A couple of years ago, I received a book as a gift. Called What's Cooking in Kentucky, in it I found the best barbecue recipe ever, plus a wonderful collection of hard-core Appalachian recipes. It's a great handbook for anyone wanting basic recipes.
Just last year, as Lifestyle Editor for The Independent, the daily newspaper in Ashland, Kentucky, I got a phone call from a woman who wanted to promote her book. When she told me her name is Irene Hayes, I felt as though I had received a call from a celebrity.
Hayes is the author, not only of What's Cooking in Kentucky, but another new holiday book called What's Cooking for the Holidays. Hayes said she wrote the first book about 40 years ago. "My husband and I took out a loan to put a new roof on our church," she said. "In order to pay for the roof, I decided to make this book and sell it.
"I was postmaster in Floyd County, Kentucky, so at the postmaster's meetings I told the other postmasters to have their people send me their best recipes. I got hundreds of them, and I selected some for the cookbook."
However, she had to omit so many recipes from the first book that she decided to make a second one. That's how the holiday book came to be. But the holiday book isn't just for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve. Hayes said the book addresses all the holidays, including Valentine's Day, Easter and the Fourth of July.
Hayes' books aren't just for Appalachian food lovers. They drew praise from the late James Beard, who included her first book in the bibliography of his Cook's Catalogue, listing it is as a must-have collection.
William Rice, former food editor for the Washington Post, listed the book as one of the five regional cookbooks he recommends.
From What's Cooking in Kentucky, here's that delicious barbecued beef recipe:
Barbecued Beef by Mrs. George Scott, Ashland, KY
I Just wanted to let you know that my mother who was from Morgan County and moved up to Dayton, Ohio when she was 17 has had a copy of this book ever since I can remember. This was without a doubt my mother's favorite cookbook and mine as well. My mother bought another copy later on for my older sister that I am sure was one of the revised editions because it was bought somewhere in the late 1980s. My sister just passed away in December and a very close friend of hers was with me at the house because she wanted something to remember my sister by. In addition I found my sisters copy of this book, and being that it has meant so much to our family over the years, (especially at the holidays) I knew our mom would have wanted her to have this. After all she is like another sister to me. I now have the task of coming up with 3 more of these books for my children so they too can keep the family traditions alive with recipes from this book. I will also be looking for the Holiday cookbook since I never knew it existed until right now. I thank you family from the bottom of my heart and am so thankful that your mother took the time to write this awesome book that has given our family so much enjoyment thru the years.
ReplyDeleteMay the Lord bless you and your family,
Rick P.
Dayton, Ohio