Slashfood

Kentucky Derby Cuisine

Kat Kinsman — 2009-05-01T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Spirits, Celebrations, Local Eating, Spring

"It's the most exciting two minutes in sports!"

We're laying 2:1 odds that some pal of yours has been champing at the bit to trot out that chestnut ever since Big Brown galloped toward destiny last Derby Day. And sure, you hooted, hollered, maybe even donned a big, fancy hat and welled up a little but honestly, did you watch even one other horse race in '08? Chances are, you were there for the mint juleps.

If you are there -- as in Churchill Downs -- for the juleps, you'll be in the hands of of the track's Executive Chef Joseph "Jo-Jo" Doyle, and that ain't a bad place to be at all. The 34-year-old chef isn't a Kentuckian by birth, but tells Slashfood that the cuisine of his Mobile, AL and New Orleans upbringing prepped him for making traditional Bluegrass fare.

Hear more from Chef Doyle and get traditional Kentucky Benedictine and Bourbon Slush recipes after the jump.

The state's signature big-batch meat stew burgoo, for instance, is an analogue to gumbo. These dishes, he says, "connect through the roots of all people," but that's not to say he doesn't appreciate the nuances of traditional Kentucky cuisine.

He's embraced the aforementioned burgoo, a long-cooking meat stew that's just as likely as not to include squirrel (not in his rendition, he's quick to add -- and he leaves out the okra as well), along with turkey, ham, chicken and pork loin and has already cooked up three 80-gallon batches thus far this year. To craft the region's signature cucumber-based Benedictine dip, he consulted approximately 70 recipes before deciding that lurid green food coloring, though it offers no discernible taste benefit, is crucial for authenticity. He'll serve up 1,000 pounds of Kentucky blue cheese on Derby Day.

And yeah -- he wells up when he sees 150,000 racegoers standing en masse and singing 'My Old Kentucky Home' before post time. Who wouldn't?

As for the mint juleps, Churchill Downs bartenders will sell 75,000 of them in one hour on Derby Day, muddling them individually at the racetrack's bars to be served in the commemorative glasses that racegoers have been collecting since their introduction in 1938. Pressed for a favorite recipe, Chef Doyle was hesitant to offer handicapping, allowing just that it's best to use your preferred bourbon and mint and to take the time to make simple syrup.

In-house bartender Keith Waldbauer offers these tips for mint julep creation:

1. Be delicate while muddling the mint.
2. If possible, get a silver julep cup. The cocktail is entirely different when in a glass, which warms up faster than the silver cup.
3. Use high-proof bourbon or rye. Dilution plays a major role in the julep. Higher proof booze holds flavor longer under such conditions.

Get more mint julep recipes and tips from Slashfood and learn how to make Kentucky burgoo.

Juleps not your speed? Try this Kentucky house party favorite.

Bourbon Slush

12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups sugar
2 cups strong-brewed tea, cooled
2 cups bourbon
7 cups water
Ginger ale, as needed

Thoroughly combine all ingredients except for ginger ale in a freezer-proof container. Lidded Tupperware works well. Freeze. To serve, let thaw slightly, scoop into glasses and top with ginger ale to taste.

Benedictine

1 large cucumber
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 small white onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
Green food coloring (optional)

Peel the cucumber and either juice it with a citrus juicer or grate as finely as possible. With either method, reserve the juice and set aside. Follow the same procedure with the onion.

Combine cucumber pulp, 2 tbsp onion pulp, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and optional green food coloring in a bowl or food processor and blend, adding cucumber juice and onion juice until desired taste, color and smoothness is achieved.

Serve with dipping vegetables, crackers or cocktail rye.

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Don't Judge a Bottle by Its Label - Vintage 17-Year-Old Bourbon

Alex Van Buren — 2009-04-21T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Raves & Reviews, Happy Hour, America, Spirits, Liquor Cabinet, Cocktail Hour, Dining at Our Desks, Tinfoil Swan

OK, OK, so we're a little obsessed with bourbon right now. But Derby Day is just around the corner, the sun is starting to make a cameo and, well, bourbon is absurdly delicious.

While at a whiskey-and-barbecue eatery the other night, the bartender stopped short when he heard me order Woodford Reserve, mistaking me for some high-rolling aficionado (I'm new to the cult and have never even tried Pappy Van Winkle). "You like bourbon?" he asked, smiling. With a flourish, he produced this bottle of Vintage 17-year-old bourbon. I laughed when I saw it. Look at that photo! It was like someone saying, "You know what's a high-quality nail polish?" and dramatically presenting you with an old bottle of cherry-red Wet & Wild with its insanely '80s script. How could this be tasty stuff?

