Sevierville, Tennessee is located in the Smoky Mountains near Knoxville, Tennessee. When I lived in Maryville and Knoxville in the seventies it was a small town with only a few local owned restaurants and many adventurious hiking trails. The rambling rivers had big rocks you could sit on and have a picnic while watching the river pass you by. And camping was available from primitive to places for big campers to hook up. This is where Dolly Parton grew up and she has never forgotten her roots. Because of her influence and money there is something for everyone now. There are shops of all kinds, knife, pottery, candy, nuts, wine, clothing, just to mention a few. And go carts, miniture golf, helicopter rides, simulated skydiving, horseback riding, oh the list goes on. Restaurants for any craving you might have. If you look hard enough you can still find some of those local owned restaurants with woodburning fireplaces serving mountain country food. Dolly’s Dollywood has more than just rides too. Her whole family is involved in the music performances so you can imagine how good they sound. Since the cabin is just four and a half hours from Charleston, West Virginia, where we spent a wonderful family Thanksgiving, we drove to the cabin to spend the night on the way home. David Yaussy, our beloved brother in law, who is willing to put anything in his outside deep fryer, fried the turkey, fish, potatoes and twinkies!! All turned out delicious! The next morning the smell coming from the kitchen was barbecue. David had decided to turn some of the leftover turkey into barbecue for sandwiches. The recipe for this is a family affair. First David fries the turkey. Then Dick Yaussy, David’s dad, is given the chore of getting off all the turkey pieces from the turkey bones and he does such a terrific job no one else is ever even asked. (Thank goodness) Then you put pieces pulled apart into the crock pot. Another family member, Sherri Yaussy, has given us her family’s barbecue sauce and we pour that all over the meat and heat it for awhile. Of course you can use any barbecue sauce you like. We take turns stirring it occasionally.
This was a tasty supper for us as we ate by the fire enjoying our little getaway in the mountains.
Back in the early seventies we were transferred from Lexington, Kentucky to Maryville, Tennessee. Since I grew up in Ohio and had never heard of the Smokies or Gatlinburg I was anxious to explore these mountains. Gatlinburg, the name alone has such a romantic sound to it and the city being nestled down between the mountains makes the whole city perfect for lovers. To our delight Maryville was only thirty minutes from there when you took the back roads through Townsend also known as the quiet side of the Smokies. We enjoyed hiking the trails, walking across the big rocks through the mountain streams and driving under the covered bridges. Having picnics in Cades Cove and watching wild life all around us was spectacular. Buffalo aren’t just on the range I found out! One of my favorite things to do was walk the streets of Gatlinburg where people were holding hands and eating bright red candy apples flavored with cinnamon. You could hear children laughing and dulcimers being played in the back ground. They have restaurants over looking the creeks and in the winter time you smell the fireplaces burning. Candy shops are on every corner and through the windows you can see them making it. You’ve never tasted such fresh fudge when it’s still warm. But my favorite of all are the corn dogs! Fanny Farkle’s have foot long corn dogs dipped in their own homemade batter and fried in front of you. The best ever! And not just back then but now as well! Fannie Farkles is still in the same place right on the main drag. You must try it!
I appreciate how the regions of our great country use what they have to create different and sometimes unusual recipes. On a recent trip to Florida I discovered this delicious chicken salad. Of course they would use their ever present oranges in it.
