Growing up at Ireland’s Inn Café outside Potlach shaped and inspired Katie Krasselt’s career in the food service industry, but she truly came into her own cooking in dude ranch kitchens.  Most recently, the 31-year-old single woman has been cooking for the 7D Ranch at Cody, Wyoming.

Not surprising, Krasselt decided last winter to share some of her favorite recipes in a cookbook titled, “Spurs in the Kitchen:  A Dude Ranch Cook’s Collection.”

“I sat down with the last three years’ of menus and that was the start of the cookbook,” Krasselt said Tuesday.  “I also went through big binders of family recipes and ones I had clipped from magazines and newspapers through the years.”

Her efforts resulted in one of the most unique cookbooks I’ve seen in awhile.  The 140-page spiral-bound hardcover cookbook not only contains a wonderful variety of recipes, but includes many photos of the picturesque 7D Ranch (most taken by Krasselt herself), and some history of the landmark Ireland’s Inn Café, operated by her father, Wayne Krasselt, for almost three decades.

“Spurs in the Kitchen” pages are also sprinkled with such old cowboy saws as “Behind every successful rancher is a wife who works in town,” and “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

Krasselt first found out about the dude ranch industry while attending a one-year Culinary Arts Program at North Idaho Community College in Coeur d’ Alene.

“I gallivanted around the west working 12 summer seasons and one winter for seven different dude ranges, and I still love it,” Krasselt writes in her forward.

She used the winter months to earn a degree in Hotel Restaurant Administration from Washington State University

“I’m in a mode of transition and have been living with my parents in Potlatch the past three months,” Krasselt said.  “I’ve worked the last five summers at 7D and I may go back, but I’m looking for another full-time dude ranch position that has year-long opportunities.  I would like to use my business degree from WSU.  I guess I’m wanting to get out of the kitchen and do something different for a change.”

If she doesn’t go back, there is likely to be a lot of disappointed guests at the 7D Ranch where Krasselt cooked three meals a day, six days a week, for 55 to 65 people.

Krasselt’s mother, Milly Krasselt, is a Home Hospice Nurse at Gritman Medical Center.  Although she never worked in the family restaurant, her daughter has included some of her recipes in the cookbook.

“Spurs in the Kitchen” came out in August and sales are going so well she’s considering a second printing this spring.

“I only have about 100 copies left,” she said.

Krasselt is leaving town this week and doesn’t plan on returning until next month.

“If people would like a cookbook before I return, they can pick one up at the café, or order through the 7D website,” she said.

It was difficult to select recipes to share with readers because I liked them all, but with Krasselt’s help, am including her recipe for Katie’s Saturday Crisp, a dessert she served at 7D Ranch every Saturday night with the traditional steak dinner; and the Basic Cookie Recipe from her dad’s café.

“You can add whatever you like to this cookie recipe,” she said.  “Have fun, be creative and enjoy.”

The Ranch Red Potatoes was my selection.

Katie’s Saturday Crisp

• 1 cup rhubarb, cut ½-inch thick

• 1 cup Marion berries or black berries

• 3 cups apples, sliced

• 1 cup sugar (to taste)

• ¼ cup tapioca

• 3 cups Awesome Crumble Topping (see recipes below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine rhubarb, berries, apples, sugar and tapioca; pour into 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle the crumble topping onto fruit and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are soft.  If topping browns too quickly, cover with foil and finish baking.  Serve with whipped topping, cream or ice cream.

Yield:  12 servings.

Awesome Crumble Topping

Adrienne Barnes, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• 2 cups flour

• 2 cups oatmeal

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 9 ounces margarine, melted

Mix all ingredients until crumbly.  Enough topping for 1 large pan of crisp or 5 pies.  Freezes well.

Basic Cookie Recipe

Ireland’s Inn Café

•  ¾ cup sugar

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 1 cup shortening

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

• 2 cups oatmeal (optional)

• 1 cup peanut butter (optional)

• 2 cups M & M’s plain chocolate candies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat white and brown sugars and shortening until creamy, add in eggs one at a time and add vanilla.  Mix flour, salt and soda together and add to creamed mixture.  Add additional ingredients of your choice.  You may need more flour depending on altitude.  Scoop 1-ounce balls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degree for 6 to 8 minutes.

Yield:  2 dozen.

Ranch Red Potatoes

7D Kitchen

• 7 medium red potatoes, washed and quartered

• ½ cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons dry Ranch dressing mix

• garlic salt

• parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss potatoes in olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet.  Sprinkle dressing mix, garlic salt (to taste) and parsley over potatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes, or until soft.

Yield:  6 servings.

 Reprinted with Permission from the Moscow Pullman Daily Moscow, Idaho