My past career in clinical trial management took me many places far and wide, but I had never been to Kentucky. I just arrived home from an excellent professional culinary conference that was held in Louisville, Kentucky. Respected cookbook authors, talented recipe developers, award-winning food writers, food photographers and more, came from all over to attend this dynamic annual conference. My head is still spinning from all the tips and tidbits I learned. Many of the local restaurants and bourbon makers exhibited their delicious food and drink throughout the weekend. I was happily captive in the hotel attending workshops for days, so I only had the opportunity to try one restaurant where I experienced a juicy and perfectly cooked bison burger.

There is no shortage of good bourbon in Kentucky. I wanted to create a dish with it and I thought paired with salmon, bourbon would work well as part of a marinade. The brown sugar helps balance the sharpness of the bourbon. The key is not to overcook the fish!

• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten free soy sauce) or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Garnish: limes slices

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the bourbon, brown sugar, tamari or soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic and black pepper in a sturdy zip-lock bag. Place the salmon in the bag with the marinade. Zip closed and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Cover a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the tray with the marinade and place in the oven. Bake the salmon for 18-20 minutes depending on thickness. It should be slightly underdone when you remove it from the oven. The heat will continue to cook it through. Drizzle the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the sesame seeds and lime slices. Serves 4.