Social networking – I’ll admit it’s a term I don’t completely understand. By definition it implies that there is such a thing as non-social networking, which of course is an impossibility. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the growing food crazy public (known as “foodies”) began to come together in ways previously only explored by internet geeks and college IT students. So what is a “foodie”? Basically, it’s like a Trekkie but with social skills and exotic tastes in cuisine. Ergo, the evolution of foodie social networking was inevitable. Welcome to the world of foodbuzz.com.

In a nutshell (no food related pun intended), Foodbuzz is a website where lovers of food, drinking, cooking and the culinary arts can post recipes, share ideas, review restaurants, and blog themselves into a virtual sugar coma. You can post directly onto foodbuzz.com or simply provide a link to your existing blog’s RSS feed. If you find a user’s blog you particularly enjoy, subscribe to it making you and the blogger “friends” in foodbuzz speak. If you happen to click on a non-working link, you are likely to see what passes for Foodbuzz’s HTML humor as the error message reads “Oh no, our soufflé has collapsed!” The way I see it, you have the choice of spending all your time on Googgle looking for interesting food blogs, or you can cut to the chase and become a (free) member of the foodbuzz community. Which brings me to Chef Ryan Boudreaux of New Orleans.

Everyone who knows me, or anyone who has become familiar with me through this blog, has heard about our annual tailgate party at the High Hope Steeplechase. Held in Lexington every May on the Sunday after the Preakness, it’s been a tradition for my family and friends for almost a decade. Details of our past adventures (culinary and otherwise) can be found on the Tailgating Steeplechase Style page. The party annually feeds between 40 and 50 people, and the cooking team consists of myself and one other person. It takes a solid five months to plan and our goal is always to have as many original recipes (or interpretations of recipes) as possible. It has become a tradition at the conclusion of each year’s party to announce the theme for the following year, so it was as we wrapped up 2008’s “Let Me Take You Down To Cabo” tailgate and celebrated our third “Best Food” award (fourth award overall) that the 2009 theme was revealed. It would be a New Orleans inspired “Party at Congo Square”, named after the traditional square where African slaves met on Sunday’s for music and dancing. Much of New Orleans’ musical heritage can trace its roots back to these meetings at Congo Square.

So with some down time in the evenings this week, and while the rest of the country was planning Thanksgiving dinner, I started what for me will be a many month long journey of exploration into the cuisine and culture of New Orleans, culminating on the 17th of May with what I hope will be another memorable party. It’s not as simple as preparing the most well known dishes of the Big Easy – they have to be tailgate compatible, meaning they must accommodate being prepped in advance the night before (or in the wee hours of the morning as is more usual) and then being cooked and served from a potable kitchen consisting of two gas grills, a smaller propane fueled camping stove, five coolers filled with food and a small table which serves as my mobile mis en place. Being in my ninth year of doing this I’ve figured out how to make it all work, but it still takes a lot of planning and preparation. I also have no problem with adopting another person’s good idea (properly credited of course). It was with this in mind that I contacted Chef Ryan Boudreaux whose blog at http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/blog2/ I discovered via Foodbuzz. What, I inquired, would he suggest as some quintessential New Orleans dishes that might work well on a tailgate menu? Chef Ryan turned out to be someone more than willing to offer suggestions and the benefit of his years of experience in the New Orleans restaurant industry. His responses to my inquiry were enthusiastic, friendly and detailed. You can read more on his blog post “New Orleans Tailgating Themes” at:

http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/blog2/events/new-orleans-tailgating-themes

Which, if any, of his suggestions will end up on the final menu next May? Well, tune in around mid April for the official menu reveal (maybe I can hire out Ty Pennington for it). Regardless, it’s good to know there is a community of dedicated food lovers that sees sharing information, ideas and recipes as part of the whole food experience. Thanks again to Chef Ryan.

As for the tailgate party, if you happen to find yourself in Lexington on the 17th of May, you know where to find us. Just look for the only Mardi Gras party in town. And follow your nose to the food.

For more information on the High Hope Steeplechase and the charities it supports, check out the website at www.highhopesteeplechase.com.

