It’s sure to get your sweetie in the mood, and you’ll be happy when the check comes and you see how much you saved by eating in. For under $50, you can use recipes from my first cookbook, Adventures in New Kentucky Cooking and the upcoming Bourbon Cookbook to whip up something as good as you’d find at any local restaurant. All the recipes are designed to serve six, so make the necessary adjustments or invite two more couples over and make a night of it. Don’t forget the roses and champagne.

To start, mix up a batch of shrubs. Raspberry shrub was one of the most popular drinks in the America of the 1800s and owes much of its popularity to the Temperance Movement, which promoted it as an alternative to hard spirits and beer. The word shrub comes from the old Arabic word meaning drink and amounted to a tart, fruit-based syrup that would be cut with cold water and sometimes alcohol to produce a refreshing summertime beverage. In Kentucky, as in most parts of the country, shrubs were also known as vinegars, no doubt because vinegar was a key ingredient used to macerate the fruit, and they could be made from a wide variety of fruits and berries. Not surprising, Kentuckians often added bourbon whiskey to their shrubs for a more potent concoction. The beautiful pink color makes this the perfect Valentine’s Day cocktail.

Raspberry Bourbon Shrubs

• 4 cups fresh raspberries (frozen will work)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• Sparkling water
• Bourbon

Simmer the raspberries and vinegar in a large saucepan for 20 minutes or until the berries have started to break down. Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, strain it through a sieve to remove all the seeds and pulp. There should be at least 3 cups of juice, if not, you’ll have to add some water to make up the difference. Transfer to a saucepan with the sugar and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is thick and ruby red. For each shrub, you will need to mix together 1 part syrup with 2 parts sparkling water and a splash of bourbon. You won’t even taste the vinegar, by the way.

Read the rest and get the recipes after the jump…

Then, start off with the following appetizer using one of my favorite local delicacies, smoked spoonfish. The spoonfish, also known as the paddlefish or spoonbill catfish, is one of the tastiest byproducts of recent trends in which Kentucky tobacco farmers have turned to aquaculture as a way of diversification. This relative of the sturgeon has firm, white flesh that has become a favorite with seafood aficionados across the country.

Lewis Shuckman, a third-generation fishmonger who operates the family business at his west Louisville smokery, has won numerous awards for his smoked treats. His smoked spoonfish has also gained national recognition for its exceptional quality, and Kentucky spoonfish caviar such as that produced at Schuckman’s has received attention around the world for its exceptional quality. Paired up with savory pancakes flavored with sweet potato, the smoked fish is sure to be a hit.

Smoked Spoonfish with Sweet Potato Pancakes

• 1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 ¼ cups cooked mashed sweet potato
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup flaked smoked spoonfish
• Unsweetened whipped cream and chopped green onion for garnish

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoons onto a hot greased griddle or skillet and fry, turning once, until browned on both sides. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream topped off with flaked spoonfish and green onion.

After you’ve finished the appetizers and cocktails, move on to the soup, which you can make in advance and reheat to serve. Although it has a wonderfully creamy texture, there’s no dairy here, other than a bit of butter. If you want to make it vegan, use olive oil and vegetable stock instead. Now might be the time to pop the cork on that bottle of champagne.

Bourbon Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cups butternut squash, diced, peeled and deseeded
• 1 cup bourbon
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 6 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup honey
• Pumpkin seed oil

Sauté onions and garlic with the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until onions become translucent. Add squash and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn up the heat and add bourbon, cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and cumin. Pour in chicken stock and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until the pieces of squash have started to break down. Add honey and use a handheld blender to puree the soup in the saucepan until perfectly smooth. Correct the seasoning and enjoy with a healthy drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

Now, it’s time for the salad course. This creation is another take on the famous open-faced sandwich from Louisville’s celebrated Brown Hotel, and incorporates all of the main ingredients from the original, but adds the crisp crunch of iceberg lettuce and the tangy zing of bourbon and buttermilk in the dressing. Pop open another bottle of bubbly if you’re out, or switch to a bottle of sauvignon blanc if you’re in the mood for something else.

Cold Brown Salad with Bourbon Buttermilk Dressing

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small turkey breast, cooked and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 6-8 slices cooked bacon
• Asiago cheese
• Toast points

Wash the lettuce and cut into 6 wedges. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, bourbon, salt and pepper. Assemble individual salads by laying several slices of tomato over each wedge of lettuce and drizzling with buttermilk dressing. Top with chopped turkey and bacon, and garnish with slivers of Asiago cheese and toast points.

