"Bird-Doo"

When I was a Girl Scout in Kentucky, one summer I went to day camp. It was on a big farm. I don't remember a whole lot about it. We made God's Eyes. I think we cooked things in tin foil that turned out to be inedible. We camped out in a tent one night, and of course it rained.

By far, the most vivid memory for me – a budding foodie, even then – was the final night of camp when we put on a program and invited our families to the farm for a cookout. I was fascinated as I found out that we were going to cook an authentic Kentucky recipe called Burgoo. As they came and set up the huge iron pots over outdoor fires I was speechless. There must have been four or five pots that held at least 100 gallons each. We watched as they poured, measured and stirred those pots all day long with us as their helpers. It smelled heavenly! All day long I smelled the rich stew and got more and more hungry and impatient for my parents to arrive so we could taste what had tormented us all day.

I remember standing in line with my styrofoam bowl, eager for the line to move faster. We each got a serving and sat down on blankets to share our meal together. I dipped my spoon into the stew and raised that first bite, my mouth watering in anticipation. The hot liquid hit my tongue and I don't think I've ever been more disappointed! It was truly, madly, horrible!

There were tastes that I couldn't identify. . .it felt greasy in my mouth. I went away that night, hungry and dissatisfied. My expectations had not been met and I was a cranky girl.

What I know now is that Burgoo is a stew that is composed of wild game. Live and learn. . .

As we got in the car to go home after that terribly disappointing meal I informed my family that I had renamed the flagship food of the state of Kentucky. From that day forward it was no longer to be called Burgoo at our house. It's new name was Bird-Doo!

Just this weekend Ali and I went antiquing. I found this book that came home with me, to join the rest of the old Southern cookbooks in the collection.



It was published in 1936 by the Culinary Arts Press. The first recipe in the book is this:


Kentucky Burgoo
(This recipe makes 1200 gallons)

600 pounds meat
200 pounds fat hens
2000 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
200 pounds onions
5 bushels cabbage, chopped
60 10-pound cans tomatoes
24 ten-pound cans puree of tomatoes
24 ten-pound cans carrots
18 ten-pound cans corn
Red pepper and salt to taste
Season with Worcestershire, Tabasco or A1 Sauce

Mix the ingredients, a little at a time, and cook outdoors in huge iron kettles over wood fires from 15-20 hours. Use squirrels in season. . .one dozen squirrels to each 100 gallons.

In my humble opinion, you can fancy it up with squirrels, possom, Tabasco or whatever other stuff you can find.

It's still Bird-Doo to me.