Sunday, March 27, 2011

Foodbuzz 24x24: KY Bourbon Inspired Dinner and Tasting Flight


For this month's Foodbuzz 24x24 sponsored dinner, I chose to prepare a Kentucky Bourbon inspired dinner paired with several varieties of Bourbon. About two years ago, my husband was treated to a Bourbon tasting, and since then has been collecting it. While there are many brands and varieties of Bourbon, to be considered Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it must comply with several standards. First, it must be made in Kentucky in a region where the water flows from sandstone and limestone. Great water makes great Bourbon, and this water especially aids yeast in the fermentation process. Other requirements are that the alcohol be made from a grain recipe of at least 51% corn, distilled at less than 160 proof, mature in new, Charred White Oak barrels for a minimum of two years, and be bottled at 80 proof or higher. 

It was in this research and tasting that my husband and I developed a passion for purveying great Bourbon. Each has it's own distinct characteristics and a story that can date back over 100 years. The average bottle of Bourbon is $30, but extremely small, rare, and old batches can range several hundred. For this dinner, my husband tasted each Bourbon under my watch, and described the characteristics. From this, I worked on a vegetarian, Kentucky inspired menu featuring a different Bourbon in each course as well as a Bourbon paired to taste.


Before each course, my husband poured a tasting for each of our 4 guests and himself (being 5 months pregnant resulted in a dry evening for me). The guests tasted the Bourbon, then tasted their food paired with it. Of my husband's 11 Bourbons, he chose his four favorites for the tasting portion.

For the decor, I chose to simply feature the star of the evening, Bourbon, paired with springy tulips and candles. 


Our first course was Old Granddad 114 Peach Chutney with Brie on Crostini paired with Maker's Mark. We chose to start the meal with one of the most common and recognizable Bourbons, Maker's Mark. It's known for the hand-dipped red wax seal that drips down the bottle. Maker's Mark is a very clean tasting Bourbon with a light finish. It's a bit sweet on the tongue, which pairs well with the fresh bread and sweet peaches. 

In the peach chutney, jalapeños are accented with Old Granddad 114, a spicy and bright Bourbon. The chutney's boldness is toned down with a slice of creamy, rich Brie. 


For our next course, I chose to prepare a Southern Salad with Maple-Pecan-Bourbon Vinaigrette. During a visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC last summer, I had a salad very similar to this, featuring fried okra as a crouton, hard boiled eggs and fresh, bright tomatoes. That salad was the inspiration for this salad, which was accented by an Evan Williams Bourbon Vinaigrette. Evan Williams has a heavier body, tasting of maple and brown sugar. To make the dressing, I reduced the Bourbon in a saucepan with shallots, then whisked in maple, dijon and olive oil. 

The Bourbon paired with this course was Jefferson's. This Bourbon has a light body with a subtle finish, and did not overpower the light salad and dressing.  


For the third course and entrée, I made my version of Fine-Dining Southern Vegetarian BBQ. The base of the dish is Bourbon Whipped Potatoes featuring Ridgewood Reserve 1792. This Bourbon has caramel notes, and is a bit spicy. Stacked on top of the potatoes were Bourbon-Barbecue Glazed Tempeh and Fried Green Tomato Stacks. I made a Barbecue Sauce with Wild Turkey 101, a Bourbon known for it's sharp, spicy heat. It's smooth when sipped, but leaves a deep burn, perfect for barbecue. The Fried Green Tomatoes added an acidic punch with Southern Flare, and the dish was finished with fresh parsley and crumbled blue cheese. 

Paired with the entrée was Woodford Reserve. This Bourbon has similar characteristics to 1792, a medium body with caramel and cinnamon notes. 


For our final course of the evening, I prepared a Bourbon Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce. The cheesecake has a layer of sauteed apples, which were caramelized with brown sugar and Bourbon. The actual cheesecake batter also was infused with Bourbon. Buffalo Trace has notes of vanilla and anise, which paired with the spices in the cheesecake. For the Bourbon Caramel Sauce, I chose Elijah Craig, another vanilla and brown sugar tasting Bourbon. 

Russell's Reserve Bourbon was paired with this cheesecake, a stronger, spicy, heavier bodied Bourbon to stand up to the creamy cheesecake. 


As the meal concluded, each of our guests gave their preference of the Bourbon tasted through the evening. They were all very impressed with the variety and history of Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and were interested in beginning a collection of their own. 

To aid them in this quest, I sent them home with a favor of Bourbon Zucchini Bread with a nip of Bourbon, either Wild Turkey or Jim Beam. 


Please come back each day this week to view the recipes for each dish! 

Thank you so much to Foodbuzz for sponsoring this dinner, and I encourage everyone to try Kentucky Straight Bourbon, if you're not already a fan! This summer, my husband and I will be participating in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail program, which I will definitely be posting about! 
www.kybourbontrail.com

14 comments:

Ashley said...

Can't wait to see the bourbon zucchini bread recipe. I'm originally from Kentucky and love bourbon!

Joanne said...

Whoa! This is such an awesome 24x24 idea! Everything sounds amazing Ash! Can't wait to see these recipes!

Amy said...

OMG those dishes sound amazing, and I just love how you incorporated bourbon in every dish!

Danielle said...

Being a KY girl, I fully appreciate this post! We have some Evan Williams on hand right now. My husband would have loved your bourbon inspired meal.

We haven't done the Bourbon Trail but it's should be fun and interesting.

Kimmy Bingham said...

I seriously want that bourbon apple cheesecake. What a great 24x24 idea, I absolutely love it!

Jessica said...

Bourbon Zucchini Bread?! Yes, Please! :-)

Anonymous said...

It's been said already, but this looks amazing. I usually don't like to comment until I've actually tried the recipes, but I'm already impressed by the creativity, and the fullness of the menu without including meat. Very, very nice ... and now I want a Maker's Mark Manhattan, up, with cherries.

Kelsey said...

Oh my goodness, Ashlee! This dinner is my idea of culinary heaven. I love bourbon. Wish I could've been there to aid in the tasting!

ErinsFoodFiles said...

YUM! I can't wait for the recipes! Has your husband ever tried Bulleit? It's an incredibly affordable bourbon, that just so happens to also taste incredibly delicious! hands down it's our favorite. We always have at least one bottle in the house, if not two. We even met Mr. Tom Bulleit himself, and he's a cool character.

Kira said...

Ahhh! I love this! I can't wait for all of the recipes this week. Sorry you couldn't enjoy the bourbon along with the rest of your guests.

Kelly said...

I love tastings and especially how you were able to incorporate all the burbon into your fun dishes. Did I miss something though, did you have your baby already or was this another meal you weren't able to taste? I seem to remember you having another meal or party that was alcohol themed and you not being able to partake. :-(

Either way this looks fantastic.

VegeCooking Club said...

Oh my gosh girl you went all out!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This looks amazing. Last year we headed from NH to KY for my cousin's wedding. Having never been before we gave ourselves a few extra days and did some exploring on the Bourbon trail. We were able to make it to 6 of the 8 factories while there. It was a blast - definitely request the hard hat tour at Buffalo Trace (you have to call ahead for this). My favorites were Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill. We were very disappointed with Jim Beam but they were remodeling so hopefully that will be done and you get an actual tour not just a video and gift shop.

Tiffany said...

I love this theme! Elegant and fun!