May 2017 | Kentucky Monthly Magazine

8TH ANNUAL READER RECIPE CONTEST WINNERS M AY 2 0 1 7

The Food Issue Kirk Alliman’s Pie Ride Kentucky’s Own Ale-8-One Kizito Cookies The Delicate Soufflé

Display until 6/13/2017

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Inspiration. Creativity. Heritage.

Paducah inspires creativity as a UNESCO Creative City. Home of the National Quilt Museum, Paducah’s rich American heritage and engaging attractions create the foundation for authentic cultural experiences. Travel to Paducah and find your inspiration!

Plan your next getaway at Paducah.travel—and be creative! 1-800-PADUCAH

In This Issue 13

24 Departments 2 Kentucky Kwiz 4 Mag on the Move 6 Across Kentucky 7 Curiosities Mother’s Day Origin 8 Eighth Annual Recipe Contest Winners 48 Off The Shelf 52 Gardening 53 Field Notes 54 Calendar

Featured Fare 13 Pedaling for Pie

Foodie on two wheels Kirk Alliman samples 69 slices of delicious Kentucky culinary culture

20 The Art of the Soufflé

Author Lindsey McClave provides the lowdown on this sometimestricky dish

24 A Great One

Once a regional favorite, Ale-8-One today reaches a national audience

28 Quintessential Kentucky Foods

And where to find them

30 A Head for Business

Voices

Elizabeth Kizito’s cookies—and her marketing genius—have made her a fixture in Louisville

45 Cherished Past, Promising Future

3 Readers Write 51 Past Tense/ Present Tense

Masonic Homes of Kentucky marks its 150th anniversary

64 Vested Interest

8

ON THE COVER

Photo by Jesse Hendrix-Inman

KENTUCKY

Kwiz

Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest or take the Kwiz online at kentuckymonthly.com.

7. In the Allman Brothers Band’s song “Ramblin’ Man,” Dickey Betts (actually born in Florida) was born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus that could have been passing through which Kentucky town?

A. Madisonville B. Paducah

1. Texas has reached the College World Series, which is played each year in Omaha, Nebraska, 35 times and won six titles. Which Kentucky team has made it to Omaha more than any other?

C. Owensboro

A. University of Kentucky

A. Split Springs

B. Western Kentucky University

B. Tradewater Bend

C. University of Louisville

C. Peyton Place

2. John Paul Scott of Springfield is best known for which swimming feat?

9. Crestview in Campbell County was originally founded in 1948 as a city designated for which group?

A. The first person to successfully swim the British Channel

8. Dawson Springs, which straddles the Caldwell and Hopkins county lines, was originally named what?

A. Displaced refugees

B. The only person to swim his way out of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

B. World War II veterans and their families

C. The first person to swim from Cuba to Miami

C. Pet owners

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth © 2017, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty, Issue 4, May 2017 STEPHEN M. VEST, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Editorial PATRICIA RANFT, Associate Editor DEBORAH KOHL KREMER, Assistant Editor MADELYNN COLDIRON and TED SLOAN, Contributing Editors REBECCA REDDING, Art Director JESSICA PATTON, Graphic Designer Senior Kentributors JACKIE HOLLENKAMP BENTLEY, ANNETTE CABLE, BILL ELLIS, STEVE FLAIRTY, GARY GARTH, CYNTHIA GRISOLIA, RACHAEL GUADAGNI, JESSE HENDRIX-INMAN, ABBY LAUB, WALT REICHERT, KRISTY ROBINSON HORINE, GARY P. WEST

Marketing and Circulation TRICIA FOX, General Manager BARBARA KAY VEST, Business Manager

Advertising JULIE MOORE, Senior Account Executive MISTEE BROWNING, Account Manager

3. True or false, Kentucky manufactures both the best-selling car and best-selling truck in the United States?

True False

10. Cold Spring, also located in Campbell County, is the national headquarters of which organization?

A. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals B. International Refugee Organization C. Disabled American Veterans

4. While six interstates and nine parkways provide routes for much of Kentucky vehicular traffic, the state’s longest highway within its borders is: A. Kentucky Route 80 B. U.S. Route 127 C. U.S. Route 60

For advertising information, call (888) 329-0053 or (502) 227-0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Kim Butterweck, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Mary and Michael Embry, Frank Martin, Lori Hahn, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Dr. A. Bennett Jenson, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Kelli Schreiber, Christopher E. and Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton, Ted M. Sloan and Marjorie D. Vest.

5. The longest interstate highway that passes through Kentucky is:

Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.

A. I-64

Kentucky Monthly is printed and distributed by Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, Ky.

B. I-75

www.kentuckymonthly.com (888) 329-0053 P.O. Box 559 100 Consumer Lane Frankfort, KY 40601

C. I-65 6. The longest non-interstate highway that passes through Kentucky is: A. U.S. Route 41 B. U.S. Route 60 C. U.S. Route 25

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

This issue is dedicated to the memory of Peggy Jean Dixon (1928-2017), founding board member and investor.

VOICES MORE SPROUTING UP

I really appreciate your magazine because I find something every month that “tweaks” my interest and forces me to read more and more.

The article in the March issue that “caught my fancy” was “New Brews” (page 30) about the “blossoming” of several new craft breweries in the state.

It took me some time to understand how the county with the most craft brews didn’t get a mention. Then upon further consideration, I realized that Jefferson County was the “founding” spot and is so flush currently that there have been few new breweries lately.

Jim Hatcher, Hardin County, where Flywheel Brewing is scheduled to “blossom” by summer WHISKEY/CARDINAL CLARIFICATION Question 9 in the March Kentucky Kwiz (page 2) has some inaccuracies.

The Whiskey Route was the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad, running between Frankfort and Paris. Chapter 23 of Elmer Sulzers’ excellent book, Ghost Railroads of Kentucky, covers it well.

The two small motor cars were painted bright red, so acquired the name Cardinals because of their color. The last one ran until 1956 and is preserved at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven. The only train I know of officially called The Kentucky Cardinal ran on the Illinois Central between Louisville and Fulton, trains 101 and 102, and was discontinued in 1954.

An interesting sidelight is that an IC train between Paducah and Cairo, Illinois, gained the nickname Whiskey Dick because on Saturday evenings it carried revelers to Cairo, which was wet, from Paducah, which was dry! This run ended in 1937.

Your excellent magazine is most enjoyed in this household!

Lou Jaquith, Lexington MEMORABLE MARCH ISSUE So enjoyed your March issue of Kentucky Monthly congratulations on a great little magazine! Loved your piece on Kentucky-shaped clouds, a fact I’ve remarked on many times.

And I was surprised to read that Virgil Earp lived in Hartford for a time.

I’m a retired “country doctor” from Hartford, and served both Hartford and Beaver Dam and environs for 40-plus years.

In fact, I was blessed to have been mentored in emergency medicine by Dr. Jack Hamman of Madisonville many years ago and can certainly attest to the significant role he has played in the lives of not only his patients but many doctors, like myself, as well.

My wife, an RN, and I have been blessed to have served as medical missionaries to the poor of Haiti over a 30-plus-year period and have retired only because of personal health issues.

My autobiography is being published soon, and I’d love to share a copy with you, as so much of it relates to life in rural Kentucky. Meanwhile, we’ll look forward to our next copy of Kentucky Monthly.

Keep up the good work!

Robert T. Johnson, MD and Betty Johnson, RN, via email I am always glad to see that my Kentucky Monthly magazine has arrived in the mail each month. However, I was greatly impressed by “A Tale of Two Doctors,” written by Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley in the March 2017 issue (page 46).

What a pleasure to read about Dr. Jack Hamman of Baptist Health Madisonville (formerly Trover Clinic)!

In these times of planning for retirement before reaching one’s first anniversary at work with an organization, it is refreshing to read about two individuals (Dr. Hamman and Dr. Nick Dedman at James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital in Harrodsburg) who express such love for their work and continued dedication for their patients. It would be a wonderful world if all employees could find the career to elicit these same feelings.

Madisonville and western Kentucky are privileged to have a gentleman of Dr. Hamman’s character, who has

Readers Write

improved the lives of many residents of this area for approximately six decades.

I hope that he continues to do so and continues to pass his knowledge to the doctors who are completing their residency with Baptist Health Madisonville for years into the future.

Thank you for a fabulous article on these two physicians.

Beth Moore, Manitou

Just wanted to compliment Kentucky Monthly on the March edition and the “24 Hours in Danville” story.

Emily Toadvine, Wilderness Trail Distillery, Danville 24 HOUR OOPS

For shame! For shame!

I picked up my February copy of Kentucky Monthly, and I was so excited!

Hopkinsville was going to be recognized for its loveliness, history and graciousness. (I’ve been around here 70-plus years.)

And when I turned to page 14 and saw: “Our writer visits Owensboro!”

Come on … She did a good job— Owensboro is a lovely community, but please give us a note of regret.

Evelyn M. Boone, Hopkinsville Editor’s Note: Our apologies to the people of Hopkinsville for the error. We had neglected to change the story’s introduction from the previous issue, which had spotlighted Owensboro.

We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@ kentuckymonthly.com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

Counties featured in this issue n

Correction In the “Shared Mettle” article of Kentucky Monthly’s April issue (page 28), the name of University of Louisville School of Medicine student and runner Natalie Spiller was misspelled.

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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MAG

ON THE

MOVE

Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you.

And when you do, we want to see it!

Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping. Send your highresolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly.com.

Birthday Buddies

New York City Four lifelong friends from Waddy—Margaret McFarland Hughes, Jen Bohannon Adams, Connie Cheak and Sara Ann Garrett Yeary—traveled from their Kentucky homes to celebrate their birthdays in Manhattan.

Cyclists Extraordinaire Spain

Robert & Margaret Ann Fryman and Randy & Susan Byzet Kentucky Monthly’s own Kirk Alliman (see Krems, Austria page 13) of Louisville and his wife, Jean, are pictured in Santiago de Compostela, Spain after biking the 560-mile Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago).

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

The Lexington couples enjoyed a Viking River Cruise on the Danube River, traveling from Nuremberg, Germany through Austria to Budapest, Hungary.

Karen and Kendra Wolcott Mexico Grandmother Karen, of Madisonville, and granddaughter Kendra, of Lawrenceburg, are pictured in Baja, Mexico. They experienced a gray whale encounter at San Ignacio Lagoon.

WHAT’S

HIDING IN

YOUR

FIREWOOD?

Kentucky Travelers Norway Visiting the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo, Norway, on a Baltic Sea cruise were, from left, Louisvillians John and Carol Hooker, Roger and Pat Haley, and Gwen and John Nelson.

Invasive insects like

Asian Longhorned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer can be transported long distances in firewood.

Do your part to help preserve Kentucky’s forests—

LEAVE YOUR FIREWOOD AT HOME! dontmovefirewood.org Susan and David Chancellor Grand Canyon

Vicki Boster Iceland

The Mount Washington couple are pictured at the south rim of one of America’s most amazing natural wonders.

The Grayson resident visited Siglufjord, Iceland’s most northern town. Located at the tip of a fjord, this small village is noted for having one of the most beautiful harbors in the country.

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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BRIEFS

Across Kentucky

RABBIT HASH RESURRECTION

T

he Rabbit Hash General Store has risen literally from the ashes and reopened for business on April 1. After a massive fire destroyed the property on Feb. 13, 2016, the 185-year-old store was rebuilt with the help of the community and corporate partners. The new building sits in the same spot as the previous structure, and some salvaged flooring, shelving and doors were incorporated in the rebuild.

Although the iconic sign on the roof proclaims that the business offers tobacco, sundries, potions and notions—which it does—the old-time general store also has groceries and supplies. It carries antiques and Kentucky-made items, such as pottery, brooms and soaps as well. Rabbit Hash has become a tourist destination and usually features live music on the weekends, either inside the store or in the nearby barn.

Located in rural Boone County on the banks of the Ohio River, the tiny town of Rabbit Hash also claims as its mayor a dog, a pit bull named Brynneth Pawltro.

SPOTLIGHT ON PATER

R

Private Collection, © Andre Pater

enowned Lexington artist Andre Pater and 45 of his iconic works will be at the center of an exhibit, Andre Pater: In a Sporting Light, at the National Sporting Library and Museum through Aug. 13. The museum is located in Middlesburg, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C. “Light is movement,” said Pater, who remains passionate about his work after more than three decades as an artist. “I love what I do. It’s my enthusiasm that brings light to my paintings.”

The retrospective of Pater’s sporting art, plus accompanying exhibition catalog with essays by Lorian Peralta-Ramos and the NSLM’s Claudia Pfeiffer, highlights his mastery of the use of light and understanding of animal anatomy, behavior and motion. The included works represent subjects Pater has explored throughout his career: jockeys in brightly colored silks, splashy racing starts, tranquil paddocks, foxhunters meeting in a beautiful landscape, and hounds with expressive eyes.

Pater celebrated his Polish heritage in early works, infusing his historic and Arabian-horse compositions with light and motion. He originally was an architect; drawing and painting equine subjects began as an avocation. He was fascinated by horses and showed talent at an early age.

Pater’s focus, style and subject matter evolved when he came to the U.S. in 1981.

By 1984, he had dedicated himself to painting full time, and in 1988, settled in Kentucky, the heart of the United States Thoroughbred industry and home of the Iroquois Hunt.

“Andre Pater has surged to the head of the pack among today’s contemporary sporting painters. He not only is an unrivaled master, he has the reputation and following to prove it,” notes PeraltaRamos, who is working on the soonto-be-published book, Andre Pater: A Matter of Light.

Pater’s compositions often are compared with those of 20th-century British sporting artist Sir Alfred Munnings, who, like Pater, was a gifted draftsman and equally adept at landscape, figurative and animal compositional elements. While stylistic comparisons are inevitable, Pater brings his unique and fresh perspective to the art. His refinement in pastels, in addition to oil, has solidified his rightful place as an Slumber, 2008, oil on board, 12 x 14 inches eminent sporting artist.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

B I R T H DAYS 1 Bobbie Ann Mason (1940), Mayfield-born writer best known for her 1985 novel In Country 1 Farah Fath (1984), actress who appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1999 to 2007 1 Steve Cauthen (1960), the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, in 1978 aboard Affirmed 4 Butch Beard (1947), former professional basketball player and coach from Hardinsburg 6 George Clooney (1961), Academy Award-winning actor, screenwriter, producer and director from Augusta 6 Stephen Gaghan (1965), Louisvilleborn Emmy- and Academy Awardwinning screenwriter 9 Brandon Tyler Webb (1979), Ashland-born winner of the 2006 National League Cy Young Award who retired from Major League Homer T. Smith Baseball in 2013 9 Elmore Smith (1949), former professional basketball player who played for Kentucky State University 10 Homer T. Smith (1927), character, veteran, national treasure and charter subscriber to Kentucky Monthly magazine.

14 Robbie Moriarty (1957), noted jewelry artist based in Louisville 16 Bob Edwards (1947), retired host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition 23 Melissa McBride (1965), Lexington actress best known as Carol on AMC’s The Walking Dead 24 Don Brumfield (1938), Hall of Fame jockey from Nicholasville with more than 4,500 wins, including the 1966 Kentucky Derby 25 Molly Sims (1975), Murray-raised model/actress 25 Tom T. Hall (1936), Olive Hill-born Country Music Hall of Fame singer and songwriter 25 Bill Gatton (1932) entrepreneur and philanthropist, namesake of Western Kentucky University’s Gatton Academy and the University of Kentucky’s Gatton School of Business 26 Paul Patton (1937), Bill Gatton 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003 30 Wynonna Judd (1964), Ashlandborn country music star with 14 No. 1 hits

CULTURE

W

hen we think of Mother’s Day, the national holiday celebrated in the United States each May, we think of breakfast in bed, bouquets and the best Hallmark has to offer on a special day for the most important person in our life— our mom. What we don’t think of is an ongoing slugfest between two feisty turn-of-the-century gals, each eager to claim the origin of Mother’s Day as her own.

While celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, according to history.com, Mother’s Day was inaugurated in this country in 1908 by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. Jarvis was the daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia, who, prior to the Civil War, had started “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs,” which were intended to help women better care for their children. After the war, in 1868, the elder Jarvis harnessed the power of women even further by organizing Mothers’ Friendship Days, where moms got together with Union and Confederate soldiers in an effort to reunite the nation.

After Ann Jarvis’ death in May 1905, the young Anna wanted to organize a day to honor her mother, along with all moms who, she felt, make tremendous sacrifices for their kids. With financial help from famed department store owner John Wanamaker, the first Mother’s Day celebration was held in May 1908 at the Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, as well as in Wanamaker’s Philly-based store.

The event was a success—thousands attended—which encouraged Jarvis to begin a campaign to gain national attention for Mother’s Day. Working with newspapers and local politicians, she got many states and towns to officially adopt Mother’s Day. But Jarvis wanted full national attention, so she established the Mother’s Day International Association to promote her cause. It paid off: In 1914, thenPresident Woodrow Wilson established the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day nationwide. (Interesting side note: Jarvis herself never married or had children.)

But turn your Google search over to hendersonkyhistory. com, and you’ll find another story altogether emerges. In this version, Henderson native Mary Towles Sasseen launched the idea for Mother’s Day as early as the 1890s. Sasseen was a local schoolteacher who eventually became a principal of the

Illustrations by Annette Cable

Curiosities

Center Street School. An article published in Illinois Central magazine in 1924 noted that many of Sasseen’s students who still lived in Henderson at the time attested that Sasseen had designated April 20—her own mother’s birthday—as a memorial day to all mothers.

