Flavors of Kentucky

If you’re traveling on I-75 in the Corbin area, you might want to plan a trip around lunch or dinner time. Bubby’s BBQ, Catfish and Steak restaurant will be the place to stop if you’re hungry.
Bubby’s serves a buffet that includes everything Grandma cooks: fried catfish, fried chicken, corn bread, bean soup, dumplings, broccoli-chicken casserole, greens, green beans, beets, hominy, bread pudding, and chocolate cake. A salad bar is included. Prices range from $6.99 to $9.99.
The BBQ menu includes pulled pork and ribs which are smoked on site. Sandwiches and burgers also are available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Bubby’s is at 2700 Cumberland Fall Road in Corbin. Call (606) 258-9070.

Announcement

■ Just before Lexington baker James Brown was scheduled to appear on TLC’s season three of the Next Great Baker, Brown received results from a medical test and decided not to compete. He’s now recovering from surgery for a benign brain tumor, and the bakery at 1226 Versailles Road will be closed until Feb. 8. You can go to Brown’s Bakery Facebook page for updates from Brown’s wife Bridget.

Events

■ Jonathan at Gratz Park, 120 West Second Street, will have a Wild Turkey bourbon dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Master Distiller Jimmy Russell will be guest speaker. Cost is $85. Call (859) 252-4949 or go to Jagp.info.
■ Sondra Strunk, owner of Sondra’s Wine Creations, will offer samples of her pineapple wine jelly at Good Foods Café & Market on Saturday. Strunk will be at the café at 455 Southland Drive, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
■ Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, will serve its holiday brunch on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Specials, served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, will include heirloom pumpkin pancakes with apple compote, braised Stone Cross pork with pickled butternut squash, and Boone Creek Creamery asiago, spinach and mushroom omelet. Call (859) 253-0014 or go to Alfalfarestaurant.com.
■ Wine + Market, 486 West Second Street, is offering classes this month. “Whiskeys of the World” is the topic for Jan. 24. The whiskey seminar will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and feature whiskeys from Ireland, Scotland, and Canada, and Kentucky bourbon. Cost is $10. “Wine 101” will be from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Jan. 28. Learn how wine is made and tips on tasting. Cost is $12. A beer tasting will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30. Call (859) 225-0755 or go to Wineandmarket.com.

Etc.

■ Nick Ryan’s Saloon, 157 Jefferson Street, is giving a portion of its proceeds on Monday to the Children’s Advocacy Center. Volunteers will be on hand to discuss the nonprofit organization that provides treatment and support to children who are victims of sexual abuse. Call (859) 233-7900 or go to Nickryans.com.
■ Bob Tabor, owner of the Engine House Deli, 9 Lexington Avenue in Winchester, is turning daily operations over to someone else while he devotes time to making River Rat beer cheese. Laine Rogers and Roy White will run the deli and they will retain the same menu. River Rat beer cheese is sold at retail markets in Central Kentucky. Call (859) 737-0560.
■ Double H BBQ, 1244 Versailles Road, is offering special packages for Super Bowl parties. Included are smoked pulled pork, beef brisket, and wings. Customers receive a free pint of a homemade side of choice with every pound of meat ordered for the game day party. Double H’s menu also includes soups, country ham, and a stuffed pork chop entree. Customers received free dessert on Mondays and Tuesdays with orders. Call (859) 523-4227, or go to Doublehbbq.com.

In its search for an official drink, the Bourbon Women ­Association is ­challenging mixologists to create a ­signature cocktail.
The “Not Your Pink Drink” contest encourages professional and amateur mixologists to create a ­cocktail that reflects the sassy spirit of the ­organization. Entries must include ­bourbon and at least two other ­ingredients, and the drink can’t be pink.
The deadline for entries is Sept. 1. Winners in each division, professional and amateur, will be announced at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown in September and will be declared the official cocktail of the association for one year. Contest rules are at
Bourbonwomen.org.

New cheese on the block

Boone Creek Creamery is producing a new cheese ­flavor: Mama Mia. It’s ­similar to a provolone with Italian spices. Artisan cheesemaker Ed ­Puterbaugh will have it and other ­cheeses at ­Lexington ­Farmers Market at Cheapside Park on ­Saturdays and Southland Drive on ­Sundays. He will sell handmade mozzarella at the markets until mid-September. Boone Creek is at 2462 Palumbo Drive. Call (859) 402-2364 or go to Boonecreekcreamery.com.

