Elegant Orange "Go Vols" Tablescape

Today's tablescape is dedicated to my dear friend, David Keith and the story below. I hope you will take the time to learn more about a project that is near and dear to this Tennessee boy's heart. For those of you not from Tennessee and familiar with SEC football - the University of Tennessee is known as the Big Orange and the "T" is a highly recognized symbol of the university located in Knoxville. Go Vols! Cheers Coach Lane Kiffin and all the great athletes who pass through the UT system. "There's nothing like it. Running through the T at Neyland Stadium to thousands cheering with the Pride of the Southland Band blasting the UT fight song. It's awesome." John Murphy (Vol Tight End and my brother.)

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Quarterbacking the Noblest Sport in the World - David Keith

Monday I had lunch with a dear friend. You may have seen him in An Officer and a Gentleman, Firestarter, Heartbreak Hotel, Law and Order or in any of hundreds of roles – David Keith is an actor. But this week he was a man with a cause and a steadfast conviction – The National Organization to PROTECT Children.

David is the epitome of the Alpha Male, never content to passively support a cause, but by definition, the sheer allure of his personality garners others to follow. Watch his PROTECT presentation; hear his plea and you too will sign on the dotted line. Sure I’ve heard of child porn and molestation, but I never thought of it as a mom and pop business, have you?

According to recent statistics, the level of child porn in the USA today is astounding. Even babies in diapers are tortured and raped! Some people pimp homemade pornographic movies of their children for others to download. I had no idea this kind of stuff was going on much less rampant. I had no idea that there were “How To” manuals to introduce or coax children into this hell on earth. I had no idea that these sadistic minds produced videos narrated by children telling pedophiles how to abuse them and not get caught. I had no idea that nearly a million people fed on this filth.

David is working to change the laws in our country to protect children. He is working to assist law enforcement and special task forces already in place to secure what they need to bring these horrific criminals to justice. Members of Congress have responded, led in part by Senator Joe Biden with bipartisan support because they heard the call by constituents, teachers, counselors, local and state law enforcement, and even Oprah to help PROTECT Children.

Legislation in over 30 states gives preferential treatment to sexual predators who “grow their own victims.” PROTECT has overturned these laws in 6 states, and even in California where the budget deficit is staggering, David convenienced Governor Schwarzenegger to find the money for the PROTECT child rescue programs.

Yes, one person can make a difference and everyone should try. At a corner table in an Irish pub on the Capitol corridor, David and a PROTECT staffer sat down with agents from the FBI and ICE asking what they needed to do their job. Authorities could only investigate 2% of the thousands of known crime scenes. The PROTECT Act of 2008 was the largest crime bill in Congress, naysayers snickered. Two years later PROTECT became the law of the land. More children are being rescued, more pedophiles are receiving longer sentences, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Aggressive fighting for the right,” Teddy Roosevelt said, “is the noblest sport the world affords.”

I’m becoming a member of PROTECT and so can you http://www.protect.org. I am also helping David, Tennessee Titan Coach Jeff Fisher, Martina McBride, Sony BMG president Joe Galante and a few others with a fundraiser in Nashville. David always dreamed of being a UT quarterback, well now he’s gotten a bigger gig quarterbacking the noblest sport in the world. It's a starring role and one he was destined to play. Go David!

Please help David Keith and PROTECT spread the word through your blogs, emails and organizations. You are welcome to use any of this post. I greatly appreciate your assistance.

Paper Plates Like Nobody's Business

There are so many fabulous paper plates to choose from and I like to use them with chargers, glasses, linens and silverware for informal parties. Why not? These are anything but the flimsy plain white paper plates of yesteryear!

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Quintessentially Derby Juleps and Roses

Horseracing fans are entering the homestretch toward the running of the 135rd Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs on May 2. Whether you can attend the most exciting two minutes in sport or not, you can enjoy a Julep and get a taste of Kentucky at its best.

