eG Foodblog: zilla369 - Derby Eats, Derby Week: Louisville, KY

[zilla369]

…to Louisville, KY, USA: Home to premium bourbon, beautiful horses and fast women, as they say.

Every year in this city, thousands of banners like the one above begin appearing in mid-April draped over anything that’s stationary. If you work in the food industry, that’s your cue to roll up your sleeves, order tons of extra product, and break out your “F.A.B.O.D.” t-shirt to surreptitiously wear under your chef’s jacket. (In case you didn’t guess, that stands for “F*#@ A Bunch Of Derby” – lots of cooks and servers in town own similar shirts.)

In typical Derby Week fashion, I’m gearing up here for several 14-to-16-hour days in a row this week. I’m also in the middle of moving house from one part of town to another. And as if that weren’t enough to keep me busy, I offered - in a bourbon-induced moment of temporary insanity, to be sure – to be eGullet’s foodblogger for Derby Week.

So saddle up and ride along with me, your intrepid culinary Girl Friday, as I juggle my many hats at two different jobs (more on that later) in the race to feed the throngs of locals and tourists alike during the run-up to “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” - The Kentucky Derby!

[zilla369]

My full-time job is in the restaurant within the Kentucky Center. The Kentucky Center is a multi-stage concert venue where the Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra and Broadway Series perform.

I guess I’m the pastry chef. If you’d call the bistro and ask for the pastry chef, you’d get me. If you asked a server to speak to the pastry chef, they’d come and get me. I feel uncomfortable with the “pastry chef” handle, since I didn’t take the extra pastry courses in school, nor did I get a baking & pastry degree. However, I’m responsible for all the desserts that get served in the bistro and at our catering events. Some I make from scratch. Some I don’t. I’m sure most of you will be able to tell the difference from the photos I’ll post.

In addition to pseudo-pastry-cheffing-type duties, my other duties are:

Ordering

Receiving

Inventory

Sanitation

Catering (that is, I oversee that all catering cooking is being executed. Nothing to do with catering sales).

More detail will follow about all these later.

[zilla369]

Ahh….the Kentucky Derby. The Mardi Gras of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The Kentucky Derby Festival kicks off a couple weeks before Derby Weekend every year. In Louisville, that means tons of fabricated quasi-holidays will be carved out of the two weeks leading up to Derby. Naturally, people have to be fed at all these events. This week, I’ll try to document (to the best of my ability) the events I’m going to be involved in.

Here’s a little preview of what’s coming up in my Derby blog:

1) A plated dinner for 275 people

2) A tour of a small-batch bourbon distillery

3) My first attempt at an Indian dish, for a wedding tasting

4) A visit to the Derby Pie production facility

5) A fancy reception at a glassblowing factory

6) A schmancy retirement cocktail party

7) Derby weekend breakfasts at a fabulous bed & breakfast

…and more. So much more!

So stay tuned, gentle readers.

[chefzadi]

Home to premium bourbon, beautiful horses and fast women, as they say.

I appreciate beautiful horses and fast women. A beautiful fast woman is a gift to be treasured, a godess indeed. Horses and women don't belong in the same sentence unless we are speaking of Catherine the Great. Bourbon I am not so sure of.

Looking forward to this blog.

You go! Go Zilla!

[zilla369]

Thanks, Farid! Although I would say that horses and women in the same sentence call up another image....Godiva. She of (recently) the chocolates.

I'll post some more in the morning. Time for my beauty/stamina sleep.

Homework: Everybody (in the appropriate time zones) - look up the Kentucky Derby and post what you think the most important Kentucky Derby foodstuffs are. This quiz will count toward your grade.

See you all tomorrow.

[KatieLoeb]

Hey Zilla!

So which small batch distillery will you be visiting? I just had lunch with Fred Noe of Jim Beam on Thursday last while he was touring Philly. I have a personal invite to come down to Kentucky and party with him and I hope to take him up on it before I'm too old to appreciate it.

[zilla369]

Hey Zilla!

So which small batch distillery will you be visiting?  I just had lunch with Fred Noe of Jim Beam on Thursday last while he was touring Philly.  I have a personal invite to come down to Kentucky and party with him and I hope to take him up on it before I'm too old to appreciate it. 

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Katie, I'll give you a hint...

