Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story by Rachel Louise Martin Book Review
A new book explores the socioeconomic and racial politics that brought us Nashville’s signature chicken dish.
Today is National Hot Chicken Day, which sounds like a holiday I want to celebrate at least once a week!
In recent years, Nashville’s hot chicken has evolved from a local delicacy to a bit of a phenomenon. When we lived in Nashville a decade or so ago, you didn’t hear a lot about it, other than the word-of-mouth that it existed and it was delicious; these days, chain restaurants like KFC and O’Charley’s offer up their own versions of “Nashville Hot Chicken” that sort of taste like the real thing.
As for the “real thing,” Bob and I love it. We find a way to pick up some chicken on every trip to Nashville, and we’ve attended the Hot Chicken Festival. But, to be honest, I hadn’t given a ton of thought to the origins of the iconic dish beyond the legend that Thornton Prince’s lady friend made some allegedly inedible cayenne-spiced chicken as payback for his dalliances, and it turned out delicious. Of course, I receive a lot of press releases in which marketers purport to know the origin of foods, the “original” bourbon distillers, and so on, so I take these origin stories with a bit of a grain of salt. Or, at least I did until I read the new book Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story by Rachel Louise Martin.
In Hot, Hot Chicken, Dr. Martin, a writer and Nashville native, sets out to learn why hot chicken has been a legendary dish for decades among Nashville’s Black community, but only gained notoriety in white Nashville relatively recently. The result is a fascinating history of the Prince family, soul food in the Mid-South, and the experiences of Black Nashvillians from the Reconstruction Era to the present day.
Dr. Martin’s painstaking research traces the Prince family through over a century of public records. She provides excellent insight into the zoning and segregation laws that created two distinct Nashvilles — one for Black people and one for white people — for so long. A particularly interesting anecdote arises in the 1950s when a group of white folks — musicians from the Grand Old Opry, including George Morgan (father of Lorrie Morgan) followed the delicious smell of Mr. Prince’s original Chicken Shack and attempted to order some for themselves. Soon the restaurant, previously frequented solely by Black diners, was forced to put up racially segregated dining rooms to comply with the Jim Crow laws. It’s a harsh reminder of the not-too-distant South.
Nashville Hot Chicken Festival, 2014
In recent years, there has been so much good work done towards setting the record straight on the role that Black Southerners played in creating the regional cuisine and beverages that are an integral part of the cultural identity of the Southeastern United States. These days, any serious whiskey enthusiast knows that Mr. Jack Daniel learned about distilling from Nathan “Nearest” Green. The study of Southern Foodways has expanded to acknowledge the role of enslaved cooks in creating the staple recipes of both Black and white Southern cooks. In Hot, Hot Chicken, Dr. Martin continues this important tradition by tracing hot chicken’s roots from the food served by enslaved cooks in plantation houses to the burgeoning soul food movement of the twentieth century. In the process, she produces an unflinching history of the city of Nashville.
Sophie and I enjoyed some hot chicken at Centennial Park, 2019
Hot, Hot Chicken is a must-read for anyone who loves the food and writing of Sean Brock and Vivian Howard, who wants to learn more about how Black Southerners shaped our cuisine, or anyone who, like me, just loves Nashville and its signature dish of hot chicken!
Old Forester Old Fashioned
Today is National Cocktail Day, y’all. Now, I’m not usually one for these made-up internet holidays, and these days I’d rather sip my bourbon neat rather than mix up a cocktail. But, it was such a lovely afternoon to sit on the porch and enjoy an Old Fashioned.
The Old Fashioned claims its roots in the late 19th century, at Louisville’s famed Pendennis Club. I’ve heard it called Louisville’s official cocktail, and the official drink of Thurby. Whatever you call it, the sweet syrup, tart bitters, strong bourbon and hint of orange make for a lovely cocktail. You can sweeten it with a wheated bourbon or you can add a high-proof pour to even out the edges. It’s usually a great sipper, unless your bartender goes overboard with the bitters.
The best Old Fashioned I ever drank was during an interview and tasting experience. Jackie Zykan, the Master Taster at Old Forester, made the perfect OldFo Old Fashioned as we talked and tasted at the Brown-Forman Shively Warehouse. While this was kind of a once-in-a lifetime experience — trust me when I say that Jackie is one of the coolest, most knowledgeable, and all-around awesome people you’ll ever meet and I can only dream of being a badass like she is— we can all try her recipe at home.
