Restaurateur Jerry Morse and sons Jevan, Jerry A. and Jerad have been in the food industry for years, and now they’re all together at J. Morse on Vine Bistro.
They’ve taken over the spot at 102 West Vine Street, the former Tonio’s Mexican Restaurant. They say the lunch menu is designed for the downtown worker who needs to be in and out in a hurry. Lunch is $6.95 and features fried chicken, Salisbury steak, pork chops, catfish and hot browns.
Everything changes at dinner. “It’s my version of fine dining — relaxed, casual, friendly, unpretentious, gracious and approachable,” Jerry Morse said.
Bistro plates for sharing include ­roasted tenderloin medallions, mini ­bison burgers, and grilled flat bread pizza. ­Entrees include bourbon-glazed pork chop, duck breast and seared mahi mahi.
Lunch hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner service is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call (859) 368-9888.

Tasting menu paired with single-malt scotches

Jonathan at Gratz Park is hosting a tasting menu paired with single-malt scotches on Tuesday. Simon Brooking, master ambassador for Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch whiskeys, will be the guest speaker.
Chef/owner Jonathan Lundy said he met Brooking at the Distillery Live event filmed at Maker’s Mark distillery in September. “Our menu is based on the pairings I made during the Distillery Live event,” Lundy said. The event can be viewed at www.distillerylive.us.com.
Jonathan’s will be open on Super Bowl Sunday for the first time. “Those interested in the game can watch in the bar, or they can enjoy a quiet table in the main dining room,” Lundy said.
Jonathan’s is at 120 West Second Street. Call (859) 252-4949 or go to www.jagp.info.

Super Bowl menu at Winchell’s

Winchell’s, 348 Southland Drive, will offer team-oriented specials for Super Bowl Sunday. The menu includes crawfish etouffee, chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice, and fried oysters. Peyton Manwhich (BBQ beef brisket) and St. Elmo’s shrimp cocktail. Call (859) 278-9424.

Annual bean soup dinner is Feb. 12

Akielo Temple No. 128, Daughters of the Nile will have its annual bean soup dinner from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Oleika Shrine Temple, 326 Southland Drive. The cost is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children younger than 12. Call (859) 987-2246. For carry-out orders, call (859) 277-6869.

Make reservations now for Valentine’s Day

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and time to make dinner reservations. Here are places with special events or menus.

• Brown’s Bakery, 1397 West Main Street, (859) 225-8400, www.brownbakery.com. Order chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day or a king cake for Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16. The bakery will be open Feb. 14.
• Campbell’s in Paris, 519 Main Street, (859) 987-5164. Five-course menu features choice of garlic and rosemary shrimp over pasta, pork filet with dark cherry sauce, cold-water lobster tail, and prime rib. The cost is $29.95 to $39.95.
• The Dish, 438 South Ashland Avenue, (859) 317-8438, www.thedishlexington.com. Chef Jeremiah Bowman will prepare a la carte and a prix fixe menus Feb. 13, and a prix fixe menu Feb. 14. Owner Trish Tungate is asking guests to “dish out some love for Haiti.” For each $20 donation, guests will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate. Donations will be accepted through Feb. 14.
• Gennaro Galtieri Catering, (859) 276-0001 or (859) 539-5134,or e-mail Galtieri at ggg441@insightbb.com. Galtieri is bringing back the New York-style cheesecake that was popular on the Valentine’s menu at the former Lexitalia restaurant. It is $35. Call 24 hours prior to pickup.
• Marikka’s Bier Stube and Restaurant, Southland Drive, (859) 275-1925. Marikka’s will open at 3 p.m. Feb. 14. Guests will receive free Black Forest cake or German chocolate cake with the purchase of any entrée Feb. 12 to 14.
• Mulligan’s, 1804 Alexandria Drive, (859) 277-0071. The Valentine’s special, 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 13, is an 8-ounce flat iron steak with 10-ounce lobster tail. $30 a person, plus $10 for champagne.
• Max & Erma’s, 1848 Alysheba Way in Hamburg, (859) 543-8111. The weekend special Feb. 12 to 14 includes two Laredo steaks with two sides and an order of cookies for $31.99.
• P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, 3405 Nicholasville Road, (859) 271-1165, www.pfchangs.com. A prix-fixe lunch or dinner for two is $39.95 and offers a choice of two entrees.
• Stella’s Kentucky Deli, 143 Jefferson Street, (859) 255-3354, www.stellaskentuckydeli.com. The deli will have dinner seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 12 and 13. The five-course meal, $35, includes filet mignon, rosemary rabbit risotto or blackened paddlefish.
• Thai Orchid Café, 1030 South ­Broadway, (859) 288-2170, www.thaiorchidcafe.net. The “sweetheart special,” 5:30 to 10 p.m. Feb. 14, will feature a four-course dinner for two for $39.99.
• Three Suns Bistro has opened a second location, at Lone Oak Country Club in Nicholasville. The restaurant is open to the public, and banquet space is available for as many as 150 people. Call (859) 881-1600. The country club spot, as well as the Brannon Crossing location, will serve a Valentine’s menu Feb. 11- 14. A Cajun menu will be served on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16. Call (859) 245-0048.
• Wines on Vine, 400 Old Vine Street, (859) 243-0017. A three-course Valentine’s special will be served 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 13. Included are steamed Mediterranean mussels, grilled filet Oscar, grilled swordfish; the cost is $60 a couple. On Tuesday, Wines on Vine will have “Martini and Manicure Night” featuring a fashion show by Helen’s Boutique.
• Woodford in the Kitchen for Couples, Woodford Reserve, 7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles, (859) 879-1934 or e-mail kandi_sackett@b-f.com. Chef Ouita Michel will demonstrate nibbles including warm Capriole goat cheese rolled in crushed pine nuts; stuffed grape leaves; crepes and hazelnut meringues. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 13. The cost is $30.