One sip shut me straight up. My companion crowed, "It's incredible! It coats the palate with caramel!" All I could muster after a long day writing about food was a sober, "Yeah," and a deep sigh -- the sigh of a woman who had just acquired a very expensive new habit.Vintage is an "extremely small family operation" run out of Kentucky, the owner tells me, so a bottle goes for about $50 online or you can specially request that your bar or liquor shop procure one. If tax time was kindly to you, it's so worth the splurge. I'm not the first to discover this spirit, but I am its most enthusiastic proponent ... today. And if someone tries to mix it at a Derby Day party, I will throw myself between the bottle and the gingerale. (At least till they've tried it straight, just once.)

So adios Makers Mark, see ya Michter's, and it's been real, Woodford Reserve. It's just me and Vintage 17-year-old bourbon, my new favorite whiskey, 4-eva and eva. I'll never judge a bottle by its label again.

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Bobby Flay Radio

Kat Kinsman — 2009-01-14T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Television/Film, Celebrities

Several things I did not know about Bobby Flay before our brief, but amusing phone chat last week:

1. He has a trademark* on the term "crunchify" -- which means to add potato or tortilla chips to a sandwich or burger for the express purpose of introducing a textural element.

2. He's Churchill Downs' official Kentucky Derby Party Host. Though actually that puts to rest the nagging questions I'd had as to why a born and bred New Yorker would put a Hot Brown sandwich (it's a Bluegrass State thing) on his menu at Bar Americain.

3. Chips, dips and burgers for the Superbowl celebration chez Flay? Nope -- he's a paella man for big parties.

4. Holy heck, is he an entertaining radio host.

Bobby Flay Radio is a limited run series wherein the titular host waxes authoritative on subjects ranging from football, personal style, dating, and oh yeah -- food. While an audio-only cooking show might seems a tad spare, Flay manages to demo a Sandwich of the Week, conduct on-air taste tests (consisting largely of potato chip bags being opened loudly in front of open microphones) and dispense hardcore cooking advice to callers in a manner appealing enough to make one want to ratchet up the caliber of one's lunch plans once the show wraps at noon.

Bonus -- occasionally his wife, actress Stephanie March, shares mike duties and misses not a single chance to rebut his claims or bust his chops. A Burns & Allen in the making? Dunno -- how 'bout giving 'em more than five weeks to find out, Sirius?

Bobby Flay Radio airs on Sirius / XM Channel 108 from 10-12 on Thursdays (replaying Saturday and Sunday from 3-5) through February 5th. Don't subscribe? Sign up for a free online trial.

Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius

*Thank you to eagle-eyed poster Matt who pointed out that it's a trademark rather than a copyright, as I'd previously written.

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Kentucky Burgoo for the home cook

Kat Kinsman — 2008-06-07T03:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Parties, Vegetables, Beef, Poultry, Pork, Southern States, America, Celebrations, Local Eating, Guilty Pleasures

Burgoo who?

Burgoo is a traditional Kentucky stew of multiple meats (at least three) and a bounty of veggies simmered down for hours until they break down to a uniform consistency. The standard sentiment is that if you can still make out an okra pod or slice of carrot, keep cooking 'cause it ain't burgoo yet -- but as the dish is usually made in such massive quantities (we're talking GALLONS), most regular utensils will just sink down into the mire.

So - what's a burgoo chef to do? Well, many Kentucky restaurants rely on 2x4 studs, and folks at community cookouts and church festivals often use rakes to stir the stuff while perched above on chairs as they tend giant pots set over open wood fires. The flavor and texture are said to be reminiscent of mulligan stew, and my North Carolina born husband swears it's a kissing cousin to Brunswick stew, but the guests at our yearly Kentucky Derby soiree have taken to calling it "The Liquid Meat." That is, when their mouths aren't crammed full of the 'goo.

Growing up in the Bluegrass State, I often read about burgoo in community cookbooks - often those centered around Owensboro, KY and the Western part of the state, but was never able to find it on a restaurant menu in my Northern KY neck of the woods, nor could I locate a recipe that served fewer than 30 people. Frankly, that's part of the appeal of the dish -- the immense proportions that require and enable community participation in order to execute and enjoy -- so now my husband and I use it as an excuse to invite folks over to our home in Brooklyn. Not many (okay, none) of our friends had gotten the chance to try burgoo before, or Benedictine spread, beer cheese, bourbon balls, mint juleps, bourbon slush and other traditional Kentucky delicacies, so we saddle up to make 'em on the first Saturday of every May, and I get a chance to share a little bit of my home state's cuisine.