The Perfect Old Fashioned Recipe, via Old Forester
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Old Forester 100 Proof
0.5 oz. Demerara Syrup (2:1)
2 dashes Angostura™ Bitters
Combine ingredients in mixing glass. Stir with ice. Strain over ice in a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon and orange peel.
Cheers, y’all!
Vineyard Vines Kentucky Derby Collection 2021
A new, preppy collection celebrates the Run for the Roses in style!
Every year, I look forward to the Vineyard Vines Kentucky Derby Collection. I love that it includes pieces for any level of celebration, from dresses, fascinators and bowties, to t-shirts and baseball caps.
Vineyard Vines makes the absolute cutest ties and pocket squares for Derby Week! I especially love this pocket square and this bourbon and betting themed tie, which would be perfect for Thurby!
I also always love the annual Vineyard Vines fascinator, which is created by Louisville-based milliner Jenny Pfanenstiel (click here to read my interview with Jenny!) as well as the Derby-themed scarf (click here to read about a VV Derby scarf that held a very special meaning for me!)
Whether you’re headed to the track for Derby this year or watching at home, Vineyard Vines has some fun pieces to help you celebrate in style!
Draper James 25% Off Sale
Don’t miss these great prices on spring staples!
Hey y’all. Draper James is having a fantastic sale through midnight Monday, 3/22. Everything online and in-store is 25% off. This is a great time to stock up on spring favorites. I absolutely love this dress and its long-sleeved counterpart. I also love this navy t-shirt dress; so versatile for spring!!
I love how, during the past year, Draper James has made the transition to stocking more of what I like to think of as “fancy sweats.” You know exactly what I mean — those clothes that are comfortably cut, made from a French Terry fabric, and plenty pulled together enough for a Zoom call. I especially love the Natalie sweatshirt dress — I have it in the magnolia print and the raspberry gingham, and am seriously considering the navy gingham as well. It’s cute and comfortable and versatile!
I’m also a huge fan of the sweatshirts. I wore the Natalie in navy gingham and raspberry gingham and pink magnolia all winter, and am absolutely in love with the Kelsea stripes for spring!
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01 Review
A must-taste limited edition expression from Maker’s Mark
When Bob and I visited the Maker’s Mark distillery a few weeks ago, we picked up a bottle of the latest limited release in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, FAE-01. We’ve tasted it a couple of times now, and we’ve really found it to be the most complex, fruit-forward, interesting bourbon expression we’d tried in a while. I absolutely love this one, y’all.
The Wood Finishing Series was launched in 2019 as an extension of the Maker’s 46 and Private Selection expressions. which finish fully mature Maker’s Mark bourbon in barrels made of a combination of specially-selected charred and toasted oak staves to produce more intense and pronounced flavors. The 2019 (RC6) and 2020 (SE4xPR5) were each made using distinct wood profiles. The first release of 2021, FAE-01, uses virgin American oak staves that have been toasted on one side and left raw on the other, coaxing out both strong earthy flavors and bright, fruity notes.
The release’s name comes from the fatty acid esters which are formed throughout the distilling and fermentation process. Here, the non-chill filtering process favored by Maker’s Mark is crucial. “Non-chill-filtering allows long-chain fatty acid esters (FAEs) to remain in the liquid, which contributes to the creamier mouthfeel and helps preserve and elevate the fruit notes,” a distillery press release explains. The result is really something special.
Maker’s Mark Director of Innovation Jane Bowie noted in the same press release that this expression “tastes just like a barrel warehouse smells.” This is a stunningly succinct and accurate description of FAE-01. All the delightful notes that hit your nose on a warehouse tour are captured in the flavor of this bourbon. It’s a definite must-sample for bourbon lovers. If you run across a bottle of this one, you should definitely pick it up!
FAE-01 retails at $60. A companion expression, FAE-02, will be released in the fall.
We obviously had to taste this one a couple of times to get it all right.
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01 Tasting Notes
Mash Bill: 70% corn; 16% red winter wheat; 14% malted barley
Finishing Wood: 10 virgin toasted American oak staves
Proof: 110.6 (cask strength)
Nose: fruit-forward notes of blackberries, bing cherries, and figs; opens to molasses and a strong note of rickhouse wood.
Palate: bing cherries and lemon zest, demamara sugar, toasted oak, and plums.
Finish: creamy with a lingering balance of earthiness and sweetness.
Dolly Parton Songteller Book Review
Before she was America’s Patron Saint, Dolly Parton was an amazing songwriter. This book tells the stories behind her most beloved and memorable songs.