There's a little bit of red wax on the edge of the sole of my shoe.

As for coming to Kentucky, well... there are seven bourbon distilleries within 75 miles of each other in central Kentucky. So there ya go.

[ludja]

mint juleps, derby pie, and somehow I think recall hearing about benedictine sandwiches/canapes...

edited for sp correction...

Edited May 3, 2005 by ludja (log)

[chefzadi]

Thanks, Farid! Although I would say that horses and women in the same sentence call up another image....Godiva. She of (recently) the chocolates.

She of the long blond hair riding a horse...

Did she ride side saddle or cowboy style?

Derby and post what you think the most important Kentucky Derby foodstuffs are. This quiz will count toward your grade.

Mint Julip.

[zilla369]

mint juleps, derby pie, and somehow I think recall hearing about benedcitine sandwiches/canapes...

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Very nicely played, ludja! All these will be featured in some fashion in my upcoming posts.

Anyone else?

Bueller?

[KatieLoeb]

Hey Zilla!

So which small batch distillery will you be visiting?  I just had lunch with Fred Noe of Jim Beam on Thursday last while he was touring Philly.  I have a personal invite to come down to Kentucky and party with him and I hope to take him up on it before I'm too old to appreciate it. 

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Katie, I'll give you a hint...

There's a little bit of red wax on the edge of the sole of my shoe.

As for coming to Kentucky, well... there are seven bourbon distilleries within 75 miles of each other in central Kentucky. So there ya go.

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Okey dokey. I didn't realize that Maker's was considered small batch though. Seems like an awfully big batch to me. Heck - just what I consume in a calendar year oughta make a dent in the supply!

[Pan]

[...]

Here’s a little preview of what’s coming up in my Derby blog:

1)  A plated dinner for 275 people

2)  A tour of a small-batch bourbon distillery

3)  My first attempt at an Indian dish, for a wedding tasting

4)  A visit to the Derby Pie production facility

5)  A fancy reception at a glassblowing factory

6)  A schmancy retirement cocktail party 

7)  Derby weekend breakfasts at a fabulous bed & breakfast

…and more.  So much more!

So stay tuned, gentle readers.

←

I will. I think you're right: You are insane! Or at least you were when you decided to do this blog. But I'm glad you did.

I recall purchasing some sorghum syrup from Owensboro while on a trip to Nashville. Does sorghum syrup figure in any of your baking?

[zilla369]

Mint Julip.

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Oh yeah. Mint juleps are the absinthe of the "genteel" south. I'll be posting a recipe later in the week.

In the meantime, please feel free to to seek out some audio of the song "One Mint Julep". Count Basie has an early version, and Ray Charles has a more frequently-heard version.

I'll be back in the morning, Eastern Standard Time.

'Night.

[zilla369]

I didn't realize that Maker's was considered small batch though.  Seems like an awfully big batch to me.  Heck - just what I consume in a calendar year oughta make a dent in the supply! 

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I am so with you on this one. However, their bourbon is produced in batches of only 19 barrels or less, and they only bottle to order.

More about the distillery tomorrow!

(warning to future foodbloggers: obviously this "I'm going to bed" thing is sort of optional)

[jhlurie]

Is it true that Derby Pie can only "officially" be made by one place?

I also seem to recall a story that the name was supposedly picked out of a hat.

Oh, wait. I must have visited the Derby Pie website at some point in the past. It's all there.

I love Derby Pie, by the way. A local restaurant (in Westchester, N.Y.) used to serve it when I was a kid and I always indulged. I've no idea if it was the authorized "official" product or not (probably not), but knock-off or no, I still loved it.

[zilla369]

I recall purchasing some sorghum syrup from Owensboro while on a trip to Nashville. Does sorghum syrup figure in any of your baking?

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Pan:

Sorghum is great as a base for dessert sauces. I have made a sorghum/creme fraiche sauce for bourbon bread pudding many times. It's also a great marinade and a great bass note for barbecue sauce.

[chefzadi]

Ray Charles has a more frequently-heard version.

Don'te get me started on Ray Charles!

I'll leave it to my wife to talk about Coltrane, Miles Davis, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Monk....

[zilla369]

Is it true that Derby Pie can only "officially" be made by one place?

