Kentucky Bourbon Ball Petit Fours

Posted on August 29, 2010 by

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Louisville, Kentucky for a conference. When I think of Louisville, I think of Southern hospitality, the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, and of course … Kentucky Bourbon. Those Kentucky-ites love their bourbon and use it in every kind of food imaginable. One of the all time favorites is the famous Bourbon Ball, a confection with chocolate, pecans and a powerful bourbon punch. With this in mind, I came up with my twist on that theme for the August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge, Kentucky Bourbon Ball Petit Fours – Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream sandwiched between layers of Brown Butter Poundcake, enrobed in a dark chocolate glaze. Continue reading →

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Chocolate Glaze

Posted on August 29, 2010 by

This glaze is one of the components of the Kentucky Bourbon Ball Petit Fours I made for the August 2010 Daring Bakers Challenge. Continue reading →

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Brown Butter Poundcake

Posted on August 29, 2010 by

This cake is one of the components of the Kentucky Bourbon Ball Petit Fours I made for the August 2010 Daring Bakers Challenge. Continue reading →

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Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream

Posted on August 29, 2010 by

This ice cream is very adult and powerfully delicious. It was inspired by a tiny bottle of Makers Mark Bourbon (and the Booze and Shoes tour that took us on a trip to the Jim Beam bourbon distillery) that I received as a welcome gift on my recent trip to Louisville, Kentucky. Continue reading →

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A Game of Tapas Russian Roulette Anyone? Pimientos de Padron

Posted on August 20, 2010 by

If anyone has ever had the pleasure of feasting on Pimiento de Padron (sometimes just known as Padron peppers), you know exactly what I mean by playing Russian Roulette with these gorgeous tasty peppers. Most of them are sweet, mild, a little bit nutty and very tasty, but every so often (usually a couple in each batch) are hot … ranging from mildly spicy to super hot. And the trick is there is no way to differentiate the mild ones from the hot ones. So when you’re eating them you never know what you’re going to get. Continue reading →

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Food and Wine Tasting in Napa for a Great Cause

Posted on August 16, 2010 by

Share our Strength Taste of the Nation Napa Valley

Even in the land of plenty, we face an epidemic of child hunger. Estimates are that as many as 1 in 4 children in America face hunger at some point growing up. And not the kind of hunger that strikes at midnight when you want a little sweet to nibble on, but the kind of hunger that gnaws at your belly wondering where your next meal will come from.

Continue reading →

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Ragin Cajun Pierogis

Posted on August 16, 2010 by

Ragin Cajun Pierogis

The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

I was pretty excited to try my hand at making pierogis because I’ve never tried them and am always up for a new adventure. Pierogis are kind of a cross between a noodley dumpling and a ravioli, but are decidedly Eastern European. The typical fillings are potato or cabbage but many variations exist.

I knew I wanted to create a regional periogi filling and I thought about it for a good part of the month. I finally decided to create some Ragin Cajun fillings, one with cabbage and andouile sausage an the other with sweet potato, pecans and light Cajun seasonings. Continue reading →

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