Featured
Namesakes —
the who, what, where of our favorite dishes & places
Taking Stock
Year-end inventory is an obligatory ritual in the restaurant business; but it’s not a bad idea for the rest of us, either!
King Cake
King Cake is a classic Mardi Gras treat but it’s also popular for Christmas, especially the Feast of the Epiphany. Here’s a version from our Midway Bakery for you to try at home. If you can’t get your hands on a little plastic baby for the fève, feel free to wrap a coin in foil. And don’t forget to warn your guests!
Midway Bakery Biscuit Tips
Midway Bakery Tips for the Tenderest, Tastiest Buttermilk Biscuits. Here are a few insider tips from the folks who’ve been making our buttermilk biscuits for nearly 15 years. You can find the recipe, which originated at Holly Hill Inn, in the first few pages of Chef Ouita’s cookbook, Just a Few Miles South.
Pam’s Stuffed Mushrooms
A holiday tradition at Chef Ouita’s house, based on a recipe from her mom, Pam Sexton. Make them your new tradition — so easy and so good!
Cheese Gougères
At first glance, this recipe looks intimidating but once you know what to look for, and catch on to the technique, it’s a great way to impress guests! And there are so many good ways to enjoy them.
Distilling Change
Katima Smith-Willis is making a name for herself as a change agent. Now she wants to create a space where she can MASH bourbon and social activism together!
Bottled in Bond
Logan and Mac Hanes are creating a community of bourbon lovers in their Basement Rickhouse. Read about the bonds they build over bottles of bourbon and the time they schooled Vanilla Ice on the Kentucky Chew.
Pork Tendy & Boozy Apples
When Chef Ouita Michel and Events Chef Scott Darnell took to the culinary stage at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, they cooked this deliciously seasonal main course using Kentucky’s native spirit. It features locally-raised pork from Patrick Kennedy’s Stone Cross Farm and apples from Stepping Stone Farm. And of course, plenty of Kentucky bourbon!
We take you through the process step-by-step with our four part recipe – for the bourbon brine, a spice rub, then cooking the tenderloin and apples.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Is Back!
We know, we know. It’s such a cliche but really, who can resist it? And let’s remember why we love it so much in the first place. All those warm spices coming together trigger such happy memories of apple pie, Grandma’s table, gingerbread, hot cider. Now let’s talk about ways to take it up a notch or two!
Growing Art
Not all farms grow food. We found one where artists plant sculpture and fill the air with music or construct platforms for discussion; where the land itself is a canvas for restoration and renewal, exploration and reflection.
The Pollinator
The constant buzz in our Holly Hill tea garden inspired this cocktail, made with local honey from springtime blooms and our Cup of Serenity tea.
Healthy with Honey
Beekeeper John Antenucci shares local honey lore and tips on attracting honeybees to your garden.
Art Aid for Appalachia
Hundreds of houses and countless possessions and memories were lost in the recent flooding. Phoebe Wagoner, daughter of our good friends David Wagoner and Arwen Donahue, owners of Three Springs Farm, was interning at Appalshop when Eastern Kentucky’s catastrophic floods hit. So she is seizing this opportunity to raise funds for the relief effort through the sale of her Appalachian paper-cut series.
Spoonful of Love
Our Whitesburg Soup Beans were inspired by Chef Jared Richardson’s Eastern Kentucky hometown. Jared was our opening chef at Wallace Station and his parents, Bill and Josephine D’Amato Richardson, founded Appalshop in 1969. Jared’s Whitesburg Soup Beans found their way onto nearly all our menus and into our hearts.
Get Your Grill On
We took the heat for you and fired up our grill. If your vibe is a charcoal grill, no sweat. These tips work well either way and will show you how to get the most out of a hot grill.
Growing a Future Farmer
Summertime is county fair season in Kentucky! Forget the midway rides; the real show takes place in the livestock pavilion. That’s where some intense competition is underway as 4-H youth like Peyton Zinner are exhibiting their animals in the lead-up to the Kentucky State Fair.
Lamb Kofta
We loved this dish; don’t skimp on the seasonings! They really complement the flavor of our good local lamb.
Cilantro Lime Yogurt
This is good on so many things – the lamb kofta, grilled veggies, tacos, frittatas. Be sure to seek out a full-fat Greek-style yogurt; it makes all the difference in the world
Thermopolis Greek Salad
Thermopolis (from the Greek words for hot water) was named for the mineral hot springs nearby but it was also home to a large Greek-American population. All the veggies in our salad (except for the artichokes and olives) grew prolifically in Grandpa Zim’s garden, which Chef Ouita said was “truly a sight to behold.” If your green thumb isn’t as green as Grandpa Zim’s, check your local farmers market for seasonal goodies!