All About Oysters

Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett has planned a series of oyster tastings, starting this evening from 5 to 7 p.m. and continuing on the next three Thursdays in June. Fresh oysters, supplied by the West Robins Oyster Company in Southampton, will be served with beverages and the farm’s house-made mignonettes. The cost is $75. Later this summer, representatives of West Robins will teach a three-week course on creating a sustainable oyster culture and on proper shucking techniques. The fee for the course is $450. 

Il Mulino Is Open

A branch of Il Mulino, a chain of upscale Italian restaurants in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Nashville, and other major cities, opened in Wainscott last weekend. The dinner menu includes langostino and Dover sole as well as classic Italian dishes such as chicken parmigiana, veal piccata, and assorted pizzas and pastas. The restaurant plans to offer lunch service in July.

Montauk Great White

The Montauk Wine Company is offering two new wines for the 2018 season, aptly named Montauk Summer Rosé and Montauk Great White. The wines are crafted from grapes grown on the North Fork. The rosé is a blend of syrah, malbec, and merlot grapes; the white blends viognier, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and riesling. The wines are available at wine shops throughout the Hamptons and in New York City.

Father’s Day Specials

In honor of Father’s Day on Sunday, Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton will be adding à la carte specials to its brunch and dinner menus. The specials include sea scallop crudo, $20; porchetta, $46, and chocolate cheesecake, $16. 

 The Father’s Day dinner specials at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton will include a jumbo shrimp and clam cocktail for $18, poached lobster and hanger steak for $39, and a malted-milk chocolate ice cream sandwich for $12. 

Wine Dinner

Next Thursday at 6:30 p.m., the Maidstone in East Hampton will hold a dinner featuring wines from Paumanok Vineyards. On the menu are such offerings as tilefish ceviche, filet mignon, and house-made sorbet. The price is $165 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant. 

Happy Hour

Harbor Bistro in East Hampton is offering daily food and drink specials from 5 to 7 p.m. The $6 drinks include a selection of wines, “sunset rum punch,” and fresh fruit sangria. The $8 food menu features clams, oysters, Greek salad with flatbread, chicken potstickers, and house-made guacamole with chips.

Eric Ripert’s autobiography “32 Yolks” and Peter Gethers’s culinary memoir “My Mother’s Kitchen” are similar in many ways and distinctly different in others. Both men come from prosperous families with strong mothers and colorful fathers. Early influences for Mr. Ripert were the gardens tended by his father and grandparents in the South of France and Andorra, and meeting a chef named Jacques at a very young age. His book is humble and modest, his childhood somewhat harrowing, and it covers his life from early childhood to the moment he first comes to America to work for Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Gethers’s book is brilliant and darkly funny at times. It covers his family’s history and a time in his life when his mother was mostly incapacitated by a series of strokes. It was during this time that he attempted to cook her favorite dishes for her, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. The recipes range from the simplest, matzo brei, to the ridiculously complicated, salmon coulibiac from Spago and quail with rhubarb from Yotam Ottolenghi. His mother, suffering from aphasia (loss of speech due to brain damage), comes alive and is able to find her words when her son cooks for her. It is touching, happy, and sad all at once.

Eric Ripert’s father was a banker and his mother owned fashionable boutiques. They divorced when Eric was young, and forever after he pined for his father, who died of a heart attack when he was 11. His mother remarried a man who became a layabout around the house, constantly taunting and occasionally beating the young boy. His mother, after working long days six days a week at her shop, would cook elaborate meals for the family, always with a dessert, starched linens, and fresh flowers. This was the only pleasure in her son’s life: good food. After school, he started hanging out in the kitchen of Chez Jacques. Jacques never put him to work, he just let Eric sit on the counter, gobbling baba au rhum and chocolate mousse and peppering him with questions.

“Proust had his madeleine and because of Jacques, I have my mousse. Every time I dig into a bowl of that chocolate velvet, I am a kid again, running to Chez Jacques after school. It is the taste of friendship. It is the taste of belly laughs, and war stories, and the memory of a man who could jump out of planes and make a leg of lamb with equal amounts of skill and ardor. But more than anything, chocolate mousse is the taste of being welcomed; of Chez Jacques, where for me, the door was always open.”

When his mother and stepfather find out there is no room at a nearby military school, Eric is shipped off to a Catholic boarding school at the age of 8, because he is “turbulent, hyper, ‘espiegle,’ mischievous.” Here, a priest who seems to be a father figure/mentor attempts to molest him. These experiences are interspersed with rhapsodic reveries about dishes and farmers markets and grandparents’ gardens and memorable meals, as if he doesn’t want us to be too traumatized by what he suffered through.