Eddie ­Montgomery’s Steakhouse in ­Harrodsburg is open now.
The menu includes some of the country music star’s favorite dishes, ­including grilled sockeye salmon, grilled pork chops, pot roast po boy, soup beans and corn bread, and chocolate bread pudding.
The restaurant and ­entertainment facility is at 180 Lucky Man Way, and features live Nashville music. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 734-3400 or go to www.eddiemontgomerysteakhouse.com.

Let’s try this again

Taj India is the newest eatery at 154 Patchen Drive, in the former India Garden location.
This spot, owned by the Sunita Singh family, serves a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The cost is $5.99 Monday through Thursday, and $6.99 Friday through Sunday.
Specialty items include chicken masala, lamb curry, fish curry and kebabs.
Dinner hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (859) 268-0055.

$5 plate lunch specials

Here’s a great reason for not eating lunch at your desk.
Natasha’s Bistro, 112 ­Esplanade, has $5 plate lunch specials on weekdays. The menu choices are: spaghetti and meatballs, ­Monday; pork chops with mashed potatoes, Tuesday; chicken pot pie, Wednesday; curry chicken over rice, Thursday; and fish and chips with cole slaw, Friday. The price includes a drink.
Natasha’s still offers the full buffet as well as sandwiches and burgers. Call (859) 259-2754 or go to www.beetnik.com.

A feast for Fat Tuesday

Celebrate the beginning of the Lenten season New Orleans-style with a tribute to the foods of the Big Easy and Louisiana at Holly Hill Inn’s Fat Tuesday Feast on Feb. 16. Sous chef Lisa Laufer will prepare crawfish etouffee, oysters on the half shell, and bread ­pudding with whiskey sauce. The cost is $40. Call (859) 846-4732 or go to www.hollyhillinn.com. Holly Hill is at 426 North Winter Street in Midway.

Loyalty rewarded

Furlongs is encouraging ­return visits with its new customer loyalty program. The Mardi Gras Club ­offers ­members a $20 gift card for every $200 spent in the ­restaurant, plus a free birthday meal when dining with three other adults. Sign up at the ­restaurant, 735 East Main Street, or at www.furlongs.com. Call (859) 266-9000.

Bundled in banana leaves

Orchid Flower, 3090 Old Todds Road, is having a special event this weekend. Dinner items, wrapped and served in banana leaves, will be served from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 543-1126 or go to www.orchidflowerrestaurant.com.

Pizza, wine and thou

Lovers Leap Vineyards’ second annual Red, White and Woo valentine’s celebration will be Feb. 13 and 14. Hardwood Pizza Co.’s wood-fired pizza will be served. The cost is $10 for pizza and the chocolate extravaganza, and $5 for the wine tasting. Desserts include double dark chocolate ­cupcakes infused with blackberry wine ganache and topped with blackberry wine mocha Italian buttercream.
Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, call (502) 839-1299 go to www.loversleapwine.com.
You also may sample Lovers Leap’s riesling and ­blackberry wines, which won bronze medals at the recent 2010 San Francisco Chronicle wine competition.

It’s finally open: Gigi’s Cupcakes. The store at 2703 Richmond Road, next to ­Starbucks, makes such an array of cupcakes, you’ll be planning daily trips.
Ten to 12 flavors are ­offered each day. Friday’s choices include spumoni (cherry cake filled with chocolate ganache, with pistachio ­buttercream frosting), tiramisu (coffee- and Kahlúa-flavored cake filled with cream cheese, with coffee- and Kahlúa-flavored frosting), and “tiger tails” (yellow cake with raspberry filling, with ­buttercream frosting).
“Top hats” (devil’s food cake piled high with ­buttercream frosting and dipped in ­chocolate ganache) is one of the flavors each Thursday.
Cupcakes are $3 each, or $2.75 each by the dozen.
Gigi’s is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (859) 269-4444or go to www.gigiscupcakesusa.com.

