My latest column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail has published:

“Pittsburgh style” can refer to a few different things on a menu:

-French fries on a salad

-A charred steak with a rare interior

-A type of BBQ ham sandwich

This original Northern Panhandle West Virginian is familiar with and enjoys all of the meals above, but the latter - the BBQ ham sandwich - is something I think more folks below the Mason-Dixon Line should experience.

Chipped chopped ham, or chipped ham, is a processed ham lunch meat made with ham chunks, trimmings and seasonings that is ground and packed into loaves. That loaf is chipped, or shaved, against a deli slicer blade for thin slices. These thin slices are often pan-fried in BBQ sauce and placed on a bun to create a delicious, regional sandwich.

So, it’s not really “ham.” And, actually, it’s not really “BBQ” - at least not in a traditional way. The ham has been processed upteen times, and there’s no grill involved for the BBQ. But, that doesn’t really matter.

These BBQ ham sandwiches were made locally famous by a store called Isaly’s in the Pittsburgh area. They sold their own “Original Chipped Chopped Ham” and “Original BBQ sauce” and served up a combo of the two between two pieces of bread for customers to eat on site.

“From our beginnings in the early 1900s, the Isaly family and its successors have pursued one mission: bringing deli and dairy products of consistent freshness, purity, and unbeatable flavor, made according to original Isaly’s recipes to your family table. We are best known for our ‘signature’ products, Original Chipped Chopped Ham, Original BBQ sauce, and Old Fashioned Whitehouse Cherry Ice Cream,” the store website reads.

Many still use those original ingredients to make their BBQ ham sandwiches at home. But there’s a lot of variation, whether that’s adding green pepper, onion and celery to the ham mixture or topping the sandwich with pickle relish. Others may make their own BBQ sauce out of ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and mustard.

Growing up, I had no clue this was a regional delight. My mom would make this for lunch and dinner; it was a quick and easy meal that was a crowd-pleaser. Our version was simple: Skillet, add chipped ham, add BBQ sauce and a little seasoning, cook until nice and crisp, pile inside a sandwich bun and enjoy.

It wasn’t until I moved from the Pittsburgh area that I learned the BBQ ham sandwich is a mystery to most others. But, it’s so simple and tasty that I have brought the “recipe” with me as I’ve moved south and share it with friends often.

These food traditions are what make our food culture so special. It’s these stories that help define who we are and what we value. It’s these little tidbits that could be lost to time if we don’t help preserve them.

So, tell me, what are some of your regional favorites? It can be a recipe or unique ingredient or different way to prepare a dish or a technique. What foods are important to your family? And why?

RECIPE: BBQ Ham Sandwich

The most traditional BBQ sandwich you can make would likely be made with Isaly’s Original Chipped Chopped Ham and Original BBQ sauce, though I know those ingredients aren’t readily available for folks south of the Mason-Dixon Line. You can get these shipped directly to your home if you’re interested. But if that’s too much work, simply choose your favorite BBQ sauce and a package of sliced ham to get the same effect.

Ingredients:

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

12 oz. chipped ham

Sandwich buns


Directions:


Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat on the stove.


Once the skillet is warm, add in the chipped ham and heat through.


Add 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce to the pan and coat the chipped ham until mixed thoroughly.


Simmer until the ham crisps up a bit and the BBQ forms a sweet crust on the ham.


Remove from heat.


Serve on sandwich buns.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

There are few certainties in life: taxes, death – and Girl Scout Cookies.

From third grade when I would knock on neighbors’ doors peddling cookies to college when I would purchase way too many cookies from a coworker’s daughter, Girl Scout Cookie Season has been a constant in my life every spring. And while the season remains, the individual cookies may change.

During my 33 years on this planet, there have been 30 Girl Scout Cookies introduced by Little Brownie Bakers, which is the baker that supplies cookies to the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond. Fun fact: Did you know that there are actually two different bakeries that supply Girl Scout Cookies? That’s why some councils may sell “Caramel Delites” while others sell “Samoas,” though they’re pretty much the same cookie. Our region is Team Samoa. Some cookies may stand the test of time and become regulars - like Thin Mints, Trefoils and Samoas, while others become one-season wonders.

