Dinner Tonight: Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

When we were on our recent trip to Kentucky we visited the Brown Hotel for a Hot Brown, a signature of the hotel that has become a state-wide classic.  Every restaurant in  the state has their own take on the tradition, and it varies from city to city.  Some places use country ham instead of bacon.  Some use a sharp cheddar in place of Romano cheese in the mornay sauce.

I decided to make it more family friendly by doing my version as a casserole.  The mixture of flavors you get from the bacon and the mornay sauce mix well with the turkey and the crunch from the toast.  The key, oddly enough is the acidity from the roasted tomato that cuts through the fat of the cheese to really complete this dish.  You all gotta try this one!  Fat Boy Heaven doesn't get any better than this.

Hot Brown Casserole makes for a great dinner

FAT BOY HEAVEN

Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

YIELD

 8 Servings

ACTIVE TIME

 5-10

TOTAL TIME

 60

INGREDIENTS

• Casserole

  • 3 cups (1/2-inch cubes) toasted bread
  • 3 cups diced cooked boneless turkey breast

• Sauce

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 1/2 cups Parmesan/Romano blend shredded cheese

• Topping

  • 1 cup chopped cooked bacon
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan/Romano blend shredded
    cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x12-inch casserole dish. Place bread cubes in bottom of the dish. Arrange turkey on top. Set aside and make the sauce.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium, then add flour and stir to make a smooth roux. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, until flour barely begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from heat, then slowly whisk in half-and-half. Next, slowly whisk in heavy cream. Finally, whisk in milk. Return to heat and continue to cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles, about 8 minutes.
  4. Add cheeses, remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over bread and turkey in dish. Sprinkle with bacon and tomato, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes.  Broil for 5-7 minutes until cheese browns.

Athenian Grill: Greek Bistro & Market by Ilias Pappas — Kickstarter

 When we were in Kentucky, I wrote about the Ambassador Day at Makers Mark on day two of our visit.  One of the great things about that day was the amazing greek food we had from Athenian Grill in Lexington and their booth on the food court there.  Now Athenian Grill is working to open a permanent location in Lexington, and has turned to Kickstarter for funding.  While most of the awards for backers are only going to be valuable to people in the Lexington area, the $50 reward includes shipping of their scratch-made pastries anywhere in the U.S.

If you are in Lexington, or really anywhere in Eastern Kentucky, I encourage you to consider supporting Illias in getting this restaurant built, you will love his food and his passion.

Dinner Tonight: The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich

Tonights dinner came about because of my son's crazy TV viewing habits.  For some reason, he is a huge fan of the old Rosanne Show, which he found somehow on NetFlix.  On the show Rosanne and her sister start a Loosemeat restaurant called "The Lunch Box", where they serve only trays and trays of this midwest classic.

The mixture of sugar, vinegar, and old fashioned yellow mustard caramelize once the water evaporates to leave a nice crust of flavor on the meat, and keeping it moist in the process.  Think sloppy-joe without the slop and you are on the right track with the mess this will make, but it is a great easy to make sandwich that would serve well on any pub menu.

The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich

YIELD

4-5 servings

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 lb of real good ground chuck or 1 lb ground beef round or 1 lb ground sirloin
  • 1 tablespoon fat like lard (if meat is round or sirloin) or 1 tablespoon Crisco (if meat is round or sirloin)
  • 2 teaspoons salt, just enough to lightly cover bottom of your skillet
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • water, to cover
  • salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Get out a cast iron skillet-they are the best for loosemeats-or other kind if you have no iron skillet.
  2. Melt fat over medium heat and lightly salt bottom of skillet.
  3. Break ground beef up in skillet and start crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon-this is very important-the meat must end up being cooked up into small crumbles.
  4. Add chopped onion while browning meat.
  5. Keep working with the back of spoon to break up meat.
  6. When meat is browned, drain off any fat and return meat to skillet.
  7. Add mustard, vinegar, sugar, and just enough water to barely cover meat in the pan.
  8. Cook, at a simmer, till water is all cooked out-between 15-20 minutes.
  9. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Heat your hamburger buns-they're traditionally steamed for loosemeats-I like mine toasted lightly-do it the way you like it.
  11. When buns are warm, put yellow mustard on them and add some dill pickle slices-I put on lots!

Dinner Tonight: Steak Tacos with Slow-Roasted tomatoes

I had some London broil left over from the Mediterranean salad I made the other day, and decided tacos would be a great way to use it on a warm spring day here in Oregon (a pretty rare occurrence).  I found this recipe in my email from PureWow, and decided that with some simple modifications it would work well.  The only change I made was due to my meat already being cooked medium rare last night when I started.  I sliced it up, tossed it in the rub seasoning from the recipe, and heated it through in the cast iron skillet, making prep time much shorter.

Steak tacos with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes and a simple guacamole were a big hit last night.

Steak Tacos with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

YIELD

6 SERVINGS (ABOUT 12 TACOS)

ACTIVE TIME

35

TOTAL TIME

3 hours, 35 minutes (Mostly roasting time for the tomatoes)

INGREDIENTS

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

  • 2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons FRESH thyme leaves, roughly chopped

• Spice-Rubbed Steak Tacos

  • One 1 1/2-pound flank steak (any steak will work, I used London Broil)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon medium-heat chile powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 large avocados, halved and pitted
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus more for seasoning
  • 12 small flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Make the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 200˚. On a large baking sheet, spread out the cherry tomatoes and roast, stirring occasionally, until wrinkled and juicy, about 3 hours. Remove the cherry tomatoes from the oven and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
  2. Make the tacos. When the tomatoes are nearly done, rub the steak with the salt and pepper, then set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the oregano with the cayenne, coriander, cumin, chile powder, smoked paprika and sweet paprika. Rub the steak all over with the spice rub, then set aside.
  3. In a large cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Add the steak and cook, turning halfway through, until medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Transfer the steak to a cutting board or plate and cover it loosely with foil. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the reserved tomatoes with the smoked paprika and thyme; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the avocado with the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Using a fork, mash the avocado to make a rustic guacamole. Season with additional salt and lime juice, if desired; set aside.
  5. Just before serving, warm the tortillas in a dry skillet and divide evenly among six serving plates. Thinly slice the steak and divide evenly among the tortillas. Top with the reserved roasted tomatoes and guacamole; serve immediately.

NOTES

Adapted from Marx Foods recipe by Pure Wow

Dinner Tonight: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Steak

Some family friends made this a couple of years ago for a gathering, and it has become a spring/summer go to for our family every since. A nice salad of chickpeas, thinly sliced red onions, and feta cheese is dressed with a spicy vinaigrette and topped with thinly sliced medium-rare steak. This can also be made with lamb instead of beef if you prefer, which I sometimes do.  Even the kids love this one, and how can a fatboy go wrong with steak on a salad?

YIELD

4 servings

ACTIVE TIME

25 minutes

TOTAL TIME

35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• Salad

  • 32 oz softened chickpeas
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz crumbled feta
  • 5 to 6 mint leaves, thinly sliced

• Salad Dressing

  • 3 Tbs. Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbs. Lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Chili Sauce (I use Siracha)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Herb and Garlic seasoning

• Steak

  • Marinade of choice
  • 1 lb London Broil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Salad Dressing

  1. Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.

• Salad

  1. Drain chickpeas and place in bowl
  2. Thinly slice red onion, cut into small pieces
  3. Add Dressing and toss to coat
  4. Add Feta just before serving

• Steak

  1. Marinade steak for 4-6 hours
  2. Grill steak to taste (I prefer medium-rare, especially for this salad)
  3. Thinly slice steak against the bias to improve tenderness. Place thin slices of steak over the top of salad and serve.

Dinner Tonight: One-pot Sausage and Peppers

I love good, old fashioned comfort food, as anyone who has read this blog should realize.  One of my favorite foods is a nice Italian specialty that my Dad used to make once in a while (but never as often as I asked for it), sausage and peppers.  He would do it on a flat top griddle, with homemade marinara cooked in a separate pot and served over the sausage and peppers on a hoagie roll.

My take on it kicks the flavor up by cooking everything in a single pot, allowing the flavors to marry much more effectively.  This is quick and simple, and a great way to make comfort food accessible to everyone.  I prefer hand made sausage to pre-packaged, and get mine from the local New Seasons Market.  If you have access to locally made and grown ingredients, always use them rather than processed food.  

I served it on a ciabatta roll to evoke some of my childhood memories, but you can easily make this gluten free by serving it over brown rice or Paleo by serving it by itself.    Another great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to scale.  You can cook this for 8 or 80 very easily, and it tastes just as good if not better the next day.  Give this one a try folks, this a very important and flavorful slice of Fat Boy Heaven.

Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot

YIELD

 Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 pounds Italian hot and/or sweet sausages
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed
  • 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 large red or yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 can tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes (15 ounces)
  • A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Place the sausages in a high-sided skillet or Dutch oven and cover with 1 inch of water and add 1 tablespoon EVOO to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat a bit and allow the water to boil away. The sausages will gently cook through in the water, and then the EVOO will crisp the casings up to a deep brown.
  2. Remove the sausages to a plate.
  3. Heat the remaining EVOO, a couple of turns of the pan, in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the fennel seed and chili pepper, then add in the peppers, onions and garlic as you slice them. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes to soften. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then the wine for 1 minute more. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes. Finish with parsley.
  4. Slice the sausages on an angle and add them to the pot. Cover, cool completely and store for a make-head meal. Reheat, covered, over medium heat or in oven on moderate heat.
  5. Crisp up chunks of bread in a warm oven just before serving for mopping up your plate!
  6. Cook's note: Wrap the bread in plastic or freeze if not using within 24 hours.

Dinner Tonight: Slow Cooker Chinese 5-Spice Spare Ribs

I love my crock pot.  Like a slow oven, it can make any cut of meat a tender and delicious masterpiece with little effort.  I have used this basic recipe for pork ribs in the slow cooker before, but decided to see how it would do with beef spare ribs, as i love how meaty and flavorful they can be.

Full of flavor and amazingly tender, these ribs are a great meal, and the meat is also a great base for any chinese stew

As you can see in the picture above, this treatment in the crock pot builds an amazing crust on the outside of the meat, while allowing most of the extra fat to drip into the bottom. of your cooker.  You can remove the fat and use the drippings as a sauce, but I didn't think the ribs needed it.  The literally melted in my mouth, and the bones pulled free easily after seven hours on high.  The small amount of liquid in the bottom of the crock was enough to keep the meat from drying out, and added just an extra hint of flavor from the Maggi and vinegar.  I just served them with ribs, but they would be equally good with a nice stir fry.

5-Spice Slow-Cooker Pork Ribs

Asian style pork ribs, great on their own with stir-fry veggies, and a great base meat for an oriental stew.

YIELD

 4-8 servings

ACTIVE TIME

 2 minutes

TOTAL TIME

 6-12 hours

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 to 4 pounds pork or beef ribs
  • salt & ground black pepper
  • coarse (granulated) garlic powder
  • Chinese five-spice powder
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Maggi

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Lay the ribs on a cutting board and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Now rub a good amount of five-spice powder onto the ribs. I didn’t measure, but I was pretty aggressive with it; the top of the ribs were pretty evenly brown with powder.
  2. Measure the rice vinegar and the Maggi into the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the ribs, cover, and cook on high for about 6 hours or on low for 8-10. Really, you can’t cook them too long. They’re ribs; they’re very forgiving.
  3. Chill the liquid left in the bottom of the slow cooker so the fat separates. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil, simmer for a few minutes, then use as a dipping sauce for the meat.

Review: Woodford Reserve Mint Julep Bourbon Balls

On our recent trip to Kentucky I discovered the perfect candy - Bourbon Balls.  A uniquely Kentucky confection, bourbon balls are an amazing mix of a velvety smooth confection and bourbon, always (at least commercially) coated in chocolate, and often served with a pecan half on top.

While at the Woodford Reserve distillery I found a great twist on the bourbon ball, Mint Julep Bourbon Balls.  Taking the traditional bourbon ball and adding mint to mimic the taste of a mint julep works amazingly well, and makes a great candy even better.

Recipes for bourbon balls date back to the early days of bourbon in Kentucky, and many family recipes pass down through generations, each slightly different than the next.  Woodford Reserve's bourbon balls are made by Ruth Hunt Candies, a family owned business dating back to 1921.

The inside of a bourbon ball

Bourbon Balls are traditionally made by soaking finely chopped nuts in bourbon overnight, the mixing the nuts with sugar and butter to make a delicious candy.  Here is a very traditional recipe:

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

YIELD

 24 balls

ACTIVE TIME

 20 mins

TOTAL TIME

 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 cup chopped nuts
  • 5 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
  • 18 ounces semisweet chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Place the nuts in a sealable jar. Pour the bourbon over the nuts. Seal and allow to soak overnight.
  2. Mix the butter and sugar; fold in the soaked nuts. Form into 3/4" balls and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Line a tray with waxed paper. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Roll the balls in the melted chocolate to coat; arrange on the prepared tray. Store in refrigerator until serving.

Dinner Tonight: Shrimp and Grits

Carrie took a trip to South Carolina a few months ago, and brought me back a large bag of stone ground grits, a food I love but is impossible to find in Oregon where we live.  When we were looking for something to make for dinner the other night she found this recipe.  Most traditional shrimp and grits recipes include a spicy andouille sausage, so this was a surprisingly lighter alternative with bacon instead.

