Something New and Different

First of all, a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who made our weekly book giveaways such a success! It’s been great fun sharing some of our bestsellers and new titles with you.

This week we’re doing something a bit different. Rather than giving away 1 book to 1 lucky reader, we’re giving away FREE EBOOKS to everyone! We’d love to share some new titles and help you fill up your ereaders with some fantastic summer reading.

The process remains the same: fill out the form below, click SUBMIT, and your FREE EBOOK will be emailed to you! You can check out which ebook formats work best on your device using this chart, and find instructions on loading the files onto your device here.

It seemed only appropriate that the inaugural FREE EBOOK should be something similarly tech-related. So, to kick things off, we’re giving away STREAMING: MOVIES, MEDIA, AND INSTANT ACCESS by Wheeler Winston Dixon.

Film stocks are vanishing, but the iconic images of the silver screen remain—albeit in new, sleeker formats. Today, viewers can instantly stream movies on televisions, computers, and smartphones. Gone are the days when films could only be seen in theaters or rented at video stores: movies are now accessible at the click of a button, and there are no reels, tapes, or discs to store. Any film or show worth keeping may be collected in the virtual cloud and accessed at will through services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant.

In Streaming, Wheeler Winston Dixon reveals the positive and negative consequences of the transition to digital formatting and distribution, exploring the ways in which digital cinema has altered contemporary filmmaking and our culture. This groundbreaking book illuminates the challenges of preserving media in the digital age and explores what stands to be lost, from the rich hues of traditional film stocks to the classic movies that are not profitable enough to offer in streaming formats. Dixon also investigates the financial challenges of the new distribution model, the incorporation of new content such as webisodes, and the issue of ownership in an age when companies have the power to pull purchased items from consumer devices at their own discretion.

Streaming touches on every aspect of the shift to digital production and distribution. It explains not only how the new technology is affecting movies, music, books, and games, but also how instant access is permanently changing the habits of viewers and influencing our culture.

Whisky or Whiskey—What do you drink?

Bourbon is a kind of whisk(e)y, and whisk(e)y can be spelled two ways. According to The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, the term is an English word of Celtic origin that comes from “uisce beatha” in Gaelic and “usice beatha” in Irish and is equivalent to “eau de vie” in French or “aqua vitae” in Latin. All of those terms mean “the water of life.”

How someone spells whisk(e)y has a lot to do with where the beverage is made, where the person’s family comes from, and what tradition he or she is trying to follow.

There is Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey. As Scots moved to Nova Scotia (New Scotland), they brought with them the technology to make a distilled beverage and the whisky spelling to go along with it—the reason why all Canadian whisky is spelled without the e.  In the U.S., family origin comes into play when determining the spelling of this spirited beverage. There’s Makers Mark and Old Forester whisky and Jim Beam and Old Rip Van Winkle whiskey. In any case, all four of these are considered bourbon and can technically be made outside of Kentucky, even though this drink is most widely known as native to the Bluegrass.

Below are two bourbon cocktail recipes Albert Schmid included in his book The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook!

The Most Famous of All Kentucky Breakfasts

• 1 steak
• 1 quart bourbon whiskey
• 1 man (you can substitute a woman)
• 1 dog

The man throws the steak to the dog and drinks the bourbon.

“This is an old joke, but it is true that many years ago hard liquors were consumed at breakfast time. In fact a “cock tail” was originally a morning drink.” – Schmid

Bluegrass Breakfast

Here is an example of a “breakfast” drink combining bourbon with several items that people associate with breakfast. This drink uses the process of “muddling” fruit to extract the juice and flavor from the fruit for the drink. Muddling is crushing the fruit with a small bat-shaped tool. The back of a spoon will work if you don’t have a muddler.

• 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• Half a lemon, sliced
• 6-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
• Ice
• 1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a 16-ounce glass (or Boston shaker), place the blueberries, lemon, and rosemary. Muddle these ingredients until juicy. Add ice, bourbon, and maple syrup. Shake until cold and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish by putting on the edge of the glass a blueberry with a tiny sprig of rosemary sticking out.

