Jay D's Bites: Molasses Mustard Salmon

by Aimee Tortorich

Salmon is one of those proteins that never gets old and can be prepared multiple ways. It has amazing health benefits with vital nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, B12, and Vitamin D. Naturally, salmon works very well mustard so it was a no-brainer when we decided to use Jay D’s Molasses Mustard. The sweetness from the molasses pairs well with the tanginess of the mustard and adds a perfect touch of flavor to salmon while the rub gives it a spicy, smokey kick.

Molasses Mustard Salmon

Yield 4-6 servings

4 salmon filets
1/4 cup Jay D’s Molasses Mustard
1 Tbs of Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix mustard and rub together and set aside. Pat salmon filets dry and place skin side down on an oiled, foil-lined sheet pan. Add the Spicy & Sweet Rub/Molasses Mustard mixture to the tops of the filets and bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.

Celebrating a SOUPer Holiday: National Homemade Soup Day

by Sarah Grimball, intern

If you’re anything like us, you believe that homemade soup is the epitome of comfort food. In honor of National Homemade Soup Day, we are taking a trip down memory lane to revisit some of the best soups we’ve made and have been served throughout the years.

Whether made by our own hand or by the hands of chefs we love, these soups have taken us to taste bud heaven:

Smoked Creole Tomato Soup

Momofuku Ramen from Momofuku Noodle Bar

Squash Curry

It's a chicken curry and @supreme_rice Jasmine rice kind of day! What kind of recipes have you made with Jasmine rice? #tastelouisiana #eatlocal #curry #foodpics

A photo posted by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jan 4, 2017 at 9:57am PST

Pho from Dang's

Gumbo

Working on a chicken and sausage gumbo with @slapyamama and @supreme_rice for @ron.aguirre_otr and company at the @tommy.talley residence. Happy rainy new year!

A photo posted by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jan 2, 2017 at 5:48pm PST

Sancocho in Santo Domingo

Duck, Duck, Whisk: A Coffee Cake Recipe to Quack About

by Sarah Grimball, intern

I hosted Christmas at my house for the first time this year. My uncle came bearing an unexpected gift: duck eggs. I did some research; and it turns out that duck eggs are awesome not only for eating, but for baking. You can use them the exact same way that you use chicken eggs: scrambled, fried, poached or for baking. They have twice the nutritional value of a chicken egg and stay fresh longer due to their thicker shell. They’re also more rich, with higher levels of Albumen – also known as egg white -- which makes cakes and pastries fluffier and rich in flavor. Not wanting to waste my opportunity, I had to make a delicious coffee cake.

Fresh Duck Eggs

As previously stated, this was the first time that I had ever looked at a duck egg, much less cooked with one. The eggs have a different look than a regular ‘ole chicken egg. Off-white and sometimes speckled with brown spots, they are a lot larger than your typical egg. I noticed that the egg was a lot harder to crack because of its thick shell, and the yolk was an orange color that was totally unlike any chicken egg I’d ever seen. I’ve made plenty of cakes before, but the colors and textures here were so new and unlike anything else. 

A slice of Duck Egg and Brown Butter Coffee Cake with a cup of Jay D's Single Origin Coffee

If you are new to baking, it is important to note that you want to make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature. Using room temperature eggs means that the eggs will disperse more evenly into the batter and allow for even cooking and a lighter texture. To quickly bring your eggs to room temperature, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10- 15 minutes.

Duck Egg and Brown Butter Coffee Cake

Yield: 12 Servings Time: 1 hour

For the Cake: 

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 large duck eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

For the topping:

3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 3/4 Tbs cinnamon
2/3 cups chopped walnuts

For the icing:

½ cup Powder sugar
2 Tbs milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter and flour a 9" circular baking pan. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, in another separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and vanilla. Turn the mixer on low and alternate between adding the flour mixture and sour cream mixture. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan.

To make the topping you will need to simply combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and walnuts in a bowl and stir to mix well. Sprinkle half of the mixture on the batter and then pour in the rest of the batter into the pan. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the topping mixture onto the cake.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. While the cake is cooling mix together the powder sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle the icing onto the cake and enjoy.


These types of cakes are typically accompanied by some type of beverage such as tea or coffee. We of course are biased towards Jay D’s Single Origin Coffee; so when it came down to tasting it, we paired it with that. Let us know if you are going to try out this recipe or try to get your hands on some duck eggs at your local farmer’s market. We’d love to see your creations on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Beers with Chuck: Heady Topper from The Alchemist

by Chuck P

There are beers and there are BEERS. You know what I’m talking about? There are a select few amazing beers out in the world that are just absolute must haves. They’re the ones that taste like no other and are placed upon pedestals far above the heads of every other beer. On the West coast, most would say that beer would be Russian River’s Pliny The Elder, a one of a kind Double IPA that assaults the taste buds with a mouthful of hops. Most craft beer geeks would offer up the family pet and whatever cash they can to get just one bottle of this California nectar.

The Alchemist’s Heady Topper is, I believe, the East coast equivalent out of Stowe, Vermont.

Heady Topper by The Alchemist

Like the legendary East coast/West coast rap battles of the 90’s, Heady and Pliny have long been at the top of the list as the best Double IPAs made today and everyone debates as to who the true champ is. As far as I know, there’s never been a clear victor in this debate similar to the battle between Biggie and Tupac (pour one out).

Whereas Pliny carries one hell of a hop bomb on the pallet, Heady comes at you with a hop wall that washes over your tongue but finishes amazingly clean. It’s fruity, piney and all around delicious. The lingering hop feel on the back end lingers a while in the best way. Words don’t do justice to how delicious this beer truly is.

So, here’s my verdict. If I had a bottle of Pliny and a can of Heady Topper in front of me and was told I could only have one, I’d go for Heady Topper every time and twice on Sundays.

That’s not to say I don’t like Pliny The Elder. It’s a fantastic beer that I’m always happy to receive when one happens to come my way. Neither of these beers are distributed in Louisiana which makes them as coveted as the Holy Grail or actually seeing Bigfoot.

I’m sure there will be a lot of people who won’t agree with me and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of the craft beer world. We’re a passionate lot who are quick to jump on anyone who can’t understand our passion for one of our favorite brews.

This classic clash of the titans makes for some interesting debates online and that’s the geekiness and glory of craft beer.

That’s the passion I feel for Heady Topper. To me, it’s the be all end all of IPAs and you’re not going to tell me otherwise so as soon as you come to terms with how wrong you are we can go about our day.

Cheers!

Jay D's Bites: Molasses Mustard Roasted Cauliflower

by Aimee Tortorich

Cauliflower is the new kale and we are coming at you full force with this yummy recipe using Jay D’s Molasses Mustard. The molasses in the mustard caramelizes to add a nice crunch after roasting. Super easy and quick to prepare, this dish will surely be a winner for those post-Mardi Gras diets!

Molasses Mustard Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4-6

1 large head of cauliflower
1 Tbs garlic olive oil
¼ cup Jay D’s Molasses Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and trim the stem to be flush with the bottom of the cauliflower so it sits flat. Mix together the garlic olive oil and Jay D's Molasses Mustard and gently brush on outer layer of cauliflower. 

 Season with salt and pepper. Roast for roughly 1 hour or until you can easily pierce with a knife. Cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces florets for serving.