Kentucky Derby Fare: Mint Juleps

No Kentucky Derby party would be complete without Kentucky Bourbon -- and lots of it. Bourbon actually got its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky where it was originally invented back in the 18th century. There are now almost 70 brands of original Kentucky Bourbon most notably Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey and Early Times.

When not drinking their bourbon "neat", you will see most southerners sipping Mint Juleps, particularly at Derby time. Made of only four ingredients -- mint, bourbon, sugar and water - Mint Juleps are traditionally served in silver or pewter cups and only held lightly at the top and the bottom to allow frost to develop on the outside of the cups.

Traditional Mint Julep

2 oz Premium Kentucky Bourbon
1 tbs simple syrup (see recipe below)
Crushed or shaved ice
Fresh mint leaves

Fill a julep cup or glass with packed crushed or shaved ice. Add 1 tbs of the simple syrup with mint. Stir rapidly with a spoon. Garnish with more fresh mint leaves.

Simple Syrup with Mint

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Fresh mint leaves

Boil the sugar and water together for 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Add 6 to 8 bruised mint sprigs. Place in covered container and refrigerate overnight. Yield: enough syrup for approx. 22 juleps.

Tips:

• To bruise the mint, place the leaves in a cup and pass a spoon between the leaves and the sides of the cup a few times. This will allow the oils to release.
• This should be served with a straw cut just taller than the glass so that the person consuming the julep can get the aroma of fresh mint every time they take a sip.

Related Posts:

• Kentucky Burgoo
• Lousville Hot Browns

Kentucky Derby Fare: Hot Browns

If you've never had a Hot Brown, you're in for a treat. This delectable sandwich was originally created as an alternative late-night ham and egg dishes at the Brown Hotel in Louisville in the 1920's. Although very rarely seen on menus outside of Kentucky, it is standard fare, particularly in the Louisville area, and a must-have on Derby weekend.

The Hot Brown is basically an open-faced turkey sandwich with slices of tomato topped with Mornay sauce and bacon and set under the broiler until bubbly hot. It quite frequently is also served with pimento and more modern times have seen quite a few people subsituting cheddar or american cheese in the sauce.

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

4 oz. Butter
Flour to make a Roux (about 6 tablespoons)
3 - 3 1/2 cups Milk
1 Beaten Egg
6 tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 oz. Whipped Cream (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Slices of Roast Turkey
8-12 Slices of Toast (may be trimmed)
Extra Parmesan for Topping
8-12 Strips of Fried Bacon

Melt butter and add enough flour to make a reasonably thick roux (enough to absorb all of the butter). Add milk and Parmesan cheese. Add egg to thicken sauce, but do not allow sauce to boil. Remove from heat. Fold in whipped cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast on a metal (or flameproof) dish. Cover the toast with a liberal amount of turkey. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey and toast. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of bacon on top, and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of the Brown Hotel

Alternate Serving Tips:

Cut the toast into 2" pieces and used sliced cherry tomatoes to make mini-Hot Browns. Serve the sauce for dipping. For appetizers, on a decorative toothpick, skewer some thickly sliced turkey, a cherry tomato and a cube of cooked pancetta with plenty of the Mornay sauce for dipping.

Related Posts:

• Kentucky Burgoo
• Mint Juleps

Kentucky Derby Fare: Burgoo

The Kentucky Derby, held at Churchill Downs the first Saturday of every May, is the longest running sports event of all time. I've never been to the Derby, but my dear friend, Kathy from Louisville, hasn't missed one in years and she talks about the experience extensively -- especially the food.

Burgoo is a soup that dates back to the Civil War times and is a traditional dish served to patrons of the Kentucky Derby. At Derby time, you'll see many street vendors making copious amounts of this tasty treat in huge metal vats.

There are many, many regional variations of this dish from light and thin to thick and hearty and from spicy to mild. This tomato-based version is a quick, light version of the original that is sure to please even the pickiest of palates.

