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!

Hot Browns Easy And Classic

A hot and tasty sandwich is good even during these hot days. Even better is when it's easy to prepare such as the Hot Brown. This American , Midwestern classic is more or less simple to whip up and even better to eat. A take on the British Welsh rarebit, it's perfect for that Saturday night dinner when everyone is at home or Sunday brunch with friends.


Hot Browns orginated in Louisville, Kentucky .back in the 1920's at the Brown Hotel where it was served as an early morning breakfast to all night party goers. Chef Fred Schmidt, its' inventor had to come up with something that would appeal to the jaded hotel guests who were quickly tiring of th eusual bacon and eggs. He put sliced turkey , tomato and bacon on toast , covered it with a rich Mornay sauce and baked in in the oven. it soon became an instant hit. Now, not only does Brown's still creates it but other fine Louisville institutions do as well.


A Hot Brown is easy to make. You can use leftover turkey or slices from your local deli along with bacon on toast.(I'd recommend a good challah for this to absorb the sauce). Add thickly sliced beefsteak tomatoes and top with the Mornay., The Hot Brown gravy is a basic butter and flour roux along with heavy cream added for body. Some recipes call for a beaten egg to be added, but this is up to you. A sharp cheese is then mixed in . The original recipe called for a Pecorino Romano but you can also sub in Parmesan(this is from Food Channel's Alton Brown's recipe). Ladle on to the sandwich and then sprinkle with extra cheese. Place under a broiler until cheese starts to bubble.


The Hot Brown is a perfect lunch or dinner sandwich. Delicious filling ,yet easy to make, especially on these hot days. Best of all it serves as a meal without all the fuss.