What follows is the version that I've adapted over time. The specific meats and veggies and ratios thereof are endlessly adjustable to your own taste and market availability as there's really no set recipe. Common variations include the the use of squirrel, game, mutton rather than lamb and hickory smoked meat, as well as lima beans, cider vinegar, cornmeal and a parsley garnish. Many recipes call for soup bones, but I've found it just as easy and flavorful to use bone-in meats. As for the stirring device -- I just use the longest restaurant-style wooden spoon or paddle I can find and hope for the best.

Kat's Brooklyn Burgoo

Serves 30-40 hungry guests.

2 lbs bone-in pork (shank, neck, etc.)
2 lbs bone-in veal (shank, breast, etc.)
2 lbs bone-in beef (shank, tails, etc.)
2 lbs bone-in lamb (shank, breast, etc)
1 4-pound whole chicken, skin-on
8 quarts cold water
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
1 1/2 lbs onions
1 bunch carrots, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 quart tomato puree
2 cups whole kernel corn, fresh or canned
2 pods red pepper
2 cups diced fresh or frozen okra
1 cup diced celery
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Place all the meat (no need to chop it up) into a 4 gallon or larger pot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil, and simmer until the bones slide out easily, and the chicken fully collapses. Remove all the meat and bones from the stock, discard the bones and chicken skin, and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces once it's cooled.

Peel and dice the onions and potatoes, and add them to the stock along with the chopped meat and all remaining vegetables. Simmer until thick, stirring often. As it gets thicker, stirring should become more frequent to prevent the bottom from burning. The cooking may 8-10 hours or more to complete, and the objective is to break down the meat and vegetables until the consistency is uniform -- almost like a gravy.

Once it's to this state, pull out the pepper pods (if you can find them -- and if you can't, then please caution guests!), and season with salt, cayenne, Tabasco and Worcestershire to taste. I tend to under-season a little, heat-wise and allow guests to apply hot sauce as liberally as they desire.

Serve in a bowl with a hunk of cornbread, and accept any offers of shoulder and arm massages. You'll need 'em.

Read Keith Waldbauer's Ode to the Mint Julep.

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Raising the Bar: An ode to the Mint Julep

Keith Waldbauer — 2008-06-05T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Recipes, Cocktails, America, Spirits, Raising the Bar, Summer

I know the Kentucky Derby was last month, and by some measures the venerable Mint Julep only crosses our radar then and then only. But when the day is hot and the thirst is mighty, I'd strongly suggest banging out a Julep. In continuing with the mint in cocktails theme, I'd like to cobble together a love letter of sorts to perhaps America's most iconic cocktail. . . an ode to the Mint Julep, in quotes and in a video link:

"They say that you may always know the grave of a Virginian as, from the quantity of julep he has drunk, mint invariably springs up where he has been buried."
Frederick Marryat, 1839

"....that the mounds of ices, and the bowls of mint-julep and sherry cobbler they make in these latitudes, are refreshments never to be thought of afterwards, in summer, by those who would preserve contented minds."
Charles Dickens, while traveling in America, 1842

"If the mark of a great cocktail is the number of unbreakable rules it generates, then the mint julep may be America's preeminent classic, edging out the martini in a photo finish.
William Grimes, 'Straight Up Or On The Rocks'
"When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the garden where the aroma of the juleps will rise heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose a worthy toast, raise the goblets to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep breath of it's fragrance and sip the nectar of the gods."
Lt. Gen. S.B. Buckner Jr, in a letter to a fellow General on his preparation of the Mint Julep, 1937.

Legendary New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian liked to recite the entirety of a newspaper column written by a Kentucky Colonel while making his mint juleps. A video thankfully has been added to You Tube showing McMillian at work, and I strongly suggest you follow THIS LINK for the most moving cocktail preparation I've ever seen. Yes, it's long. Watch it, anyway.

Lastly, here's a few tips on the mint julep. . .

* Remember, be delicate while muddling the mint.
* If you can find one, get a silver julep cup. The cocktail is entirely different when in a glass, which warms up faster than the silver cup.
* Use high-proof bourbon or rye. Dilution plays a major role in the julep. Higher proof booze holds flavor longer under such conditions.

