Instructions: I avoided bourbon until the day I had a mint julep with brunch at Commanders Palace, the justly famous old New Orleans restaurant.

The mint julep, of course, is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, which will be run on Saturday in Louisville, Ky. But the drink is popular throughout the South as a cold refresher.

That first julep was like a snow cone - sugary, mint-flavored ice with an adult depth. I could taste the bourbon, but the alcoholic burn was completely absent. A warm, happy feeling crept over me, and it lasted the rest of the morning.

When I got home, I went to the liquor store for a big bottle of Makers Mark, then to the nursery for a pot of peppermint.

I did learn to make juleps, but the big bottle sat, half-empty, until I learned something else: Bourbon isnt just for juleps. It marries well with other flavors, in savory braised meats and rich desserts, as well as in warming drinks. Bourbons complex, sweet, roasted, fruity and floral flavors go well with other things that are slightly sweet and complex, such as dried fruit, roasted foods and chocolate. It also makes a good match for contrasting herbal and spice notes.

This weekend, though, belongs to the julep: 80,000 will be served at Churchill Downs, site of the famous horse race, and thousands more will be stirred up around the country. They are almost as easy to make as to drink. A good mint julep is simply four ingredients properly treated: simple syrup, crushed ice, fresh mint and bourbon. The syrup - sugar and water - can be made months in advance.

Bourbon is named for Bourbon County, Ky., and Kentucky produces the lions share of that uniquely American whiskey. Like other whiskeys, bourbon is distilled from cooked, fermented grain and aged in barrels. What distinguishes bourbon is the grain mixture - at least 51 percent corn - and the fact that the aging barrels are charred on the inside.

I made juleps until summer and the julep urge passed. Then friends visited on New Years Eve, and we searched the pantry for something fun to raise in our glasses. We turned up the bourbon. It was too cold for mint juleps, and anyway, we didnt have any mint. We looked up hot toddies in the Joy of Cooking, which said to mix hot water, sugar and whatever strong spirit we had with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. They tasted spicy, warm and comforting, and made a delicious toast.

I began experimenting with other toddies. In the most successful, the tingle of ginger plays behind the sweetness of bourbon and honey.

Next, bourbons deep, complicated aura made me think, stew. Most stews already include elements that harmonize with the rich and varied taste of bourbon. Browned onions, as well as meat, contain caramelized sugar, paralleling the toasty sugar flavors of good bourbon. Tomatoes and root vegetables have other kinds of sweetness.

I braised lamb shanks with Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. The peppercorns have a mild spiciness that accents the sweet ingredients. Star anise has a sweetish, licorice scent.

Bourbon is a natural choice for desserts because it smells and tastes like fancy vanilla sugar. Bourbon balls, often served at Christmastime, are a well-known example. I set out to transform a French chocolate whiskey cake

(invented by Simone Beck, co-author with Julia Child of Mastering the Art of French Cooking) into brownies, easier to make and less special-occasion.

Good chocolate is the key ingredient, but its assisted by an unusual addition: prunes. They stay in the background but contribute moisture and fruitiness that leavens the heaviness of the chocolate.

I still dont drink bourbon straight, but I have now consumed more than my quota - by eating it.

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