Something Stinky
A new downtown Winchester restaurant could have been named Don’s Grill or Parsons’ Diner, but that wouldn’t have spoken to customers the same way that Stinky & Coco’s does.
Don Parsons chose to use the names of his cats for his diner at 1 North Main Street, at Main and Broadway.
Parsons, who managed ­restaurants in Chicago, ­followed a love to Winchester in 2008 and stayed. The spot is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Specialties include shrimp and grits, and scrambled omelets. Call (859) 744-8100.

Beer and food fest
Saul Good and Goose Island Beer are teaming up for a beer & food event. Lindsey Shafer from Goose Island will talk about the beer. The dinner, from 8 to 10 p.m. Jan. 27 is $30. Call (859) 273-4663.

Valentine’s at Varden’s
Varden’s Bistro, 509 Main Street in Paris, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with its first dinner in its new addition.
Executive Chef Matt ­Corbin’s menu features traditional Southern dishes combined with elements of continental cuisine. He buys Bourbon County beef and lamb, and seasonal ingredients from local vegetable producers.
The Valentine’s Eve dinner, 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 13, is $50. Entrees for the four-course dinner include chicken and grit cakes, grilled filet mignon, pork roulade, and grilled scallops. Call (859) 987-4700 or go to http://vardens.com.

Tinker’s makes a move
Tinker’s Cake Shop has left the Nicholasville suburbs and moved to 317 West Maxwell Street, between Mill Street and Broadway in downtown ­Lexington. The new shop is open by appointment and ­specializes in wedding cakes and large party cakes. Call (859) 252-9636 or go to
www.tinkerscakeshop.com.

Hanna’s helps Haiti
Beth Hanna, owner of Hanna’s on Lime, is helping the American Red Cross in its ­effort to help the people of Haiti. Hanna will donate 10 percent of the restaurant’s ­February receipts to the relief effort. This will include in-house dining and delivery, she said. Hanna’s is at 214 South Limestone. Call (859) 252-6264.

Spaghetti specials
The Julep Cup, 111 ­Woodland Avenue, is warming up customers with Monday night spaghetti dinner specials. There’s also live jazz from 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays in the lounge, and Ben Lacey and Bob Bryant will ­entertain Jan. 29. The kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. ­Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 226-0300 or go to www.thejulepcup.com.

Sunday brunch at Max & Erma’s
Max & Erma’s, 1848 ­Alysheba Way in Hamburg Pavillion, is serving Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu includes omelettes, eggs Benedict and French toast. The restaurant’s winter hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call (859) 543-8111.

Orchid Flower’s happy hour
Orchid Flower, 3090 Old Todds Road, now has happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. ­Tuesday through Friday. ­Appetizers feature Indonesian-style chicken wings with homemade ­dipping sauces. Call (859) 543-1126 or go to www.orchidflowerrestaurant.com.

Almond-blueberry pie

Were you too busy during Christmas to make a homemade gift for a special friend?
If so, you can make it up by presenting someone you love with a homemade pie.
Jan. 23 is National Pie Day and you can go to www.piecouncil.org for ideas on how to celebrate. For recipes, go to www.Crisco.com.

Almond crunch blueberry pie
Crust:
1 1/2 cups Pillsbury all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated tangerine or orange peel
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. Crisco all-vegetable shortening
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Pillsbury all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon grated tangerine or orange peel
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Pillsbury all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped almonds
To make crust: Sift together flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Stir in lemon and tangerine peel. Cut in shortening and butter with pastry blender until mixture is size of small peas. Sprinkle with ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly until dough holds together. Gently shape into a ball. Wrap and chill while preparing filling and topping. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
To make filling: Combine all filling ingredients in large bowl. Set aside.
To make topping: Mix all topping ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.
Roll out pastry; fit into 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, leaving 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under; flute. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle topping mixture over filling. Bake 1 hour or until golden brown.

Caramel pecan pie

Caramel pecan pie
Single crust (See recipe above)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 (12.25 oz.) jar Smucker’s caramel spoonable ice Cream topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare single pie crust according to recipe directions, using 9-inch pie plate; do not bake.
Beat eggs slightly with fork in medium bowl. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in topping and butter; mix well. Stir in pecan halves. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted off-center comes out clean.
Bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly on rack before serving.