It is said that in 1893, Sasseen published a pamphlet outlining her idea to commemorate the “the tender ties and bestowing a tribute of honor to the mothers of our land.” It was even copyrighted. She then traveled around the country speaking to educational societies and other organizations to get the observance of Mother’s Day nationally recognized. She succeeded when the Kentucky legislature voted to recognize the holiday. In 1894, the day was formally celebrated in all the public schools of Springfield, Ohio.

Aside from Sasseen and Jarvis, history notes that even more women are credited with helping to launch a holiday dedicated to moms. In 1870, suffragette Julia Ward had the idea for a “Mother’s Peace Day,” in which women would come together to promote world peace every June 2. And temperance leader Juliet Calhoun Blakely initiated an annual Mother’s Day church service in her hometown of Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s, when she called upon mothers of the congregation to step up and support the temperance movement.

So, who is the real originator of Mother’s Day? History books give the nod to Jarvis, but Kentuckians continue to demand their due. “It is true that Miss Jarvis’ efforts can truly be credited with the magnitude of the present general celebration of Mother’s Day,” said Netta Mullin, president of the Henderson County American History & Genealogical Project in a letter to the website holidayspot.com. “Her organization [Mother’s Day International Association Inc.] and all that she did to make a day for honoring mothers a national holiday is to be commended. However, she was not the first to recommend and spend her entire life for a Mother’s Day observation. The pioneer in this national observance of motherhood was not Miss Jarvis, but a Kentucky schoolteacher who laid the groundwork for the idea long before.”

— Cynthia Grisolia M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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FOOD

Cooking

Sumptuous SELECTIONS

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 6

2017 Kentucky Monthly Reader Recipe Contest Each year, Kentucky Monthly asks readers to submit their favorite original recipes for our annual Reader Recipe Contest, and they comply, sending in plenty of offerings promising delectable delights. This, our eighth year of holding the contest, was no exception. Our judges were given the enviable assignment of sampling each dish prepared and grading it on taste, appearance and creativity, as our chef, Ann Currie, also scored it on ease of preparation.

Our thanks go out to those who entered recipes and congratulations to the grand-prize winner and finalists!

Jeannie’s Puff Pastry Chicken ’n’ Cheese 10 chicken tenders Salt and pepper to taste Garlic powder (optional) 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into strips 1 large onion, cut into strips 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 packet dry ranch dressing Flour 2 10x15-inch sheets store-bought frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator 1½ cups 3- or 5-blend shredded cheese (no yellow cheese!)

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Season chicken tenders with salt, pepper and garlic powder and sauté in a skillet with oil and butter over medium heat/ high heat about 3 minutes until slightly brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Using the same skillet, sauté bell peppers, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender crisp. Set aside to cool.

4. In the same skillet, sauté mushrooms in oil until golden brown (do not salt mushrooms because the salt will draw out too much liquid).

5. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cream cheese and dry ranch dressing until well blended. Leave at room temperature.

6. Sprinkle countertop with a small amount of flour. Roll out puff pastry to about one-eighth inch and place it on a baking sheet.

Spread cream cheese mixture in the center of the puff pastry.

7. Start layering the cooked ingredients and shredded cheese.

Pile it on. Don’t worry—it won’t be too much because the pastry will pull up around it beautifully.

Pull up all the sides and squeeze together in the center. Brush the outside of the pastry with the beaten egg.

8. Place in the oven for about 35 or 40 minutes or until golden brown.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER, SUBMITTED BY

Jeannie Burchett // Olive Hill “I have a passion for cooking and creating new recipes that can’t be explained … I love it so much and call it my therapy for everything.”

With Our Compliments … Winner Jeannie Burchett and a companion will enjoy a stay at the rustic yet elegant The Ruin Bed & Breakfast in Versailles. Located in the heart of horse country, The Ruin is within easy driving distance of Thoroughbred farms, bourbon distilleries and Keeneland Race Course … Our runners-up will receive a gift package that includes a Kentuckythemed cookbook and cookie cutter.

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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FOOD

Cooking Kentucky Legend Ham Ball RUNNER-UP, SUBMITTED BY Jeri Mayes // Frankfort

BRACING SPRITZ

Spinach Cocktail Balls RUNNER-UP, SUBMITTED BY

Philip Blades // Lexington INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz. Aperol Ale-8 Orange Slice Prosecco if desired P R E PA R AT I O N

Fill rocks or Collins glass with ice.

Add Aperol and fill glass with Ale-8.

Garnish with an orange slice.

You may add Prosecco if a stronger cocktail is desired.

DRINK

C L I C K H E R E F O R D E TA I L S

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach 2 cups Pepperidge Farm herbed stuffing mix 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 6 eggs, beaten ¾ cup butter, softened 1 tablespoons grated onion ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional Salt and pepper to taste 1. Cook spinach according to the directions on the package. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can.

2. Combine all the ingredients and form into 1½-inch balls (yields 50-60 balls). Place them on a cookie sheet and place in freezer until frozen. Remove frozen balls, place them in a plastic bag and return them to freezer.

3. When you wish to serve them, bake the frozen balls for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. These can be kept frozen for several months.

Hint: Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before forming it into balls.

Cooler material is easier to work with.

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened 6-8 green onions, chopped, tops and all* 1-2 celery stalks, finely chopped 3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce (or to taste) 8-10 ounces Kentucky Legend Ham, chopped * ¼-½ chopped medium red onion can be substituted 1. Gently mix cream cheese, green onions, celery and Worcestershire sauce.

2. Chop the ham in a food processor. Add half of the chopped ham to the cream cheese mixture. Shape into a ball and roll in the remaining chopped ham. Refrigerate.

3. Serve with crackers or party bread. Can be made 1-2 days in advance, sealed and refrigerated.

Lady Lemon Berry RUNNER-UP, SUBMITTED BY

Patricia Schmidt // Louisville 1 package ladyfingers 1 3-ounce box sugar-free lemon gelatin ¾ cup boiling water 2 8-ounce packages light cream cheese, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed 2 cups frozen mixed berries, slightly thawed ¼ cup strawberry jelly, melted 1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Dissolve gelatin in the boiling water. Chill the mixture to lukewarm for 30 minutes.

3. Beat cream cheese until soft and gradually add powdered sugar.

Mix in lemon juice and blend in cooled gelatin. Fold in whipped topping.

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MEETS MODERN MEETING TECHN OLOGY

4. Combine the berries and melted jelly.

5. Place the ladyfingers in the springform pan and pour in half the fruit mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture. Spoon remaining fruit over the top and lightly swirl on top of the cheese mixture, making a marbled pattern.

6. Chill for one hour. Cover if not using right away. To serve, garnish with sliced fresh strawberries.

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For individual servings: Cut the ladyfingers in half and place upright on the sides of 10 4-ounce serving cups. Add 1 teaspoon of the berry mixture and cover with the cream cheese mixture. Top with a few berries gently pressed into the cheese mixture. Chill.

For details, rates & availability 859-985-3700 donna_robertson@berea.edu boonetavernhotel.com 100 Main Street N. | Berea, KY 40404

Special Thanks To … Ann Currie for preparing the recipes and assisting in judging; Jesse Hendrix-Inman for her scrumptious photographs of the entries; Sullivan University for the use of one of its Culinary Arts Program kitchens for preparation and judging; The Ruin Bed & Breakfast for providing the grand prize; and Lindsey McClave, Sue Siegel, Sheryl Vanderstel and Kay Vest for their judging expertise.

M AY 2 0 1 6 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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r P e da l i n g f

Pie Foodie on two wheels Kirk Alliman samples 69 slices of delicious Kentucky culinary culture I’ve never met a pie I didn’t like. But not in a million years would I have guessed that I’d pedal my bicycle hundreds of miles across 35 Kentucky counties scouring the Commonwealth for pies. Not the besttasting pies, because in my mind they’re all the best, but rather, as many different kinds of pies as I could find. by kirk alliman

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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The Pie Ride began at a downtown Danville shop perfectly named Pies for You. A homey, welcoming place, it felt as though I had walked into my grandmother’s kitchen. The aroma of fresh pies filled the air as did owner and baker Wilma Brown’s friendly banter. Wilma warmly greets customers and presents a menu that offers an extensive variety of pies “like the ones Grandma made.”

Wilma and I decided that a slice of old-fashioned Buttermilk Pie would be the best selection, since I’d never tasted buttermilk pie. Other pies were calling my name too, including a blueberry-strawberry pie that had just been taken from the oven. I immediately regretted my decision to limit myself to one serving of one pie at each stop.

This stand was made necessary by the inconvenient fact that it would take 90 minutes of vigorous biking to burn the calories that each piece of pie added to my system.

I had been to my next stop, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, before but had not tasted its famous Shaker Lemon Pie. While enjoying both a serving of pie and the elegant beauty of the Shaker Trustees’ House, a red-brick hostelry on the campus of this 200-year-old restored Shaker settlement, I recalled that the Shakers were a simple and thrifty folk well-known for not throwing anything away. Their lemon pie is a perfect example. They used the entire lemon, including paper-thin sliced peels, sugar and beaten eggs, to make a tasty pie.

Heading north of Harrodsburg on U.S. Hwy. 127, I came upon a roadside fruit and vegetable stand that also offered baked goods and enjoyed a piece of StrawberryRhubarb Pie. I was pleased to discover that it was heavily tilted in favor of rhubarb, my favorite fruit.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

Jesse Hendrix-Inman

Boyle, Mercer, Washington, Marion, Nelson, LaRue, Hardin + Spencer Counties

When asked why she was selling pie at a roadside stand, the elderly lady minding the outpost said, “I love to make people happy!”

Friends had told me about Ceconni’s Restaurant in Springfield, so I stopped for a slice of fresh, glazed Strawberry Pie. I smiled while reading a sign above the counter: “Warning: We can only please one person per day. Today is not your day and tomorrow is not looking good either.”

Kentucky’s eateries are full of these amusing signs.

I was soon on my bike again pedaling to Henning’s Restaurant in downtown Lebanon, where I enjoyed a warm slice of Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. Eventually, I tore myself away from Henning’s warm ambience to continue the bike ride through Loretto and past Marker’s Mark distillery and its huge warehouses of aging bourbon.

A couple hours later and still full of angel’s share, I arrived in New Haven and K’La’s Cookies and Cakes Shop.

It’s a simple place, but baker and co-owner Lila Carlen is one of the kindest individuals I met on the entire Pie Ride. During our visit, I mentioned I had never tasted a grape pie but would love to do so. I listened with amazement as Lila invited me to find something else to do while she used grapes from vines at her home to bake a Grape Pie with a delicious crumb topping. If there were words more flattering than “perfectly wonderful,” I’d use them to describe both Lila and the delectable grape pie that she made especially for this ride.

Whistling a merry tune, I took off for Hodgenville and Paula’s Hot Biscuit Café, where I enjoyed a mouthwatering Blackberry Pie covered by a lattice crust. It was then on to

Glendale and the busy Whistle Stop Restaurant. I arrived at the exact same time as a lengthy freight train that barreled through Glendale at 800 miles per hour. Everybody seems to know about the restaurant’s award-winning Banana Meringue Pie. I was told that the Whistle Stop bakes 26 of them on a typical day. Given the opportunity, I would eat them all!

My next stops were at Mammy’s Kitchen in downtown Bardstown across from the Jailer’s Inn, where I enjoyed a serving of fresh Peach Pie, and the Tea Cup Café on Main Street in Taylorsville, where I was served a slice of tangy Lemon Pie topped with thick whipped cream. I was amused by the sign at Mammy’s promising that “Country Cookin’ Makes ya good lookin’!” We’ll see.

Kountry Kupboard, Harrodsburg

Walnut Apple Hinton’s Orchard + Farm Market, Hodgenville

Pumpkin

Jefferson County It’s only natural that a city of Louisville’s size would offer the state’s most varied selection of pies. My first stops were at The Bakery at Sullivan University for a Caramel Apple Pie and Ditto’s Grill farther up the street on Bardstown Road for a serving of its popular Summer Berry Pie. The day I stopped at Ditto’s, owner and pie chef Dominic Serratore had used blackberries, strawberries, tart cherries and blueberries to make the pie.

An unexpected toothache forced me to stop at the nearby Arts and Crafts Dental Office, where Dr. Allan Linehan was available to treat me … in more ways than one! My tooth was soon OK, and during our visit, I discovered that Dr. Linehan enjoys baking pies for his family. To my delight, after learning about my bike ride, he offered to bake one for me using a family recipe. At his home the next day, I enjoyed a serving of his scrumptious Cranberry-Cherry Pie, which he normally makes only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dr. Linehan’s homemade crust and the pie’s lattice top were among the best ever. Who would ever have guessed that I’d find pie while visiting a dentist’s office?

Then it was on to the west side of Louisville and the legendary Big Momma’s Soul Food Kitchen at 46th and Broadway. Big Momma’s is known for serving some of the city’s best

traditional Southern food and, momma oh momma, what a popular place it is.

There are only five stools and a counter for those who want to dine in, so most of the business is carryout. On Sundays, after nearby church services are over, a line of customers extends from Big Momma’s front door far down the block. The schedule of desserts is a bit erratic, but owner Jessie Green had agreed to make sure that a plain Chess Pie would be waiting when I arrived. I had never tasted a chess pie as flavorful as this. Made from sugar, flour, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla extract, it’s called “chess,” I learned, because it’s “chess a very simple pie to make.”

Eastward on West Broadway to 18th Street and then over to Muhammad Ali Boulevard I biked, stopping at Sweet Peaches for a serving of Sweet Potato Pie. I asked owner Pam Haines about the origin of the term “soul food.” Her answer: “It’s called soul food because the foods we serve at a place like this are all made with bare feet!”

Continuing east to Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood, I dropped in at Copper & Kings Distillery. You might ask: Why would a guy looking for pies stop at a distillery? The answer is simple. The distillery specializes in making brandies but also operates the Butchertown Pie Company that makes small hand-pies from un-aged brandy and seasonal fruits and berries. The pie available the day I stopped by was Brandied Apple Pie. It was as enticing to the taste buds as you can imagine.

I then headed for Kentucky’s largest pie shop, the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen. On the day I was there, 24 kinds of pies were listed on the menu. I requested a serving of a rarely found Mince Pie, made from a mixture of raisins, currants, apples, citrus peels, brandy and spices. Possessing no restraint whatsoever, I broke the ride’s rule and selected a second pie, a slice of Red Raspberry Cream Pie. It was rich and delicious, and well worth the penance I would need to perform when the Pie Ride was finished.

Sweet Surrender Café

Cranberry Walnut Annie May’s Sweet Café

Cherry Streusel Plehn’s Bakery

Triple Crown St. Matthew’s Farmers Market

Black Raspberry Heitzman Traditional Bakery & Deli

Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Franklin, Anderson + Woodford Counties After biking in Louisville for three days, I was ready to venture north.

Between Skylight and Sligo on U.S. Hwy. 42 is a road that takes travelers through 3 scenic miles of hilly, forested terrain to the Ohio River town of Westport. Westport is a small town, and while there’s a post office and church there, the Knock on Wood Country Mercantile and Café seems to be the only active business.

But what a place, and luckily for me, it serves pie! Owner and chef Lea Nachtman is a congenial soul. I was invited to sit at the bar while Lea told me about Westport, and I enjoyed a stupendous serving of Kentucky Bacon Pie. I love bacon, so to be served a large slice of pie with bacon bits liberally sprinkled throughout (along with maple, chocolate chips and walnuts) was one of the Pie Ride’s more enjoyable moments.

From Westport, it was on to LaGrange and then over to Eminence and a piece of Coconut Meringue Pie at the Chat-n-Nibble Café. Above the counter is a somewhat reassuring sign: “Many have eaten here. Few have died.” Five more miles of biking, and I arrived at nearby Smithfield and its popular Our Best Restaurant. I had heard about Our Best and was eager to try its satisfying serving of Peanut Butter Pie that included a huge topping of meringue.

The Pie Ride kept calling, so my bicycle and I soon headed south on State Route 55 to Shelbyville, where I enjoyed a wonderful slice of a warm Praline-Pumpkin Pie at the elegant Science Hill Inn Restaurant. Next was Rick’s White Light Diner near the Singing Bridge in Frankfort for a serving of Kentucky Bourbon Pie that contained a strong hint of Buffalo Trace, and the Heavens to Betsy Café in Lawrenceburg, where I enjoyed a refreshing slice of Strawberry Cream Pie. When I began to plan this adventure, the town of Midway was included for two reasons. First, I wanted to experience the highly regarded Midway Bakery where, as I arrived, a rack of 12 freshly baked Apple Cream Custard Pies was being moved from the oven. The entire room was filled with an irresistible aroma.

My nose has never been happier.

When I discovered that the Bakery also makes a Bourbon-ButtermilkChess Pie, I had no choice but to give it a try, even though once again I was breaking the ride’s rule.

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One Nineteen West Main Restaurant, LaGrange

Banana Toffee Sweet Lilu’s, Versailles

Coconut Bavarian

Scott + Fayette Counties I enjoy biking in this scenic part of the Commonwealth, so the 12 miles to Georgetown didn’t seem far. When I arrived, as was my custom during the Pie Ride when entering a town I hadn’t been to before, I asked residents where I could find “a really good, homemade pie.” I was enthusiastically directed to Fava’s Restaurant, where I was warmly welcomed by the wait staff. To my disappointment, though, I noticed that Fava’s pie menu for the day listed chocolate, coconut, lemon and butterscotch pies— all pies I had already been served during the Pie Ride. I explained the situation and turned around to leave. In less than a minute, an excited waitress shouted that she had found an overlooked piece of pie in the kitchen, and that she would be delighted to serve me a slice of Mounds Pie. I returned, sat down, and enjoyed the last serving of a pie that tasted much like my favorite candy bar.