After culinary school and a stint at one restaurant, he ends up in Paris (at the ripe young age of 19) at Joel Robuchon’s Jamin. The time spent there was brutal and punishing; everything had to be made from scratch, twice a day. Mr. Robuchon had already earned two Michelin stars and was aiming for a third. The title of the book, “32 Yolks,” is inspired by Mr. Ripert’s first attempts at hollandaise sauce. He messes it up several times, while Mr. Robuchon screams at him “Thirty-two yolks! Thirty-two yolks!”

After serving time in the military, which he finds exceptionally relaxing compared to the Jamin kitchen, he returns for more abuse and works his way through various stations at the restaurant. Believing it is virtually impossible to accomplish all the mise en place (prep work, “everything in its place”), he starts to hide various prepped vegetables, rabbit terrines, and sauces from his boss. He has constant nightmares about ducks. At one point, Mr. Robuchon tells the chefs to peel individual peas and remove the tiny sprouts inside. He also begins keeping a log of their bathroom breaks. Mr. Ripert cheekily filled in the log: “Ripert: 2:00-2:07, pee-pee. Ripert: 4:27-4:31, caca.” The log disappeared shortly after.

By the end of the book, Mr. Ripert is about to take off for America to cook for the late, great Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington. Perhaps there will be another book from him someday, about his staggeringly long and successful career up to now, as head chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin. What we learn from “32 Yolks” is his philosophy on food and whether you get the best results from your staff by abuse or by encouragement. Mr. Ripert learned from both and he chose the path of honor and encouragement.

Peter Gethers’s mother, Judy, came from a restaurant family. Her father owned Ratner’s, the iconic kosher dairy restaurant on the Lower East Side. But it wasn’t until later in life that she became a cook, teacher, and author. Mr. Gethers, a playwright, editor, screenwriter, producer, and author, wrote this memoir while his mother was slowly fading away from a series of strokes, and eventually cancer. Mother and son always bonded over food. When he was young they would bake cakes together. His was full of mud and random toys. When it was time to bake it, his mother would send him off to nap time. When he awoke, his cake had miraculously turned out perfectly.

When Mr. Gethers starts to prepare his mother’s first favorite meal, in a series of three, she becomes alert and bossy, correcting him on the amount of water to use to soak the matzo. The matzo brei turns out very much to her liking, they eat it together with cherry jam, and she pronounces it “as good as I remember. It felt authentic.” He writes: “Watching her lick the last remaining bit of cherry preserve off a knuckle on her left hand, I must admit, I felt authentic, too.”

His foray into eggs Benedict got a bit more complicated. He hates following directions, apparently. But Judy declared this “delicious.” Another success.

The lunch menu she chose was celeri remoulade, chocolate pudding (a childhood favorite of his made by his nanny, Louise Trotty), Joel Robuchon’s mashed potatoes, and Yotam Ottolenghi’s quail with rhubarb sauce. (At this point I should warn the reader to buy this book for the words, not the recipes, necessarily. They are a bit inaccurate. The remoulade calls for one and a quarter celery roots, but this is too vague, as they come in many sizes. Also, the mashed potato recipe calls for one pound of butter per two pounds of potatoes. Mr. Gethers calls this two sticks of butter, but it’s actually four.)

His mother enjoys the celeri remoulade but declares the mashed potatoes lumpy. Oh, well. Before his next foray tackling her favorite dinner recipes, he takes a knife-skills class. After successfully learning these basics, he goes to his mother’s apartment to demonstrate his newfound talents. “I performed for my mom as if I were an eight-year-old Penn and Teller, amazing my audience with this view into a world of magic where few dared to tread. When I was done, my mom smiled. I’m not sure she was impressed. But I am sure she was pleased.”

The final meal was elaborate and not one that his mother was able to enjoy. But Mr. Gethers learned a lot along the way, about himself, about his mother, and about food. “Food is not a be-all and end-all. It doesn’t provide meaning, though it does provide pleasure. Nothing that provides pleasure can do so in a vacuum. It is sharing our pleasure that provides REAL pleasure.”

At some point in “32 Yolks,” Mr. Ripert says that cooking meat “brings out your soul, fish brings out your elegance,” meaning that meat is pretty much solid and malleable, whereas fish can be delicate and one must be carefully respectful. 

