Sampling of tastes today

Visitors at Broadbent's Gourmet Market and Deli today can take a dip.
The Kuttawa-based market and country ham processing plant plans special samplings each day this week as Broadbent's celebrates its grand opening. For "Take a Dip" day today, visitors can sample a variety of vegetable, fruit and chip dips. On Thursday, they can sample sauces suitable for the grill and barbecue, and on Friday, visitors can try Kentucky-made salsas. Desserts such as Chaney's Dairy Ice Creams and a variety of Kentucky pies will be available on Saturday.
Tours of the plant will be offered beginning at 10 a.m. and on each hour through 3 p.m. today through Saturday.
Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham also will sign copies of his books from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
The plant and market is at 257 Mary Blue Drive. Information: 388-0609.



July is my favorite month. It's National Ice Cream Month, designed in 1984 by former President Ronald Reagan.
More than 90 percent of U.S. households eat ice cream and frozen desserts, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
For inspiration, check out Martha Stewart Living's Web site (marthastewart.com). Her June 26 e-newsletter contained five recipes for ice cream treats and ideas for do-it-yourself ice cream cooks.
To help you navigate her voluminous Web site, I'll list the five recipe topics:
Brownie-and-Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ice Cream and Berry Pops
Watermelon Bombe
Rocky Road Sundae
Peaches-and-Cream Ice Cream Cake



Yet another food holiday is National Daiquiri Day on July 19.
The cocktail contains rum, fresh lime juice, ice and sugar. According to Bacardi, the first daiquiri was hand-shaken, not frozen or blended with fruit.
Mining engineer Jennings Stockton Cox invented a cocktail in Daiquiri, Cuba in 1898. The cocktail was intended to boost the miners' morale during the sweltering summer. He showed the men how to combine lime juice, sugar, crushed ice and rum into the drink.
Try this classic recipe for a taste of old-fashioned daiquiris:

3 parts rum
1 part lime or lemon juice
1/2 part sugar

In a blender or shaker with ice, combine ingredients. Blend or shake and pour into a glass.



Smucker's is asking families to share their recipes and traditions with the company on its Web site (www.smuckers.com) through Aug. 11 for a chance to win five-day, four night trip for eight to Walt Disney World.
The recipe must contain at least 1/4 cup of Smucker's brand jams, jellies, preserves or fruit butter, and families should tell how the recipe makes family celebrations special. The recipe also must have been passed down for at least two generations.


Leigh Landini Wright, The Paducah Sun's features editor, can be contacted at 575-8658 or llandini@paducahsun.com