Kentucky Derby Day Dinner and Wine Pairing

 

And we are off at the the Races...Once again we havad friends in for the Kentucky Derby aka tthe Run for the Roses. For our Kentucky Derby Menu we had all traditional Southern Foods. For hors d'oeuvres we served Miniature Ham and Biscuits, Hot Baby Browns and Benedictine with cheese twists in the shape of a horseshoe. A Hot Brown is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was a signature sandwich created by the chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. The Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. Because we serve this as an hors d'oeuvre we make mini or baby Hot Browns. Benedictine or Benedictine Spread is a condiment made with cucumbers and cream cheese. It is was invented around the turn of the 20th century by Jennie Carter Benedict, a caterer and restaurateur in Louisville, Kentucky. Benedict opened her restaurant in 1893. It was there that she invented and originally served benedictine. Originally used for sandwiches, benedictine has in recent years been used as a dip or spread.

Cocktails were served in the official Derby glasses that I had flown in from Louisville. This year no one opted in for the traditional Mint Julep - one of our guests even brought a Mint Plant - what a great idea.

For our First Course we had my Mother's Famous Seafood Salad which is Shrimp in a Basil Cream Sauce over Fusilli pasta –This was paired with a New Zealand Pinot Gris Kim Crawford Marlborough. The tasting notes say “Pale straw with a green tint. Ripe apple and pear are accented by soft nutty and butterscotch notes. Stone fruit and subtle oak lead to a full and rich palate”. Rob Peters our local wine guru from the Ardmore store siggested it and it was a "Chairmans Special" which means it was a really good deal!!

 

 

For our salad we had Kentucky Bibb Lettuce and Wild Greens with Kentucky Tomme goat cheese and we served Biscuits - next time I would like to try Spoon Bread!?! Our salad course was paired with a California Sauvignon Blanc Quivira (pronounced "Key-VEER-ah!") a Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from The Fig Tree Vineyard. Quivira vineyards was founded in 1981 by Holly and Henry Wendt who are from the Philadelphia area and whose daughter Laurie was a class behind me at Agnes Irwin. This vineyard which is located in the heart of Sonoma's Dry Creek area. Wine Enthusiast (WE) rated this wine 92 points and said “it has an affusive nose of lime blossom and pink grapefruit."

 

 

 

Dinner was Filet with Henry Bain Sauce, Grit Soufflé and Roasted Asparagus. This was paired with the fabled Grand Cru, Chateau Margaux 1998.  According to Stephen Tanzer, this wine is “Medium ruby. Cool, floral aromas of red berries, violet, cocoa powder, graphite and spicy oak, along with a whiff of smoked meat. Juicy, sharply delineated and austere; a classic, adamantly dry claret with superb intensity and grip. This is beginning to close up, unlike the '99. But really expands on the very long, perfumed finish. Tannins are dusty but even”. One of our guests started teasing about Tanzer’s verbiage.

Dessert was Homemade Strawberry Pie and the official Derby Pie flown in especially from Louisville KY. This was served with our traditional homemade lemoncello.

Our Kentucky Derby Table Setting

In the Living Room we used

Arthur Court Horse Wine Cooler for decorative purposes - I call mine Mr. Ed

Arthur Court Cocktail Napkin Box - I got paper napkins with silks on it.

Arthur Court Horse Centerpiece Tray for Mini Ham and Biscuits

Arthur Court Horse 12" Square Tray for Hot Baby Borwns

Coalport Hunting Scene Cache Pot from the 1980s when Wedgwood bought Crown Staffordshire and sell the pattern with the Coalport Stamp.

I had Cache pot sitting on top of Coalport Hunting Scene Handled Square Cake Plate

Next time I will use a Hunting Ceramic Pitcher made by Tina Brubaker for the vase with the Red Roses.

 

In the Dining Room we used

Center Piece was all red roses in a Coalport Hunting Scene Large Bowl

Miniature Rose Plants in 2 cache pots that are Coalport in the Hunting Scene

Mock Foxes Riding Horse Candlesticks

China Napkin Rings 3 Dimenional Horse with Rider - there is a Dog painted on base. I use extra napkin rings

Metal Painted Jockey Placecard holders

Red Chargers

Cream on Cream Wedgewood China

Dark Red Napkins to Match the Riders Silks

I also add other horse that we have "racing" across the table