Let’s touch on some of the cookies of yesteryear of which I wouldn’t mind seeing a repeat performance:

Van’Chos (1974-1983) - One sleeve each of chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies. Each cookie contains a creamy vanilla center.

Medallions (1983-1984) - One sleeve each of fudge bottom-coated or pecan praline bottom-coated shortbread cookies. The cookies were shaped as medallions and commemorated over 50 years of Girl Scouting.

Echo (1987-1989) - Two rich, dark chocolate cookies with a creamy vanilla filling.

Golden Nut Clusters (1991-1993) - A cluster of chewy caramel and pecans on a tender cookie covered with a light maple flavored coating.

Juliettes (1993-1996) - A delightfully crunchy combination of caramel and pecan covered with a fudgy chocolaty coating.

Aloha Chips (2000-2004) - The distinctive and exotic taste that only crunchy macadamia nuts and creamy white fudge chips can deliver.

Cafe Cookie (2005-2007) - Caramelized with brown sugar, this charmingly crisp cookie will delight even cookie connoisseurs. With a hint of cinnamon spice, it’s perfect with your favorite warm beverage.

Dulce De Leche (2008-2009) - As fun to say, as they are to eat! Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, indulgent cookies are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes.

Thank U Berry Munch (2009–2014) - Real, premium cranberries provide a delightful tartness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy, white fudge chips. Crispy rice delivers a satisfying crunch.

Rah-Rah Raisins (2014–2016) - A team of raisins and Greek yogurt-flavored chunks score big points in this irresistible, crispy oatmeal cookie.

That brings me to this year’s newest cookie: Adventurefuls - Indulgent, brownie-inspired cookies with caramel flavored crème and a hint of sea salt. Inspired by all the amazing things girls learn and the adventure-packed experiences gained from participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Now, think of the Adventureful brownie base as a “corner of the pan” brownie - one that is nice and crunchy around the outside. The caramel isn’t ribbon-y, but rather a caramel creme so it’s just slightly softer than the base. And chocolate, of course. There’s always chocolate. While I’m typically a Tagalong gal, the Adventureful is giving my longtime favorite a run for its money.

I like the crunch, the sweet and salty balance and the fact that every box goes to supporting young girls’ goals to be the next generation of leaders. For my money, Adventurefuls are taking the cake - or parfait. In full disclosure, I am employed by the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, and opinions expressed here do not reflect those of the Council. They are solely my own. I’ve always loved Girl Scout Cookies, so I am excited to share my devotion – no matter where I am.

RECIPE: Ice Cream Parfait with Girl Scout Adventurefuls Cookies
When you have a cookie as good as the Adventureful, it doesn’t require a whole lot to make a delicious dessert. The crunchy cookie makes a perfect base for any indulgent ice cream, whipped cream or mousse concoction you can come up with. For this parfait, I purchased a few of my favorite sweet treats and layered them to make the ultimate dessert.

Ingredients:
5-6 Adventurefuls Girl Scout Cookies
1 cup salted caramel ice cream Handful of mini caramel cups
1 cup vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons of whipped cream

 Directions: Crush up the Adventurefuls Girl Scout Cookies and layer half of them them in a parfait cup. Then, add a thick layer of salted caramel ice cream, pressing down to fill in any gaps from the crushed cookie. Then, add a light layer of whipped cream on top of the ice cream being careful not to mix the two together so that straight layer lines can be seen along the edges. Sprinkle in some mini caramel cups (or peanut butter if you so choose) atop the whipped cream. Begin the process again by layering the remaining crushed cookies, then the remainder of the salted caramel ice cream and whipped cream. Garnish with a whole Adventureful cookie and dig in.

My latest column ran in the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

A bright bushel of red apples may include a Honeycrisp, RubyFrost, Cosmic Crisp, Gala, Fuji, Jazz, Pink Lady or even a Red Delicious.

But if you find a glittering yellow apple amongst the sea of rouge, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a Golden Delicious apple – which originated right here in West Virginia.

The Golden Delicious apple was discovered in 1912 in Clay County by Anderson Mullins and can now be found across the world in orchards, farmers’ markets and grocery stores.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree Its story started on a steep hillside towering over Porters Creek in Bomont, W.Va.

