The Kitchen I Came Home to: Big Flavors and Tall Tales from My Corner of Kentucky
Available September 29, 2026 Author: Sara Bradley,Emily Timberlake Two-time Top Chef finalist Sara Bradley invites you to pull up a chair for a celebration that's a little bit Sunday supper, a little bit Saturday night, with over 100 recipes packed with big flavor, moxie, and plenty of heart. "This is the kind of cookbook that makes you slow down, gather the people you love, and cook with joy. Rooted in Kentucky and brimming with Southern warmth, it's a beautiful reminder of how powerful food can be."--Kristen Kish Sara Bradley always knew the kind of food she wanted to cook. Growing up Jewish in Paducah with her mom and grandma's twists on Kentucky classics, Sara developed a deep love for exploring different cuisines while also staying rooted in the regional traditions that make the city what it is: not just the midwest, not just the south, but the middle of everywhere. Sara's recipes don't use any fancy ingredients or tools and are based in easy-to-learn techniques she learned in her childhood and culinary school. Like how to know when heirloom stone-ground grits are done cooking (hint: use the roof of your mouth) and what it takes to make a steak that's perfectly charred on the outside and medium-rare on the inside (lots of butter). Alongside these techniques are tips on how to use up leftovers and make them into something new, as well as stories showing just how deep the love for food runs in Sara's family. In The Kitchen I Came Home To, Sara shares more than 100 recipes, including: Beer Cheese with Crudités Duck and Dumplings Goat Cheese and Honey Kugel Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken Thighs Cornmeal-Coated Catfish and Fried Pickle Chips Roasted Garlic Matzo Braised Pork Pot Roast with Fennel Aioli Strawberry Basil Pie with Black Pepper Whooped Cream River Bottom Peanut Butter Fudge Green Onion Dressing, aka GOD Dressing With heartfelt and hilarious stories, plus more than 100 recipes, The Kitchen I Came Home To will fill you up with joy, laughter, and delicious food. About the Author Sara Bradley grew up in Western Kentucky. She has cooked professionally for more than twenty years, including for Michelin-starred chefs in New York and Chicago. In 2015, she opened her own restaurant, freight house, back home in Paducah, Kentucky, and in 2025, she was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast. Sara is a two-time runner-up on Top Chef, a Chopped Grand Champion, and the first-ever Chopped Legend. In 2025, she was the first rookie competitor to ever make it to the finals of Food Network's Tournament of Champions. When she's not at the restaurant, you'll find her digging for lucky rocks with her husband, Austin, or chasing dreams with her daughters, Lula and Hazel. Emily Timberlake is the coauthor of award-winning and bestselling books including House of Nanking with Kathy and Peter Fang, I Sleep in My Kitchen with Mariam Daud, Foodheim with Eric Wareheim, Cure with Neal Bodenheimer, and Chapter One with Bobby Flay. A former senior editor at Ten Speed Press, she has edited more than sixty-five books on food, beverage, and pop culture. She lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, daughter, and two cats.