Jay D's Bites: Chocolate Chile Truffles

by Liz Courville

These truffles are the perfect chocolatey treat. Not only are they decadent, but they’re not terrible for you either! They’re packed full of healthy fats and proteins from the cashews and pecans, loads of beneficial fiber and carbohydrates from the dates plus antioxidants from all of that cacao! Don’t forget the Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub… it’s the secret ingredient that changes the dessert game completely.

These truffles can be eaten for dessert, a snack or even as a part of a well-balanced breakfast! They are loaded with energy and won’t leave you feeling sluggish like most other desserts. Do yourself a favor and make these ASAP!

Chocolate Chile Truffles

14 truffles
(Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free)

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw walnuts
1 Tbsp cacao powder
¼ tsp sea salt
½-1 tsp Jay D's Coffee Chile Rub
12 Medjool dates, pitted (soak in warm water 10 minutes if dried out)
1 ¼ cups dairy free dark chocolate (chopped roughly)
1 tsp coconut oil
Topping: ¼ cup cacao nibs, walnuts and/or sea salt for topping

Directions:
Place cashews and walnuts into food processor and pulse until a meal consistency, set aside in a different dish.

Next, place dates into processor and pulse until small clumps/small balls start to form.

Add in cacao powder, Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub, and half of the nut meal. Pulse and continue to add in small amounts of nut meal until a loose/soft dough starts to form. (You may not need to use all of the nuts, can use left overs for toppings.)

Once dough is easy to form, scoop out 1 Tbsp and roll into balls. If they are not holding together well, hold and press the dough into palm and heat for a few seconds. Approximately 14 balls should form, place these on parchment paper and place in freezer to chill.

While these are chilling, melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave in 30 second increments. Once melted, stir in coconut oil to help the dipping process.

Take the chilled dough out of the freezer and dip each ball and place back onto parchment paper. Once all are dipped, top with excess nuts, cacao nibs or sea salt.

Let sit out at room temperature before diving in! Store at room temperature in airtight container. (For long term storage, use freezer.)

8 Delicious Reasons You Should Get On Our Mailing List

by Sydney Blanchard



As you may or may not have heard, Jay and the Bite and Booze team have been hosting small intimate multi-course dinners for up to 12 people, and it's been a blast so far.

The way it works is this: we plan an incredible menu, usually centered around a theme. We create an Eventbrite page and share it with a small group of insiders, people who have attended our previous events.

Then, if we have tickets left, we'll send an email out to our newsletter subscribers letting them get in on the action. If we still have tickets left after that, we resort to social media.

The week of the event, we email ticket holders the location of the dinner.

It's kind of exclusive, and kind of secretive, and that's what makes it so much fun. You never know who else you might be dining with!

So go ahead and sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on upcoming dinners. We hope to see you there!

Bloody Mary from our Valentine's Day Brunch

Jay D's Molasses Deviled Egg topped with picked shrimp

Soda bread from our St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Smoked sausage and sweet potato hash from our Valentine's Day Brunch

Blood Orange sorbet palate cleanser from Rue Rusike's Forage & Cook dinner

Chocolate molten cake with figs and edible flowers from the Forage & Cook dinner

Pork chop and colcannon at the St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Dominican style red beans and rice with stewed chicken and fried plantains, from a private dinner

Atmosphere Makes for a Memorable Meal at Houmas House

by Sydney Blanchard

What makes for a great meal?

I'm sure anyone you ask will answer this question differently,  but I'd argue many favorite food memories have less to do with what was served and more to do with the people sharing the meal. 

It might be the Southerner in me speaking, but few things beat a meal blanketed by the warm shroud of friendly conversation and banter.

Back in September, the Bite and Booze team (with the delightful addition of Rue Rusike) had the opportunity to dine at one of the finest restaurants in the area with Houmas House owner Kevin Kelly.

Latil's Landing is situated on the Houmas House Plantation grounds, both a tourism hotspot and highly coveted wedding and event venue. 

Executive chef Andrew Foster, Jr.'s menu is ambitious, flavorful, and it tastes like home. They're doing something that feels really special at Houmas House.

We started off the evening with appetizers. I had the crispy pork belly covered in Houmas House honey. The crispy, salty pork was complimented by the honey with perfect subtlety. 