"Being overcome with thirst, I can write no further."
Lt. Gen. S.B. Buckner Jr., 1937

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Derby Pie

Emily Matchar — 2008-05-03T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Dessert, Chocolate, Recipes, Baking, Southern States, America

Bourbon balls not your thing? Try a Derby Pie instead, a fudge-sweet chocolate and nut confection invented at Prospect, Kentucky's Melrose Inn. Traditionally served around Derby time, the treat typically calls for walnuts or pecans and a splash of Kentucky bourbon. The Inn's former owners, the Kerns, have been trying to protect its rights to the name "Derby Pie" by filing various lawsuits over the years - even Bon Appetit was no match for the Kerns, losing the right to print recipes using the name in 1987. So if you're looking for a good recipe you may need to try searching "chocolate chess pie" or "Kentucky bourbon pie" or "Thoroughbred pie" instead.

Epicurious has a nice-looking one, for a "chocolate pecan chess pie." I'm planning on making two a little later, to take to a Derby party this afternoon. Now, all I need is a giant hat...

Lisa, over at My Own Sweet Thyme, has a lovely post with a recipe about her aunt's "brownie pie" - supposedly her aunt once worked for the Kerns and was afraid of being sued!

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Louisville, Kentucky's famous Hot Brown

Emily Matchar — 2008-05-03T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Restaurants, Recipes, Southern States, America

Is there a less appetizingly named food than the 'Hot Brown?' Louisville, Kentucky's culinary claim to fame doesn't look like much either - an open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon and smothered in Sauce Mornay (Béchamel with cheese), it resembles nothing so much as a junkyard covered in a layer of dirty snow, bits of this and that sticking out from the off-colored drifts.

The inelegant Hot Brown was born at downtown Louisville's thoroughly opulent Brown Hotel, supposedly whipped up from kitchen leftovers after a 1920s dinner dance, when hungry flappers fell upon the chef like a pack of wolves. If you're looking for an easy treat for your pre-Derby lunch, check out the original recipe on the Brown Hotel website. Feel free to substitute ham for the bacon, or add tomatoes, onions, etc.

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Friday Happy Hour: Mint Juleps for Derby Day

Bob Sassone — 2008-05-02T17:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Recipes, Cocktails

Did you know that there's an official Kentucky Derby recipe for the Mint Julep? This is the drink that you down as you watch the horsies fly by. It also helps if you wear a big hat.

It's called The Early Times Mint Julep, because it uses Early Times Kentucky Whiskey. You probably don't have Silver Julep cups at home, so I'd use something else.

Also after the jump is a video on how to make an alternate version of the Mint Julep.

The Early Times Mint Julep

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
Early Times Kentucky Whisky
Silver Julep Cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Here's another version of the recipe, via video (and Mahalo):

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The Boston Globe in 60 seconds: Sake and Sauerkraut

Bob Sassone — 2008-04-27T16:12:00+00:00

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds

Food to eat while you enjoy The Kentucky Derby.
What happens when a food lover finds out she's allergic to gluten?
Should we be drinking more sake?
Mmmmm...egg sandwiches.
Uno Chicago Grill is now trans fats free.
Who won the 2008 Mushroom Fluff Contest?
Reviews: Banq and the Ahla Brookline Food Tour.
This week's recipes: Sauerkraut in Hard Cider, Brownies, and Matzo Brei.

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Nonalcoholic Derby "mocktails"

Nicole Weston — 2006-05-06T11:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Juice, Recipes, Happy Hour, Soda

Mint juleps (and anything else with whisky) are Kentucky Derby staples, but if you're not a big drinker, or are acting as designated driver, you might feel like you're missing out when it comes to celebrating the "run for the roses." There are plenty of non-alcoholic "mocktails" that you can mix up so you won't be left out of the party. These two recipes are both from the LCBO Mocktails recipe section. The first is a non-alcoholic Mint Julep variation, which is both appropriate and refreshing. The second drink is known as the "Derby Mocktail" and is a fruitier, more colorful Derby choice.

Mint Mocktail

5 oz lemonade
6 mint leaves, torn
1 oz ginger juice
1 tbsp fresh blueberries (garnish)

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add lemonade, mint and ginger juice. Shake well and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with blueberries and a mint sprig.

