McAdams & Morford Drugs, an old-time soda fountain that was a popular lunchtime spot for more than five decades, was known for its pimento cheese sandwiches.
Long before the drugstore at the corner of Main and Upper streets closed in 1993, Jerry Fitzgerald of Louisville, a former Lexingtonian, tried for years to get the recipe from fountain manager Kay Robinson. She gave him a few hints, but never revealed the true recipe. Fitzgerald has experimented with a variety of recipes and finally has a very close, if not true, recipe.

    Jerry’s pimento cheese
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 pound American cheese, shredded
1 jar (4 ounces) diced pimentos, undrained
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimentos, undrained
1/2 jar Hellmann’s mayonnaise, about 15 ounces
In a large bowl, mix cheeses together. Add pimento and juice. Mix. Add mayonnaise and mix. Consistency will be thin. Cover and refrigerate overnight and it will thicken.

Mint juleps are as much a part of the Kentucky Derby as jockeys and horses, but not everyone likes the taste. Do you have a favorite drink recipe that you serve at your Derby party? Or, if you have created your own version of the mint julep, you can send the recipes to us for possible publication in the May 2 edition of The Lexington Herald-Leader. E-mail recipes to swthompson@herald-leader.com. Deadline is April 25.  If your recipe is published we’ll send you a cookbook.

Carrot cake came to mind when I was thinking about a dessert for the Easter feast, and I found as many recipes as there are bunnies in my neighborhood.
An Internet search came up with everything from carrot cake fudge to diabetic carrot cake, gluten-free carrot cupcakes and dozens of variations in between.
And, get this, I discovered that the manufacturers of M&M’s candies also make white chocolate carrot cake Easter chocolate candies, though they’re not available in our nearby stores. You can find the limited edition at Amazon.com for $18.95 for two 9.9-ounce packages.
While searching for unusual recipes, I also found the history of the carrot cake written by Candis Reade, an EzineArticles.com writer.
Her research found that the origins of the carrot cake were likely a carrot-type pudding served during medieval times. In her article, “A Rich History of the Carrot Cake,” Reade explains that sweetening agents were hard to come by in Britain and quite expensive during the Middle Ages, and carrots were often used in place of sweeteners. It was actually in the 1960s when the carrot cake became a common dessert in the United States at family reunions and fall celebrations.
The traditional carrot cake found in Kentucky cookbooks contains raisins and walnuts, along with several grated or shredded carrots, and sometimes pineapple all topped with a rich cream cheese icing.
recipes
Here are some recipes we found that might make a nice addition to your Easter dessert table.
A basic carrot cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups finely shredded carrot
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add carrot, oil, and eggs. Beat until combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9- by 11/2- inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for ten minutes before removing from the pans. Ice with cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
41/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, beating well. Continue to gradually add the remaining confectioner’s sugar until the frosting has a spreading consistency.
Decorate cake with white chocolate carrots. Sketch out a carrot pattern. Trace it onto parchment paper, duplicating it for however many carrots you’d like. Make sure you turn the paper over, so the ink is on the under side before drawing the design. Next melt some white chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir the white chocolate until smooth. Then pour it into a decorator’s bag with a fine tip.
Then just trace the carrot pattern. Don’t worry if you draw outside the lines; as long as it’s thin, it will break off. After you have the outline complete, make a pattern inside the carrot shape. Place them in the freezer for about half an hour to set. Place on top of cake.
Source: Poshpinkgiraffe.com
How about carrot cake fudge?
Carrot cake fudge
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups white chocolate chips
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dry carrot cake mix
1/2 cup marshmallow cream
Cream cheese fudge icing
3/4 cup canned cream cheese frosting
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons marshmallow creme
1/2 cup M&M’s white chocolate carrot cake flavor, Easter limited edition, or sprinkles
To make carrot cake fudge: Line a 9- by 13-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large saucepan combine the butter, white chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.
Stir in the dry cake mix 1/4 cup at a time until thoroughly combined. Stir in the marshmallow creme. Keep stirring to keep the fudge from sticking on the bottom. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
To make the cream cheese fudge icing: In another saucepan, melt the 1 cup white chocolate chips over low heat. Stir in the cream cheese frosting and marshmallow creme when the chips are melted. Pour over the carrot cake layer and smooth out. Press the M&M’s or sprinkles into the top. Chill 1 hour before cutting. Cut into 40 to 50 squares.
Source: Insidebrucrewlife.com
This French version of carrot cake is from cookbook author David Lebovitz.  It’s more like a flat griddle-cake.
Gâteau aux carrottes
8 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
11/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
13/4 cups toasted almonds
2⁄3 cup flour
1/4 cup, packed, finely grated carrot
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two shallow 10-inch cake pans and line each with a circle of parchment paper. Then lightly butter the top of each circle of paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Meanwhile, pulverize the nuts and flour in a food processor or blender until relatively fine, but not powdery. If you don’t have a machine, simply chop the nuts by hand and toss them with the flour.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Afterwards, stir in the ground nut mixture and carrots, mixing just until smooth.
Divide the batter into the pans, smooth it evenly, and bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool, then release the cake from the pans and cut in wedges to serve.  Makes two 10-inch  cakes.
Source: Davidlebovitz.com.
Carrot poke cake
1 box carrot cake mix, or your favorite carrot cake mix
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
8 ounces Cool Whip vanilla frosting (cream cheese flavor)
6 ounces whipped cream cheese
½ cup caramel sundae sauce, or less
1 cup chopped pecans, or less
Bake cake according to recipe direction. Do not remove from baking dish. Poke about 20 to 25 holes in baked cake. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top of warm cake, trying to fill the holes as much as possible.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the Cool Whip, the Cool Whip frosting, and the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Spread over top of the cake.
Pour the caramel sauce over top of the Cool Whip mixture and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Cut into 12 squares.
Source: Somethingswanky.com
Gluten-free carrot cupcakes
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ tablespoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1½ cups carrots, grated
Crystallized ginger, optional
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 36 mini muffin tins with pleated paper liners. On a small baking sheet, spread pecans in an even layer. Toast for 8 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together eggs, oil, and agave nectar.  Stir carrots and toasted pecans into wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just incorporated. Using a 11/2 tablespoon ice cream scoop, place batter into paper lined  upcake pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with crystallized, chopped ginger if desired.
Source: Theurbanbaker.com

