Smathers and Branson Needlepoint Flask giveaway!

Sometimes Football Wishes really do come true!

To get us all in the tailgating mood, the kind folks at Smathers and Branson have graciously offered to give one of their adorable needlepoint flasks to a lucky HerKentucky reader!


One winner will be awarded a Needlepoint Flask from the Smathers and Branson collection.  You can choose the Maker's Mark design, straight from our Tailgating Wishlist...

... or maybe the Mint Julep design, to get yourself in a Derby frame of mind.

Every Smathers and Branson design is so cute, it'll be hard to choose!

You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  The contest ends Thursday, August 30, and the winner will be announced on Friday August 31. The winner can choose from any in-stock, non-monogrammed flask in the Smathers and Branson collection. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gift Guide for Kentucky Dads

The other day, my brother and I were joking about how easy it is to phone it in with Father's Day presents.   I figured that most Americans would opt for a new iPad loaded with the Weber Grill app -- done and done.  This got me thinking about truly unique, Kentucky-themed presents.  Here are a few ideas that I believe your father, husband, etc., will adore.

via Keeneland Gift Shop

If Dad loves racing, Keeneland-logo gear is always appreciated.  This Smathers & Branson needlepoint belt is just gorgeous, a Keeneland Tervis Tumbler is always appreciated, and the Keeneland twill baseball cap is a classic favorite.

via Pennington and Bailes

via BigTimeBats.

The Kentucky fan on your Father's Day list would love these seersucker shorts from Pennington and Bailes or a UK tie from Vineyard Vines.  And how awesome would this National Champs Louisville Slugger be for his office shelf?

Of course, Kentucky has so many local treasures to offer your dad.  My own daddy asked for a round at Lexington's Kearney Hills Golf Links. If Dad isn't a golfer, a trip to a local lake or state park would be fun.  A trip to see the Legends or the Bats is appreciated by the baseball-loving dad.

 

The foodie dad would appreciate a trip to one of Louisville's incredible restaurants.  I'd suggest Proof on Main for great food, cool atmosphere and fantastic cocktails.  Of course, you can never go wrong with a bottle of bourbon.  Pair dad's favorite bottle with a set of whiskey stones, and you're good to go.

Are there any Kentucky gifts on your Father's Day shopping list?

Now You're Cooking with Bourbon...

Image via Southern Living.

A few Sundays ago, my beau and I had just sat down to a patio brunch at one of our very favorite Downtown Lexington spots when we happened to notice the folks at the next table.  They were clearly a family, a mother, father, and a twenty-something son.  Their rapid accents and references to Westchester County easily identified them as upstate New Yorkers.   As we finished deciding on our order, we happened to hear the lady at that table wondering about dessert selections, so my beau handed her his menu.  A moment later, she asked us whether the restaurant carried "something called Derby Pie", which she'd been told to try on her trip to Kentucky.

Now, it was a sunny, lazy Sunday morning -- kind of a picture-postcard day -- and we decided it would be a lovely time to play "native Kentuckian" for these folks. (Later, my beau would jokingly say of the encounter, "This is so going in HerKentucky, isn't it?")  So, I gave our new friend a mini lesson on Derby Pie -- how nearly every Kentucky restaurant sells a variant of Derby Pie, but are bound by trademark restrictions to call it something else, how she definitely wanted to try it before she went home, etc.  As she asked more questions about the pastry and its preperation, I went into the basic instructions of how to make a Kentucky pie-- chocolate, walnuts, and a heavy splash of Maker's Mark.

"Does it have to be Maker's Mark, or can you use any bourbon?" the lady then asked. 

Image via Maker's Mark.

Now, as I've said before, Maker's is the bourbon of choice at our house.  We just love its caramel notes and its smooth drinkability.  We know that any time I cook with chocolate, I add a splash of Maker's for balance.  We know that any time we want to undwind with a nice cocktail, it's Maker's and Coke or a Maker's Manhattan.  But, the truth is, it has been ages since we thought about  or explained the reason.  Needless to say, we jumped into Maker's Mark Ambassador mode and gave our Knickerbocker friends a little lesson in bourbon.

