Flavors of Kentucky

Buffalo Trace Distillery, 113 Great Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, is opening a cafe, The Firehouse Sandwich Stop, as well as expanding its tours to seven days a week. The sandwich shop is located in a former firehouse located on the grounds of the distillery. The Firehouse was built in 1951 to protect the highly flammable bourbon barrels in the warehouses. The decor features displays of the original fire coats and boots worn by the employees as well as the distillery’s 1964 Ford fire truck.
The menu includes barbecue, soups, salads, and sandwiches, provided by Staxx BBQ. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (502) 783-5673 or go to Buffalotracedistillery.com.

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

If you don’t want to cook at home for Easter, Central Kentucky restaurants are serving some special dishes for the holiday.
■ Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, will have brunch 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The holiday menu includes country ham sliders with blackberry compote, shrimp and cheese grits, and banana granola griddle cakes. Call (859) 253-0014 or go to  Alfalfarestaurant.com.
■ Azur Restaurant, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, in Beaumont Centre, will serve an a la carte Easter brunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 296-1007 or go to Azurrestaurant.com.
■ Bayou Bluegrass Catering is serving a lavish Easter buffet 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at The Red Mile, 1200 Red Mile Road. The cost is $29 for adults, $16 for ages 4 to 8. Call (859) 233-0814 or go to Bayoubluegrass.com.
■ Casanova Italian Restaurant, 855 South Broadway, will serve roasted lamb, along with Italian ragù, and pastiera Napoletana for dessert. Call (859) 309-3313 or go to Casanovaky.com.
■ Country Cookin’ by George, 1801 Alexandria Drive, offers a buffet 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Included are baked ham, roast beef, turkey and dressing, and barbecued ribs. The cost is $11.54. Call (859) 276-0001.
■ Jean Farris Winery & Bistro, 6825 Old Richmond Road, will offer its regular a la carte spring menu along with brunch specials 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. A three-course prix fixe menu is $55 with wine pairings. The annual Easter egg hunt will be at 1 p.m. Call (859) 263-9463 or go to Jeanfarris.com.
■ Le Deauville French Bistro, 199 North Limestone, is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday serving French breakfast specialties along with its regular dinner menu. During weekday happy hour, the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe menu, for $24.50, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fresh oysters are on the happy hour menu. Call (859) 246-0999.
■ Portofino, 249 East Main Street, will serve Easter specials along with its dinner menu noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 253-9300 or go to Portofinolexington.com.
■ Serafini, 243 West Broadway, in Frankfort, will open noon to 6 p.m. Sunday for Easter celebrations. Call (502) 875-5599 or go to Serafinifrankfort.com.
■ The Woodford Inn in Versailles will serve a Southern-style buffet 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $19.99. Included are glazed ham, shrimp pasta, salads, and deviled eggs. The inn is at 140 Park Street. Call (859) 873-5600 or go to Thewoodfordinn.com.
Special event
■ Wines on Vine, 400 Old Vine Street, will have a beer pairing event with Kentucky Eagle Distributors at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The cost is $35. Call (859) 243-0017.

The Melting Pot, 152 West Tiverton Way, has restructured its menu “to allow guests to control and customize their fondue dining experiences,” owner Lori Hagen said.
The new menu features per-person pricing and more unbundled and à la carte selections, highlighting customizable options that allow guests to have one, two or more courses as they select any combination of individually priced cheese fondues, salads, entrées and chocolate fondues, Hagen said.
Chocolate fondue is $7.95 a person, and a sweet and savory duet with cheese and chocolate fondue is $15.90 a person.
Call (859) 254-6358. Go to Meltingpot.com.