Crispy pork belly with Houmas House Beehive honey

Next came the scallop and foie gras "sandwich." Seared foie gras nested between two rosemary seasoned scallops. Generally scallops are not my favorite, but the corn coulis made all the difference. 

Scallop and foie gras sandwich

For the soup course, we had the famous crawfish, corn, and curried pumpkin bisque. This, to me, was the highlight of the meal. The pumpkin worked well with the spicy, salty crawfish tails. This is something I would love to try to recreate at home. 

Curried pumpkin bisque with crawfish and corn

Onto the beets, Blair's favorite root vegetable (and one of mine). The salad was composed of jumbo lump crab meat tossed with a lemon basil dressing with sweet roasted beets and organic greens. I found the crab and beet combination a bit weird, but in a delicious way.

Roasted beet and crab salad

If there's anything Latil's Landing is great at, it's pretty plating. All of the entrees and event the desserts featured a pop of color courtesy of an orchid flower. I opted for the grilled, butter basted filet mignon with parmesan potatoes, Burgundy mushrooms, and Abita root beer demi-glace. It was as tasty as it was gorgeous.

Filet mignon at Latil's Landing

Last, though thoroughly stuffed, we indulged in dessert. For me, that meant chocolate bourbon cake with coffee bourbon syrup. How could I say no?

Chocolate bourbon cake

Sure, the Latin's Landing dinner we shared was a culinary delight, but taking the time to enjoy a meal with friends is the real pleasure. If you haven't toured the neatly manicured grounds at Houmas House, sipped cocktails at The Carriage House, or dined at Latil's Landing, you're missing out!

Vino and Venison: Taking a bite out of the monthly wine dinners at L'Auberge Baton Rouge's 18 Steak

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

If you haven't gotten a chance to check out 18 Steak at L'Auberge yet, you're missing out. The decor is totally luxe and over-the-top: quilted leather booths, dark interior lighting, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

It looks like somewhere The Godfather would bring someone he was either trying to kill or impress. And it's awesome.

Recently we had the opportunity to try one of 18 Steak's monthly wine dinners. The restaurant has been offering multiple course dinners paired with a variety of wines, and when L'Auberge Public Relations Manager Julie Collins got in touch with us about attending a dinner, we couldn't very well pass it up.

The dinner started with a cocktail hour where we sipped on champagne and admired the decor. We snacked on some passed hors d'oeuvres while Blair and Julie rekindled their friendship by nerding out over Harry Potter (you may have read about these two gals gushing over HP before in Put it all on 18 Steak).

Poppin' champagne like we won the championship game.

First course: oysters on the half shell

Once we were seated, the serious eating began.

Our first course consisted of a variety of raw oysters served on the half shell and paired with a lovely chardonnay, the William Fevre Champs Royaux 2013. One of the oysters, the table favorite, was a rare find from Japan. It was topped with a lemon-y granita and had a really unique flavor, different for those of us who are used to Gulf oysters.

Next, we were brought a duck confit salad served with fresh Louisiana strawberries. I wasn't a huge fan of how stem-y the greens were, but the confit made up for it. The strawberry sauce added an unexpected sweetness to the salad which went along nicely with the duck as well as the paired wine, the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Reserve Bougogne Rouge 2011.

Second course: duck confit salad

Around this point, we were all two glasses in (well, three if you count the champagne at the bar). The previous courses had definitely whet our appetites, but we anxiously awaited the main course while juggling our multiple wine glasses.

When it was finally brought out, it took all our efforts to keep our jaws from hitting the floor. We were served a medium rare venison chop. Porcini crusted and topped with micro-greens, the venison laid in a red pool of cherry reduction. Cutting into it was like cutting into a stick of softened butter, and the texture was the same upon eating a bite. This dish paired elegantly with the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beune Savigny-les-Beaune 2012.

Main Course: Procini Crusted Venison Chop
with Cherry Reduction

The main course was Blair's favorite, but I enjoyed the dessert course most of all.

We were brought a beautiful little log of chocolate cake topped with a hazelnut creme and poached pears sprinkled with cinnamon. Chocolate syrup was dotted on the plate along with a dollop of pear jelly. This final course was served with the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Gevery Chambertin 2012.

