautiful farmland in the entire world. The mist rising above the gentle rolling, brilliantly green pastures running with foals is breathtaking. Horsemen and women come in for steaming cups of coffee and piled-high biscuit sandwiches or plates of grits and eggs. It's in settings like these where Ouita Michel's menus shine. Featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farmers, Michel's restaurants capture what makes Bluegrass and Appalachian food so special. In Just a Few Miles South: Timeless Recipes from Our Favorite Places, Ouita Michel, Sara Gibbs, and Genie Graf introduce readers to some of the recipes which patrons of Michel's restaurants have come to know and love. Featuring Windy Corner Market recipes for cheese grits; red-eye gravy; and country ham, apple and cheddar quiches; they spotlight and explore the ingredients of a quintessential old-fashioned Kentucky breakfasts. Along the way, they introduce readers to the Wallace Cubano (a take on a traditional Cuban sandwich) as well as a Bourbon Banh Mi with a country pate. Covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, these time-tested recipes will allow those looking to bring a bit of southern cooking back to their home kitchen a chance to explore the best that Kentucky has to offer.