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One advantage of working in Kentucky is during the various thoroughbred racing meets at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, nearly every company holds at least one event at the track. It’s an expected and accepted part of commerce in this part of the state. As the home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is held in a kind of reverence by out-of-towners, and being there even in November is for them like completing a pilgrimage. The track itself is vast, a fact more than evident when visiting at any time of the year besides the Derby. Able to hold over 100,000 people for the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Breeder’s Cup, the rest of the year there is simply no way to bring in the number of people on a daily basis to make Churchill feel like it’s anything other than empty. Trackside the crowd is thin at best, mainly consisting of smoker’s exiled from the interior of the building by the city’s recently enacted tobacco ban. However, the dining room on the 4th floor, called Millionaire’s Row even when it’s not Derby Day, is always busy. Friday was no exception.Prior to it’s $120 million dollar renovation, Churchill Downs was known for a lot of things. The food, however, was not one of them. On my first visit to the track in 2001 the lunch buffet in the old (now demolished) Skye Terrace was served on paper plates with plastic utensils. Most of the wait staff scarcely took the time to tuck in their shirt tails much less pay attention to the guests in attendance. It left me with little desire to return. Now with a new facade on the whole building and Millionaire’s Row relocated to the finish line, everything about the dining experience at the Downs has improved. The staff are professional, helpful and courteous. The environment of Millionaire’s Row is comfortable and appealing. And most importantly, the food has gone through a dramatic evolution and improvement. There are still hits and misses, but overall the quality and taste are satisfying enough for an afternoon watching the horses run.

So what does the approximately $32 ticket price buy? Below was the menu in service for this past Friday and my thoughts on the various items.

Churchill Downs Fall “Festival Two” Menu

• Assorted Vegetables with Garlic Ranch Vegetable Dip

What can you say about raw veggies and ranch dressing?

• Assorted Field Greens, German Potato Salad, Classic Caesar Salad

I passed on the field greens and went for the other two. The German Potato Salad was quite good, and the Caesar had large pieces of shaved Parmesan. The dressing was both creamy and tangy, but not overly so.

• Smoked Sirloin of Beef with Henry Bains Sauce and Horseradish Cream

The sirloin started off promisingly enough with the server at the carving station laying a large, thick cut of beef on my plate, and I spooned a little sauce and horseradish cream on the side. As it turned out, the cut I was served contained a least four different levels of doneness. The thickness made cutting into it with a table knife difficult at best. Overall it turned out to be not as appetizing as I had hoped. For those who don’t the story of Henry Bain, he was the head waiter at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky and created his famous sauce around 1881. It remains to this day a local favorite. Not quite a barbecue sauce, it’s more like a fruity steak sauce. Some modern versions of the recipe actually use A1, Worcestershire, chili sauce, ketchup, Tabasco and some type of chutney. The horseradish cream was thin and not very potent (I like my horseradish noticeable to the point of being painful – I always thought that was the point of it). Regrettably, the Henry Bain’s sauce was the best part of the dish.

• Lemon Chicken

Moist and tender, yet without any detectable hint of lemon. For a real lemon chicken recipe, try the recipe from Rao’s Cookbook by Frank Pelligrino. Next to that what Churchill was serving was just plain ol’ chicken.  I should point out that the 2002 book Racing to the Table: A Culinary Tour of Sporting America contains a recipe for “Roased Lemon-Garlic Chicken Breasts with Lemon Sauce” which is attributed to the executive chef at Churchill Downs.  Having made this very tasty dish before, I can attest that it is not the same as what is currently being served at the track.

• Mojo Pork served with Tortilla and Tomatillo

I’ve been on a southwestern culinary kick lately, so I was looking forward to this. Overall it was good, though very mild in the way you would expect food for a crowd to be. With the addition of some chile’s this could be a very good dish.

• Native American Succotash served with Roasted Red Potatoes

Having run out of room on my plate, I skipped the succotash (even though it was visually very appealing) in favor a large helping of roasted red potatoes, which were very good. While I prefer my food a little on the spicy side, the potatoes were a good accompaniment to the meal.

• Fruit Cobbler with Whipped Cream, Brownies and Spike Cake

The fruit cobbler was long gone by the time I made my way to the dessert table. The brownies provided a nice sweet ending to the afternoon (with a good helping of whipped cream spooned on top). The spice cake, however, was absolutely inedible, dry as a bone and tasting vaguely like sawdust.