It was late morning and time to pedal to Lexington, where my first stop was Magee’s Bakery. Magee’s Transparent Pie is much like chess pie with a caramelized topping. It was so good that I found myself shamelessly agreeing to a piece of a second pie, the bakery’s Bluegrass Pie. My “one piece limit” had been breached yet again!

I biked to nearby Missy’s Pies.

Missy’s had long been on my list of places to visit because I had seen its amazing menu of pies online and was aware its customers have promoted Missy’s as the Commonwealth’s No. 1 pie shop. Missy’s is small and completely focused on pie-making. Six employees, including owner Barb Pollitt, are busy baking the 150 pies 16

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that are prepared on a typical day. Barb took time to describe each of the 13 pies listed on that day’s menu. I asked for Missy’s best sellers and was presented with servings of longtime customer favorite Black Bottom Banana Pie and Missy’s famous Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie Pie. Missy’s fantastic reputation is totally deserved.

Truth be told, I thought about giving in to my worst demons and indulging even further. Believe it or not, I didn’t.

Instead, I biked to Azur Restaurant and was greeted by owner and chef Jeremy Ashby, who kindly invited me to sit at the bar so I could stretch my legs. There was only one pie on the menu, but it was a doozy: a fabulous Blueberry Custard Pie generously sprinkled with fresh blueberries and covered with a liberal portion of

whipped Chantilly cream. The crust was tasty and light; the topping was much like a streusel. This was one of the most attractive and tasty servings of pies of the entire Pie Ride.

Tolly-Ho, Lexington

Kentucky Silk Ramsey’s Diner, Lexington

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip

Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, Casey, Pulaski + Adair Counties With fresh blueberries still dancing on my ecstatic taste buds, I took off for Berea, eager to experience the

historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. When I arrived, everyone was preparing for a wedding reception. Nonetheless, a member of the wait staff kindly informed me that the only pie served at Boone Tavern is Race Day Pie, and yes, he would be pleased to provide a slice. I thankfully acknowledged his generosity, accepted the pie in a takeout box, and walked across the street to visit with Berea College students and enjoy a pleasant afternoon snack.

I then biked 18 miles over challenging terrain from Berea to McKee in the mountains of eastcentral Kentucky. It was apparent on that arduous bike ride that the biking gods were getting back at me for all the pie-eating enjoyment. I arrived at Opal’s Café on McKee’s public square mere minutes before its Saturday afternoon closing time. The two people working welcomed me as though time did not matter. A hot roast beef sandwich smothered with gravy and mashed potatoes and a huge and wonderfultasting piece of cinnamon-flavored, traditional Egg Custard Pie provided my exhausted body with needed comfort and energy. My time at Opal’s and the soothing custard pie were more than worth the exhausting bike ride.

After resting, it was time to move on to downtown Stanford, where I met the most engaging wait staff of the entire Pie Ride at the Bluebird Café. I was served a slice of an elegant White Chocolate and Strawberry Pie over which I lingered for as long as possible to extend my stay in this congenial Main Street café. Stanford residents are fortunate that the Bluebird landed in their town. I was near McKinney, a small community 8 miles south of Stanford, so I biked to the McKinney Depot Restaurant for an afternoon snack of delicious Key Lime Pie. With Key Lime in my tummy, I headed to Liberty in Casey County, which is known as the Apple Capital of Kentucky. The county’s annual Apple Festival in late September is a big deal, as is its centerpiece, a 10-foot apple pie. Dozens of volunteers peel 50 bushels of apples, all the ingredients are placed in a specially built 10-foot

Jesse Hendrix-Inman

stainless steel pan, and the pie goes into a custom-made oven, where it bakes for 12 hours. When it’s done, a forklift takes the huge pan from the oven to a serving area, where 10,000 people receive a helping of apple pie and ice cream. It’s an amazing occasion, and the best part of all?

Kentucky’s largest and most famous pie is free to the public.

Knowing how important apple pie is to Casey County, I had made a point of waiting until I was in Liberty to check Apple Pie off my Pie Ride list. I stopped at the popular Bread of Life Café outside Liberty and enjoyed one of the best apple pies I’ve ever tasted.

From Liberty, I biked over lightly traveled roads to Somerset and Amon’s Sugar Shack on South U.S. Hwy 27. I was cheerfully welcomed by owner Doug Stephens, son of Amon and Rosemary Stephens, who founded Amon’s Sugar Shack in 1951. At my request, 40-year Amon’s employees (and sisters) Patty Dinsmore and Elaine Whitter brought to the table a colossal serving of a scrumptious Boston Cream Pie. I realize that Boston cream pie isn’t actually a pie.

It’s a cake and a very good one. But I consider anything that has “pie” in its name to be fair game for the Pie Ride, so it was included. Amon’s Sugar Shack is the ultimate neighborhood bakery and gathering place. It was buzzing with gaiety.

The day was still young, so I headed west on State Route 80 to Haney’s Appledale Farm. Haney’s sells

a variety of fruit pies, and when I arrived, they also were baking Apple Dumpling Pies. Nothing comes close to warming my heart as much as an old-fashioned, cinnamon-soaked, doughy dumpling loaded with juicy fresh apples. I was transported back several decades to my grandmother’s kitchen and the best apple dumplings the world has ever known. “These might not be better than the dumplings your grandma made,” co-owner Don Haney told me as we visited, “but I couldn’t be happier that they remind you of hers.”

It was time to pedal westward, and I was eager to taste Betty Ollestad’s celebrated Sand Pie at Betty’s OK Country Cooking Restaurant near Columbia. In spite of persistent inquiring, I still have no idea why Sand Pie is named as it is. It is made of cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla pudding and pecans. Thank goodness it looked and tasted a whole lot better than I thought it might. In fact, it tasted heavenly.

Past Time Café, Crab Orchard

Turtle Pie Kentucky Depot, Stanford

Brown Sugar Sharon’s Mill Springs Restaurant, Nancy

Reece’s

Green, Metcalfe, Barren, Hart, Warren, Logan + Butler Counties The next stop was on Greensburg’s public square, where I enjoyed a delightful ambience and a slice of Oreo Bash Pie at the Longhunters Coffee & Tea Company. The ride to historic Sulphur Well was over hilly and curvy roads. But the reward, a serving of Butterscotch Pie at the Lighthouse Restaurant, made it all worthwhile. I also stopped at Sweetheart Bakery in Glasgow, where I was warmly greeted by owner Linda Young and enjoyed a fabulous Kentucky Nut Pie. This indeed was a memorable day: many miles of scenic biking, servings of five awesome pies, and pleasant visits with several new friends.

My next destination was the R&S Grocery between Horse Cave and Munfordville. Located off U.S. Hwy. 31W, the R&S Grocery is owned by an Amish couple, Robert and Susan Miller, and includes a bakery that makes pies. Lots of them. Really.

Good. Pies. So once again, I asked for two: Shoofly Pie and Raisin Cream Pie. Shoofly is a gooey molasses pie named

by Pennsylvania Amish who, it is said, placed them strategically around the house to draw flies from the kitchen!

This grocery store and bakery is an Amish version of a combined Kroger and Walmart, providing both German and non-German-speaking customers with one-stop shopping.

I needed to move on to Bowling Green for a midday serving of M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Jesse Hendrix-Inman

Chocolate Sundae Pie at the busy Smokey Pig BBQ and a delicious slice of traditional Pecan Pie (pronounced pee-kon) at Judy’s Castle Café. A slice of a very different kind of pie, pronounced pee-can, would make an appearance later in the Pie Ride.

My next stop was Auburn, just west of Bowling Green, and an eye-catching historical site named Federal Grove, a B&B with an upscale restaurant.

Federal Grove had its beginnings when Gen. Jonathan Clark (eldest brother of William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition) was awarded 10,000 acres of land for his Revolutionary War service. The property was developed into a plantation, and by 1835, travelers moving between Louisville and Nashville would stop at Federal Grove for a short stay. I stopped by because I had heard about Federal Grove’s extraordinary Chocolate Fudge Pie. From its superb crust to the topping of warm chocolate drizzle, and everything in between, this is a fabulous pie.

I moved northward to Morgantown, where I stopped at the Farm Boy Café for a serving of Pecan Pie (pronounced pee-can). This is not a repeat of the pie I had the day before in Bowling Green. The two pies tasted as different as they are pronounced.

Country Tyme Diner, Summer Shade

Chocolate Pie

Hopkins, Caldwell + Livingston Counties I have a friend in New York who adores pineapple pie, so throughout 18

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the Pie Ride, I was looking for one. In Dawson Springs at Ms. Becky’s Place Restaurant, I came upon a Pineapple Pie. When I asked what had prompted the concoction, I was told that leftover pineapple had been found in the refrigerator, and they decided this would be a good way to use it. I couldn’t have agreed more.

It was a pretty day, so when I discovered Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park was a mere 7-mile bike ride from Dawson Springs, I was on my way to see what kind of pie the park’s restaurant was serving. I discovered that Pennyrile and each of Kentucky’s 17 State Resort Parks offer the famous Kern’s Derby-Pie. I realize the pie I enjoyed wasn’t baked at Pennyrile, but since it’s such an iconic piece of Kentucky lore and I was making a 14-mile round trip to taste it, Kern’s Derby-Pie was added to the list.

Onward to Princeton, where I had the good luck of being directed to the Black Patch Grille. There was only one pie on the day’s menu—Muddy River Fudge Pie. I love thick, gooey chocolate filling, so this pie, with its crispy caramelized top, was a home run.

One destination remained. The Pie Ride would end at Grand Rivers on the north end of the Land between the Lakes. It was late afternoon when I took off on narrow roads that wind through rich agricultural countryside.

There was a stretch of road where I encountered more Amish horse-drawn buggies than motorized vehicles.

Waving to everyone seemed to be the thing to do, so I always exchanged a friendly wave.

The reason I was eager to bike to this destination is because my heart— and stomach—were set on ending the Pie Ride at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement Restaurant in Grand Rivers. Patti’s is popular for many reasons, but surely

one of the most compelling is that it serves 16 different pies. There couldn’t be a more appropriate place in all of Kentucky to end this adventure.

Patti’s offers three pies I had not yet tasted during the ride: Peanut Butter Chess, Sawdust and BooBoo. How would I determine which pie would be the ride’s final indulgence?

The solution: three slips of paper were placed in a cup. A guest at a nearby table agreed to draw one. The winner: sawdust pie. I was told by General Manager Anita Williamson that sawdust pie was the first pie baked by Patti Tullar in 1977 after she and husband Bill opened a small burger joint in Grand Rivers that later would become Patti’s 1880’s Settlement. The pie is made with unbeaten egg whites, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, pecans, coconut, sliced bananas and whipped cream. It looks like baked wet sawdust and tastes wonderful!

To the surprise of no one, I was unable to leave Patti’s without trying one of its famous “mile high” meringue pies. From chocolate, lemon and coconut, I selected the Coconut Meringue Pie, which was topped with 8 inches of fabulous toasted meringue.

The mountain of meringue is a striking sight, significantly taller and prettier than one could ever imagine.

By the time I finished eating the 69th serving of pie, I was ready to end the adventure … and begin a serious diet. Day after day, Kentucky’s piemakers produce a remarkable variety of pies. Every single one is mouthwateringly delicious. I realize that there are many more kinds of pies baked in Kentucky’s kitchens than those I had the good fortune of finding. When you come upon them, Enjoy! Q

Pie Superlatives Pies most worth a long bike ride:

Favorite cream pie:

Chocolate Fudge at Federal Grove B&B, Auburn; Blueberry Custard at Azur Restaurant, Lexington; Coconut Bavarian Cream at Sweet Lilu’s, Versailles.

Coconut Bavarian Cream at Lilu’s in Versailles.

Most unusual pies Grape at K’La’s Cookies and Cakes, New Haven; Shoofly at R&S Grocery, Munfordville; Mince at the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen, Louisville.

Prettiest pies: Blackberry with lattice top crust at Paula’s Hot Biscuit Café, Hodgenville; Caramel Apple at The Bakery at Sullivan University, Louisville; Coconut Meringue at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, Grand Rivers.

Pies with the strangest name: Sawdust Pie at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, Grand Rivers; Sand Pie at Betty’s OK Country Cooking Restaurant, Columbia.

Favorite meringue pie: Any pie at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement that is topped with a mountain of toasted meringue.

Favorite fruit pies: Caramel Apple at The Bakery at Sullivan University, Louisville; Black Bottom Banana at Missy’s, Lexington; Cherry at Heitzman’s Bakery, Louisville.

Favorite berry pie: Summer Berry at Ditto’s Grill, Louisville.

Favorite pies with nuts:

Most interesting ingredient: Bacon, in the Kentucky Bacon Pie at Knock on Wood Mercantile and Café, Westport.

Favorite pies with chocolate: Chocolate Fudge at Federal Grove B&B, Auburn; White Chocolate & Strawberry at Bluebird Café, Stanford.

Most welcoming place to enjoy pie: Amon’s Sugar Shack, Somerset.

Most surprising place to find pie: Arts and Crafts Dental, Louisville.

Kentucky’s unsung heroes: The countless homemakers and professional piemakers who have an amazing passion for baking the most delicious and pleasing pies.

Greatest regret: Not being at Casey County’s September Apple Festival to enjoy a serving of the community’s giant 10-foot apple pie.

Greatest challenge during the Pie Ride: Resisting a second serving of every pie Kirk was served!

Kirk’s proposal for an official Kentucky State Pie: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan.

Cranberry Walnut at Sweet Surrender Dessert Café, Louisville; Praline-Pumpkin at Science Hill Inn Restaurant, Shelbyville.

For a complete listing of the locations Kirk visited and the pies he sampled there, visit kentuckymonthly.com.

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 5 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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The Art of the

Souffle

Author and Photographer Lindsey McClave provides the lowdown on this sometimes-tricky dish

Mushroom & Gruyère Cheese Soufflé. Recipe on page 22.

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T

“

he wait for four will be at least an hour,” replies the hostess, offering an apologetic smile as disappointment casts a shadow across my face. The restaurant’s lobby is nearly empty, save one duo patiently waiting on a bench, quietly browsing their phones. I had been looking forward to experiencing an eatery called rise n°1 for some time—a must-visit for my mom whenever she traveled to see my grandmother in Dallas. The restaurant is focused solely on the art of the soufflé, that seldom-seen feat of whipped egg whites, an utterly classic French dish.

The soufflé is something of a relic these days, rarely found on restaurant menus but revered nonetheless. That rise n°1 is a restaurant dedicated to the soufflé is somewhat astounding, given the persnickety nature of the cooking technique involved in its preparation. Whether it’s sweet or savory, when it comes to the soufflé, time is the most important ingredient. So while the line to dine at rise n°1 may have been short, the rate of table turnover would be dictated by the soufflés and the soufflés alone. For a soufflé waits for no one.

A soufflé essentially is an egg-based dish, the yolks mixed into a foundation crafted of béchamel (savory) or melted chocolate or fruit purée (sweet). Egg whites are whipped vigorously before being folded into the base, springing into action once in the oven, the air bubbles trapped within the whipped whites expanding and lifting the soufflé northward. When executed properly, soufflés are ethereal, impossibly light in texture yet rich in flavor.

It is a statement dish if there ever was one and has a reputation for being particularly high maintenance. Perhaps that is why it is difficult to find a soufflé on a menu.

When a chef is bold enough to make the offering, it is nearly always of the sweet variety and is accompanied by a warning label: “Please order at the start of your meal.”

It is true that soufflés require a schedule, the chance of

the generous pockets of air escaping their whipped egg white tower not a matter of if, but when. On average, I found there to be a five-minute window from oven to table, making this a risky move for even the most seasoned of restaurants to tackle, but an approachable and highly impressive tactic for the home cook.

Impressive was just what famed French Chef Antonin Carême was going for when serving the elite and wealthy diners of Paris in the 1820s. With the aid of new ovens that offered more consistent, even heating, Carême found his soufflés climbing to new heights, and he proceeded to build a menu featuring dozens of soufflés, each one more decadent than the next. He is credited with popularizing the dish, and the soufflé remained a staple through the 1970s but has since begun a slow decline.

The praise my family heaped on rise n°1 over the years piqued my interest and, starting with my grandmother’s recipe for a classic cheese soufflé, I began my descent into a flurry of egg whites, cheese and chocolate. While the intimidating nature of this cooking technique is wellearned, in truth, it is a relatively simple dish to achieve. I did find some preparation techniques more successful than others and, through a combination of my grandmother’s recipe, a bevy of dedicated food publications, and my tried-and-true copy of Joy of Cooking, I adapted two soufflés that are now a regular part of my dinner party menu rotation.

I found the most lofty and angelic soufflé was achieved only when the egg whites outnumbered the yolks, when the whites were freshly whipped, and the soufflé immediately transferred to the oven. Resist the urge to open the oven door until the buzzer tells you the soufflé is ready and make sure your guests are seated when the timer dings. You’ll want to command the attention of the room.

The soufflé is a dish meant to be showcased. Q M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Mushroom & Gruyère Cheese Soufflé

Any good melting cheese will do here, but I particularly love the nutty nature of gruyère. Combined with finely minced mushrooms and fresh thyme, this soufflé is a showstopper of a side dish. Makes 6 servings as a side dish.