Shrimp and Grits, a perfect dinner

This will be our go-to recipe for shrimp and grits in the future.  The acid from the lemon juice does a great job cutting through the fat from the bacon and the cheese in the grits.  The combination of flavors is much more refreshing that you would expect from this southern classic.  Give it a try, this is awesome!

SHRIMP AND GRITS

YIELD

4 servings

ACTIVE TIME

15

TOTAL TIME

45

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 cup stone-ground grits
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. To make the shrimp and grits recipe, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.
  2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits.

On the Road: Distillery Tours Day Four

On our fourth and final day touring distilleries in Kentucky we visited two extremes as far as age.  We started at one of the newest and high-tech distilleries in the state, Town Branch, and ended at the oldest continuously operating distillery in the state, Buffalo Trace.  The contrast in methods is striking, but the process is the same.

The new Town Branch distillery was completed less than a year ago.

Town branch is located near downtown Lexington, but their barrels are aged offsite.  Here you see racks of barrels brought in from the warehouses for bottling.

Town Branch is a new brand, and the off shoot of an interesting process.  Alltech Brewing has been making beer for years under the Kentucky Ale label.  Their flagship is Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, a wonderful ale that is finished in used bourbon barrels for six weeks before bottling.  This creates a wonderful dark ale with the sweetness and caramel flavor of bourbon enhancing the hoppy ale to amazing effect.  Since beer and bourbon start out fairly similarly, they decided to distill their own bourbon to ensure a ready made supply of old barrels (although they use barrels from several distilleries).

This display shows the effect of barrel aging on bourbon.  From left to right you see bourbon fresh off of the still, at six months, and at two years.

The double pot stills in the new Town Branch distillery.  Mash is cooked in one, cooled in tanks below the floor, then pumped into the second still to be distilled again before being barreled.

Seeing the brewing and distilling processes side by side at Alltech was a very interesting part of the trip.  After touring all of the other distilleries, seeing such a modern operation was great as well.  It was a very enjoyable time.  It also made for an interesting contrast from our afternoon at Buffalo Trace.

Upon arriving at Buffalo Trace you are greeted by the old brick rickhouses on their enormous grounds.

Our last stop on this whirlwind adventure to see ten distilleries in four days was the storied Buffalo Trace Distillery.  Makers of the four hardest to find and highest rated bourbons in the word (Pappy van Winkle, George T. Stagg, William Larue Wheller, and Thomas Handy), Buffalo Trace was the distillery I most wanted to visit on this trip.  While I wasn't able to snag any of these hard to find brands from the gift shop (they are in such short supply that they are apparently never sold on site) it was an amazing tour, made better by our guide Coy's knowledge and the amazing access afforded us on what Buffalo Trace calls their "Hard Hat Tour".

The corn silos at Buffalo Trace are HUGE.

Buffalo Trace uses pressure to speed the cooking process of it's mash.  This is one of eight 9800 gallon mash cookers.  Each one is emptied every week and refilled.

Here we see where the magic happens.  Each of the mash fermenters at Buffalo Trace ferment more than 90,000 gallons of mash.

Here we see a fermenter that has been working for around 3 days.  The red substance is oil from the mash bill that floats to the top of fermenter as part of the process.

At the top of the still is the tasting box.  Here the raw spirits can be sampled and viewed as they come off of the still to determine alcohol content and taste.

This is a better shot of the tap at the tasting box.  From this tap we were allowed to sample raw whiskey from the still.  It was a lot sweeter than the other new-make spirits we tried during the week. Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace.

This tank captures the distilled spirits off of the still before barreling.

Here we see the heads and tails tank.  The heads and tails are pure ethyl alcohol, and the source of all of the old warnings about moonshine causing blindness and death.  A novice distiller who does not know how to remove these first spirits and the remains from the bottom of the tank from the whiskey they are selling can cause serious harm to their drinkers.

This kettle still holds more than 45,000 gallons of mash, and is one of several at Buffalo Trace.

Here, in a small room off the side of the fermentation tanks in what was the old yeast growing room we find Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley's private domain.  In this room he creates the "experimentals", small batch, limited edition creations made available in limited quantities if he feels they are worthy of distribution.  According to Coy less than 10% of his experiments are made available outside of the distillery.

As you can see Buffalo Trace really rolled out the carpet and gave us full access on their tour.  I have many more pictures, but these illustrate the process of making Bourbon and show the age and character of the distillery best, in my opinion.

