Acres of Land Winery

There is a dearth of decent restaurants in my neck of the woods.  If you don't want to eat chain food (which I don't), your best bet is to head to Lexington or find the few places around here that don't follow some other cook's recipe.  When we get a new restaurant, especially one attached to a winery, it should be cause for celebration.  Now, Acres of Land has been here in Madison County for a while now, but I had not eaten there until a few days ago.  It is out towards Poosey Ridge (otherwise known as ... never mind) down Barnes Mill, a road that used to be as curvy and hilly as Marilyn Monroe's figure.  I'm sure it can't be blamed on the winery, but much of the character in that road is now gone.  It has been straightened and flattened as much as possible.
If the restaurant is worth it, however, the road can be forgiven.  This was my hope as my husband and I drove down a road I could no longer recognize.  I had had their wine and it was decent.  That was all that I asked of their food.  Decent.  Good would be better and awesome would be great.  But "decent" was all I required.

So we arrived around six o'clock and were immediately seated.  The setting was gorgeous.  I would have preferred to be seated in the room overlooking Madison County, but the room in which we were seated suggested that we would have an awesome meal.  The wood floors shone and the lighting was brilliant, setting off the deep colors of the furniture and ceilings.  It exuded elegance and promised a meal fit for a king.

Right off the bat, it fell flat.  The menu suggested that Acres of Land served country style food.  Fine and good.  Some of the best meals I've had have been country.  But, considering a chain like Cracker Barrel can manage to make biscuits and cornbread from scratch all day long and every day for thousands of customers, I don't think it was too much to expect this restaurant to bring out something other than crackers and butter?!?!  For one thing, if you're going to serve breadstick shaped crackers, make sure they're not stale and please don't give me some fancified butter so I can figure out how it is supposed to be applied to this long skinny cracker or why I would do so.  Also, this was a "nice" restaurant.  Bring me some bread.  I make bread at home all the time.  I used to make the biscuits and cornbread for Cracker Barrel.  It's not a hard thing to do and would probably be cheaper than those awful crackers.  The first impression is the most important  So far, not impressed.

Hoping the kitchen would redeem the restaurant, my husband and I order fried green tomatoes.  Another simple dish.  Start with firm, fresh green tomatoes, a well seasoned batter (just salt and pepper will do it all) and fry them quickly and for just the right amount of time.  The kitchen did not redeem.  The tomatoes were too firm.  Whether this was a failure in choosing produce or frying it long enough to soften them just a bit, I do not know.  But that was not the biggest fail.  Salt and pepper.  That is all that is needed to season a proper tomato.  Other seasoning may be added if desired as long as they don't drown out the beautiful simplicity of the tomato.  But our tomatoes had no seasoning.  None.  Nada.  Zilch.  I believe the intent was to use the corn jelly as the seasoning.  But that is wrong.  First, a fried green tomato has to be able to stand on its own merits before you can add anything else.  Secondly, I couldn't stand the jelly.  If I wanted to put corn on my tomato, I would have asked for it.  And the sweetness of the jelly just did not mesh with the tomato and its batter.  A big fail all the way around.

I might have left at this point, but we were using a Groupon and I was going to get my money's worth.  So, we ordered our meals.  My husband is a chicken liver connoisseur and so this is what he ordered.  I chose fried chicken.  I'm not a big fried chicken eater, but when I do indulge I am picky and expect crispy skin and juicy chicken.  And, again, a well-seasoned batter.  With my chicken, I requested green beans and a baked sweet potato.  For those who have never eaten country style green beans, they are cooked in lard or bacon grease and seasoned with salt and pepper.  They also tend to be overcooked, but I had hopes that these would not be.  My meal arrived and the green beans were as expected.  Overcooked.  At this point I came to the conclusion that the chef was allergic to salt and pepper.  The beans had absolutely no flavor.  If they had been cooked with grease, it was not apparent.  And it was completely obvious that there was no salt present.  A travesty!

So, I moved to the baked sweet potato.  Another simple side to prepare.  A good one should have had butter rubbed over the outside to crisp the skin whilst baking.  Add a little butter and cinnamon at the table and it is very difficult to mess this one up.  I don't think that rubbed any butter, but still the potato was fine.  Not great or exceptional.  Just fine. Way too hard to mess up.  But, that could be said of most of the food that was served and they managed to do it.