Azur Restaurant chef ­Jeremy Ashby,  and ­restaurant co-owner Sylvia Lovely are stirring up the food community with a new TV show, Food News and Chews, on Fox affiliate WDKY (Channel 56).
“We bring you the ­latest in food news and policy, timely ­interviews with food people including chefs, restaurant entrepreneurs, ­serious policy makers, and even ­moonshiners,” Ashby said. “We also feature the ­latest products and ­gadgets that make the food you ­prepare both healthy and tasty as well as those that save time and improve ­quality.”
The show airs at 11 p.m. Sunday.

Inspired by Argentina

Lilly’s, A Kentucky Bistro, in Louisville is hosting a five-course Argentine wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24. The meal is inspired by ­executive chef/owner Kathy Cary’s recent ­travels ­throughout ­Argentina’s ­culinary ­landscape. David DuBou of Vintner Select will discuss the wines featured. The cost is $85.
The menu includes Stone Cross Farm pork ­empanadas with avocado, tomato and lemon salsa; parsnip-­encrusted ruby red trout with lemon risotto and basil foam; homemade porcini pappardelle with wild mushrooms, red sauce, red wine poached duck egg and black pepper goat cheese; ­peppercorn-rubbed New York strip steak with c­himichurri sauce and ­chorizo gnocchi; and a ­selection of cheeses with grilled bread.
Lilly’s is at 1147 ­Bardstown Road. Call (502) 451-0447 or go to ­Lillyslapeche.com.

Real Scottish shortbread

We recently asked ­readers to provide some ­traditional Scottish recipes for Ann Sharp of Winchester, who was searching for ­authentic dishes for a church ­bicentennial celebration.
Several people sent ­information on cookbooks, and Lynne Costello of Lexington sent this recipe for shortbread. Costello is originally from just outside Inverness in the ­Highlands of Scotland. Sharp is ­searching for recipes for First ­Presbyterian Church, 130 Windridge Drive, ­Winchester, which will observe its 200th anniversary this year.
recipe
Scottish shortbread
1 stick butter
1 stick margarine
4 ounces powdered sugar
8 ounces plain flour
4 ounces corn starch
Preheat oven to 350 ­degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and margarine. Add powdered sugar and ­continue to cream mixture. ­Gradually add flour and ­continue ­mixing. Mix in corn starch. The mixture will have clumped together. ­Flatten the dough on a floured board, spreading by hand until it is less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into small pieces and place pieces on a greased cookie sheet. Prick each shortbread with a fork. Bake about 13 to 15 minutes or until edges start to turn golden. When ­shortbread is removed from the oven, sprinkle liberally with ­granulated sugar and allow to cool on baking rack.

