Farm Recipes and Other Secrets from the Norske Nook: The Midwest's Number One Roadside Cafe Book

Hearty, simple, plentiful meals made with wholesome ingredients have earned national acclaim for the Norske Nook in Osseo, Wisconsin. Now the restaurant's founder, Helen Myhre, shares the recipes and philosophy behind her remarkable success.

Plain and unassuming, this dynamo of a cafe is popular not only with local visitors but also with tourists and celebrities across the country. For years cars from everywhere have lined Osseo's streets, but since Helen was featured on "NBC News" and appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" to teach the host how to make a good pie, helicopters even land in the church parking lot bringing diners eager for honest home cooking and a glimpse of the real-life" Queen of Pies."

Now, at last, this entrepreneur, who "never expected I'd own a restaurant," has given us a compilation of her simple, reliable, time-honored recipes. More than a cookbook, this charming collection teaches such intangibles as the "feel" of a tender crust, the "look" of quality ingredients. In her no-nonsense, friendly, slightly sassy style — a voice schooled in a lost era when farm women gathered in neighbors' kitchens to cook for threshing crews or prepare a Ladies' Aid supper in honor of harvest — Helen delivers the soul of good, country cooking.

Included are breads made with Old World knowledge — from kneading to "spanking"; soups both hearty and light — and dumplings, of course; delicious, mouth-watering meats and thick, old-fashioned gravies; farm lunches and suppers; snacks and after-school treats; and pies, puddings, pickles and jellies, cookies, fry cakes...and so much more, including a selection of Scandinavian specialties.

And includedhere is her real recipe for the world-famous Sour Cream Raisin Pie that Helen even denied the New York Times.

As a farm wife for many years, the last thing Helen Myhre expected was that "I would own a restaurant . . . that it'd be featured in the New York Times, and that I'd have to teach that crazy David Letterman how to make a pie." Here are hearty, simple meals made with wholesome ingredients which have earned the Norske Nook national acclaim, as well as the philosophy behind Myhre's success. 15 illustrations.