The Mint Julep became the signature drink on the first Saturday in May in 1938 when they started to serve the drink in souvenir glasses for 75 cents at the Derby. Today Kentucky Derby serves more than 80,000 juleps over the two-day event.

The Mint Julep

3 ounces Bourbon
6 Fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

Crushed ice

Muddle mint leaves with superfine sugar and a little water in a mint julep cup. Fill the cup with ice. Pour bourbon and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

The rose garland for the Kentucky Derby winner is a tradition which began in 1896 when Ben Brush was given a floral arrangement of white and pink roses for winning and in 1904 the red rose became the Derby's official flower. In 1925, a New York sports columnist who was later the president of Churchill Downs, dubbed the Kentucky Derby the "Run for the Roses," a term still used today. The current form of garland was established in 1932.

Each year, a garland of over 554 Classy red roses are hand sewn into a green satin backing with the seal of the Commonwealth on one end and the twin spires of Churchill Downs and number of the running on the other. The process begins the afternoon of Derby Eve when three Kroger floral designers begin the 8-10 hour task. The garland is 2 1/2 yards long, 14 inches wide and weighs 45 pounds. Each garland is also adorned with a "Crown" of roses, green fern and ribbon. With a single rose pointing upward in the center of the "Crown," it is symbolic of the struggle and heart necessary to reach the winners' circle. The winning jockey also receives a bouquet of 60 long stemmed roses wrapped in ten yards of ribbon.

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B.B., Obama, and Sugar Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Lucilles

Like the President, he favors butter pecan ice cream, like millions he tests his blood sugar every day, but like no other he is the most recognized bluesman on the planet. The son of Mississippi Delta sharecroppers, Riley B. King, was born in 1925 and with the help of “Lucille” has influenced virtually every electric guitar player of his generation and beyond.
Leaving the Delta behind, the 21 year old no longer wanted to pick cotton with his mother for $10 a month. But he took with him, that soulful and bluesy field song rhythm. Singing allowed him to overcome his childhood stuttering and was his ticket to the big city. As a Memphis singer and DJ, he gained the nickname,"Beale Street Blues Boy", later shortened to "B.B."
King was playing an Arkansas dance hall in 1949 when two men got into a fight and knocked over the kerosene heater, causing an explosion. He escaped but went back into the burning building to retrieve his beloved $30 guitar. The next day, King learned the fire which killed two people started with a fight over a woman named Lucille. He named that first guitar and all successors, Lucille, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women. To this day, Lucille is the mistress to B.B. King.
They say to play the blues you have to understand pain," says B.B. King as spokesman for painless diabetes testing and management products. He has lived with Type II diabetes for over twenty years and is a passionate spokesman in the fight for a cure.
He uses the same work ethic that established him as a Hall of Famer to stay in the best possible health. And he does all of this while maintaining a grueling tour schedule that this year will take him across the US and Europe. Diagnosed 25 years ago, he admits at first he knew little about this disease that had claimed both his parents. He soon learned that he could control it by testing and taking medications and decided that diabetes was something he could live with.
The King of the Blues has played in excess of 15,000 performances, released over 80 albums, traveled to 90 countries, and shared the stage with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Eric Clapton, U2, Stevie Wonder and John Lee Hooker.
The high school dropout has received honorary doctorates from Yale University and the Berklee College of Music. He’s been inducted into both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And like the President, he still finds butter pecan ice cream hard to resist.

Creamy and Sugar Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream

3/4 cup pecans ; 1 ½ tablespoons butter; 2 cups heavy cream; ½ cup milk ; ¾ cup DaVinci Praline sugar free syrup; 1/3 cup Splenda; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt;3 large egg yolks ;1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coarsely chop pecans. In a skillet melt butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Toast pecans in butter, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Cool pecans and chill in a sealable plastic bag. Buttered pecans may be made 3 days ahead and chilled.