The Golden Delicious is described as a “chance seedling,” according to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, and is believed to have sprouted from a seed carried by bird or other animal because there was no other yellow fruit growing in the family orchard.

The apple is thought to be related to the Grimes Golden, another popular variety from the Mountain State that originated in the early 1800s in Brooke County and grew from a seed planted by Johnny Appleseed, according to legend.

The sweet, yellow Golden Delicious apple was first named “Mullins's Yellow Seedling and Annit apple.” Mullins sent three of the apples to Stark Brothers Nursery, one of the largest mail-order nurseries, in Missouri with a note that read: “I am sending you a small box of apples for inspection by mail. They are off a seedling tree in my orchard. The tree is such a nice tree and bears such fine apples. We like them so well that we think them all most as good as Delicious. No one here has any thing like it. The apples are so rich that they will make apple butter without sugar. Please try them and write and tell me what you think of them.”

Paul Stark, of Stark Brothers Nursery, traveled to the area after the promising taste of the apple and purchased the tree, property and propagation rights for $5,000.

He erected a fence and took a bundle of cuttings to graft the tree in the company’s orchard. The nursery then began marketing the apple as the Golden Delicious and as a companion to their Red Delicious apple in 1914. The apple was an instant hit.

By 1918, Stark had to turn down hundreds of orders because he could not produce enough supply to match the nationwide demand, according to Clio. By 1921, the Golden Delicious apple became the leading variety of apple tree both in the United States and abroad, according to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7 in 1995 that named it the official state fruit of West Virginia.

Additionally, the resolution noted that the apple had been planted on every continent in the world and close to 200 billion pounds of Golden Delicious apples are grown annually in the United States.

How ‘bout them apples?

The original tree lived to produce Golden Delicious apples for nearly 50 years until it died in the 1950s. A historical marker is located nearby the spot that indicates the history. The famous apple continues to be celebrated each fall at the Clay County Golden Delicious Festival.

This year will mark 110 years from the Golden Delicious’ discovery in Clay County. And, on Feb. 20, this Appalachian specialty will have been our state fruit for 27 years. There’s no better time to reflect on its impact, not only locally, but globally.

There’s no better way to celebrate this fact than baking a delicious apple pie with local apples. Or make apple butter. Or try apple bacon pancakes.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

The best gifts don’t come wrapped in bows or bright gift bags. They don’t come from Amazon or Target. They don’t come with batteries or an extended life warranty.

They come enveloped in wax paper. Or a tupperware container. Or, in my case, a green tin with an illustration of a moose on the top.

Inside that tin were 10 thick squares of peanut butter fudge lovingly crafted by my sweet neighbor, Veda. Peanut butter fudge, to me, is a true gift in Appalachia because it takes hard work to create and happily fills your tummy - as well as your soul.

It’s sweet and comforting and everything good that makes you feel cozy. That may be why it is a common present for holidays or birthdays (mine is in just a few days - hello fellow Capricorns!) in the mountains.

According to Mark F. Sohn in “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, & Recipes,” peanut butter fudge is one of many defining foods of Appalachia.

In his list of 100 food items that are popular, have historic roots or elicit strong emotions in Appalachia, peanut butter fudge is in the top 25.

“These foods are of Appalachia not only because the region embraces them, but, more importantly, because Appalachians prepare them and recall them with joy. Of the foods listed below, some are symbolic while others are daily fare. Although food preparations have changed dramatically over the last 50 years, some elements of taste, styles of cooking, and cooking utensils persist causing traditional mountain foods to endure,” he writes.

Here is the top of Sohn’s list, with peanut butter fudge rounding out the first quarter.

First 10: bacon, biscuits and breakfast gravy, chicken ‘n’ dumplings, cornbread, coffee, fried potatoes, green beans, soup beans, stack cakes, vegetable soup.

Next 15: apple butter, chili, coleslaw, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, dumplings, fried apples, fried chicken, gingerbread, kraut and weiners, moonshine, peanut butter fudge, pork chops, sausage gravy, sweet potatoes.

