Snacking State-by-State: Kentucky I - That Derby Day Classic

Done (for now) with the Midwest, I head to the Upper South as I explore some of the most famous edible exports that the Bluegrass State has to offer the rest of America.

Official Name: Commonwealth of Kentucky
State Nickname: The Bluegrass State
Admission to the US: June 1, 1792 (#15)
Capital: Frankfort (14th largest city)
Other Important Cities: Louisville (largest); Lexington (2nd); Bowling Green (3rd); Owensboro (4th)
Region: Appalachia, South, Upper South; East South Central (US Census)
RAFT Nations: Cornbread & BBQ; Chestnut
Bordered by: Illinois, Indiana & Ohio (north); West Virginia (northeast); Virginia (east); Tennessee (south); Missouri & the Mississippi River (west)
Official State Foods and Edible Things: blackberry (fruit); gray squirrel (wild animal game species); Kentucky spotted bass (fish); milk (drink)
Some Famous & Typical Foods: common Southern foods; Kentucky-specific foods such as burgoo & Derby pie; fried chicken (though not "Kentucky Fried Chicken"); mint julep & Kentucky bourbon

For the most part, the foods of Kentucky are those of the South: catfish, hush puppies, cornbread and (well duh) fried chicken abound. This also includes the foods of Appalachia, which trundles through a massive part of the Bluegrass State (look at Margarita's Appalachian Menu for a bibliography of Appalachian cookbooks, which I will find useful at some point during this State-by-State series). And true, fried chicken is important in Kentucky (even if what the entire world thinks of as "Kentucky Fried Chicken" or, at least in Egypt, as just plain "Kentucky", has a bit more in the way of hydrogenated oils and high fructose syrups). Corbin, Kentucky's most famous son, Col. Harland Sanders, opened his first business in a gas station in 1930. As Jean Anderson points out in her book A Love Affair with Southern Cooking, it wasn't all just fried chicken at first. It was only after the government ran an interstate right through his business that the gears were set in motion for KFC to hit the big time

Still believing in his fried chicken with its secret seasoning blend of eleven herbs and spices, Sanders took to the road in 1952. Crisscrossing the country, he called on restaurant owners and fried batches of chicken... Dozens were impressed enough to cut a deal: Sanders would share his secret recipe and frying technique if they'd pay him a nickel for every order sold. [Anderson 2007: 114]

Finally, a test case for that famous saying, "If I had a nickel for every time..."

Another famous Kentucky classic is pretty tough to find at KFC (unless Pepsi is starting to make them en masse). The mint julep is, by all accounts, a Kentucky Derby classic. Yes, various Southern states lay their own claims to their own juleps, but Kentucky's is the one that everyone keeps going back to. There is a variety of recipes even for Kentucky's take on the mint julep, but it more or less comes back to the same simple formula: Kentucky bourbon, simple syrup and mint. Since I am not well-versed in the art of the cocktail or other liquored drinks, I needed some visual aids. I found one at the website for the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg, made by Dixon Dedman, which you all can follow below:

I more or less followed Dedman's procedure, since he is showing how to make just one and since it looks so easy when he does it! But I did take a hint from the recipe posted by the Beaumont Inn underneath the video, which shows how to make enough mint juleps for 30 people! I am not drinking that much liquor, but I took a cue from Maker's Mark for how to infuse their bourbon with mint leaves.

The recipe: Mint Julep (Kentucky-Style)

To make a mint julep, you will need the following:


* Kentucky bourbon - yes, it has to be Kentucky bourbon - not rum, brandy or whiskey as they use elsewhere in the South, otherwise it's not the kind you will find at the Kentucky Derby. When I sought out a bottle of Kentucky bourbon, the nice folks at the Wine Source in Hampden gave me some recommendations. The woman I talked to said that she prefers Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon because of its flavor. However, she pointed out that people with a sweet tooth may prefer the slightly sweeter Maker's Mark, and that is why I went with that brand. Just don't use something cheap. You are making this for the flavor, not for the buzz.
* fresh sprigs of mint - lots of it if you are making a lot of mint juleps. Since the one tiny mint plant I planted in my raised bed at Clifton Park last year has literally taken over the whole damn bed, I am not lacking in fresh mint.
* equal parts water and sugar, which you will use to make a simple syrup. Don't just mix the two in the glass like some sloppy bartenders - make the simple syrup, for corn's sake. It's not as hard as it looks. Note: some folks infuse mint leaves into the simple syrup while cooking it. The Maker's Mark recipe did not suggest that, probably because you will infuse the bourbon itself with your mint.
* crushed ice - okay, it doesn't have to be crushed, but this is preferable.