In a heavy saucepan mix cream, Splenda, milk, praline syrup, and salt; bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a bowl beat yolks until smooth. Add hot cream mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170° F. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Stir in extract. Chill custard, its surface covered with plastic wrap, at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 1 day.

Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer ice cream to a bowl and fold in chilled pecans. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.

Lucilles
3 tablespoons DaVinci Praline Sugar Free Syrup
Additional chopped nuts for garnish
½ cup pecans, toasted
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup oat flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ pound (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into ¼ inch chunks
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind up the nuts to a coarse powder, pulsing on and off to ensure that they don’t become over processed. Add the flours, butter, spices and salt; pulse until evenly combined to a cornmeal-like consistency. Add 3 tablespoons of the syrup and mix with a fork just until the dough begins to hold together. Do not over mix. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4” and cut into small guitars or stars. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the cookie tops lightly with additional syrup and sprinkle with additional chopped nuts. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and just brown on the edges. Cool on a rack.

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Epitome of Southern Comfort Food

The simple blend known as pimento cheese is the epitome of comfort food. It is so ingrained in the lives of most Southerners that it’s hard to imagine that it exist only in the South. A pimento cheese sandwich on white bread (usually with the crust cut off) has long been a staple of any table south of the Mason Dixon line, at picnics, church pot luck suppers, or as funeral food. This authentic Southern delicacy has been around since the beginning of the 20th century and every good cook has their own recipe. If you aren't familiar with jars of pimento, it's just roasted red pepper - remove the chared skin and use about half the pepper or to taste. Oh if you've never tasted this legendary concoction, honey child you owe it to yourself!

Southern Pimento Cheese

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar

8 ounces American cheese or white cheddar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 ounce jar of whole pimentos

1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash of onion powder

Dash red pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Blend pimentos and cheese in food processor until well blended. Add dry ingredients and mayonnaise and blend. Last add Worcestershire sauce. Add more mayonnaise as needed for preferred consistency. Scrape sides of bowl to ensure well-blended texture.

Cooked Pimento Cheese

2 tablespoons sugar;3 tablespoons mayonnaise;1 small jar pimentos, chopped; 2 tablespoons butter;1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice;1/4 cup milk;1 pound Velveeta cheese

Combine in medium saucepan, all ingredients except pimentos. Cut cheese into small blocks and let melt over medium heat with other ingredients in saucepan. When cheese is melted combine pimentos with mixture. Stir and store in the refrigerator.

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Jack Daniel's Distiller Dinner with Fudge Pie

My friend, Jeff Arnett, is sure doing his hometown proud all around the world these days. This Jackson native was named Master Distiller for Jack Daniel about a year ago. Jeff is only the seventh Master Distiller in the company’s history. The Master Distiller oversees the entire whiskey-making process of milling, yeasting, fermentation, distillation, charcoal mellowing and maturation. Wow that’s a mouthful.

Do you know the difference in Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and bourbon? It’s the charcoal filters that it passes through, just like some people filter their drinking water to remove impurities. What’s left is a smooth caramel flavored whiskey made from corn and spring water in Lynchburg TN, population 361.
This time last year I hosted a dinner with Jeff as our honored guest and he led us through a tasting of Black Jack, Gentleman Jack and Single Barrel. My favorite was the Gentleman Jack, the smoothest of the three premium whiskeys. Jeff’s favorite is the Single Barrel which has more of a punch to it. Did you know that if you taste the whiskey by sticking just the tip of your tongue in the glass that it will taste really sweet? That’s because your sweet taste buds are located there. You can actually use Jack Daniel’s to cook with in place of vanilla flavoring.

Jack Daniel’s Fudge Pie
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup Jack Daniels*
1 refrigerated unbaked pie crust, pressed into 9-inch pie pan
Powdered sugar and whipped cream for serving
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler. Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and flour. Whisk to combine. Whisk in Jack Daniels and reserved chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake for 25 minutes until puffed, set and slightly crusty on top. Cool completely before serving. Sprinkle the pie with powdered sugar and serve with spiked whipped cream if desired.
*This pie bakes at an unusually high temperature to create its ultra-creamy interior and contrasting crusty exterior. Substitute orange juice or water with 1 teaspoon vanilla, if preferred.