Ryan Veith and ­Dallas Rose are claiming to sell the best burger in ­Lexington, so you’ll have to try one for yourself.
Veith and Rose opened Bunk’s Burger, 333 South Limestone, in October inside Two Keys Tavern. “We’ve rented out the kitchen and a portion of the bar,” Veith said. They named their venture after Dallas’ great uncle Bunk, who recently died.
Specialty burgers include Oldham’s Kentucky smokehouse (sharp Cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, crispy onion petals, house-made bourbon ­barbecue sauce), Tuck (Cincinnati-style chili, Cheddar cheese sauce, green onions), Hawaiian (Virginia smoked ham, grilled pineapple, teriyaki, Swiss cheese, red onion), and the breakfast burger (American cheese, smoked bacon, fried egg and white country gravy).
Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday and Saturday. Call (859) 243-9934.

Tea time is all the time at MonTea
Our choices for loose-leaf tea have skyrocketed in Lexington.
The new MonTea shop is dedicated to selling loose-leaf tea, tea to go and tea accessories.
It’s owned by Danielle and Miller Montague, who four years ago began researching the tea industry. They attended expos, visited retail shops in bigger cities, joined associations, and ­attended classes before opening MonTea at 814 Euclid Avenue.
MonTea features more than 50 types of loose-leaf tea from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. Varieties include ­Japanese sencha, Ti Kwan oolong, tippy Assam, tropical blend black, Darjeeling white, blueberry infusion and ginger rooibus.
The shop also carries a wide variety of steeping systems, travel mugs with infusers, teapots with or without ­infusers, and biodegradable tea bags. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ­Saturday. Call (859) 268-8327 or go to www.monteashop.com.

A corner on barbecue and more
Sarah’s Corner Café, 4300 ­Winchester Road, a few miles past Interstate 75, is worth the drive for a hearty breakfast or a slab of barbecued ribs.
The barbecue is smoked in the ­parking lot of the café, at Winchester and ­Cleveland Roads in Fayette County, by Ralph Egbert. The menu includes pulled pork, brisket, baby back ribs and chicken. LD Egbert makes sandwiches, and her breakfast menu includes pulled pork or chicken on two biscuits with gravy for $5.95.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call (859) 309-1220.

Happy anniversary, Orchid Flower
Orchid Flower is celebrating its first anniversary Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant, 3090 Old Todds Road, serves Indonesian cuisine. Specials for the weekend include rendang terong (spicy eggplant) from west Sumatra and gudek jogja (chicken, jackfruit and eggs cooked in coconut milk) from south-central Java. Call (859) 543-1126 or go to www.orchidflowerrestaurant.com.

Just wait for the next snow day
The weather is warming for now, but when Fayette County schools close for the next snow day, Saul Good ­Restaurant and Pub is the place to go. The restaurant, 3801 Mall Road at the Plaza at Fayette Mall, will offer half-price menu items from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (859) 273-4663 or go to
www.saulgoodpub.com.

Good for you and your heart
Bd’s Mongolian Grill is helping ­dieters stay true to their New Year’s ­resolutions. A promotion running through Feb. 7 features new ­recipes that give guests the ­opportunity to ­create heart-healthy meals. ­Included are sweet lean pork, chicken and ­spinach pasta, Cajun-spiced chicken and ­broccoli, and totally fun stir-fry. The ­restaurant provides food choices for those with special ­dietary ­preferences such as gluten-free, low sodium and vegetarian. ­Caloric, ­carbohydrate, fat, vegetarian and ­gluten content for all sauces is ­displayed in the market area.
Detailed nutrition facts are available at www.gomongo.com. Bd’s is at 2309 Sir Barton Way. Call (859) 264-0686.

Buffalo’s on the menu
Natural Bridge State Resort Park’s Appalachian Heritage Buffalo Night will be Saturday. The Sandstone Arches ­Restaurant will serve roasted buffalo steamship round, barbecued buffalo ribs, buffalo meatloaf, country-fried chicken and fried catfish. The cost is $16.95.
Entertainment is traditional ­mountain-style music and features Cari Norris and Jim McGee, who will ­perform from 5 to 7 p.m. in the ­Hemlock Lodge Lobby. Storyteller and musician John Tierney will entertain from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 1-800-325-1710. The park is 2 miles off the ­Mountain Parkway at Slade, Exit 33.