Last of all, the chicken.  The chicken was good.  Again, can't say too much here.  The batter was underwhelming.  Very little seasoning if any at all.  The chicken was surprisingly moist and juicy.  But the skin on my wing had separated from the batter and was not good.  The biggest problem here is that the menu made it sound like I would receive a  mix of white and dark meat.  I received one tiny wing and one decent sized breast.  This was not a meal worth 15.99.  I could get one comparable and actually even better at Cracker Barrel.  I hate to keep throwing them up there, but they serve the same food.  And they do it better.

I should say something about the wine since it is a winery.  Originally I asked for a chambourcin that they did not have at the time.  So, I opted for the Kentucky Chambourcin which was billed as a sweet red.  The first taste was okay, but had no depth.  After the glass had sat for a few moments and had breathed some more, I found the wine to be full of flavors.  Oaky and fruity.  A decent red.

Will I return to Acres of Land?  Probably not.  Driving to Richmond and then another 6 miles out just doesn't seem worth it for a meal that cost so much but delivered so little.

Mismatched Couples in Cast Iron

Anybody that loves shrimp and grits knows they truly are not a mismatched couple.  The two go together like bourbon and lemonade.  Like eggs and bacon.  Like biscuits and gravy.
I have tried many shrimp and grits.  Anytime we visit a restaurant and it's on the menu, I feel compelled to give it a try.  I want to see what might be missing from my own dish.  I make a very basic dish.  Cheese, chiles in adobo sauce, shrimp, cream, grits, etc.  And it is good.  At least, I've not received any complaints yet.  I have tried a dish at Doodles in Lexington which they call Dirty Shrimp and Grits.  It is really good but I prefer not to cover up the tastes of the shrimp and grits with a strong sauce.
So, I choose a good, quality cheese.  Grits from nearby Weisenberger Mill.  Shrimp from Whole Foods when I get the chance.  And I combine them all in my great aunt's old cast iron skillet.  I use this skillet since I have to put the dish in the oven and all my other skillets are not oven proof.  One of these days I will purchase good stainless steel skillets that can stand up to the oven, but for now I am stuck with my teflon wonders.
 Here's a pic of my latest creation.















I added some asparagus and a baked potato for an awesome dinner.

Hugh Jass Burgers

Lexington, Kentucky is a college town and like all college towns, there are plenty of burger joints and casual eateries.  You have your old standbys like Tolly Ho's and Two Keys that have been there for years.  And you'll find a new one every month in the same place you'd eaten at another just months before.  Sometimes they come and go before you've even had a chance to try their offerings and you never know if you missed anything.  But sometimes, just sometimes, the cards fall just right and you get to try a place and you find that it is pretty darn good and it seems as if it might last for a while.  Thanks to Groupon I found Hugh Jass Burgers.  I'm always looking for  a good burger.  Too often the sandwich isn't juicy enough, the cook burns it to a crisp, some fool decides to load it up with fancy toppings, or it's just a plain Jane I could cook up using crappy frozen beef patties.  So I went into Hugh Jass with a slight smile due to the play on words (*wink*) but without high expectations.  I was going to pay half price for a burger so all I wanted was something to eat that didn't make me cry.  This is what I got:

A little breakfast with my beef.  I'd say this is about three days worth of protein!



A 10 ounce burger on a nice normal, soft bun.  A perfectly cooked egg.  So many times the egg is cooked to quickly and the edges get that crispy brown thing going on.  Some people like that, but it's always been a sign of a novice cook to me.  The tomato was one those awesome slices you get in the summertime that remind you why you keep buying them all winter long from the grocery store in hopes of finding just one with that kind of flavor.  The bacon, too, was awesome.  I don't like my bacon to have any of that uncooked fat on it, but I don't like it to be too crisp, either.  If it's cooked right, the bacon is just cooked enough to give it some firmness and just undercooked enough that you still get that mouth watering melting of pork exploding in your mouth. 

The star, though, was the burger.  Ten beautiful ounces of luscious, juicy meat that makes love to your taste buds with each bite - overloading your senses with a gnarly meatitude.  When it first came out I didn't think I'd be able to finish it.  I'm not a small girl and I've been known to polish off a pizza (20 years ago), but this thing was huge.  I finished it though.  All of it.  Before I even knew it.  I ate my last bite and looked down in chagrin and disappointment that there was no more. 

