Summer Cocktails

 Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby and with it comes the famed cocktail the mint julep. Summer cocktails are wonderful. They're light ,fruity and delicious with summery nibbles and hors'douevre's

Here 's the question - what your favorite summer cocktail? Mine would be crushed strawberries with chilled Prosecco poured over them.It celebrates the fruit of the season while giving some kick.

Let us know what your favorite heady sip is.

Celebration Weekend

 It is a weekend of pure celebration thanks to Cinco de Mayo, the Coronation and the Kentucky Derby. It is a weekend of fun food and fun activities. What will you be eating?

It's still the fifth of May. You can easily go to Moe's or Taco Bell for a quick burrito. You can also make tacos at home with a variety of fillings. You can easily create a beef, soy , shrimp or chicken filling with spices.Throw in chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers in. Add some shredded lettuce and cheedar cheese for more flavor. If you want a quick snack then think of guacamole and chips with maragartias to wash them down. Funny enough one of the coronation dishes is shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa. You can serve that tonight or for tomorrow's lunch. Tomrrow also brings thousands of American's waking up to the crowning o f a new king. Start with a fancy breakfast of mimosas and eggs Benedict.You could also go the British way  and have  a hearty English fry up one, loaded with bacon, sausage, baked beans , fried eggs , mushrooms and tomatoes. Serve with fried bread and a good strong cup of English breakfast tea.

The day ends with the famed and much loved Kentucky Derby.Of course you have to have a mint julip - a blend of bourbon with a simple syrup( a stove top cooked syrup of just granulated sugar and water) muddled first with eight or nine mint leaves.it's made in a special cup that becomes frosted thansk to the ice added and sipped slowly through the crush iced. You can add a splash of bitters and an extra  mint leaf for decoration. What to eat? Freid chicken works but there are special Louisville dishes to make too. You can create a Hot Brown sandwich.it's an open faced hot turkey sandwich drenched in a Mornay sauce. This is where flour and butter are cooked to form a roue.Milk and Swiss cheese are added to it along with a pinch of nutmeg. it can be served with a slice of Roma tomato too. Burgoo, that tasty spicy version of Brunswick stew,a fiery mix of chicken, pork lima beans and potatoes. Cayenne pepper and barbecue sauce give it kick.

What will you celebrate? Cinco de Mayo? The coroation of Charles III or the Kentucky Derby. You have a range of food to party with.

Kentucky Derby Spins

 Today is the famed and much beloved Kentucky Derby. The event is known for racing but also for the classic foods from the Bluegrass State. As with all traditional recipes they just need some updating. They' still will be tasty but with a modern spin.

Mint julips have always been a must at the Derby and also got many through the humid Kentucky summers. Update them by turning them into slushies.It's a refreshing cocktail on a hot Spring or summer night.It's also an easy mix too. First freeze glasses for only fifteen minutes. It;s then blending ice, bourbon, mint leaves and simple syrup in a blender for about thirty seconds or until it resembles a Slurpee or Icee.  Gently slap a mint leave against your wrist to release the mint oils and place on top of the slush. You can serve with  spoons or straws. Simple syrup is an easy cook and it's great for also sweetening iced teas and lemonades too.It's just cooking up one cup of white granulated sugar with one cup of water. You don't have to wait to the water to boil. Just heat it up enough so that the sugar completely. You can add mint oil to intensify the flavor of the julip if you want. A few drops will do it.  another way to make your mint julip a cool sip is serving it in  home made ice cups. This is just filling up a regular size glass or cup with water and then placing another cup inside it . Freeze and then pour the mint julip slushie into it.

Hot brown sandwiches are a Louisville tradition having originated at the city's famed Brown Hotel. It's basically a turkey sandwich with a Mornay sauce made from eggs and  Parmesan cheese. Tomatoes are added and the whole thing is placed in the broiler.  The sandwiches are sometimes topped with bacon. It's a big sandwich, perfect for a hearty dinner or lunch. It can be streamlined by turning them into manageable sliders. Use King's Hawaiian rolls for a neat sweet taste to counteract the savory. Layer all the ingredients, turkey, tomato and bacon on the rolls. Put them in a buttered baking dish or pan and then pour the sauce over the rolls.Let stand for ten minutes covered with aluminum foil. It's then baking them for twenty minutes in a 350 degree oven for twenty minutes. Burgoo is another Kentucky classic that can have a different spin on it.  This classic stew that the settlers first ate is a mix of chicken , pork shoulder and ground beef. There's a variety of different veggies too like carrots and peas. You can easily make it and then top with a mashed potato crust. It's also a different spin on the British classic and could have been made by the English who settled Kentucky in the 1700's.

