Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie

by Deirdre A. Scaggs, Ouita Michel (Foreword)

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 Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie , authors Deirdre A. Scaggs and Evalina Settle compile 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.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Judy Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treasure to document the life and recipes of one of Kentucky's most renowned chefs. Elizabeth Kremer enjoyed incredible success in the restaurant business in New York and Ohio, before retiring. She came out of retirement in her mid-60s to reinvent Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. Her story is a tale of a women who insisted on high standards. Her recipes are remarkably simple. The famous lemon pie, for example, only has three ingredients. A great chef is part the finest, freshest ingredients and part technique. Thank you to Deirdre Scaggs for shepherding this incredible project.