It’s not unusual at Christmastime for parents and grandparents to reminisce about the good old days. Many of those memories are attached to a certain food. Holiday recipes gathered from our relatives for pies, cakes, cookies and candies conjure up sweet memories.
At a recent event at Mayfair Village, ITNBluegrass - a non-profit that provides rides for the elderly and sight-impaired - asked volunteers and residents to share favorite holiday recipes. They were compiled in a booklet, Stirring Up Holiday Memories.
Jean Owens, who uses the services of ITNBluegrass, contributed a recipe for the Lowe family cake, a whiskey cake, and shared her holiday story.
When Owens and her sister Pat Dubus were growing up, their father was a construction worker who built power plants.
“Our family moved so often, we did not think of ourselves as having traditions. We always had a great Christmas, but if we did anything two years in a row, it became traditional,” she said.
“In 1978, I was a new widow, living in Texas, and my sister was a single mother with four children, living in Massachusetts. We wanted to establish a new tradition.
Their parents were living in Fishville, La., and the two sisters decided to start going there every year for Christmas.
“We always got home on Pappy’s birthday (Dec. 23), and that first year Fernie (their mother) made the whiskey cake for his birthday, and then every year after that,” Owens said. “After Pappy died, the cake became my birthday cake. Now that Fernie is gone, I still make the cake.”

The Lowe family cake
1/2 pound butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
4 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash nutmeg
1 cup whiskey
1 quart pecans
1/2 pound chopped dates
1/2 pound chopped cherries
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Add 3¾ cups flour, baking powder and nutmeg, alternating with whiskey. Coat nuts and fruit with remaining 1/4 cup flour and add to flour mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake batter. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Charlotte Lander said this recipe was given to her by Katie McBrayer, wife of former University of Kentucky All-American and assistant basketball coach Paul McBrayer. “Every time the UK basketball players, from the 1938-1943 era, had a reunion for Coach McBrayer, Mrs. McBrayer provided the Irish cream. These reunions continued until Coach McBrayer’s death in 1999,” Lander said.

Irish cream
3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint half-and-half
1 1/3 cups bourbon
Chocolate syrup, to taste
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.
Note: Because the recipe is not cooked, use pasteurized eggs.

Ann C. Purple found this recipe for applesauce nut bread in a Parents magazine in the 1950s.
“I have used it sliced thin with cream cheese and served at tea. It is almost good enough for dessert. However, I first made it as a Christmas bread and shared it with friends. The entire family would call on friends and sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and have a visit. It was wonderful to take time during the busy season for this simple ritual,” Purple said.
Applesauce nut bread
1 large orange
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup applesauce
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
Squeeze juice from orange and set aside. In a food processor, using a medium blade, grind orange rind and raisins.
In a large bowl, combine juice, rind, raisins and applesauce. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add fruit mixture and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Beat egg and add it with the melted butter to the applesauce mixture, stirring until thoroughly blended. Pour into large greased loaf pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. It’s best the day after baking.

“Every year at Christmas, I made enough candy to give as gifts to my family and friends,” Jackie Erwin said. “I thought about not doing it this year, but this is a Christmas tradition I just wasn’t ready to give up.”
Fondant candy
5 cups sugar
5 tablespoons white Karo syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons orange, lemon or peppermint flavoring, optional
1/3 pound butter
Semisweet chocolate for dipping
In a large saucepan, add sugar, syrup, salt, boiling water and flavoring if using. Stir until dissolved. Cover and cook to soft-ball stage (240 degrees). Place butter in a crock and pour candy over it. Let cool, then beat with mixer until creamy. Work into balls and store several days in an airtight container before dipping. Dip in melted semisweet chocolate.

“This quick and easy recipe is simple and simply delicious,” said Betty Dickey. It was given to me by a good friend and has been very popular with my family and friends.”
Chocolate chip peanut butter squares
2 rolls refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
2 cups chunky peanut butter
Flatten 1 roll of cookie dough in a 9- by 13-inch pan. Spread with peanut butter, then top with a second roll of cookie dough, broken into chunks. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Do not overbake. Leave it moist and creamy.

Mary Carpenter’s family favorite is pecan pie.
Utterly deadly Southern pecan pie
1 cup sugar
1 ¼ cups Southern cane syrup
4 eggs
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely broken
1 unbaked pie shell
In a medium saucepan, boil sugar and syrup together for 2 to 3 minutes. In a bowl, beat eggs and pour slowly into hot syrup; add butter, vanilla and pecans. Pour into an uncooked pie shell and bake in a moderate oven until set, about 45 minutes.

Rum cake is a holiday tradition with Noi Doyle’s family.
Christmas rum cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup oil or melted butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rum
4 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup broken pecans, optional
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except nuts, if using. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Pour in batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Leave in pan. While cake is baking, make rum sauce.
Rum sauce
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup rum
¼ cup butter
In a saucepan, bring sugar, water, rum and butter to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over hot cake while cake is still in the pan. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Here are some last-minute gifts to make.