Kentucky Burgoo

12 cups water
1 (3-pound) fresh whole chicken, cut up
2 pounds stew beef, diced
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 strips of bacon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 (16-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained
1 cup peeled potato, cubed
2 cups chopped carrots
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 whole cloves
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 whole bay leaf
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
1 (10-ounce) packages frozen okra, thawed
2 (16-ounce) packages frozen lima beans, thawed

Combine water, chicken, stew beef, salt and pepper in a large stockpot. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, turning it down to medium low when it reaches a simmer, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Remove the chicken and beef. Reserve the broth. Skim any fat from the surface. Remove and discard the skin and bones and discard. Dice the meat and return to the pot.

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain bacon, leaving the drippings in the skillet; crumble bacon and add to the stockpot. Add flour to the bacon drippings, return to burner and cook, stirring until smooth and starting to turn golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir this roux into the broth until dissolved.

Add tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, green bell pepper, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, cloves, garlic and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 1 hour; stirring often.

Remove the cloves and bay leaf. Add corn, okra and lima beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Yield: Serves 12

Related Posts:

• Louisville Hot Browns
• Mint Juleps

Best of the Best

It's been a while since I've done any foodie blog reviews, but faced with a rainy Saturday morning, I decided to spend some roaming the blogosphere. Here are some of the gems that I discovered:

The Worst Cook Ever has a very humorous take on life, love and food. From 1950's advice such as "Every morning before breakfast, comb hair, apply make-up, a dash of cologne and perhaps some simple earrings..." to a recipe for "Gentleman Lover's Mashed Potatoes" to lessons on "Fingering Your Meat", this blog is absolutely going to make you smile.

The Frantic Home Cook will have you laughing, crying and drooling all at the same time as she shares her cooking projects with daughter, Eleven Year Old, and imparts her wisdom in posts like "30 Ways to Use a Hardboiled Egg".

You won't find a single recipe on Manolo's Food Blog, and yet I am sure that you will be as captivated as I am with this site. The posts are completely intriguing and spark lighthearted debate on subjects such as coldcuts and the lack of nutritious food at DisneyWorld. Mr. Henry has also made sure that his readers are exposed to gems like "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Leftover Ham Recipes: Hawaiian Pizza

While the thought of eating a pizza with pineapple on it makes my toes curl, Hawaiian Pizza is the only pizza that my oldest daughter will eat. While a classic Hawaiian Pizza is topped with Canadian Bacon, we have substituted some of that leftover Easter ham that you have in the refrigerator. Imagine your kids' surprise when you set this down on the dinner table tonight!

For this pie, you can use homemade or store-bought pizza dough, boboli pizza crusts, or split open an English muffin and make little Hawaiian Pizza snacks for the kids after school.

When it comes to the sauce, the classic Hawaiian Pizza is made with tomato sauce, although I personally would prefer this with a good barbecue sauce instead.

Hawaiian Pizza

Homemade or store-bought Pizza dough
Olive oil
1 cup pizza sauce or barbecue sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
3/4 cup ham, sliced thinly and cut into 1" squares
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough to make a 12" crust. Brush the entire crust with olive oil. Spoon sauce over the crust and spread out evenly with the back of the spoon, leaving a 1" crust around the edge.

Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce. Top with ham and pineapple.

Put on oiled baking sheet or on pizza stone for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is a golden brown.

Remove from oven. Top with chopped parsley. Cut into wedges and serve.

Additional Ham Recipes:

• Baked Easter Ham
• Not Just for Easter Slow-cooked Ham
• Ham and Cheddar Quiche
• Italian Ham Panini
• Split Pea Soup with Ham

Leftover Ham Recipes: Split Pea Soup with Ham

Split pea soup with ham has always been one of my dearly beloved comfort foods. Since we don't eat much ham in my house, it has become a post-Easter favorite just like my post-St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef Hash. My Mom's recipe was never one of my favorites, and I searched and searched for quite a while for a replacement recipe which I finally found over at The Joy of Soup.

This delectable version calls for butter, bay leaves, fresh thyme and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Since the soup contains no dairy and is thickened instead by the peas, it freezes nicely. Best served with some crusty bread or gigantic home-made croutons. Enjoy!

Chunky Ham and Split Pea Soup

1 piece (about 2 ½ pounds) leftover bone-in ham
4 bay leaves
1 pound (2 ½ cups) split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped medium
2 medium carrots, chopped medium
2 medium stalks celery, chopped medium
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
Pinch sugar
3 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
Ground black pepper
Minced red onion (optional)
Balsamic vinegar

1. Place ham, bay leaves, and 3 quarts water in large stockpot or Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is tender and pulls away from bone, 2 to 2 ½ hours. Remove ham meat and bone from pot and set aside.