For more bourbon cocktail and food recipes sign up by 1 pm on Friday, May 17 for your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook!

Bourbon Recipes for Every Season

Most cookbooks are set up by courses: appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. But, Albert Schmid’s The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook  tackles cooking with bourbon through the seasons. It already feels like summertime here in Lexington, so we’ll leave you with a few of Schmid’s Kentucky bourbon “summer” recipes to kick off your season of grilling and fun in the sun.

Kentucky Bibb Salad with a Sweet Kentucky Bourbon Vinaigrette, Crumbled Goat Cheese, and Toasted Pecans

“The following salad is a great summer dish because of the cool, seasonal ingredients. The recipe calls for Bibb lettuce, also known as limestone lettuce, which was first cultivated in Kentucky by Jack Bibb in the late 1800s. Bibb lettuce is highly prized by chefs and gourmands. I based this recipe on one I found in the 2003 edition of Nancy Miller’s Secrets of Louisville Chefs.” – Schmid

Kentucky Bibb Salad

• 1 cup pecan halves
• 3 heads Bibb lettuce, washed and patted dry
• 12 heirloom tomatoes or two large tomatoes
• 12 red grape tomatoes
• 1/2 pound goat cheese
• 1 red onion, diced

Sweet Kentucky Bourbon Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 2 ½ tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
• ¼ cup brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic chili sauce

1. Toast the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spread the pecans on a baking sheet, and toast them for about 5 minutes.
2. To make the salad: Break the lettuce apart, cut all the tomatoes in half or in slices, and break or slice the goat cheese.
3. To make the vinaigrette: Mix the vinegar, bourbon, mustard, honey, barbecue sauce, pepper, and chili sauce together.
4. Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pecans, and cheese on four plates, and pour the vinaigrette over the salad.

Kentucky Bourbon-Q Sauce for Pork Tenderloin

“Kentucky is known not only for its bourbon but also for its barbecues. The International Bar-B-Q Festival, held in Owensboro on the second weekend in May each year, draws crowds numbering eighty-five thousand. I based this barbecue recipe on one of Matt and Ted Lee’s in their book The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook.” – Albert Schmid.

• 1⁄3 cup Kentucky bourbon
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
• ¼ cup sorghum molasses
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the bourbon, water, vinegar, ginger, jalapeno, and garlic in a bowl. Add the pork tenderloin and turn it to coat. Marinate the pork at room temperature for 1 hour, turning it every 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pork from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Boil it over high heat until it is reduced by one-third. Add the sorghum and ketchup and cook until thickened or about 20 minutes. Season with the kosher salt and pepper.
3. Brush the pork with the olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Grill it over medium heat until the outside of the meat is well marked. Transfer the pork to a pan and place it in the oven at 350 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees, about 30 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then slice it against the grain and serve it with the sauce made from the marinade.

Don’t forget to sign up by Friday, May 17 at 1 pm for your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook!

How Much Do You Know About Bourbon?

With a book dedicated solely to cooking with bourbon, it’s only fitting Albert Schmid, author of The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, would include a little bit of the history behind this beloved beverage.

Most people believe a Baptist minister, the Reverend Elijah Craig, was the first person to distill bourbon, circa 1789. It was a very convenient legend for the forces trying to repeal Prohibition. After all, how bad can bourbon be if it was invented by a Baptist minister? But, the truth is that no one really knows who invented bourbon. Some of the favorite candidates include Evan Williams, James Ritchie, and Wattie Boone (Daniel’s cousin).

Despite the myth surrounding its origin, in 1964 Congress officially named bourbon America’s native spirit and the beverage became the most regulated whiskey in the world, having to meet strict criteria in order to be labeled “bourbon.” The requirements for bourbon are these:

• Bourbon must be made from at least 51 percent corn mixed with barley and with rye or wheat or both. Many times bourbon has an even higher percentage of corn.
• Bourbon must be aged in charred new oak barrels.
• Only pure water may be added to bourbon.
• Bourbon must not exceed 160 proof off the still or 125 proof going into the barrel.

