Join the Luminary Hotel & Co. for a unique bourbon event celebrating the release of Chef Edward Lee’s new cookbook, “Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to My Old Kentucky Whiskey.” This two-hour experience will take bourbon-whiskey connoisseurs on a culinary journey to explore craft cocktails and cuisines made with this distinguished liquor.
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“My favorite bourbon is the one you just bought me,” laughed Chef Lee. “I now enjoy it over ice with some club soda. My relationship with bourbon is to try every kind there is; that is my goal.”
“Bourbon drinkers are usually free and loose people who just enjoy it. I review certain glassware and ice cube styles and how to pair them with meals. But honestly, drinking it over chipped ice in a Styrofoam cup is just fine, too!”
Chef Lee’s expert guidance leads you to discover the perfect pairing and techniques of favors and barrel-infused dishes. It takes place at the Luminary Hotel & Co. at 2200 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4.
Designed for whiskey lovers, this event begins with a welcome cocktail and live cooking demonstrations of four recipes from Chef Lee’s new book. The event includes Four Roses Bourbon pairings and a deliciously boozy dessert. Guest will receive a signed copy of “Bourbon Land,” featuring 50 recipes , along with a Four Roses Bourbon gift set including a signed copy of “Return of a Whiskey Legend,” by master distiller, Brent Elliot
“I love to bring everyone out who is even just curious about bourbon, cooking with it, or just cooking! I love meeting other bourbon drinkers and cooking fans, we just have a fun time and I tell some funny jokes and what Kentucky means to me,” said Lee. “It’s about matching flavors! Compared to scotch, bourbon is easier since it has a smaller range.”
Living in Louisville, Kentucky, for 22 years, Chef Lee focuses on using locally sourced products in his kitchen, including bourbon. He discusses the history of American-made liquor and the art of corn farmers, oak trees and copper stills.
“It is a perfect storm of a couple of things. The bourbon boom happened about ten years ago, it has just exploded as a mainstream drink. It started with a push for patriotism and the use of domestic and local products, especially in the world of spirits. Bourbon was born here and flourishes; when the craft cocktail movement happened, a renewed interest in this liquor formed. It has a long history and was used in famous drinks. Bourbon is mild and not over-priced. It is just friendly.”
Chef Lee covers the flavors and flairs of cooking with the liquor and safety measures. “It will light up but very easy to manage that kind of flame. There is a difference between grease and ethanol from alcohol; it evaporates easily! I usually light it up and put my hand over the flame to show this.”
“A lot of bourbon recipes are for barbeque sauces within grilling or some desserts, and they call for just a small amount of it. I thought that was very limiting. Bourbon has way more to offer. It is like cooking with wine, you want it to add flavor. Bourbon is a grain not fruit, so it adds a smokey and denser flavor. You can add it to gravy, and it gives a layer of depth. Bourbon can be used in marinades that pair well with pork chops or vegetables. It is so versatile, you can substitute it instead of using stocks,” said Lee.
“During this, you learn simple and effective recipes. Like, roasted sweet potato with bourbon miso butter and oysters with grits with a bourbon brown butter. It is unexcepted like Asian ingredients that just melt together with bourbon. It is a classic and makes an undeniable flavor, highlighting the main factor, taste, and feel of bourbon in the dish.”
“Bourbon can have a vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel notes that goes well with chocolates. I modernized the famous Alabama Lane Cake and made it more bourbon-forward. It is the most delicious cake; everyone should make it once in their life!”
Chef Lee is a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, restauranteur, and Emmy-nominated television personality. In June, his culinary bourbon-whiskey events will take place throughout Florida and Georgia.
IN THE KNOW
Chef Edward Lee bourbon-whiskey event at the Luminary Hotel & Co
Where: Luminary Hotel & Co.; 2200 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers
When: Tuesday, June 4, 6 – 8 p.m.
Price: $175 per person
Tickets + Information: splashsites.my.canva.site/chef-edward-lee-bourbon-land-book-tour
The post Boozy cooking class first appeared on Fort Myers Florida Weekly .
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