It’s April and in the Bluegrass that means only one thing.  The countdown is on for the Kentucky Derby.  Most Kentuckians don’t actually go to the Derby–although I was fortunate enough to attend last year.  So for the majority of people who aren’t at Churchill Downs for race day, it’s just a great reason to have a party.  So what kind of food do you serve at a Kentucky Derby party?

Fun fact: The Kentucky Derby is one of the biggest at-home party days of the year.  And far be it from me not to join the crowd on this one.  For almost every Kentuckian, that first Saturday in May so affectionately known as Derby Day is right up there with Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  It is a fun time no matter how you slice it!

Just like every other holiday season, I begin planning by curling up in my favorite chair with my notebook, my favorite pen, and a stack of cookbooks and magazines. Also, just like every other holiday, there are dozens and dozens of cookbooks dedicated to the most famous horse race in the world. But, for me, there is one that I consider my Derby Bible…Bluegrass Winners. First published in 1985 by The Garden Club of Lexington, this had to have been one of the first cookbooks I owned.  Every household needs a copy. It was true then, and it’s true today. It’s a perfect Kentucky keepsake, a souvenir for visitors, and the perfect gift for any occasion.  I remember giving it as a shower or wedding gift for most of my friends back in the day.  

It is a classic with its signature cover of blue harlequin and a colorful array of jockey silks,   It isn’t dedicated completely to the Kentucky Derby, though.  Bluegrass Winners is a wonderful book that successfully blends horse farm history and hospitality.  The first section opens with brief stories about each farm–its history, its landscape, its horse “value.”  With each farm, a menu from one of the property’s major events is featured.  Derby isn’t the only event with its share of menu suggestions–although there are several included in the book.  The events include cocktails after the races, a bridge luncheon, a summer sales party, a poolside supper, a black-tie dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas…the list goes on. 

But this cookbook is my go-to for Derby entertaining because most of the recipes included in the book are Kentucky or Southern in nature and are the essence of Bluegrass hospitality.  All of my favorites are included…Bourbon Balls, Kentucky Spoon Bread, Cheese Grits Souffle, Burgoo, Benedictine Spread.  The more pages I turn, the more excited I get in my menu planning.  

Most of us haven’t been so lucky to attend one of these spectacular events at one of these legendary horse farms but having a glimpse at the menu and getting the scoop on the event almost makes up for it.  

Several recipes featured In the Curious Kitchen are my spin on these classic Bluegrass favorites.  Our Mint Julep is the classic cocktail, and, in my opinion, is the perfect recipe.  Another favorite recipe that is inspired from this cookbook is the Bourbon Ball Cake.  I also have versions on our website IntheCuriousKitchen.com of recipes for Benedictine Spread/ Dip, Spiced Pecans, Country Ham Pate, Pecan Cheese Wafers, Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs and, of course, The Kentucky Hot Brown. I have taken the basic recipe and added my own curious spin. 

More than two decades later, in 2008, The Garden Club of Lexington published a companion cookbook. This one, Entertaining with Bluegrass Winners, is equally fabulous.  It follows the same theme as the original, with updated menus and photographs but it is formatted a little differently.  The parties and the menus are arranged by season.  Racing, in Kentucky, primarily occurs in the spring and fall, and of course, the Kentucky Derby is in May.  The summer and winter seasons include a variety of other parties and events. In the Bluegrass State, it doesn’t take much to find a reason for a party.

There are some identical recipes in the Bluegrass Winners sequel but enough different ones to make this encore cookbook as equally important in my cookbook collection.  It looks a bit different, too.  In this version, the blue harlequin designs are replaced by green ones and the shape of the overall book is a bit different.  It has more of a cookbook feel.   

So if you are like me and you want to begin party planning for the Kentucky Derby, don’t panic!  Even though it is less than a month away, you still have time.  But do yourself a favor and add one or both versions of Bluegrass Winners to your cookbook collection. More than 100,000 copies have been sold and it has recently been featured Garden & Gun magazine as one of “the” classic Southern cookbooks. Both are available in some bookstores and gift shops and always online.  

Let the Derby countdown begin…