6 minute read
Sharing The Love – And Recipes
Kramer’s Kitchen permanently closed its doors and released a cookbook of its much-loved recipes
Story by Becky Kramer
Kramer’s Kitchen was a mainstay of Princeton for 12 years before the temporary closure brought about by the pandemic became a permanent one.
The Kitchen, as family members called it, was opened by Mary and Roger Kramer at 421 S. Main St. on March 17, 2008. Their daughter, Mindy, and son, Ken, joined the business as well.
Mindy handled the catering side of the business, and Ken became the master sandwich creator. That allowed Roger and the oldest Kramer son, Tony, to concentrate on the family’s garage door business.
The family didn’t open the restaurant on a whim. Several years before starting the restaurant, the Kramer family bought a food truck that they used to sell food at auctions and other events. They also began catering events such as weddings, birthday parties, and luncheons.
During the years Kramer’s Kitchen was open, the family tried to expand the restaurant’s hours by being open for supper and breakfast, but people seemed to want to go there mostly for lunch. Right from the beginning, several items became favorites of customers.
“Our most popular lunch items were the Mom’s Italian Beef with mild peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, and our Kitchen Club sandwich,” Mary Kramer said. “We deepfried our own homemade chips every morning and flavored them with garlic herb, ranch, or sour cream and onion seasoning. They were very well-liked.”
The large portion sizes, freshly-baked bread, daily soup choices such as harvest turkey or chili, and the fresh salad bar also were a hit with customers. Garlic breaded chicken, cheesy potatoes, and Grandma Betty Kramer’s pork chops with corn dressing quickly became favorites on the catering menu. If patrons had room for dessert, Mary’s cheesecake was a popular choice, along with the restaurant’s lush dessert and scotcheroos.
The Kramer’s chose to decorate the Kitchen with antiques and other country decor. Many things in the restaurant were family heirlooms from Mary’s parents’ side of the family and Roger’s side. There was a quilt hanging on the wall that was believed to have been made by Mary’s mom, Marian Foster.
Mary’s favorite part of owning the restaurant was talking to the customers. She made it a point to visit with as many people as she could when she was there. She loved hearing where people from out of town were from and how they heard about Kramer’s.
In early 2020, Kramer’s Kitchen was still going strong, with no sign of closing up shop. But on March 14, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker closed down restaurants in the state for a couple of weeks to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Kramer family decided not to have curbside pickup.
The order was extended and soon the family was having to make decisions about what to do with their stock of food. Roger and Mary wanted to slow down and retire in the upcoming years, and this seemed like the perfect time to do so.
Ken had already switched to working at the garage door business, and Mindy wanted a change as well, so everything fell into place.
“We’re glad we don’t have to be in the restaurant business anymore because people are really struggling right now, and we would have struggled.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Kramer’s Kitchen was a popular lunch spot for more than a decade in Princeton before permanently closing in 2020, partially because of the pandemic. To give their loyal customers the ability to make their favorite Kramer’s dishes at home, the business released a cookbook.
See KRAMER’S page 10
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Michael Kramer (left) and Mindy Kramer behind the counter at Kramer’s Kitchen when it was still open.
Kramer’s
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I know we would have,” Mindy said. “We loved our customers, and we miss our regulars. That’s what made Kramer’s Kitchen — the customers.”
To have Kramer’s Kitchen’s legacy and recipes live on forever, Mindy created a cookbook that includes 280 recipes and some secrets about things that were not homemade which people can purchase themselves. The cookbook is dedicated to Tony Kramer, who passed away unexpectedly on April 17, 2020.
“Kramer’s Kitchen has not ended – everybody can take the recipes and share them with their families now. That’s what we want. We want everyone to remember and have these cookbooks,” Mindy said.
Recipes
Harvest Turkey Soup
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds cubed or shredded cooked turkey 4 cups sliced carrots 2 cups sliced celery 2 diced yellow onions 1 pound spinach 1 No. 10 can diced tomatoes 2 cups frozen peas 2 cups cooked rice 1 and 1/2 tsp. marjoram 1 and 1/2 tsp. thyme 2 tsp. black pepper Chicken broth
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients in a large roaster. Fill with chicken broth for desired thickness. Cook until vegetables are tender.
Italian Beef
INGREDIENTS:
Rolled chuck roast Au jus mix Dry Italian seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare au jus as directed on package. Pour it over the chuck roast in a large roasting pan. Cook it at 300 degrees until tender and it can be cut up into pieces. Add Italian seasoning to your liking and cook until it is falling apart and can be shredded.
Garlic Breaded Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
20 pieces boneless chicken breasts 2 and 1/2 cups bread crumbs 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 pound melted butter 1/8 cup minced garlic 1 tablespoon onion powder
DIRECTIONS:
Mix together bread crumbs and cheeses in a pan. Mix butter and seasonings in a separate pan. Dip chicken in butter mixture and then bread crumb mixture. Lay in baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake with a lid until chicken is done (check with a meat thermometer if in doubt). Then leave the lid off to brown last 15 minutes.
Lush Dessert
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour 1 and 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 and 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 and 1/2 cups Cool Whip 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar 20 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 large boxes of your favorite pudding flavor 6 cups milk Additional Cool Whip for the topping Chopped pecans or pistachios for the topping
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, pecans, and butter. Press the mixture into an 18-by-12 inch sprayed cake pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely. Mix Cool Whip, powdered sugar, and cream cheese with a mixer. Spread it over the cooled crust. Whip the pudding and milk. Pour it over the cream cheese layer. Let it set in the refrigerator. Spread Cool Whip over the top and sprinkle with pecans or pistachios.
Scotcheroos
INGREDIENTS:
2 and 1/2 cups sugar 2 and 1/2 cups corn syrup 2 and 1/2 cups peanut butter 12 cups Rice Krispies 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 cups butterscotch chips
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the corn syrup and sugar until boiling. Add the peanut butter until melted. Mix in the Rice Krispies. Press into an 18-by-12 inch greased pan. Push away from the sides with a spatula, so the topping can pour over the edges. Melt the chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips. Mix and pour over the Rice Krispie mixture, spreading evenly. Cool long enough for the topping to set.
To order a copy of the Kramer’s Kitchen cookbook, email kramerkitchen421@gmail.com or message the Kramer’s Kitchen Facebook page. Cookbooks can be shipped for a fee, or a no-contact delivery can be made around the Princeton area.