Scannable recipes

Beginning with the ­January/February issue of Cooking Light, ­every recipe in the ­magazine is scannable.
Using the Digimarc ­Discover app, a free ­download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play, ­consumers with smartphones may scan recipe photos to be connected automatically to the recipe page on sister-site MyRecipes.com.
Once there, readers may save recipes to their files, share favorites with friends, organize menus and make grocery shopping lists.
Cooking Light uses a red icon throughout the issue with simple instructions to let consumers know that the recipe images on that page are interactive.

It seems impossible, but if you’re tiring of BLTs, here’s another idea for savoring the awesome tomato.

This month’s issue of “Notes from the Test Kitchen” has recipes for using up our wonderful supply of fresh summer tomatoes.  The newsletter provides recipes, equipment reviews, taste tests, original videos, and cooking tips from the public television shows America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen, and magazines Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country.

Here’s the staff’s updated technique for making caramel tomatoes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In the original recipe for caramel tomatoes, the tomatoes started in the oven, moved to the stove top to continue cooking, and then returned to the oven. The staff at America’s Test Kitchen found that the second bake wasn’t necessary.

You can peel the tomatoes with a serrated peeler or use this method: Use a sharp paring knife to score an X at the base of each tomato and carefully submerged the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. They then cooled the tomatoes in ice water for a minute to stop the cooking, then used the knife to remove the skin. They didn’t skimp on the sugar here; it helped focus the tomato flavor.

 Peeling tomatoes may seem fussy but otherwise, you’ll be eating papery skins. Firm tomatoes are easier to peel.

 Caramel tomatoes

8 large tomatoes, peeled and cored

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

PREP TOMATOES: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes in large oven-safe skillet, cored side up. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Dot with butter.

BAKE TOMATOES: Bake until tomatoes are tender and lightly browned, about 1 hour, basting with juices every 15 minutes.

FINISH ON STOVETOP: Transfer skillet to stove top. Simmer over medium-low heat, basting every 5 minutes, until sauce is thick and syrupy, 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Photo by Monica Matheny, The Yummy Life

This summer, my daughter Sarah is gathering recipes and ideas on how to make mealtime easier once school starts again.

She discovered this idea for a quick breakfast on Pinterest, and I decided to learn more about making refrigerator oatmeal. I found the instructions on Monica Matheny’s blog, The Yummy Life.

You’ll need:

•  Old fashioned rolled oats

•  Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is thinner; if you use it, you’ll need to reduce the amount of milk).

•  Milk

•  Ground flax seeds or chia seeds (available at Good Foods Market, Roberts Health Foods, Whole Foods,

• Half pint (1 cup) Mason jars

Place oats, milk, and yogurt, and seeds in jar, along with desired sweeteners or flavors.  Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine.  Add fruit and stir gently until combined. Place in fridge overnight and up to 2 days; maybe longer depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit. The non-banana varieties have been good after 4 days.

During the overnight soak, the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and soften. They have a great eating texture by the next day.

Mandarin orange refrigerator oatmeal

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup skim milk

1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

¼ cup drained canned mandarin oranges (or fresh chopped orange)

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, honey and marmalade. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add oranges and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Eat chilled.

Nutritional Info: 236 calories, 4 g. fat, 53 g. carbs, 8 g. fiber, 12 g. protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7.

Cherry chocolate chunk refrigerator oatmeal

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup skim milk

1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon finely chopped dark chocolate

¼ cup chopped cherries (fresh or frozen)

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, honey and vanilla. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add chopped chocolate and cherries and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Eat chilled.

Nutritional Info: 274 calories, 8 g. fat, 55 g. carbs, 8. g fiber, 12 g. protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 9.