For the main course, try one of my most popular recipes: filets of beef marinated in bourbon. The steaks need to sit in the bourbon for a while, so make sure you do that before your date arrives. As a side, make a skillet of corn and lima bean maque choux, a Louisiana-inspired succotash. If you want, you could open a bottle of cabernet sauvignon to go with the entree, but everybody knows champagne goes with everything, so pop open another bottle and fill up your glasses. Or, switch over to a bottle of rose champagne. Trust me, it’s not the pink champagne that your parents drank on the night of their honeymoon. Any decent wine shop will have a couple of varieties of this trendy sparkling wine. And it’s pink: think cupid and roses.

Bourbonnaised Filet Mignon

• Six 4-ounce filet mignons
• 1 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown mustard
• ¾ cup heavy cream

Lay the filets in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour in the bourbon and lemon juice. Place the dish in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least four hours, turning each filet over at least once to ensure an even marinade. To cook the filets, melt the butter in a well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season each side with salt and rub with a bit of the brown sugar. Once the butter has started to sizzle, sear each filet for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. To make the sauce, turn the heat under the skillet up to high and add the leftover bourbon marinade. Once it begins to boil, whisk in the mustard and cream and reduce the sauce by half. Correct the seasoning. Spoon over the filets and enjoy.

Corn and Lima Bean Maque Choux

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced celery
• 4 cups corn (about 6 ears)
• 2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
• 1 cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, peppers and celery for 2-3 minutes. Add the corn, limas, bourbon, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, correct the seasoning and serve piping hot with a garnish of chopped parsley.

And, for the piece de resistance: everybody’s favorite, crème brûlée, for dessert. The flavors of orange and bourbon are perfect together in this creamy, not-too-sweet finish to your Valentine’s Day feast courtesy of the Bluegrass Peasant.

Orange Bourbon Crème Brûlée

• Juice of 4 large oranges, about 1 cup
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 8 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon iodized salt
• Sugar for the top

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk together the orange juice, bourbon and sugar in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat until the liquid reduces by half and forms a syrup. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. There should be around ½ cup of syrup. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the cream, vanilla, and salt. Add the cooled orange-bourbon syrup and continue whisking. Divide the mixture between 6-8 ramekins and transfer the individual ramekins to a large baking dish. Set on the middle rack of the oven and add enough very hot water so that at least half of the ramekin sits below the surface of the water. Close the door and bake in this bain marie for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250 degrees and cook for another 45 minutes. Remove the hot water bath and allow the custards to cool in the water. Once they have cooled, sprinkle about a teaspoon’s worth of sugar over the top of each and caramelize under a broiler or with a kitchen torch to achieve the signature sugar crust.

So, pop open another bottle of champagne and get out that box of chocolates. Turn the light down a little more, and get out the candles. You can leave the dishes for tomorrow. I got you started; now the rest is up to you.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

In Midway, Kentucky, Heirloom happens to be one of my favorites restaurants; it’s a trendy, upscale eatery that opened a couple of years ago along the railroad track that slices Midway’s picturesque antique-shop laden main street in half. Heirloom is a sleek restaurant that showcases the best of Kentucky produce under the masterful hands of a talented staff in the kitchen.

After walking through the front door, patrons immediately leave behind the pastoral setting of small-town Kentucky and enter an urban-inspired retreat with tranquil colors, modern décor and smooth lines. A high ceiling and carpet with broad horizontal stripes in tones of russet and fawn lend the space a roomy feel that belies its small size. Intimate and airy, the dining room at Heirloom is highly inviting. High-backed booths in beige leather frame both sides of the room and a corner bar anchors the rear. Lacy white cutouts with flora and fauna motifs hang from the taupe walls and add a bit of whimsy to the space.

Read the rest after the jump…

Design inspiration owes itself in no small part to chef owner Mark Wombles‘ years studying at the California Culinary Academy and eating his way through San Francisco restaurants. West Coast influences can also be seen in the menu, where flavors of the Pacific Rim such as ginger, orange, and miso complement the preference for items from local farmers and producers. Along with chef de cuisine Andy Myers, Wombles has put together a dinner selection with some 20 starter and main course items that count on the best Kentucky ingredients to create an “eclectic and contemporary” cuisine with cosmopolitan flair.

