{"id":22515,"date":"2015-10-15T10:50:54","date_gmt":"2015-10-15T17:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=22515"},"modified":"2020-03-16T09:55:57","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T16:55:57","slug":"southern-heat-in-louisville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/southern-heat-in-louisville\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern Heat in Louisville"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Charring<\/p>\n

Tell me Louisville, Kentucky is not at the epicenter of a culinary explosion and I’ll show you someone who needs to wake up and smell the bourbon! Things are hot in Louisville and it’s about to get even hotter with the release of Southern Heat<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>by Chef Anthony Lamas and Gwen Pratesi – a gorgeous, beautifully written cookbook entwined with the heartwarming culinary life journey of Chef Lamas.<\/p>\n

\"Southern<\/p>\n

Famous for Kentucky bourbon, the greater Louisville area is, and has been, bourbon central since before Prohibition and is reveling in the dramatic spike in the popularity of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey which has transformed this uniquely American amber spirit into an $8 billion dollar business.<\/p>\n

A decade ago, the American whiskey industry was flat on its back, having suffered decades of weak sales and underinvestment. Today, though, bourbon \u2014 the corn-based, barrel-aged spirit that accounts for the vast majority of the whiskey made in America \u2014 is everywhere, from\u00a0Mad Men\u00a0to the wet bars of C-level office suites, feeding a global ecosystem of tourism, whiskey bars, cocktail competitions, and craft distilleries. The most coveted drink on Wall Street is no longer a Screaming Eagle Cab or a 40-year-old Glenfiddich, but the 23-year-old bourbon from Pappy Van Winkle, which is so rare that it can retail for up to $3,500. {Source: Fortune magazine<\/a>}<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Seviche,<\/p>\n

My affinity for Louisville began three years ago when I attended a Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Tasting Dinner<\/a> at Anthony Lamas’ restaurant Seviche<\/a> in Louisville. An incomparable degustatory experience – if I wasn’t already a fervent bourbon believer, all it took was an evening sitting across from Julian Van Winkle, sipping 10, 12, 15 and 23-year old\u00a0Pappy alongside\u00a0the bold Nuevo Latino cuisine of Anthony Lamas to convert me. \u00a0And the\u00a0Foie Gras Apple Bread Pudding, Bourbon dulce de leche, Marcona almond and Horchata ice cream paired with Pappy Van Winkle\u2019s Family Reserve 23-year old (shown above).<\/p>\n

On this same On The Road<\/em> culinary adventure tour arranged by Gwen Pratesi of Bunky Cooks<\/a> in concert with her husband and photographer Roger Pratesi, our group met three of Louisville’s culinary movers and shakers: Anthony Lamas of Seviche, A Latin Restaurant; Bobby Benjamin, Executive Chef and partner at Butchertown Grocery<\/a>; and Matt Jamie, founder of Bourbon Barrel Foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Rub<\/p>\n

When Gwen emailed me that they were organizing another On The Road adventure<\/a> that was to include a tour of Brown-Forman Cooperage<\/a>, Woodford Reserve Distillery<\/a>, and a Southern Heat cookbook launch dinner and signing with Anthony Lamas at Seviche, guess what I said? Without question, “Yes”.<\/p>\n

“The South is more than grits, collards, and fried chicken, and we have assembled a star-studded team of chefs to bring their International flavors to life.\u00a0 Kentucky has attracted many chefs who put their International spin on traditional Southern cuisine using local ingredients and are inspired by their heritage to create dishes that are truly extraordinary.\u00a0 Along with bourbon as a culinary ingredient, these chefs have created dishes that have wowed their diners and have won them national acclaim.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Tuna<\/p>\n

Tuna Old Fashioned | Photo by Gwen Pratesi<\/em><\/p>\n

Another two nights at the historical Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville and meet three more top chefs integral in Louisville’s culinary renaissance, oh snap! The itinerary: arrival night dinner at Milkwood<\/a>\u00a0prepared by Chef Glenn Dougan and meet\u00a0Chef Edward Lee<\/a>\u00a0who spins his Korean flavors into Southern ingredients at both Milkwood and 610 Magnolia in Louisville. Chef Lee is a four-time James Beard Award finalist, owner of MilkWood and 610 Magnolia, host of the show Mind of a Chef on PBS, and author of Smoke & Pickles.<\/em>\u00a0Bright and early Monday morning we toured Brown-Forman Cooperage, followed by Woodford Reserve Distillery tour and luncheon with Chef Ouita Michels, owner of Holly Hill Inn near Lexington and several other restaurants in Kentucky, then dinner and Southern Heat book signing at Seviche. The tour culminated with a \u00a0“Recovery Brunch” with Chef Ryan Rogers of Feast BBQ<\/a>. I’ll share more about these extraordinary experiences in another post!<\/p>\n

\"Warm<\/p>\n

Warm Milk Cake, brown butter macadamia nut ice cream, bourbon dulce de leche | <\/em><\/p>\n

Photo by Roger Pratesi<\/em><\/p>\n

In Southern Heat<\/em><\/strong>, Chef Lamas reveals some of his secret ingredients and you’ll learn how to create the layers of flavor that result in the bold, bright and fresh \u00a0“party in your mouth” dishes he has become known for. Tips such as seasoning each ingredient individually as you go, tempering “hot” or “spicy” ingredients with other components for a balanced dish and, of course, using the finest local ingredients available to you.<\/p>\n

Both the\u00a0Tuna “Old Fashioned”<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Warm Milk Cake<\/em>\u00a0pictured above are recipes in the cookbook. To further pique your interest, I’m sharing the “Old Fashioned” recipe below. Seafood is my crack and, combining the freshest sushi grade tuna with bourbon – well, I had to hold myself back because this was supposed to be an appetizer – there were 5 other courses to savor!<\/p>\n

\"Tuna<\/p>\n

<\/div>
\n\t
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\"\"<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tPrint<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
Tuna \"Old Fashioned\"<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Prep Time<\/div>\n\t\t\t
20<\/span> mins<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
Total Time<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
20<\/span> mins<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
 <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\tCreated for a Pappy Van Winkle bourbon tasting dinner at Seviche in Louisville by Chef Anthony Lamas, this award-winning ceviche is a play on the classic drink of the same name. <\/em>\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tCourse:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAppetizer\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tCuisine:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tNuevo Latino\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tServings<\/span>: 6<\/span> servings<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tAuthor<\/span>: Priscilla<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Ingredients<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For the Broth:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t