While other areas of the world certainly make and enjoy fudge of all sorts, I think the tie is strong to our region because fudge requires few ingredients and can last for quite some time - even well past the holidays.

That’s why it is special. Each time I get a craving for a sweet treat, I can dip into my moose tin stash of peanut butter fudge and think of my sweet friend who spent an evening crafting this delight just for me. Thanks, Veda.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

Hand me a pie: Fried pies are a mountain favorite
By Candace Nelson

“What is a ‘hand pie’?!” I asked to Vivian Howard, a famed chef who traveled to Fairmont a few years back to judge a pepperoni roll baking competition.

At the time, Howard was filming a hand pie episode for “Somewhere South,” a PBS show that takes viewers on a culinary tour of the South. She was trying pepperoni rolls for the first time and compared them to the fried, filled pockets she was familiar with: hand pies.

Hand pies are single-serve pastries filled stuffed with a filling – savory or sweet – that can be baked or fried and are often found in the south. Other regions refer to them as "pasties” or “fried pies” and, of course, West Virginia has a version with an Italian flair in the pepperoni roll.

All of the above can trace some of their roots back to 19th century England when Cornish miners would take a stuffed pastry to lunch that would stay warm and remain free of dirt with the men holding onto the edges of the dough to enjoy the filling and discarding the dirty edges they held.

The concept of a hand pie – or more often called a “fried pie” in Appalachia even when baked – is not new in mountain cooking. In fact, Mark F. Sohn in his book “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, and Recipes” lists fried pies as one of the top 100 most common Appalachian foods.

Fried pies in Appalachia tend to find their place on a dessert menu – filled with thick, concentrated fruit conserves like peach, pear or apple butters. The most popular fried pie, though, is filled with an apple pie mixture.

West Virginia is home to not one, but two apple varieties: the Golden Delicious and the Grimes Golden, so it is fitting that this native fruit found its way into many dishes. Cooked apples combined with cinnamon, sugar and a bit of lemon juice are enveloped in a buttery, flaky pastry dough that has been fried or baked are the perfect snack or dessert.

A certain restaurant with golden arches even thinks so, as McDonald’s started serving a fried apple hand pie in 1968 before moving to a baked version. And the brand known for Twinkies, Hostess, sells a pre-packaged snack version of apple hand pies that I recall buying at “the bread store” when I was young for my dad’s lunches. They also had cherry, blueberry, lemon and other flavors.

Before these fried pies made it big time, it’s fascinating to imagine women in kitchens throughout Appalachia crafting their own hand pie creations – maybe for their husband’s lunches, maybe for a portable picnic lunch, maybe for a shelf-stable school snack.

The ingenuity of making use of what’s available is always at the heart of mountain cooking. And, of course, it always tastes better in Appalachia.

What is your favorite type of fried pie?

RECIPE: Vivian Howard’s Applejacks

Kinston, North Carolina Chef Vivian Howard not only took a trek across the country to learn about the history of hand pies, but she also serves them in her restaurant Handy & Hot in the other Charleston – South Carolina. On the menu are “Apple Jax,” which has a homemade apple filling; “Tomato,” which has a tomato, fontina cheese and basil filling; “Cheeseburger,” which has a beef, special sauce, onions and pickles filling,” and “Jill’s Pie,” which has a pear, arugula, gorgonzola and toasted almond filling. 

Howard shares her “Applejacks” recipe from her “Deep Run Roots” cookbook with the Somewhere South show. She said this about her Applejacks, which are hand pies filled with apples:

“The hardest part about making these is rolling out the dough. We recently started using a tortilla press to make the job easier. It does require a few more strokes from the rolling pin after it’s been pressed, but overall the gadget helps. The other thing I see people struggle with is the urge to overfill the pies. Two tablespoons of dough just doesn’t look like that much when it’s laid out on the dough. That’s because it’s not that much. This hand pie is just as much about the thin, blistered brown crust as it is about the filling. Let it be. The rosemary sugar is not a traditional garnish but I like it. Your call.”

