Friday, October 31, 2008

On the road again ~ in Eastern Kentucky

Road Trip


We just crossed the Kentucky River Bridge. We're on our way!
WFS jarred me from deep sleep and a very pleasant dream around 6:00AM. This is not an hour I am familiar with, nor have any desire to become familiar with. However, once I arise, my disposition improves rapidly. I love early morning light as the
sun creeps over the horizon. WFS had an early court appearance, so I rode shotgun to the rural courthouse, sipping coffee and listening to NPR, his daily routine.... It is a good thing to follow in someone shoes, occasionally!
The Conestogo Wagon is filled with tables, chairs, a bed and various odds and ends. We'll haul all this into the center of Philadelphia to Christopher, Audrey and Colin's new home.....
We might have a less than exciting road trip evening..... Our camping area has predicted 6 inches of snow this evening and temps in the upper 20's! If we didn't have to be up and at 'em at day break, we would have gone for it... But navigating the Mountains of West Virginia in pre-dawn light & cold, will encourage us toward more hospitable environs for the night.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

GOING HOME FROM EDDIE'S




It took a long time to mosey down the lane leading from Eddie's house. The photo of the creek bed was taken as my legs dangled over the edge of the bridge. I had to force myself to leave after a long breath taking view.

AFTERNOON WITH EDDIE






EDDIE called this morning and said, "it's a beautiful day, come out and go for a walk." There's always... 'I got a million things to do in my life', but sometimes it pays to cast caution to the wind and go for it! Play hookey! Escape! This was one of those days to rare to stay in and do payroll and bookkeeping~~~~~~ I jumped in the car, headed toward the river and Westport.
Eddie's house and gardens are nestled in a serene and brilliantly beautiful valley with woods flanking each side. His house is situated on a slope with terraced gardens. I could fill this blog with the wonders of Eddie but my few feeble attempts will have to suffice. Perhaps on a lucky autumn day, you will be his guest.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

LOUISVILLE RESTAURANT REVIEWS

this is what we do. along with review myriad restaurants from around the globe. you can trust our opinions, we have combined to eat at over 60% of the big name restaurants in the US. and many from across the waters. we will peruse many sources to stay on the cutting edge and keep you informed. we strive to be honest and fair in all reviews and will not let personal opinions affect our commentary. we turn over stones that some reviewers step over, and we have many friends in the business, which gives a look from the dining room, the kitchen, and the office in the corner. AE

And we encourage a review of our review...you might see or taste or experience things we overlook...
the rest of our blog is strictly fun~~but food, travel and adventure...that is the goal. SBD

Monday, October 27, 2008

THE LAST VESTIGES OF SUMMER




I ALWAYS WALK THROUGH MY GARDEN. FIRST THING EVERY MORNING.
I HAD TO BUNDLED UP A BIT THIS MORNING.
I AM SURE THESE ARE THE LAST MOMENTS FOR MY FLOWERS.
LOVELY LAST MOMENTS.

CHEESE

i was reading mentalfloss this morning and saw some facts that i thought i should share. one was the name of the indention between your nose and your lips: its called the philtrum. also cheddar cheese aging specs: under 6 months is considered mild between 6 months and 2 years is sharp over 2 years is extra sharp. funny how cheese has become a staple in American society. cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, cheese pizza. i love a good cheese course after a fine dinner. i believe the best tray i ever saw was at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia. The staff is mostly french and it shows- the good and the bad. AE

The weather has driven me indoors. As I was rummaging through some stuff, I found this most inspiring book.
One of the best food writers, ever...in my opinion.
I had a little trouble posting this photo~~~~~
Seems the little volume has a mind of its own! MFK would smile, I am sure.

MONDAY MUSINGS


The last days of October are clearly peak time for fall foliage here in Kentucky. Today there is a chill in the air, one might say a cold blast if one isn't adjusted to colder climes. I fall seriously into the latter category. I am never, ever prepared to be cold. My instincts are to hibernate. And quickly.
One of my favorite childhood holidays was Halloween. I think the photo of Jaxon conveys the highlights of trick or treat, kick back and enjoy the haul!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