Peppermint white chocolate crunch or candy slabs
24 round red and green hard peppermint candies
2 12-ounce packages white chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Line cookie sheet or 3 9- by 5-inch loaf pans with multipurpose sealing wrap; set aside. (Use disposable loaf pans from the grocery store, if desired.)
Place candies in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Coarsely crush candies using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Set aside crushed candies, reserving 3 tablespoons separately for topping.
Microwave white chocolate morsels in a large microwave-safe bowl at 70 percent power for 1 minute and 15 seconds. (Morsels will not look melted.) Stir morsels until melted. Microwave again in 15-second intervals, if necessary.
Add peppermint extract and larger portion of crushed candies to melted chocolate, stirring until evenly distributed. Quickly spread melted white chocolate evenly in prepared cookie sheet for crunch or pans for thick slabs; sprinkle with reserved 3 tablespoons. candies, pressing gently with fingertips. Let stand 1 hour or until firm.
Peanut brittle candy slabs: Melt white chocolate as directed in recipe above, gently folding in 11/2 cups crushed store-bought peanut brittle and 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter; spread evenly in prepared loaf pans. Dollop 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter over chocolate/brittle mixture in each loaf pan; swirl with a knife. Sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed peanut brittle evenly over candy in pans, pressing gently with fingertips.

Tiger butter
1 pound white chocolate morsels
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Microwave white chocolate morsels in a large microwave-safe bowl at 70 percent power for 1 minute and 15 seconds. (Morsels will not look melted.) Stir morsels until melted. Microwave again at 15-second intervals, if necessary. Stir in peanut butter and spread mixture on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Immediately melt semisweet chocolate chips, according to above instructions. Drizzle over peanut butter layer. With knife or spatula, swirl mixture. Refrigerate until firm, then break or cut into small pieces.

Snowflake puff pastry
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
Cut thawed frozen puff pastry sheets with a snowflake or star cookie cutter. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Lightly dip tops of pastries into melted white chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sugar or edible glitter.

Flavored butters
Soften butter. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes to allow easier blending of ingredients. If you don’t have time to soften the butter, use a food processor.
Stir in the flavor in desired amounts. Roll the butter in plastic wrap, parchment or waxed paper, and refrigerate as long as 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze in resealable plastic bag for no more than 6 months.
Flavors to add:
Fresh strawberries and mint.
Chopped olives, garlic and rosemary.
Minced ginger and soy sauce.
Stone-ground mustard and fresh snipped dill.
Peach preserves and chopped habanero pepper.
Grated lemon, lime and orange peel.
Fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
Pureed garlic and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary.
A squeeze of lemon juice and two tablespoons fresh thyme.
White chocolate macaroons
1 16.5-ounce roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 ¼ cups coconut
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks or white vanilla baking chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in all remaining ingredients until well blended. On cookie sheets, drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. (Surface of cookies will look underbaked.) Cool 2 minutes on sheets then remove to cooling racks. Makes 40 cookies.

Big-batch Cajun rub
1/3 cup mustard powder
1/3 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup celery seeds
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine the ingredients and store in an airtight container at room temperature for as long as 2 months. Instructions to include with your gift: No more than 2 hours before cooking, coat 2 pounds of chicken, beef, pork or seafood with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with 2 to 4 tablespoons rub. Cook as desired.

Ale-8-One pound cake
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract or bourbon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
7 ounces Ale-8-One
Cream butter, shortening and sugar in bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon extract or vanilla. Add flour and Ale-8-One, alternately, beating after each addition. Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a holiday cake plate. Or make in small loaf pans.

Holiday salad dressing
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
Salt and pepper
Combine ingredients in a shaker or jar. Blend well. Drizzle over salad greens, pecans and mandarin oranges.
To give as a gift: Write recipe on a gift tag and attach to a blender jar or shaker. Or make dressing and pour into a jelly jar tied with baking twine.

Fudgy pecan bites
18-ounce package chocolate fudge cake mix
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
2 cups chopped, toasted pecans
Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with vegetable spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and brown sugar; blend. Add butter and eggs, and beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nuts and mix completely. Spread batter evenly into pan (batter will be stiff). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until they test done. Cool completely in pan and cut into bite-size pieces. Store in airtight container.

Honey, walnut and dried-fruit topping
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted and cooled
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup high-quality honey
Stir together nuts and fruit; transfer to a 6-ounce jar. Top with honey. May be refrigerated in jar for one month. To serve, bring to room temperature. Serve with yogurt or oatmeal.
Easy peanut butter cookies
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix sugar and egg together, then add peanut butter. Form into 1-inch balls. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and press with fork, or top with a chocolate kiss. Makes 1 dozen cookies.