2. Add split peas and thyme to stock. Bring back to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until peas are tender but not dissolved, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, when ham is cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Discard rind and bone.

3. While split peas are simmering, heat oil in large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring frequently, until most of liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, garlic, and sugar. Cook vegetables, stirring frequently, until deeply browned, 30 to 35 minutes; set aside.

4. Add sautéed vegetables, potatoes, and shredded ham to pot with split peas. Simmer until potatoes are tender and peas dissolve and thicken soup to consistency of light cream, about 20 minutes more. Season with pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with red onion, if using, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.

Additional Ham Recipes:

• Baked Easter Ham
• Slow-cooked Easter Ham
• Ham and Cheddar Quiche
• Italian Ham Panini
• Hawaiian Pizza

Leftover Ham Recipes: Italian Ham Panini

It's almost time....time to find all of those eggs the kids didn't find on the Easter egg hunt before they petrify, try your best to get all of the Easter basket fake grass picked up from around the house without it all tangling up in your vacuum, and figure out just what you are going to do with all of that leftover Easter ham!

No worries. I may not be the Leftover Queen, but I do know a thing or two about leftover ham. You could use it in a Muffaletta Sandwich or a rich Ham and Cheddar Quiche or a few other recipes that I'll share over the next couple of days.

Today's recipe is for a simple Italian Ham Panini sandwich. This is a very good use for that leftover spiral ham, but any type of ham will do as long as it is very thinly sliced.

Italian Ham Panini

Ham, thinly sliced
1 loaf crusty bread: Country, Italian or French
Fresh mozzerella
Fresh basil leaves OR fresh spinach, rinsed and patted dry
Provolone cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper

Split the loaf of bread in half. On the cut side of each half, put some thin slices of the mozzerella. (Note: Putting the cheese right against the bread helps to hold the sandwich together when you put it in the panini press.)

Top the mozzerella with either fresh spinach or fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle with some of the oil and vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. The next layer should be provolone followed by a layer of ham and a bit more salt & pepper. Close up the sandwich and brush with some of the olive oil.

If you have a panini pan or press: Grill the panini until the cheese begins to melt. Remove. Let sit for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

If you do not have a panini pan or press: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Place the closed panini on one baking sheet. Invert the other baking sheet and place on top of the sandwich. Place in the preheated oven and top with a brick or cast iron pan to press the sandwich. Bake until the cheese is melted, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove. Let sit for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

Additional Ham Recipes:

• Baked Easter Ham
• Slow-cooked Easter Ham
• Ham and Cheddar Quiche
• Split Pea Soup with Ham
• Hawaiian Pizza

Through the Generations

A Generational Baked Ham Story
courtesy of Bumble Bee Boogie

Cookbooks are the history of human kind. Recipes are handed down from generation to generation. Directions get mixed up. Ingredients are forgotten; ingredients are added. Cooking times are too long or too short. But no matter, they reflect our eating habits all over the world. The following is one such story.

The family was gathered for Easter dinner. The youngest newly married daughter was preparing her first family dinner. As she was about to put the large ham in the oven to begin baking, her mother stopped her and said "You have to cut three inches off the ham before you bake it." Puzzled, the daughter asked her mother why? "Because that's the way my mother taught me to do it," said the mother.

Still puzzled, the daughter went to find her grandmother. "Nana," she asked, "Mom says you have to cut 3 inches off of the ham before putting it in the oven to bake. Why?" "Well, that's how my mother taught me to do it, and it's the way I've always done it," replied the grandmother.

Well, the daughter's husband had heard all of this and he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery. He went into the living room where the family was gathered around great grandmother. "Nona," he asked, "Grandma says you taught her to cut 3 inches off of the ham before putting it in the over. I'm puzzled. Why is that necessary?"

"Well, dear, when I was a new bride, just starting out, I baked my first ham for Easter dinner. The ham was 18 inches long. The largest roasting pan I had was 15 inches long, so I had to cut three inches off of the ham to make it fit the pan."

And so it goes, from generation to generation, until someone asks "Why?"