BOURBONS

Attended a get together last night to send off a friend to Oklahoma. about 14 people gathered for a good evening of food and drink. i only knew 2 of the people well, and had met only one other person. but that quickly changed, the attendees were all amiable and we had good conversation. Chef Michael Crouch laid on his personal presence early and told us of the evening's specials. He sent out many appetizers and they were enjoyed by all. The lobster rolls always stand out, especially when you roll them around in that wonderful sweet sauce. The goat cheese and garlic dip was also good, except there could have been more bread. the goat cheese was mild, which is probably good for the masses, but i like mine with some bite. the shrimp and grits was very good and served in a 3 piece connected "snowman" bowl.?. the shrimp were grilled and they were in harmony with the grits, but with all the sauce i almost missed the fact that the tail was still on- maybe they could be removed. fried green tomatoes were also passed along, and the sauce looked terrific on this dish.
Entrees were where the kitchen took a shining. there was much debate about our dining selections, a good sign of people who know food. pork chops were de rigueur, the one on the menu and the special with dijon sauce. i had the special and it was very juicy and the sauce was excellent. the bone-in menu version as very bourbony- which is the name of the restaurant, but it was very distinct, probably too much. a sea bass looked good, and the scallops were very good, perfect searing and nice accouterments. i believe the best dish i tasted was the cheeseburger. this is a cheeseburger that does not fit into the conventional mind set. i think it was about 9" tall. filled with fries, lettuce, tomato, beef, cheese, and an aoili that was as good as i had ever had. the sauce had some fire to it, and i will order this dish next time, maybe with a little modification on the presentation. the chef is a person i have known for 32 years- that is friendship. our parents went to church together and he is about 3 weeks older than i am. he is one of the people i can call about anything, and i feel that is something that only comes with the trust gained by a lifetime together. ***1/2 stars AE

From New Hampshire



It's a hot political season, but other interesting things are happening across the country.
My son Christopher, daughter-in-law, Audrey and grandson Colin have moved from Boston to Philadelphia. This photo was taken at their second home in New Hampshire. We intend to be in Philadelphia for Halloween. Hopefully, they will be settled at the new home on Catherine Street.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

THIS AND THAT CONTINUED




Yesterday was one of the best days in recent memory...the roof is taking shape on the new structure. I swept leaves and spent the early part of the day outside in this unbelievable beautiful weather we are enjoying in Kentucky. Around 4:00PM my brother Dan arrived. We headed down to The KY ARTS AND CRAFT building.....Dan is exhibiting a few new works in their annual Day of the Dead exhibit. We had some leisure time( imagine that)...so we went to see our dear friend Nana Lampton at her lovely office overlooking the river. After that we walked down to Proof, saddled up to the bar and spent a brother/ sister moment together. We have so little time, really. If we didn't have cell phones and the internet...who knows?
Anyway, one on one with Dan, is Nirvana. My solo time with him didn't last too long, friends were abundant and captured more than a fair share~~they're my friends as well, so fun was had by all.
WFS, Dr. Polly and Jason joined Dan & I at Proof for dinner. We are treated so finely there it is hard to complain~~so without beleaguering the point, those folks need to do a serious review of the kitchen. It is such a shame. It has become the norm to have disappointing meals there...Alas, such a wonderful place.....
After dinner we trotted over to the Louisville Palace to see David Byrne. There aren't enough pages to say how great, fabulous, exciting, energizing the evening was...but when my aged legs thump the night away it is because I cannot sit still! I have seen many. many concerts in my life, this one ranked very near the top. Dan can put the event in word, I am sure.

The last photo is darling little Jaxon, hiking with Papa Bill, Chloe and Perro in Bernheim Forest.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

THIS AND THAT

THOUGH I HAVE NO PHOTOS TO PROVE IT, MUCH ACTIVITY HAS BEEN GOING ON AT OUR HOUSE THE PAST TWO DAYS. PHOTOS TOMORROW. THE ROOF IS ON, A FINE METAL ROOF. MY HANDY GENIUSES HAVE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB. THEY ALSO BROUGHT GIFTS YESTERDAY. FRESH HOME/FARM RAISED ANGUS BEEF, MUSTARD GREENS AND SWEET POTATOES. EVEN MORE REMARKABLE! I WAS COOKING ALL OF THE ABOVE YESTERDAY, WHEN I SUDDENLY HAD A HANKERING FOR APPLE SOMETHING. APPLES WERE GREAT AT THE FARMER'S MARKET THIS WEEK. DORIE GREENSPAN WINS AGAIN. YEARS AGO, I MADE APPLE BROWN BETTY. I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THIS DESSERT FOR YEARS....I CONSULTED DORIE'S COOKBOOK AND SURE ENOUGH, SHE HAD A RECIPE. THIS IS A BRILLIANT DESSERT. IF YOU GET A HANKERING FOR APPLES FINISHED WITH A LOVELY CRUNCHY TOP, CONSIDER THIS:

Apple Brown Betty

Filling:
5-6 apples, thinly sliced
11/2 T lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T flour

Topping

6 slices firm white bread ( pepperidge farm)..Challah is terrific
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg( my addition)
5 T melted butter

Pulse bread in food processsor to yield about 3 cups. Toss bread crumbs, sugars, spices and butter to combine.
Place apple filling in a 9' pan..sprinkle topping evenly over apples. Bake 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden on top.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Monday, October 20, 2008

WHICH ONE DID YOU CHOOSE

WHERE DID AE HAVE DINNER THIS WEEKEND? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW~~~~~

Saturday, October 18, 2008

PROJECT JAXON





THE BEST LAID PLANS..OFT GO AWRY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
The only project that I have completed, would be the table filed with LEGO'S. We have abandoned all other work, to be reinstated
sometime Monday.
For now, I have been taking long walks in Cherokee Park with Jaxon, stopping by the playground for a wild ride on the swings..
Building a fort( OMG! don't ask for a photo of my fort building)....
Thank goodness little boys could care less about construction...once inside with a few treasured things, he was in paradise.
We have found a mutually agreeable TV show, Barefoot Contessa. Jaxon LOVES her. We watch it every night, last thing we do before bedtime...he plots our cooking adventures for the next day. Yesterday we made, scones, vanilla cupcakes and Wild
Mushroom Lasagna. We had quite fine results. Dr. Polly had dinner with us...I added some roasted beets, crunchy fennel and goat cheese to make a sort of salad....

AE and I have plotted a bit this week. We have found a new restaurant in Midway Ky. This is a sleepy little hamlet near Lexington with artsy stuff and antiques...the horsey set loves to go there... Horsey set aside, this little restaurant named Heirloom( antiques, fresh produce, thus, the name..) has just the interior style and menu that makes us want to go and test the cuisine.
We have set a definite to make our way there...we won't disclose our date, we like the surprise effect for our reviews.

Monday I will return with new adventures and hopefully, some culinary news.

Friday, October 17, 2008

TOUGH TIMES

wow, it is amazing me how many restaurants have shut their doors for good in the last few weeks. some big names in Louisville have fell by the wayside. Cafe Perusa, Park place and Primo are the biggest surprises. Chef Jay Denham is one of the brightest chefs in our city, so I am interested to see where he will land. My guess is Nancy Sheperd wishes she had not hired her new chef, although i can't say i know him and i have not tried his food. Cafe metro would've been a perfect fit for him. maybe Mehrzod and he will hook up. I have been planning a trip to san fran for 18 customers, and am trying to work out a dinner for all at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton. Hopefully we'll be able to work out this experience. It is funny how some restaurants are too proud to accept counter offers for business, as a opposed to letting a table sit fallow for a saturday night. but they might see the light- i really want to try Ron Siegel's cooking. Also eating at Rocky Point on Highway 1 just south of Carmel. Has anyone tried this spot? I need reassurance. where to eat this weekend in Louisville? well lets see:

Jarfi's

Mayan Cafe

Shalimar

211 Clover Lane

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

DAY TWO






PROGRESS...THE RAINS MIGHT ARRIVE TONIGHT,SO I WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THE GARDENS....I FEAR IT GOT A LITTLE OUT OF MY HANDS...LITERALLY! I HAD TO GET MY HANDYMEN TO JERK THAT LITTLE TREE OUT...
HARD TO DO, BUT THE RESULTS ARE MAGNIFICENT. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE 100 BULBS I PLANTED TODAY WHEN THEY BLOOM( HOPEFULLY) NEXT SPRING!
PS: I MADE A GREAT BOSTON BUTT PORK ROAST USING MS. LOUP'S RUB`````` DELICIOUS AND THE MAC AND CHEESE WAS GOOD FOR HUNGRY GIRLS READY TO WATCH THE DEBATES...WE OUT NUMBERED WFS 3-1

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

PROJECTS GALORE






So, okay, is this blog becoming my confessional? I love a project...I suffer grandly when things are,well, normal...I start itching to do something...tear down a wall,clear out a closet, turn a room into something else, move the furniture...anything!~
Things were pretty peaceful after we cleared the big oak out of the front yard. Not a project in sight. It all started with moving some over crowed azaleas...then, why not the whole flower bed? And then, build a new planting bed....you get the picture.
WFS and I were talking on Sunday as we hiked Bernheim Forest...what did we love about the farm...and what do we NOT miss...the most important element to both of us was the metal roof and the wrap around porch...we just lived out there on crisp autumn days... we could stand there for an hour and listen to the sharp pelting sounds on the roof in a spring rainstorm... a little nostalgia did the trick. WFS got on the phone and called our genius handy men, Rick and Marshall....
With luck or maybe just large amount of man power, we hope to have one meal under the new porch before the snow flies...
I intend to blog my progress each day...
When the whole world is upside down, I resort to the kitchen...another huge mess makes little difference, eh?