There’s never been a more wonderful time to be a Dolly Parton fan, y’all. All of a sudden, the whole world is figuring out what some of us have known for years, which is that Dolly Rebecca Parton of Sevier County, Tennessee is The Actual Queen of All The Things. She’s celebrated as an icon and a philanthropist and a businesswoman. She’s been on TV and Netflix and a quirky little podcast. And it looks like she might just save our lives.
Whatever your conception of Dolly — her over-the-top appearance, her amazing capacity for kindness, her rather newly-anointed status as America’s Patron Saint — her original role is as a songwriter. In Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Dolly notes that, no matter her accomplishments as an actress and performer, she thinks of herself primarily as a songwriter.
Songteller is a celebration of Dolly’s career as a songwriter, which has spanned over six decades. The book showcases dozens of her most popular and memorable songs, with Dolly providing memories and backstory to each song. The result is a fascinating and visually stunning look at Dolly’s amazing career as a performer and storyteller.
The hardcover coffee table book is a must-have for serious fans of Dolly or of country music. The book features well-known stories like the inspirations behind Jolene or I Will Always Love You, but also dives into stories that may be new even to devotees. (I particularly loved the story of Merle Haggard’s unrequited crush on Dolly!) The Audible version of the book brings an intimacy to the stories, as you actually hear Miss Dolly recalling each song, while the book provides stunning visual accompaniment. Both hardback and audio versions are a fascinating experience for anyone who loves Dolly Parton, Appalachian culture, country music, or just heartwarming and wholesome stories of good music. Both the hardcover and audio versions are 5/5 must-reads!!
Margie Samuels Commemorative Maker's Mark Bottle
A new bourbon bottle release celebrates the iconic co-founder of Maker’s Mark.
This weekend, Bob and I made a special trip to Loretto to visit the Maker’s Mark Distillery to pick up a collectible bottle. Now, y’all know that we love bourbon at HerKentucky HQ, but we aren’t big on collector’s bottles. Our attitude has always been that we don’t see the point of a bottle of bourbon that you can’t drink. This bottle, however, was so special that I had to have one to keep in my collection. This bottle commemorates Mrs. Margie Samuels.
Paintings commemorating Maker’s Mark Founders Bill Samuels, Sr., and Margie Samuels, Maker’s Mark Distillery
Mrs. Samuels was, of course, the wife of Maker’s Mark founder Bill Samuels, Sr. and the mother of Maker’s chairman emeritus Bill Samuels, Jr. While Mrs. Samuels never held an official title at the distillery, she came up with the iconic red wax seal, hand-lettered label, and bottle shape that sets Maker’s Mark apart. She also came up with the name “Maker’s Mark”, derived from the term for the markings that identified the creators on her collection of fine English pewter. In helping her husband create the brand for his new bourbon in the 1950s, Mrs. Samuels quietly revolutionized bourbon branding and marketing.
Mrs. Samuels’s ideas about historic preservation and distillery hospitality are the basis of the modern bourbon tourism industry. When Bill Sr. purchased an abandoned, pre-Prohibition distillery in Marion County, KY, Margie, by all accounts, “pestered him” about renovating the Victorian-style buildings on the site. Of course, she persevered. A few years later, we’re told, she decided that the distillery site shouldn’t just be a factory — it should be a welcoming spot where bourbon lovers could visit. With Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries receiving over a million visits in 2019 alone, it’s safe to say Margie was onto something with this idea.
I love that Mrs. Samuels’s legacy has been celebrated so much in recent years. She was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2014, one of the first women to attain that status. Her presence is felt in so many ways at the distillery — there are many photos of her around the Maker’s campus, and her beloved historic buildings still stand. You can even buy t-shirts with her imaged emblazoned on the front. (Of course, I had to have one of these.) Every year, Maker’s Mark celebrates International Women’s Day with tributes to Margie Samuels, recognizing her incredible contributions to the modern bourbon industry.
Mrs. Samuels has been a professional inspiration to me as well. Several years ago, Bob and I toured Maker’s Mark when I found myself particularly drawn to the display of Margie’s photo and notebook. I’d heard parts of her story before, but in that moment I was so taken aback by her impact on the Maker’s Mark brand. It was the first step of realizing that, as a writer, I wanted to help tell Kentucky women’s stories and that I wanted to write about bourbon. It’s one more reason that I’m celebrating Mrs. Margie Samuels today.
The Margie Samuels Founders’ Series Bottle is available only at the Maker’s Mark Distillery. $25 of the purchase price of every Margie Samuels Bottle will be donated to Bellarmine University’s Rubel School of Business to fund scholarships for entrepreneurs who are women of color.