I also seem to recall a story that the name was supposedly picked out of a hat.

Oh, wait.  I must have visited the Derby Pie website at some point in the past.  It's all there.

I love Derby Pie, by the way.  A local restaurant (in Westchester, N.Y.) used to serve it when I was a kid and I always indulged.  I've no idea if it was the authorized "official" product or not (probably not), but knock-off or no, I still loved it. 

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The lore about the "official or not" Derby Pie is a big part of what I found out when I visited the factory. Later in the week, you'll see pictures of the factory as well as some shots of Derby Pie platings I did for a food show.

Long and short of it is, if it didn't say "Derby-Pie TM" on the menu, well...it wasn't exactly Derby Pie!

[zilla369]

Good morning, race fans.

You’re about to discover that I don’t eat very well when I’m busy. Lots of times I survive just by grazing, tasting and munching my way from dawn to dusk. I will usually try to get in at least one sit-down meal per day, but during a crazy week like this one, all bets are off.

I am, however, a big fan of beverages. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), coffee is not one of them. You’ll be noticing that I drink a lot of sugary, caffeinated soft drinks and juices. Please know that although I’ll be posting pictures of those, I also drink massive amounts of water. I have a 32-ounce thermal cup that’s always filled with ice and water (both at work and at home). I’d estimate I drink about a gallon of water every day, at least.

This morning’s beverage is:

Pom Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice.

If you’re not familiar with Pom, you might want to read this thread in the Beverages and Libations forum. It’s pretty strong (and pretty expensive), so sometimes I mix it with ginger ale or a lemon-lime soft drink. Today I’m drinking it straight, the better to feel the effects of its cleansing anti-oxidant powers.

Okay, let’s get the obligatory pet photo out of the way.

This is Timmy, aka Tiny Tim. He’s named after one of the characters on South Park, but he’s not nearly that bright.

[zilla369]

This wouldn’t be a Kentucky Derby blog without a nod to Kentucky’s most famous food personality:

I always laugh whenever I ride past this banner. It reminds me of news footage of small dictatorships, where there are always big banners with the main dude’s image on them hanging from all the buildings. He looks pretty benevolent, doesn’t he? Unfortunately…

No amount of benevolence will save one from the march of time. And your little wife, too.

Yesterday was my only day off this week, but did I slack? Nope. I got out and took some pictures.

Now, about these pictures. I’m using a FujiFilm Finepix S3000, (3.2 megapixels 6x zoom). I beg your patience in advance; you’re going to see some pretty badly lit and blurry shots from time to time. Alas, it can’t be helped. While I do have some eye for composition, I am by no means a good photographer. So please bear with me, and if anything’s too poorly photographed for you to tell what it is, please ask!

[zilla369]

Farmer’s market.

So far this year the farmer’s market (only open for a couple weeks now) is fairly slim pickings. I imagine it will pick up in the next week or two. It’s still just a bit chilly and we had a frost advisory last night.

Anyway, here’s what hit my eye:

Tender sweet white radishes

Mild baby garlic

Artisanal goat cheese from nearby Capriole Farms. I had really planned to get to the farm and take a tour for the blog, but I fear it’s not to be. Not this week, anyway.

The dark-colored cheese you see there is a blend of chocolate and goat cheese (and something else, can’t remember) called “Fromage a Trois”. Now, I’m not a big chocolate fan, but I was intrigued (by both the ingredient combo and the name!), so I asked for a sample taste, and it was amazing. Very “tiramisu” on the tongue.

Finally:

Kentucky limestone bibb lettuce, aka butter lettuce. Isn’t it beautiful? We have some of the finest-tasting bibb lettuce on the planet because of the prevalence of limestone springs in the area.

Water from cold, deep limestone springs is very instrumental in Kentucky history and cuisine. It’s credited with giving Kentucky thoroughbred horses their legendary strength of skeletal frame, which explains in part why a lot of championship bloodlines originate here. It’s also quite useful in making bourbon…

[zilla369]

Did someone say “bourbon?”

Kentucky’s famous for bourbon. The Maker’s Mark Distillery is a mere 60 miles southeast of Louisville. It’s the oldest continuously operating bourbon distillery in the United States. There are quite a few other bourbon distilleries within a 50-mile radius of Maker’s, but since Maker’s is my favorite, that’s what you get a tour of:

The water used in the production of Maker’s Mark is taken from a 10-acre limestone spring-fed lake on the property.