In addition, make sure you also have a straw to slightly bruise the mint as you push it down into the glass, kitchen shears to cut the straw, and a jigger with which to measure the bourbon and simple syrup.

If you don't have crushed ice on hand, go ahead and crush it. I found that neither my blender nor my food processor was very useful for crushing ice - I got a snowball-like consistency at the bottom of the blender and many slightly bruised ice cubes on top in the blender, but that was still better than the food processor which didn't do much more than slightly crack the ice. I finally had to put the ice in a ziploc bag and take a hammer to it on the front porch.

Sometimes the bluntest instrument is the best

To make the simple syrup, take a cup of water and bring it to a boil, and then put in an equal portion of sugar, constantly stirring it over low heat.


It is done when the sugar is completely dissolved the simple syrup is ready. You can tell this by taking a metal spoon and pouring the syrup back into the bowl, looking for crystals. No crystals = simple syrup (there are many places online to find these instructions). During the simmering process you may want to put some mint leaves into the mixture, which you will fish out later. Either way, let the syrup come to room temperature and refrigerate.

If you don't use minty simple syrup, follow Maker's Mark's suggestion (again, on the Beaumont Inn website's mint julep page): take about 40 smallish fresh mint leaves and cover them with Kentucky bourbon.
Let them sit for 15 minutes, then take a cotton cloth (I used a fine cheese cloth)


and put the mint leaves into it and squeeze the life out of those leaves. Dip the sachet into the bourbon a few more times, each time wringing as hard as you can.

Okay, YOU try taking a photo while wringing out a cheese cloth filled with bourbon-soaked mint leaves!

Throw the leaves out and set the minty bourbon aside until ready to use.

To assemble the mint julep, start with a glass. Preferably, you will use a silver mint julep cup, but those can get pricey and I am on a budget.

This assembly is per Maker's Mark:


Fill your glass part way with crushed ice.


Next put in a sprig or two of mint.

Then put more crushed ice in the cup.

The rest comes from the Beaumont Inn video: as Dedman suggests, you can play around with the amounts: use two parts bourbon to one part simple syrup for a stronger mint julep, equal parts of each for a sweeter one.

Again I went sweet (and because I didn't want to get too buzzed here), and used my 1 3/4 oz to 3/4 oz jigger to measure out about 1 3/4 oz each Kentucky bourbon and simple syrup into my glass.

Of course, do not forget to put some of the mint-infused bourbon into the glass - a few spoonfuls should do you.

Take your straw and muddle the mint down towards the bottom of the glass. Put another sprig of mint in for decoration, and powdered sugar if you like. Some recipes suggest that you snip the straw so that it is the same height as the mint sprig.


I have not had a mint julep before. I did have a black-eyed susan once, on Preakness Day, though I was not terribly satisfied with the version I had (note: the black-eyed susan also uses Kentucky bourbon). The mint julep I made was pleasantly sweet and minty, and very cold and refreshing for the hot day on which I made it. Because mine was not as strong, it didn't get me terribly buzzed. I wasn't going for "terribly buzzed" anyway, so I was not disappointed. Again, if you want yours stronger, fill your jigger accordingly. This is a very nice drink and I now finally know how to make it. That and the simple syrup will come in quite handy for other uses (I have some iced tea to make, for example...)

Sources:

Anderson, Jean. A Love Affair with Southern Cooking: Recipes and Recollections. William Morrow: New York, 2007.

Beaumont Inn. "Recipe: How to Make the Perfect Mint Julep". Video "How to Make a Mint Julep" by Beaumont Inn, featuring Dixon Dedman. Video posted on YouTube by Beaumont Inn (user BeaumontInn) on May 24, 2010.

Hellmann's. "Owensboro Kentucky: Burgoo". From the In Search of Real Food YouTube Series with Dave Lieberman. Posted August 6, 2007.

National Public Radio. "Moonlite Burgoo and Mutton Dip". From the "Hidden Kitchens" Series. Originally published November 5, 2004.

Lacabe, Marga. "Margarita's Appalachian Menu". Date unknown.

Maker's Mark. "Mint Julep Recipe". Reprinted on the Beaumont Inn website. Date unknown.

Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. "The Burgoo Soup Story / The Burgoo Recipe". Copyright 1996-2005 The Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn, Inc.

Some information also obtained from Wikipedia's "Kentucky" page and other pages, and the Food Timeline State Foods link to "Kentucky".