This ends the tours of distilleries in Bourbon Country.  I have completed my passport and will be sending off for my t-shirt.  We had a great time, and will return to Kentucky soon.  Carrie and I both loved it, and found a ton of places we would like to explore with more time.

Stay tuned for reviews of a couple of the better restaurants we visited and pictures from our time at Church Hill Downs and Keenland for Kentucky's second biggest tourist draw, it's wonderful horse and racing tradition.

On the Road Review: Wallace Station Deli, Versailles Kentucky

On Old Frankfurt Pike outside of Versailles, KY is a small deli next door to a historic Bed and Breakfast.  Smack dab in the middle of horse country, this little deli is serving up some great food to great acclaim.  

The Big Brown burger from Wallace Station Deli

A cross section view of the Big Brown, Wallace Station's signature burger.

Guy Fieri of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” named their "Big Brown" one of his Top 5 burgers! Griddled on the bun, with ham, bacon, tomato and white Cheddar Mornay sauce this was a burger I had to try for myself.  Carrie and I both gave it a try, and were happy we did.

The burger patty was a little under seasoned to my taste, but the beef was wonderful and obviously fresh.  The ham was a wonderful change to the traditional "Hot Brown", with great flavor and a superb salty-sweetness that helped tie the burgers flavors together.  Thick sliced bacon, a fresh tomato, and a super creamy mornay sauce finished of this amazing sandwich well.  I don't know if it's in my top 5, but it surely is in the top 10.  The only things I would change are a little more salt on the patty, a thicker hunk of ham for texture, and a sharper cheese in the mornay. 

The counter includes an amazing desert case (which we skipped on this trip), along with a selection of sauces and drinks to take home.  As you can see, the back wall proudly displays the sign left by the folks from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives

Wallace Station is a great little deli, and a must stop destination if you find yourself between Frankfurt and Lexington.  It's small homey atmosphere and historic details made it a great stop on our trip through horse and bourbon country in eastern Kentucky, and will have us stopping back in the next time we visit.

On the Road Review: Ramsey's Diner, Lexington Kentucky

Ramsey's Diner on high Street in Downtown Lexington, KY

 It frankly surprised us how hard it was to find a place open for dinner on a Sunday night in Lexington.  Kentucky still has quite a few blue-laws on the books, and many places don't seem to think it is worth it to only be open for a half day on Sunday.

Ramsey's, with four Lexington area diners, is a Kentucky tradition. Opened in 1989 Ramsey's has become the home of Kentucky cooking featuring "meat and three" (choice of 13 country style entrees combined with a choice of three out of 23 fresh veggies). For $11.95 you get your choice of meats and three sides (all referred to as veggies, which is confusing if not used to southern dining).  

Char-Broiled Pork Chops with three veggies (fried green tomatoes, apple fritters, and deep-fried parmesan corn on the cob)

I went with the Char-Broiled Pork chops for dinner, and was very happy with my choice.  Char-broiled and basted with "Ramsey's Red Sauce" (a sweet and tangy sauce like a barbecue sauce without the smoke or spice).  I had with it Apple Fritters, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Parmesan Deep Fried Corn on the Cob.  The fried green tomatoes were a little soggy (oil probably wasn't hot enough when they were put in), but the apple fritters and Parmesan Deep Fried Corn on the Cob were FABULOUS.  I don't know why it never occurred to me to deep-fry corn on the cob, but after eating it I'm not sure I ever want it any other way.

Ramsey's meat choices for their classic "Meat & Three" dinner menu are: Meat Loaf, Chicken Livers, Country Fried Steak, BBQ Chicken Breasts, Lemon Yogurt Chicken Breasts, Fried Chicken Breasts, Skillet Fried Pork Sirloin, Pan Blackened Catfish, Southern Style Catfish, Cajun Fried Catfish, Buffalo Fried Chicken Breast, Pot Roast, Char-broiled Pork Chops, and Country Fried Pork Chops.

One thing unique to diners in the south is their classification of anything with meat as a "veggie".  The veggies on the menu at Ramsey's are: Veggie of the day, Macaroni 'n' Cheese, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Green Beans, Creamed Corn, Honey Mustard Carrots, Corn Oysters, Yellow Squash and Onions, Fried Green Tomatoes, Pinto Beans, Apple Fritters (literally sliced and cored apples dipped in batter and deep fried), Kale Greens, *Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes (*mixed together and stewed), Fried Okra, Sauteed Spinach, Stewed Tomatoes, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, French Fries, Baked Potato, Sweet Pickled Beets, and Parmesan Deep Fried Corn on the Cob* 

They feature other choices on their menu including burgers, salads, sandwiches, and the obligatory "Hot Brown".  Meat & Three is their staple though, and it will never change.  Given the variety, many people opt just for the veggie plate, allowing them four of the "veggie" selections for just $7.95.