Maker’s Mark is a “handmade bourbon” – that is, every step of production involves some human handling. It’s also a small batch bourbon, in that it’s made in batches that are maximum 19 barrels, never more. In addition, they only bottle their whisky “to order”. So all the bourbon sitting in warehouses on the property is in barrels. Bottled whisky goes out on a truck the same day it comes off the line.

Note the vats of melted red “wax” (actually a plastic polymer of sorts) in the foreground.

This is the still house – well, the first floor of the still house.

This is a shot of the upper stories of the still house. That’s right, that copper still is over four stories tall. Visitors only get to see the bottom of it in the still house:

Sorry for the blurry shot. I dunno if you can tell, but that stream of distilled whisky there is completely clear. It’s the new, charred, white oak barrel that gives bourbon its rich amber color. The torching of the inside of the barrel carmelizes the tannins in the oak:

Barrels of whisky are stored in large, barn-like warehouse structures that are somewhat open to the weather. It’s the movement of the whisky (as it expands and contracts in response to summer heat and winter cold) into and out of that carmelized tannin layer that colors the final product.

Note the nifty shutters on all the buildings (in case you’re unfamiliar, that’s the unique shape of the Maker’s Mark bottle):

Here’s a bad photo of one of the fermenting vats:

I wish I’d gotten a perspective shot. That vat is two stories tall and about 20 feet across. If you look very carefully, you can see the bubbles around the edge of the sour mash raft. We were encouraged to stick our grubby fingers in and taste the fermenting mash. Tasted sorta like, well, beer – at this stage, anyway. That room was very warm and humid and smelled very, very yeasty. Maker’s Mark uses an heirloom strain of yeast that’s been in the Samuels family for umpteen years. They also flavor their whisky with soft, red winter wheat (also sustained by the limestone springs) rather than rye. I think that’s why I prefer it above all other bourbons.

Gift shop had some cute cheese boards made from flattened empty Maker’s bottles.

Also in the gift shop, you get to purchase a bottle of whisky to dip in the red wax yourself! Mine turned out well, I’ll post a photo of it tomorrow.

I’ll have to sign off in a little while and get my butt to work. If you don’t see me posting until late tonight, never fear, foodblog fans. I’ll be back.

[therese]

Homework:  Everybody (in the appropriate time zones) - look up the Kentucky Derby and post what you think the most important Kentucky Derby foodstuffs are.  This quiz will count toward your grade.

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Well, I'm actually from Kentucky (well, went to high school in Lexington, and my parents still live there, and yes, the horses are beautiful and the women are fast), so I'm not going to look anything up but just venture some guesses.

Country ham (baked) and beaten biscuits? I don't know if these are served as far west as Louisville, but no self-respecting upmarket hostess in the Bluegrass would consider entertaining without these.

Hot Browns? I don't think of these as being associated with the Derby, but they are associated with Louisville, so I can imagine that people might request them for entertaining out of towners.

[zilla369]

Country ham (baked) and beaten biscuits? I don't know if these are served as far west as Louisville, but no self-respecting upmarket hostess in the Bluegrass would consider entertaining without these.

therese, I'll definitely be preparing a meal using country ham on the big day. But it's a breakfast, and the bread will be an english muffin.

I think beaten biscuits are overrated, don't you? Dry, mealy anemic little disks of so-what.

Hot Browns? I don't think of these as being associated with the Derby, but they are associated with Louisville, so I can imagine that people might request them for entertaining out of towners.

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Right again. Although Hot Browns aren't necessarily related directly to Derby, all the tourists that are in town for the race want to try them. We have them on our lunch menu. We also make a casserole version for show buffets and catering. What's not to like about bread, bacon, turkey, tomatoes and mornay sauce?

[TongoRad]

I'm going to have to guess burgoo- I don't have any recent experience with eating it myself, but I've heard that they substitute more common types of meat in it nowadays.

I'm loving this blog, BTW! It's getting me all nostalgic. My mom is from Louisville and, even though I grew up in the NYC area, I spent a lot of my childhood summers down there. Oooh, what I'd give for a proper Butter Kuchen right now...