Ingredients
For the Filling:
• 2 cups dried apple slices. (If the slices are more than 1/4 inch thick, give them a rough chop with your knife.)
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, removed with a vegetable peeler
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
For the Dough:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup lard or shortening
• 2/3 cup hot water
To Fry and Serve:
• 2 cups lard or shortening
• Rosemary Sugar

Directions
1. Make the Filling: In a large saute or sauce pan, combine the apples, cider, water, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Bring it up to a boil and cook until the apples have soaked up all the liquid and the pan is nearly dry. Stir in the lemon juice, and transfer the apple filling to the refrigerator to cool before assembling.

2. Make the Dough: Mound the flour in the center of a large bowl. Make a little well in the center and drop the lard in the well. Pour about 2/3 of the hot water over the lard, and using your hand, work together the lard and the water until its all sludgy and homogenous.

3. Begin working in the flour gently, and bring it together until a soft, tender dough forms. Add the remaining water if need be. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel until you’re ready to make the pies.

4. Make the Pies: Pinch off a golf ball sized piece of dough and flour your work surface. Dust the golf ball as well as your rolling pin with a little flour since this dough tends to be pretty wet. Roll the dough into a super thin circle. I’m talking thin like you can just about see through it. Trim up the edges, and stuff the inside with about 2 tablespoons worth of filling. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges with a fork. Store the hand pies on a floured baking sheet until you’re ready to fry.

5. Fry and Serve: Heat half the lard in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, lay the jacks in a single layer and fry until golden on one side. Flip and fry on the opposite side. You’ll need to fry these in several batches and will probably have to add additional lard.

6. Once the applejacks are browned on both sides, drain on paper towels and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail

Cool fall temperatures bring about pickling, preserving and putting up for winter in Appalachia.

The last of the summer bounty – like beautiful tomatoes and fresh greens – has been harvested, and much of it could now be in the form of pickled vegetables, canned goods and preserved fruits.

Produce isn’t the only sustenance needed during the cold winter months, though. It’s not uncommon for folks to have a deep freezer full of local beef or chicken that has been butchered to help feed families all season long. And, then there’s deer season.

Held around Thanksgiving time, deer season creates a hunting tradition each holiday for many families, and the subsequent processing of the meat can help sustain them for months. My family has hunted for deer so that we could have food on our table, but I’ve never been a huge fan of the flavor. It has a slightly game-y taste that brings a bit of funk to the meal.

My grandma, though, was always able to prepare it in a way that I enjoyed: by making venison jerky. Not unlike preserving vegetables, making deer jerky is a way to preserve the meat by drying it out, which makes it easy to transport and taste great, too.

The practice of dry preserving meats dates back thousands of years to our hunting and gathering ancestors. Archaeologists have discovered dried meats that are more than 5,000 years old. Cultures around the world have used this technique with the meats available in their region to preserve food.

In Ethiopia, “quant'a” is made from dried beef seasoned with salt and cardamom. In Nigeria, “kilishi” is made of dried beef, sheep or goat with a paste made of peanuts, spices, salt, ground onion and honey. In southern African countries, “biltong” is a form of dried, cured meat. In Norway, there’s “fenalar.” In Switzerland, there’s “bundnerfleisch.” In Spain, there’s “tasajo.”

In South America, Incas used the Quechuan word “ch’arki” for dried meat, which was made of alpaca and llama meat. The word evolved from “ch’arki” to “jerky” through colonization and ultimately became part of our ordinary vocabulary.

In the Appalachian region, Native Americans made jerky from buffalo and berries called “pemmican.” And now, we make jerky from deer, because they are plentiful in the mountains. According to research from onX Hunt, a hunting GPS map website, West Virginia has about a half of a million deer population and about 21 deer per square mile.

West Virginians, like my grandmother, are so enterprising and resourceful when it comes to providing for their families and making the most of what they have available to them. The consumption of venison, and venison jerky, are no different. Because deer are so abundant in the region, Appalachians processed and preserved them in a way that could keep for a season or longer. Now, if someone could work on making the rest of venison taste as good as the jerky, I’ll be one happy Appalachian. 

RECPIPE: Grandma Craft’s Venison Jerky

My grandma is an amazing woman for a number of reasons – not the least of which is because much of what I know about Appalachian food, I learned from her. She took me morel hunting, and she introduced me to venison jerky. This is her personal recipe that she uses to make the venison jerky I enjoy – and I hope you enjoy it, too.