On a recent visit, a friend and I enjoyed an early fall dinner with salads that were both colorful and tasty. The mache and roasted beets ($11) had a truffled lemon-vinaigrette with candied walnuts and Roquefort, and the honey crisp and arugula salad ($12) had been garnished with pecan brittle, saga blue cheese and toasted fennel vinaigrette. Before that we had started off with sautéed crab cakes ($14) with pickled shallots, sprouts and truffled aioli and a shitake and goat cheese tart ($10) with Vidalia onion marmalade that tempted with its tangy contrast of sweet and tart.

Other starters that caught my attention were the endive and pomegranate salad ($11) with warm hazelnut encrusted chevre, arugula and orange-pomegranate vinaigrette, the fritto mixto ($12) with prawn, scallop, calamari, lemon aioli, sun-dried tomato and fennel, and the mussels fra diavolo ($14) with cream, crushed tomato and pepper flakes.

For main courses, we enjoyed pan-seared snapper ($28) with baby spinach, cauliflower puree, crispy leeks, chorizo and cilantro-orange salsa verde, and braised Duncan Farms rabbit ($24) with Parmesan spatzle, crispy Serrano, carrots glace and Dijon sauce. The next time we go back, we might try the organic chicken piccata ($24) with ricotta gnocchi, lemon-caper berry sauce, wilted friseé and arugula and the chile roasted tiger prawns ($26) with almond-jasmine rice cake, yellow curry and basil aioli.

The bottle of Rudd Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($32) we ordered with the appetizers went well with the salads. (It was Wednesday, so the bottle went for half its normal price.) A bottle of Carneros MacRostie Pinot Noir with the main courses went for only $29. For dessert we shared a crème brulee ($6) and a glass of Sauternes ($15), and, after paying the bill and tipping the excellent server, we left Heirloom very satisfied. I took a peak at the lunch menu, and I suspect we’ll be back very soon.

Located at 125 East Main Street in downtown Midway, Heirloom serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (859) 846 5565.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

Why don’t you don an evening gown, tuxedo or a Victorian-inspired costume and join me for the 3rd Annual Spirit Ball on Saturday, October 25 at the Conrad-Caldwell House on lovely St. James Court? This will be the third year that I’ve served as the official greeter for this fall event, and it’s already turning out to be a highlight of the October social calendar in Louisville.

For the uninitiated, the Spirit Ball is a Victorian-inspired masquerade ball that celebrates the haunted past and bygone splendor of Old Louisville, one of the grandest historic preservation districts in the country. With the oppulent Conrad-Caldwell House as a backdrop, most people arrive in elegant masquerade or costumes that would have been en vogue during the Victorian and Edwardian eras – many come dressed as ghostly characters from my books GHOSTS OF OLD LOUISVILLE and PHANTOMS OF OLD LOUISVILLE. Lots of people come dressed as southern belles and Civil War soldiers as well. It’s a great way to celebrate Halloween the old-fashioned way.

Read the rest after the jump…

While enjoying a spirited evening of live music and dancing, party-goers can also bid on items at a silent auction or compete for prizes in the best costume contest. Admission includes an open bar with expertly mixed cocktails and food catered by Masterson’s.

Penny Brisson of Brown-Forman Corporation will be hosting a special vodka tasting featuring the Finlandia label, making a spooky cocktail she has fittingly named the ‘Finlandia Ectoplasm’  In the VIP Spirit Lounge, guests will also enjoy a premium bourbon tasting with exclusive treats that include a Mediterranean cheese tort with pita wedges, jumbo shrimp shots and all the Happy Balls (the official bourbon ball of Old Louisville) you can eat.

Tickets to the 2008 Spirit Ball cost $99 and VIP passes, which include exclusive access to the VIP Spirit Lounge in Haskins Hall, cost $149. For more information, check out the Spirit Ball web site. Proceeds for the neighborhood fundraiser go the Conrad-Caldwell House, an opulent mansion completed in 1895 for Theophilus Conrad. For more information about this Old Louisville landmark, go online.

If you can’t make it to this year’s Spirit Ball, try to make it to the Fifth Annual Victorian Ghost Walk, sponsored by the West St. Catherine Street Neighborhood Association. This annual jaunt through the haunted highlights of Old Louisville is, like the Spirit Ball, a part of the Gathering of the Spirits festival, a fall-themed celebration designed to draw attention to the great things going on in Old Louisville.

