The Historic Kentucky Kitchen

Kitchens serve as more than a place to prepare food; they are cornerstones of the home and family. Just as memories are passed down through stories shared around the stove, recipes preserve traditions and customs for future generations. The rich, diverse heritage of Kentucky's culinary traditions offers a unique way to better understand and appreciate the history of the commonwealth. The Historic Kentucky Kitchen assembles more than one hundred dishes from nineteenth and twentieth-century Kentucky cooks. Deirdre A. Scaggs and Andrew W. McGraw collected recipes from handwritten books, diaries, scrapbook clippings, and out-of-print cookbooks from the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections to bring together a variety of classic dishes, complete with descriptions of each recipe's origin and helpful tips for the modern chef. The authors, who carefully tested each dish, provide recipe modifications and substitutions for rare and hard-to-find ingredients. This entertaining cookbook also serves up famous Kentuckians' favorite dishes, such as John Sherman Cooper's preferred comfort food (eggs somerset) and Lucy Hayes Breckinridge's "excellent" fried oysters. The recipes are flavored with humorous details such as "[for] those who thought they could not eat parsnips" and "Granny used to beat 'em [biscuits] with a musket." Accented with historic photographs and featuring traditional meals ranging from skillet cakes to spaghetti with celery and ham, The Historic Kentucky Kitchen presents a novel and tasty way to experience the history of the Bluegrass State.

Over 100 old-time recipes “authentic enough that one can easily cook like grandma (or her ma). A must for every kitchen and a nostalgic delight” (Louisville Courier-Journal). Kitchens aren’t just a place to prepare food—they’re cornerstones of the home and family. Just as memories are passed down through stories shared around the stove, recipes preserve traditions and customs for future generations. The Historic Kentucky Kitchen assembles over one hundred dishes from nineteenth and twentieth-century Kentucky cooks. Deirdre A. Scaggs and Andrew W. McGraw collected recipes from handwritten books, diaries, scrapbook clippings, and out-of-print cookbooks from the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections to bring together a variety of classic dishes, complete with descriptions of each recipe’s origin and helpful tips for the modern chef. The authors, who carefully tested each dish, also provide recipe modifications and substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients. This entertaining cookbook also serves up famous Kentuckians’ favorite dishes, including John Sherman Cooper’s preferred comfort food (eggs somerset) and Lucy Hayes Breckinridge’s “excellent” fried oysters. The recipes are flavored with humorous details such as “[for] those who thought they could not eat parsnips” and “Granny used to beat ’em [biscuits] with a musket.” Accented with historic photos and featuring traditional meals ranging from skillet cakes to spaghetti with celery and ham, this is a novel and tasty way to experience the rich, diverse history of the Bluegrass State.

Good food is as much a part of the Kentucky heritage as fine horses and bourbon whiskey. And nowhere is Kentucky's traditional cuisine better presented than in Out of Kentucky Kitchens by Louisville's own Marion Flexner. First published in 1949, the book has been popular with cooks and cookbook collectors ever since. A highly skilled hand in the kitchen, Marion Flexner compiled a representative gathering of delicious, thoroughly tested recipes of Kentucky specialties, many of them "heirloom" items given to her by friends and acquaintances. Colorful anecdotes about famous Kentuckians, hostesses, and cooks spanning 100 years accompany the recipes, taking the reader on a journey through Kentucky's culinary history and society. With this authentic Kentucky classic, cooks of older and newer generations can once again have a regional culinary guide that is a delight to use and read.

A Southern historian combs through Kentucky cookbooks from the mid-nineteenth century through the twentieth to reveal a fascinating cultural narrative. In Kentucky's Cookbook Heritage, John van Willigen explores the Bluegrass State's cultural and culinary history, through the rich material found in regional cookbooks. He begins in 1839, with Lettice Bryan's The Kentucky Housewife, which includes pre-Civil War recipes intended for use by a household staff instead of an individual cook, along with instructions for serving the family. Van Willigen also shares the story of the original Aunt Jemima—the advertising persona of Nancy Green, born in Montgomery County, Kentucky—who was one of many African American voices in Kentucky culinary history. Kentucky's Cookbook Heritage is a journey through the history of the commonwealth, showcasing the shifting attitudes and innovations of the times. Analyzing the historical importance of a wide range of publications, from the nonprofit and charity cookbooks that flourished at the end of the twentieth century to the contemporary cookbook that emphasizes local ingredients, van Willigen provides a valuable perspective on the state's social history.

This 1904 book evokes the sights, smells, and tastes of Kentucky in the 1900s. Most importantly, the book was groundbreaking, over one hundred years ago, in its celebration of the vital role Black women played in building and sustaining the tradition of Southern cooking and Southern hospitality.

Jennie C. Benedict's The Blue Ribbon Cook Book represents the very best in the tradition of southern regional cooking. Recipes for such classic dishes as Parker House rolls, lamb chops, corn pudding, Waldorf salad, and cheese and nut sandwiches are nestled among longtime local favorites such as apple butter, rice pudding, griddle cakes, and Benedictine, the cucumber sandwich spread bore Benedict's name. Throughout the cookbook, Benedict's delightful voice shines. Benedict, who was once the most famous caterer in Louisville and also operated a celebrated tea room and soda fountain, trained with Fannie Farmer at the Boston Cooking School. Five editions of Benedict's famous cookbook were published, and her aim in sharing her recipes was simple; as she mentions in the preface, "I have tried to give the young housekeeper just what she needs, and for more experienced ones, the best that can be had in the culinary art." As a creative entrepreneur, Benedict had a significant influence on the local culture and foodways. Her sweet and savory dishes were the stars of many Derby parties, and yet she placed equal emphasis on simple luncheon and dinner recipes to satisfy the needs of home cooks. While her popular dishes graced genteel tables all over the Bluegrass, Benedict's chicken salad sandwiches, sold from a pushcart, offered Louisville children the first school lunches in the city. This new edition of The Blue Ribbon Cook Book will now welcome new generations of readers and cooks -- those who remember wearing white gloves and eating delicate tea sandwiches at the downtown department store as well as those who want to make satisfying regional classics such as blackberry jam cake like their grandmother used to make. Food writer Susan Reigler introduces the story of Benedict's life and cuisine, and this edition is the first to come complete with the now-famous spread that bears Benedict's name.

Once relegated to an annual appearance in a Kentucky Derby Mint Julep, bourbon has enjoyed a steady resurgence in popularity to claim a wide international audience. Yet despite its global appeal, bourbon remains a quintessentially Kentucky creation and a uniquely American spirit. Bourbon's popularity is matched only by its versatility. In The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, master chef Albert Schmid presents more than fifty recipes that feature Kentucky's signature spirit in entrees, soups, desserts, and much more. From the classic Manhattan cocktail to Bourbon-Pecan Crème Brulée with Chocolate Sauce, The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook unlocks the culinary potential of this beloved spirit, allowing this special whiskey to enhance the flavors of every meal. More than just a collection of recipes, The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook is peppered with bourbon lore and Kentucky history, as well as stories and personal anecdotes to accompany the meals. The cookbook is organized by season to emphasize the importance of fresh ingredients and context in dining. Blending time-honored traditions with new approaches, Chef Schmid creates a diverse collection of exciting bourbon recipes for any occasion. Beautifully illustrated with more than a dozen color photos, The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook introduces a variety of ways to use one of Kentucky's most famed exports to spice any dessert, compliment any entrée, or complete any cocktail.

Exciting recipes join stories from Kentucky's past, with all the information you'll need for cooking, armchair travel, or planning a trip around dining in historic Kentucky.