Blair goes to a lot of these dinners, so she's a seasoned professional. She was very happy with the amount of food we were served. Normally, she said, each course is a huge portion of food. At the end of the 18 Steak dinner, we were able to move and weren't feeling the 'itis.

Dessert: Chocolate cake with hazelnut creme and poached pears

Blair and I both appreciated that the wines weren't super heavy. Each glass paired nicely with each course, and at the end of the dinner we were each given a bottle of Pinot Noir to bring home.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, you're in luck! 18 Steak will be hosting another wine dinner featuring Hall Family Vineyards on March 25 for only $99 per person. And Julie told us to keep our eyes peeled for another dinner in April. More information can be found here.








If the wine dinner is a little out of your price range (normally, it is for me), Julie gave us the down-low on a great promotion starting this week in Bon Temps Buffet at L'Auberge. They're calling it Fisherman's Keep, and for $25 you can eat all the snow crab clusters, sautéed scallops, fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, stuffed crabs, barbecue shrimp, stuffed flounder and crawfish you can get your paws on until April 4. Julie suggests heading there Wednesday for dinner and hitting up Blitz Bingo at Edge afterward. Click here for the menu. 

The 10 Best Bites of Food I Ate in 2014

I've had the chance to travel fairly extensively around Louisiana and across the country this year, and along the way I've tasted some extraordinary dishes. I wanted to end the year with a bang by sharing the ten best bites of food to come across my taste buds this year. It proved to be no easy task, but each of these culinary creations struck a chord within me. Each picture brings back fond memories similar to those you'd feel when reconnecting with an old friend. These dishes trigger automatic salivation, instant warmth, and big smiles. While to some this may sound dramatic, those who've experienced such a dish will understand completely. In descending order, I give you my ten favorite dishes of 2014.

1) The Black Drum at Village Café in Lafayette

While filming at Village Café for Louisiana Culinary Trails, I had the pleasure of trying Chef Jeremy Conner's stuffed fish: Louisiana black drum stuffed with lump crab meat and pan seared served over squash and topped with a lemon crab butter sauce. I can taste this dish all over again each time I look at this picture. It was one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of Gulf seafood I've ever had, and that's even after waiting for the cameras to stop rolling before taking a bite. The velvety butter sauce had a citrus tang that complimented the sweetness of the crab and mild flavors of the Black Drum. This dish, which is always on the menu in some form, represents Gulf fish the the way it is meant to be eaten and most certainly is a must try.

The Black Drum at Village Café in Lafayette

2) The Oyster Stuffed Quail over Pumpkin Purée at Le Foret in New Orleans

I had the opportunity to dine at Le Foret in New Orleans a couple of times this year. Each trip provided exceptional bites. The plating and flavor profiles of Chef Brandon Felder's dishes are off the charts. Packed with Gulf oysters and set atop a beautiful artwork of pumpkin puree and other delicious sauces, this quail dish was so quintessentially Fall I could hear leaves crisping under my every step.

The Oyster Stuffed Quail over Pumpkin Purée at Le Foret in New Orleans

3) The Chicken Curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant in Baton Rouge

Over the course of several weeks, my Chief Confusion Coordinator, Blair Loup, and I visited the Vietnamese restaurants of Baton Rouge for a pho round-up post. In doing so, we stumbled upon a surprising and incredibly delicious bowl of chicken curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant. In addition to having the best pho in town, they also have this golden beauty. Curry isn't something you see often in Vietnamese cuisine and while it caught me off guard to find it on their specials menu in the first place, the bowl of chicken curry with layers of citrus and coconut flavors served with rice noodles is something I will order time and time again.

The Chicken Curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant in Baton Rouge

4) The Japanese Kobe Beef at Ember Wine Bar & Grille in Lake Charles

I've never had steak like this before, and that's saying something. A few other steaks were in the running for my favorite chunk of beef this year. The bone-in ribeye from Doe's Eat Place in Baton Rouge, the classic Florentine porterhouse from Carnevino in Las Vegas, and the New York Strip from 33 Steak in New Orleans all placed highly on my beef-o-meter, but this beauty from Ember at the L'Auberge in Lake Charles, Louisiana wins the blue ribbon. The beauty of being based out of a casino is to be able to play within your food service outlets, and Chef Mark Chapman knows exactly what kind of fun to have. He imports this authentic Japanese Kobe Beef and sells it for $30/ounce with a minimum order of four ounces. For you people who struggle with math, that means that the cheapest you can get a taste of this steak butter is $120, and that's still not quite the size of a respectable petite filet. But damn is it worth it! The marbling in the beef is unlike any I've seen in person. Seared to a glorious rare temperature, the shingled beef is as close as you could imagine to a breathtaking bite of beef bacon packed with umami.