If you find yourself in Lexington, you have to give Ramsey's a try.  This is a little piece of Fat Boy Heaven down south.

On the Road: Distillery Tours Day Three

Our third day meant three more distilleries, although we didn't have time for guided tours of any of them.  We left Bardstown headed for Lexington and some time at the races at Keenland race track.  We watched a couple of races and took in the raceday excitement before heading out for our first stop, Wild Turkey.

The oldest and least commercialized visitor center on the Bourbon Trail is at Wild Turkey.

Our next stop on the way to Lexington was at one of the best distilleries we saw, Woodford Reserve.  We were too late for a tour, but got to explore their visitors center and enjoy a tasting.  They have a cafe, gift shop, and tasting bar at Woodford, all of which are beautifully decorated.

The visitors center at Woodford Reserve is beautiful

The visitors center at Woodford sits on a rise overlooking the distillery operations, making for a beautiful view of these rickhouses in the distance.

Our final stop of the day was at Four Roses, one of my favorite bourbons.  Once again, we arrived too late for a tour, but had a chance to taste three varieties of their excellent bourbon.  Four Roses was one of the first distilleries to experiment with single barrel and small batch bourbons, and their experience shows in all areas of their tastings.  They give you the chance to try a normal bourbon, a small batch (the marriage of less than 100 barrels), and a single barrel all of which began with the same recipe or mash bill.  This gives you a great chance to see how age can effect the taste of your bourbon.

The visitors center at Four Roses

While our third day of touring was more of a whirlwind it was a great day.  I'll post about our visits to Church Hill Downs and Keenland separately.

On the Road: Distillery Tours Day Two

Makers Mark

Day Two started out at Ambassadors Day at Makers Mark.  More than 5000 brand ambassadors showed up for a special day of self guided touring and the first annual Handcraft Festival showcasing local artisans from Louisville to Lexington and all points south and between.

45 minutes before check in started this was the line we found for entrance into Makers Mark's Ambassador Days party

Inside the warehouse at Makers Mark there was a line all day to buy limited edition bottles of Bourbon.

The small rickhouse at Makers Mark.  A small number of barrels are kept here for the tour.

This spring-fed creek supplies the water for Makers Mark's wildly popular bourbon.  Just part of the beautiful grounds at the distillery.

It was a great event.  Several food vendors were onsite, and attendees were treated to food, ice cream, and tastings of Maker's new 46 Bourbon.

The Lamb Gyro sliders from Athenian Grill in Lexington looked too good for us to pass up.

I got to dip my own bottle to seal it in the word famous wax at Makers Mark.  Very cool.

It was a great time at Makers Mark.  They really rolled out the red carpet for us.  Great Food, classic Bourbon, and some great handcrafted items from all over Kentucky made this a fun time for all invited.

Willett Distillery

From Makers Mark we headed back towards Bardstown and visited Willett Distillery.  Willett is one of the smaller distilleries we visited, but was a great chance to see an old distillery coming back to life.  They have been making a name for themselves for quite a while with their Johnny Drum line, but until last year it was distilled for them at an unnamed distillery using the original mash bill (recipe), along with all of their other bourbons while the family was rebuilding the still house operations at the original site just down the hill from Heaven Hill distillery. 

The original stillhouse is still standing, but was gutted in the early 1980's

Willett has a great history.  The original stillhouse built in 1936 is still standing, but was gutted in the early 1980's by an ethanol company that owned the property before the family was able to buy it back in 1984.  At that time the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd., registered distillery DSP-KY-78 started operations under the ownership of Even G. Kulsveen, the son-in-law of original founder Thomas Willett.  Today Evan's son Drew serves as master distiller, and he oversaw the distilling of the first bourbon actually made on site just over a year ago.

Barrel number one since the refurbishment of the Willett Distillery won't be ready to bottle for at least another year, and likely 4-6.  It was signed after being filled by all the living Willett descendants.

Upon entering the stillhouse, the fist thing you see are the two giant mash tons, where water, corn, and wheat are mixed to soak before heading to the fermenters.

Mash working in the fermenters at Willett Distillery

As the yeast works converting the sugars from the grain into alcohol, sometimes violent eruptions of carbon dioxide from the bottom of the tank.