Butter Parmesan cheese or fine breadcrumbs 1 pound assorted mushrooms, finely diced (cremini, baby portabella and/or shiitake) 10 whole cloves ¼ white onion, root end intact 1½ cups whole milk 2 cloves minced garlic, plus 1 clove crushed garlic 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, plus four whole sprigs Pinch of nutmeg 5 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt Black pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour 7 ounces finely grated gruyère cheese 4 egg yolks 5 egg whites 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the top oven rack to ensure the soufflé has plenty of room to rise. Coat a 7-8 cup soufflé dish with butter, using a pastry brush to rub the butter in an upward motion around the entire inside of the dish. Dust the interior with grated Parmesan cheese or fine breadcrumbs. Set aside.

2. Push the sharp end of each clove into the onion. Place the onion in a small pot along with the milk, 1 clove crushed garlic, 4 sprigs of thyme and the pinch of nutmeg. Allow to steep for 15 minutes over low heat. Do not boil.

3. While the milk is steeping, prep the mushrooms. Place a

medium sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté the mushrooms with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper until the mushrooms are browned and softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped thyme leaves and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Strain the milk into a bowl, discarding the onion, garlic and thyme stems. Place a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat and warm. Add 4 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter has melted, stir in the flour, creating a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour and the butter have combined and are smooth. Slowly pour in the milk, using a whisk to incorporate the roux and break up any lumps that form. Stir until the béchamel is thick and no more clumps remain. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

5. Remove the béchamel from the heat and stir in the cheese and mushrooms. Mix until all of the cheese is melted.

Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, and then stir in the egg yolks, adding them one at a time. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

6. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy, and then turn the speed up to high, whisking until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhisk to the point that peaks will not form or the whites are clumpy.

7. Add ⅓ of the egg whites to the mushroom and cheese mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites, using broad strokes to reach the base of the bowl, ensuring the batter is fully incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites in two batches, folding carefully so as to not deflate the egg whites.

8. Pour the batter into the soufflé dish and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top has browned and the soufflé is cooked in the center. Transfer directly from the oven to the dinner table.

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Dark Chocolate Soufflé

Allow your guests to linger at the dinner table while you finish off this impressive dessert, which is delicious on its own but even better when accompanied by ice cream and fresh fruit. Makes 5 individual 8-ounce ramekin servings.

Butter Sugar 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons coffee 4 egg yolks 6 egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the top oven rack to ensure the soufflé has plenty of room to rise. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the ramekins with butter, using upward strokes and making sure the entire interior is covered, including the lip of the ramekin. Dust the interior, including the lip, thoroughly with sugar. Set aside.

2. Create a double boiler by placing a large, heat-proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Add the chocolate, 6 tablespoons butter and coffee. Warm slowly, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before mixing in the egg yolks, one at a time.

3. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy. Add the cream of tartar and turn the speed up to high, slowly adding the sugar when soft peaks begin to form. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhisk to the point that peaks will not form or the whites are clumpy.

4. Add ⅓ of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites, using broad strokes to reach the base of the bowl, ensuring the batter is fully incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites in two batches, folding carefully so as to not deflate the egg whites.

5. Pour the batter into the ramekins, overfilling each without letting the batter fall over the side. Using a dough scraper or the back side of a knife, slice off the top of the batter, creating a flat surface that is flush with the edge of the ramekin. Dust the tops with sugar and place the ramekins on a baking sheet.

6. Transfer to the oven and immediately decrease the heat to 400 degrees. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the tops have browned and are slightly firm. Transfer directly from the oven to the dinner table.

Celebrating 150 years of Heritage. Hope. Home.

Visit mhky150.com for a historic timeline, photos, videos and upcoming events.

A P R I L 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Jubil8 2 teaspoons Ale-8-One Simple Syrup 6-8 mint leaves Crushed ice 1.5 ounces bourbon Ale-8-One Gently muddle the simple syrup and mint leaves in a silver julep cup. Fill the cup with crushed ice. Add bourbon and fill the cup with Ale-8. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Photo Courtesy of Josh Johnson

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7

Once a regional favorite, Ale-8-One today reaches a national audience

A Great One

BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

K

entucky’s other famous drink—aside from bourbon, of course—is Winchester’s Ale-8-One. Although some tell stories of it being served in their baby bottles, others in the state are not as familiar with the soft drink.

This gingery, citrusy, caffeine-infused carbonated beverage possesses a flavor that is unforgettable and apparently, not easily copied.

Ale-8-One dates back to 1926, when Winchester resident G.L. Wainscott, who already was bottling soda water and flavored drinks, came up with his signature drink. Not sure what to name it, he held a contest at the Clark County Fair and Ale-8-One, a twist on “A Late One” was the winner.

Wainscott’s original drink, developed in 1906, was a local success called Roxa-Kola. He was sued by a large cola company of a similar name—you know the one—and, much to everyone’s surprise, Wainscott won.

“Any company that had ‘cola’ in their name got sued by Coke,” said DeAnne Elmore, public relations and field marketing manager for Ale-8-One. “Most just quietly stopped production rather than go to court, but G.L. Wainscott fought and won. It was a very bold move.”

Although the company continued to produce Roxa-Kola until 1968, it turned its focus primarily to Ale-8-One. The facility has about 110 full-time employees at its Winchester location. This family-owned company has been protecting the secret recipe for 90 years and four generations. Today, Wainscott’s great-great-nephew, Fielding Rogers, is the CEO. Rogers credits his uncle’s drive and ambition and his family’s dedication for Ale-8One’s successes. Now 36, Rogers says he has worked there his whole life.

“There are pictures of me in the office with Dad when I was just a few days old,” he said. “My on-the-job training began as soon as I was old enough to work, just out of high school. I spent summers working as a retail merchandiser, servicing vending machines, and also in the quality control lab.”

The company enjoyed regional fame for many years, but growth was inevitable.

“For the first 50 years, it was mainly sold in Mt. Sterling, Morehead and Winchester,” Elmore said. “But ironically, in 2001, they made a distribution agreement with Coke, and it began to be delivered to 61 counties in Kentucky.”

Today, Ale-8-One is available in every county in the state, as well as Kroger and Harris Teeter grocery stores in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri and along the southern East Coast. It is also available by the single bottle at Cracker Barrel restaurants in 42 states.

“Our growth model is slow and controlled,” Elmore said. “We want to make sure it is a good fit at all times.”

And thanks to the company website, Ale-8-One can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Rogers sees little in the way of competition or imitation.

He credits G.L., whom he called Uncle Lee, for that.

“Part of the genius of the recipe that Uncle Lee created was that it isn’t easily copied,” Rogers said. “It’s complex, and the real ginger we use is a special blend just for Ale-8.

At the company, we pride ourselves on sourcing the best ingredients, which results in the highest quality and a consistent product. That in itself makes it hard for anyone to copy us.”

He says that he was once given an empty green bottle similar to Ale-8-One’s from a 1970s drink called Mountain Ale, but Mountain Ale apparently never found a market and is no longer around. Someone obviously tried, but it was no Ale-8.

Even though the facility produces about 10,000 cases per day, the goal is always to maintain the high quality, rather than expanding too fast and losing control of the product.

“We want to protect the good jobs we provide and the character of the brand,” Rogers said. “That’s much harder than it sounds when you are a small company competing with national giants.”

Elmore says that commitment to their values has paid off. Ale-8-One is a source of pride for Kentuckians.

“We hear stories all the time of what people do to show their loyalty,” she said. “But when you see an Ale-8 tattoo, that is a great testament to our company.” Q

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Ale-8 Fun More than just a soft drink, Ale-8-One’s distinct flavor can lend an extra dimension to recipes. Kentucky Monthly challenged three Kentucky chefs to concoct a dish using the beverage, with interesting and appetizing results. And to wet your whistle, Ale-8 provided a creative twist on the Commonwealth’s signature springtime cocktail, the mint julep, with the soft drink in a starring role.

Ale-8-One Braised Lamb Shanks with Creamy Polenta and Gremolata Chef Dallas McGarity The Fat Lamb, Louisville Shanks: 6 14-16-ounce lamb shanks 2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks 1 onion, cut into large chunks 2 sticks of celery, cut into large chunks 1 orange, cut into wedges 4 whole fresh bay leaves ¼ cup whole cloves 1 tablespoon whole Szechuan peppercorns 6 bottles Ale-8-One Olive oil for searing Salt and black pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and sear the lamb shanks until they are crispy on the outside.

2. Place the carrots, onion, celery, oranges, bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns in a large braising pan.

Add the shanks to the braising pan so that they have a little room in between, and season with salt and black pepper.

Pour in the Ale-8-One until it comes about halfway up the shank.

3. Cover and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, checking every hour until the shanks are tender and fully cooked.

Polenta: ½ quart heavy cream 1½ quarts milk 2 cups polenta 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1. Warm the cream and milk in a large pot over medium heat. Just before the cream and milk begin to simmer, stir in the polenta using a whisk and season with salt and pepper.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

2. Continuously stir the polenta until it starts to become thick. You will feel it with the whisk. Once the polenta is thick enough to serve, turn off the heat and whisk in the Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Gremolata: ¼ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 lemon (juice only) Salt and pepper 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil Combine all the ingredients in a large plastic container and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before using.

To plate: Place the polenta in the center of a bowl. Place the braised shank on top, along with a little Ale-8 braising liquid, and spoon the gremolata over the top.

Potato Salad with Stone Fruit and Ale-8-One Mustard Vinaigrette

don’t have access to Freight House fermented mustard, use ¼ cup wholegrain mustard, 1/8 cup prepared horseradish and 1/8 cup orange marmalade) ¼ cup sherry vinegar ¼ cup Ale-8-One ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Cut the cooked potatoes in half or into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing. This can be done at any time from the morning the dish will be served, to 45 minutes before being served.

For serving: 2 ripe peaches, sliced 2 ripe plums, sliced 3 sprigs dill, roughly chopped 4 thin slices pickled red onion 1 small bunch of watercress Mix dressed potatoes with peaches, plums and dill, then place onion and sprinkle watercress on top. Can be served cold, or at room temperature.

Chef Sara Bradley Freight House Restaurant, Paducah Potatoes: 3 pounds mixed colored baby new potatoes (we get ours from Ivy Farms) 1. Gently boil the potatoes in salted water until tender when pricked with a knife. Remove from heat.

2. Let the potatoes sit in the water until room temperature while you prepare the dressing.

Dressing: ½ cup Freight House mustard (If you

For more dishes and beverages using Ale-8-One, visit ale8one.com/recipes.

Ale-8-One Glazed and Stuffed Chicken Wings

B U S I N E S S

S H O W C A S E

Chef Jeremy Ashby, Azur, Lexington CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN BUSINESS IN HISTORIC GLENDALE, KY

Wings and sauce: 10 chicken wings, wing tips removed (reserve tips for sauces, stock or soup) ½ pound mild Italian sausage ½ cup diced shiitake mushrooms ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 2 cans Ale-8-One ½ cup Crystal hot sauce 2 tablespoons honey, local if possible Spice rub: 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon lemon pepper 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1. In a mixing bowl, add the sausage, mushrooms, blue cheese and garlic. Mix ingredients together and form into little balls, about 1½ ounces each.

2. French the chicken wings: If purchasing whole chicken wings, you will have three sections (drumette/drummy, flat/wingette and the tip). Remove the tip of the wing by cutting through the joint.

Separate the drumette from the wingette by finding the joint in the middle and, with a sharp knife, slicing through it.

Starting with the wingette, use a knife to make a circular cut all around the smaller end, so the meat will separate from the bone. Hold the piece upright and push the meat and skin down to the opposite end. There will be two bones; discard the smaller one. The skin should wrap over the meat and push down all the meat sticking to the bone. When the meat and skin are at one end, form them into a round shape, like a lollipop, but with a little pouch. On the flat section of the drumette, run the knife around the base of the smaller end, hold upright and scrape the meat and skin down from the bone to the far end. Again, form a ball and pouch at the end.

3. Place a ball of stuffing in the open cavity (pouch) of each wing created by Frenching them.

4. Prepare the spice rub by mixing together all the spices. Sprinkle the spice rub liberally all over the chicken wings.

5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the Ale-8-One and slowly submerge the stuffed side of the chicken wings in the Ale-8. Simmer the wings for 20 minutes. Remove the wings and place on a serving plate.

6. Add the hot sauce and honey to the pan and reduce the Ale-8-One and sauce mixture by one-half or one-third or until it is thick like a glaze. Adjust the seasoning and drizzle the sauce on the wings.

GLENDALE SPRINGFEST SAT., MAY 20th

Since 1975

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Fried Chicken and Meringue Pies!

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Free Wi-Fi, along with a collection of books and other literature on early Kentucky and Mason County history.

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Fresh and fabulous dining in the heart of Maysville.

Steaks. Seafood. Pork Chops.

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606-564-6385 M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Kentucky Hot Brown

Created in the 1920s at Louisville’s Brown Hotel, the Kentucky Hot Brown has become a Southern staple. The original version of this open-faced sandwich consists of turkey, bacon and tomato covered with Mornay sauce and baked until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown.

K

Where to Find It

The Brown Hotel, Louisville Pine Mountain State Park, Pineville Julep Cup, Lexington Gibby’s, Frankfort Claudia Sanders, Shelbyville Greyhound Tavern, Fort Mitchell

Quintessential Kentucky Foods

K Where to Find It Stevens & Stevens Deli, Louisville Sisters Tea Parlor & Boutique, Buckner

Derby-Pie

Ask any Kentuckian what’s in burgoo, and you’ll get 100 different answers.

Burgoo contains various types of meat, vegetables, barbecue sauce and more.

To learn more about this famous dish, attend the Anderson County Burgoo Festival in September.

K

Where to Find It

Keeneland, Lexington Moonlite Burgoo, Owensboro

Mint Julep

Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Firehouse Sandwich Shop, Frankfort

K Where to Find It

“Hands down, Moonlite in Owensboro has the best burgoo. All of our trips to western Kentucky include plans to swing by Owensboro to stock up on it.”

Churchill Downs, Louisville

— Vicki Schwallie Fort

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

Benedictine, a cucumber and cream cheese spread, was created near the beginning of the 20th century by Jennie Carter Benedict, a Louisville caterer, restaurateur and cookbook author. Rarely found outside the state, it has received national attention on The Food Network and Southern Living.

Christy Jane’s on Main, Lawrenceburg

Burgoo

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Benedictine

Paul’s Fruit Market, Louisville

Certain foods are known far and wide as Kentuckybred as well as Kentuckyloved. We asked our Facebook fans where to find these faves, with informative results.

Derby month wouldn’t be complete without a mint julep. According to the Kentucky Derby Museum, the cocktail became Churchill Downs’ signature drink in 1938, when the track began serving it in a souvenir glass. Today, Churchill serves more than 80,000 juleps during Derby weekend.

“The Hot Brown has been featured in Southern Living, The Los Angeles Times, NBC’s Today Show, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, and The Wall Street Journal, and is a regular entry in many of the world’s finest cookbooks.”

— brownhotel.com

A pie with many names and renditions, Derby-Pie was created in 1950 by George Kern and his parents, owners of The Melrose Inn in Prospect. It’s typically made with pecans, chocolate chips and bourbon. According to A Taste of Kentucky cookbook, because each Kern family member had a favorite name for the new pie, the name DerbyPie actually was pulled from a hat.

K

Where to Find It

For a list of restaurants that serve DerbyPie or to order one, visit derbypie.com.

Fried Chicken

Perhaps the food best associated with Kentucky worldwide is fried chicken, thanks to Colonel Harland Sanders and KFC. Plus, the World Chicken Festival is held in London every fall. It’s one of the most common dishes served in the Commonwealth.

K

Where to Find It

Colonial Cottage, Erlanger The Whistle Stop, Glendale Greyhound Tavern, Fort Mitchell Shaker Village, Harrodsburg Boone Tavern, Berea Claudia Sanders, Shelbyville

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MEET THE CHEF CULINARY SPOTLIGHT

Star Hill Provisions™ at Maker’s Mark Newman Miller, Executive Chef

Hailing from Washington County, Chef Newman Miller is no stranger to Kentucky’s culinary landscape, both past and present. After graduating from Sullivan University’s culinary program, Miller set out to hone his craft in kitchens around the world, including stints in Scotland and Chicago. But the call of the Bluegrass would always bring him home, and Miller went on work at some of Kentucky’s finest and most historic dining establishments.

It was this experience in creating uniquely Kentucky fare that made Chef Miller a natural fit for the newly expanded Star Hill Provisions™, located at Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. Situated in the beautifully renovated original distiller’s home, and with a menu that changes with the seasons, Star Hill Provisions™ provides Maker’s Mark visitors a delicious companion to the distillery’s world-class bourbon offerings. Chef Miller’s own twist on Kentucky staples like burgoo, benedictine sandwiches and hot browns— plus daily lunch specials—showcases the region’s finest ingredients, including many from the farms of Maker’s Mark’s own employees. Even better? For the first time in the history of the distillery, visitors can stop by Star Hill Provisions for a selection of seasonal, handcrafted cocktails (starring Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, of course).

Kentucky Hot Brown

Star Hill Provisions at Maker’s Mark 3350 Burkes Spring Rd Loretto, KY 40037 (270) 865-4982 makersmark.com M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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A Head for

Business Elizabeth Kizito’s cookies—and her marketing genius— have made her a fixture in Louisville

By Ken Snyder

U

“

sing your head” has a dual meaning for Elizabeth Kizito, founder and proprietor of Kizito Cookies in Louisville. Carrying her locally famous assortment of cookies in a basket on her head harkens back to the Ugandan culture of the city’s “Cookie Lady,” as she is known. But it also is a stroke of marketing genius that has brought attention and success she didn’t envision when she began selling cookies downtown almost 40 years ago.

Not long after starting her business, Kizito playfully balanced a basket on her head at home, a skill she had learned as a toddler in her homeland. She was dancing around, and her husband at the time remarked, “That’s what you need to do with your cookies because you’ll be so different.”

That was an understatement, as the response of Louisvillians was immediate and positive. “I got such a 30

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

reaction because people had never seen anything like this.

They’d only seen it in National Geographic or something.

Everybody was honking their horns,” Kizito says. She was embarrassed—but embarrassed all the way to the bank.

Hard work preceded this watershed moment for the ever-smiling Ugandan whose warmth and joy are as much a trademark as her cookies. She started with some justified trepidation.

“A lot of people sell things on the street in Uganda,” she says, but “I was always scared of getting ‘busted’ because I was baking my cookies at home, and you’re not supposed to sell them to the public.”

It was after getting her food production permit that Kizito began using the basket with a line of baked goods that now includes more than a dozen different cookies, brownies, a variety of biscotti and more.

The business began by accident and then continued by necessity, according to Kizito. She started by simply giving chocolate chip cookies she had baked to co-workers in Louisville restaurants. The quality—apparently as good then as it is now—created demand that led to selling them in quantity to co-workers. Kizito says nothing has really changed since then in how she bakes, adding that she still uses real butter.

The need for money to buy her then-1-year-old’s birthday present launched her business. She took to the streets with cookies, selling at that point from a bag she carried. Mission accomplished: Her son got a pair of new shoes, and, more importantly, Kizito got the idea for a business.

She realized she needed a kitchen with more capacity than her own at home. Working for a pizzeria, Kizito negotiated the use of its kitchen from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. in exchange for cookies. Getting established meant rising in the middle of the night, baking cookies in her fourhour time window, and then traveling to Fifth and Jefferson streets in downtown Louisville to sell cookies after working a shift at the pizzeria.

Three years into this, Kizito’s mother, visiting from Uganda, helped her daughter take her business to a whole new level. “She said, ‘You need to find a place where people can come and buy your cookies,’ ” says Kizito, not to mention a place where she would have her own kitchen. Her mother even found what seemed to be a promising location on Bardstown Road in the heart of Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood.

The location and business idea were great but, at the time, not practical.

“I didn’t have money to rent it, much less buy it,” Kizito says with a laugh.

Her persistent mother insisted, however, that she “just go look at it.” A bond between Kizito and the city became cemented, perhaps, when her landlord had an idea, Kizito says. He co-signed a lease on the store location and helped with six months’ rent to get it ready.

“I’d go sell cookies and make money, and I’d buy the sink. Then I’d go sell more cookies and buy the floor. And then all the pieces added up,” she says. “That was like 38 years ago. I’ve been in business a long time.”

Surprisingly, Kizito’s cookie-baking genius was not something learned in Uganda, even though her father owned a bakery in her home country. “My dad’s bakery made bread and cakes, but I never had cookies till I came to America,” she says.

Business acumen and an obviously strong work ethic may

have come from her father, who, she says, was “Superman” in her eyes. “He was so positive and such a businessman.”

Kizito’s coming to America may have resulted indirectly from a vow made by her father to her mother. Her parents had married young, and he promised his wife that their first daughter would have a formal education—not the norm in Uganda at the time. Catholic boarding school was part of that pledge and led to an important encounter.

Kizito befriended an American teacher and helped the educator adjust to East African life in addition to performing chores for her. The teacher took an interest in Kizito, met and got to know her parents, and eventually helped her to get to the United States and high school in Denver. She enrolled in Eastern New Mexico University, where she met and married a Louisville native who brought her home to the city after graduation.

Kizito’s reality of life in Denver, New Mexico and then Louisville were comically far from the expectations she had growing up in Africa. “I used to watch the American show Bonanza,” and thought all American were cowboys, she says with a laugh.

An interest in America accompanied a wanderlust and curiosity. “I used to see the jets in the sky with ‘steam’ [vapor trails], and I used to fantasize being in one of those planes.

“We used to call to each other in the house, ‘The plane is going! The plane is going!’ We’d all come out and look at it until we couldn’t see it anymore.”

On each Kizito Cookie package, a brief narrative includes: “I was born under a banana tree in Africa.”

“That’s really true,” she says. “We didn’t have too many hospitals when I was born.” Ugandan mothers observed “a kind of tradition,” Kizito explains, in giving birth there.

Banana trees offer both convenience and their leaves a ready-made bedding, of a sort.

Kizito grew up picking bananas and other vegetables and fruits daily, because of the absence of refrigeration in the home, as was typical in the country. This led to the skill that helped launch her business. “Kids mimic their parents, and I’d go with my mother to the garden,” Kizito says.

“She’d be there all day cultivating different things, and then when she was done, we’d all put it in the basket. Of course, you see what your momma does, and you want to do it.”

Street vending with a basket atop her head is probably unnecessary at this point in Kizito’s business career. Her retail store is a mainstay for cookie lovers; her cookies are found in coffee shops in Louisville and Kentucky locales as M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

31

far away as Paducah. Her shop also offers an extensive collection of arts and crafts from Uganda, Kenya and Zambia.

Street vending, however, became a labor of love and pays homage to Kizito’s African roots. She is as much an institution at Louisville Bats baseball games as the players themselves, strolling up and down the aisles, her trademark basket atop her head, greeting friends as much as selling cookies. “They miss me, and I miss them if I don’t go,” she says.

Kizito, in all likelihood, also will never go from Louisville and not just because she has no plans to retire. She is grateful to a city that has given her a new home. “Louisville is a city that protects its own,” she says. “They like me, and they like things that are local.

They look at me as their own ‘Cookie Lady.’ ” Q

Lucky in Kentucky Cookie

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Kizito sells other treats and goodies, including brownies, biscotti and homemade oatmeal on her website, kizito. com, and at her Bardstown Road location in Louisville.

32

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

Peanut Butter Cookie

Snickerdoodle Cookie

Three days in Kentucky. That’s all it takes to discover that horses, bourbon and bluegrass are just the beginning. For sample itineraries and travel tips, visit KentuckyTourism.com/weekend.

No weekend plans?

TRY some of ours.

#travelky

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

CELEBRATE KENTUCKY’S 225.

Three days in Kentucky is all you need to rediscover the rich history surrounding you - from horses and bourbon to the breathtaking fun of Corvettes and caves. Kentucky celebrates the 225th anniversary of statehood this year. Join us in this celebration and create your own Kentucky getaway, with all the sights, sounds and flavors that make our Commonwealth unique.

Start with a visit to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where you can learn about over 40 breeds of horses and pay homage to the great Thoroughbred Man o’ War as the park celebrates his 100th birthday.

Learn about “America’s Native Spirit” at historic distilleries in Bourbon Country. Sample a taste of Kentucky’s rich culinary heritage and innovative contemporary fare prepared by some of today’s leading chefs.

Explore Kentucky’s diverse music history with a trip to the homeplace of the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe, or the legendary Loretta Lynn.

Hear contemporary sounds by Grammy Award-winning Kentucky artists Jordan Smith, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson and Cage the Elephant.

Experience our vibrant arts scene with a visit to Berea and see artisans working in their studios. Travel to the beautiful river community of Paducah, a certified UNESCO Creative City and home to the National

The Everly Brothers

CENTRAL CITY: WHERE THE MUSIC NEVER ENDS. Rich musical heritage on display in Muhlenberg County Music Museum. Rock & Roll, Country, Thumbpicking, Folk, Jazz, Classical—Central City’s roots include them all.

Summer concerts, car shows, good food—come join us in Muhlenberg County. tourcentralcity.com

270.754.9603

Quilt Museum, the largest museum in the world devoted to quilts and fiber arts.

Watch as America’s sports car, the Corvette, rolls off the assembly line at the GM Assembly Plant in Bowling Green.

Marvel at the immense replica of Noah’s Ark and experience the pages of the Bible like never before at the Ark Encounter.

Kentucky is home to Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world. Thousands of miles of waterways provide an exciting mix of water sports, boating, fishing and family fun. Kentucky’s 17 state resort parks provide lodging and activities for every group.

The Great American Eclipse will traverse the western region of our state in August, with viewing parties and special events planned throughout the area.

Visit KentuckyTourism.com and let us help make your Kentucky getaway plans.

KENTUCKY LAKE, THE SOUTH’S GREAT LAKE!

Disconnect from the world, and reconnect with what matters most!

Discover what makes Kentucky Lake so great.

kentuckylake.org

800.467.7145

KENTUCKY’S LINCOLN MUSEUM Visit Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace to learn about Lincoln’s life and legacy.

Enjoy our collection of authenticated dioramas, Civil War memorabilia, unique artwork and more!

Our gift shop features local artists, authors, and musicians.

Open daily!

66 Lincoln Square Hodgenville lincolnmuseum-ky.org

270.358.3163

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

MONROE COUNTY

FLIP THIS! Old-Fashioned Trade Day held every Monday at the Mayfield-Graves County Fairgrounds in Mayfield.

visitmayfieldgraves.org

270.247.6106

Join us for the Fountain Run BBQ Festival May 19-20.

Featuring Monroe County BBQ, Arts & Crafts, and Antique Car Show.

Lots of fun & games with live music all day!

monroecountykytourism.com

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN MT. STERLING Enjoy unique shopping, dining, festivals, a fantastic arts center and history museum, plus beautiful architecture dating back to 1792.

Home to the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory and great golf too!

mtsterlingtourism.com

866.415.7439

SHAKER FOOD ADVENTURES AND BEAUMONT INN’S SOUTHERN CUISINE.

SMALL-TOWN CHARM PAIRED ALONGSIDE EMERGING CULINARY SCENE

Experience Shaker Village’s 2017 monthly fresh food adventures with guest chefs, talented mixologists and local musicians. Beaumont Inn offers award-winning Southern cuisine & signature spirits.

New brewery & distillery.

Your taste buds will be more than satisfied with Georgetown’s ever-growing culinary selections, featuring southern-style cooking, farm-to-table meals, and savory BBQ bites. Stray from the ordinary and make Historic Georgetown your next foodie destination.

harrodsburgky.com

georgetownky.com

800.355.9192

888.863.8600

LOCAL MADE-BY-HAND JEWELRY, FURNITURE, & MORE – ONE DAY

CORBIN – HOME TO ADVENTURE. HISTORY. HOSPITALITY.

It’s like Etsy — bottled up, shook up and poured all over a cool historic downtown.

Walk Cadiz Main Street on May 6 and find everything from local honey and woodworking to jewelry, live music and great food.

Located in the Outdoor Adventure Mecca of KY, off I-75 exit 25 by the shores of Laurel River Lake and amid the beauty of the Daniel Boone National Forest, Corbin is the perfect adventure destination!

gocadiz.com/springfling

corbinkytourism.com

888.446.6402

LOOKING FOR UNIQUE? MURALS ON TOBACCO BARNS. Visit our Agricultural Heritage Trail! Experience golfing, paddling, hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, places to eat and shop, a quilt trail and a variety of accommodations.

All this and friendly folks, too! myowencountyky.com

502.563.5050

606.528.8860

WINCHESTER’S RECIPE FOR CULINARY AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURE! Combine our Beer Cheese Trail & Festival (June 10); add a tour of Ale-8-One; blend a visit to Harmon Haven Winery & top with one-of-a-kind dining.

Complement with a side of hiking, biking, kayaking or nearby ziplining! tourwinchester.com

800.298.9105

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

HEAD TO GLASGOW FOR A GREAT VISIT!

NEW FAMILY FUN IN BOWLING GREEN!

Glasgow, a town to love. Enjoy nature’s beauty, friendly people, a quaint feeling. Experience Barren River Lake, Museum of the Barrens, Fort Williams, & Plaza Theatre to make your visit greater!

Speed down Beech Bend Park & Splash Lagoon’s award-winning Cyclone Saucers, brake for the new robotic milker at Chaney’s Dairy Barn, then supercharge your visit with Lost River Cave’s new Flying Squirrel zipline.

visitglasgowbarren.com

visitbgky.com

800.264.3161

LEBANON, THE HEART OF KENTUCKY BOURBON AND BARRELS

800.326.7465

BARBECUE, BOURBON & BLUEGRASS

Lebanon is the heart of Kentucky and the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Come see how the iconic Maker’s Mark bourbon is produced and then tour the only bourbon barrel factory on the Bourbon Trail at Kentucky Cooperage. While you’re here be sure to visit our newest bourbon distillery, Limestone Branch and take home some Yellowstone Bourbon.

From our signature barbecued mutton and burgoo to our ties to the roots of bluegrass music, Owensboro is the culinary and cultural hub of western Kentucky.

Owensboro hosts more than 20 annual festivals, including the International Bar-B-Q Festival and ROMP Bluegrass Festival, and is home to the International Bluegrass Music Museum, Spirits at Miller House – a “Top 60” bourbon bar – and the O.Z. Tyler Distillery.

visitlebanonky.com

visitowensboro.com

270.692.0021

800.489.1131

THERE’S SOMETHING CHARMING ABOUT A SMALL TOWN.

CITY FUN – COUNTY ADVENTURE!

What makes Bardstown beautiful? There’s more to it than being the second-oldest Kentucky town.

Visit everything from the diverse restaurants to our historic distilleries and you’ll see for yourself.

Ashland/Boyd Co. is located on US 23 Country Music Highway – a mecca for arts, festivals, great food, entertainment, trails and off-road adventure.

Come check us out – you’ll be glad you did!

visitbardstown.com

visitashlandky.com

800.638.4877

800.377.6249

ASHLAND/BOYD CO.

TOURISM & CONVENTION BUREAU

HOUSEBOAT, VACATION AND FISHING SPECIALIST!

CARROLLTON – FROM CITY TO SERENITY

Come play on Dale Hollow Lake and the Cumberland River for a great time with family and friends. Burkesville is the perfect spot to make memories with unforgettable houseboat vacations, family friendly resorts, lakeview campsites and cozy cabins. Experience incredible fishing, scuba dive in the crystal clear water, hike to stunning overlooks and play superb golf at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park.

Carrollton is a small river town located at the confluence of the Ohio and Kentucky rivers.

We’re the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Carrollton is rich in history and southern hospitality. Come relax at Point Park or explore our many trails and waterways.

cumberlandcounty.com

visitcarrolltonky.com

270.864.5890

800.325.4290

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

EXPLORE LONDON!

WE’RE FULL OF SURPRISES

Attention outdoor adventure-seeking enthusiasts! Enjoy biking in the Cycling Capital of Kentucky®, boating on the stunning beauty of Laurel River Lake, hiking in the Daniel Boone National Forest or attending one of our many special events. Centrally located along I-75 and the Hal Rogers Parkway, London is the vacation crossroads of Kentucky and is conveniently situated within a short drive to many of the finest attractions!

See the past come to life on our

laurelkytourism.com

800.348.0095

historic downtown walking tour.

Stroll beside beautiful lakes on our 18 miles of walking trails.

Or celebrate the sunset at scenic Tavern in the Garden.

With great food, festivals and fun, Elizabethtown is the perfect place to shake off your winter blahs.

touretown.com/kymonthly

800.437.0092

JIM BEAM COUNTRY, BERNHEIM FOREST & WINE COUNTRY, TOO! Shepherdsville’s back-road adventures! Wine and Whiskey Trail features interactive tours of the Jim Beam Great American Stillhouse, plus four award-winning wineries & Four Roses Bourbon Visitors’ Experience. Complement this Kentucky Spirit Trail with a “Bourbon Casual” outdoor experience at Bernheim Forest Visitors’ Center, year-round activities and 14,000 acres of trails, gardens and lakes. Over 1,000 affordable hotel rooms, just 20 minutes South of Louisville!

WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE. Explore the fort of pioneer legend Daniel Boone–Fort Boonesborough State Park.

Visit White Hall State Historic House, a 44-room Italianate mansion that was home to Cassius Clay, the namesake for Muhammad Ali. Enjoy championship Gibson Bay Golf Course. Tour the Civil War Battle of Richmond Visitor Center, see Hummel Planetarium, ride historic Valley View Ferry, take a walking tour, and shop

Shepherdsville Visitor Center – I-65 Exit 116

beautiful Historic Downtown Richmond!

jimbeamcountry.com

richmondkytourism.com

502.543.8656

800.866.3705

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

SOLAR MADNESS 2017: EXPERIENCE THE DARKNESS Start planning today for a weekend of family fun for this once-in-a-lifetime experience – a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017.

We’re located directly in the path and just minutes from the point of greatest eclipse. visitmadisonvilleky.com

270.821.4171 or 877.243.5280

MEMORIES START HERE Enjoy the moments that matter most with a slice of Kentucky in Shelbyville & Simpsonville.

Here in the “American Saddlebred Capital of the World” you’ll find authentic experiences, small-town charm, rural character and a hometown feel. visitshelbyky.com

502.633.6388

CELEBRATE TRADITIONS IN PRINCETON

EXPLORE THE STAR CITY OF PRESTONSBURG.

Enjoy Victorian teas at Adsmore in April.

