Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Read online

  He glanced around the room and noticed one of the women wearing a long blue dress with matching apron in her lap. She seemed to be staring at him. Sure hope she doesn’t say anything to me. Eli wished a trapdoor would appear in the floor so he could crawl inside and disappear. Averting his gaze, he studied a worn spot in the knee of his trousers. Probably should’ve worn a different pair. Didn’t want to get too dressed up for a cooking class, though. I’m likely to spill something and end up with food on my clothes.

  Eli reflected on the time he’d helped Mavis shuck corn and ended up with a mess all over his clean shirt. In a gentle tone she’d scolded him for wearing one of his nicer shirts to take part in a messy job. So this morning he’d put on clothes he thought were the most appropriate.

  Heidi returned to the room a few minutes later, accompanied by a young woman with short auburn hair and dark brown eyes. She then asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell what they hoped to learn during the cooking classes.

  When nobody responded, Heidi motioned to the young woman with a ponytail. “Why don’t you go first?”

  “Oh, okay. My name is Charlene Higgins, and I signed up for these classes because …” She paused, blinking rapidly. “Well, to tell you the truth, my cooking is terrible. I’ve heard most Amish women are excellent cooks, so I signed up, hoping by the time I get married I’ll be more comfortable around the kitchen and won’t starve my poor husband.”

  Heidi smiled. “Thank you, Charlene. Now who would like to go next?”

  Eli sat quietly, wishing he wouldn’t have to say anything, but his turn would eventually come. He was on the verge of introducing himself when the woman with long brown hair spoke up.

  “I’m Loretta Donnelly, and I’m interested in the Amish way of life, so I’m hoping to learn how to make some traditional Amish dishes.”

  Heidi nodded and motioned to the auburn-haired woman standing beside her, holding a lime-green apron and beige-colored tote in front of her stomach.

  “My name’s Kendra Perkins. I can make a few things fairly well, but my friend, Dorie, thought taking the cooking classes would be something fun for me to do.”

  “Thank you, ladies. That leaves you.” Heidi motioned to Eli.

  “Well, umm … My name is Eli Miller.” His face heated as he gripped the arms of the rocking chair. “To be honest, I can’t do much more than boil water, so I’m here to learn how to cook.” He looked over at Heidi and grimaced. “That is, if you think I’m teachable.”

  “I believe anyone who has a desire to cook can learn, and if you can read, you should be able to follow a recipe. Why don’t we all go into the kitchen now and begin our first lesson?” Heidi’s sincere smile caused Eli to relax a bit.

  After everyone washed their hands and put on their aprons, they took seats around Heidi’s long kitchen table. Eli insisted he didn’t need an apron, so Heidi didn’t force the issue.

  She handed each of them several pieces of paper and then stood at the head of the table. “For those of you unfamiliar with the basics of cooking, I’ve written down some necessary information, including how to measure the liquids, dry ingredients, grated cheese, dried fruit, eggs, butter, shortening, molasses, and syrup.” Heidi paused to be sure everyone paid attention. She tried to make her voice clear enough and did her best to keep her composure. It wouldn’t be good to let on to her students that she was a bundle of nerves. I hope my decision to teach these classes wasn’t a mistake.

  Heidi drew a quick breath as she collected her thoughts. “Let’s see…. Oh, yes, I’ve also included a list of the different types of flour, sugar, creams, cooking oils, and yeasts. In addition, I’ve written down how to reduce or increase a recipe, included a list of substitutions when you don’t have an exact ingredient, as well as given directions for selecting the proper kitchen utensils, kettles, skillets, and baking pans.” She looked at each of her students. “Before we proceed, does anyone have a question?”

  Charlene’s hand shot up.

  “Yes?”

  “Will we be expected to use all the ingredients you have listed during our every-other-week cooking classes?”

  Heidi shook her head. “There’s no way we can make enough dishes in our six weeks of being together to use everything listed on your papers. You will, however, need this list when you are cooking in your own kitchens.” Since Charlene and Eli had already admitted they had limited cooking skills, it had been a good idea to put together the handout sheets.