If your restaurant visits revolve around three or four spots, you need to be reminded that there are so many great places to eat in Lexington. When you are tired and hungry you often don’t put much thought into where you’ll eat out. But with a copy of “Beyond Grits” in your car or purse you can enjoy great food every time you eat out, and support local restaurateurs.
The pocket size culinary guide was designed by Connie Jo Miller, owner of Group CJ, for the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The idea for the guide happened almost simultaneously,  as Group CJ was in the midst of doing some pro bono work for Downtown Lexington Corporation to spiff up their downtown restaurant listings,” Miller said.
Jim Browder, executive director of the Visitors Bureau, asked Miller to do a more comprehensive guide of all locally-owned dining spots, and “Beyond Grits” was born.
“The title is my baby and we hope it expresses that the culinary scene in Lexington is more sophisticated than one might imagine. We go way beyond grits (Not that we don’t love grits mind you),” Miller said. The motivation: “The huge explosion of really innovative restaurants.”
The guide was created with visitors in mind, but you’ll definitely want your own copy. It lists 106 locally owned restaurants. You’ve probably eaten at these places at least once, but if they’re not in your neighborhood, the restaurants might not pop into your head when making the decision where to eat.
Restaurants are not categorized by cuisines, but by themes: Uptown ambiance; new hot spots; southern comfort food; world cuisine; patios, porches and sidewalk cafes; singular sensations, rise and shine; off the beaten track and neighborhood favorites; pub grub and suds; and giddy up and go.
The booklet is available at the Visitors Center in Victorian Square, 401 West Main Street, or at Beyondgrits.com.

Alex Coats and Eric Boggs jumped at the chance to open a new business when space opened up next door to their Goodfellas Pizzeria at 112 North Mill Street. They saw the need for a mini mart that would offer convenient store items to accommodate Lexington’s business commuters and downtown residents.

Mill Street Mini Mart is a New York City themed bodega that sells  “Mill Street Mojo,” a gourmet cup of coffee made with 100% Arabica beans, and Nathan’s World Famous Hot Dogs.   The grand opening will be March 15. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Go to Goodfellaspizzeria.com.

Red State BBQ will grill alligator sausage on Friday leading up to the Kentucky-Florida men’s basketball game on Saturday. The gator sausage is being provided by a former member of the TV show Swamp People. T-Mike Kliebert, son of Swamp People star Mike Kliebert and co-owner of Kliebert Alligator Farm in Hammond, La., visited Red State a few months ago and offered gator sausage as a special menu item. Red State is at 4020 Georgetown Road. Call (859) 233-7898 or go to Redstatebbq.com.

■ Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, is holding its third annual Casimir Pulaski dinner from 5:30 to 8 p.m. March 8. Pulaski, for whom Pulaski County is named, was a Polish army officer who fought and died in the American Revolution. He is reputed to have saved George Washington’s life.
Specials include Kentucky Stonecross Farm kielbasa, house-made potato Cheddar pierogies; cabbage rolls; and Polish beer. Call (859) 253-0014.
■ The Kiwanis Club of Lexington will hold its 17th annual “All you can eat soup day” on March 7. The menu includes bean soup, chili, vegetable soup, and corn bread. Cost is $8, or two for $15. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, 150 East High Street.
Proceeds go to Harrison Elementary School’s back pack program and a health clinic with Shoulder to Shoulder Global in Ecuador. Contact Wayne Sullivan at (859) 619-8130 or Way8405@aol.com.
■ The Bluegrass Mystery Theatre presents a murder mystery dinner at Equus Run Vineyards at 7:30 p.m. March 1. Tickets for the three-course dinner and Irish mystery show are $48. A wine tasting at 6:15 p.m. is an additional $5. Call (859) 846-9463 or go to Equusrunvineyards.com. The vineyard is at 1280 Moores Mill Road, Midway.

At the end of March when the weather is nice, it’s a great time to plan a visit to Central Kentucky wineries. At the same time you can help McConnell Springs with its restoration and preservation programs.

Friends of McConnell Springs will hold its sixth annual Wine Barrel Tasting tour on March 30. Seventeen wineries, all within an hour’s drive of Lexington, will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. offering samples of wine in its final stages before actual bottling and release of the finished product. Each tasting will give participants the chance to experience up-and-coming wines and an opportunity to discuss the soon- to-be-released samples. Each winery will also have its tasting rooms open for regular tastings of their released wines.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at any winery. Participants will receive a wristband entitling them to one free barrel tasting at each winery visited that day. There will be a limited number of commemorative McConnell Springs wine glasses available. Call Annette Mathy at (859) 272-0682 or go to Mcconnellsprings.org.

