KANSAS - Pie #16 of 50 - Emily Foelske
I have never been to Kansas!
All I knew of Kansas before this was from watching The Wizard of Oz so you know Tornados and it being no place like it according to Dorothy. I had also heard from my buddy Chuck about how boring it was to drive through cause it's so gosh dang flat!
Did some light Kansas factual reading and found of the following things:
Did you know that Smith County, KS is the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states.
Sumner County, KS is known as "The Wheat Capital of the World" in 1997 Kansas produced a record of 492.2 million bushels on wheat! That's enough to make 35.9 billion loaves of bread. THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF CARBS!
Fun fact! At one time it was against the law in Kansas to serve ice cream on cherry pie?! Who would deny someone a little a la mode.
Kansas has no state foods but what Kansas is known for is Kansas City BBQ! After much reading on regional BBQ I found out that what sets Kansas apart is the barbecue sauce. It is a tomato based sauce that is sweet, spicy and tangy. Kansas City bbq has also made popular the "burnt end" which is the delicious end piece of meat when it is smoked. It's chard and smoky and just full of umami.
The Kansas City pie is a slow cooked pulled pork pie with a jalapeño corn bread crust and home made BBQ sauce. Yes it is all cradled in a regular pie crust to hold it together like the snuggle blanket you need to burrito yourself in after a big BBQ meal while you nap away. This pie will stick to your bones for sure. (I ate two slices WHOOPS! a moment on the lips forever on the hips)
This pie is for my boss Emily! Emily hails from Boulder, CO but she ventured off from sprawling hills to the flatlands of Kansas to attend Kansas University where she studied Industrial Design and made fine friendships. Only the fondest memories in Kansas for her in the state that is "as big as you think". Her baby Ellis even wore a K.U.. shirt for pie delivery day! Little gem!
On to the next "K" state that I will bake while I sip a mint julep.