  Heidi was about to give everyone the ingredients and utensils they would need to make her favorite breakfast casserole when a knock sounded on the back door. She excused herself to answer it, hoping whoever it was wouldn’t stay long, because they only had until one o’clock to finish the first lesson.

  “Should I, or shouldn’t I?” Ron contemplated out loud as he looked down to make sure the clean shirt he’d put on was buttoned.

  A reasonable amount of time had passed since the young auburn-haired woman had went into the Troyers’ house, so now seemed as good a time as any to knock on Heidi’s door.

  Ron toyed with his mustache as he shook the few grains of instant coffee left in the jar. “Maybe she’d let me hang my clothes on her line to dry.”

  Stepping outside, he had walked briskly toward the house. Come on now. What’s the worst she could say? He’d ask for a cup of coffee first, then bring up his need to wash clothes.

  Holding his coffee mug while toying with his mustache, he had second thoughts about interrupting Heidi’s class. But it was too late to worry about it now; she’d already opened the door.

  Heidi tipped her head. “Did you need something, Mr. Hensley?”

  “Uh … yeah, and please call me Ron. Would you happen to have any fresh coffee made?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “Would ya mind filling my cup? I’m almost out of the instant kind, and it doesn’t taste the same.” He made a choking noise while shaking his head. “Nope. Nothin’ beats a good cup of the real thing.”

  “No problem. If you’ll follow me to the kitchen, I’ll pour you a cup.”

  Ron hesitated, shuffling his feet a few times. “Well, uh, I saw you have company and don’t want to interrupt. I can wait here on the porch.”

  “Not a problem. The people in my kitchen have come for a cooking class, but it’ll only take me a minute to fill up that mug. Come on in, Mr. Hensley. My students won’t mind.”

  Ron was well aware of Heidi’s cooking classes, but he didn’t let on. He wasn’t about to tell Heidi he’d seen her ad on the board at the market in Berlin, and it had prompted him to show up here. He followed her into the kitchen and stopped short when he saw three women and an Amish man sitting at the table, looking at him with curious expressions.

  Heidi’s kitchen was spacious. A far cry from the tiny one in his motor home. It almost made him dizzy seeing all this space in one room. Ron had been cramped up in his RV so long, he’d forgotten what living in a house was like.

  “Class, this is Ron Hensley.” Heidi motioned to him. “He’s here to—”

  “Whew! This is good news.” The Amish man pushed his chair away from the table and hurried across the room. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only man attending Heidi’s cooking class today. I was worried for a while there.” The man shook Ron’s hand vigorously. “My name’s Eli Miller. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Oh, well, I …” Ron stopped talking, as an idea formed. If I were to attend Heidi’s class, it would give me an opportunity to be in her house and scope things out. Who knows what kind of treasures are scattered about that could bring a good price at the pawnshop in one of the bigger towns outside of Holmes County?

  Putting on his best smile, Ron looked over at Heidi. “Would you have room for another student? I can’t pay you now for the classes, but I should have enough money in a few weeks, when I get my retirement check.”

  Heidi stared at him quizzically. “I didn’t realize you were interested in learning how t
o cook Amish-style meals.”

  He bobbed his head enthusiastically. “It’s always good to learn new things. Especially if it’s a simple meal I can make easily in my RV.”

  The Amish man thumped Ron’s back and pointed to an empty chair at the table. “I’m sure glad you’re here. Why don’t you sit down?”

  Ron handed Heidi his empty mug and took a seat. Sure hope this isn’t a mistake. He bit the inside of his cheek. I’d better wait and ask about doing laundry some other time. I’ll have to be careful what I do and say while I’m in this house so neither Heidi nor her husband catches on to my plan.

  Chapter 7

  Thank goodness this class is only twice a month. Ron fidgeted while everyone else sat quietly, waiting for Heidi to get started. He felt like a rabbit wanting nothing more than to bolt. Fact was, he’d rather be doing anything other than sitting here with a bunch of strangers. Ron had no desire to get acquainted with any of them, either. The fewer people who knew him, the better.