Participating wineries are:

■ Acres of Land, 2285 Barnes Mill Road, Richmond. Call (859) 328-3000 or go to Acresoflandwinery.com.

■ Black Barn, 4200 Newtown Pike, Lexington. Call (859) 552-2525 or go to Blackbarnwinery.com.

■ Chrisman Mill, 2385 Chrisman Mill Road, Nicholasville. Call (859) 881-5007 or go to Chrismanmill.com.

■ Chuckleberry,  527 Garrison Lane, Bloomfield. Call (502) 249-1051 or go to Chuckleberryfarm.com.

■ Elk Creek, 150 Highway 330, Owenton. Call (502) 484-0005 or go to Elkcreekvineyards.com.

■ Equus Run, 1280 Moore’s Mill Road, Midway. Call (859) 846-9463 or go to Equusrunvineyards.com.

■ First Vineyard, 5800 Sugar Creek Pike, Nicholasville. Call (859) 885-9359 or go to Firstvineyard.net.

■ Grimes Mill, 6707 Grimes Mill Road, Lexington. Call (859) 543-9691 or go to Grimesmillwinery.com.

■ Harkness Edwards, 5199 Combs Ferry Road, Winchester. Call (859) 527-3584 or go to Harknessedwardsvineyards.com.

■ Horseshoe Bend, 1187 Lawson Lane, Willisburg. Call (859) 375-0296 or go to Horseshoebend-ky.com.

■ Jean Farris,  6825 Old Richmond Road, Lexington. Call (859) 263-9463 or go to Jeanfarris.com.

■ Lovers Leap, 1180 Lanes Mill Road, Lawrenceburg. Call (502)  839-1299 or go to Loversleapwine.com.

■ McIntyre’s, 531 McIntyre Lane, Bardstown. Call (502) 507-3264 or go to Mcintyreswinery.com.

■ Prodigy, 3445 Versailles Road, Frankfort. Call (502) 352-9400 or go to Prodigyvineyards.com.

■ Springhill, 3205 Springfield Road, Bloomfield. Call (502) 252-9463 or go to Springhillwinery.com.

■ Talon, 7086 Tates Creek Road, Lexington. Call (859) 971-3214 or go to Talonwine.com.

■ Wildside, 5500 Troy Pike, Versailles. Call (859) 321-5046 or go to Wildsidewinery.com.

Some of the wineries will have recipes for using their wines in a variety of ways. Here are two recipes from Bob and Ann Karsner, owners of Horseshoe Bend Vineyards in Willisburg.

 Strawberry pie

1 baked pie shell

1/2 cup Horseshoe Bend Vineyards Traminette

1/2 cup water

2 pints hulled strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Bake pie shell according to package or recipe directions. Cool. Make glaze for strawberries  by combining traminette with 1/2 cup water, 1 cup strawberries, cut into fairly small pieces, and 3/4 cup sugar. Heat until strawberries disintegrate into the liquid.

Dissolve 3 tablespoons cornstarch in 3 tablespoons Horseshoe Bend  Traminette and add, stirring constantly, to the heated strawberry mixture. Cool completely.

Place remaining strawberries into cooled pie shell, cover with cooled glaze, and chill until set–about 2 hours. If desired, serve with whipped cream sweetened with natural sugar and Horseshoe Bend Traminette.

 Black raspberry cabernet sauce

Serve with roasted lamb for Easter or with roast pork, roast beef, and grilled lamb.

Simmer 1 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup Horseshoe Bend cabernet sauvignon until reduced to 3/4 cup. Saute 1 shallot in 1 tablespoon butter until translucent. Add 8 ounces black raspberry all fruit jam and stir for at least 1 minute. Slowly stir in reduced broth wine mixture and cool. Refrigerate. May be re-warmed to serve or served at room temperature.