M E N U
Barbecued Tripp Country Ham

on Hot Water Corn Cakes with Tomato Marmalade

Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket with Jack Daniel's Sauce

World Champion Baby Back Ribs

Corn Pudding, Slaw, Potato Salad, Corn Light Bread

Jack Daniel's Fudge Pie, TN Whiskey Mocha Creme Brulee

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Soul Burgers, Juke Joint and Ghosts

One of my favorite fun haunts is a stone's throw from the Mississippi River in Memphis. After some of the swankiest parties and hottest tickets in town, if you moize on down to Ernestine and Hazel's joint, chances are you'll be at the after party, celebrities and tourist alike. Oh Lordy, you haven't lived until you've downed one of their juicy Soul Burgers in the wee hours of the morning. Sure there's a secret recipe, it's cooked on a grill that is flavored with enough years to garner it retirement. And some say this legendary bar serves up two kinds of spirits. Some from a bottle, and some from beyond!

A noisy brothel once thrived upstairs and a couple of barflies have apparently turned out to be ghosts. It's just a turn of the century pharmacy turned bar where the doors swing open at five but the real action doesn't heat up until midnight. Watch as Soul Burgers are cooked to order behind the bar. Won't you have one more beer and think about all those who have been within these four walls over time. Honky tonk angels and society mavens alike are belly up to the bar side by side. Rendezvous ended, hearts mended, songs written - God only knows! It can happen at Ernestine and Hazel's.

The jukebox churns that Memphis sound and beckons you to the dance floor. Those in the know venture upstairs into various rooms bathed in dim blue suede light and furnished with retro vinyl sofas and rummage sale tables. Don't let your mind wander to what took place here, just listen to the piano music drifting down the hall. Ray Charles hung out here in the 50's - could it be what gave Elvis, Isaac Hayes, Al Green and Justin their Memphis groove?

Keep poking around and in a room lit by the bar's neon sign outside the window you'll find Nate, the bartender who's just...well...waiting for you, who cares the time. He's been around since the Roaring Twenties and doesn't have any plans for moving on. If you want to talk, he'll listen, if not, chances are he's heard it before. Drink up, drown your sorrows, muster up the nerve for what faces you tomorrow, or just sit there. Either way, Nate's there but if you dare to engage this genteel old soul in conversation, listen closely and don't miss a thing. No one knows it or can tell it like he does about souls in this world and beyond.
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Hydrangeas and Highballs

Nashville’s Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum hosted a really chic cocktail fling this weekend, 'Hydrangeas and Highballs' at the mansion built by the Cheek Family, founders of Maxwell House Coffee. The acclaimed San Rafael Band played the night away as guests enjoyed high end cocktails, fabulous hors d’oeuvres, and were treated to some of the lush flowers and plants which had been wintering in the greenhouses. Oh it was blue skies and gorgeous, such fun!

Yellow Cab
1 Part Vanilla Liqueur
2 Parts Pineapple Juice
1 Part Vodka
Squeeze of Lemon
Shake all ingredients over ice; pour into a highball glass filled with ice.

Sassy Blonde
2 oz Lemon vodka
2 oz Pineapple juice
1/4 oz Orange liqueur
Champagne
Shake well, strain into a flute, fill with champagne, and serve.

Yellow Parrot
4 parts pineapple juice
3 parts rum
1 part crème de banana
1 part apricot brandy
½ part lime juice
Oh so simple, but oh so tasty. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add everything else. Shake, shake, shake and pour it all into a highball glass. Garnish with a wedge of banana or pineapple. A couple of these and you’ll be repeating salty phrases like a parrot with turrets syndrome.

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