The new potstill was set in place after being designed (and improvements patented) by Evan and Drew Kulsveen.

The rickhouse at Willett contains just the barrels filled since full distillation restarted onsite last year.

The tour ended with a tasting in  the visitors center.

We had a chance to try two great bourbons while we were at Willett.  The first was Willett Potstill Reserve, their flagship.  The second I tasted was a bourbon I have heard about for years, but never had a chance to taste, Johnny Drum Private Reserve.

My tasting notes from the Potstill Reserve

My tasting notes of the Johnny Drum.  I love this bourbon, and it is easy to see why the critics love it too. I'm happy I was able to bring a bottle of this home with me.

Barton 1792

Our third and final stop of the day was the Barton 1792 Distillery near downtown Bardstown.  We arrived too late for a tour, but it was great to see this old distillery, the only active distillery still in the city limits of Bardstown.

Barton 1792 stands on the site of the historic Tom Moore Distillery in old Bardstown.

Barton 1792 is home to the worlds largest bourbon barrel.

On the Road Review: Mammy's Kitchen, Bardstown Kentucky

We were driving through downtown Bardstown tonight looking for someplace to eat and stumbled on Mammy's Kitchen.  I have never had a happier accident.  Our server greeted us with a smile, and was quick with our drinks while waiting for us to decide on our order.

One of my favorite southern specialties is fried pickles, and the offering from Mammy's was as good as it gets.  Well seasoned and a sweet flavor that I have not found anywhere in the north is the few bars that attempt fried pickles.  Perfectly fried, they cam to our table hot, crispy, and not oily at all.  To this fatboy appetizers don't get any better.

Carrie ordered the Fried Green Tomato Burger, and I went with what the menu called their signature burger, the Bourbon Burger.  Let me just say that I love burgers.  I have tried every burger I HEARD was worth the visit.  I say that to say that there are only one or two burger I have ever tried that are the equal of Mammy's Bourbon Burger.

The Bourbon Burger at Mammy's easily makes my top 5 burger list.  You have to try this burger.

The Bourbon Burger starts with a perfectly seasoned patty.  Nothing fancy, just quality beef with a perfect balance of salt and pepper.  The patty is then basted with an amazing bourbon sauce that is sweet without overwhelming the meat or the toppings, yet still providing that perfect hit of a nice smooth bourbon.  It is topped simply with a slice of spanish onion and a small handful of french-fried onions.  It packs a lot of onion flavor, but the combination of the meat and the bourbon glaze stop the onions from overwhelming the bite.

Carrie loved her Fried Green Tomato Burger as well.  The tomato had good bite, and was fried perfectly.  The beef was perfectly cooked and she agrees that it was perfectly seasoned as well.

The Fried Green Tomato Burger from Mammy's Kitchen

In all this was a very pleasant surprise, and we may just find ourselves back at Mammy's tomorrow to dig a little deeper into the menu.  This place is Fat Boy Heaven ya'll!!

On the Road: Distillery Tours Day One!

We started out the day at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, KY.  It was a great experience, and a great chance to try some Bourbons that are not generally available in Oregon.

The new American Stillhouse at Jim Beam's distillery

We were late for the guided tour and didn't want to wait for the next one, so we explored a little bit and then headed for the tasting room.  We tasted four whiskeys that we had never tried before: Jacobs Ghost New Make, Knob Creek Single Barrel, Red Stagg Honey Tea, and the just released Jim Beam Honey.

The Jacobs Ghost was raw, as you would expect a short-aged whiskey to be.  Strong citrus and corn notes without the mellow caramel and vanilla notes that you expect from a Bourbon.

The Knob Creek Single Barrel was beautiful.  A wonderful dark caramel bourbon that tastes strongly of brown sugar and vanilla, with a smooth woody finish on the back end.  Too bad this is limited release.

The Red Stagg Honey Tea was just far too sweet for me, with flavoring that was supposed to be tea but did not taste like any tea I've ever had.  It might work mixed with sweet tea, but not on it's own.

The Jim Beam Honey was just released last week, and is smooth and delicious.  This is a trend that started with Wild Turkey's American Honey, and has continued through American whiskeys with Jack Daniels, and now Jim Beam has brought theirs to market.  Personally, it is too sweet for me, but is the best of the honey whiskeys I have tried.  If you like the others, this will be love at first taste.