Flavorful vinegars

Southern Skillet Vinegars is taking comfort food to a new level. The Alabama company makes small-batch boutique vinegars that are hand-bottled and aged over several years.
The vinegars are made from local, vine-ripe fruits and vegetables, and this year’s batch includes tomato, blueberry, and red and white muscadine. Products are ­available at Southernskilletvinegar.com or ­Amazon.com.
The Web site features recipes from Martha Hall Foose, author of a James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, and of A ­Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories From Close to Home.
Upcoming original recipes using Southern Skillet Vinegars will include creations by Sean Brock of Husk ­Restaurant in ­Charleston, S.C.; John Currence of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss.; and Tasia Malakasis of Belle Chevre, a fromagerie in Elkmont, Ala.

Jump-start your recipes

Progresso has a new line, Recipe Starters, that helps busy cooks get a head start on dinner. The cooking sauces are available in five varieties: creamy portobello mushroom, creamy three cheese, creamy Parmesan basil, creamy roasted garlic, and fire-roasted tomato. The cost is $2.49 for an 18-ounce can.

This recipe uses the tomato sauce. Other recipes are at Progresso.com/Recipes/Recipe-Starters.

Double mozzarella margherita pizza

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust

1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ fire roasted tomato cooking sauce

1 ball (8 oz) fresh mozzarella, drained well, diced (1 cup)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Garnishes, If Desired

Sliced plum (Roma) tomatoes

Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough on cookie sheet; press into 15×12-inch rectangle. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown.

Spread 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cooking sauce evenly over partially baked crust (using more sauce will make crust soggy). Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce until hot.  If desired, arrange tomato slices on pizza; sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top with basil.

Kentucky Crafted: The Market returns to the Lexington Convention Center this weekend and is open to the public Saturday and Sunday. In addition to fine art and crafts, the show features locally produced artisan foods. Kentucky Proud producers include Kentucky Specialty Sauces, Screamin Mimi’s Salsas,  Hillbilly Specialties, Shell-Bee’s Homemade Gourmet Sea Salts & Spices, The Sweet Shoppe, Mom Blakeman’s Candy, Ruth Hunt Candy, Elmwood Teas and Boone Creek Creamery. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. One-day tickets are $10, two-day, $15. Discount tickets are available online at 1.usa.gov/sn2Qou.

Events

■ Addie’s Restaurant & Bar at The Woodford Inn, 140 Park Street in Versailles, will have a fish fry at 5 p.m. Friday. The menu includes lobster bites, jumbo shrimp, fish fillet, clams, coleslaw, and hush puppies. The cost is $13 for choice of two, $15 for a platter. Call (859) 873-5600 or visit Thewoodfordinn.com.

■ Alfalfa Restaurant will have its second annual Casimir Pulaski dinner 5:30 to 9 p.m. March 9. Pulaski, after whom Pulaski County is named, was a Polish army officer who fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Alfalfa chef Paul Nowaki will prepare specials including Marksbury Farm Kentucky-made kielbasa, sauerkraut and house-made potato cheddar pierogies, stuffed cabbage and chicken Kiev. Polish beer will be served. Alfalfa is at 141 East Main Street. Call (859) 253-0014.

■ The Bleu Plate Confidential’s next tour will be March 10. The location, chef, food and all aspects of the dinner are kept a secret until two days before the event. The location is an unconventional spot and is never a restaurant or typical dining spot. “A local chef preparing a four-course meal in a location without a kitchen is quite a feat in itself,” said Bleu Plate Tours owner Laura Mize. “I strive to locate interesting places, and guests not knowing where they are going is a large part of the fun.”

Guests are sent an address, along with passwords that each guest is required to reveal for entry. Tickets are $85. Call (859) 893-1011 or visit Bleuplatetours.com.

■ WineStyles, 2535 Nicholasville Road, will host Pere Gomes from the Agricola Falset Marca winery in the Catalonia area of Spain on Friday. Gomes will have selections from the Priorat region of Spain and will discuss the wines from 5 to 8 p.m. The cost is $8. Call (859) 278-9463.

Specials

■ Weekend specials at The Julep Cup include osso bucco with fresh gremolata and risotto Milanese, and sole Milanese served with potato croquettes and roasted asparagus and bell peppers. John Hedger entertains on Friday and Bruce Lewis on Saturday. Call (859) 226-0300.

■ Rossi’s Restaurant, 1060 Chinoe Road, has nightly dinner specials and happy hour at the bar 5 to 7 p.m., and all day on Sunday. A glass of chardonnay or cabernet for $3, or any well liquor for $2.50. The Tuesday special is half-price bottles of wine. Call (859) 335-8788 or visit Rossis-restaurant.com.