Which brings us to Joe Gurrera’s “Joe Knows Fish.” Mr. Gurrera is the owner of Citarella and this new book is an excellent primer for those who fear buying, seasoning, and cooking seafood. The book is nicely designed and meant to be for beginners, but it would be useful in any kitchen. There are helpful hints called “Joe Says,” a few side dish and sauce recipes, and lots of tantalizing pictures and stories.

While some may know Citarella locally as a convenient and reasonable, well-stocked gourmet store with three locations in our area, it originally began as a small seafood shop on the Upper West Side. When Mr. Gurrera bought it in 1983, he expanded it to include cheeses, meats, produce, and more gourmet items. The rest is history. The Citarella markets throughout the Northeast sell over two million pounds of fish per year.

The best advice in the book? Joe’s Number One rule: “Never overcook your fish! It’s a rookie mistake that inevitably leads to poor results.” Buy this book for your scaredy-cat friends.

Reading “32 Yolks” and “My Mother’s Kitchen” back to back was a true joy. In completely different ways, Mr. Ripert and Mr. Gethers tell us, no, REMIND us, that food is the bond that connects us to family, friends, places, and experiences. Taste is our strongest sense memory, and these gentlemen have shared theirs, from the funny to the difficult, the heartbreaking, and the glorious.

Ramp Chimichurri

Go ahead and make pesto with ramps but I would suggest stretching them with other greens like spinach, watercress, or parsley. They are also good simply grilled alongside asparagus with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Here is a recipe for chimichurri, try this on grilled meats or vegetables.

1 bunch ramps (about 10-12)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Separate leaves from bulbs and chop both coarsely. Put bulbs in food processor and blend until minced. Add rest of ingredients and puree until smooth.

Ramp Butter

If you grill the ramps beforehand, this will give the butter a milder, smoky flavor.

Makes 1 cup

2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, softened

1/2 lb. ramps, minced

Salt and pepper

Cream butter in a mixer with paddle attachment. Add minced ramps and salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.

Transfer mixture to waxed paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap, and roll into a cylinder, twisting ends to seal. Wrap this in foil and either refrigerate for a few weeks or freeze for up to six months. 

Asparagus Ramp Soup

Serves four to six. 

2 tsp. neutral oil

1 bunch (approx. 12) ramps, cleaned and chopped, bulbs separated from green tops

1 medium waxy potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Splash of white wine

Salt and pepper

4 cups vegetable stock

Lime juice to taste

Sauté ramp bulbs in oil for a few minutes, then add potato, asparagus, and cayenne. Sauté a few minutes more, then add white wine. Cook down for a few minutes, until asparagus is bright green. Season with salt and pepper.

Add stock and cook soup for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 

Puree in blender, adding lime juice to taste.

Serve topped with homemade croutons and/or extra blanched asparagus tips.

Mother’s Day Specials

For Mother’s Day on Sunday, the Harbor Bistro in East Hampton will serve a brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet items will include made-to-order omelettes, blueberry pancakes, eggs Benedict, broiled fluke, and prime rib. There will also be a raw bar. The cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children, plus tax and gratuity.

Navy Beach in Montauk will offer a three-course prix fixe lunch menu from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The featured dishes include clam and corn chowder, tortilla salad, and crispy skate with baby kale, marble potatoes, and a remoulade. Moms will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or mimosa with their meals. The cost is $48 per person, plus tax and gratuity. 

Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton will serve a la carte specials for brunch and dinner. The special appetizer will be prawns with sweet pea puree and spring onions for $22. The entree will be roasted sea bass with shaved asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, preserved lemon, and a romesco sauce for $32 at brunch and $42 at dinner. 

At Rowdy Hall in East Hampton a number of la carte specials will be offered during dinner service on Mother’s Day. The special appetizer will be a tuna and preserved lemon bulgar tartare with crispy Jerusalem artichoke chips for $16. The entree will be pan-roasted sea scallops with a sweet pea puree and grilled ramps for $30.

The Backyard restaurant at Solé East in Montauk will serve a brunch buffet Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quiches, smoked salmon, top sirloin with a chimichurri sauce, and pesto pasta are among the offerings. Adults will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or mimosa. The cost is $46 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under, and free for children 4 and under.

The Coast Kitchen at the Montauk Yacht Club will serve brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Diners will be able to order from an omelette station, a carving station with a choice of prime rib or roasted turkey, and a chef’s table with dishes including herb-crusted cod, chicken fricasee, and cheese tortellini. There will also be a raw bar and a kid-centric station featuring chicken fingers and mac and cheese. The cost is $39.99, plus tax and gratuity for adults, $15.99 for children 12 and under, and free for children 5 and under. 