Derby Mocktail

3 oz. pineapple juice
3 oz. tangerine juice
1 tsp grenadine
1 maraschino cherry (garnish)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake and strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

[Recipes and Image LCBO]

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The Kentucky Derby Museum Cookbook, Cookbook of the Day

Nicole Weston — 2006-05-06T08:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Books, Cookbook Spotlight

It's only fitting that the cookbook of the day ties in with the fact that one of the most famous sporting events in the world is going on this afternoon. I'm referring, of course, to the Kentucky Derby, so today's cookbook is the Kentucky Derby Museum Cookbook. The book was first published in 1986, but remains popular today. It is packed with recipes for Kentucky favorite dishes, as well as with Derby party ideas. There are too many recipes in the 250+ page book to name them all here, but the illustrated tome includes plenty of both classic and creative home cooking and they are all recipes that cooks turn to again and again. The most famous recipe from this book is probably the one for the Kentucky Derby Museum Pie and, if you want to give it a try, you can find it here.

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Kentucky Derby Happy Hour: Crown of Roses Cocktail

Nicole Weston — 2006-05-05T18:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Cocktails, Happy Hour, America, Spirits

The Kentucky Derby, in its 132nd run, takes place this Saturday at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. It's called the "run for the roses" because of the huge floral wreath that is draped over the winning horse. This cocktail is called the Crown of Roses, after that very wreath. Though the mint julep is the classic Derby drink, there is no reason not to branch out and try something new on Derby Day this year. The Crown of Roses is more colorful and much fruiter than a julep, but still has the classic (and traditional) Derby whisky in it.

Crown of Roses

1 oz. Crown Royal whisky
1/2 oz. amaretto
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/4 oz. cranberry juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry (garnish, optional)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all of the ingredients. Shake well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add garnish.

[Image Barnone Drinks]

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Kentucky Derby Happy Hour: a proper Mint Julep

Sarah J. Gim — 2006-05-05T16:31:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Recipes, How To, Southern States, America, Spirits

We've seen mint juleps here on Slashfood before. There's a mint julep flavored soda and the 132nd Kentucky Derby will serving ooh-la-la $1,000 mint juleps on Derby Day. If you'll be ~~betting on~~ watching the races from home, you can mix up a proper mint julep at your own home bar. But first, a little bit of historical trivia, or trivial history.

The mint julep, though most popularly associated with the Kentucky Derby, wasn't invented by some bartender mixing drinks track-side. The cocktail was first appeared officially in 1803 when it was described as a "dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning." However, the mint julep's history may go back even a century before that to the early 1700s. Mint juleps today are made with Bourbon, but the first mint juleps were likely made with rye whiskey or rum (in which case, doesn't that make it a mojito?!?!).

To make a mint julep, start with a silver cup, which is frosted over. If you don't have a silver cup, a regular tumbler is fine. Some recipes call for a simple syrup, and others have mint leaves muddled with granulated sugar. If you're using granulated sugar, muddle fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the glass with 1 tsp. sugar. Add crushed ice, the pour in 3 oz. Bourbon.

If you plan ahead, you can prepare the simple-syrup version of the mint julep. Bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and completely dissolve sugar. Add a handful of mint leaves to the syrup, then chill syrup overnight. To make the mint juleps, place crushed ice in glass, add 1 Tbsp. of the chilled mint syrup, and pour in 2 oz. Bourbon.

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You can't call it a Derby Pie

Sarah J. Gim — 2006-05-05T16:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Dessert, Nuts/seeds, Chocolate, Southern States, America, Sugar

Here's a trivia question: In which state is the Kentucky Derby held?

Unfortunately, if you said California, you're wrong. It's Kentucky!

The Kentucky Derby takes place tomorrow, May 6 at Churchill Downs, and with the run for the roses, many other long-standing traditions will be observed. Lovely ladies will be sipping on mint juleps and if you're lucky, you'll get to eat a slice of Derby Pie. But be warned, just because the pie is made with chocolate and pecans and served on Derby Day doesn't mean you can call it a Derby Pie.

Derby Pie is a registered trademark of Kern's Kitchen. The pie was created as a specialty pastry in 1968 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. Today, Kern's Kitchen is the only company that can bake and sell the pie as "Derby Pie."

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$1,000 mint julep - sip slowly on Derby Day

Sarah J. Gim — 2006-04-11T17:43:00+00:00

Filed under: Whisky, Southern States, New Products, America

On May 6, the Kentucky Derby will be pouring $1,000 mint juleps for the first 50 people to lay down the cash. The money will go toward a charity for retired racehorses.

Mint juleps have been synonymous with the Kentucky Derby for decades. Race-goers traditionally sip the drink from silver or pewter cups. The $1000 mint julep will be served in a gold-plated cup with a silver straw. The mint is from Morocco, ice from the Arctic circle, and bourbon from one of the state's finest producers, Woodford Reserve.

Now all they need to do is serve a $10,000 slice of Derby Pie.

[Photo Woodford Reserve]

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