I first explained to our fellow diner that I always use Maker's Mark in baking because the three distinct notes -- smokiness, caramel, and a hint of vanilla -- provide a complex counterbalance to chocolate.  This flavor profile compliments the chocolate flavor deliciously.  My beau then took over from there,  noting that Maker's is distilled in a very unique manner, using red winter wheat instead of rye, which creates a smooth and caramel-textured bourbon. 

By this time, the youngest member of the dining party had returned from paying the check.  His mother asked us to repeat a few details for his benefit, to which he replied "Do you work for Maker's Mark?'

"No," my beau and I said, almost in unison.  "we just really like bourbon."

How to Plant a Bourbon Barrel Planter

In my part of Kentucky, landscape designs often feature bourbon barrels pretty prominently. Cities' garden societies beautify their downtowns with the oak barrels, so I figure I’m not above it!

A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to buy four half barrels for $10. Total. I jumped at the chance. For those of you not lucky enough to work in the industry, barrel halves are available for public purchase. Here’s one site I found – watch out for shipping. Maybe they’ll let you pick them up to avoid those charges?

Last weekend, my little sister moved into a new house – one that she and her husband hope will be their home for a very long time. While she assures me that landscaping and front porch furniture are in the works, I decided that a barrel planter was in order for a housewarming gift!

Bourbon barrels are more massive than you think! Each half weighs about 60 pounds, is about 18” tall and about 24” in diameter, tapering towards the bottom.

Each half barrel requires about 2.5 cubic feet of dirt or potting soil. I used Pro-Mix Ultimate Container Mix. Knowing the skill my sister has at keeping plants alive (I’m much like her), I chose to go with the planting medium that claims to hold on to water and contains a fertilizer already mixed in.

Before buying your plants, it’s good to assess the sun/shade situation of your planter. This particular location will get mostly full sun during the day, so I bought accordingly. I always find it helpful to lay out projects before committing to a final draft. Planting flowers is no different. So, here’s my rough draft – situating the still-potted plants around the space to see what works and doesn’t.

It turns out that my rough draft was pretty pleasing. My sister approved it, and I went to work planting the items. In the back, with the broad leaves, I planted 3 Tropical Yellow Canna Lilies. In the middle, as a sort of focus piece, I planted a Hardy Lily – it should grow a bit taller than the canna lillies and really stand out. On either side are two Shasta Daisies. In the middle are low-growing pink Dianthus. Finally, spilling over the front is a pretty plant with velvety leaves called Dichondra or Silver Falls.

As these grow, I’m hoping that they fill out and really shine on the front porch. If we all keep our fingers crossed and they survive my sister’s black thumb and the summer, all the varieties should come back next year, with the exception of the ornamentals up front.

It’s simple to make a nice, welcoming entrance to your home with bourbon barrel planters, plus it’s so completely Kentucky that it will be an instant conversation piece for any out-of-state visitors you might have!

Bourbon: of Love Notes and Legal Opinions

Earlier this week, Sarah blogged about Derby Pie, the Louisville-based pastry that is so unique and wonderful that it warrants trademark protection.  While the nut-and-chocolate pie springs up under many names across the Commonwealth, there is only one pastry that can be called Derby Pie.

Image via ABC News.

Yesterday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals similarly found that there is only one brand of booze that can feature a seal of dripping red wax -- Loretto's own Maker's Mark.  The truth is, you don't need the Court of Appeals to tell you that the Maker's trademark is "extremely strong"; the distinctive wax-sealed bottle is unmistakable even to teetotalers.  Now, here at HerKentucky, we've spent more than our fair share of time reading legal opinions.  And, most of us have been known to mix up a bourbon cocktail or two.  Needless to say, this story stoked the geek fires around here. 