The Japanese Kobe Beef at Ember Wine Bar & Grille in Lake Charles

5) The Crispy Pig Ear Salad at Sojourn in New Orleans

Sojourn chef Jeff Williams invited me via Twitter to attend his first tasting menu pop-up dinner in New Orleans. The courses were some of the more inspired dishes upon which I have feasted. As I'm sure you know, I'm not much of a salad guy, but Chef Jeff's crispy pig ear salad is something I could eat on a daily basis. Crisp, local greens sprinkled with strips of crunchy and salty pig ear and sweet baby carrots were brightened with a peppery horseradish vinaigrette and balanced brilliantly with grated egg yolk. The flavors erupted upon my taste buds in ways that very few salads ever have, making my only complaint to be that I haven't had it since that night.

Sojourn's Crispy Pig Ear Salad in New Orleans

6) The Tuna and Grapefruit at Lucy B. Goode in Gulf Shores, Alabama

On a media trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach this past summer I had the pleasure of dining at Lucy B Goode. In an area ruled by tasty but all-too-often deep fried Gulf seafood, Lucy B Goode boasts contemporary dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients from area farms. Chef Randall Baldwin started us out with an off-menu appetizer which included only a few simple ingredients. Slices of fresh tuna and ripe grapefruit were adorned with celery leaves for a sharp contrast to the sweet juiciness of the dish which he finished with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a light drizzling of sesame oil. The subtle flavors of the tuna and grapefruit fused together like the crescendo in a lovely score.

Tiled Fresh Tuna and Grapefruit Slices with Celery Stems at Lucy B. Goode in Gulf Shores

7) The Barbecue Spare Ribs at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Missouri

A month before I launched Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce I found myself on a bachelor party adventure for my brother Eric. We just so happened to trek to the barbecue mecca that is Kansas City where I set my sights on the legendary smoked meats institution called Arthur Bryant's. Our hungover bachelor party gang showed up ready to devour some Que, so after ordering heaping portions of nearly everything on the menu, we sat down to chow down on heavenly swine and bovine. The pork spare ribs were of worthwhile wonder as if the pit-masters had wept tears of deliciousness over these bones. Few ribs have boasted the superior texture and flavor of these magically smoked morsels of pig.

Pork Spare Ribs at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City

8) The Homemade Poptart at Magpie Cafe in Baton Rouge

All hail the Magpie poptart. Every kid who grew up in the 90's knows the Kelloggs version all too well. Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon could do me no wrong. Naturally, when I heard that Magpie Café  made a homemade rendition of the poptart, I knew I had to try it. They're typically made on Saturday mornings, but every now and then you can find the folks over at Magpie sneaking it into their weekday breakfast offerings. You may be saying, "Jay, a poptart? Really? With all of the wonderful things you've had to eat how did this make the list?" Well, I'll enlighten you. Not only is Magpie's version on the poptart euphorically delectable, it also gets bonus points on principle. The nostalgia it represents creates an experience that is at once memorable and triumphant above the original. Plus, the fact that someone thought up an idea like making a badass version of the poptart deserves recognition.

A Blueberry Poptart at Magpie Café in Baton Rouge

9) The Pork Belly Ramen at Bread and Circus Provisions in Lafayette

Lafayette has always had some amazing food, but right now their food scene seems to be exponentially exploding. Getting to experience some of the state's creations through filming the Louisiana Culinary Trails has been some of the most fun I've had this year. Shortly after visiting Village Café, we hopped over to Bread & Circus Provisions to see what Chef Manny Augello had going on in his kitchen. I sampled several of Chef's dishes, but this Pork Belly Ramen stole my heart. Legitimate ramen is hard to come by in Louisiana and it's exciting to find it in places you wouldn't expect. The vegetation gave an earthy taste to the creamy broth and I firmly believe that pork belly makes most things better. You'll definitely want to stop by Bread & Circus if you're anywhere around Lafayette area... you won't be disappointed!