This year, costumed tour guides will walk groups of thrill seekers through the neighborhood on Friday, October 24, Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26. Tours depart from the Old Louisville Information Center in Central Park every 15 minutes starting at 6:00 p.m. – the last group departs at 7:30 p.m. The tour takes anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours and tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 the day of the tour.

Along the way, costumed interpreters and spectral visitors from the netherworld will entertain participants with tales of true-life hauntings and intrigue from the neighborhood’s heyday. I’ll be leading the 6:00 group on the October 24 and the 26, so come and join me if you can. If you miss me, make sure to ask for Kelly – she dresses up as a southern belle and is a hoot. People keep coming back year after year to hear her telling her version of the stories. It’ll be a great time. Hope to see you down in Old Louisville this weekend!

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

For the remainder of the year Holly Hill Inn will serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. In addition, on Saturdays and Sundays a three-course brunch menu featuring free-range eggs from Waterworks Farm in Shelbyville and homemade corn muffins and buttermilk biscuits with local sorghum, jams and jellies will be available from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. for $15. Call (859) 846-4732 for more information.

The new lunch menu is as follows:

First Courses & Small Plates

• Newfangled Tomato Dumpling $8
• Summer tomato stuffed with creamy spinach wrapped in crisp filo pastry with sweet pepper gastrique
• Jumbo Lump Crab Salad $9
• Gelled tomato consommé, with lemon basil pistou and pickled vegetables
• Water Works Farm Salad $8
• Woodford County Lettuces with soft-boiled Waterworks egg, house cured bacon lardons, crumbled Barren County Blue Cheese and a punchy sherry vinaigrette
• Holly Hill Inn House Salad $7
• Woodford County lettuces tossed with lemon herb vinaigrette and crumbled Capriole goat cheese
• Late Summer Red Pepper Bisque $5
• Crème fraiche, chive and tiny croutons
• A Selection of Three Mattingly Farmhouse Cheeses $5
• Sugared Walnuts, roasted grapes and water crackers

Read the rest after the jump…

Entrees

• Quiche of the day with a Holly Hill Inn Salad or Soup $10
• Brochette of Beef Tenderloin Tips with Provencal Butter $13
• Richard’s baby roasted potatoes and our farm vegetable of the day
• Kentucky Poussin $13 for a half bird
• Pan roasted with lavender salt, Kentucky grapes, Richard’s baby roasted potatoes and our farm vegetable of the day
• Cast Iron Pecan Crusted Trout Meunier $10
• Richard’s baby roasted potatoes, and our farm vegetable of the day
• Fresh Tuna Nicoise $12
• Roast fresh ahi tuna with little green beans, roasted red peppers, tomato confit, kalamata olive, baby potatoes and aioli
• Traditional Kentucky Hot Brown $9
• Hand cut roast turkey with white cheddar Mornay and bacon over toast points with Parmesan and marinated tomatoes

Desserts

• Lisa’s Famous Jameson’s Chocolate Bread Pudding $4 with Whiskey Sauce
• Mike Wright’s Woodford County Logan Berry Pie $4; A la mode $5
• Laura’s Famous Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie $4; A la mode $5
• Evan’s Orchard Apple Crisp $4

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

That made a recent visit to Champions Sports Pub (280 W Jefferson Street, 671-4246) in the Marriott downtown all the more fun when my wife and I watched the Cards drub Boise State several days ago. That win turned out to be sort of a mixed blessing in that the crowd never really got loud or raucous; the outcome was fully predictable early on. Nevertheless, I’d forgotten how fun it can be to watch a game with complete strangers bound by their love for their team and relaxed with some social lubricant.

But I digress: What I aim to say is Champions is a pretty swell place. Well lit—and thankfully non-smoking—comfortable tables and seats, good noise level (music wasn’t blaring, high ceilings swallowed up much of the crowd chatter), friendly and efficient service, good grub and good drinks.Yeah, so I admit to drinking Cosmos during a ball game. What of it? Though some good buddies of mine question my masculinity for doing so, they’re excellent, though past-trendy sippers, and the bartenders at Champions have them down pat. They’re worth the ribbing, I say, but be prepared, they’re not inexpensive. It was a rare overnighter treat for my wife and I (we stayed downtown that evening, a rare splurge I also strongly recommend), so I wasn’t looking at the bill. But my guess is they’re in the $8 range.