Visit the past in our downtown historic district, while stopping at modern shops and eateries.

Listen to new and old live music at the Pennington Folk Music Festival in June.

Watch the sun disappear in August during the total solar eclipse.

A premier destination for the outdoor enthusiast, featuring kayaking, mountain biking and hiking!

Showcasing Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Jenny Wiley Theatre, East Kentucky Science Center/ Planetarium, StoneCrest Golf Course and the Mountain Arts Center.

princetonkytourism.org

prestonsburgky.org

270.365.9575

800.844.4704

LAKE CUMBERLAND: WE’RE ALWAYS IN SEASON. Live music. Boating. Golfing. Shopping. Nightlife.

Delicious local cuisine. Sound like the perfect weekend getaway? Find it all in Somerset-Pulaski County on magnificent Lake Cumberland.

Relax in a cabin or cottage near the water after exploring all of the adventures we have to offer.

From fishing to kayaking, classic car shows and the Master Musicians Festival — midsummer’s premier event — there’s something for everyone! lakecumberlandtourism.com

800.642.6287

SOMERSET-PULASKI COUNTY CVB LAKE CUMBERLAND TOURISM

DISCOVER THE KENTUCKY RIVER IN FRANKFORT! Discover a unique adventure in Frankfort!

Locks 1-4 on the Kentucky River are now open for recreation! Weekends from late May through late October travel by canoe, kayak, SUP or boat through the historic locks between Frankfort and Carrollton. Easy access at River View Park in Downtown Frankfort! It’s an adventure for the whole family! visitfrankfort.com

800.960.7200

#TRAVELKY kentuckytourism.com • 1-800-225-TRIP

THE WORLD IS COMING TO OUR DOOR! “ECLIPSEAROO 2017” A Total Solar Eclipse: The sky will go dark, animals and birds go quiet, and the temperatures will fall drastically!

On August 21, 2017, this once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon will occur here on beautiful Lake Barkley/Lyon County.

Just imagine, 2 minutes and 40 seconds of complete totality – known as The Great American Eclipse!

Join us on beautiful Lake Barkley and be prepared to be “Totally Eclipsed.” lakebarkley.org

270.388.5300

ABOVE AND UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES There is as much to do underground as there is aboveground in Cave City; tour eight pre-historic caves, three ziplines, horseback riding, biking, hiking and canoeing. cavecity.com

270.773.8833

:!CHERISHED!PAST!; Promising Future

Masonic Homes of Kentucky marks its 150th anniversary

BY JACKIE HOLLENKAMP BENTLEY

A

s Joe Staten rode along in a shuttle bus across the Masonic Homes of Kentucky’s Louisville campus, sitting sideways to get a better look out the window, the memories could no longer be contained.

“All this on this side of the campus was the girls’ dormitories, and this was the school building right here …

That big building you see right there? That was the main dining room … Right here on this end was the post office.

The print shop was on the whole first floor, and the shoe shop was on the other end,” he said as he continued to point out buildings, landmarks and cherished spots occupied during his time at Masonic Homes.

Along with six of his siblings, Staten was brought to the St. Matthews campus when he was just a year old in 1931, after his father died. By then, Masonic Homes had already been around 64 years. It was established after the Civil War

to care for the widows and orphans of Masons.

In 1867, the first home was built in a cornfield where DuPont Manual High School now stands. It moved in 1926 to its current location, which was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. In just one year, 18 buildings were completed, and more than 400 children were transferred.

By then, the mission had evolved into caring for those affected by World War I, the Great Depression and any other hardships that befell the families of Masons.

“It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me,” Staten said. “It was during the Depression. My dad died, and nobody had work. My mother couldn’t afford insurance, so this was it. I don’t know where I would’ve been if it hadn’t been for this.”

Eleven-year-old Eugene Blanton would arrive at Masonic M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Hundreds of children form orderly lines when the campus was home primarily to orphans and widows

Homes from Harlan County 19 years after Staten had come to live there. Blanton’s father had died in an accident while driving a truck in southeastern Kentucky, leaving a wife and nine children. “We came by bus, and back in those years, it was the old road system, so you did just about as many miles sideways as you did forward,” Blanton said.

“When we got to [Masonic Homes], we were taken straight to the dining hall, and they fed us. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was so beautiful.”

“Little City Beautiful” is, in fact, what many residents called their new home and is the name of a documentary produced for Masonic Homes’ 150th anniversary. Airing

May 23 on KET, the documentary features Staten and Blanton, along with several other former residents who recall their life at a beloved institution that not only gave them food and shelter but also an education, vocation and life skills.

“Personally, I worked on the farm. I learned how to grow things, how to take care of them, how to get them to produce,” Blanton said. “They showed you how to do something and would correct you where you needed it, and you learned pretty quickly. We learned a lot, and we learned how to take care of ourselves. You didn’t have time to get overwhelmed, and in one way, it was a big adventure.”

5 cardiac specialists prepared to care for one thing.

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and vascular care. Our team of five cardiac and vascular specialists, using advanced technology, is committed to giving our patients the personalized attention necessary to beat heart and vascular disease. Excellent care is not just our standard, it’s our passion.

While Blanton worked on the on-site farm, Staten spent his years in the print shop.

“It taught us to work,” Staten recalled. “We’d go to school until 2 o’clock, then we’d go to the vocation, and we couldn’t wait to get out and start playing ball. We always had somebody to play with.”

In addition to the documentary, Masonic Homes is marking its sesquicentennial with events scheduled throughout the year, including an alumni reunion in June and a “Home for the Holidays” campus light tour in December.

Those alumni who do come “home” will see a campus that has changed over the past decades.

After the final orphan left in 1989, Masonic Homes saw a period of deterioration over the next 10 years—so much so that Staten said he couldn’t bear to come back to visit.

“I said, ‘Oh, what have they done to my home?’ ” Staten recalled.

But Nicole Candler, the communications and marketing vice president, said a renewed sense of service began to take shape in the early 2000s, when care became focused on senior citizens and other specialized services.

In addition to the St. Matthews campus, Masonic Homes also offers aging care and services at two other locations: Shelbyville and northern Kentucky.

With the three locations, Masonic Homes of Kentucky now provides short- and long-term rehabilitation, nursing care, dialysis, active lifestyle communities and in-home care, as well as Sproutlings Pediatric Day Care & Preschool, which offers care and education to children, including medically fragile youngsters.

Construction is underway at the St. Matthews location on The Meadow, which will expand the active lifestyle home offerings and also include a new 48-unit assisted-living facility.

“It’s been in the last 10 to 15 years that we have really started to focus on growing our services,” Candler said.

“Boy, has it taken off from there.”

Despite the growth and changes, Staten can still relive his memories as he tours the area—especially when the shuttle bus stops in front of The Bistro and Club Olmsted, an entertainment and dining complex located at the heart of the campus.

“I brought a buddy of mine out, and we pulled up in front of the Olmstead, and I pointed down toward the flag and said, ‘You see that [imaginary] yellow line going down through there?’ We saw it, and we weren’t allowed to cross it. If you crossed it you were on the girls’ side,” Staten said.

Then there was the time he and his buddies stole corn from the nearby farm, or that time he sat next to Rosemary Clooney on the steps of the Olmsted when she was visiting a friend.

The memories, the education, the life skills—all cherished gifts that can never be taken from those who spent their formative years at Masonic Homes.

“It was the greatest thing in my life,” Staten said. “I always will say it. It’s the greatest thing that happened to my family.”

Blanton couldn’t agree more.

“It was quite an experience,” he said. “I didn’t appreciate it then, but I’m quite impressed when I think back on it.

Most of the kids feel like I do: They have gratitude that what they experienced was special.” Q

Top, children rake leaves with former Superintendent J.C. Morris (1928-29); middle, Miss Annie Mae Martin’s mathematics class (1928-29); above, planting trees and practicing patriotism with the Masonic Homes Scout Troop

For more information about Masonic Homes of Kentucky, visit masonichomesky.com, and for details on the 150th anniversary events and additional history about the storied location, visit mhky150.com

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CULTURE

Off the Shelf

A DARK UNDERTAKING The More They Disappear

By Jesse Donaldson St. Martin’s Press $26.99 (H)

A good novelist can tell us who did the murdering early in the book, and then keep the reader involved until the story ends. Kentuckian Jesse Donaldson, who offers his debut novel, The More They Disappear, writes with that result.

An eastern Kentucky sheriff is murdered by a misguided and drug-addicted teenager, and Sheriff’s Deputy Harlan Dupee takes on the thankless job of discovering the person who did the deed. It’s a messy endeavor, for sure. He deals with the reality of today’s world of Oxycontin, deception and violence—both physical and mental in scope. Poor and disenfranchised persons are involved, but so are rich and well-connected ones. Far from being a cool and competent investigator, Dupee muddles through a complex set of circumstances and characters in getting to the bottom of the murder. He relates to some of the goings-on, or even much of it; he’s not a flawless man, either.

Moonlit Romance

Mountain of a Man

Bourbon City Shake-Up

Cumberland Falls’ moonbow isn’t a newly discovered phenomenon.

Settlers headed west in the 1770s witnessed this beautiful A Moonbow Night sight.

By Laura Frantz A Moonbow Revell Books Night is a $14.99 (P) historical novel about a family who establishes an inn within earshot of the falls. Temper­ ance Tucker runs the inn with her family and knows her way around the area.

When handsome land surveyor Sion Morgan passes through The Moonbow Inn, the attraction between the visitor and Temperance is instantaneous. But they cannot be together: She has family secrets to protect, and he has a dangerous life on the frontier. But when he needs a guide through the cave areas, he trusts Temperance to lead him.

The book is full of references to historical figures like the Boone family, as well as accounts of how meals were prepared and how people traveled and survived.

Author Laura Frantz lives in a log cabin in Madison County and has written several historical novels.

When 6-foot-7, 300-pound Hillbilly Jim arrived on the pro wrestling scene in 1984, he was hard to overlook. His toothy smile Hillbilly Jim: The and big blue Incredible Story eyes made it of a Wrestling apparent that Superstar this mountain

By Gary P. West, man was one of with forewords by the good guys, Hulk Hogan and and truth be Jimmy Hart known, he Acclaim Press wasn’t from the $24.95 (H) mountains at all—maybe the hills, but not the mountains.

Gary P. West’s latest book tracks the life of Jim Morris from his humble beginnings through his days as a high school basketball star in Bowling Green to his glory days, when he was tossing around the likes of Kentuckian Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Jerry “The King” Lawler and rubbing elbows with everyone from the late, great Muhammad Ali to Hee Haw’s George “Goober” Lindsey.

West also has written several travel/dining books and a biography of basketball legend King Kelly Coleman.

Bardstown, which proclaims itself the Bourbon Capital of the World, once had to face prohibition of alcohol, as did the rest of the Prohibition in country.

Bardstown: It was tough Bourbon, for much of the Bootlegging & United States, Saloons but especially

By Dixie Hibbs difficult for and Doris Settles Kentucky, Arcadia which had Publishing 2,000 $21.99 (P) distilleries as early as 1811.

Prohibition in Bardstown: Bourbon, Bootlegging & Saloons provides profiles of the distilleries in the Bardstown area at the time and their fate during Prohibition. There are fascinating historical photos of notable Bardstown businesses and residents, and even some bourbon recipes.

Co-authors Dixie Hibbs and Doris Settles have ties to both Bardstown and bourbon. Hibbs, the first female mayor of Bardstown, also was the first female elected into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.

Settles spent summers in Bardstown while growing up and married into a Nelson County family.

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

— Stephen M. Vest

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

48

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback

A lack of mature, genuine love and healthy community around the fictional town of Marathon leaves a soulless emptiness, Jesse Donaldson and drugs and bad decisions are the predictable consequences. It is a dark story, and Donaldson, a budding literary craftsman, simply tells it as he sees it.

Andre PaterIn a Sporting Light APRIL 21 - AUGUST 13, 2017

— Steve Flairty

Life of Barkley

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

Left: Demonstrative, 2014 top: End of the Day, 1996 Bottom: Afternoon, 1996; Private Collections © Andre Pater

Middleburg, VA | NationalSporting.org | 540.687.6542

A PERFECT SUMMER EVENING GETAWAY IN HISTORIC DANVILLE! OUTDOOR THEATR

E & CA MPGROUND

Enjoy a home-cooked dinner featuring hand-rubbed, hickory smoked BBQ! Experience theatre under the stars in Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre!

Five different shows including...

Two Kentucky Voices Originals DEATH BY DARKNESS

by Elizabeth Orndorff Mystery set in 1840’s Mammoth Cave!

June 9–June 24

ce

GUARDED

by Angela Correll Heartwarming play about faith and family, sequel to hit Grounded!

July 11–July 22

le

b r at i

68

years

ng

When Alben Barkley was born to tenant farmers in a log cabin in Graves County back in 1877, it would have been hard to predict the Alben Barkley: unprecedented A Life in Politics political career

By James K. that lay ahead Libbey of him.

University Press His entrance of Kentucky in politics came $39.95 (C) at the local level. He then moved into the national arena, with stints in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He later became Senate Majority Leader and served as vice president of the United States alongside Harry Truman. After his tenure as VP, he again became a senator.

Alben Barkley: A Life In Politics includes historical photos of Barkley as well as quotes and anecdotes that help the reader relate to the man who dedicated his life to public service.

Author James K. Libbey, professor emeritus at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, gives readers a well-researched, enjoyable biography of this politician and how he rose through the ranks to the country’s second-highest position.

2017 Danville, KY

Make your reservations for our 2017 summer season today!

Pioneerplayhouse.com Or call toll free 1-866-KYPLAYS

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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BOOKENDS Lauren Hudson, a 17-year-old junior at Dixie Heights High School, has garnered more than a dozen awards for her two books, Our Best Tomorrow: Students Teaching Capitalism to America and The Ascension. The awards include a recent Best Young Adult Book Award at the London Lauren Hudson Book Festival and the grand prize at the Great Southwest Book Festival in Los Angeles.

The Ascension is a young adult fantasy/fiction tale of three siblings whose lives are turned upside-down when they learn their true identities as part of a race of guardian angels.

Our Best Tomorrow, which she co-wrote with her father, Rob Hudson, is used in several states to teach principles of capitalism to middle school and high school students.

•••

Louisville’s Tony Acree continues his Victor McClain thriller series—which includes The Hand of God, The Watchers and The Speaker—with the most recent installment, Revenge. In this haunting narrative, bounty hunter extraordinaire McClain has the tables turned on him, becoming the hunted one with a $10-million bounty on his head.

If that weren’t enough, an old nemesis has come back from the dead to seek revenge on the alluring but slippery McClain and is making things messier by going after a new love in the hero’s life.

Published by Hydra Publications, Revenge retails for $14.99.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Somerset KY 606-678-8178

VOICES

Past Tense/Present Tense

Heroes and Villains

BY BILL ELLIS

H

eroes and villains abound in history. Folklore, legends and the Bible give us many examples of great fortitude, heroism and villainy. Certain names immediately come to mind. Cain killed Abel. David killed Goliath, but he also sent Uriah to his death. If Bathsheba had been as lovely as Susan Hayward in the 1951 movie, David and Bathsheba, I, too, might have been tempted to do the same had I been King David. As warned in the Book of Daniel, we all have feet of clay, including the great King Nebuchadnezzar.

Being all too human, we do great good and sometimes great harm. History tells us of both.

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are generally considered American heroes, although I hear there are some folks who celebrate the birthday of John Wilkes Booth. My father always said, “There is no accounting for taste,” but he also lamented, “There is a fool born every minute.”

We praise military heroes Grant and Lee, MacArthur, Eisenhower and the men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945. There are many others, like the late John Glenn, one of the most famous heroes in American history, and the lesser-known—for example, Army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson and his crewmen, who stopped the slaughter of innocent Vietnamese at My Lai on March 16, 1968.

As for villains, who can surpass Richard III, Hitler and Stalin? Or a modern-day father who kills his own child or abuses his wife? Just read the newspapers or watch the news on local or national television for other chilling examples.

Now well into my 77th year, I find it increasingly difficult to fathom the American mind. We make heroes of sports, movie, music and other media stars and celebrities.

Thankfully, we also know of true national, state and local heroes. In the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, more than 6,700 service personnel have died and more than 50,000 have been wounded. Do we honor these individuals enough?

In Kentucky, we can always find worthy heroes as well as villains. Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton (who did not get as much press as Ole Dan’l) and others from our pioneer days are generally agreed upon by most as heroes.

In the old books and movies, weren’t the “Indians” always portrayed as bloodthirsty villains? I have an Eastern Kentucky University colleague who one day appeared at a local gym wearing a startling T-shirt. He, having some Native American ancestry, had emblazoned on his shirt in bold letters: “Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.” I reminded him that American Indians were not always kind to other tribes, driving them off the best lands for hunting, for example. It all depends which side you are on and, as

Winston Churchill said and many believe, “History is written by the victors.”

For true horror, our fair Commonwealth is not without examples. The Harpe brothers of western Kentucky infamy are probably our best-known villains. Oftentimes called America’s first serial killers, these Scottish immigrants and loyalist veterans terrorized the western frontier after the American Revolution, slaughtering as many as 50 people without remorse.

They murdered, raped and pillaged their way across pioneer Tennessee and Kentucky, often disemboweling a victim, stuffing the cavity with rocks, and casting him into a stream. They were known to murder their own children and consorted with the pirates of Cave-in-Rock on the Ohio River. So depraved were the Harpes, that age-old European justice was finally meted out to them. Micajah “Big” Harpe was killed in 1799 and his head impaled on a pike in western Kentucky. Wiley “Little” Harpe escaped justice until 1804, when he also was killed and his head displayed on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee.

