Kentucky-born Sara Bradley, the owner and chef of Paducah’s acclaimed freight house restaurant, delves into her Southern and Jewish culinary roots in her debut cookbook, The Kitchen I Came Home To: Big Flavors and Tall Tales From My Corner of Kentucky, scheduled for release on Sept. 29. The book’s introduction reads like a memoir penned with Bradley’s folksy charm, a tone that continues in her descriptions and anecdotes accompanying each recipe.
Bradley is a two-time Top Chef finalist, winner of multiple Chopped tournaments, runner-up in Food Network’s Tournament of Champions VI in 2025 and James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Southeast in 2025.
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup whole milk
1. Grease a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter and vanilla on medium speed. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour the brown sugar/butter/milk mixture into the mixer bowl with the powdered sugar/peanut butter/vanilla mixture. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, beat until the mixture is mostly combined and has the texture of soft cookie dough, about 3 minutes.
5. Scoop mixture into the prepared pan and use a silicone spatula to flatten out the fudge. Set aside while you make the chocolate ganache.
Ganache
8 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
Pinch of Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1. Place the chopped chocolate into a medium heatproof (but microwave-safe) bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream and salt over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate, give the bowl a gentle shimmy to ensure that the chocolate is covered, then set aside for 3 minutes. Stir the mixture until smooth and creamy. If there are still a few pieces of unmelted chocolate left behind, microwave in 5-second intervals, stirring well each time, until fully melted.
3. Spread the ganache evenly on top of the peanut butter fudge. Refrigerate until completely set, about 2½ hours depending on the thickness of the fudge.
4. Use a small offset spatula or a sharp paring knife to cut around the edges of the fudge to release it from the cake pan. Carefully flip the fudge out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares. I like my fudge cold, so I store it in the fridge.
Reprinted with permission from The Kitchen I Came Home To: Big Flavors and Tall Tales from My Corner of Kentucky by Sara Bradley and Emily Timberlake, copyright © 2026. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Photographs copyright © 2026 by Ed Anderson.