Barbecue cook-off accompanied by music
June 2, 2009 by Sharon Thompson
Talon Winery is looking for the best barbecue team in Central Kentucky. The winery, at 7086 Tates Creek Road, is having a barbecue cook-off and concert June 26 to benefit Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm.
Barbecue teams pay a $75 entry fee, and the winner takes all. Tickets for the event are $35 and include barbecue samples from each participant and a glass of Talon’s sangria. The Dixie Beeliners will entertain. Call (859) 971-3214 or go to www.talonwinery.com.
Coleslaw contributions
Coleslaw is a staple at summer picnics and back-yard barbecues, and recipes range from sweet and creamy to spicy and chunky. We’re looking for great coleslaw recipes to perk up our warm weather menus. Send your favorite recipe by e-mail to swthompson@herald-leader.com or by mail to Sharon Thompson, Lexington Herald-Leader, 100 Midland Avenue, Lexington, Ky. 40508.
Seafood at its best
Kentucky chefs will test their seafood cooking skills at the fourth annual Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off on Monday at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville.
Chefs are required to submit two of their best recipes using Kentucky farm-raised seafood ingredients. The winner will represent Kentucky in the Great American Seafood Cook Off in New Orleans in July. To participate, call Angela Caporelli at (502) 564-4983 or angela.caporelli@ky.gov.
Home cooks can show off their pie-baking skills at the Great American Pie contest July 1. The competition is open to professional and non-professional bakers.
Prizes include a trophy for the professional winner and $150, $100 and $50 gift certificates from Meijer for the first-, second- and third-place non-professional winners.
Entry forms are available at www.LexingtonKy.gov. Send entry forms by June 25 to the Great American Pie Contest, Mayor’s Office, 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Ky. 40507. There is no entry fee. Call Marianne Blodgett in the Mayor’s Office at (859) 258-3100.
Ketchup and mustard from scratch
Jennifer Gleason, owner of Sunflower Sundries Farm in Mount Olivet, will share secrets on how to make mustard and ketchup from scratch at a class on June 16 in Maysville.
“I have been making both for over 20 years and rarely use commercial varieties any more. For the ketchup we will start with homegrown tomatoes, frozen from last year, peppers, onions and many different spices. These will be roasted in the oven and then put through a tomato press to remove skin and seeds. The result is a deep flavored ketchup, spiced to your taste. I love home-fried potatoes and homemade ketchup,” Gleason said.
The mustard is made from whole organic mustard seed (brown and yellow) that is freshly ground. “We add fine wine vinegar and spices to create a coarse ground mustard with punch. Mustard is easy to make and requires no cooking,” she said.
Class participants will make and take home a sample of ketchup and mustard. The cost of the class is $30. Call Maysville Community and Technical College at (606) 759-7141, Ext. 66120.
Sunflower Sundries’ mustard and jam are available at Good Foods Co-Op, 450 Southland Drive; Lexington Farmers Market (at Elmwood Stock Farm booth); Shaker Village Gift Shop at Pleasant Hill, and the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea.
Gleason’s class will be at 6 p.m. in the Maysville Institute of Culinary Arts building. Go to www.maysville.kctcs.edu.
Lots of tastes in one place
If you love good food, Clifton Center in Louisville is the place to be June 28 for the 17th annual Taste of Frankfort Avenue. Cuisine from more than 30 of the street’s signature restaurants will be served. Hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 and available at www.cliftoncenter.org/taste or by calling (502) 896-8480.
The Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street, is a facility for artistic productions, meetings and community programs. Participating restaurants include 60 West Bistro, Basa, Bourbons Bistro, Fat Jimmy’s, The Grape Leaf, Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen, J. Gumbo’s on Frankfort, Porcini, Shiraz Mediterranean Grill, Sol Aztecas Mexican Grill, Sweet Surrender Dessert Café, Tony Boombozz, Varanese, and Volare.
Big on taste but not on sodium
Mrs. Dash has created two seasoning blends to spice up summer grilling – and leave the sodium behind.
Fiesta lime features sweet chili pepper, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper blended with lime juice and zest. It goes great with chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Caribbean citrus contains sweet chili pepper, allspice, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg and ginger. Combined with orange zest and lime juice, Caribbean Citrus also goes great on fruit salad. Cost is $2.99. For low-sodium tips, go to www.mrsdash.com.
It’s cheesy, but that’s the idea
Do you love goat cheese? The Brown Hotel is devoting an evening to local Capriole cheese and French wine. Cheesemaker Judy Schad and wine expert David Dubou will join chef Laurent Geroli on June 19 to talk about goat cheese, wine and farm-fresh food.
Géroli will serve a five-course dinner that includes ravioli Niçois, made with rabbit, carrots and Julianna thyme broth; baked cod Brandade with Old Kentucky tome served with Yukon gold potatoes with oven-dried tomatoes; seared lamb loin with tempura asparagus and Sofia croquette, and raspberry Napoleon with caramel goat cheese ice cream. Cost is $85. Call The Brown Hotel at (502) 583-1234.
Capriole of Greenville, Ind., offers a line of fresh, ripened and aged cheeses made by hand using only the milk from the farm’s herd. Go to www.capriolegoatcheese.com.
Chef offers kid-friendly meal ideas
Now that school’s almost out for the summer, parents and baby sitters must plan meals for the youngsters. Leslie Richmond, head chef at Vito’s Café in Fort Thomas, has created some recipes that will help with summer meals.
The restaurant, 654 Highland Avenue, focuses on family style dining and serves platters of Italian specialties.
“These recipes are fun and meant for the family to create together. Kids are busier than ever, and this is a way the whole family can meet in the kitchen, interact, get their hands dirty and create some wonderful Italian food,” Richmond said.
Menus for Vito’s Café are at www.vitoscafe.com. Call (859) 442-9444.
Here are recipes older children can help make for family dinners.
recipes
Baked ricotta stuffed shells
1 pound large dried pasta shells
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Jar red or white pasta sauce
Parmigiano cheese
Cook shells according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a pastry bag or 1 gallon plastic bag with a corner tip cut off.
Stuff each shell with cheese mixture. Place shells in a greased 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Cover with your favorite red or white pasta sauce. Bake 18 to 22 minutes. When done, sprinkle top with grated parmigiano cheese.
Italian quesadilla
8 6-inch soft tortilla shells
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded parmigiano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
12 fresh basil leaves, torn in 6 pieces each
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
16-ounce jar marinara
Optional ingredients:
6 ounces sliced pepperoni
6 ounces Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (casing removed)
2 ounces sliced mushrooms
1½ red onion, sliced
Olives and pepperoncini
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush one side of each tortilla shells with olive oil and place on baking sheets, olive oil side down.
On four tortilla sides, evenly spread half of the cheeses, basil, crushed red pepper and your choice of meat or veggies.
Top each with remaining cheese and one of the four remaining tortilla sheets, olive oil side up.
Place in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and crispy. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Place on platter and serve with hot marinara and garnish with olives and pepperoncini.