The Pork Belly Ramen at Bread & Circus Provisions in Lafayette

10) The Hog Bone from Bacon Rouge's Chef Alex Hamman at Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans

One of the more underrated bites I've had this year came from Chef Alex Hamman's Hog Bone. I have competed in an all pork cook-off by the name of Hogs for the Cause for the past couple of years. Not only have our numbers increased for team Bacon Rouge, but so has the talent. Pastry Chef Instructor for the Louisiana Culinary Institute Alex Hamman created the Hog Bone for the Porkpouri (wild card) category in the 2014 competition. Our entire team watched in a state of shock when it didn't place in the top 10 because the flavors were so beautifully layered and innovative. Chef made a homemade cheese cracker as the base for a slightly spicy tasso and cracklin dust base that was then coated in velvety chocolate. The hog bone had all of the elements: sweet, crunchy, smoky, porky, and spicy, and they were devoured in no time. Chef Alex displayed some extreme skill in this whimsical creation and I can't wait to see what he comes up with for the 2015 Hogs for the Cause (which you can buy tickets for now... make sure to list "Bacon Rouge" as the team who referred you)!

The Hog Bone: Tasso, Cracklin Dust, Homemade Cheese Cracker invented by Alex Hamman for Team Bacon Rouge

Ember Grille and Winebar at L'Auberge Lake Charles

Gator Bite with Spiced Bayou Rum

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the southwestern Louisiana city of Lake Charles. I've driven through the city countless times before on my to Houston and back from Baton Rouge, but other than a few stops at Darrell's for a Darrell's Special poboy (one of the greatest sandwiches in the world, by the way) and a handful of says at the L'Auberge property, I had never truly experienced the culture of Lake Charles. On the night I arrived with other food and travel writers we were greeted and treated to dinner at the Ember Grille and Winebar at our host hotel of the aforementioned L'Auberge Casino and Resort. The casino-driven destination is a one-stop-shop for a weekend getaway with a gaming floor, golf course, lazy river, spa, and plenty of culinary options. The Ember Steakhouse is the finest of them all and, having eaten there once before, I knew I'd be in for a treat! Upon arrival I met Trey Litel from Louisiana Spirits in nearby Lacassine and got a taste of his Bayou Rum in a refreshing cocktail. The Gator Bite had similar qualities to rum punch but utilized the spiced Bayou Rum to give it an extra Louisiana flair. After getting the night started with the cocktail, I readied myself for the onslaught of food that was about to come.

Foie Gras with Goat Cheese Stuffed French Toast

The barrage began with a round of appetizers that highlight the menu of Ember. We started with an amuse of lobster salad on endive. To the right is seared foie gras with goat cheese stuffed French toast and bourbon maple syrup. The dish seemed like an odd pairing but it worked incredibly well as savory richness met sweet richness to form an uncommon combination of succulence that needs to be experienced. Also present in the small plates round were the lamb lollipops that have been on Ember's menu since it opened as well as butternut squash ravioli stuffed with more foie gras and shaved white truffle on top. Quail and waffles were also presented as a play on the chicken dish but with a rosemary and roasted garlic waffle, micro cilantro, and vanilla syrup. To round out the appetizers we had the dish below, a pecan smoked bacon wrapped shrimp tossed in barbecue sauce with stone ground grits and white cheddar! All of the appetizers were incredible, and most of the table started to feel full after that course, but we had to power through three more courses of gastronomic delight like the pros we are!

Pecan Smoked Bacon Wrapped Shrimp over White Cheddar Stone Ground Grits

A Trio of the House's Most Popular Salads

To lighten things up our next course had a trio of the house's most popular salads. Starting on the left we enjoyed the mixed greens with Granny Smith apples and balsamic vinaigrette. Next up came a tuna tartare with avocado and cucumber carpaccio. Finally the Maytag blue cheese wedge with bacon crumbles filled the last spot. All three tasting portions were spot on with flavor profiles and pairings. I'd love to eat more salad courses like this!