Tips

• Jars of oatmeal can be frozen.  Be careful not to overfill the jars; 3/4 inch of space is needed at the top of the jar to allow for expansion when frozen (and avoid exploding jars). Move frozen jars from the freezer to the fridge the night before, and your oatmeal should be thawed and ready to eat for breakfast.

•  Although the recipe is designed to be eaten cold, if you prefer, you can heat these jars of oatmeal. Remove the lid from the jar and heat in microwave for about 1 minute (assuming they aren’t frozen) to take the chill off and warm it slightly.
• Substitute ground flax seeds for the chia seeds

• Omit the chia seeds ( you may need to reduce the liquid a bit, since they absorb liquid as they soak).
• Substitute regular plain or flavored yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (soy, coconut, rice) for Greek yogurt.
• Substitute other liquids for the skim milk: coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, juice, etc. (this may change the flavor, but it can still be good with these substitutions–taste and make necessary adjustments to get it to your liking)
• Substitute agave syrup for honey, or any sweetener you prefer
• Substitute fruits (use fresh, frozen, dried, or canned); swap out different fruit flavors to create your own favorite variety
• Substitute quick, instant oats or steel-cut for rolled oats. The quick and instant oats aren’t quite as healthy, but they’ll still work just fine. Steel cut oats are much harder and don’t soften as much when soaked, so the resulting texture is nuttier and chewier.
• Visit Theyummylife.com/refrigerator_oatmeal 

Herald-Leader photo by Mark Cornelison

When it’s taco night, the cook can relax. It’s easy enough to sauté chicken strips, ground beef, pork or fish — or buy all the ingredients already cooked at the supermarket — and add a handful of shredded lettuce and cheese, and a tablespoon or two of salsa for a quick and easy dinner.

Or, you can jazz up that humble Mexican street food with a variety of more interesting ingredients, and you can have taco night several times a week. A new taco cookbook can help.

“While eating tacos and other Mexican foods has become part of our everyday life, cooking Mexican food has not yet,” said Shelley Wiseman, above, author of Just Tacos (Taunton, $19.95). Her book concentrates on classic Mexican tacos, some with strong regional identities and many from the cosmopolitan melting pot of Mexico City, where she lived for many years.

Wiseman is a former Gourmet food editor and co-author of The Mexican Gourmet.

“Essentially anything can be enclosed in a tortilla,” Wiseman said.

Just Tacos has many fillings that sound exotic but are easy to make. Wiseman elevates ground beef and chicken with bold mole and poblano sauces, or adobo marinades. Beef chuck is slow-cooked in spices and a touch of Mexican chocolate for chili con carne tacos, which, Wiseman says, are served far more often in Mexico than ground-beef tacos.

No matter what type of filling you choose, you begin with a tortilla. Tortillas are available in ready-to-serve packages, but the taste doesn’t compare to that of freshly made corn or flour tortillas, Wiseman said, and she gives detailed instructions in her book on how to make them.

Energetic cooks can make their own, but let’s leave tortilla making to the professionals and spend our time creating interesting fillings.

RECIPES

Here are three recipes from Wiseman’s book that will help make taco night more adventurous.

Tacos with pork in green sauce

11/2 pounds tomatillos (15 to 18) husked and rinsed

2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed

1 teaspoon cumin seed

3 allspice berries

1 whole clove

3 medium garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

11/2 teaspoons salt, divided

3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a 3-quart saucepan, cover tomatillos and peppers with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer vegetables uncovered, turning occasionally, until tomatillos are tender and khaki-green all over but still intact, about 15 minutes. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Heat cumin, allspice berries and clove in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan or stirring the spices until they are fragrant and cumin seeds are a few shades darker, about 1 minute.

Put spices in a blender with 1 cup of the tomatillo cooking water, and blend until spices are ground. Using a slotted spoon, gently lift tomatillos and chilies out of the remaining cooking water and put them in blender along with garlic, cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth.

Pat pork dry, and season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a wide, heavy 4- to 5-quart pot over medium-high heat, and brown pork in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes a batch.

Return all the meat to the pan and add tomatillo sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring to coat meat, then reduce heat. Simmer pork, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and sauce is thickened, 11/2 to 2 hours. If necessary, continue to cook uncovered to thicken sauce. Shred meat with two forks.

