Bena Mae’s Kitchen: American by birth, Kentuckian by the grace of God

American by birth, Kentuckian by the grace of God
 

From horse racing and Bourbon Country, to the culture of Appalachia, Civil War significance and Abraham Lincoln, Kentucky is a state enriched with deep traditions, important history and authentic heritage.

But even deeper than that is the pride of being a Kentuckian and beyond that of being from Corbin where the conversation is usually sports related. Spot a group of men seated at a table in a restaurant and it doesn’t take two guesses to figure out what they’re talking about. Want to know the football or basketball stats? Just ask any one of them. Like The Lord’s Prayer, they’re inbred in each of them. From childhood on.What is it, I wonder, that instills the deeply seated love of the old home town that brings the wanderers back home to Corbin so often? The stirring in the heart when they near the exit to the place where they grew up? Is it the place that makes them feel grounded? Welcome, not just a number?

Ex-Corbinites who have strayed near and far from the town of their roots, often take the values that were shaped by the place where they were born. Tongue in cheek, some of mine are:

Remember some of the teachings of your mother — even though you half listened when she was trying to teach them to you. Don’ lie unless you have a good memory. Be less judgemental unless you’re sure you’re right. Avoid people you don’t like–saves on Maalox. Don’t answer the door if it’s someone you don’t want to talk to. There’s no law that says you have to.
Joking aside, here is a note I found while shredding some old mail. I don’t know who sent it but it sums up how we feel about being a Kentuckian;

A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco working east from there. In each church he visited, he noticed a golden telephone with a sign which read “Calls: $10,000 a minute.”

Seeking out a pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that the golden phone is a direct line to Heaven and if he pays the price he can talk to God. As he traveled eastward, he found the same kind of phone with the same sign in every church he visited.

Finally, he arrived in Kentucky. Upon entering a church in Southeastern Kentucky he saw the usual golden telephone.
But THIS time the sign read” Calls: 35 cents.” Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor. “Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it was a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why is that?”

The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, “Son, you’re in Kentucky now. You’re in God’s country. It’s a local call.”
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Have this ready for your guests as they watch the football games… And let them personalize their chili bowls with a variety of tasty toppings.

Sweet and Saucy Chicken Chili
 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green bell peppers
2 (15.5 ounce) cans spicy chili beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (12 ounce) bottles Heinz® Chili Sauce
1 (14 ounce) can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions

Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, chopped onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are softened.

Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, chili sauce, cranberry sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Or pour ingredients into 4 to 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until mixture is heated through. Divide chili evenly among bowls.

Top with cheese, sour cream and green onions.