Adams Morgan for Capital Pride

I was in DC last Saturday night for Capital Pride. No I wasn't living it up, but I did eat out and then crashed at a friend's place before our Sunday morning soccer game and then my first ever visit to DC's pride festival. Said dinner was at Casa Oaxaca on 18th Street in Adams Morgan. Casa Oaxaca brings not just Mexican, but specifically Oaxacan dishes to DC diners. I had been meaning to head here for a while but was always flummoxed with the variety of restaurants.

I chose to eat downstairs in their softly-lit, earthy-colored restaurant. The menu does not offer much in the way of cheap eats - average entrée prices are about $15 to $25. Casa Oaxaca notably has a dizzying array of moles, a Oaxacan specialty. It's not just mole poblano.: it's red moles and black moles, yellow, orange and green ones. There was even a fig-based mole that intrigued me enough to seriously consider ordering. Eventually I went ahead with their three mole plate ($19) - red, black and green moles smothering a nice piece of chicken breast, with beans, Oaxacan cheese and small corn tortillas. It's a delicious combo that gives you a nice sample of several moles that would be pricey to order on their own.

Much of my bill came from what I ordered to drink - unusual for me, since I rarely order anything pricier than a small sake when I get sushi. In addition to the obligatory Mexican beer (Dos Equis on draft for $5.50), I considered ordering one shot from their extensive tequila list - I wasn't driving anywhere. Instead, I moved my eyes to their mezcal list. Most mezcales are made in Oaxaca (unlike the more Jalisco-based tequila), and so it seemed appropriate. Since I have no experience ordering mezcal I had no idea what to order. The waiter recommended the Del Maguey Minero ($10 - they were all that much), which goes well with moles. After the obligatory offering to Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of fertility and of maguey (the source of mezcal)* I very slowly sipped the warm, tangy shot of mezcal while I ate. This may be why it didn't hit me so hard. Mezcal is strong if you drink it all at once, and since I was spending so much for such a small glass of alcohol, I intended to make it last.

To finish off my meal, I ordered a chocolate flan ($6), a silky and rich custard that also went well with this brand of mezcal. This topped off what ended up being, after tax and tip, a $50 bill. That is not chump change for me, and it is the rare time that I will spend so much on one meal. Heck, that's usually two or three meals out for me. But I'm not eating in Adams Morgan often, and I thought I would splurge for once. Yes, for me that is a splurge.

Before meeting up with my friend, I walked over to the 18th & U Duplex Diner for a few Sierra Nevadas on tap, while I navigated around all the much more drunken gays in silly beads from the day's parade, and watching the United States lose their CONCACAF Gold Cup match to a Panamanian team they were roundly expected to defeat.

* Now that I have an Android phone, I decided to look up how to drink mezcal while I was in the restaurant (these devices are pretty handy). Traditionally, among other things that I was in no place to do, one makes an offering to Mayahuel by spilling a little mezcal on the ground. I stuck my fingers in the glass and flicked a little on the floor. Hey, I don't want to take any chances here.

Europe's Alcohol Belts

This comes from Strangemaps via Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish at the Atlantic. I love maps, especially food-related ones. To wit:


The "Wine Belt" is in red (burgundy?), the "Beer Belt" is in a sort of golden color, and the "Vodka Belt" is in blue.

Black-Eyed Susan - no, not the flower

Since today is, in fact, Preakness day, it seemed appropriate to post this recipe for the traditional drink of the Preakness. Other versions are fancier (there's the Southern Living version I saw in their last issue, and check out this version from DrinksMixer.com), but this simple old recipe on simple old About.com is, apparently, "how it is served at the Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico and also to the fans at the Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Stakes." It's not the traditional one (the others are closer to that), but it is the current version. All I have at home is the vodka, but maybe y'all have the rest?

This is quoted from the About.com website.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Vodka
• 3 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
• 2 oz. Orange Juice

Preparation:

Fill a highball glass with shaved ice, add the liquors first, then top off with orange juice and sweet and sour mix. Stir and garnish with an orange slice, cherry, and stirrer.

And that's **HIC** it!

My First Soju

Deceptively smooth, like a vodka, and deceptively strong, also like a vodka. Eric & Alan and our friend Patrick all did the foursome at Jong Kak last night for a belated birthday present. I finally ordered the $12 bottle of soju. Since the guys hate sake - and pretty much any rice-based alcohol - they were a little, um, unenthusiastic about sharing it. But they did try some.

If you don't like sake (I love sake, so I'm not one to ask), don't pass on the soju. It's good. But watch out, because this isn't a buzz that just hits you full force. Three and a half shots of soju will hit you very gradually until you don't know where it came from. Just don't drive anywhere for a while!

