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Adventures in Bitters
The hidden ingredient in your cocktail
Bluegrass Herbed Roasted Carrots
Inspired by the carrots prepared by Connie Lemley and the kitchen staff at Second Street School, the carrot section in Chef Abra Beren’s cookbook Ruffage and our very own Holly Hill Inn garden-grown and hand-mixed herb blend!
Chef Abra Berens
Our beautiful friendship with Chef Abra Berens began with her first trip to Lexington back in 2017 for FoodChain’s inaugural FEAST fundraiser. Learn why we named her class at our Holly Hill Cooking studio “Beautiful Food for Body & Soul”
Teaching (and Learning) How to Love Local Food
Learn how a constellation of community partners came together to help Frankfort Independent Schools host a Love Local Lunch for its students and staff. Steak was on the menu, along with a delicious line-up of all local foods, some of which had even been grown by the students themselves!
Dutch Baby Basics
Scandinavia and Germany got together and had a baby and named it for Holland. If you've never tried a Dutch baby, now's the perfect time. It comes together in minutes and turns a bowl of soup into dinner. Or go sweet and whip one up for breakfast or dessert.
Imbolc is Here
Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day is Ireland's newest national holiday and a wonderful reason to celebrate spring's imminent arrival. We're planning new gardens and baking delicious treats with eggs and butter and milk to mark the day.
Elevenses All Day
Chef Ouita traveled to Ireland last year and found a little bit of home there. So we thought we'd repay the favor by importing a couple of beloved Irish traditions to the Bluegrass state.
Transparent Pie
Enjoy this traditional treat from Maysville, Ky., where opinions may vary on its exact preparation but all are united in their love for it. As one native put it, “Nutmeggin’ it up, this pie is transparently delicious!”
Recollecting 2023
Oh the lessons we’ve learned, the things we’ve done, and the places we’re headed! Chef Ouita looks back on 2023 and shares her hopes and dreams for 2024.
Back Pocket Bloody Mary
Everyone should have this zesty and simple Bloody Mary recipe in their back pocket. Mix up a pitcher-full for your next brunch party and raise a glass to the promise of a new day!
Holly Hill Hollandaise
Rich and delicious, here's a holiday classic that pairs perfectly with everything from Windy Corner Super Spice-seasoned potato wedges to poached eggs to broccoli to fancy beef tenderloin! Our recipe has been perfected through years of Sunday brunches and Chef Tyler demonstrates how you can now enjoy it at home.
Steve’s Botluck Tips
It's like a potluck, only with wine! Members of our Holly Hill Wine Guild like to socialize on their own and frequently host botlucks to explore new wines with one another. We asked Guild Director Steve Mancuso to share their secrets for a successful tasting!
Hidden Blessings
We went looking for one thing and found another. And were reminded of how often blessings are hiding in plain sight. And how the land, and hands of others, continue to nourish us even as we brace for winter's chill.
Bourbon White Cheddar Cheese Ball
Here's a party treat as easy as it is tasty! It's a family favorite from Chef Ouita's holiday menu and will surely make your crew happy too. Make two and double the deliciousness.
Harvest of Riches
Food has the power to bring us together. It works its magic in all kinds of ways and through all kinds of people. Kentucky's story belongs to all of us and we're glad you're here for the telling.
Woodford Salad
This bright and festive salad brings the party to any meal with friends and family. Created by Chef Ouita while she was chef-in-residence at a well-known Woodford County distillery, it marries local sorghum and Kentucky bourbon in a lively vinaigrette you'll want to put on everything.
A Respectable (and Tasty!) Bird
Benjamin Franklin called the American turkey a respectable bird, a bird of courage. We ventured out to Elmwood Stock Farm in nearby Scott County, Ky., to talk turkey with Mac Stone who raises heritage Narragansetts on a sixth-generation organic family farm.
Wines for Fall
We asked three of our resident wine enthusiasts to weigh in on their favorite wines for autumn and got some surprisingly different responses, along with a universal fave.
Roast Squash with Porcini Cream
Foraging for fall flavors, we were inspired by this simple yet sublime dish of squash roasted with dried porcini and heavy cream. It's perfect for an autumn side or vegetarian main.
Our Home Place Pastitsio
Tootsie Nelson’s It’s All Greek to Me cooking class left us hungry for more flavors from Greece! Our pastitsio recipe, named for Our Home Place Meats, was inspired by one from Ronald Johnson, the late American poet and cookbook author. Back in the 1960s, Ronald Johnson briefly taught a creative writing class at the University of Kentucky while Wendell Berry was on leave.
Art on the Plate
As lovers of art and lovers of food, we look for beauty in many places and myriad forms. And just as artists rely on color, texture and form to create a compelling composition, our chefs compose dishes that might combine sweet and savory elements, crispy and tender, even hot and cold. Join us as we revisit a few of our favorite examples of artistry on the plate. And magic on the palate.