The restaurant at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor will serve Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to traditional brunch dishes, menu items will include roasted leg of lamb, herb-oil-poached cod, and grilled octopus. The price is $45 for adults and $18 for children. 

The Springs Tavern will serve brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Breakfast items will include avocado toast, eggs Benedict, and biscuits and gravy. Among the lunch items will be a B.L.T. and a crispy chicken sandwich. Moms will receive complimentary mimosas. 

Calissa in Water Mill will open for the season on Friday and will institute a brunch service from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Sunday. The Mother’s Day menu options will include a lamb B.L.T. on rosemary focaccia, French toast with walnut Greek yogurt Chantilly cream, and lobster bucatini. There will also be an Aperol spritz bar. Starting Memorial Day, Calissa will start an outdoor marketplace called the Agora, with vendors selling jewelry, eyewear, and other items.  

Reservations are by calling the restaurants.

At the Eagle

The featured artist at Wednesday’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — will be Janet Jennings, a painter who will demonstrate her approach to creating moody skies and landscapes. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle on North Main Street in East Hampton and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75 and includes the class, supplies, dinner, tax, and tip. Advance registration is on the store’s website; participants have until noon on Monday to register. 

Also on the Menu

Townline BBQ in Sagaponack will host an evening of barbecue, whiskey, and cigars on Tuesday starting at 6. A selection of whiskeys from the Dalmore Principal Collection will be served with the restaurant’s fare, and a Dalmore representative will provide details about the liquors. Diners will also receive a specially rolled signature cigar from Manhattan’s SoHo Cigar Bar. The cost is $100, including tax and gratuity. Reservations are by calling the restaurant. 

Starting this weekend, Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett will serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Baker House 1650 in East Hampton will hold a rosé tasting featuring wines from Wolffer Estate Vineyard in its garden tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. Light snacks will be served. The cost is $40. Tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com.

Highway Pop-Up

The Highway Restaurant and Bar in East Hampton will share its space with Shuko Beach, a pop-up Japanese restaurant, on Friday and Saturday evenings this summer (Thursday night service will be added in August). 

Starting July 6, the pop-up, an offshoot of Manhattan’s Shuko restaurant, will operate a six-seat chef’s counter offering a sushi omakase menu, that is, a selection of sushi chosen by the chef. There will be three nightly seatings at the counter — at 6, 8, and 10 — and the menu will include a vinegar-based Sunomono starter course, followed by a 16-piece sushi progression. The cost will be $150 per person. 

Highway’s dining room will also serve Shuko Beach’s creations, offering curated bento boxes for dine-in or takeout. A regular bento box, which serves two people, will feature 12 pieces of sushi and two rolls for $180. The large bento box, which serves four, will include 24 pieces of sushi and four rolls for $360. Reservations for Shuko Beach open in June on resy.com. 

Open for the Season

Beacon in Sag Harbor will open for its 20th season this evening at 5:30. The restaurant will serve dinner Wednesday through Sunday. 

Duryea’s Lobster Deck in Montauk is now open every day except Tuesday. Its hours are noon to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The fish market is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the farmers market is open Wednesday through Monday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Memorial Day, the restaurant and markets will be open daily. 

The Surfside Inn restaurant in Montauk will reopen for the season next Thursday. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. every day except Wednesdays. 

The East Hampton Farmers Market, which is entering its 13th season, will be held tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Nick and Toni’s. The market will take place every Friday, rain or shine, through Sept. 7.

Navy Beach Fund-Raiser

Looking ahead, Navy Beach in Montauk will hold a cocktail party benefit for the Navy SEAL Foundation on June 16 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

This weekend, the restaurant is open for dinner Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Hours expand for Memorial Day weekend.

The fund-raiser on June 16 will feature snacks and cocktails from the restaurant’s menu. Rear Adm. Tom W. Steffens, who served 34 years as a Navy SEAL before retirement, will be in attendance and offering remarks. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle. The cost is $50 for adults, $25 for veterans, and free for children under 16. Reservations are at [email protected].

Rosé All Day

Pierre’s in Bridgehampton will hold a blind taste-test of rosé wines from around the world on Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. The cost is $25 in advance, $40 at the door. Reservations are by calling the restaurant.

