Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza AND, Ginger-Mint Juleps with Fresh Pineapple

Kentucky Derby Day And My Birthday!! So, here are my presents to you:

Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza
(serves 8)

Mornay Sauce:
1 T. butter*
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup 2%* milk
1/8 t. sea* salt
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1/8 t. freshly ground nutmeg (important to use whole nutmegs*)
1 T. sour cream
1 heaping T. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Pizza:
24 oz. fresh pizza dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1&1/2 chopped roasted turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
EVOO*
Coarse corn meal*

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over med.-low heat. Whisk in flour until combined. Cook about 2 mins. Whisk in milk, S&P,and nutmeg. Add sour cream. Bring mixture to a slow simmer. (Do  not boil.) The mixture will begin to thicken. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until smooth. To make pizza, preheat oven to 425. Roll pizza dough into a 14" round or square. Place on a baking sheet or pizza stone. Editor's note: I made a DELISH veggie pizza the other day, and put my pizza stone in the oven to heat. When it was screamin' hot, I took it out, stretched the pizza dough out to the edges - always rub EVOO on the bottom of crust and sprinkle with coarse corn meal - then put back in the oven so it sets. Remove and spread with sauce, and top with remaining ingredients in the order listed. Bake 7-11 mins, or until puffy and golden brown.

Ginger-Mint Juleps
Makes 1 cocktail (can be easily doubled or tripled)

8-10 lemon* mint leaves
2 heaping T. chopped fresh pineapple
2 T ginger syrup (see recipe below)
2 oz. (1/4 cup) Kentucky bourbon, such as Maker's Mark
3 T. pineapple juice, or more to taste
Mint springs and pineapple wedges, for garnish

Place mint, pineapple, and ginger syrup into the bottom of a cocktail glass or julep cup.Using a muddler or wooden spoon, mash the ingredients to release the flavors. Pack finely crushed ice over the fruit mixture, filling the glass all the way to the top. Pour the whisky over the ice, followed by the pineapple juice and stir gently to combine. Top with more crushed ice to fill the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and wedge of pineapple. The drink will be stiff at first, but mellows as the ice melts. Add more pineapple if you want it sweeter.

Ginger Syrup (makes 2 cups)

4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup peeled, sliced ginger
2 t. black peppercorns.

Bring water, sugar, and peppercorns to a boil in a large sauce pot over high heat. Turn down to medium and cook, maintaining a rapid simmer, until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. Transfer the mixture (do not strain) to a heat proof container to cool completely, Syrup will keep in the fridge for two months, or half the recipe if desired.

Recipe note:
To make a batch of 4 juleps, quadruple the amts. of syrup, mint, and pineapple and muddle in glass bowl. Split between 4 cocktail glasses and continue with recipe.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." I'm headed down to Emerald Downs to bet on the horses. Wish me Bon Chance!!

Love,

MM