The Kentucky Derby is one one the most traditional events the US has. Yet it's time to update the foods associated with it.  There's still the classic taste but new spins for a new generation

A Southern Mother's Day

With Mother's Day and the Kentucky Derby falling within the same weekend, it's nice to combine the two and have  Southern style brunches lunches or dinners. Southern cooking represents handed down recipes and hours of family fun in the kitchen..It's is the perfect cuisine to celebrate mothers no matter where they live.

A Southern style brunch is full of all sorts of flavors. You can start off with mint juleps,a mix of mint leaves, bourbon and water.Confectioners sugar or  a simple syrup is added to it for sweetness.If it's too much for a late morning meal then use the bourbon in  a Southern punch. Add Chardonay to it along with a combo of juices, namely, cranberry ,orange and lime. Use the juices and seltzer for a kid's punch.As for food ,think classics like a basket of fresh from the oven biscuits served with honey butter. Cheddar grits would go well with any egg dish or you can blend the eggs with the grits and cheese for a savory custard. A baked ham is always a welcome addition and slices can be made into a sandwich along with scrambled eggs and biscuits.if you want to keep it light then serve  oven baked maple glazed bacon instead.It's an easy recipe with just brushing the strips with syrup a few minutes before they're done. Shrimp is sometimes served , usually at brunch tables in Georgia and the Carolinas,They're usually made with a mix of chopped green peppers and onions and served with grits.The seafood can be served for an afternoon lunch too.

Southern lunches and dinners are big affairs too.Of course there is Kentucky fried chicken and no from the local KFC. There is an actual recipe that calls for a variety of spices such as ginger, mustard, oregano, and basil  mixed with flour to give the pieces that spicy taste and after bite.  You can use breadcrumbs but a simple batter mixed with the seasonings and spices will make for for a crunchier  and crisper chew. Serve on homemade buttermilk waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup for sweetness.Hot browns are a Kentucky staple, originating in Louisville and they make a fun lunch or dinner for mom. The open faced  sandwiches start with  turkey and bacon piled onto white bread and then topped with a Mornay sauce, a white Bechamel sauce mixed with Gruyere cheese and egg yolk, An easier version is a white sauce with grated Parmesan cheese added. You can also add a tomato slice and an egg too. They're then baked for ten minutes. A quick fun dish is Louville style chili which is a spicy stew served over spaghetti.It can be made meatless or with cooked with  chicken but the usual recipe calls for pork ,lamb or beef . All three can be added  for a really hearty meal. Finish with a Derby pie, a chocolate and walnut tort baked in a pie shell.

This is a weekend of celebrating both for moms and horse racing.  Do it Southern style with boozy drinks and good food. Mom will love it and so will the rest of the family!

Sweet Spring Desserts

The Kentucky Derby signifies  that Spring is here. However the season is also signified by light and airy desserts, perfect for picnics and gatherings. There are some lovely  desserts that fit right in with the balmy breezes and warm, sunny days.

Of course most people celebrating the Derby will be having the traditional chocolate chip pecan pie. This is a heady mix of nuts and chocolate chips, with the added luxury of a cup of melted butter. It is rich but perfect not just to celebrate The Run For The Roses, but also at graduation parties and bridal showers.(especially if you;re throwing a Southern themed one).Another rich Southern dessert that's perfect for now is strawberry shortcake. In some areas the strawberries are getting their first blush of color so they're literally ripe for the picking and a flavorful filling. They are perfect stuffing homemade  biscuits topped with a hand whipped cream. You can also sub in fresh made vanilla ice cream instead of the cream.

Spring also means cakes that use the first of the garden's ingredients. This may be a light lemon or orange cake with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Another feather weight  dessert is angel food cake.  This airy bit of fluff is made with just egg whites. This can also be used to create a strawberry shortcake but also is good with sliced peaches when they arrive later in the season along with blueberries.Macarons are another apt dessert for the season. Granted they are trendy right now but still perfect as the perfect end to a Spring meal. Like the angel food cake, it's made solely with sugar and whipped egg whites with almonds to give it flavor and crunch.

The Kentucky Derby means Spring is officially here. Celebrate it with the desserts of the season as well, whether they be the richly decadent chocolate chip pecan pie or the light as a cloud angel food cake. Either one would be a lovely dessert on a warm May evening.