the cuisine of Kentucky

Sara Bradley has been all over. After culinary school, she cooked in New York, Chicago, Birmingham, Charlotte. But she wanted nothing more than to go back home to Paducah, Kentucky, where she grew up, and open a restaurant of her own. She has been on Top Chef and Food Network, but she has close ties to her family and loves to be home in Kentucky. So that’s where she opened Freight House, which is housed in an old vegetable depot—where the local farmers had brought their produce to be loaded onto trains and shipped across the country.

It’s that connection with the community and with her heritage that rings through her food. It’s clear from page one of this cookbook, where she shows off her pride for Paducah by sharing its history and what makes it special. The Kitchen I Came Home To is a collection of stories and memories, recipes she uses at her restaurant and their ties to her family. Bradley is proud of her home city, from the Kentucky caviar to its rich bourbon legacy.

Her recipes include a lot of Southern cooking, like Fried Green Tomatoes with Pickled Shrimp, Double-Crusted Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pimento Cheese Grits, Crawfish Pot Pies, and Cornmeal-Coated Codfish and Fried Pickle Chips. Some dishes are specific to Kentucky, like her Hot Brown Deviled Eggs or Burgoo (a Kentucky gumbo). Other recipes clearly come from her Jewish heritage, like the Home-Style Matzo Ball Soup, Goat Cheese and Honey Kugel, and Passover Braised Lamb Shanks.

Some of her food is from her experiences, like her Tomato Soup and Parking Lot Grilled Cheese from when she was a Phish fan and followed the band. Or her “Bug Juice” Fried Apples, which clearly comes from camp memories. And others lean into her whimsy and joy, like Potato Candy, Undercooked Fudge Brownies, or her mother’s Sweet Pea Cake with Buttermilk Buttercream. And there’s a whole chapter of basics, like Bread and Butter Pickles, Sawmill Gravy, “Not Ranch” buttermilk dressing, and her Triple S (Sara’s Standard Seasoning).

I have been a fan of Sara Bradley since I first say her on Top Chef: Kentucky, and watching her thrive on Top Chef: World All-Stars while sending breast milk back home to her daughter was inspiring. I love her grit and her imagination, so when I saw she had a cookbook coming out, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. And honestly, it’s filed with even more energy and whimsy and love than I expected. These recipes come to life with her love of family, of flavor, and of life. The photography is beautiful, and the stories pull me in to her world. Home cooks who cook from their heart will love this The Kitchen I Came Home To, as well as fans of Sara Bradley and her restaurant Freight House.

Egalleys for The Kitchen I Came Home To were provided by Ten Speed Press through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.