Ingredients:
• 1 pkg. instant meat marinade
• 1 3/4 c. cold water
• 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce

Directions:
• Cut 1 1/2-2 lbs. venison in strips (with the grain) 6" long, 1 1/2" wide and 1/2" thick. Set aside.
• Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the marinade: instant meat marinade, cold water, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and tabasco sauce.
• Place meat in container and cover with marinade, piercing meat slices deeply with fork.
• Marinate overnight in a covered container in refrigerator.
• Remove meat strips, drain slightly and place on rack, making sure strips do not overlap.
• Place rack over a cookie sheet in a 150-175 degree oven and bake for 3-3 1/2 hrs.
• Remove from oven, cool and store in a covered container in refrigerator.
• NOTE: Since this jerky does not have a preservative like the commercial product of its kind, it is necessary to keep it under refrigeration.

Here is my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

You might be from Appalachia if you keep leftover bacon grease at room temperature in a glass Garfield mug from McDonald’s on your stove. Or maybe that was just me growing up.

Those leftover bacon grease drippings — which can be stored up to a month without refrigeration — are culinary gold. And they’re the star of one Appalachian salad that’s sure to stick to your ribs.

Wilted lettuce, or killed lettuce, or even ‘kilt’ lettuce, is typically a spring staple when home gardens begin producing beautiful greens.

But it’s also a perfect seasonal transition dish — like at the end of summer when you want to enjoy the last of the fresh veggies while the weather is shifting into cool, cozy mode.

This bacon grease and green leaf lettuce is simple. Fry up some bacon (or dig into your stash), drizzle the hot bacon grease drippings over a bowl of fresh picked lettuce and let the liquid swine crispies wilt — or kill — the lettuce lightly.

You can add green onions, crumbled up bacon, hard-boiled eggs or even red wine vinegar to the dressing to round it out, but it’s tasty even in its most simplistic version. James Beard, in “American Cookery,” writes that a wilted lettuce salad is “one of the oldest and probably the most functional of salads.

It can be made with nearly any type of greens and needs so few ingredients that it could be prepared en route in the covered wagon, in camp, or in the most primitive house.”

The Wall Street Journal named wilted lettuce “America’s Most Satisfying Salad” in a 2018 article that also praised the Appalachian salad for making a generous meal that lends itself to “endless improvisation.”

While the origins of the simple salad are obscure, Appalachia certainly took to it and continues to celebrate it.

The dish integrates with our culinary traditions easily — making use of something available and stretching that ingredient as far as it can go. Appalachia is known for its resolve and its ingenuity is evident throughout the region’s culinary history.

Through dishes like this, Appalachians help keep food history and food traditions alive — even when they’re kilt.

It's my latest column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail!

It’s known by a few different names: pull candy, cream candy, cream pull candy, Kentucky pull candy, pulled cream candy and myriad combinations of the aforementioned terms.

The Kentucky treat is made with just a few simple ingredients, like heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and boiling water and dates back to the 1800s. What it lacks in ingredients, it makes up for in labor: The candy is often a team effort that involves cooking, pouring it on a cold marble, pulling, cutting, creaming and finally enjoying.

The result may look basic, but the Bluegrass State delicacy has a unique smooth-crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. From what originated in family recipe books to then being created in mass production, the candy has a storied history – with three northern Kentucky businesses at the center.

Rebecca Ruth Candy
After gifting chocolates to friends and family during past holidays, substitute school teachers Rebecca Gooch and Ruth Hanly Booe built their hobby into a candy enterprise. In 1919, the two twenty-somethings opened Rebecca Ruth Chocolates in Frankfort, Kentucky, and the business still sells “Kentucky Creamed Pull Candy” in both plain and chocolate-covered varieties. The humble pull candy is often overshadowed by the famous “bourbon ball,” which was later invented by Ruth Hanley Booe.

Ruth Hunt Candies 
Two years later, Ruth Hunt of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, began selling her homemade confections that had become a hit at her local bridge club. The demand for her sweets, which were crafted in her home, became so great that she moved from a small store in her home to a large factory. Ruth Hunt’s Blue Monday bar, which is the cream pull candy covered in dark chocolate, is the company’s most famous product. They also come in milk chocolate and mint varieties and received their name after a preacher stopped into the store and said he needed one of the sweets to cure his “blue Monday.”