  Maybe I should have offered to do something for Lyle out in the barn today. As soon as possible, Ron planned to have a talk with him about doing a few more things around the place to help out. He didn’t want to appear as if he were taking advantage of their good nature. It could arouse suspicion.

  As Ron sat in his chair, he looked around the kitchen, trying to take everything in. He’d already noticed how spacious it was, but the room was also clean and neat. Everything seemed to have a place. Raising his eyebrows, Ron glanced at the floor. It was so clean and shiny a person could probably put their plate down there and eat off the floor. There was nothing unnecessary in this kitchen. Most things he saw had a purpose.

  Something in particular caught Ron’s attention—a collection of oil lamps on top of the kitchen cabinets. They looked old. He figured they might be worth some money. Since Lyle was an auctioneer, he may have picked them up at one of the events he’d attended. Of course they could also be something one of their relatives had handed down.

  An idea formed as Ron counted the lamps—ten altogether—a sizable collection. I’ll bet if two or three suddenly vanished, it would be a while before they’d be missed. How often do Heidi or Lyle look up there to admire the lamps? I wonder what other treasures are in this old house. Ron rubbed his chin, shifting in his seat. Getting inside the barn to look around for treasures shouldn’t be a problem, but if I can figure out a way to come into the house when nobody’s at home, bet I could walk away with a lot of good stuff.

  Doubts clouded Heidi’s mind about having Ron take part in her cooking classes. Did he plan to stay parked on their property from now until the end of June, when the classes would end? If he moved on, would he return every other week to finish the classes? She suspected he might be up to something but couldn’t put her finger on it.

  Lyle had no objections to Ron being here. Perhaps she shouldn’t, either. Besides, Eli seemed pleased to have another man in the class. Maybe for some reason Ron was meant to be here.

  Pulling her thoughts back to the matter at hand, she took a baking dish from the refrigerator. “Today we’ll be making what I call, ‘Amish country breakfast,’ and this is what it looks like after it’s been put together. Since we won’t have time for everyone to make their own dish today, we will take turns mixing the ingredients. Once everything is in the nine-by-thirteen pan, it will go into the refrigerator and stay there overnight.” Heidi placed the baking dish she’d taken from the refrigerator on the table and removed the foil covering. “In the meantime, I will bake this dish, because I put it together last night and it’s sufficiently chilled. When it’s done, everyone will get a sample to eat, along with a bowl of cut-up fruit, which we’ll be making next.” She paused and gave each of them a recipe card. “I’ve written the directions for Amish country breakfast on each of your cards so you can make it in your own home whenever you like.” Heidi didn’t mention it, but she’d also included some scripture on the back of everyone’s card. After praying about this, she felt led to do it. Today’s quotation was from Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Hopefully, one or more of her students would find it meaningful, as it had been to her since she’d become a Christian. Many days when she’d been bustling around the house or yard, Heidi paused to reflect on those words. Then she’d take a break and sit quietly to pray and thank God for all He’d done in her life.

  “Who gets the breakfast casserole you’ll be baking tomorrow?” Ron leaned forward, staring at the dish with hungry eyes.

  “Two of my friends will be coming over Monday morning to help plant a few early vegetables in my garden, so I’ll serve it to them.” Ron heaved a sigh and sat back in his chair.

  Heidi’s heart softened toward him a bit. “You and the others will get to eat the one I’ll be baking today.”

  He grinned. “Okay.”

  “Now, before I put the casserole in the oven, we’ll need to add the topping.” Heidi gestured to the three cups of cornflakes she’d set out. “One-half cup of melted butter needs to be added to these.” She took out the butter she’d measured before her students arrived, placed it in a small kettle, and set it on the stove. “When melting butter, it’s important to keep the burner on low so it won’t burn.”

  Everyone gathered around the stove as Heidi demonstrated. Once the butter was melted, she brought it to the table and poured the liquid in with the cornflakes. Then she handed Loretta a wooden spoon and asked her to stir it until the cornflakes were thoroughly coated. Afterward, Heidi asked Kendra to pour the mixture over the top of the casserole.

