'Blue Ribbon Kitchen': Recipes for one Appalachian grandmother's award-winning dishes
Who is Linda Skeens? That became last year’s question of the summer as word spread that someone at the Virginia-Kentucky District Fair had won 25 blue ribbons: Best Cake, Best Pie, Best Brownies, Best Jelly, Best Jam, Best Applesauce, Best Apple Butter, Best Pumpkin Butter, Best Sauerkraut, Best Spaghetti Sauce.
Her strawberry fudge won Best Overall Baked Good. And even more unbelievable? Her entries won first, second, and third in the cookies, cakes and brownies categories. She went viral on the internet, though she didn’t know because she had no social media.
The cover of Blue Ribbon Kitchen. (Courtesy of 83 Press)
A local reporter finally tracked her down and found a warm, down-to-earth, 74-year-old Appalachian grandmother. The daughter and wife of coal miners was tickled to get so much attention. Now, Skeens has released her “Blue Ribbon Kitchen” cookbook, filled with recipes, tips and descriptions of her life in Appalachia.
Before flying to New York and California for interviews, Skeens had never been on a plane before. Recognition like Taste of the South magazine featuring her recipes
