Cooking Culture with Stephany Novoa

To call Stephany Novoa a prodigy wouldn't be an overstatement. The Sous Chef at Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine in Baton Rouge balances being a full-time business student at LSU with her culinary career and family life.

Stephany (far right) stands behind the prep table in this behind-the-scenes shot with other featured LCI chefs

Stephany grew up cooking with her Honduran family, though her mother wasn't initially pleased with her culinary ambitions.

Stephany is one of LCI's great success stories. She's young, ambitious, and helping mold Baton Rouge's restaurant culture.

Check out this video, made by tommystv in conjunction with Visit Baton Rouge and LCI, to learn more about Stephany!

Cooking Culture with Chef Traci Vincent

By now you're probably familiar with the Cooking Culture series we made with tommysTV featuring Visit Baton Rouge and four successful Louisiana Culinary Institute graduates.

Chef Traci Vincent was the first LCI student we interviewed. Her openness, her warm personality, and her great sense of humor proved her the perfect Cooking Culture candidate.

Chef Traci Vincent displaying her culinary chops for the cameras at Louisiana Culinary Institute 

The Baton Rouge native discovered her passion for cooking Louisiana cuisine when she was working in Washington, D.C. She missed home, and she missed the food she grew up with, so she started cooking for herself and for her friends.

She moved back home, enrolled at LCI, and the rest you can watch here:

Cooking Culture with Chef Ryan Andre'

Earlier this year, Team Bite and Booze had the opportunity to collaborate with Visit Baton Rouge, TommysTV, and a handful of Louisiana Culinary Institute graduates to showcase the ever-growing food scene in the capital city.

Behind the scenes during the filming of Cooking Culture at City Pork Brasserie and Bar with Chef Ryan Andre'

For the first video in the series, we sat down with Chef Ryan Andre' to learn about his journey to becoming a chef and what he hopes to bring to the Baton Rouge culinary scene.

Signage leading to the City Pork kitchen

We learned that each of these chefs came into the culinary world from different backgrounds and circumstances, and each of the featured chefs contributes their own unique cuisine to Baton Rouge.

Filming, scripting, and getting to watch these talented chefs do what they do best was quite an experience.

Be sure to check out all four of the Cooking Culture videos.

A Lifetime of Achievement...& Sausage! The BRES honors Manda CEO with a pre-Fête Rouge Dinner

The Baton Rouge Epicurean Society does a lot of amazing work for childhood nutrition in the area, and we just heard that at their Annual Awards Dinner they'll be honoring the co-owner and CEO of Manda Fine Meats, Robert "Bobby" Yarborough! Congratulations, dude! We love Manda sausage.

This year's honorees at a luncheon, with Yarborough in the center. Can you spot one of our Women in Booze, Dori Murvin? 

The Baton Rouge native has dedicated much of his life to serving the community, notably through his support of organizations like the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Family Road, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and the Baton Rouge General Hospital.

The honor couldn't be going to a more deserving guy.

Yarborough will be honored with the Grace ‘Mama’ Marino Lifetime Achievement Award on August 27, 2015, at the Annual Awards Dinner held at L’Auberge Hotel & Casino.

A seven-course dinner will be served in his honor by local area chefs and will feature a selection of fine wines paired with each course. The dinner kicks off the Fête Rouge Weekend, which showcases prominent Baton Rouge area chefs and some of the finest wines from around the world.

Tickets are $200 per person or $1,600 for a table of eight. For more information and tickets to the festival, check out www.feterougebr.com.

Red Hot Ember: Dining at L'Auberge Lake Charles' Steakhouse

I've really come to appreciate Lake Charles through my recent travels to their corner of Louisiana. There's way more going on amid the rice and crawfish ponds than even the natives give themselves credit for. And with a thriving casino industry bringing folks in from Texas as well as some huge industrial developments, I can only imagine that the next couple years will really see Lake Charles shine. I've had the pleasure of staying at the L'Auberge Casino and Resort quite a few times, and I'm no rookie at dining at their steakhouse, either. The Ember Grille & Wine Bar helmed by Chef Mark Chapman routinely puts out some amazing food. This past August I attended the Travel Media Showcase in Lake Charles which brought food bloggers and travel destinations from across the country to Southwest Louisiana. It's essentially a place to get to know fellow travel journalists and mingle with destination marketers, possibly planning out some future culinary adventures. If they are anywhere close to being as tasty as this one, I'll be delighted!