Sunday, October 12, 2008

From the porch


18 HOURS OF HEAVEN

Dan had a Friday evening engagement, could I come stay over?
YES! YES!
Dan left explicit instructions with Mom and I....dinner was made, plus,
a lovely pear raspberry pie was resting on the
dough board cabinet.
Seemed as if he had thought of every detail....
except that Cebah and I might not obey his orders...
Anyone that knows me, would know I suffer from wanderlust....
my desires can be near or far.
Actually WFS and I have been known to ramble for days and barely make 50 miles.
This malady has been discussed in other posts.
Back to rambling.
Friday was just one of those sterling days...
early autumn colors, a flawless blue sky and a winding road to lord knows where....
Mom and I headed out, we drove down little lanes so narrow the trees and bushes
scraped the side of the Conestoga Wagon.
We wound around a hilltop and finally settled on visiting Dutton relatives in a very scenic
area of my home county....
Mom isn't much for long visits( I echo those sentiments)
so, we headed back to the open road.....
As we were going back home, Mom mentioned our favorite little treat, eating fish at a local restaurant...
Let's go, she said......But, what about Dan, dinner?
He'll never know the difference, she declared.
It was as exciting as being two teenagers on the loose!
We met some really good friends( by happenstance) and had our dinner treat with them.
After our evening of food and fun, Mom was more than ready to get back to Dutton Hill
and her little boy~~~~~ the new puppy.

The following photographs are a few of my favorite things( sorry about that)~~~
As I awakened the next morning, while the coffee was brewing, I had to see the mist in the field
by the barn.
It is hard to explain the magic of quiet..
it is harder still to explain the power of place.
I hope this gives you, dear readers, a glimpse.

INSIDE CEBAH'S COLLECTIONS



MORNING WALK WITH DAN



CEBAH AND HOME


A DAUGHTER'S VIEW, DUTTON HILL


KALE AND COSMOS, DAN AND CEBAH'S GARDEN

Friday, October 10, 2008

DIXIE




well i have been hitting the highway and wiil be hitting the highway a lot in the upcoming 2 months. last weekend was Alabama. had a really good time. went with my dad- so that added to the experience. stopped in athens, alabama going and coming. they had a fiddlers convention in town- didn't get to check it out but it sounded really cool. went to tuscaloosa for the UK_BAMA game. it was an awesome contest in one of the best enviroments you can get in any sport. bryant denny stadium holds 92,000 people and when Bear Bryant comes on the jumbo tron and says- "i am a winner. we are winners. i've never known nothing, but winning" and sweet home alabama comes on with a "roll tide" following each sweet home refrain, a feeling comes over you that says- this is special. had some good food and bad service in t-town. buffalo phil's was a good lunch and an excellent bloody mary, but the waitress was efficient, but where was the southern hospitality. dinner was yazioo courtyard grill. the steaks could be smelled two blocks away, and they did not disappoint. my yeungling beer was served in a bottle, and they were out of glasses when i asked. those bottles are the worst way to drink a berr in the world. in captures all the flavor instead of releasing it. the red pepper bisque was as good of a soup as i'd had. and the three desserts were very good. a berry tart, chocolate brownie with vanilla, and a bread pudding. the pudding seemed to be good, until it was severely trumped on wednesday night at my partner's house. the whle meal was a 10. i give out tens like i pass out $100's to the bartender. there is not a restaurant chef in louisville that can outcook sbd. i knew she owned a restaurant, and i had been dazzled by the first complete meal she cooked for me, but the consistency of all the courses a second time showed me she is not a good chef like i had originally thought. she far exceeded that moniker.
heading to gatlinburg in 4 minutes- dinner at the peddler, breakfast at the pancake pantry, lunch at the corn dog stand, dinner at buckberry lodge. staying there also. some aunt mahalia turtles in between, and some mountain vistas, if not color. AE

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Kitchen magic


The making of whipped cream

Our life is fretted away by details


Puzzle
some moments are mysterious
some as plain as day
the voice of promise
the voice of reason
the voice of absolute
a child speaks
let's build it again

Tuesday, October 7, 2008