Heroes are often very close to us.

I have always been saddened by the fact that many people cannot count their fathers and mothers among their heroes. My pop was a World War II veteran, a strong, working-class welder and jack-of-all-trades. I looked up to him till the day he died. I don’t recall him ever lifting a hand to me.

My daughter, Eva, was born with an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, a mass of malformed blood vessels in her brain that caused seizures. After years of taking medications, she bravely underwent brain surgery removing the malformation, knowing that she could suffer blindness or other “deficits” as they are called. She finished her college degree and is now a special education teacher in Tyler, Texas.

Her son, Andrew, my first grandchild, was born with cerebral palsy. Like many with this condition, he is considered by some “normal” people to be handicapped.

How sad! He has worked hard to be where he is today. At a Chicago Cubs game a few years ago, my son, two grandsons and I enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere of Wrigley Field.

However, while we walked out of the stadium, a young man mocked Andrew’s unsteady walk. I was incensed. The fellow was sitting on a handrail. The thought crossed my mind of knocking him off his perch. Instead, I moved my right index finger from side to side. He stopped his mocking. Heroes should not be mocked. Don’t you agree?

I have heroes in my family. Do you?

Who is your favorite hero, past and present?

What makes a hero a hero?

Readers may contact Bill Ellis at historian@kentuckymonthly.com

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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OUTDOORS

Gardening

Tomato Transplants

BY WALT REICHERT

S

urveys show that tomatoes are by far the most popular vegetable grown in American gardens.

Something like 85 percent of all gardeners have at least one tomato plant.

In late April and early May, Kentuckians buy tens of thousands of tomato transplants from garden centers and start thousands more in their own homes and greenhouses. Alas, many of those transplants never produce the first tomato. Insects, disease, four-legged critters and poor cultural practices take their toll. I often hear a gardener lament, “I put out 15 tomato plants back in the spring and never got that first tomato.”

That shouldn’t happen.

Here’s a primer on how to choose the right tomato transplants and get them off to a good start. The picking, canning and BLT sandwiches will be up to you.

First, buy good plants. Tomatoes come in hundreds of varieties. Choose those that will do well in your garden. If you’ve had problems with disease in the past, choose disease-resistant varieties. They will come with letters VFN, VFFNT, etc. after the variety name. These varieties are resistant to some, but not all, tomato diseases. (And unfortunately, not some of the most common. See below.)

Many tomato connoisseurs buy heirloom tomatoes for the flavor, but be aware that many of them are not particularly disease resistant. If you have had problems with disease in the past, it’s a good idea to check with other local gardeners about what varieties they have had success with or ask your Cooperative Extension Service for a list of recommended varieties for your area.

Picking the right variety doesn’t help if you don’t get a good plant. Unfortunately, many of the plants offered for sale are past their prime. Look for plants with a deep green color; avoid those showing yellow in the leaves or having weak stems. The $5 plants with the quarter-size tomatoes are not a good deal, either. You might get the first tomato in the neighborhood, but those plants typically do not bear well over the summer season. Five bucks is a lot to pay for one or two tomatoes.

Finally, check the roots. Surreptitiously and gently lift up one plant and examine the roots. (Don’t tell the store owner you read this here!) You are looking for bright, white, plump roots; if the roots are brown and mushy looking, move on to the next tray.

Good Digs

Where your transplants spend the summer will be the second key to success. Make sure they are planted in a site that has full sun; they can tolerate some shade, especially late afternoon shade. Be sure the site is well-drained. And don’t grow tomatoes in the same place every year or in the

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

same place that previously had potatoes, peppers or eggplant, since they are all in the same family. You invite problems with soil-borne disease if you keep planting in the same place.

Don’t be afraid to plant tomatoes deeply; all the way up to their bottom leaves is OK. That allows roots to grow out of the side of the stem, so the plant becomes sturdier and has more capacity to feed and water itself with more abundant roots. Pour about a pint of water in the hole with each plant unless rain is imminent.

To protect your transplants from cutworms, which like to chop off the plant at the base shortly after planting, surround the plant with a cardboard tube—a toilet paper or paper towel roll, for example. If you stake your tomatoes, drive the stake immediately after settling in the transplant. Driving a stake in after the plant is growing risks damaging the roots. If you use a tomato cage, it can go in a few weeks later.

Mulching your tomato transplants is a good strategy. It reduces disease caused by rain splashing from the soil onto the plants, and it keeps moisture even in the soil, which reduces cracking and blossom end rot. If you use an organic mulch, such as hay or straw, give the transplants a few weeks to get established; mulching too soon after planting keeps the ground cold, and tomatoes like it hot. On the other hand, if you are using a plastic mulch, especially black plastic, go ahead and put it down right after transplanting, or put it down first and put the transplant in through a hole in the black plastic. Black plastic warms the soil and keeps down weeds; just make sure you are able to water the plant.

Some gardeners use a starter fertilizer rich in phosphorous on their tomato transplants, and that can be added to the first pint of water you use to settle in the plants. Otherwise, don’t fertilize tomatoes until the first fruits are about the size of a quarter. Too much fertilizer, especially too much nitrogen, causes the plant to produce too much foliage and not enough fruit. Give each plant a handful of complete fertilizer when the first fruits are about the size of a quarter and then again when the first fruits start to ripen. That should provide enough food for the growing season.

Vaccinations

Two of the most common diseases of tomatoes in Kentucky are septoria leaf spot and early blight. Septoria presents as small yellow spots on the leaves; early blight looks like someone took a blow torch to the plant from the bottom up. An early spray or two of fungicide helps protect against those diseases. You can spray with copper if you want an organic fungicide, or you can use chlorothalonil (sold as Daconil or Fungonil) or mancozeb as a protectant.

Spray the plant within a few days after transplanting and again within a week to 10 days. Spraying early acts like a vaccination against those diseases, and while not eliminating them, may reduce the damage. Be sure to read the label of any insecticides or fungicides you use in the garden. I know you probably won’t, but it’s my job to tell you to do that.

And it’s a pretty good idea.

Just don’t blame me if you get more tomatoes than you know what to do with this summer.

Readers can reach Walt Reichert at gardening@kentuckymonthly.com

OUTDOORS

Field Notes

FINs: Fishing Fun Close to You

BY GARY GARTH

K

entucky had always had a healthy population of local anglers to catch, keep and enjoy fish, and that’s what fishermen, but sport fishing license sales were most FINs anglers do. beginning to stagnate. Angler numbers, which had If you go, expect company. Balsman said fishing pressure increased for three generations, were peaking. The on many FINs lakes is “extremely high.” landscape also was becoming more urbanized. And for How high? various reasons, urbanites did not fish as much as their A 2015 creel survey from Kentucky Lake recorded angler rural cousins. use at 17 man-hours per acre. Creel data from Jacobson Park State fish and wildlife officials pored over these Lake in Fayette County was 1,428 man-hours per acre. disturbing trends and uncovered a discomforting but Kentucky Lake covers 160,000 acres in two states. Jacobson perfectly understandable fact: One reason—maybe the main Park Lake floods about 46 acres in Lexington. reason—that urbanites were not fishing was because they Provide the fish and fishermen will come. didn’t have a place close to home to fish.

FINs fishermen can keep five rainbow trout, four catfish, To fill this need, fishery officials came up with the 15 sunfish and one largemouth bass (minimum length of 15 Fishing in Neighborhoods, or FINs, program. The idea is inches). simple. They would target a few metro-area lakes and stock “The [FINs] regulations are a little more strict than the them with all the fish statewide regulations, they could hold. The so the fish will go a result, as they promoted little farther,” explained relentlessly, would be Dave Dreves, a state “quality fishing close to game agency deputy home.” commissioner who helps If you provide the oversee the FINs fish, they thought, the program. “But the fish— fishermen would come. the trout, catfish and They were right. hybrid sunfish—are “The Fishing in stocked at a harvestable Neighborhoods program size. They are certainly has been very there for the taking.” successful,” said current The FINs waters are FINs program director open to residents and and urban fisheries nonresidents. A license biologist Dane Balsman. is required for anglers “A lot of people enjoy age 16 and older. the program.”

Many of the FINs Fishing in lakes are owned and/or The FINs urban fishing program is popular with fishermen. [Photo courtesy Neighborhoods began in managed by city or of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources] 2006 with a handful of county municipalities, lakes in Jefferson and which share some of the Fayette counties. This year, 43 watersheds in 28 counties costs of the cooperative program. Lake owners pay 25 from Hickman to Knox are involved. percent of the stocking costs. Trout are supplied by the The lakes naturally harbor some bass, catfish and federal Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery. The catfish and panfish, but the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources hybrid sunfish come from the state hatchery. supplements that by heavily stocking them with rainbow Kentucky is rife with prime fishing waters—miles of trout, catfish and hybrid bluegill/green sunfish. All the lakes creeks, streams and rivers, along with more than a dozen can be easily fished from the shore or dock, and most also federally managed major reservoirs. But for anglers in allow canoes, kayaks and other small boat access.

Anderson, Boone, Boyle, Campbell, Daviess, Fayette, The trout (118,300 rainbows are stocked statewide) Fleming, Franklin, Grant, Graves, Grayson, Harlan, provide a seasonal catch-and-keep fishery, as FINs lakes are Hickman, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Knox, warm-water ponds and small watersheds that won’t Lincoln, Madison, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Meade, support trout year-round. Trout stockings ended in March Montgomery, Nelson, Scott and Warren counties, small, and will resume in October at 20 lakes, including the seven local, heavily stocked waters close to home are brimming in Jefferson County. The rest of the lakes will get trout in with fish.

November, and trout stocking will continue through March.

Go get yourself some.

Channel catfish are stocked in March, April, May and For more information about the FINs program, including August. All lakes receive a hybrid sunfish stocking in maps and stocking schedules, go to fw.ky.gov and click on early June. the “fishing” tab, “recreational fishing” and then “Fishing The 121,000 catfish and 30,000 hybrid sunfish that are in Neighborhoods.” stocked can survive and prosper during the sweltering Kentucky summer.

Readers may contact Gary Garth at outdoors@kentuckymonthly.com Some do. But the FINs program is designed to allow M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CALENDAR

Let’s Go

7

May SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

1.

Ongoing The Dance of Man o’ War at Light: Pastels 100, International

by Tatjana Museum of the Krizmanic, Horse, Lexington, B. Deemer Gallery, through Nov. 1, Louisville, (859) 259-4232 (502) 896-6687

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

4.

5.

6.

11.

12.

13.

20.

Kentucky Blues Traveler, Pioneer Power Club’s Antique Derby, The Grand Tractor Show, Churchill Downs, Theatre, Point Park, Louisville Frankfort, Carrollton, (502) 352-7469 through May 6, (502) 558-4067

 7.

8.

Eli Conley, Trail of Tears The Spotlight Weekend, Playhouse, Berea, Pennyrile Forest (859) 756-0011 State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421

1

Randall Atcheson, The Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 450-4444

14.

Mother’s Day

21.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

Lower Town Arts & Music Festival, Lower Town, Paducah, through May 20

Art in the Alley, American Legion Park, Greensburg, (270) 299-6683

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

29.

30.

31.

Gospel Music Carroll County Kentucky NMCA FanFair, The Chamber of Gathers Bluegrass Center for Rural Commerce Dulcimer Nationals, Development, Group, General Golf Scramble, Beech Bend Somerset, through Butler State Resort Fairway Golf Raceway, May 20 Park, Carrollton, Course, Owenton, Bowling Green, (502) 732-7034 (502) 732-4384 through May 21

Kentucky BBQ Blues & WWE Live, Mountain Eastern Kentucky Bikes, downtown Laurel Festival, Elizabethtown, Expo Center, downtown (270) 982-2209 Pikeville, Pineville, through (606) 444-5500 May 28

0

Burlington Antique Show, Boone County Fairgrounds, Burlington

28.

Memorial Day

2

More to explore online!

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

Dailey and Vincent, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623

Visit kentuckymonthly. com for additional content, including a calendar of events, feature stories and recipes.



Ongoing Frank Doring: I Would Redesign That Udder, UK Art Museum, Lexington, through Aug. 20, (859) 257-5716

Let’s Go!

A guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events Bluegrass Region

Ongoing May Frank Doring: I Would Redesign That Udder, UK Art Museum, Lexington, through Aug. 20, (859) 257-5716, finearts.uky.edu/art-museum Man o’ War at 100: The Mostest Horse That Ever Was Exhibit, International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, through Nov. 1, (859) 259-4232, imh.org May

1 Tasting Party, Harrodsburg Historical Society, (859) 734-5985, harrodsburghistorical.org 2 Tea Tuesdays, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, also May 9, 16, 23 and 30, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 2 Cruiz on Main, downtown Harrodsburg, harrodsburgky.com

9 Second Tuesday Teas, White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond, (859) 623-9178, parks.ky.gov

21 Croquet Tournament, Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington, (859) 266-8581, henryclay.org

10 Story Walk, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, also May 28, (859) 225-4073, lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park

25-29 Memorial Day Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov

11 Eli Conley, The Spotlight Playhouse, Berea, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com

26 Rock the Block Concert Series, downtown Winchester, downtownwinchesterky.org

12 KECU Frankfort ArtWalk, downtown Frankfort, downtownfrankfort.com

27-28 Horsey Hundred 2017, Georgetown College, Georgetown, horseyhundred.com

12-13 Crawfish Festival, Paris Landing, Paris, ParisCrawfishFestival.com 12-13 Spring Campers Yard Sale, Fort Boonesborough State Park campground, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov 13 Berea Makers Market, Russell Acton Folk Center, Berea, BereaMakersMarket.com 13-14 Bluegrass Birding Festival, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 2680114, facebook.com/BluegrassBirdingFestival 13-14 Mayfest Arts Fair, Gratz Park, Lexington, downtownlex.com

4 Blues Traveler, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 352-7469, grandtheatrefrankfort.org

14 Vintage Baseball Game, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov

4-7 Tuned in for Murder, The Spotlight Playhouse, Berea, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com

14 Mother’s Day Bubbles and Bourbon Dinner, Fairyhouse Hall, Lexington, (859) 327-3277, fairyhousehall.com

5 Larry Sanders & Borderline Band, The Burgin Barn, Harrodsburg, also May 14, 21 and 28, (859) 748-5424, larryandborderline.com

19-20 Broadway Days Festival, Harrodsburg, (859) 254-6984, harrodsburgky.com

5 Oaks Day Festival, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, buffalotracedistillery.com

19-21 Cheaper by the Dozen, The Spotlight Playhouse, Berea, also May 26, 27 and 28, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com

5-7 Kentucky Derby Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park campground, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov

20 Wilderness Trail Distillery Rod Run, Wilderness Trail Distillery, Danville, (859) 402-8707, wildernesstraildistillery.com

6 Derby Day Breakfast, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov

20 Oxford Antique Market, Georgetown, (502) 370-7268

6 Beginner Digital Photography, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 2254073, lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park 6-7 Open House, Ward Hall, Georgetown, also May 27-29, wardhall.net

20 Founder’s Day Festival, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 225-4073, mcconnellsprings.org 20-21 Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival, Midway University, Midway, franciscosfarm.org

June

1-4 Seussical the Musical, The Spotlight Theatre, Richmond, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com 1-4 Great American Brass Band Festival, downtown Danville, (859) 319-8426, gabbf.org 2 Larry Sanders & Borderline Band, The Burgin Barn, Harrodsburg, also June 9, (859) 748-5424, larryandborderline.com 2 Picnic in the Park, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov 3 Cruiz on Main, downtown Harrodsburg, harrodsburgky.com 3 Beginner Digital Photography, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 2254073, lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park 4 Vintage Baseball Game, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 5 Teddy Bear Tea, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 2723611, parks.ky.gov 6 Tea Tuesday, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, also June 13, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 7 BYOS (Scissors), The Loudoun House, Lexington, (859) 254-7024, lexingtonartleague.org 8-10 Brigadoon: Outdoor Drama Musical, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, also June 15-17, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov 8-11 Clue: The Musical, The Spotlight Playhouse, Berea, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com

M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CALENDAR

Let’s Go

9 Picnic in the Park, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov 9-10 Kentucky’s Fort Harrod Beef Festival, Mercer County Fairgrounds, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-4378, fortharrodbeeffestival.org

14 Story Walk, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 225-4073, lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park

Louisville Region

10 Stephen Foster Festival & Opening Night, J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre, Bardstown, (502) 348-5971, stephenfoster.com 10 Beer Cheese Festival, downtown Winchester, (859) 737-0923, beercheesefestival.com 11 Explore the Springs, McConnell Springs Park, Lexington, (859) 225-4073, lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park 13 Second Tuesday Teas, White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond, (859) 623-9178, parks.ky.gov

5 Hocus Focus with Spencer’s Theatre of Illusions, Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center, Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, thepac.net 5-6 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, Louisville, kentuckyderby.com

9-11 Birthday Party Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park campground, Richmond, parks.ky.gov 9-24 Death by Darkness, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, 1-866-597-5297, pioneerplayhouse.com

4 Pegasus Parade, downtown Louisville, kdf.org

Ongoing May The Race Is On! An Exhibit on the Traditions of the Kentucky Derby, My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown, through May 31, (502) 348-3502, visitmyoldkyhome.com The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Frazier Museum, Louisville, through Sept. 9, (502) 753-5663, fraziermuseum.org May

1-23 The Dance of Light: Pastels by Tatjana Krizmanic, B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, (502) 896-6687, bdeemer.com

6 Master Gardener Plant Fair & Spring Fling, Grayson County Middle School, Leitchfield, (270) 259-3492 12 2nd Friday Bluegrass Jam, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls Of Rough, also May 26, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 12-14 Gardeners’ Fair & Silent Auction, Locust Grove, Louisville, locustgrove.org 13 Hike with Mom! E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park picnic grove, Louisville, (502) 429-7270, parks.ky.gov 13 Second Saturday, downtown Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com 13 Old Louisville Live, Central Park, Louisville, oldlouisville.org

14 Mother’s Day Buffet, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls Of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 16 Red Hot Chili Peppers, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com 19 Concert in the Park Series, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls Of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 19 Heaven and Evan Exclusive Bourbon Experience, Departs from: Mint Julep Tours Gift Shop, Louisville, (502) 583-1433, mintjuleptours.com 19-21 The Mint Julep Model Airplane Event, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls Of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 20 Spring Fest, Glendale, (270) 765-2175, glendalekentucky.com 20 Kosair Charities Open Car and Motorcycle Show, Sam Swope Kosair Charities Centre, Louisville, (502) 637-7696, kosair.org 20-21 Train Robbery, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org

Kentucky Home State Park Rotunda, Bardstown, visitbardstown.com

3-4 Day Out with Thomas, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, also June 10-11, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org

KENTUCKY’S PREMIER ZIPLINE DESTINATION!