  “Now it’s time to bake this delicious country casserole.” Heidi put the foil over the dish again and pointed to the recipe cards she’d given each student. “You’ll see the oven needs to be set at 375 degrees.”

  After Heidi put the casserole in the oven and set a timer for forty-five minutes, she got out another nine-by-thirteen pan. Then she gestured to the three-by-five index cards. “The first thing we’ll need to do is grease the pan. I usually use coconut oil for this purpose, since it’s one of the healthiest oils and works equally well as shortening for greasing.”

  She placed a jar of coconut oil on the table. “Who would like to do the honors?”

  “Maybe I should,” Charlene spoke up. “Since greasing a pan is easy, I shouldn’t goof up.” She went on to tell about the mistake she’d made at Thanksgiving with the pumpkin pie, and then the whipping cream fiasco at her future in-laws’ house.

  Poor Charlene. Heidi couldn’t comprehend how the young woman could have so much trouble with what she, herself, saw as a simple task. Heidi had learned to mash potatoes at a young age and caught on quickly. She set the baking pan and coconut oil in front of Charlene then handed her a paper towel.

  Charlene tilted her head, causing her ponytail to swish over her shoulder and rest against her chest. “How much oil should I use?”

  “Take only enough to grease the bottom and sides of the pan,” Heidi prompted.

  All eyes were on Charlene as she dipped a piece of the paper towel into the creamy, solidified coconut oil. It wasn’t enough to grease the whole pan, but before making any comments, Heidi waited to see how well Charlene did with the small amount she’d taken.

  With lips held tightly together, Charlene squinted as she spread the oil on one side of the pan. “Looks like I may need more.” She reached back into the jar and spread some more around, until the other three sides and bottom of the pan were greased.

  “Good job.” Heidi handed each student two slices of bread, keeping four of them for herself, to show them what to do. “We’ll start by layering half of the bread, ham, and cheese, and then each of the layers will be repeated.”

  Heidi opened the refrigerator and took out the ham she’d cut into small enough pieces to cube, along with a one-pound brick of cheddar cheese. After giving everyone a knife and small cutting board, she asked them to cut their pieces of ham into small cubes. She watched as everyone did as she asked, and hid a grin when Ron popped a
piece of ham into his mouth. The poor man must be hungry.

  Next, Heidi demonstrated how to grate the cheese. Then she passed the brick of cheese around, along with the grater, and each person took a turn. With the exception of Eli scraping his knuckles, things went fairly well.

  “Are you okay? If you need a bandage I have some with me.” Loretta reached for her purse. “Between my two little ones, someone always has a boo-boo, so I make sure to keep bandages on hand.”

  “I’m fine.” Eli held up his hand. “My knuckles aren’t bleeding. It’ll take me a while to get the hang of using this thing, though.” He handed the grater to Ron. “Your turn.”

  Ron made quick work out of grating a pile of cheese, causing Heidi to wonder if he’d done it before.

  “Now that we have the cheese shredded and the ham cut, you’ll put them in the baking pan on top of the bread slices,” she instructed.

  “Which goes first … the meat or cheese?” Charlene questioned.

  “Start with bread, then meat, followed by cheese. This way, the cheese melts down over the meat. Once the first set of ingredients is down, you’ll place a second layer of bread, meat, and cheese.”

  Heidi watched her students take turns creating the layers. Little conversation transpired between them as they all seemed to be concentrating on the task at hand.

  Next, she took six eggs from the refrigerator and gave one to each student, keeping one for herself. She also placed six bowls on the table, along with wire whisks for everyone. Then Heidi demonstrated how to beat the egg with the whisk and asked the others to follow her example.

  It took Eli a few tries to get his egg beaten, but the others managed okay with theirs.

  Heidi set a container of milk on the table and poured enough to make three cups, which she divided equally into six small bowls. “The next step is to pour the milk into your beaten egg mixture and stir until well blended.”