While my burger was wonderful and huge and I almost wished for more - my stomach was screaming No! while my taste buds were attempting to smother it - the burger that was brought out to a young man at an outside table made me feel like a newbie, a wanna be burger connoisseur.

This monster is 50 ounces of beautiful beef.  Of course, there is a challenge associated with this beast.  Eat the burger and fries in 25 minutes and the meal is free, your name is placed upon the wall of fame, and you receive a t-shirt.  I'm not sure if it's worth it.  After eating this thing, I would be spoiled on hamburgers for years.  Nah, I'll stick with my 10 ounce beauty.

My aunt, who accompanied me at lunch, was daunted by the size of the normal 10 ouncer.  So instead she chose the minis.  Only, there were three at 2 1/2 ounces each.  All of 7 1/2 ounces of beef on three sweet and soft hawaiian rolls.  Little morsels of goodness.

Here' to hoping I get to enjoy some more Hugh Jass Burgers in the future and for years to come.

N'Awlins supper with a Bluegrass Taste

I decided to make jambalaya tonight.  Why? Because when I stopped at Marksbury Farm the other day, I picked up some andouille and it was the only thing I knew used andouille.  So, after looking through a few recipes, I decided to combine a few, leaving out the ever present shrimp so my son's airways wouldn't swell and close up.

First, I used about 4 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces, covered them in paprika, and browned them in a skillet.

 After that, I chopped up a large white onion, a couple of medium green bell peppers, a bunch of celery, and garlic.  I moved the chicken to a plate off the heat and used the skillet to saute the veggies on low until the onions were soft.  This took a little over ten minutes. 

I moved the veggies to my dutch oven, added two cans of diced tomatoes, chicken stock, hot sauce, salt and pepper, andouille sliced thinly, and thyme.  A laid the chicken in the dutch oven and stirred it around until the chicken was coated.  I turned the heat back on and simmered for a little over 30 minutes.  In the end, I got a respectable jambalaya.

 

The Accidental Lunch

My co worker and I had decided to partake of one of our favorite establishments, Stella's on Jefferson Ave, for lunch the other day. Their wonderful basil mayonnaise spread on 7-grain bread and paired with some locally grown tomatoes and perfectly cooked bacon caused excessive salivation and was greatly anticipated. Even better, once we arrived it there was an empty spot right in front of the eatery. As C pulled her car onto a side street to turnaround and nah the spot, she was balked by a produce delivery truck. Somehow, as the truck passed us, we knew our spot was gone. And we were right, forcing us to further down the road to park.
And so, as we walked down the road to Stella's, we passed a restaurant we had often passed before and had noted that we wished it was open for lunch. Imagine my surprise that today, it was! After a few moments of discussion, we decided to end our lunch journey here, at The Grey Goose.
The interior was much roomier than Stella's. While often willing to endure bumped elbows and scooting chairs at Stella's, it did keep it from being my first choice most times. It was refreshing to not have to apologize 50 times on my way to the table.
The walls have been painted a pleasant hunter green color that offsets the dark wood nicely. The bar was the centerpiece of the room and decidedly so. The tabletops seemed to be a dark granite surrounded by a wood frame. Very soothing and comfortable.


The wait staff was pleasant. The young lady that waited upon us was polite and friendly. After in us the specials, we ordered one each from her.
C's choice had been the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Normally, this pizza is heavily laden with barbecue sauce and sweet peppers or pineapples in an attempt to make it tasty. This pizza did not rely upon this old standby however.


The sauce was so light as to be almost nonexistent. Rather than overpower the delicacy of the very thin, crunchy, airy crust, it complemented the tenderly grilled chicken and vegetables. The cheese was a beautiful creamy concoction that melted smoothly over the ingredients of the pizza and bound them together. The strongest item on the pizza was the banana peppers. These had actually been a substitution for the jalapeño peppers originally placed on the menu. I think they should have been the original choice. The peppers added a delightful sweetness offset by the slight heat. All in all, a wonderful pizza priced reasonably at 15.95.