Make tacos with the accompaniments: warm corn tortillas, Mexican crema or sour cream, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro.

Chorizo and potato tacos

1 pound boiling potatoes

1 pound Mexican or Spanish chorizo

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Salt

Warm corn tortillas

Guacamole

Fresh tomato salsa

Peel potatoes and cut into ½ inch dice. Cook in a saucepan of boiling salted water until potatoes are just cooked through and still hold their shape, about 5 minutes. Drain. Remove casings from chorizo and crumble (the Mexican) or finely chop (the Spanish). Cook meat in a large skillet (adding a teaspoon of oil if using Spanish chorizo) over medium heat, stirring for 5 minutes. Add potato and oregano, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Make tacos with potatoes and chorizo topped with a favorite guacamole and tomato salsa.

Makes 4 cups filling, enough for 12 to 15 tacos.

Asian tuna tacos

Wasabi mayonnaise:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared wasabi or 2 tablespoons powdered wasabi mixed with 1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons lime juice

½ teaspoon sugar

Tuna:

1 pound tuna steaks, about 1-inch thick

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup unhulled sesame seeds

3 tablespoons mild olive oil

Flour tortillas

Chopped scallions

Radish sprouts or chopped cilantro

Sliced avocado

For the mayonnaise: Stir together mayo, wasabi, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

For the tuna: Pat the fish dry with paper towels, and season with salt. Put sesame seeds on a plate and press both flat sides of tuna steaks onto the seeds to coat.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add oil and swirl the pan to distribute, then add tuna steaks, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, and sear for about 2 minutes on each side, until just the outside ¼ inch is cooked but the center is translucent.

Transfer steaks to cutting board and slice. Make tacos with the tuna, mayonnaise, tortillas, scallions, radish sprouts or cilantro, and sliced avocado.

If you absolutely don’t have time to cook, Kraft has a new item, Fresh Take, that’s a blend of cheeses and seasoned bread crumbs, and its test kitchen staff created this fish taco recipe that’s ready in about 20 minutes.

Tilapia tacos

1 package (6 ounces) Fresh Take chili lime and panko recipes cheese bread crumb mix

6 fresh tilapia fillets (11/2 pounds)

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

½ cup pineapple salsa (see note)

12 corn tortillas (6 inch), warmed

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine Fresh Take ingredients according to package directions. Moisten fish with water; place in cheese mixture bag, 1 piece at a time. Lightly press cheese mixture onto both sides of fish. (Fish will not be completely coated.) Place on prepared baking sheet; top with remaining cheese mixture.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Meanwhile, combine cabbage and salsa. Cut fish fillets in half; place on tortillas. Top with cabbage mixture.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: Any fruit salsa may be used.

Sharon Thompson: (859) 231-3321. Twitter: @FlavorsofKY. Blog:flavorsofkentucky.bloginky.com

Photo by Herald-Leader staff photographer Charles Bertram

Salt-rising (or salt-risen) bread smells of nostalgia. An old-time baker once said: “When you’re making it, the more it stinks, the better it’s going to be.”

Its distinct odor is what identifies it as salt-rising bread. Like many old-fashioned foods, it brings back fond memories for those who grew up in an era when the aroma of freshly baked bread permeated the kitchen.

Last month, we asked readers to help Peggy Sharp find a bakery that makes authentic salt-rising bread. “Bakeries just don’t make it like they used to,” she said.

Ann Evans of Lexington said she, too, “would love to find some real old-fashioned salt-rising bread.”

“When I was young, we used to have salt-rising bread every Sunday night for dinner, with something different on it. My mother would toast it and then top it with things like Welsh rarebit, creamed sweetbreads, creamed sherry chicken and mushrooms, or even creamed chipped beef. The difference in the salt-rising toast back then is, the flavor was very strong. … The salt-rising toast you get today is way too mild.”

Readers responded to Sharp’s and Evans’ requests, telling us about some places that still make the old-fashioned bread.

Burke’s Bakery, 121 West Main Street in Danville, was the place most people mentioned.

“We have it in stock every day,” Joedy Burke said. “We do have good salt-rising bread and, on some days, we have excellent salt-rising bread. Salt-rising bread is quite tricky. It’s very inconsistent. There’s a high failure rate to it. The weather affects it very much.”