Even if legal documents aren't your thing, Judge Martin's opinion is kind of awesome. Before going into the intellectual property issues at the heart of the case, he takes a lot of time to just talk about whiskey. It reads like a love letter to bourbon.  In describing the process that yields Kentucky's signature spirit, he waxes poetic.  In establishing bourbon's role as the greatest of all spirits, he evokes imagery from Harry Truman to James Bond.  Even the footnotes are lyrical, pointing out that  "the spelling of the word “whiskey” has engendered impassioned debate." While Judge Martin and his law clerks clearly had a blast researching this issue, they also got me thinking about the uniquely Kentucky character of bourbon.

Image via KY ABC.

As every Kentuckian knows, bourbon is created from a blend of sour (corn) mash which is aged in charred-oak barrels.  The sweet caramel and vanilla notes are produced by natural sugars occuring in the wood. The process began in the Central Kentucky region known as "Old Bourbon." And, while bourbon can technically be produced outside the boundaries of the Commonwealth, most of us consider Kentucky production a key.  It's been estimated that 97% of all bourbon is produced in Central Kentucky.   (And, really, who would want to know what that other 3% is, let alone drink it?)

Most Kentuckians have a favorite bourbon, whether we use it for drinking or cooking.  I'm a Maker's girl myself; I love the smooth, smoky caramel taste in a cocktail or to provide a complex note in chocolate desserts.     But, whatever flavor profile you prefer in your bourbon,  it's a taste that's wonderfully unique to Kentucky.

What's your favorite bourbon?

Derby Party

I adore Derby.  I also adore Derby parties.

Derby 2003.

Over the years, I’ve watched the Run from the Roses from Churchill Downs, from friends’ gatherings and from my own living room.  I’ve ordered mint juleps in official Derby glasses and I’ve made them from freshly cooled simple syrup and mint that I planted just for the occasion.  To me, making a big deal of Derby isn’t about having connections to the racing industry or knowing anything about gambling.  It’s simply a celebration of Kentucky.  One year, several of my aunts and cousins gathered at my grandmother’s house for a Derby party.  We watched the race and drew horse names from a bowl to determine our “pick.”  We made quarter bets, and my ever-so-religious grandmother insisted that the winner put the pot in the church offering plate the next morning.  To this day, it’s one of my fondest Derby memories.

When we lived in Nashville, I couldn’t let the celebration slip.  One year, I made a huge production of donning a festive Lilly Pulitzer dress and an over-the-top chapeaux, even though I was watching the race in the living room of our condo and my beau and our black lab were far more modestly attired.   Perhaps it was a little silly, but I felt connected to home in a profound way.

And they're off!

This year, I’ll be watching Derby with a small group of relatives in my hometown.  As I’ve planned the soiree with my mother, I’ve put together a list of my favorite Derby party recipes.

Derby Pie™

Derby Pie was first created by the Kern family at the Melrose Inn in Prospect.  Although the official name of pastry has been trademarked by the Kerns, many variants of chocolate and nut pie have arisen across the state.  I still prefer to pick up an original Kerns Kitchen version.

Louisville Stoneware Hot Brown Plate

Mini Hot Browns

Hot browns are my favorite.  They’re rich and decadent.  And they have no place being eaten in front of people.  A great alternative is a little hot brown bite – there’s all of the comforting flavor, but none of the gooey mess nor resulting carb coma.

Cut several slices of bread into quarters and lightly toast.  On each toast point, layer a small amount of shaved turkey breast, provolone cheese, a slice of Roma tomato, and about half a piece of cooked bacon.  Place in toaster oven or in a warm oven until the cheese has melted and the tomato has slightly wilted. Serve immediately.