But, as good as the BBQ pizza was, I am still in love with my choice that day. I like meat. And I really like meat on my pizza. But I decided to take a chance on the special - a White Pizza. A white pizza is typically just cheese, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Easy to mess up of the ratio or quality of ingredients is off, but delectable if done correctly. The Grey Goose chef knows how to make a white pizza. The crust was the same as the BBQ pizza but seemed to shine even more in this one where the flavors were so subtle. The slight tanginess of the cheese was so good the pizza would have been wonderful with just it and the crust. But, the chef insisted on using pesto and vinegar. Thank God he did. The pesto was very mild and earthy. At first I was concerned it was so mild the vinegar would overpower it. But, my fears were put to rest with the first taste. The balsamic was sweet, but not to the extent you find in store bought balsamics. It brought out the earthiness of the pesto and the olive oil in it. It showcased the tanginess of the cheese. The balsamic vinegar was the star of this dish.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cajun in the Bluegrass

If you get the chance, step into the unpretentious, tiny, shanty-like Bourbon & Toulouse at Chevy Chase in Lexington. Whenever my coworkers are debating where lunch will be eaten, all it takes is for one person to pipe up and say "Bourbon & Toulouse" and all are in agreement.
And when you arrive, spend time perusing the giant chalkboard menu. The multitude of choices may be overwhelming. But, remember you can get a 1/2 and 1/2 plate. And when you can't decide between more than two choices, be aware that you will return and can sample further items later. Once you have tasted your first plate, there will be no doubt.

My suggestion for your first plate is the Southwest Étouffée with Crawfish. The étouffée sauce has a velvety texture that belies the sneak-up-on-you blend of spices blended into it. While downing each mouthful, you will be aware that there is some heat in your meal. But you will be fooled into believing it is so mild your cat would gladly sup upon it. This allows you to enjoy all the flavors without being overwhelmed by spice. But beware. Your nose will begin to run and your tongue will become tender. Even still, it will take you a few minutes to realize you have succumbed to a sneak attack. And you will surrender gladly.
Not to forget the crawfish. Please! Do not forget the crawfish. The tender and so very NOT rubbery texture of the Creole staple is amazing. A shellfish that melts like butter, literally. The slight sweetness of the succulent flesh fights it's way through to shine as well as complement the rich sauce covering crawfish and rice for a delectable meal that attempts to bust your gut as you convince yourself you can clean your plate.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Carbon build up and what a new stove can do

I had a fourteen year old gas stove that liked to billow a nastily odiferous smoke every time I used the broiler.  A little toast in the morning?  Only if you liked that smoked.  Some roasted asparagus?  Not very appetizing when the house stinks like burning mouse hair.  In fact, for a while, that's what I thought it was.  That a small mouse had climbed up into my old stove and died.  But when the smoke would not stop even after I had scrubbed the oven and the little body should have been completely incinerated, I decided it was something else. 

After talking to my dad, I discovered the stove had been installed improperly so may years ago and he had just "dealt with it" because the company from which he had bought it went out of business shortly thereafter.  So, he made sure he didn't let the broiler become too hot.  It was finally decided that there was probably some carbon build up in the hoses connecting the stove to the gas tanks.  After letting them stew for a day because they didn't want to buy a new stove when they are supposedly coming home to reclaim their house in a few more years, I decided I couldn't deal with this stove until they did and I was going to buy another.  Fortuitously, they decided they didn't want their house to burn down before they came home and called me up to tell me to get a new stove.  So, I did.

New stove and microwave

I got a new microwave also as the old one had lost a handle and was falling out of it's cradle.  I was told to just take it out and buy a countertop as Mom planned on redoing the kitchen when she came home, but I need a vent above the stove.  I believe it will help preserve the cherry cabinets a bit longer also.

Well, it was installed this morning and the poor husband had to deal with the installer complaining about having to stay while somebody brought the conversion kit (for propane) that he had forgotten.  The guy had been here before for work on our shower and had not impressed much with his attitude then.  Then he had to deal with the incessant chatter of the microwave guy.  But, hopefully tonight's dinner will help assuage any ill will he may have toward my new appliances.  I love appliances.  I have little moments of climactic joy when I am in appliance stores, especially kitchen appliances.  The next dream purchase is a $2400 refrigerator. 

Anyway, the virgin stove and microwave have lost their maidenheads to stuffed peppers and roasted cabbage.  The peppers were awesome!  First time I have used this recipe with ground pork and sweet Italian sausage.  I think it made a difference to microwave the peppers for a few minutes before broiling them and stuffing and broiling again.  No smoke!  The roasted cabbage has been better.  I think my failure to mix the salt, pepper, and sugar before sprinkling led to an underage (as opposed to overage) of sugar.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best I've made.

