MY FAVORITE RECIPES 4/7/11

Meet Donna and Steve Holberg, Colfax

After driving long-haul semi-trucks for nearly a decade, Donna and Steve Holberg have returned to Colfax, doing food service and catering as if they had never been gone.

Donna grew up and graduated from Colfax. She noted her first job at the age of 14 was working at the grill at Grady’s Drug Store. She moved away from the area to work, first as a waitress at the Longhorn Barbecue in Spokane and working her way to Seattle, Anchorage and then back to Seattle. She met Steve while they were both working at the Space Needle.

Donna’s work was always in food service and that continued as they both worked doing banquets for hotels. They worked for hotel chains in one way or another for more than 20 years in places such as Honolulu and Seattle.

They brought that experience with them when they moved to Colfax in 1986 and were contracted to do the food service and catering at Hill-Ray Plaza. Donna noted her parents were one of the first two couples to take residence at Hill-Ray. Originally the builders had planned to build another unit and the kitchen and dining facilities and banquet hall were built to accommodate the extra unit that was never constructed. That left Donna and Steve plenty of space for making and serving their food.

“This is one of nicest kitchens we really ever have worked in,” Donna said.

After getting set up as Hill-Ray Food Service and Catering, Donna and Steve picked up the restaurant at Boyer Park and ran that for four years. During that time Donna’s sister Betty Edinger took over the contact at Hill-Ray and they later formed a partnership.

“She’s been a key player here,” Donna noted. She added that Betty is the queen of desserts.

Donna and Steve also took over operation of the restaurant at the Wheat & Barley, now the Courtyard. They then build the Arby’s in Colfax.

Later, they sold out and moved to Tucson, Ariz. Their food service endeavors were cut back to making kettle corn and their own house dressing and selling them at area flea markets.

The Holbergs then had a drastic change of pace when Donna started long-haul truck driving. Steve joined her a year later.

“That’s really cool driving those things,” she noted. They drove for eight years.

“We got to experience it with a whole lot of different areas and their food,” Donna said. They learned almost as much about food while on the road as all their years prior. With their hotel banquet experience, they have been in all but the three most northeastern of the 50 states.

“The more you’re out there, the more you can’t decide which is your favorite (place),” she said.

Truck driving was a huge era for them, Donna noted. It was fun to get away for a time and see new things. During that time they lived in Michigan, Ohio and Spokane.

While on the road, Donna came up with the name Days by Deesign and that’s the name they operate under now doing food service and catering once again from Hill-Ray Plaza in Colfax. When they came back to food and banquets, they jumped in with both feet, picking up practically where they left off.

Donna noted it was a good time to get back into it as Hill-Ray was between food service providers, creating the opportunity in their comfort zone.

“If I have to do food, I like to do it creatively,” Donna said. Already since starting up Nov. 15, 2010, they have done several public banquets in addition to serving 30 to 40 residents in the Hill-Ray dining room starting at 6 a.m. every morning. Since they started they have been really busy. Donna’s sister Betty is also back on board, coming in and cooking when needed.

While the food service and banquets keep them busy, Donna and Steve still have more plans in the hopper. They plan to bottle their house dressing again and sell it and their kettle corn at local Farmers Markets. Donna is also trying to find time to write about their experiences on the road. She is determined to see it published someday.

Recipes:

AMISH CHICKEN

6 pieces of chicken—any kind will work. We usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts; but I have heard thighs work well, as do bone-in, skin on breast meat, because skin-on tends to brown up the best.

Dredge chicken thoroughly in the following flour and spice mix:

1 cup flour

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp white pepper

1 tblsp salt

1/3 cup fresh chopped (or dried chopped) parsley

(or all to taste)

Do not brown chicken.

Mix together in separate bowl:

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cup water

You may have to adjust amount of liquid. Just keep cream and water at 1:1 ratio. Chicken pieces must be just barely submerged in liquid.

Spray oil like PAM in baking dish. Place floured chicken pieces in baking dish, closely together, but in one layer only, and pour cream/water mixture over till barely covered.

Place in 350 degree oven up to 1 1/2 hours. Liquid will evaporate and chicken will brown on top, but you don’t want to overcook the chicken. Just cook till browned chicken tops are exposed and chicken is done. Use cream sauce over chicken.

GRANDMA’S GOOD RHUBARB CRISP

by sister, Betty Edinger

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tblsp butter

Mix good for topping.

3 cups brown sugar (seems like a lot of sugar, but Grandmother was really sweet)

1 cup shortening (prefer butter)

2 eggs

2 tsp soda

2 cup buttermilk

4 1/2 cup (sifted) flour

1 tsp salt

3 cups cut up rhubarb

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together brown sugar and butter.

Add eggs.

Add buttermilk and vanilla.

Mix in flour, baking soda and salt.

I think a 9X12 baking dish—it should not be deep.

Sprinkle on sugar topping.

Bake at 350 degree about 30 minutes or until cake springs back and is firm to touch.

CAMPER’S GRILL

The Camper’s Grill originated during our years at Boyer Park.

Boil, steam, or microwave medium size red jacket potatoes. These can be cooked ahead, sliced ahead (or not), refrigerated and held for several days. They can be used for all sorts of things.

Slice red potatoes. Cut lengthwise and place flat side down on cutting board. Slice about 1/8 inch thick, thick enough so they don’t break up in frying.

Slice white or yellow onions.

Slice green and red (and/or yellow) peppers.

Slice into wheels: smoked sausage or some specialty brand (cooked or uncooked—just make sure to not snack on the uncooked sausage until it’s cooked).

Give the onions and peppers and sausage a head start and then toss in potatoes.

Stir altogether in a big skillet and fry on high heat until onion and peppers are done and sausage and potatoes are brown.

Top with cheese (optional).

Sausages that are good in this dish include:

*German smoked

*Hot Cajun, like Andouille

*Italian Sausage, hot, or not, (we prefer it hot) is really, really good in the Camper’s Grill—also good in a creamy Alfredo or Marinara Pasta Dish.

*Other specialty sausages (like Apple and Walnut)

*Kielbasa (This is a little mild for my taste.)

*Mexican Chorizo

*Polish smoked

*Portuguese (You haven’t lived until you have had authentic Portuguese Sausage. We first learned about it in Hawaii where Portuguese Sausage with sticky rice and eggs is standard fare for breakfast at McDonald’s.)

GERMAN CAMPER’S GRILL

This is a delicious version of the Camper’s Grill for sauerkraut lovers.

Simply top the finished dish with rinsed and squeezed sauerkraut, cover and steam till hot. I don’t prefer to top this one with cheese, although that would be wonderful, no doubt, and I use a good quality German Sausage in it.