Mom Blakeman’s Candy
In the 1940s, Maxine “Mom” Blakeman began making her creamed pull candy in her home in Lancaster, Kentucky, and became the final well-known, old-school cream pull candy creator. She was encouraged to market her candy by her good friend, Colonel Harlan Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Mom Blakeman’s offers a variety of the candy: bourbon, chocolate covered with pecans, strawberry, peppermint, orange and peanut butter.

These early companies helped expand the prevalence of cream pull candy throughout Kentucky and Appalachia as a whole, and it can be found in pockets throughout the region. Former Charleston Daily Mail reporter Zack Harold shared a story for West Virginia Public Broadcasting earlier this year about a retired coal miner in Winfield who has made the candy for 36 years.

In author Mark Sohn’s book, “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, & Recipes,” he lists “cream pull candy” in the top 50 foods associated with Appalachia — along with the likes of ramps, shuck beans, and venison.

The old-fashioned confection may have modest beginnings, but it has certainly grown to have quite an impact — not just on our culture, but on our taste buds, too.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

My favorite part of summer isn’t sunshine or swimming pools. It’s not warm temperatures or fireflies at night.

It’s tomatoes. Plump, bright red tomatoes.

Tomato sandwiches on white bread with Duke’s Mayo. Tomato salads with cucumbers and Italian vinaigrette. Tomato pie topped with sweet basil.

Tomato pie — and not the Sicilian version of dough and sauce — is a savory dish created in the Southern United States and adapted in Appalachia. And, it’s perfect this time of year.

This pie is at its prime as a summer dish, when tomatoes are in season and naturally sweet. It’s a great way to use up those end-of-the-season fruits (or vegetables?) from the garden. (P.S. Scientifically, the tomato is a fruit. But in a culinary sense, it’s a vegetable.)

The summertime pie likely dates back just a few decades. Southern Living published its first recipe for tomato pie in June 1978 — around the time the dish seemed to become widely popular.

Most recipes call for a pie shell with a filling of caramelized tomatoes — maybe with basil or other herbs — covered with a topping of grated cheese with mayonnaise or sour cream. I’ve also seen a far less common sweet tomato pie that uses green tomatoes that have been butter and sugared, though it seems to date back much later in history.

Whether you have red tomatoes or green tomatoes on hand, they can help make a delicious southern tomato pie. Try a savory version with tomatoes like Mortgage Lifters, Cherokee Purples or Brandywines. Or maybe Old German, Akers West Virginia and Hillbillies. Having at least two varieties helps provide some variation in texture and flavor.

Enjoy one last tomato dish of the season by tasting the flavors of the south — no matter whether you say “toMAYto” or “toMAHto.”

My latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

In Appalachia, we like to make use of every part of an ingredient.

Take a carrot, for example. Chop and roast the root vegetable, then save the tops for a pesto or vegetable stock. Apples? Enjoy the fruit and use the skin and core to make a jelly. For potatoes, cube and boil the spuds to make mashed potatoes, but keep the peels to roast as a crispy topping for a casserole.

And then there’s watermelon.

Yes, watermelon. The pink meat of the fruit is often enjoyed at backyard barbecues or poolside gatherings, and the green rind — not to be tossed aside as waste — can then be pickled.

While not unique to Appalachia, this classic Southern tradition of pickling watermelon rind fits into West Virginia’s food culture.

Resourceful. Creative. Tasty.

Watermelon is thought to have originated in Africa thousands of years ago and spread through China, Europe and America. Now, it can be found at any family reunion, summer party or festival.

And pickling the watermelon rinds is a great way to not only make use of the whole melon, but also enjoy a bit of summer all year long. The pickled rinds are sweet, zesty, and full of vitamins B and C.

Depending on your choice of pickling spices, the rinds can be suited to your tastes. Add them to a summer charcuterie board, top tangy deviled eggs with them or even try them on a hot dog (just don’t tell West Virginia hot dog purists I suggested it).