Stuffed Peppers and Roasted Cabbage

Playing with the salt block

For last Christmas, my aunt purchased a salt block for me.  I have had great fun with it since then.  But because it tends to make a mess when I use it on my stove top, I have not pulled it out of the cupboard in quite a while.  Until tonight.  It was a perfect spring day as I drove to the grocery store and after smelling the wonderful scents wafting through the air from grills as we passed houses I decided to pick up some brats and steak for the evening.  At the time, I had completely forgotten about my salt block and had no intention of using it.  After arriving home, though, it occurred to me that the grill would be the perfect way to use the block.

Red Potatoes a la Grill

Now the brats didn't seem appropriate for the salt block.  It's not a large one anyway and I needed room for the steaks which would benefit from the salt.  I rubbed a little pesto and garlic on my steaks and let them settle for a while as I grilled up some chicken breasts to add to tomorrow's lunch salad.  Then I laid those beautiful rib eyes upon the block and listened to the satisfying sizzle of beef fat on hot salt.  I like my steaks juicy with a little red and these were not very thick rib eyes, so I only let them cook for a few minutes on each side.  I gathered up my grilled brats and my Reynolds Wrap packets of corn and red potatoes and ventured back into the house anxiously anticipating my delectable dinner.

 

Steak and Brats

And a little salad

My meal at Doodles

Green Eggs and Ham

This was my meal at Doodles, a great little place in Lexington on Third and Lime.  Since it was the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, the special was Green Eggs and Ham.  The eggs are from local farmers and are always cooked perfectly.  I normally forgo the scrambled eggs when I eat out as most cooks tend to cook them until they are so dry as to be unpalatable - altering the flavors and textures negatively.  But Doodles manages to prepare my eggs so they are light and fluffy and full of flavors without adding salt or pepper.  For this special, they also added some spinach and a touch of parmesan.  The spinach added a texture that set well with the lightness of the eggs.  The Parmesan added just a hint of flavor without overwhelming the eggs as so many additives often do. 
And the ham.  This ham was shaved so thinly it almost melted in my mouth.  Surprisingly, the ham held all the salty goodness I expect of country ham but have only ever enjoyed in thick slices.  I wasn't even aware country ham could be sliced this way.  The revelation has prompted me to consider a meat slicer for my home.
I thought of placing my ham on my biscuit, but decided to smear it with the restaurants wonderful local made blackberry jam.  Now, I make my own jam each summer from the blackberries on the back of my farm and there is nothing like homemade jam.  Doodles' jam is on par with this.  Slather it on these buttery, crumbly biscuits that I believe they grill and it is like eating a little piece of heaven.
To cap it off, I sucked down a lightly sweet bellini.  While this is not my favorite beverage, I cannot fault Doodles for this.  Peaches have never been on the top of my list.  But, I have always been up for trying something new.  While I still do not think I will ever truly enjoy a bellini, it was not the worst thing I have ever had.

Another blog for another love

I already have one blog for my wanderings through the murky path of part time hobby farming.  I have another for the odd thought that I want to make a little more difficult for friends and family to find.  And now, I have a third for one of my greatest loves - food.  I love to cook it.  I love to eat it.  I love to play with it.  I love to meet new foods and have long, intellectual conversations with it.  So, it just seemed natural that all those photos I take of my own creations and those I encounter on my culinary adventures should be posted in  blog where I can expound upon the piquant flavors or the velvety textures.
I have been thinking about starting this blog for quite a few weeks.  It came down to tonight when my beloved husband and I decided to return to a restaurant at which we had eaten almost four years ago.  I remembered it as a noisy, stressful, crowded time due entirely to the large group of children I was with and not to the restaurant at all.  But through all this hazy recollection, I had a distinct impression that I had greatly enjoyed the food.  And so, we returned to Oasis, a Mediterranean restaurant at Chevy Chase in Lexington. While my mind might not have had a clear recollection of that first meal, my taste buds remembered it well and welcomed it back like a long lost friend.  After feasting upon baba ghanouj, kafta kebabs, chicken shawarma, kibbi, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and hummus, I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture of the heavenly plate for two so I could post it on Facebook and make all my friends salivate in envy.  At this point, it occurred to me that once I returned home, I would have the time to create a new blog and set it up for mobile posts.  And voila - here it is.  Future posts will include pictures and detailed descriptions of my meals.