If you’re planning to celebrate the New Year by watching the Times Square melee on TV, you might want to have an early dinner. Here are some places offering dinner specials, as well as some that are ringing in the New Year at midnight.
■ A la lucie, 159 North Limestone, will serve a five-course meal with entree choices that include lobster, duck, halibut and tenderloin. The cost is $50 if you dine before 7 p.m. Late seatings are $65. Stone Soup will entertain. Call (859) 252-5277.
■ Bluegrass Hospitality Group’s restaurants are offering choices for your year-end celebration. Malone’s locations will serve a four-course, prix-fixe menu for $49.95, and Sal’s Chophouse will have a three-course, prix-fixe dinner for $39.95. At Malone’s Banquets, which is upstairs at Sal’s, a filet mignon buffet is $29.95. The restaurants will begin serving at 4 p.m.
Drake’s will be the spot to ring in the New Year. The party starts at 8 p.m., the cost is $5 for general admission, $75 for bar seating, and $100 for table seating.
Malone’s locations are 3347 Tates Creek Road, (859) 335-6500; 1920 Pleasant Ridge, (859) 264-8023 and 3735 Palomar Centre Drive, (859) 977-2620. Sal’s is at 3373 Tates Creek Road, (859) 269-9922; Drake’s is at 3347 Tates Creek Road, (859) 335-6500. or go to http://bluegrasshospitality.com,
■ Carter Caves State Resort Park in Olive Hill, (606) 286-4411, Ext. 2543. The dinner buffet is $14.30 and features catfish, pork chops, frog legs, and fried chicken. Bluegrass music provided by the Carter Caves Pickers.
■ The Dish, 438 South Ashland Avenue, (859) 317-8438, http://thedishlexington.com. Seating begins at 5 p.m. Cost is $38 and champagne is complimentary.
■ Duggans American Grill, 133 East Main Street, Midway, will serve New Year’s Eve dinner at the restaurant, and guests may ring in the New Year at the nearby Thoroughbred Theater, 127 East Main Street. The menu features barbecue-grilled shrimp cocktail, grilled Angus petit filet mignon with roasted asparagus, and strawberry shortcake. The cost is $45. Call (859) 846-4373 or go to www.duggansmidway.com.

■ Natasha’s Bistro and Bar, 112 Esplanade, (859) 259-2754. The early seating at 6 p.m. is $59 a couple, and the second seating at 8:30 p.m. is $99 a couple. A New Year’s countdown and dance party is 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
■ Natural Bridge State Resort Park at Slade, (606) 663-2214, http://parks.ky.gov. The dinner buffet, $16.95, features roasted prime rib, rock Cornish hen, tortellini Alfredo, and fried catfish. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m.
■ Thai Orchid Café, 1030 South Broadway, (859) 288-2170, www.thaiorchidcafe.net. A three-course meal for $16.95 will be served 5 to 10 p.m.
■ Wines on Vine, 400 Old Vine Street, (859) 243-0017. A four-course dinner, $45, features Asian dumplings with a miso dipping sauce, minestrone soup or house salad, choice of beef bourguinon, chicken Braciole, or creole mahi mahi, and dessert.
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If your New Year’s Eve plans include an upscale night out, you might want to head to the Louisville area. Here’s what’s happening there.
■ At Corbett’s: An American Place 5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard in Old Brownsboro Crossing, executive chef Chris Howerton will serve a seven-course dinner. Seatings are at 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Cost is $100. Call (502) 327-5058 or go to www.corbettsrestaurant.com.
■ Proof on Main, 702 West Main Street, in the 21c Hotel, offers a prix-fixe dinner menu, dance party and brunch for partygoers. Cost is $121.21. Admission to the atrium party is $31 or $21 when accompanied by a gift card in the amount of $10 or more to Kroger or Thornton’s, which will be donated to the Center for Women and Families. The regular a la carte menu will be served 5:30 to 7 p.m.
New Year’s Day brunch will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the menu includes bison pastrami hash with poached egg, truffle oil and artisan toast, and lemon ricotta pancakes with whipped cream and simmered local blueberries. Call (502) 217-6360 or go to www.proofonmain.com.