Beer cheese

I love beer cheese.  The sharp, tangy dip is an amazing compliment to crackers or crudités.  It’s also pretty awesome on a warm hamburger.  Beer cheese recipes across central Kentucky come in two varieties – standard and mayonnaise-included.  I prefer the former.  I love the flavor that Bourbon Barrel Ale gives beer cheese – the nutty, complex beer with a hint of bourbon is the perfect complement to the sharp tang of the cheese and garlic.

In a food processor, combine about 20 ounces of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, 2 minced garlic cloves, 4 ounces of flat beer (Kentucky Ale Bourbon Barrel is my favorite for this recipe), and a dash each of salt and Tabasco sauce.  Pulse until smooth.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Mint Juleps

Louisville Stoneware Mint Julep Pitcher

Among Kentucky’s true bourbon aficionados, the recipe coined by Courier-Journal founding publisher Henry Watterson rings true:

 "Pluck the mint gently from its bed, just as the dew of the evening is about to form upon it ... Prepare the simple syrup and measure out a half-tumbler of whiskey.  Pour the whiskey into a well-frosted silver cup, throw the other ingredients away and drink the whiskey."

It just  isn’t Derby without a julep, though.  Just make a simple syrup: combine one cup water and one cup sugar in a saucepan.  Let the sugar dissolve in the water and allow the mixture to simmer slightly.  Remove from heat and let cool. (You can depart from the traditional “muddling” by infusing the syrup with mint -- just add a sprig of mint when you remove the syrup from the heat and let steep for about 15 minutes, then strain.)  Combine one part simple syrup to two parts bourbon (I prefer Maker’s Mark) in a small pitcher.  Add a mint leaf or two to each julep glass; muddle by pressing mint along the cup with the back of a spoon.  Pour bourbon-syrup mixture over crushed ice.  Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Benedictine Sandwiches

I’ve never been a huge Benedictine fan, but I’m dying to try my hand at making a batch of my own.   The famous cucumber spread invented by Louisville caterer and cookbook author Jennie Benedict is synonymous with the Derby City.

The recipe I want to try this year comes from the Courier-Journal:

· 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
· 3 tablespoons cucumber juice
· 1 tablespoon onion juice
· 1 teaspoon salt
· a few grains of cayenne pepper
· 2 drops green food coloring

To get the juice, peel and grate a cucumber, then wrap in a clean dish towel and squeeze juice into a dish. Discard pulp. Do the same for the onion. Mix all ingredients with a fork until well blended. Using a blender will make the spread too runny."

What do y’all serve at Derby Parties?

Emmie's 20 Things

Several weeks ago, the HerKentucky contributors each listed their favorite things about Kentucky. I am the turtle in the group, but figure this post is better late than never! There are so many things I love.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Awesome people
2. Lexington Athletic Club
3. The pedestrian-friendly Bardstown Road in Louisville
4. Missy's pies: Served at Lexington-based Ramsey's (not the Louisville Ramsi's) and also available out of their small Ashland Ave. store, these pies are amazing and there are dozens of flavors
5. Columbia Steakhouse Nighthawk: if you like steak, you must try this
6. Keeneland: Spring meet is during my birthday and fall meet is during my favorite time of the year
7. Woodland Art Fair in Lexington
8. Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park
9. Graeters ice cream: yes, they're Cincinnati based, but they're coming back to Lexington soon. Raspberry Chocolate Chip is ridiculous
10. Bluegrass Tavern: nothing fancy about this bar, but it's near Cheapside and I've had great memories there
11. US60: The drive from Versailles Road to I-64. Gorgeous horse farms lining the drive.
12. Coffee Times: Lexington coffee house I've gone to for over 12 years
13. Bourbon
14. Kentucky basketball
15. Brunch at Winchell's
16. The Legacy Trail
17. Lexington Farmers Market on Saturdays when it's outside
18. Chrisman Mill Winery - where I got married
19. Lexington Corn Maze at Kelley Farms
20. (and 21.) Ramsey's (Lexington) and Ramsi's (Louisville).