Notes from the Wine Source

• I've been noticing over the months that a few select beer companies are putting out a line of sodas. Saranac, from out of upstate New York, is selling a ginger beer. In fact, they say they've been selling soft drinks (root beer, ginger beer, cream soda) since 1888, putting about two years younger than Coke, and five shy of the oldest soft drink in America, Dr. Pepper. And Abita out of New Orleans is making a root beer. I just bought the Abita root beer; I'll drink it tomorrow.
• Southern Tier Brewing Company sells a fairly large $10 bottle of its Choklit Stout. This should go quite well with the mild Amish bleu cheese I bought.
• I saw a bright white wine for $8 (all I remember was the word "YOUNG" on the gleaming yellow label), and then the Brewer's Art's latest concoction, their Green Peppercorn Tripel for $9. I would've bought both had I the money.
  
• And then I saw Bud may technically no longer be an American beer, but it still prides itself on being "America's lager." Which, I guess, is why there's a picture of three superstars from the (extremely English) Manchester United FC right behind it? Ah yes, Bud: Wayne Rooney's cheap American beer of choice.
  
• Oh yeah, I need to get some Bailey's soon, don't I?
  

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Remember, those of you who live in or near Baltimore City. For the next few Sundays, beer, wine and liquor stores will be open for business! I'm not sure how long they will be, or if many people know this. The Wine Source was dead today, and they're only doing this one more Sunday and that's it. And you probably don't even care if you live in Howard County where you can buy this stuff on Sundays anyway. But for those of us in town, it's a nice, if brief, change.

An important anniversary for beer / wine / spirit lovers

I didn't even realize it until just now, but today is the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment. The relevance? It did away with Prohibition! I went to a wine and liquor tasting today. But celebrate (safely, of course - no drunk driving, please)s this weekend! Have a beer, a glass of wine, or a shot. Just don't have too much of it.

Presidential Debate Drinking Game!!!

I wish I had posted this before.

I try to stay fiercely apolitical, so as to appeal to readers of all political persuasions. That said, I think a drinking game is the perfect way to get through the last of the four presidential debates at New York's Hofstra University next Wednesday night at 9 PM Eastern time. The first three were pretty interesting, believe it or not.

This drinking game, from the DavetheNovelist blog, is pretty involved, but can be pared down as you see fit. Here are the initial rules for Dave's game (here are the best ones from that part of the list; click here for the entire thing):

TAKE A SHOT:

-When the buzzwords “change” or “maverick” or “hope” are used

-Whenever either one says “fundamental” or “fundamental difference” – added by popular demand through my highly scientific comment form on 10/7/08

-When McCain stammers and looks like he might have a heart attack

-When McCain refers to the moderator as “my friend” or the audience as “my friends”

-When Obama somehow works in his personal story of being raised by a single mom and his grandparents

-When Obama makes a smirk, shakes his head, and says, “Look…” as a preface to a statement or follow-up — amended by popular demand to “Look” on 10/8/08

-When Obama says “John McCain is right on this, but…” — added through high-end analysis of reader feedback on 10/8/08

-When either one lays claims to being “bipartisan” or working “across the aisle”

-Finish whatever you are drinking if McCain loses his temper!

This one is at Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 website is a bit more streamlined, for the lazy debate viewer. Karen Lurie, Eric March and Dustin Chinn suggest a shot of Everclear when stuff like this happens, along with the following actions (again, some of the best ones):

* Everytime a candidate mentions September 11th, prank-call Rudy Giuliani.

* Every time a candidate says "folks," threaten to foreclose on an Iowa farm unless the farmer's daughter "cooperates."

* Every time Barack Obama mentions his tax cuts for the middle class, gift-wrap a box of poo for your rich uncle.

* Every time McCain says "friends," call Lindsey Graham and say "I think he's talking about you!"

* Every time Obama pauses before the predicate of a sentence, go watch Star Trek: The Original Series to see how a pro does it.

* Every time McCain mentions "the Surge," drink a Red Bull. Every time he mentions "Red Bull," drink a Surge.

* Every time McCain refers to his running mate, stand up, face Russia and finish whatever bottle is in front of you.

I watched the last two with friends. Alan and I kind of got on Eric's nerves during the Veep debates, since he wanted to hear what they had to say. I have to tone down my propensity to channel the Satellite of Love.

Both of these drinking games were written before debate #1 in Mississippi. Now that we're through two more, I wanted to try my hand at a few more, but the ones above are pretty adequate )especially the DavetheNovelist one - those Comedy Central people don't realize how nasty that Red Bull stuff tastes). But as for y'all, are there any suggestions for your own debate drinking game?