Wainscott Main will hold a spring rosé preview with 80 wines from around the world on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Artists’ Table

Tickets are on sale for a farm-to-table meal that will feature a presentation by an arts collective known as House of Trees on June 10 from noon to 2 p.m at the Watermill Center. The food will be prepared by Jason Weiner, the chef and co-owner of Almond in Bridgehampton. House of Trees, the Watermill Center’s artists-in-residence, is a group focused on engaging the public with contemporary art through the creation of murals, installations, and performances. Tickets are $100 and available for purchase on eventbrite.com.

Dining at Dusk

Harbor Bistro in East Hampton has introduced a daily, three course prix-fixe sunset menu served from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the dining room and all evening at the bar. Entree choices include Hibachi-style salmon, orecchiette with clams, pork tenderloin schnitzel, and a burger made from a blend of Kobe beef brisket, boneless short rib, and prime chuck.

Breakers News

Leyla Marchetto, one of the owners of Navy Beach, has taken charge of the All Day cafe and bar at the Breakers motel in Montauk. The restaurant will open tomorrow for Memorial Day weekend and will feature menu items such as avocado toast, an acai bowl, crispy fish tacos, a tuna bowl, and a short rib blend burger. The beverage menu will feature Toby’s Estate coffee and cold brew, Plain T tea (both hot and cold), plus beer, wine, and cocktails. The cafe will be open this weekend from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and plans to keep those hours seven days a week by mid-June. 

This Week at the Eagle

The featured artist at Wednesday’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — will be Roisin Bateman, who will lead a pastels workshop. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle on North Main Street in East Hampton and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75 and includes the class, supplies, dinner, tax, and tip. Advance registration is on the store’s website; participants have until noon on Monday to register. 

Sharing Is Caring

O’Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub at the Tipperary Inn in Montauk is offering a two-dinner special for $46.95 on Mondays starting at 5 p.m. The price includes soup or salad and a choice of entrees such as sirloin steak, chicken Parmigiana, salmon, ribs, fish and chips, and pasta.

Update on Lulu

Lulu Kitchen and Bar in Sag Harbor, which has been closed in the aftermath of a fire in its ductwork on April 12, is planning to reopen in early May. 

Another Restaurant Week

Long Island Restaurant Week will begin on Sunday and continue through April 29. Participating restaurants on the East End and beyond will offer three-course prix fixe menus for $28.95 per person. Local restaurants offering the deal will include Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, Wolffer Kitchen in Sag Harbor and Amagansett, Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor, and Le Charlot and Union Cantina in Southampton. A full list of participating restaurants elsewhere on the Island is on the Long Island Restaurant Week website.

Taste of Tuckahoe

Tickets are on sale for the annual Taste of Tuckahoe, which will take place Friday, April 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. at 230 Elm in Southampton. The event will feature food from a variety of restaurants, including Suki Zuki in Water Mill, Centro in Hampton Bays, and the North Sea Tavern and Raw Bar, as well as wine from Palmer Vineyards, and local beers. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door, and can be purchased online at tasteoftuckahoe.com. Proceeds will benefit the Tuckahoe School District’s parent-teacher organization. 

This Week at the Eagle

The featured speaker at Wednesday’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — will be Julia Davis, a perfumer and an artist who incorporates scents into her work. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle on North Main Street in East Hampton and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75 and includes the class, dinner, tax, and tip. Advance registration is on the store’s website.  

Seasonal Schedules

Harbor Bistro on Three Mile Harbor will open for the season today at 5 p.m. The restaurant will serve dinner Thursday through Sunday.

Navy Beach in Montauk opens Friday, April 27, at 5 p.m. The restaurant will serve dinner Friday through Sunday, and lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Stuart’s Seafood Market is now open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Clam Bar at Napeague is open for the season but on a weather-dependent basis. Customers are encouraged to call the restaurant before heading out. 

Rosé Soiree

Wainscott Main Wine and Spirits will hold a workshop focusing on rosés on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The class will introduce students to rosés produced outside of the Provence region of France, the area most associated with the wine. Advance registration is by calling the store. 

Long Island Restaurant Week

As a reminder, Long Island Restaurant Week continues through Sunday at participating restaurants on the East End and farther afield. On the South Fork, the $28.95 prix fixe will be available at Le Charlot and Union Cantina in Southampton, Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor, Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, and Wolffer Kitchens in Amagansett and Sag Harbor. 

At Hayground

There will be one less farmers market to frequent this summer. After 9 years, the Hayground School in Bridgehampton has announced that it will no longer hold a Friday afternoon farmers market on its grounds. “We reached this extraordinarily tough conclusion in the face of a dwindling number of vendors,” wrote Tony Hitchock, the school’s treasurer, in a press release, and the decision was reinforced by the departure of the school’s market manager, Ella Engel-Snow. 

