Chef Richmond’s Duchess Potatoes
6 medium potatoes
¼ cup butter
Pinch nutmeg
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. cold water (glaze)
Boil potatoes and allow to cool, then peel and mash to measure four cups. Beat butter, nutmeg, pepper, salt, milk, egg, and egg yolk into the potatoes. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Fill a pastry bag fitted with large rosette tip with the potato mixture and press out onto a lightly greased baking sheet, forming 12 spiral cones about 2 1.2 inches in diameter. Or simply spoon potatoes into 12 mounds. Brush lightly with egg glaze. Broil five inches from heat three to five minutes until lightly browned. Serves six.
Mrs. DeVault’s Apple Cake
4 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4–6 cups thinly sliced apples
Mix together an additional ¾ cup sugar and an additional 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Sift together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix. Pour half of the batter into a greased angel food cake pan. Top with half of the apples followed by half of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Repeat layers and bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Orange Pound Cake Loaf
1 cup butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. orange juice
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup chopped dates
Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; dust with flour. In a large bowl beat butter. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Gradually beat flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture just until blended. Stir in orange zest and orange juice. Fold in pecans and dates. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350º for 45 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a rack; remove from pan to rack to cool completely.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to:
Linda Beierle Bullen and Mike Wagenback of the Pullman State Historic Site, who answered my many questions and provided me with their excellent insights, as well as tours of the hotel, car works, and the town of Pullman.
Members of The Historic Pullman Garden Club who hosted a tea and book signing at the Hotel Florence to celebrate the release of this series and to Linda Beierle Bullen for her excellent promotional efforts for the event.
Tony Dzik for his outstanding photographic services.
A MESSAGE TO MY READERS
Dear Reader,
I hope the POSTCARDS FROM PULLMAN series whets your appetite for further exploration into the life and times of the residents and community of Pullman, Illinois. As you continue to read this series, or perhaps in between each release, you may want to visit the town or check some Web sites to learn more. If you have the opportunity to visit, I would encourage you to do so. The residents of the town are proud of their community, and restoration is an ongoing process.
I would suggest you consider visiting the second weekend of October, when the Historic Pullman Foundation and the Pullman Civic Organization cosponsor the annual Historic Pullman House Tour. The Pullman State Historic Site, which includes the Hotel Florence and the Pullman Factory, is open that weekend for tours. In addition, tours of the Greenstone Church are available. You may learn more about the scheduled events throughout each year by going to www.pullmanil.org and clicking on ‘‘Programs’’ and then ‘‘Calendar.’’ Walking tours of the town are conducted on the first Sunday of the month from May through October.
More information on the Pullman era is available at the following Web sites: www.pullman-museum.org and www.chipublib.org/008subject/012special/hpc.html.
There are numerous books of interest regarding both Mr. Pullman and his community.
While researching for his series, I visited Pullman and have developed a deep love for the history of the town and its people. I hope you will experience the same pleasure.
Whispers Along the Rails Page 31