The Ember Prime "Tomahawk": 40 oz. Ribeye Carved Table-side

The night before the Showcase began we were treated to dinner at Ember, which once again has never failed to impress. Here's a collection of the evening's dishes. I went ahead and started this blog post with their signature steak, the 40oz prime tomahawk ribeye, carved tableside. Many other dishes follow below, each providing their own signature styles and flavors. I'd try to pick a favorite, but that's nearly impossible. I'll give you a hint though, one of the dishes made the list of the 10 best things I ate in 2014! That isn't meant to take away from the rest of these plates of beauty, though!

American Kobe Beef Carpaccio: Fried Capers, Scallions, Mustard Oil, Creamy Horseradish, Shaved Reggiano Parmesan

Quail & Waffle: Herb and Roasted Garlic Savory Waffle,
Tahitian Vanilla Infused Maples Syrup

BBQ Pecan-Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: Aged Smoked Cheddar Grits,
Candied Onion Shoot

Lamb Lollichops: Tzatziki Dipping Sauce, Gremolata Vinaigrette

Ember Salad Trio

Stuffed Rabbit Loin: Pancetta Wrapped, Potato Purée, Natural Jus

Japanese Kobe Strip Loin

Photos by Dan Jones with tommysTV.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: The Fountain Lounge at the Roosevelt

I had the pleasure of staying in the historic Roosevelt Hotel when the Bite and Booze Radio Show last hit New Orleans. More famously known for it's lobby that is frozen in time and the legendary Sazerac Bar, the Roosevelt is also the home to the Fountain Lounge. Chef Mark Majorie set us up with some of their Happy Hour bites and libations, which are only $6 on Tuesday-Sunday 4-6pm. This is a perfect bite to grab if you're in the neighborhood and there's free parking parking anytime you're dining in the Fountain Lounge! Take a listen to the show and check out the pictures of the food below:


A classic play of sweet and savory, these sweet potato bacon beignets hit the spot. The beignets themselves have a subtle sweetness and are like light puffy pillows. The crunch of the bacon adds a nice layer of textures and the pecan aioli ties everything together. There's no need for dessert when you can share this dish!

Sweet Potato Bacon Beignets over a Natchitoches Pecan Aioli

Brussels sprouts, radish, almonds, and more at the Fountain Lounge

The beauty of The Fountain Lounge's summer Happy Hour is that you can stroll around the hot streets of New Orleans and pop in at the Fountain lounge and have a beverage as you do in New Orleans and also have a light and refreshing dish (for an affordable price). This tuna tartar was crisp and fresh with the perfect acidity and texture layers. The fermented red pepper paste brings the dish a little flare that rounds out the flavors. There are some seriously tasty dishes coming out of Chef Majorie's kitchen.

Ahi Tuna Charred and Tartar'd over a Fermented Red Pepper Paste with Pickled Ruston Peaches and Grilled Scallions

This dish is such a fun combination of flavors! I know it's weird to think of eating pork belly and fresh watermelon in the same bite, but think of it as the salt some sprinkle on their watermelon wedges in the summer. The saltiness of the tender pork belly really harmonizes with the fresh watermelon. I will definitely be back to have this dish again!

Star Anise Pork Belly with Fresh Watermelon, Local Radish, and Ponzu Dressing

Dolce Vita: Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Chef Bogdan and I in front of his Nepalese oven made with the clay of Mt. Vesuvius!

Taking the Bite and Booze Radio Show on the road to New Orleans meant a visit to my old buddy Chef Bogdan at Dolce Vita Wood Fired Pizza. You may know him better as the fiery Romanian that had a Baton Rouge food truck with a wood fired brick oven inside his trailer. When he was in Baton Rouge, Chef Bogdan played on our curiosity to lure us in and then earned his way into our souls with his charming personality and ridiculously delicious pizza. Unfortunately for us, his trailer got mixed up in two separate accidents, neither of which were his fault, and while he and his team continue the search for the perfect brick and mortar location in Baton Rouge, Dolce Vita is currently open on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. We were there recently to record an episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket with Blair Loup, Charles Pierce, Jeff Herman, and of course, the always quotable Chef Bogdan:

Bianca: Mozzarella, Gorganzola, Reggiano, Fresh Mozzarellam, Capicola, and Proscuitto