3-30 Highland Renaissance Festival, Kentucky Renaissance Fair, Eminence, through July 9, kyrenfaire.com 3-30 I Am Ali Festival, Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, through July 4, alicenter.org 9-11 Once Upon a Mattress, Historic State Theater/Hardin County Playhouse, Elizabethtown, also June 15-18, (270) 351-0577, hardincountyplayhouse.com 10 Blooming Bardstown Garden Tour, Marketplace and Silent Auction, downtown Bardstown, (502) 348-9204, bloomingbardstown.com 10 Second Saturday, downtown Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com 10-30 The Stephen Foster Story, J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre, Bardstown, through Aug. 12, (502) 348-5971, stephenfoster.com

5 ZIPLINES

UP TO 1900' LONG

PROFESSIONALLY GUIDED TOURS 300' ABOVE THE GORGE!

Northern Region

21 Masterworks & A Child’s World, Harvey Brown Presbyterian Church, Louisville, (502) 968-6300, LouisvilleChorus.org 26-29 Kentucky Flea Market Memorial Day Spectacular, Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, (502) 456-2244, stewartpromotions.com

May

26-29 Speleofest 2017, The Lonestar Preserve, Bonnieville, louisville.caves.org

5-6 Pioneer Power Club’s Antique Tractor Show, Point Park, Carrollton, (502) 558-4067, visitcarrolltonky.org

27 BBQ Blues & Bikes, downtown Elizabethtown, (270) 982-2209, touretown.com

12 Sakura Ladies Chorus, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, bcpl.org

June

1 Historic Costumed Walking Tour, downtown Elizabethtown, also June 8, 15, 22 and 29, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com 1 Tavern in the Garden, Brown-Pusey House, Elizabethtown, also June 8, 15, 22 and 29, (270) 765-2175, brownpuseyhouse.org 2 Bardstown Bluegrass Festival, White Acres Campground, Bardstown, (502) 252-9004 2 Concert in the Park Series, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls Of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 3 Wine and Cheese Tasting Festival, presented by the Bardstown Rotary Club, My Old

13 Sondheim vs. Webber: The Battle of Broadway, presented by the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Greaves Concert Hall, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, (859) 431-6216, kyso.org

Perfect for Weddings, Reunions, Retreats and more!

13 Spring Bash: Demo Derby, Carroll County Fairgrounds, Carrollton, (502) 682-7241, visitcarrolltonky.org 14 Mother’s Day Celebration, Jane’s Saddlebag, Union, (859) 384-6617, janessaddlebag.com 16 Kentucky Gathers Dulcimer Group, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov 17 Carroll County Chamber of

RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Red River Gorge Ziplines& Cliffview Resort 455 CLIFFVIEW RD CAMPTON, KY 41301

CALENDAR

Let’s Go Commerce Golf Scramble, Fairway Golf Course, Owenton, (502) 732-7034, visitcarrolltonky.org

19-21 Maifest, MainStrasse Village, Covington, mainstrasse.org 20-21 Wine Festival & Art/Craft Show, Jane’s Saddlebag, Union, (859) 384-6617, janessaddlebag.com 21 Open Bass Tournament, Point Park, Carrollton, (859) 609-0374, visitcarrolltonky.org 21 Burlington Antique Show, Boone County Fairgrounds, Burlington, burlingtonantiqueshow.com 26-31 House Tours, Butler-Turpin House, Carrollton, through Sept. 3, (502) 732-4261, visitcarrolltonky.org 27 Backyard Concert Series, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov June

2 First Fridays on the Square, downtown Carrollton, (502) 732-5713, visitcarrolltonky.org 3 Art in the Garden, Riverside Drive, Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com 8-11 Italianfest, Riverboat Row, Newport, italianfestnewport.com 10 Sweet Tooth Festival, Jane’s Saddlebag, Union, (859) 384-6617, janessaddlebag.com 10-11 Two Rivers Bass Tournament, Point Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-7036, visitcarrolltonky.org 11 Supper on the Bridge, Ringo’s Mill Covered Bridge, Flemingsburg, (606) 845-1223

Western Region

May

4-6 Mule and Draft Horse Days, Dawson Springs City Park, visitmadisonvilleky.com 5-6 Owl Weekend, Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, (270) 924-1131, parks.ky.gov 5-7 Photography Weekend, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

6 First Day Hike: Monthly Hiking Series, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov 7 Randall Atcheson, The Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 450-4444, thecarsoncenter.org 12-13 International Bar-B-Q Festival, downtown Owensboro, bbqfest.com 12-13 Trail of Tears Weekend, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov 13 2nd Saturday Hike – Ecology, Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, (270) 924-1431, parks.ky.gov 13 Historic Island Wooden Bridge Concert, Island Wooden Bridge Park, Island, also May 20 and 27, facebook.com/historicislandwoodenbridge 19-20 Lower Town Arts & Music Festival, Lower Town, Paducah, lowertownamf.com 20 Take Kids Fishing Day, Riverside Park, Dawson Springs, visitmadisonvilleky.com 20 Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop, The Homeplace, Land Between The Lakes, landbetweenthelakes.us 26-28 Cinema Systers Film Festival, Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah, cinemasysters.com 27-28 Arts and Crafts Show, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Gilbertsville, (270) 362-4271, parks.ky.gov 27-28 Spring into Summer Salutes Fort Campbell, Oak Grove War Memorial Walking Trail Park, Oak Grove, visitoakgroveky.com June

2-3 Riverfront Rod Run, Paducah riverfront, (270) 554-2975, rivertinstreetrods.com 2-3 Sturgis Trade Days, downtown Sturgis, (270) 929-0758, facebook.com/sturgisgtradedays 2-4 Glasgow Highland Games, Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Lucas, (270) 651-3141, parks.ky.gov

Barbecue, Bourbon & Bluegrass Owensboro, Kentucky May 12 - 13

Come for the Food. Stay for the Fun.

3 Coalfield Festival, Mortons Gap City Park, Mortons Gap, visitmadisonvilleky.com 3 Basket Weaving Workshop, Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe, (270) 335-3681, parks.ky.gov 10 Primitive Technology, Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe, (270) 335-3681, parks.ky.gov

www.BBQfest.com M AY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CALENDAR

Let’s Go

Experience the eclipse in the heart of western Kentucky August 21, 2017 Approximately 2 minutes & 32 seconds of totality! l

Affordable Family Atmosphere Campsites

l

Entertainment & Cultural Displays

l

Eclipse Flotilla on Lake Beshear

l

Hammock Hotel & Primitive Camping

l

Low Sky Glow for Observation

Make your reservations now!

TRAILTOTOTALITY.COM

14-17 W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival, Central Park, Henderson, handyblues.org

Southern Region

May

5 Market Off Main, downtown Campbellsville, (270) 469-6190, facebook.com/DowntownCampbellsville 6 On-Water Boat Show, Lake Cumberland State Dock, Jamestown, statedock.com 6 Citywide Yard Sale Extravaganza, throughout Munfordville, visitmunfordville.com 6 Mainstreet Saturday Night, downtown Campbellsville, tri-countycarclub.com

HOPKINS COUNTY TOURIST & CONVENTION COMMISSION

7 The Cocktail, Dueling Grounds Distillery, Franklin, duelinggroundsdistillery.com 9 Mamma Mia! Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com 13 Flint & Stones, Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Tompkinsville, (270) 487-8481, parks.ky.gov 13 Woodson House Garden Festival, Battle for the Bridge Historic Preserve, Munfordville, battleforthebridge.org 15-20 Gospel Music FanFair, The Center for Rural Development, Somerset, centertech.com 18-21 NMCA Bluegrass Nationals, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, nmcadigital.com 19 3rd Friday Folk-Coffeehouse, Carnegie Community Arts Center, Somerset, (606) 305-6741, lamay.com 19-21 Armed Forces Weekend, Green River Lake State Park, Campbellsville, (270) 465-8255, parks.ky.gov 20 Art in the Alley, American Legion Park, Greensburg, (270) 299-6683 20 Ready, Set, Wear It Life Jacket World Record Day, Conley Bottom Resort, Monticello, (606) 348-6351, conleybottom.com 27 Cornbread Festival, Mill Springs Mill Park, Monticello, (606) 348-7624, lctourism.com

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

27 Somernites Cruise Car Show and Shine, downtown Somerset, (606) 872-2277, somernitescruise.com June

1-3 National Corvette Homecoming & Chevy Invitational, National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, corvettehomecoming.com 2 Market Off Main, downtown Campbellsville, (270) 469-6190, facebook.com/DowntownCampbellsville 3 Mainstreet Saturday Night, downtown Campbellsville, tri-countycarclub.com 3-4 Jefferson Davis Birthday, Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, Fairview, (270) 889-6100, parks.ky.gov 9-11 Celebration of Quilts & Quilting, Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Tompkinsville, (270) 487-8481, parks.ky.gov 10 Doc Monin Memorial Car Show – Lake Cumberland Car Show, Monin Memories Car Museum, Jamestown, LakeCumberland360.com 15-16 Holley Hot Rod Reunion, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, nhramuseum.org

Eastern Region

13 Trail Trek Series, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, (606) 663-2214, parks.ky.gov 13 Dailey and Vincent, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com 14 Michael W. Smith, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-3175, paramountartscenter.com 20 Backyard Birding, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Pineville, (606) 337-3066, parks.ky.gov 20 Tour De Kingdom Come, Kingdom Come State Park Gift Shop, Cumberland, (606) 589-4138, parks.ky.gov

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20 Spring Fling, downtown Paintsville, (606) 789-2600 25-28 Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, downtown Pineville, kmlf.org 26 WWE Live, Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, (606) 444-5500, eastkyexpo.com 26-29 Memorial Day Celebration, Levi Jackson State Park campground, London, (606) 330-2130, parks.ky.gov 26-31 Oliver! The Musical, Jenny Wiley Theatre, Pikeville, and Jenny Wiley Mainstage, Prestonsburg, through June 10, 1-877-CALLJWT, jwtheatre.com 27 Basic Photography Workshop, Kingdom Come State Park, Cumberland, (606) 589-4138, parks.ky.gov

May

3 Tygart Creek Paddle Excursions, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill, also May 7, 1-800-325-0059, parks.ky.gov

29 Memorial Day Celebration, Central Park Ashland, visitashlandky.com June

4-7 Knott County Spring Trail Ride, Mine Made Paradise Adventure Park, Leburn, knottcountytourism.com

2 Bluesgrass, Pine Mountain State Resort Park Laurel Cove, Pineville, (606) 337-3066, parks.ky.gov

4-28 Sister Act, Artists Collaborative Theatre, Elkhorn City, (606) 432-5063, ACT4.org

2 First Friday Outdoor Market, Rowan County Arts Center, Morehead, (606) 783-9857, rowancountyartscenter.com

5-6 Spring Campers Yard Sale, Levi Jackson State Park Campground, London, (606) 330-2130, parks.ky.gov 5-6 Wildflower Digital Photography Workshop, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Pineville, (606) 337-3066, parks.ky.gov 7 Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show, KYOVA Mall, Ashland, visitashlandky.com 13 Lip Sync Battle, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-3175, paramountartscenter.com

3 Memorial Bass Tournament, Cave Run Lake, Morehead, (606) 768-6030

For additional Calendar items or to submit an event, please visit kentuckymonthly. com. Submissions must be sent at least 90 days prior to the event.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E 2 0 0 8

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XX

VOICES

Vested Interest

Slow Down and Don’t Be Late

T

here is no better place than Kentucky to get purposely lost. And with modern GPS systems in nearly every car or on every phone, is getting truly lost even possible?

The other day, I had the luxury of taking the long way ’round. It’s something I would suggest we all do more of now and again. On this particular Friday, while everyone else was headed to Keeneland for the Spring Meet, I was headed to Glasgow for a meeting prior to lunch at the regionally famous Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza.

“Don’t be late,” I was warned by my regular contributor, Gary P. West, who was making the trip from Bowling Green. “If there’s one thing that drives me crazy, it’s being late.”

“Me, too, Gary,” I said. “I hate being late, too.”

“Okay, as long as we’re clear.”

“We’re clear, Gary. I won’t be late.”

I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before, but last year I had an early meeting in Ashland, and I got up so early that I got there more than a hour before the office even opened.

I was so tired that I fell asleep in my car and when those I was meeting with arrived, they saw me slumped over and nearly called the paramedics to come and check on my status.

So after a restless night’s sleep, afraid that I might oversleep or miss my alarm, I was up and on the road to Glasgow shortly after breakfast for an estimated two-hour, 12-minute drive.

I had made it through Lawrenceburg when I realized I was not only ahead of schedule, but since Glasgow is on Central Time, more than an hour ahead of schedule. I kept my GPS activated, but instead of taking the Bluegrass Parkway all the way to Elizabethtown and south on Interstate 65, I got off at the Springfield exit and ignored the British voice telling me “at your first opportunity, please make a U-turn.”

Eventually, the voice gave me new directions, and I continued as far as I could without being late for my meeting with one of the two members of the Papa John’s Pizza Hall of Fame. “Don’t be late,” echoed in my ears.

I toured Springfield, Lebanon and Campbellsville. I headed south toward Columbia and had time to cruise the streets of Burkesville and Tompkinsville before turning north toward Glasgow, which, according to at least one recent survey, is the 10th best place to live in the Commonwealth.

The cost of living, unemployment and crime rates are all low.

Don’t worry; I wasn’t late. By the time I returned home, I had been in part of 11 counties and never more

than 100 miles from home.

The grass was never greener. The sky was never bluer, and all the trees seemed to be in bloom.

I listened to the Country STEPHEN M. VEST Peddler on the radio and Publisher & Editor-in-Chief broadcasts of local obituaries. “Visitation will be this evening at the Ballou & Stotts Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Lion’s Club Eye Bank.”

I don’t like to backtrack, so my return route followed U.S. Route 31-E north through Hodgenville, where I saw both young and old Abraham Lincoln on the town square, and New Haven and its collection of locomotives.

•••

Because I spend quite a bit of time on the road, people often ask me which are my favorite quick trips and favorite towns to visit. That’s hard because there are so many, and I especially like going places I’ve never been.

As we’ve learned in our “24 Hours In …” series, there is something worth your time in most every Kentucky town, from cities like Paducah to smaller places like Marion. I’m never more at home than I am at the Murray Travel Lodge in Murray or sitting on the covered porch at the Verona Vineyard.

Of the places I seem to visit quite a bit, I do have some favorite loops.

When going to Maysville, I like to go up via Kentucky Route 11 from Mount Sterling through Sharpsburg and Flemingsburg. On the trip home, I come down the Simon Kenton Highway, which takes me through Carlisle, Millersburg and Paris. Paris Pike is one of the state’s most scenic routes, but I certainly enjoy Old Frankfort Pike and the Pisgah trail.

I am drawn to our rivers and the accompanying river roads, especially River Road north of Louisville. Bowling Green has some attractive suburbs, and my favorite in-town street remains Owensboro’s Griffith Avenue. I like the cliffs overlooking Covington and Cincinnati. I love Main Street in Georgetown.

Closer to home, I like to get off of U.S. Route 127 and visit Shaker Village, Danville and Harrodsburg—and I never go the same way twice.

What are your favorite getaway routes?

Readers, and those looking for a speaker for a church or civic group, may contact Stephen M. Vest at steve@kentuckymonthly.com

MAY KWIZ ANSWERS: 1. A. The University of Louisville has reached Omaha three times; 2. B. John Paul Scott reached Fort Point, located under the Golden Gate Bridge, 3 miles from Alcatraz by using homemade water wings. He was found unconscious, suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion, and returned to the prison. 3. True; the Toyota Camry is produced in Georgetown, and the Ford F-series is built in Louisville; 4. A. Route 80 extends 464 miles from Elkhorn City to Columbus; 5. B. Interstate 75 (1,786 miles); 6. B. U.S. Route 60 (2,670 miles); 7. A. Madisonville; 8. B. Tradewater Bend; 9. B. Originally named Vet Village; 10. C. The DAV.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • M AY 2 0 1 7

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