The Bourbon Heritage Center at Heaven Hill

Our second stop of the day was at Heaven Hill.  While the name may not be familiar to many, their brands definitely are.  Heaven Hill makes Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, and the ultra premium Parker's Heritage bourbons among many others.  Heaven Hill is the second leading producer of Bourbon in the world (behind only Jim Beam), and is the only distillery still family owned and operated.  They love bourbon here, and do a great job educating bourbon drinkers new and old on their favorite spirit.

Rick houses are visible as far as the eyes can see, with hundreds of thousands of barrels aging

We took the deluxe tour today, and enjoyed it greatly.  Our guide Deb took us through the rick house to see how bourbon is stored, and to explain the process of aging quality bourbon.

Inside rickhouse Y we see the nectar that is or soon will be bourbon as it ages.

After touring the rickhouse we were brought back inside the heritage center for a tasting of two great bourbons, the Evan Williams single barrel and the Elijah Craig 12yo.  Deb did a good job of walking us through the process of nosing and tasting to help those new to bourbon identify the flavors and methods that make bourbon such a unique whiskey.

The historic 6,000,000th barrel of Heaven Hill whiskey

On the Road Review: The Brown Hotel

The Lobby Bar at The Brown Hotel

When you look up places to eat in Louisville, KY the Brown Hotel is always at the top of the list.  The hotel originated a sandwich that has become the official dish of Louisville, the "Hot Brown".

The Hot Brown is made by starting with two pieces of texas toast in the bottom of an oven-safe crockery dish.  It is then covered with two large chunks of roasted turkey.  A roma tomato is cut in half and placed on each side, then the entire plate is covered with a wonderful mornay cheese sauce (in this case made with a Pecorino Romano).  To finish it off it is crossed with two slices of applewood smoked bacon and shredded cheese before being placed under a broiler for 3-5 minutes until shredded cheese is that wonderful bubbling brown that we all love.

I have eaten hundreds of sandwiches in my time, but this is my new favorite.  Fortunately, Carrie agrees, and was even the one to suggest that making these become our new Thanksgiving tradition.  I'm not going to argue with that!

The Original Hot Brown, from The Brown Hotel, Louisville, KY

A trip to Bourbon Country requires a cocktail!  Carrie went with the Brown Hotel's signature "Kentucky Cocktail" (Ale8one ginger ale with Makers Mark bourbon), and I had one of the best Old Fashioneds I have ever tasted.

Review: Mountain Dew is back to basics!

I was at Safeway today and found a welcome site. According to the distributor that was sticking the cooler, the return of 12oz bottles is the beginning of the return of the original Mountain Dew recipe, once again made with sugar instead of HFCS. Evidently, the success of the "Throwback" labels have convinced PepsiCo that getting rid of HFCS makes sense, probably a welcome word to the shareholders with the current price of corn.

Dinner Tonight: Stifatho (Traditional Greek Stew)

I found a great Paleo friendly recipe for a classic Greek stew called Stifatho, and decided it would be great to try for dinner tonight.  The great flavor of beef combines so well with the traditional Greek spice combination of cinnamon and cloves that I am amazed they are not used more in savory American cooking.  The sweetness of the spices is cut by the slight acidity of the tomato sauce, and complimented by the currants and feta.  Give this a try folks.  Healthy and amazing flavor combined to create Fat Boy Heaven.

Paleo Greek Stifatho

Classic Greek stew

YIELD

 4-8 servings

ACTIVE TIME

 30

TOTAL TIME

 3-7 hours

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 tblsp fat (some use butter, some use oil. I used Macadamia oil)
  • 2 to 3 lbs grassfed beef cut into 1.5" cubes or 4lbs. short ribs (regular stew meat works well also)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 10 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • 1 cup tomato puree (canned or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 lb small pear onions (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons currants (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons diced dates (optional)
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 1/2 cup crumbled imported Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese (regular is fine and, of course, optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. In a dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons butter/oil over medium-high heat, then brown the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes. I add the meat in batches, so I do not overcrowd the pot with meat, since I like to get the meat really browned for best flavor. Remove the meat and place in bowl so the juices are caught in the bowl. Add the chopped onion and garlic cloves to the dutch oven until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring. Add the tomato puree, wine, and wine vinegar to de-glaze the dutch oven. Pour the meat and its juices back into the dutch oven. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cover the dutch oven and braise over low heat for 1 hour. Add the small onions and currants and cook until meat falls off the bone (if using short ribs), about 1 hour more. Add the walnuts and cook 20 minutes more. Add the feta cheese and cook 5 minutes then serve.
  3. **If using crockpot method, follow directions up until you cover and cook for one hour. Instead, place ingredients in crockpot after all the sauteeing and cook over high heat for 4 hours.