Margherita: Fresh Basil and Cheese

Le Foret: Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Jumbo Seared Scallops Topped with Ghost Pepper Caviar

I took the Bite and Booze Radio Show on the road to New Orleans with my buddy Chuck P. from the Me and My Big Mouth Radio Show and my Chief Confusion Coordinator Blair Loup to tear up the town. One of our first stops brought us to Le Foret, a fine dining restaurant located on 129 Camp Street. Upon walking in to the restaurant, my eyes we drawn to the beautiful art pieces and large wine cellar. The dining room is bright and refreshing and each wall has a really cool piece of art the owners get from a gallery up the road.

Take a listen to the show and salivate with us as we feast on these amazing dishes.




Chef Brandon Felder prepared a couple of his starters for us. The first was classic New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Massive, succulent shrimp set atop a fried grit cake were enveloped in an Abita Beer Sauce. The rich sauce layered with spices finished smoothly with a bite of the creamy grit cake.

Louisiana BBQ Shrimp

Something else to start with is the Truffled Gnocchi. Gnocchi has a very potato-ey texture which pairs well with a creamy sauce. Chef chose a crawfish Parmesan cream sauce. Asparagus tips, corn and wild mushrooms offered a little bite and balance both texture and flavor-wise.

Truffled Gnocchi

Chef Felder showing off the fresh soft shell crab

Next out of the kitchen came perhaps the most beautiful dish I've seen. The colors added a lot of character to the plate and the dish composed with classic flavors we bold and fun together. Sweet Louisiana soft shell crab straight out of the water that morning set atop a savory corn maque choux accompanied by a peppery arugula salad made for a refreshing, satisfying dish.

Louisiana Soft Shell Crab Crusted in Cornmeal

The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM and replays Sundays at 8 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The show is hosted by Jay Ducote and won a Taste Award in January 2014 as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country. The producer of the show is Chris Courtney at Guaranty Broadcasting and the field producer is Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Show. It is also available on iTunes. The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Portico Restaurant and Bar, Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, Le Creole Restaurant, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.

Big Chefs in Small Towns: Country Roads Magazine Names 2014's Best Small Town Chefs

Country Roads Magazine in conjunction with Triumph Kitchen is awarding the Best Small Town Chefs Award for the first time ever. There are many great chefs that go unnoticed in small town settings around the state, so Country Roads and Triumph Kitchen decided to change that! Three restaurants are represented in the inaugural awards: Chefs Keith and Nealy Frents of LOLA (Covington), Chefs Cody and Samantha Carroll of Hot Tails (New Roads), and Chef Jeremy Langlois of Houmas House (Darrow) are this year's Small Town Chefs.

A celebration of their work will be displayed at a special dinner on June 26th featuring passed hors d'oeuvres by Triumph Kitchen and Louisiana Culinary Institute students and a tasting style menu showcasing signature dishes by each Best of Small Town Chefs of 2014. Wine pairings, live music by Kirk Holder, and tours of the LCI Demonstration Kitchens are on the list of activities at this inaugural event.

Early bird tickets for the event are on sale now until the end of May for $65 and enter you in a drawing for a free leisure class at LCI. After May 31st tickets are $75. Proceeds benefit the efforts of Triumph Kitchen.

Seriously Playful Food: Bread & Circus Provisions is a Welcomed Wildcard in the Lafayette Culinary Scene

The Chop Block Melt on Rye: Pork Cheek Pastrami, Corned Beef & Smoked Beef Tongue,
Slaw, Swiss and Celery Salt Mayo. Pictured with a Swamp Pop Noble Cane Cola.

Bread and Circus Provisions started out providing different preserves and sauces at a farmers market in Lafayette, LA. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, they now grace a new brick and mortar location that packs a lot of character. The term Bread & Circus comes from a Roman method of politically appeasing the masses, not with good policy, but instead with distractions such as food or entertainment.

Co-Owner and Chef Manny Augello prepping for dinner service

Inside you'll find a hostess stand/bar combo, shelves of their homemade preserves and sauces as well ask books about Lafayette's culinary scene and dinner series, a fresh cooler full of local veggies, a fridge full of Swamp Pop and a dining room full of atmosphere.