This perfect Southern- turned-Appalachian snack gets at the heart of summer — and Appalachian values.

Here's my latest column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

Those bright pops of yellow that spring up on a summer lawn are more than just weeds indicating that the grass is a day or two past its prime.

Dandelions, named for their sharply toothed leaves (a version of the French phrase “dent de lion,” which means “lion’s tooth”), offer much more in the way of culinary and herbal value.

The flower belongs to the genus Taraxacum, which can be found all over North America. The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) was introduced into North America hundreds of years ago from Europe for a variety of reasons: The young greens are delicious and healthy with high amount of Vitamins A, B, C, E and K, in addition to calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and potassium.

Dandelions play a large role in a number of herbal medicines. The dandelion, which now propagates as a wildflower, also provides a nectar source for a wide variety of pollinators especially early in the season: honeybees, butterflies, moths and nearly 100 more species of insects. Plus, the leaves and seeds feed birds, chipmunks and other wildlife. That’s because dandelions are edible from root to flower.

Dandelions are often described as having an earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter taste. The perennial herb’s root is a relative of chicory and can be dried, roasted and used for coffee. That same root can also be peeled and cooked like a vegetable. The greens are perfect for a salad or for pesto. Roots, leaves and stems can all be brewed to make tea. The blossoms can even be dredged and deep-fried like squash blossoms for a special treat.

So, with all these positive attributes — is the dandelion a weed? Or a flower? It depends on who you ask — and where it’s growing.

A weed is a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and competing with cultivated plants. A flower is the part of the plant often brightly colored at the end of the stem and survives for just a short period of time. While the dandelion doesn’t appear on the USDA’s Federal Noxious Weed List, most people don’t want them in their carefully manicured gardens or competing with surrounding plants that can affect the local ecosystem. The hardy plants grow well in most soil types and have a high tolerance for nutrient-poor soil, as well.

Our ancestors may have seen dandelions as an invaluable flower that could provide food, medicine and help the local honeybees, whereas most people today aren’t foraging for their food and instead find the ferocious grower a pest. The dandelion maintains those steadfast and hardy characteristics that are emblematic of Appalachia. They bloom even when the environment is tough and are resilient even when some may not want them to be so.

Whether you wish for the dandelions to rise to their respected position in the flower chain or to disappear from your lawn altogether, you can do so with a big exhale on a dandelion puffball.

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

You know that magical moment when you approach a clearing in woods? The sun is dripping through tall, overhead trees, and springy green moss covers stones. You see those whimsical ferns popping up from the ground with furled green fronds — seemingly from an enchanting story.

Those are fiddlehead ferns.

Fiddlehead ferns aren’t a particular type of fern; rather, they are a stage of growth. They are harvested early in the season, usually in May, before the coil has a chance to unfurl — creating a delightful and delicious vegetable.

The main species of sought-after fiddlehead fern found in Appalachia is the ostrich fern or Matteuccia struthiopteris. Ostrich ferns can be in the New England area, as well as eastern Canada. Other edible fiddlehead-type ferns can be found in other regions, such as the bracken and lady ferns of the Pacific Northwest.

The vibrant, emerald green ostrich fern fiddleheads, named so because they look like the head of a fiddle curled up, contain a trace amount of toxins, so they must be cooked before being consumed — at least for 5-10 minutes to be safe.

First, remove any of the papery brown skin by rinsing them off. Then, you can steam, braise, sauté, roast or even pickle them — after blanching, of course.

After cooking, the bitter flavor will disappear, revealing a bright, slightly sweet essence. It’s like a mix of asparagus with a grassy and snappy green bean. Because of those light flavors, it’s best to not overdress with heavy sauces or rich dressings. They’re perfect in salads, sides or pasta.

Beginning in early spring, fiddleheads can be found in West Virginia near moist river valleys, roadside patches and other forested areas. West Virginia is graced with this naturally growing delicacy — along with many others in the spring, like ramps and morels.

Using these gifts from the ground are part and parcel of Appalachian cuisine. Not only do Appalachians know how to make use of foraged foods and native plants, they also know how to do it well. That’s just one of the reasons why Appalachian cuisine is so unique — just like the fiddlehead fern itself.