Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby 2013 results are in for Saturday's huge thoroughbred horse race at Churchill Downs. With muddy conditions on the track as you can see from the picture 

Orb was the winner at 2:02.89 seconds. Coming in second was the #4 Golden Soul, followed by #3 Revolutionary, and #5 Normandy Invasion. Orb was the favorite earlier in the week coming into the race, and then became a co-favorite again right before the race started along with Revolutionary which finished in third.

But for me it was all about the hats and the food.

Check out some of these elaborate creations

The mint julep is as important to the Kentucky Derby as the horses, or the jockeys, or whatever it is everyone seems to be cheering about. It’s the quintessential Southern drink often served in silver cups. This lady sure must like her Mint Juleps.

I heard on the news today that over Friday and Saturday for the Kentucky Derby the crowd consumed 

127,000 Mint Juleps 

66,000 Derby Pies

28, 000 lbs of shrimp 

Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

Note: This recipe makes a large amount of batter, so be sure to use a 10-inch deep dish pie pan. A stoneware pie pan with high sides works well. When shaping and fluting the pie crust, make sure to bring the sides up high enough to hold all the pie filling.

Recipe for 10-inch Single Crust Pie Crust  

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 3/4 cup gourmet chocolate chips
• 1-1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, shelled and chopped in half if desired

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll pie crust out from your favorite recipe or use a store bought pre-baked pie crust
• Line a 10-inch deep dish pie pan with the dough, and flute the edges as desired.
• In a large mixing bowl on medium speed mix butter, sugars, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and bourbon together until frothy.
• Fold in chocolate chips and pecans or walnuts. Blend well.
• Pour into prepared pie crust and cover edge of pastry with 2-3 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning 
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 or until set.
• Serve warm, or cool completely before serving with whipped cream

Mint Julep

The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century. 

Each year, almost 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack. That’s a feat that requires more than 10,000 bottles of Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.

Mint Julep makes 2 servings

Total time: 5 minutes, plus more for simple syrup preparation

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons simple syrup (see below)
• 4 fresh mint sprigs
• Shaved ice
• 2/3 cup bourbon
• Powdered sugar
• Mint leaves

Directions:

• Pour 1 tablespoon Simple Syrup into 1 tall glass
• Add 2 sprigs mint, crushed slightly and add ice
•  Stir in 1/3 cup bourbon
•  Add more ice to fill glass and sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with mint. Repeat with remaining ingredients for second glass

Simple Syrup

1 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

Stir boiling water into sugar until sugar dissolves. Simple syrup will keep almost indefinitely refrigerated in covered container

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