After the salad my phone died and I had to put it on a charger for the next couple of courses. Needless to say, I didn't get many more pictures of the meal, but such is life! We had several main courses come out of the kitchen and on to our table. A piece of halibut accompanied by a porcini mushroom, port, and sherry reduction produced a lovely seafood option. I've loved halibut ever since I went fishing in Alaska in 2010! We also had a smoked rabbit loin

stuffed with panchetta over mashed potatoes. It packed a punch of flavor with the smokiness and tenderness of the rabbit. A couple side items came out as well like truffle mac and cheese and grilled asparagus. But the real highlight of the meal was a 40oz prime tomahawk ribeye, partially seen in the picture of me gnawing at the bone below. The gorgeous steak had a succulent flavor with superb marbling as it was cooked to a beautiful medium rare temperature. Thanks to Kerry Anderson at L'Auberge for snapping the photo!

Jay Gnaws on the Tomahawk Ribeye

Desserts by Chef Bill Foltz

As we moved to dessert I got my phone off the charger and was able to get a few more pictures. "Screw a trio," must have been the thoughts of pastry chef Bill Foltz as he came out with four tastings of signature desserts at L'Auberge. This guy has won serious pastry contests before, so I was pretty excited to eat his desserts which most definitely did not disappoint. On the left is the Key West, a key lime custard whipped cream with pound cake and mango. A little taste of the tropics, I could have eaten much more of that, but alas I just had to move on to the chocolate skillet cake with cream and caramel that sat to the right. Following that dish of gluttony came my favorite of the dessert options because of its originality, a citrus cheese cake mousse with pistachio twill and cherry sauce. The temperatures and textures all played off each other for a tremendous burst of flavor. Finally we had a creme brulee torched on the table.

The entire meal may have put me in a food coma, but all I had to do afterwards was sleep then wake up and eat again all day. I'll have more of that to come because the following day included dining around Lake Charles complete with a horse and carriage ride, a Mardi Gras museum, and much more!

Prichard's Double Chocolate Bourbon Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

A bourbon from Tennessee?  Why, yes.  We've seen Prichard's before on Whisk(e)y Wednesday.  Both their Double Barreled Bourbon and Lincoln County Lightning have graced the blog, but this time we take a sip of the Double Chocolate Bourbon!  The scent of bitter chocolate graces the nostrils at first whiff, followed by a pleasant aroma of whiskey.  The bourbon hides the chocolate more on the taste than the nose.  It is noticeable  but subtle.  The chocolate flavor is more that of cocoa powder than a candy bar.  It is different, unique, and worth a try.  While it is a bit weird, it gets bonus points for the effort to do something different.  Prichard's Double Chocolate Bourbon Whiskey loses a bit of pizzazz on the finish, and the balance is peculiar, but don't say no if you see a bottle.  Give it a try and see what happens!

Prichard's Double Chocolate Bourbon

Average Score 63.75

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Patron Dinner at Restaurant IPO

Pork Belly Course

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the "Dinner of all Dinners" as Chef Chris Wadsworth and Sean "Foodie Patutie" Rivera combined forces on a multiple course dinner cooked and paired with different products from the Patron portfolio.  Of course, for the most part, that meant tequila!  And as you might imagine, my memory of the meal is quite faded, so while I can show you pictures, I certainly won't remember every detail from the feast.  We got started with a shot of cream liqueur mixed with the Patron XO Cafe, a coffee liqueur made with tequila.  After a couple of those, we sat down for dinner in The Office bar above Restaurant IPO.  Our first course brought on some pork belly from Chappapeela Farms that had been brined in Patron Anejo tequila.  It came with a Reposado tequila reduction and pickled mirliton.  This dish really worked well with all the textures and flavors coming together to dance on my tongue.  It paired with a Greek infused Ultimat Vodka, a potato and grain vodka in Patron's collection of spirits.  Chef Wadsworth's infusion with cucumber and whole lot more is spot on.  I suggest getting up to Restaurant IPO and trying it! 

Greek Infused Ultimat Vodka

The next course came a delicious chilled soup from Chef Sean Rivera with a tequila based play on a Bloody Mary.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly what was in the soup.  I just know I ate it all.  And I liked it.

Chef Sean Rivera's Soup with a Tequila Bloody Mary

The salad course also escapes me a bit.  The plate presented a duo of salads, one with crab and the other with roasted peppers.  Both were quite nice, as was the tequila based cocktail that came with it.  Or maybe that was the Pyrat Rum.  I had been drinking and forgot to take good notes.