Though not served piping hot, Champions’ Asian wings are excellent, about as good as any I’ve had locally. Free popcorn on each table is a good plus as well.

The place draws a friendly, civil and diverse crowd as well. (Perhaps the higher prices keep the real rowdies out? If so, I’ll pay the steeper fare.) Despite its hotel location, the majority of the folks there clearly were locals—sometimes easily identified by their U of L apparel—from all parts of town, and they were into the game. (If you’ve traveled much, you know the oppressive lameness of watching a game in a bar where no one cares about your team.)

Champions has no shortage of TVs, though its largest screens have color issues reminiscent of old-style projection TVs. It wasn’t a high-def experience, but we had a good view nonetheless.

Beer selection there is exceptional for this type of pub and includes a wide-ranging mix of imports, locals, domestic microbrews and the standard horse-drawn creek runoff from that place in St. Louis (I don’t drink its swill, but let’s hope I’ve got some mutual fund holdings in it). We’d been to The Pub (great beers, fantastic burger with goat cheese, too) on Fourth Street earlier, so we’d had our fill of brew, and therefore I don’t know about prices. But one sign that they might be a bit steep was a guy at a nearby table started with a premium import on round one, but switched to Miller Lite for every round afterwards. Perhaps sticker shock drove the change.

Given that few humans have the necessary combination of ample resources, compliant spouses, time, liver and brain cells to invest in visiting—much less frequenting—every local happy hour, we want readers to be our surrogate eyes, ears and palates in this quest by letting us know what they find, like and dislike. So expect from us lots of mentions of happenin’ happy hours such as the one below. And if we miss something, please e-mail all info to Steve.

Mid-week brews: Browning’s hopes to give locals a “hump day” push toward the weekend with its Wednesday happy hour. Every Wednesday after 3 p.m., customers can order any appetizer and get another one of equal or lesser value free.If you can’t wait that long, show up on Tuesdays when the apps are free when you buy Browning’s handcrafted beers.

Saturday happy hour is back at Browning’s as well, where the pints be flowin’ all day for $3.25.

Pantoja’s son, Enrique, president of Rodulfo Realty & Building Co., told the paper, “We’re not trying to cut any corners.”

Click here for more info (subscribers only).

Multiple restaurant changes to Oxmoor Center: Panera Bread, long a tenant of The Mall St. Matthews, is moving to Oxmoor Center and will reopen March 14. The move will place it in a growing group of restaurants, including Yang Kee Noodle (which will add outdoor seating this year), California Pizza Kitchen, and BJ’s Restaurant, a pizza, pasta and craft-brew-centered concept to open Feb. 24. Click here for more info (subscribers only).

And from The Courier-Journal …

Nan better than Royal India: C-J restaurant critic Marty Rosen’s righteous review of Royal India (4123 Oeschli Avenue) led me to put the restaurant at the top my must-visit list. Like Mexican food used to be here long ago, Indian food has largely been hit or miss. Thankfully, the former is now reliably fantastic, and over the past several years, increased competition has forced the latter to improve, as evidenced in this review. Here’s a mouthwatering sample of Rosen’s observations:

“The vegetarian Andhra combo ($10.99) paired savory masala dosa (a fine-textures rice-lentil crepe folded around sautéed potatoes, onions and plenty of fresh green herbs) with the less common idlis (steamed, egg-shaped rice-lentil dumplings). I smeared the dosa with a puréed chutney of coconut, green chilies, and cilantro — and the resulting dish looked like a roll of hay and tasted like the first warm day of spring. I soaked the dumplings in a smoky bowl of sambar, a lentil stew with an elusive spicy bite.”The Indian-food amateurs (yes, count me among them) appreciate the descriptions, Marty. Click here for the full review.

Trivial pursuits: Here’s a blend of two of my favorite things: trivia and food. Every Wednesday night during February and March, the Chick Inn (6325 Upper River Road) is hosting team trivia nights.

More high-end happy hours: Seems 2008 is the year of the happy hour at higher-end restaurants—hard evidence the restaurant industry is more competitive than ever—as more fine-dining spots scramble for pre-dinner market share.

Add Café Metro to the list hawking $5 martini specials and specially priced appetizers. The bargain bevs and bites area available Monday through Thursday (except for Valentine’s Day). Call 458-4830 for more info.