One reason commercial bakeries don’t make salt- rising bread is because there is no longer a starter available. A company that used to provide the starter apparently shut down, Burke said.

“Evidently, this was what people in this general area were using, and it was the most wonderful stuff. I think they went out of business. Ever since then, there aren’t a lot of people who make it.”

Burke’s salt-rising bread is available in Lexington at the Save-A-Lot store at 398 Southland Drive: (859) 276-1467. Gaunce’s Deli & Café, 845 Bypass Road in Winchester, (859) 744-8664, has the bread on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

When Fred Wohlstein bought Donut Days Bakery at 185 Southland Drive last year, several customers requested salt-rising bread. “We went back to our collection of hand-written recipes from various retired bakers and re introduced it to our regular line of baked goods,” Wohlstein said.

Normally, the bakery makes a small batch, 36 loaves, on Thursday or Friday, depending on the readiness of the starter.

“The most difficult task in the production of salt-rising bread is gauging the readiness of the starter,”. Wohlstein said. “The time required to produce the starter varies from two to four days and effects ‘the bite,’ or strength of flavor that our customers are looking for in salt-rising. You must wait for it to work its magic, which adds to the bread production time.”

Mike Edwards, owner of Cakes & More, 2220 Nicholasville Road, makes 30 loaves of bread each day and sells out.

“I make it the old- fashioned way, like they did a hundred years ago. I make the yeast I make the starter out of,” Edwards said. “It’s a long process. I think that’s why a lot of people don’t fool with it.” Call (859) 277-8360.

Cheryl Breeze, owner of Yoder’s County Market, 7490 Morehead Road, Flemingsburg, said the market makes several types of bread, but salt-rising is the best seller.

“The best thing is to call ahead to make sure we have it, because we do sell out,” Breeze said. Call (606) 849-4088.

Katia Bucerzan makes salt-rising bread at her family’s bakery in Frankfort. Poppy’s Bakery, 865 Wilkinson Boulevard, has the bread on Friday.

“It takes a few days to make it,” she said.

When her family took over the business in March, she started making salt-rising bread because her customers wanted it. Call (502) 875-5535.

Countryside Bakery and Deli, 4785 U.S. 127 South, Owenton, makes the bread fresh, and it’s available daily. Call (502) 484-3323.

Old Town Amish Store, 201 Prince Royal Drive in Berea, sells about 24 loaves of salt-rising bread a week. Baker Alison Hester said her mother would buy the bread when she lived in upstate New York, and “we kids loved it.”

The store also sells starter kits for those who want to make the bread at home. You can place an order by calling (859) 986-0733.

Lida Soper of Bourbon County used to make her own salt-rising bread.

“My mother-in-law made it, and I have her recipe, but I had better luck with a recipe I found in Favorite Recipes of the Virginias,” she said. “I had good luck with it for a while and, all of a sudden, I just couldn’t make it anymore,” she said.

“The trick is to keep it warm overnight, and that was my problem. I tried heating pads and things like that. But it’s best to put it in a pan of water, then turn the top of the stove on the warm temperature and leave it overnight.”

Here’s the recipe she uses.

Salt-rising bread

2 medium potatoes, sliced thin

2 tablespoons corn meal

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon soda

10 cups flour

2 tablespoons shortening

2 cups scalded milk

1 teaspoon salt

In a quart jar, combine potatoes with corn meal, sugar and soda. Fill the jar with boiling water and cover loosely. Place the jar in a pan of water in a warm place overnight.

The next morning, drain 1 cup of the fermented starter into a 2-quart bowl. Add 2 cups flour and remaining ingredients. Place bowl in a pan of warm water. Let rise. Add remaining flour to make a stiff dough, knead for 10 to 15 minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

James Snowden's holiday milk punch

An old-fashioned Christmas punch served on Christmas Eve or at holiday parties can evoke as many happy memories as Grandma’s cookies and candies. Whether it’s a wassail or a fluffy sherbet concoction, the holiday drink often ­appears only at Christmastime.
We asked three outstanding cooks in Central Kentucky to share their holiday punch recipes. Why not give one, or all of them, a try this holiday season?