This Week at the Eagle

The featured speaker at Wednesday’s A Night Out With event — a collaboration between the Golden Eagle Studio and Nick and Toni’s restaurant in East Hampton — will be Jane Martin, a multimedia artist. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Eagle on North Main Street in East Hampton and will be followed by a two-course dinner at the restaurant next door. The cost is $75 and includes the class, dinner, tax, and tip. Advance registration is on the store’s website; participants will have until noon on Monday to register.

Saturday is the 144th Kentucky Derby, a.k.a. Run for the Roses, dubbed “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” I love horses and I love the Kentucky Derby. I start to study the field about a week ahead of the race, which is pointless for a novice like me, because as Charlie Whittingham, a trainer, once said “racehorses are like strawberries, they can go bad overnight.” 

Between the time I wrote this, the time you pick up your paper, and the post time (6:34 p.m. Saturday) everything will have changed.

Derby Day is also an excuse to polish the silver julep cups, whip up some Southern food, specifically burgoo, hot browns, and Derby pie, and muddle some spearmint in bourbon in preparation for that most deadly of cocktails, the mint julep. If this drink is too strong for you, there is also the Oaks Lily, or Blush Lily, basically a version of the Cosmopolitan. Last year at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., over 120,000 mint juleps were served and about 40,000 Blush Lilys.

Ninety percent of the ladies who attend the Derby wear big, flowery hats. It’s all about hats, horses, and hooch!

While living in Virginia, one of our best friends was Lisa Thompson, a born and bred Louisvillian. Her father, Buddy, raised thoroughbreds and had a bourbon distillery. She is one of the best cooks I know, and worked at a horse hospital near their farm in Leesburg, so she and her husband, Johnnie, really know their stuff when it comes to the Derby.

If you want to host a Derby party, just about any Southern food will do: deviled eggs, ham biscuits, fried chicken, greasy beans, tea sandwiches, cheese straws, pimento cheese spread, bourbon balls. The aforementioned Kentucky “hot brown” is more of a late-night-after-dancing-til-1-a.m. dish. Lisa would often serve this for Sunday lunches.

While researching recipes for this dish (named after the Brown Hotel in Louisville), I came across some ridiculous variations. You do not put pimentos on the sandwich, nor should you make the Mornay with heavy cream. Oof. Basically, it is Texas toast (thick toasted white bread), topped with roast turkey breast, sliced tomatoes, and Mornay sauce, with crisp slices of bacon crisscrossed on the top. A garnish of chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkling of paprika give this somewhat unattractive dish some pinkies-in-the-air class . . . I suppose.

In the 1920s, over 1,000 guests would attend the Brown Hotel’s nightly dinner dance. After hours of dancing, they’d wander into the restaurant for ham and eggs, but that became boring after a while. The chef, Fred Schmidt, is credited with the open-faced sandwich invention. The Mornay sauce should be simple bechamel to which you add grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Kentucky burgoo is another classic Derby day dish, it consists of three meats — usually pork, beef chuck, and chicken — combined with corn, lima beans, onions, carrots, celery, and okra. Like many Southern dishes, it is cooked and cooked and cooked in a big cast- iron kettle until it is a thick brown concoction. They say “a burgoo is just a stew if you can’t stand a spoon up in it.”

To make a Derby pie, simply follow your favorite recipe for pecan pie and add about three-quarters cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the pecan filling before baking. Don’t have time? Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton makes a fine version of it.

For those who don’t give a hoot (or a hoof) about the Kentucky Derby, Saturday is also Cinco de Mayo. This is the annual celebration of the Mexican army’s victory over the French empire at the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.

Get your avocados today so they’ll be ripe enough to make guacamole on Saturday. Some other menu ideas are queso fundido, a rich, cheesy dip, red chile chicken enchiladas, chipotle shrimp tostadas, pork carnitas, margaritas, and a simple and silky caramel flan.

When I place a bet on a horse on Saturday, it may be for no other reason than his or her name, or the color of the jockey’s silks. I’m rooting for Mendelssohn, because I have a crush on the actor Ben Mendelsohn, who played a bad guy on Netflix’s “Bloodline.” But Bolt D’Oro’s jockey, Victor Espinoza, will be wearing some snappy orange and purple silks, so maybe I’ll root for him.

Here are some recipes to inspire you for the most exciting two minutes.

Click for recipes