New menus

■ Heirloom Restaurant in Midway has a spring menu that includes coconut yogurt mousse, eggs Heirloom, mache salad, sautéed chicken livers, crabcakes, beef tenderloin, pan-seared Chilean sea bass and duck. The Mary burger is named for chef/owner Mark Womble’s grandmother. Heirloom serves maple-bacon scones for breakfast 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. On Wednesdays, the feature is half-price wines, and there’s live entertainment on Thursdays. Call (859) 846-5565 or visit Heirloommidway.com.

■ The menu is going green at Greentree Tearoom, 521West Short Street, for March. The menu features potato leek soup; Irish oatmeal scone; hot brownette; salmon mousse, Benedictine and pesto chicken tea sandwiches; pistachio cupcakes; and grasshopper creams. Luncheon tea is served at noon Wednesday through Saturday. Call (859) 455-9660 or visit Greentreetearoom.com.

Jeremy Ashby, executive chef at Azur, is hanging out with celebrity chefs this weekend at the Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
Ashby joins renowned French chef Jacques Pepin and Iron Chef Michael Symon at the KitchenAid Fairway Club’s chef event during the ­tournament. ­KitchenAid is hosting a series of ­cooking demonstrations with celebrity and local chefs next to the 13th green.
Pepin will teach French cooking skills from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday. Symon will combine his Midwest upbringing and classic culinary training to prepare chops (lamb and veal) and scallops from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
You can hear about Ashby’s ­adventures at the PGA event on his radio show, Sunny Side Up, which airs at 11 a.m. Saturday on WLAP-630 AM. His show focuses on local foods and the farm-to-table movement in the ­Bluegrass.
Azur is at 3070 Lakecrest Circle. Call (859) 296-1007 or go to Azurrestaurant.com.

Events

■ On Saturday, shops and restaurants in Midway will participate in “Meet Me in Midway.” Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Restaurants will serve special dishes, and Superfecta will entertain ­beginning at 7 p.m. A silent auction will feature items from downtown shops and ­restaurant gift certificates. The event benefits the Midway Business and ­Restaurant Association and the ­Bluegrass Cycle Club Horsey 100.
■ Jonathan at Gratz Park, 120 West Second Street, is having a special ­dinner on the patio Sunday. Chef/owner ­Jonathan Lundy will prepare a low-country boil with lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, and fresh corn and potatoes. It will be dumped promptly at 8 p.m. Dinner will be served family style and is limited to 25 guests. The dinner is $45 and is by reservation only. Call (859) 252-4949.
■ Alfalfa, 141 East Main Street, is having a Memorial Day brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. In addition to the regular menu, the chef will prepare a farmers-market omelet, featuring eggs from Home Pickins Farm, vegetables from Elmwood Stock Farm and cheese from Boone Creek Creamery.
Alfalfa now serves a hamburger made from beef from Circle D Farms in Madison County and dressed with local greens and hydroponic tomatoes. Two wines from Lover’s Leap have been ­added to the Kentucky wine list. Call (859) 253-0014 or go to ­Alfalfarestaurant.com.
■ This is the last weekend to enjoy the May dinner menu at Holly Hill Inn, 426 North Winter Street, Midway. The three course dinner is $35, a five-course tasting menu is $55, and a four-course vegetarian tasting menu is $40.
The menu changes monthly, and so does Carrie’s pie supper. May pies are fresh strawberry with white chocolate sauce, orange silk in graham cracker crust, gingersnap peach with crumb topping and caramel sauce, and coconut cream with raspberry sauce. Call (859) 846-4732 or go to Hollyhillinn.com.

Farmers market report

■ Mary Tyler, also known as “the peach lady,” and her son Bobby will have the first crop of their Southern peaches at Lexington Farmers ­Market on ­Saturday. They also will have ­cantaloupes, ­tomatoes and green beans, and they will be set up at all four market ­locations. Other vendors will have strawberries, rhubarb, and hydroponic tomatoes and peppers.
Jonathan Lundy, chef/owner of ­Jonathan’s at Gratz Park will give a chef’s demonstration and offer free samples at the Saturday market at Fifth Third Bank Pavilion in Cheapside Park.
■ Bluegrass Farmers Market has strawberries, asparagus, eggs, lettuce, greens, rhubarb, onions, herb ­seasoning, jams, baked goods, honey, veggie plants and floral hanging baskets. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The market, which sells 100 percent homegrown/produced items, is at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. Go to Localharvest.org/blog/29529.
■ Azur’s Farmers Bazaar is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays featuring local produce. It’s open on the patio and front walk of the restaurant at 3070 Lakecrest Circle. Call (859) 296-1007 or visit Azurrestaurant.com.