Flavors of Kentucky

With the addition of a little bourbon, sorghum has leapt from a farm table staple to a gourmet condiment.

Bourbon Barrel Foods of Louisville has added sorghum to its line-up of bourbon barrel-aged Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. In addition to the classic sweet sorghum, the line includes two specialty flavors, blueberry and bourbon vanilla. Sorghum is supplied by Kentucky farmers.

“The product is officially called sweet sorghum, but over the years there’s been some confusion as to what sorghum really is. It is often mistaken for molasses which, if you ever refer to it as such to a sorghum farmer, you’re likely to offend them,” Bourbon Barrel president Matt Jamie said. “Sorghum is made from the sorghum cane while molasses is made from the sugar cane.”

Sorghum can be used as a stir-fry base, in baked beans, barbecue sauce and in homemade breads and cookies. It can be substituted in any recipe calling for molasses, honey or maple syrup. Call (502) 333-6103 or visit www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com.

XXX
Certain foods that represent Kentucky step out of the pack at Derby time.

Beer cheese is an item that people make from scratch to serve at Derby parties, but for those who don’t want to grind pounds of cheese there are plenty of products to buy.

A new brand of beer cheese is on the market this spring along with the return of an old favorite. Brown’s Tastee beer cheese is made by Garland Brown and Diane Gabhart of Anderson County. They raise beef cattle and recently began to market their beer cheese recipe.

“We started with several different recipes,” Gabhart said. “After much trial and error and using a little bit from several recipes we came up with a remarkable recipe.”

Linville Puckett is back in the beer cheese business, after an 11-year hiatus. His product, Say Cheez, is distributed by Critchfield Meats Wholesale Division in 5-pound containers. You can order it for your Derby party in quantity, but it’s not available in smaller containers right now, Puckett said.

Restaurants, lounges and grocery store delis are serving Puckett’s beer cheese. Call Critchfield Wholesale’s special order line at (859) 276-4965.Retailers can call (859) 255-6021 or Puckett at (859) 293-0770.

XXX
Cooks in Eastern Kentucky have a rich heritage. Their skills come from generations of women who cooked daily meals for their families and lavish feasts for holidays.

Many of their recipes are in a new cookbook, The Road to Good Food from Morris Fork Crafts. Morris Fork is a non-profit Appalachian handcraft cooperative founded in 1978 to preserve the craft making way of life.
The shop sells items for crafters from Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, and Wolfe counties. To order a copy, send $9 plus $3 for shipping and handling to Morris Fork Crafts, 930 Morris Fork Road, Booneville, Ky. 41314. Call (606) 398-2194.

XXX
The Historic Homes Foundation is holding its 30th annual Derby breakfast on May 3. It will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Farmington Historic Plantation, 3033 Bardstown Road, Louisville.

The Southern buffet breakfast is $125 a person, or $100 for Foundation members. Proceeds benefit the Historic Homes Foundation, Farmington, Thomas Edison House, and Whitehall. Call (502) 899-5133 or visit www.historichomes.org.

Farmington, built in 1815, was awarded the 2003 President’s Award of Excellence by the Historical Confederation of Kentucky and the Kentucky History Center for its restoration of the plantation house.

XXX
Making a traditional mint julep just got easier. Havana Beverages of Louisville introduces The Easy Mint Julep for this year’s Derby festivities. It’s made with two ingredients: 1 part Woodford Reserve bourbon and 3 parts Havana mojito.

The Havana mojito is a soft drink that resembles the flavor of the classic Cuban cocktail, minus the rum. It features mint and key lime and is sweetened with pure cane sugar. Also in the line are Havana Cola and Havana Tamarind. The drinks are sold in gourmet grocery chains and liquor stores. Visit www.havanabeverage.com.

XXX
Phil Dunn’s cooking classes for spring features lighter fare. The classes are held at Architectural Kitchens & Baths, 345 Lafayette Avenue. Cost of each class is $50 a person. Classes are at 6 p.m. weeknights and 9 a.m. on Saturdays. Call (859) 533-3553 or e-mail Dunn at phildunn@insightbb.com.
Here’s the line-up: Monday, pasta entrees; Thursday, easy appetizers; Saturday, brunches; April 28, salads, vegetables and entrees; May 1, tapas; May 12, French vegetarian, and May 15, cakes.