Stay tuned for bourbon food and cocktail recipes and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly giveaway of The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook by Friday, May 17 at 1 pm!

Weekly Giveaway: The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook

Once thought to be only the tipple of southern gentlemen and the companion of confederate roughnecks, bourbon has gained a steady resurgence in popularity over the years with an ever-expanding and diverse audience. A beverage distilled almost exclusively in Kentucky, bourbon has attained prominence and appreciation for its complexity, history, and tradition.

In The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, Albert Schmid provides readers with the best recipes for every course using the famous spirit of the Bluegrass. From classic Kentucky cocktails such as the Mint Julep, to bourbon inspired desserts, such as Bourbon-Pecan Crème Brulée with Chocolate Sauce, and more savory fare, such as Steaks with Bourbon Ginger Sauce, Schmid gives a lesson on the flavors that best pair with and enhance the flavor of bourbon.

The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook is much more than a step-by-step cookbook. Schmid recounts bourbon lore, food traditions, and Kentucky history, giving readers a full appreciation of America’s native spirit.

Albert Schmid has worked as an executive chef and currently teaches at Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky and is the author of The Hospitality Manager’s Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits, which is now in its second edition.

Enter this week’s giveaway by Friday, May 17 at 1 pm for your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook!

A Proper End to the Week

All this week, we’ve been giving you a taste of Maggie Green’s new book, The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook. We were thrilled when Proper Cookn’, a local food blog housed right here in Lexington, wanted to try a couple recipes for themselves. They work with the ins and outs of true Kentucky cooking every day—it was a perfect match. Staying in season, Proper Cookn’ chose to test the Whole Egg Spoonbread and Bibb Lettuce With Fresh Chive Vinaigrette. All their ingredients were fresh and local, right down to the spring onions dug out of their backyard garden yesterday morning! See Green’s recipes come alive in the latest blog post by Proper Cookn’. It is the perfect picture of the tremendous potential in a Kentucky kitchen.

Many thanks to Proper Cookn’ for their adventurous spirit and positive collaboration, as well as to Lexington’s Good Foods Co-Op for providing many of the local ingredients used in the project.

This is your last chance to enter our weekly giveaway to receive a copy of The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook! Hurry and get your name in—the winner will be drawn this afternoon!

All photos by Proper Cookn’.

Make Mom Proud: Smoked Trout and Watercress Niçoise Salad

With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday, it’s time to start thinking about what fun, fresh dishes to serve up for the “Mom” figures in your life. This springtime Smoked Trout and Watercress Niçoise Salad from The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook is colorful and flavorful, yet simple to make. Check out the entire cookbook for more weekend brunch and lunch ideas, and don’t forget to enter our giveaway this week for a chance to win a copy of the book!

4 ounces mixed salad greens (about 4 cups)
4 ounces watercress or baby arugula (about 4 cups)
8 ounces smoked Kentucky rainbow trout
8 ounces tiny red potatoes, boiled and sliced
8 ounces fresh green beans, snipped and precooked
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 cup kalamata olives, halved
1⁄4 cup capers
Sweet Garlic Dressing (see below)

Divide the salad greens and watercress among 4 dinner plates. Place 2 ounces smoked trout on each plate. On the side, arrange the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Drizzle with dressing and serve more on the side.

From author Maggie Green: “For this salad, I prefer to use a Kentucky smoked trout from Shuckman’s Fish Company. If smoked trout isn’t available, substitute hot-smoked salmon. Watercress, either a wild variety harvested near a running spring or a cultivated variety such as Upland cress, is a sure sign of warm spring days.”

Sweet Garlic Dressing

1 clove garlic, crushed
1⁄4 cup Kentucky honey
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the garlic, honey, vinegar, oil, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender container. Mix on high speed until the dressing is light in color and thickened. Extra dressing can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator.