The Kentucky Derby is known as "The Run for the Roses" due to the garland of over 500 red roses draped over the winning horse each year. Being a lover of roses myself, I am happy to have any occasion to discuss this remarkable flower.  One of the first varieties that I fell in love with is Mr. Lincoln. When I taught at the University of Oregon, I was friends with the President of the University and his wife, Peg, who were both philosophers. Peg knew that I loved flowers and would invite me to help her tend the rose garden at the president's house, something I truly enjoyed. One of the bushes was  Mr. Lincoln, a wonderfully fragrant and very substantial rose. I'm not sure whether it was love at first sight or first sniff; but almost 20 years later, I can still say that this magnificent crimson red rose is one of my very favorites.

    Mr. Lincoln was first introduced in 1964 and is still being sold; so it is a well-known and time-tested variety. It is a hybrid tea rose which gives it certain distinctive characteristics. Hybrid teas are sometimes known as florist roses because they make excellent cutting roses as a single, fragrant, high-centered rose is borne on each stem. Mr. Lincoln's dark red blooms can be up to 6" across bearing around 35 petals each.  In bright sun, the blooms have a tendency to develop a blueish cast as is common in dark red roses. Mr. Lincoln roses have a strong perfume-like scent that reminds me of what is missing in so many modern flowers. A typical Mr. Lincoln rose bush can get to be 4' across and 5-6' tall. This variety works well in a rose garden or at the back of a border just as long as it receives full sun and plenty of air circulation. It is generally not used as a landscape rose because it does not have a particularly bushy growth habit. Hybrid teas tend to be tend to have long stems, but can otherwise appear somewhat sparse. They often require severe pruning after a harsh winter. 

    The deep green, leathery foliage of Mr. Lincoln, like that of many hybrid teas can develop powdery mildew. Powdery mildew looks like a white or grey dust on the leaves and should be treated as soon as it appears. My great-Uncle Bill was a rosarian in Scotland. The one tip that I remember him passing along was that a gardener should pour her dishwater over her roses bushes every morning. The mild solution of detergent in water acts as a dessicant, helping to remove surface moisture that might otherwise allow an infection to take hold on the plants' leaves and buds. Do you have a favorite rose variety or rose growing tip?  

     I don't often read short stories, but every now and then I find that they are just what I am in the mood for, especially when I travel.
    Set in and around Churchill Downs, the short stories in Derby Rotten Scoundrels take the reader into a world where fast horses and wealthy society attract a miscellany of undesirable elements running the gamut from pickpockets to murderers.

    These entertaining mysteries, written by members of the Ohio River Valley Chapter of Sisters in Crime, are interspersed with interesting bits of history of the Kentucky Derby and the culture that surrounds it. Pass along your short story recommendations. 

    Described by the author as a "true-life novel", Half Broke Horses is  based on the life of Walls' maternal grandmother, the amazingly resourceful Lily Casey Smith. Lily's life was hard from the get go. She was born in  a one room dugout along a riverbank in West Texas in 1901. By an age 5, she was helping her partially disabled father train carriage horse teams. Eventually the family moved to New Mexico where 11 year old Lily learned to run a ranch. Though the work seemed never ending, Lily learned how to get by in life, going on to become a pony-racing, poker-playing school teacher, maid, wife, bootlegger, mother, pilot and rather eccentric woman. While I can't imagine living Lily's life, it was fascinating to read about this woman who in someways was a product of her time and in others ahead of it.
    Jeanette Walls based the book largely on stories told to her by her mother, Rose Mary Walls, memorable from Jeanette's first book, The Glass Castle. You might think of Half Broke Horses as a prequel to The Glass Castle in that it helps one to understand in part how Rose Mary turned out the way that she did.
    This book has been recommended to me by several guests and I thought that with the importance of horses and ponies in Lily Casey's life that it would fit in well with this month's newsletter. Pass along your book recommendations.  

     Mint Julep is the official libation of the Kentucky Derby. The keys to making a good Mint Julep are (1) using a good bourbon, (2) using homemade mint infused simple syrup or fresh mint, and (3) being light handed in sweetening the drink.

Cousin Todd's Mint Julep by the Glass

Fill a 6 ounce cup with shaved ice.*
Pour in 1/2 oz homemade mint infused simple syrup.
Pour in 2 oz Bourbon.
Add splash of club soda.
Stir with two short drink straws and leave them in.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.  

*Todd recommends using an ice shaver. Commercial grade machines are quite expensive, but home versions can be purchased for $25 - $35. Thanks for the recipe and the tip, Todd!

Muddled Mint Variation: instead of using mint infused simple syrup, muddle 1 1/2 tsp. of superfine or powdered sugar and 6 leaves of fresh mint with crushed ice in the bottom of a glass and then top with bourbon and, optionally, club soda. When you muddle the mint and sugar with the ice, you are basically making a mint syrup in the bottom of the glass.    

Mint Juleps by the Bottle  

(good for a party) 

Shaved or finely crushed ice

Club soda, optional

Mint leaves for garnish 

      Pour the bourbon into a large glass pitcher. Stir in mint infused simple syrup until bourbon has desired sweetness. (The intensity of the mint flavor and aroma will vary from batch to batch of mint syrup.) Refrigerate overnight or for up to several months. 

     To serve, pack chilled glasses - or, if following tradition, silver cups - with ice until very close to full. Insert short straws into the ice. Then fill  glasses with flavored bourbon, and if desired, a splash of club soda. Garnish with mint sprigs. (The point of the short straw is to bring one's nose into proximity with the mint when sipping the drink.)  If using silver cups, serve with napkins wrapped around the bases, allowing the sides of the cups to stay frosty. 

Flavorful Variations: Since a Mint Julep is like a bourbon version of a Mojito, think of flavored mojitos for your inspiration and add a dash of fruit juice or fruit syrup (e.g. peach, cranberry or blackberry) to your julep.  

This can be made up to 2 months ahead of time. 

2 c. fresh mint leaves* 

1 c. sugar
1 c. water  

    Wash the mint leaves and place them in a large bowl. Combine the sugar and water in a non-stick pan and warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot but not boiling and the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the sugar mixture over the mint leaves. Let sit for 5 to15 minutes. Strain out the mint leaves and squeeze them into the syrup. Pour syrup into a bottle. Refrigerate until using.   

*Spearmint is traditional, but your can make variations on your syrup by using orange, lemon or lime mint for a twist on the original. 

     Bourbon is a type of Whiskey; and whiskeys have a fairly complicated taxonomy. There are four basic types of whiskey: Scotch; Irish; American; and Canadian. Bourbon, sometimes called Kentucky Bourbon, is a type of American Whiskey right alongside Tennessee Whiskey, Rye, and American Blended. Berheim Original Small Batch Straight Wheat Whiskey, which has a very soft mouth feel as far as whiskeys go, is for now in its own category since it is the only American all wheat whiskey.
     In 1964, an act of Congress declared bourbon "a distinctive product of the United States," meaning that to be called 'bourbon' a whiskey must be produced in the U.S. Even though legally bourbon can me produced in any state, just as long as it meets certain requirements, bourbon is named after Bourbon County, Kentucky and the vast majority of bourbons do still come from Kentucky.  What distinguishes one type of whiskey from another, however, is not just where it is distilled. Whiskeys are distinct in their mashbill, how they are distilled and how they are aged.
     The mashbill for bourbon is at least 51% corn, though 70% is typical, with the remainder consisting of wheat, rye, and/or malted barley.  Bourbons that contain rye tend to be spicier and those that contain wheat sweeter. Once Bourbon is distilled it is aged in new, charred oak barrels which give bourbon its color and contribute to its flavor.  Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and oak flavors are considered to be typical of bourbon. But make no mistake, bourbon is a whiskey and not a sweet liquor. Bourbon that is aged for at least two to four years and has no added colors, flavors, or spirits maybe called Straight Bourbon.    

     So how to bourbons differ in flavor from other whiskeys?  I'm far from a whiskey expert - I'd rather enjoy it in a cocktail than drink it straight. Nevertheless, here's what I know. Tennessee whiskeys tend to have a light taste of charcoal due a filtering process in which the whiskey drips through sugar-maple charcoal. Ryes are spicier and more bitter. Blended whiskeys are at least 20% straight whiskey blended with neutral grain spirits and have no defining character, the character depending on each individual blend. Scotch whiskys - there is no 'e' in whisky if it is Scotch - are smoky due to the process in which the malted barley is dried over a peat-fire. Irish whiskey is produced without the use of smoke and so lacks the characteristic flavor of Scotch, yet it is not as sweet as Bourbon (since Irish whiskey is barley-based, usually using both malted and unmalted barley) and has more of a honey flavor than the vanilla and caramel that one finds in Bourbon. Canadian whiskeys are generally blended and lighter bodied than other whiskeys are thus are considered more versatile for mixed drinks.  

     For reviews of various bourbons, go to bourbonenthusiast.com or bluekitchen.net. A few good labels to look for are Four Roses,  Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, and Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Which is best? That's entirely personal and depends on how it is consumed (e.g. neat v. in a cocktail or used in recipes). Some friends, Bill, and I went to an American Whiskey tasting at Four Olives recently (which is where I took the photo above). There were six of us at the table. We tasted 5 whiskeys, including 2 bourbons, and, with one person abstaining from voting, no two of us like the same whiskey/bourbon best. 

Manhattan Farmers Markets 

    From May 1st through October 31st, Manhattan Farmers Market is open on Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. downtown at the corner of Humboldt and 5th Street and on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. in Cico Park. Featuring seasonal produce, eggs, locally raised meats, baked goods, flowers, and art work, the farmers markets are a fun way to shop for (mostly) local goods.  

Bike Week and Other Cycling Events  

 May 1st: Kickoff Event, Manhattan City Park
May 2nd: Bike to Lunch, Rock-a-Belly-Deli
May 3rd: Race, Anderson Hall
May 4th: KSU Bike Day
May 5th: Bike to the Movies, Carmike Cinemas
May 6th: Beginners Mountain Ride, Big Poppi  Bicycle Company
May 7th: Mayor's Ride, starts at City Hall, ends at Bluestem Bistro
May 1st - 7th: Commuter's Challenge May 21st: Cycle Casa 2011, Annenberg Park, Shelter #1
May 22nd: Dirty Little Secret MTB Race, Randolph Park

Barbecue Ideas Wanted

Mint Julep Rose Special 

    To make your stay - or an important someone's stay - extra special, add our special Mint Julep Rose arrangement, a dozen roses in a silver-plated Mint Julep cup. $45 plus tax. (The special is good until we sell out of Mint Julep cups. Rose color subject to availability.)  Order here. 

Fancy Hat Special 

    Are you someone who loves hats? Unless you have a British wedding or a Derby party to attend, you might not have anywhere to wear one ... that is, unless you stay at The Morning Star. Wear a fancy hat to breakfast some May morning, just for fun, and receive a free gift. Men you can get in on this too; but baseball caps don't count, no matter how fancy. ($10 value.  Limit one gift per room/stay.) Make your reservation. 

Dates to Remember

through June 11th: Kansas Masters Invitational, Strecker-Nelson Gallery

May 1st, 5th, and 8th: Seussical the Musical, Manhattan Arts Center

May 1st: Thomas Fox Averill, Manhattan Public Library

May 4th: Get 'Round to It, Cico Park

May 6th: Ted Vigil's Tribute to John Denver, C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City

May 7th: The Aluminum Show, McCain Auditorium

May 7th: Kentucky Derby

May 8th: Mother's Day

May 8th: Flint Hills Masterworks Chorale Spring Concert, 1st Methodist Church

May 8th: Iris Day, KSU Gardens

May 13th: Kansas Heart, Manhattan Arts Center

May 13th and 14th: KSU Graduation Ceremonies 

May 14th: Arthritis Walk, City Park Pavillion

May 14th: Give It Up for Good (Community Yard Sale to Benefit Local Charities), 615 S. 11th St.

May 17th: Kansas 150 Lecture, "Pillsbury: the Man, the Bridge, and the Crossing" by Cheryl Collins, Manhattan Public Library  

May 21st: Textile Education Day, Beach Museum

May 21st: Rock Springs Wildflower Walk  

May 30th: Memorial Day 

Congratulations Graduates

Four Morning Star employees are graduating from KSU next week. Bill and I would like to wish the best to Travis, Sarah, Katherine and Jaimie. Good luck to the four of you and to all of the new KSU graduates out there! 

Links of Interest