Does KY have a signature food? (Louisville, Vine Grove: shop, steaks, famous)

[Kilted_Son]

Originally Posted by blue_eyedgirl

OMG, speaking of hushpuppies. The hubby and I ventured out to a restaurant the other night and they had "hushpuppies" on the menu and dear lord they were gross. I was stumped because how in the world you screw up hushpuppies is beyond me. They are the easiest thing in the world to cook. The worst part was that they were served with honeybutter . Sometimes people up North should not attempt southern cooking.

The best Hushpuppies I ever had was in Charleston SC, served with Shecrab Soup & Sweet Tea. I'm sure that everything tastes good down there, whether bacon wrapped & smothered in gravy, with 'taters fried with onion,butter, & a bit of bacon fat (OH YEAH!)

Hey, does Kentucky have a signature beer, either commercial or microbrew, or regional beer? I am looking forward to a whisky tour, I am a fan of small batch Kentucky Bourbon like Bullit, Kentucky Vintage, Woodford Reserve, I hope there are others, but I also like the other brands like Beam, Early Times (Why do you think they call it "Early Times"? it's a breakfast whisky for your cereal-LOL !) & Kessler, ahh smooth as silk.

All that aside, I think I'm going to enjoy & savor the many flavors & like it out there when I come & visit.

Kilted_Son, Out.

[Kilted_Son]

Originally Posted by ArcticPhoenix

Kentucky does have a signature jelly.....

LOL!!!! Have you tried it on biscuits or toast with butter?

[Cav Scout wife]

Originally Posted by Davart

It's got apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and/or molasses/sorghum, dry mustard, salt, cayenne, red/white/black/green/pink pepper, red pepper flakes and a few other things. Slow smoke at about 200F for a few hours and baste as needed, drink beer as needed, add hickory coals as needed. (FYI the bark trim makes the best smoke IMHO)

Don't forget to add the whiskey into the mix too! Gives it a nice flavor, while tenderizing the meat. Also, you can add grape jelly and plain yellow mustard.

Personally, I add whiskey to the beef, and tequila to the chicken.

[Digger57]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Everyone I've met from outside the US (like Jamaica or The Philippines) associates the state of Kentucky with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Fried Chicken is a popular home cooked meal all over the Southeast but the most popular national chain serving it is named KY Fried Chicken (not Alabama or Tennessee Fried Chicken) so it sticks to us as a staple food.

My ex-wife made the best fried chicken I've ever had! What is strange about that is the fact thas she was Irish. I mean, REALLY Irish! I wish now that I'd paid attention to her recipe but she hated for me to be in the kitchen while she was cooking. Hmmmm...I often wondered what that jug of anti-freeze was doing under the sink...

Dig~

[dixiegirl7]

These are the foods I think of when I think of foods in Kentucky: country ham and red eye gravy, homemade biscuits, chicken and dressing casserole, chicken and dumplins, fried corn, fried okra, fresh green beans with new potatoes, pinto beans with ham hock and cornbread, fried potatoes, turnip greens or mustard greens with ham hock, pecan pie, derby pie, mint juleps, bourbon, and sorgum molasses. I know most of these are favorites in other southern states also, but this food is just Kentucky to me.

[dixiegirl7]

Originally Posted by Digger57

My ex-wife made the best fried chicken I've ever had! What is strange about that is the fact thas she was Irish. I mean, REALLY Irish! I wish now that I'd paid attention to her recipe but she hated for me to be in the kitchen while she was cooking. Hmmmm...I often wondered what that jug of anti-freeze was doing under the sink...

Dig~

That is funny. My mother's family is Irish and they fry some mean chicken also. They cook the best soul food ever. I guess they have all been in Kentucky so long the Irish has been watered down.

[Digger57]

The last time I visited my Dad in Kentucky just before he passed away we went to a local farmer's market and he got a bunch of Kentucky wonder beans. He snapped those and cooked them with some cured ham and sent me home with several tupperware containers full. They were great!

I will never forget that weekend in Butler county. He got the word out that I would be there and there was a steady stream of people I haven't seen for years coming up that hill to visit. It was that exact time that I reconnected with my Kentucky roots. It worked just like he wanted it to.

Got off subject a bit...sorry

Dig~

[nalabama]

No need to apologize. Our parents' gifts to us are always worthy of comment. He would be so pleased to read your testimonial to his love.

[censusdata]

Maybe it's just my family, but the people in my family that grew up in those very diverse coal camps have a lot more diverse range of home cooked food that my family that lived in mainly White/ British Isles areas of South Central KY. The SouCen meals is always pinto or pork and beans, mashed potatoes, corn bread, corn, often with salmon/ mackerel patties and fried chicken or ham.

My dad's side also cooks a lot of really good Italian dishes - their spaghetti and meatballs is better than any restaurant I've ever been, they also make really good lasagna. Most of their meals are of the beans/ corn bread/ potatoes variety as well, but it seems the interactions with immigrants at Lynch and Benham coal camps in Harlan Co produced some great recipes.

My family doesn't cook that much bbq (other than myself), do you folks out in Western KY cook that at home more often?

[Avengerfire]

Out of all the K.Y. food I have ever eaten-I think the Biscuits and Gravy is the best.