Featured
Woodford Salad — The Winter Edition
It’s sunshine on the plate, full of bright flavor!
Introduction to Induction
We've spent the last two years cooking hundreds of dishes on the induction burners at our Holly Hill studio. Here's a little of what we've learned along the way, including the pros and cons of induction cooking.
The Breakdown with Chef Tyler
So you've just splurged on a locally-raised, free-range, non-ASH chicken and want to get your money's worth out of it. Or maybe you just want to be able to cut up a whole chicken efficiently. Executive Chef Tyler McNabb explains his approach and how to get perfectly-carved cuts.
Ouita’s Roast Chicken
If you're like us, and your oven is an essential element of your home heating system, crank it up and make Chef Ouita's roast chicken for dinner tonight. Add the optional veggies to the pan and dinner is served!
The Winter Table
It’s easier than ever to eat both seasonally AND locally, even in the midst of winter. And when your menu needs a spark of color and flavor, we have tips for that too!
Winter Woodford Salad
This salad is sunshine on a plate; it’s the perfect complement to cold weather stews and roasts, and easily shape shifts through the seasons according to what’s on the grocery shelf or farmers market table.
Bourbon Hot Toddy
While this soothing, warming concoction can be enjoyed any time, it really hits the spot during cold and flu season, when the days are short and the nights are long. Ours is made with Meyer lemon and local honey for extra sweetness.
Punch Notes from Donna
We’re happy to report that punch is making a comeback. Our latest favorite is based on a recipe we came up with for our Smorgasbord class, inspired by a punch Ouita made with Vishwesh Bhatt. We made a spiced brown sugar syrup and, with the addition of pineapple juice, orange Curaçao, and sparkling wine, had ourselves quite a merry little punch bowl, now you can too!
Kneading New Life Into an Old Tradition
Beaten biscuits have long been a complicated part of our Southern tradition. As we gather for the holidays, may we honor and respect the memory of those whose hands created food for the nourishment of others. Let’s knead new life into an old tradition by trying our hand at beaten biscuits and strike a blow for remembering, for truth-telling, and for venerating the dignity of working hands.
Chris on Wine
Did you know that Holly Hill Inn has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every single year since opening in 2001? And that we're currently featured in an 11-page holiday spread in its November issue (the one with Padma Lakshmi on the cover?) Spoiler alert: we got more coverage.
While owner Chris Michel and GM Jackie Anthony were tasting Cassoulet wines, we jumped at the chance to ask a few questions about Holly Hill Inn's award-winning list.
A Brief History of Cassoulet: The Holly Hill version
Historically speaking, Holly Hill Inn was already late to the Cassoulet scene when it began serving one in 2001, considering that the dish itself dates back to 1355 and the Hundred Years’ War, specifically the siege of Castelnaudary, France.
Apple Season
Raise a glass of sparkling cider to our friends at Wise Bird Cider Co. ~ our favorite agents of temptation ~ and make a little harvest mischief this apple season!
Adventures in Bitters
A dash or two of bitters is the hidden ingredient in many a classic cocktail, and lots of new-fangled ones, too. We set off to blend a batch of our own but first we had to figure out where (and how) to get started. Join us on our bitters adventure!
Nature’s Spice Rack
Yes, we know you can just buy spices at your favorite grocery but wouldn't it be a lot more fun to track down treats in the wild? We found three that are worth seeking out to add to your fall and winter pantry.
Remembering Stanley Demos
Ouita's first trip to the Coach House restaurant was on Prom Night. She was wearing a peach-colored formal and felt all grown-up in the Coach House's stunning dining room. "Perhaps that was the moment I fell in love with restaurants." Read how Mr. Demos and his family had a profound effect on Ouita's own culinary calling.
Pawpaw Picking & More
The Pawpaw Pickers, known for their bluegrass jams, used to be a regular fixture at our Windy Corner Market. Follow our tips to be a different kind of pawpaw picker and sample this tropical, yet native, Kentucky fruit.
Escalopes au Champagne
This recipe was originally printed in the Stanley Demos Cookbook, first published in 1961, and was prepared with veal scallopini. As often happened at the time, champagne was replaced with sherry, and the sauce was thickened three ways – with flour, heavy cream and egg yolks – for an especially rich dish. We prepared it with boneless pork chops; for a fully faithful version, we recommend Berry rose veal, available online from Our Homeplace Meat
A Visit to Rough Draft
We'd never been to a place like Rough Draft Farmstead, sandwiched between neighboring houses in a rural hamlet, bordered by railroad tracks and punctuated by the piercing whistles of passing trains.
Buttermilk Biscuits
When Chef Ouita was in Bahrain for the US State Department, she taught this recipe to her Youth City class. Once they got over their distaste at handling the dough, they learned to love hot biscuits slathered with date syrup in place of our Kentucky sorghum. As our recipe tester says – Very quick. Very easy. Just don’t be afraid to get your hands messy making these biscuits. They’re worth the flying flour!
Pam’s Eggplant Caviar
Chef Ouita's mother Pam Sexton was famous for her nutritious and delicious meals. Pam's Eggplant Caviar was a frequent summertime fixture on the family table while Ouita was growing up in downtown Lexington. We made our batch with sun-ripe veggies from our backyard garden at Holly Hill Inn.
Three Summer Salsas
Farmers markets and backyard gardens are bursting with ripe tomatoes, peppers, melons and chiles right now and these fresh salsas are a great way to use them up without turning on the stove. Plus making them is good practice for honing your knife skills.