• Cocktails

Cocktail service runs all afternoon, and the bars at the Downs’ feature Mint Juleps and the Oaks Lilly. The latter is a creation of Brown-Forman, the global spirits company based in Louisville (they own Early Times, Old Forrester and Woodford Reserve). Created in 2006 for the Kentucky Oaks race for fillies run the day before the Derby, the Oaks Lilly is a combination of Finlandia Vodka (owned by BF of course), sweet and sour mix, cranberry juice and triple sec. It is, predictably, a hit with the ladies. The availability of mint juleps is a bit puzzling as most of the state only brings out this historic cocktail in springtime around the Derby. The truth is, most native Kentuckians won’t go near the drink. The surest way to identify a non-Kentuckian at the Derby is to look for anyone drinking a mint julep. The savvy race goers will forgo the mint and simple syrup and stick with the bourbon, preferable straight or on the rocks. A Woodford Reserve on the rocks will run you about $7.50 to $8 at Churchill, not unreasonable when you consider that most ballparks can’t serve you a beer for under $6. Of course, Kentucky is the home of bourbon, Woodford Reserve is one of the finest bourbons on the market, and WR’s parent company Brown Forman is located in Louisville. Charging any more for it would probably cause a revolt.

So, all in all, is Churchill Downs worth the trip for anything other than the Kentucky Derby? Absolutely. The Kentucky Derby Museum alone is worth a trip to Louisville. In my mind it is one of the most best and most historic of all sports museums. But as good as the food is compared to what it used to be six or seven years ago, here’s to hoping the kitchen steps up to the Triple Crown reputation the track and it’s guests deserve.

Last night was the annual Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon Preview Party put on by Heaven Hill Distillers. Officially an event of “The Bardstown Bourbon Society”, this year’s program was held at the gorgeous Louisville Palace, an 80 year old venue featuring a Spanish Baroque interior designed by famous architect John Eberson. The beauty of the Palace always threatens to compete with the shows and events held there, but last night the focus was definitely on the bourbon. Each year Heaven Hill brings forth another in the “vintage” dated Evan Williams Single Barrel line – the 1999 edition goes on sale in January – and the annual preview party is the first opportunity for the public to taste the upcoming new release. The evening started with a cocktail reception and a truly delicious buffet of hors d’oeuvres and desserts. The wait staff circulated with plates of scallops and what appeared to be burgoo shooters, and there was of course the omnipresent bourbon. In addition to the current vintage of Evan Williams (1998), one could also choose from Heaven Hill’s other premium brands such as Elijah Craig 12 or 18 year old, Henry McKenna Single Barrel and Bernheim Wheat Whiskey (not technically a bourbon, but still a very nice drink). During the early part of the evening the Palace really stole the show, with every nook, cranny and remote outpost occupied by people eating, drinking and generally enjoying the festivities. In the second floor lounge three caricature artists had a steady line of customers throughout the night. A band provided live music off the downstairs grand foyer. As the temperature outside continued to drop, the anticipation inside began to rise as the appointed hour drew near.

At 9:15pm, Heaven HIll President Max Shapira stepped onto the podium and announced it was time to unveil the 1999 vintage. I should note that Heaven Hill is the only remaining family owned distillery in Kentucky. Master Distillers Parker Beam and his son Craig were on hand to tap into the first barrel (yes, they are related to those “other” Beams). While samples were passed around for everyone, Shapira lead the assembled bourbon aficionados in a toast. That being done, it was time to get on with the party.

Evan Williams Single Barrel has won numerous awards over the years, including “Whiskey of the Year”. The 1992 release was a particular favorite of mine. In case you are wondering, yes you can actually tell the difference between the editions. I once tasted the 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 bourbons side by side and the individual flavors of each were noticeable even to the inexperienced bourbon drinkers in the group.

The Evan Williams Preview Party is something that I look forward to every year, and in many ways it signifies for me the start of the holiday season. Over the next 6 weeks there will be much bourbon drank, gifted and shared. That is, after all, something you come to expect in a Kentucky home, particularly at this time of year.