This is the time of year for a special meal with Santa, dinner with friends, or just a night out on the town. Here are some places that are ready to entertain you this holiday season.
■ Buddy’s Bar & Grill, 854 East High Street, is having Santa over for dinner on Tuesday. Bring the kids and join Santa from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Youngsters eat free with a purchase of a $12 entrée. Call (859) 335-1283 or go to www.buddysbarandgrill.com.
■ The Dish, 438 South Ashland Avenue, is offering a deal for early diners.
“’Tis the season to be a smart shopper,” chef/owner Trish Tungate said. “We have some great specials running through the month of December. First, anyone who comes for dinner by 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday will receive 20 percent off their entire bill. Also, anyone who comes in for dinner by 6:30 on Friday and Saturday can get half off select glasses and bottles of wine.”
Go to www. thedishlexington.com cq or call (859) 317-8438.
■ Franky and Annette’s at The Signature Club of Lansdowne, 3256 Lansdowne Drive, is hosting brunch with Santa on Saturday. There will be cookie decorating and crafts for children. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 5 to 12. Proceeds go to Growing Together Preschool. Call (859) 277-6600, Ext. 1.
■ Hanna’s on Lime, 214 South Limestone, will have a pre-holiday special on Wednesday. The menu includes turkey and dressing. Call (859) 252-6264.
■ Oliva Bella is throwing a customer appreciation party from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the tasting room, 406 South Broadway. In addition to product tastings, there will be mulled wine and cider, traditional Italian foods and sweets. Call (859) 983-3567.
■ Vardens, 509 Main Street in Paris, is having a night of champagne and cupcakes on Tuesday. Steve Walton is serving his favorite cupcakes which are made by Naticakes in Franklin, TN. The party is from 6 to 8 p.m. Call (859) 987-4700.
■ Vito and Mary Ciepiel, owners of Vito’s Café in Fort Thomas, are planning a White Christmas Eve candlelight buffet. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Cost is $35. Vito’s annual New Year’s Eve Gala will feature a five-course Italian dinner prepared by chef Gina Puopolo. Seatings are at 6 and 9 p.m. Cost is $65. Vito’s is at 654 Highland Avenue. Call (859) 442-9444.
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The Julep Cup, 111 Woodland Avenue, has put the final touches on its New Year’s Eve menu. Dinner begins at 7:30 p.m. and entertainment, with Phil Copeland, will be from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Cost is $75. Call (859) 226-0300.
Featured are Pacific oysters on the half shell with celery Mignonette; potato dumplings in beef consommé with confit mushroom and shaved Oregon truffles; butter-poached Maine lobster tail with tomato tarragon broth and cheesy grits; house-made smoked salmon “cheesecake” with mixed herb salad and ravigote sauce; Maine diver sea scallops; steak Diane; bourbon-glazed half duck with caramelized quinoa wild rice; and chocolate lava cake baked to order.
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Max & Erma’s has added some new items to its value menu. Included are a six-ounce sirloin with garlic mushroom sauce for $9.99 and funnel cake fries with a strawberry dipping sauce for $ 3.99. The restaurant will give a free $5 gift card with every $25 gift card purchase through Dec. 31. Max & Erma’s is at 1848 Alysheba Way in Hamburg Pavillion. Call (859) 543-8111.
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Not everyone enjoys spending Christmas with the relatives and some people might be looking for a place to escape. If your restaurant or bar is open on Christmas day or night, let us know. E-mail swthompson@herald-leader.com before noon on Dec. 22.

Breaking Bread Cafe, 19 Wainscott Street, in Winchester will serve a buffet from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Included are  roasted turkey, cajun-fried turkey, baked ham, oyster casserole, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a variety of desserts. Cost is $11.99. Call (859) 745-6813.

Country Cookin’ by George, 1801 Alexandria Drive, will be open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The buffet includes turkey and dressing, baked ham, barbecued ribs, fried chicken and fish. The cost is $8.95. Call (859) 276- 0001.

Campbell’s in Paris, 519 Main Street, will serve a traditional buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.   Cost is $28.95. Call (859) 987-5164.

Petra Mediterranean Bar and Grill, 116 Marketplace Drive, will serve a lunch buffet from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring Mediterranean specialties.  Cost is $25. Call (859) 272-0044.

Three Suns Bistro, 298 East Brannon Road in Brannon Crossing, will serve a buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (859) 245-0048. Menu includes herb roasted turkey, maple glazed ham, beef brisket, pecan-fried chicken, baked tilapia. Cost is $25. A special dinner menu will be offered from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Here are places to call for a turkey or fixin’s to serve at home.

Tommy Walters’ Furlongs Catering Co. will fry, bake or smoke Thanksgiving turkeys. Walters also offers whole dinner packages. Call (859) 913-5611.
Tinker’s Cake Shop, 109 Springdale Drive, Nicholasville, is making pumpkin cheesecake and a variety of cakes and cookies. Call (859) 224-0639 or go to www.tinkerscakeshop.com.
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ has 12- to 14-pound smoked turkeys for $39.99, available for pickup from 10 a.m. to noon Thanksgiving Day at 130 West Tiverton Way. Call (859) 272-7675 or the Hamburg store at (859) 264-7675.
The Julep Cup, 111 Woodland Avenue, is preparing a take-out meal for six for $75. A single meal is $16. Reservations deadline is 2 p.m. Tuesday. Pickup is 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Call (859) 226-0300 or go to www.thejulepcup.com.