When it came to cooking, Alma (Janke) Schott knew how to do it right. Now cooks will have the chance to learn from her nearly 90 years of experience in the kitchen.
NDSU Libraries’ Germans from Russia Heritage Collection will soon release “Alma’s Favorite Recipes: Cooking and Memories from a German-Russian Farm Kitchen.” Schott died Oct. 7, and the cookbook’s debut coincides with what would have been her 90th birthday.
The cookbook will debut at the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase events in Fargo Nov. 16-18 and Bismarck, N.D., Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
Schott’s baking was well known in south-central North Dakota. She often baked the wedding cakes for two generations of local residents.
Growing up on a German-Russian farm between Fredonia, N.D., and Gackle, N.D., Schott learned to bake and cook when she was eight or nine years old. She credited her mother as being her home economics teacher.
“The cookbook features recipes prepared in Schott’s beloved German-Russian farm kitchen,” said Michael M. Miller, director of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection. “A pinch of this, a little of that, a dash here. Here’s a cookbook decoding the recipes that were crafted, created and perfected over many years. Whether you’re looking for the perfect pie crust or a borscht recipe, this cookbook is sure to please.”
Evon J. Dewald, retired teacher and librarian, said “This book is absolutely charming. The reader feels as though the author and reader are having a good cup of coffee and a delightful visit. I felt as though I was watching my grandmother and mom baking in their kitchens, and explaining to me how these wonderful family favorites were made. Certainly this recipe book is a happy read.”
The cookbook can be pre-ordered online at www.ndsu.edu/grhc or by calling 701-231-6596.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.