James Snowden, Lexington

James Snowden of Lexington serves a milk punch — a creamy frozen concoction with dark rum and brandy — at his holiday open house each year. Snowden, an owner of Finderskeepers Market — which recently moved to Walton Avenue in Lexington from Mount Sterling — said he can’t remember where he discovered the original recipe, “but I have since tweaked it a bit to make it my own. It is now an annual tradition at Finderskeepers Market, and all of our clients look forward to it each year.”
“Unlike a traditional egg nog or egg cream, this recipe does not spoil quickly,” he said. “In fact, it can be kept slushy in your freezer for up to a month for those unexpected holiday guests.
“I enjoy it because its flavors remind me of an old-school snow cream. It certainly packs a punch, but even those that don’t normally enjoy alcoholic beverages become quick fans.”

Betty Givan, Richmond

Betty Givan of Richmond, host of Betty’s Kitchen on YouTube, has several punch recipes in her collection, but her recipe for the non-alcoholic Christmas cherry-pineapple punch is reserved for this special time of year.
“This is my most sentimental punch recipe, because my family made it for Christmas as I was growing up. I was the youngest of six children raised on a dairy farm, and our lives revolved around church, work and family.
“My mother came across the recipe at a Christmas potluck dinner at our church, Immanuel Baptist Church in Monticello. The punch is a bright red color and evokes the spirit of Christmas. This is an enduring recipe, enjoyed by my husband and daughter and her family, as much as it delighted my family when I was a child,” she said.

Maggie Green, Lexington

Maggie Green, author of The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook, said when she was growing up in Lexington, her parents served punch from an antique coin-glass punch bowl. “They liked to use it, and that’s why we drank a lot of punch. Also, punch was an easy way to serve a crowd,” she said.
“I am lucky to own my father’s cookbook collection, and this punch recipe was tucked in one of the bartender books. This is his adaptation of ­Pendennis Club champagne punch once made famous by the recipe in Out of Kentucky Kitchens.
“Dad made this punch on Christmas, and on any other occasion where a large crowd of people gathered in our Lexington home. It welcomed travelers and, according to my uncle Harvey, made ‘socks roll down around ankles.’”
The sparkling citrus punch can be made with a choice of spirits.
“I prefer the punch with triple sec, although crème de cassis (black currant ­liqueur) was Dad’s favorite.”
Recipes
Finderskeepers’ holiday milk punch
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 gallon whole milk
Grated nutmeg (optional)
Dissolve sugar in rum, brandy and vanilla extract in a large, heavy pitcher. Add milk, and freeze until very cold and slushy, about 4 to 8 hours. (Can be frozen for a month.) Pour into glasses, grate nutmeg over each glass, if desired, and serve.
Christmas cherry-pineapple punch
2 small packages cherry Jello
1 package cherry Kool-Aid
2 cups sugar
4 cups boiling water
6 cups water
2 large cans unsweetened ­pineapple juice
2 quarts (a 2-liter bottle) ginger ale
In a large punch bowl, dissolve cherry Jello, Kool-Aid and sugar in boiling water. Add 6 cups water, unsweetened pineapple juice and ginger ale. Stir completely. Chill in the refrigerator.
Carl’s Pendennis Club punch
Juice of one orange
Juice of one lemon
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup sugar
21/2 cups brandy, chilled
11/2 cups triple sec or crème de cassis, chilled
Three 750-ml bottles dry or sparkling white wine, chilled
Orange, lemon, or lime slices for garnish
In a pitcher, stir together the orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and sugar. Mix well to dissolve sugar and refrigerate to chill. Pour juice into a punch bowl or large container. Add brandy, triple sec and sparkling wine. Stir to mix. Serve immediately.

In case you missed it in Sunday’s issue of Parade, here’s the scoop on the magazine’s pie contest. So far, there’s not a lot of competition in the category for chocolate-walnut pie. (The pie that Kentuckians serve at Derbytime.) There’s still time for Kentuckians to show off their best creations.
Parade’s All-American Pie-Off is also seeking recipes in the following categories: Apple, cherry, key lime, pecan, pumpkin, and sweet potato.
Judges include a panel of top food editors and cookbook authors from around the country and the winners in each category will be announced in Parade’s Christmas Day issue. Winners will also be awarded a $50 American Express gift card and be featured on Parade.com and DashRecipes.com.

The deadline for entry is November 19, and judging of recipes will begin November 20.  Click here to enter.