I Spy a KY Cookbook!

Organizing some of my kitchen shots this holiday weekend and noticed something interesting. No matter the style of the kitchen, if there was a visible cookbook shelf, one if not two local cookbooks were present. I noticed them because they both sit on my own shelf, riddled with notations, sticky notes, stains and even duct tape to hold one’s spine together! It took me on a hunt going back through kitchen images and sure enough, nestled between many iconic red checkered volumes of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book and Joy of Cooking were:

1. Creating a Stir: In the Bluegrass and Beyond 
2. Bluegrass Winners: A Cookbook. 

Creating a Stir: In the Bluegrass and Beyond

This book was published in 1999 by the Lexington Medical Society Auxiliary, an organization formed in 1948 committed to helping families and communities meet the growing needs of Kentucky’s children through policy change and education. A notable project was the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass  at 1300 Sports Center Drive. This facility opened in 1984 and was established in collaboration with the Lexington Medical Society to allow families to access specialized medical treatments by providing a place for them to stay at little or sometimes no cost. The driving force to fund, construct and erect the house was Phyllis Cronin, founding President of RMHC who has given decades of service to improve the lives of many Kentuckians, especially children. Thank you for your service, Mrs. Cronin! The proceeds of the cookbook benefited not only the Ronald McDonald House but many other local organizations including Baby Health Services, God's Pantry, Hospice of the Bluegrass, Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, just to name a few. 

If you’ve forgotten what’s inside…

"Within the pages of this cookbook, not only will you find recipes that incite the desire to create a "culinary stir", you will also feast on new and interesting insights into Kentuckians who have made a difference in our communities, in our great state and beyond!" writes foreword contributor, Melissa Rose Anthony. Glancing over the list of names involved you’ll find 300+ committee members, recipe testers and professional contributors all under Cookbook Chairman, Jennifer Bales Waller's capable direction. It made me nostalgic to glance through the list of Special Thanks and note so many no longer with us (Harriet Dupree, Jerry Hester, Phyllis George, Lucie Meyers, John Kennan, Jane Allen Offutt, etc). The book is chock-full of recipes I’ve tried (probably 40% of the 500+ recipes) and stories of interesting people I’ve shared (too many to list). 

A few of my personal favorites:

• As a Clark County native, I grew up riding my bike to the corner market and grabbing a bottle of Winchester’s Ale-8-One. I especially enjoyed introducing the ginger flavored secret formula to my friends outside of Kentucky. Graduating from high school in Virginia and living in Dallas, TX, Nashville, TN and Raleigh, NC post college gave me plenty of opportunities to bring back a case to share. How Ale-8 has successfully continued bottling their niche soda since 1926, passing leadership from one family member to another, expanding their product offerings and competing against industry soda giants is amazing. 
• I was an avid purchaser of Laura Freeman’s beef product developed at Mt. Folly Farm from the onset. Laura’s Lean Beef was the first company to sell beef raised without antibiotics or growth hormones nationally. There are more options now, but Laura’s product was my introduction to the concept for my young family. 
• “Thank You, Mr. President”- Helen Thomas, reporter, was a pioneering female journalist known for her direct questioning. She received numerous accolades/awards from prestigious universities and was a published author of several books. She was born in Winchester, KY in 1920 and covered ten administrations before her passing in 2013. 
• Located on the Kentucky River just across Clark County is Fort Boonesborough, a key frontier fort founded by Daniel Boone in 1775. I hauled my kids to the fort on many occasions, usually on days too hot for them to appreciate the artisans and demonstrations that were being featured. Still, the history of Daniel Boone, a hunter, frontiersman, captured by the Shawnee Indians and eventually escaped is made for movie material. Loved that my dad was “Mr. Shawnee” at his Winchester High School in 1954. History appreciation! 
• The day my mama socked it to the Harper Valley PTA Tom T. Hall, nicknamed “The Storyteller” was from Olive Hill. He wrote the lyrics to this song that eventually became a 1978 movie starring Barbara Eden. The more popular version was sung by Jeannie C. Riley.

25 years later, I’ll bet there are a few favorite recipes or stories you could share. If a new Creating A Stir were published today, wonder what new recipes and historical names would be included?

I’ll tackle Bluegrass Winners next blog. Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.