If there was ever a cookbook with my name written all over it, it's this one. Cookbook? Check. Bourbon? Check. Good bourbon? Check.
I spent three years in my early twenties in Louisville, KY, and while I was there, good Kentucky bourbon managed to imprint itself firmly on my young psyche. Now my bar is stocked with either Maker's Mark or Woodford Reserve, exclusively, and woe be unto anyone who tries to drink the Woodford with (gasp!) a mixer. Or even ice.
Though now, of course, I may relent and allow some of my precious Woodford to be used in such drool-producing recipes as Kentucky Bourbon Pancakes; Asian Strawberry Kentucky Bourbon Shrimp; and Bourbon and Green Garlic Kentucky Short Ribs. Really, there wasn't a recipe in the book I didn't want to try. Does that make me a lush? The author, Albert W.A. Schmid, spent his formative years in New Orleans, so even though he's not a Kentucky native, I'll give him props for knowing his way around bourbon.
One of my last meals in New York was a gin pairing; eight courses, each paired with a different kind of gin cocktail (with different kinds of gin). It opened my eyes to food/booze pairings; I would never have thought to pair dinner courses with gin, but everything was delicious. Similarly, I went to an Abita pairing in New Orleans; five courses, each paired with a different kind of Abita beer. In the introduction, Chef Schmid speaks of attending a bourbon pairing dinner, which opened his eyes to the possibilities of good bourbon. It just goes to show you that anything can be good, if done properly.
Which now makes me want to cobble together a bourbon pairing dinner for my friends, using the recipes herein.
Alas, it will have to wait until my upcoming cross-country move is completed. Until then, I'll be utilizing the most famous of Kentucky bourbon recipes, involving one quart bourbon; one steak; and one dog. Toss the steak to the dog, and drink the bourbon. Cheers.
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