Owners Manny Augello and Abi Falgout are dedicated to sharing their love of food with Acadiana and it doesn't just come through, it slaps you in the face. Their infectious personalities and passion for what they do make their slamming food monumental in this community. I had the fortune of stopping by Bread & Circus while filming the Louisiana Culinary Trails project for Louisiana Travel. The place filled up quickly for dinner service packed and the food was rolling. I can definitely say that if you're looking for great, local, modern and amazing cuisine and environment, you need to check out Bread & Circus.

Pictured at the top of the post is a hearty, but tastefully balanced lunch. The Chop Block Melt, composed with different cuts of meat such as Pork Cheek Pastrami, Corned Beef & Smoked Beef Tongue, that provide savory and salty elements while the sandwich finishes with a fresh slaw gives that crisp clean crunch.

If you're a big fan of Asian style soups this is the one for you. The Boneless Pork Rib Ramen has a broth that knocks your flavor socks off. Rich, but light at the same time; the savory tones from the pork spark up garlic spikes throughout sips. The udon noodles and sprouts absorb the flavor well while the pickled quail egg has a tiny kick that sends the dish over the top.

Boneless Pork Rib Ramen: Soy Braised, Miso Broth, Udon Noodles, Pickled Quail Egg and Sprouts.

If you aren't used to eating things like beef tongue and lamb heart, don't be freaked out. The Braised Heart Tacos are reminiscent beef fajitas with a stew meat-type texture and sautéed onions. The feta is saltier than a normal taco cheese and brightens up the dish. Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime and you've got a fiesta!

Braised Heart Taco: Slow Cooked Lamb Heart, Cilantro, Curtido, Lime, and Feta.
Pictured with a Parish Brewing Co. Canebrake.

Chef Manny Augello cares about his diners. To prove it he makes each batch of noodles for the House-Made Pasta Carbonara fresh to order. Some say that's crazy, I say it's genius...and delicious. Savory, cheesy, tangy. Get it and stick your head through the window to watch him make the pasta by hand, from scratch, and to order.

House-Made Pasta* Carbonara: Pork Cheek, Black Pepper Butter, Pea Shoots, Goat's Milk Cheddar, and Toasted Breadcrumbs. *Pasta Noodles made Fresh to order.

PCP Home Fries. Translation: cheese fries on steroids. Instead of the basic popular girl, bacon, Bread & Circus chose the sexy cool nerd with more substance: pork cheek pastrami. Topped with tangy swiss and a garlicky finish, these fries are more than satisfactory.

PCP Home Fries: Pork Cheek Pastrami, Garlic, Smoked Meat Gravy, and Melted Swiss.

Not your mom's charcuterie board, Bread & Circus keeps a well curated selection of cuts for their board lovers. The saltiness of the meats with the cream of the mozzarella provides your taste buds with balance... add stone ground mustard for a zingy surprise! 

B&C Charcuterie Board: Stone Ground Mustard, Fresh Mozzarella, Assorted cuts of Pork, and Salmon.

Crispy-tarty goodness, Fried Green Tomatoes at Bread & Circus Provisions is the best combination of this classic dish I've had in quite some time. The natural tanginess of the tomatoes and the smooth savory tasso tartar sauce sustains this perpetual mouth yin and yang...until it's gone.

Fried Green Tomatoes: Panko Crusted, Tasso Tartar Sauce, and Crab Claw Relish.

Don't be afraid of the rawness or the slightly-different-than-what-you're-used-to texture of the Lamb Tartar. The lamb is mixed with sweet red onions and spices that lend a hand to this creatively yet literally plated dish. Creaminess from the raw quail egg yolk acts as a thicker substance and tangy Tabasco house mayo kicks the flavors up another notch. Slap on some crunchy rye bread and it's a date. I love lamb.

Lamb Tartar: Raw Finely Diced Lamp, Tabasco House Mayo, Raw Quail Egg and Onion on Rye.

Going with the Grain Pop Up Dinner in Crowley, LA

One of the many large silos at the Cajun Country Rice Mill
in Crowley, LA

A few weeks ago, Cajun Country Rice and Louisiana Cookin’Magazine got together to throw a pop up dinner at the rice mill in Crowley. What’s unique about this dinner is not only the pop up style preparation, but that each dish incorporated a different grain from Cajun Country Rice, a local company which is in its third generation of ownership. This is the first dinner centered on rice that I've had the pleasure of attending, and what Chef Justin Girouard, one of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine’s “Chefs to Watch” and executive chef at The FrenchPress in Lafayette, created with the Cajun Country Rice products truly impressed!

 

Inside the Cajun Country Rice Mill
where the grains are separated from the hulls

What’s better than taking a tour of a rice mill? Taking a tour of the mill with a drink in my hand, of course. Each guest got to see the inner workings of the mill and learned more than we thought possible about rice. There is so much to know about everything they do with rice in the way of feed, alcohol adjuncts, and of course, food. After the tour we made our way to the table to sit down to an incredibly creative and delicious meal. While each dish boasted unique elements, the coriander-seared Gulf tuna with coconut lobster fried rice rose to the top as my favorite of the evening. Keep an eye out for dinners like this in the future, because you won't want to miss them!

Cornmeal and Rice Flour Fried Oysters

Foie Gras Dirty Rice Croquettes

Cajun Country Rice "Tabouleh" Stuffed Quail Salad with Baby Arugula, Feta, Marinated Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Coriander-Seared Gulf Tuna with Coconut Lobster Fried Rice

Roasted Duck Breast with Duck Rice Dressing, White Asparagus, Braised Kale, and a Sauce Meurette

Cajun Country Rice Pudding

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you're looking for some booze that uses long-grain rice from Crowley, LA, look no further than the Donner-Peltier Distillery's Oryza Vodka and Gin. You can grab both of these at Calandro's Supermarket!

Going with the Grain: Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Barrett Miller, Robbie Trahan, and Jay Ducote in Studio at
Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge

Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming Barrett Miller from Louisiana Cookin' Magazine and Robbie Trahan from Cajun Country Rice in studio to record an episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show. Third generation owner, Robbie came on the show to talk about the Going with the Grain dinner that was held last weekend at the rice mill in Crowley. Each dish highlighted different types of Cajun Country Rice prepared by Chef Justin Girouard of The French Press in Lafayette. Mr. Trahan also talked with Barrett and I about some of the different types of rice and how those varietals lend a hand to so many dishes.










The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM and replays Sundays at 8 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The show is hosted by Jay Ducote and won a Taste Award in January 2014 as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country. The producer of the show is Chris Courtney at Guaranty Broadcasting and the field producer is Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Show. It is also available on iTunes. The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Le Creole Restaurant, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Restaurant IPO, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.

Hot Tails in New Roads: Dare to be Delicious

I caught Chef Cody Carroll (left) pulling out a fresh batch
of his famous boiled crawfish.

Hot tails is tucked away in New Roads, Louisiana which is about 45 minutes outside of Baton Rouge, and it is worth every second of the drive! Louisiana Culinary Institute classmates, turned chefs, turned married couple are the creators of Hot Tails. This is a casual yet hardcore Cajun place that has a lot more going on than it might appear. Each dish is prepared with an artful mind, a bold taste profile, and several smiling faces. In its inception, the primary reason for its existence was to be a crawfish house. Chefs Cody and Sam Carroll have a crawfish farm up the road of their own so they know exactly where the mudbugs are coming from. They then boil some of the most delicious batches of crawfish anywhere in the state.

Along the way Chefs Cody and Sam started to incorporate their flare into some of the dishes we all grew up loving. Everything coming out of the Carrolls’ kitchen is spot on. Every site, sip, and bite presents out of control deliciousness. They have been recognized as the Crawfish King and Queen by Louisiana Seafood and have been the subject of many write ups in various publications that adorn their walls at Hot Tails. Trust me--this place is worth checking out.

Here's a sampling of their menu so you don't have to take just my words for it, but you can also see for yourself. To taste and smell, though, you'll have travel to New Roads.

Blackened Alligator Po-Boy with Fried Okra and a pint of Tin Roof Blonde

The legendary Creole Crawfish Burger topped with sautéed crawfish, onions, mushrooms and pepperjack cheese.

The monstrous Gulf Platter with a fried soft shell crab, oysters, catfish, crawfish tails, and the most tender frog legs in existence.

The Seafood Muffaletta: sautéed shrimp, crawfish, mushrooms, onions, and garlic with Provolone.

Louisiana Seafood Gumbo.

Chef Sam prepared this beautiful and delicious Bloody Mary while Chef Cody made one of my favorites: fried rabbit with red beans and rice.

The Hot Tails boiled crawfish... legit!