A cocktail with... something

A tequila-based sorbet palate cleanser

I do know the next items that came out, although they maybe the main reason the rest of the details are fuzzy.    The Gran Patron Burdeos and Gran Patron Platinum were poured side by side.  The Burdeos is the most expensive of all Patron tequilas, retailing in the neighborhood of $500 per fifth.  The tequila is made from extremely selective agave and matured in a combination of new American and French oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months, and up to 2 years.  It is then distilled again before it is racked in vintage Bordeaux barrels.  The tequila is smooth and sweet.  It picks up notes from the wood similar to a bourbon with the vanilla and oak flavors.  It can be sipped repeatedly without the need to pucker of gasp at the taste of tequila.  I'd go so far as to say it might be the best tequila I've ever had.  Though in all honesty, the Gran Patron Platinum may have had it beat just because it actually tastes like tequila.  Really.  Good.  Tequila.  The Platinum is comes from those same high-quality agave plants that are hand-selected for sugar content.  It is triple distilled and rested in oak tanks.  The silver tequila is smooth yet carries the taste of agave without being covered up by excessive aging.  This is what the best agave in the world tastes like, and I'd never pass up a taste.  Don't shoot it though.  Both of these tequilas deserve to be sipped and enjoyed, not chased with a squeeze of lime.

Gran Patron Burdeos and Gran Patron Platinum

The main course featured a crawfish stuffed pork chop over boursin risotto with a tequila sauce and crowned by cracklins.  The chop had a well seared exterior with a juicy middle.  The spiciness of the crawfish and the rub played with the sweetness in the tequilas for a great pairing.  In fact, they both worked extremely well, showing me that tequila can be used to pair with foods.  Good to know!

Crawfish Stuffed Pork Chop

By the time dessert came, tequila ran through my blood like Rickey Henderson through a stop sign from his third base coach.  I know it had a chocolate cake with strawberry... because I have the picture below.  I'm sure there was tequila in there somewhere, but I don't really recall.  I also don't have a picture of whatever cocktail came with it, so I'm totally lost there.  But it still capped off a great meal.  Chef Chris Wadsworth and Chef Sean Rivera pulled off an fantastic dinner, and I'm glad I got to attend with rest of Team Voltron.  The folks from Glazers and Patron were excellent as well.  It definitely made me understand what makes a great tequila.

Dessert

Vending Machine Winery Pop-Up Restaurant at Roux Wine and Spirits

For anybody who has been waiting to eat my food again (or for the first time), you're in luck!  On Thursday, October 25th I'll be cooking a pop-up wine dinner at Roux Wine and Spirits in Prairieville.  Along with Chef Brian Medlin for All-Star Catering and Smokin' Aces Barbecue, we'll cook up my menu inspired by wines from the Vending Machine Winery and vending machines themselves.  Each dish will have some item found in vending machines incorporated into it.  Neil and Monica Gernon from Vending Machine Winery will be there to talk about the wines as well!

Course 3: Ruckus

Course 1: Ballyhoo
Double Shotgun: 50% Petit Verdot, 50% Cabernet Franc

Spinach, Arugula, Pickled Pears, Belle Ecorce Goat Cheese, Forte Grove Brioche Toast, Balsamic Skittles Vinaigrette

Course 2: Hoopla
Loula’s Revenge: 100 % Old Vine Chardonnay

Tuna Tartare with Cucumber served on Zapp’s Original Potato Chips with a Wasabi Aioli

Course 4: Kerfuffle

Cornmeal Dusted Catfish Nugget over Zapp’s Cajun Crawtators with Creole Tartar Sauce
Chili-Lime Shrimp Ceviche atop Zapp’s Hotter ‘n Hot Jalapeno Chips with Cilantro Crema

Course 3: Ruckus 
Crooked Mayor: 100 % Cabernet Sauvignon

Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Mole Braised Beef Short Ribs over Creamed Corn Polenta
 
Course 4: Kerfuffle 
Horror Show: 34% Sousao, 33% Montepulciano, 33% Tannat

Chocolate Panna Cotta topped with Ground Honey Maid Graham Crackers and Marshmallow Foam

To sign up for the event, purchase your tickets through the Roux Wine Eventbrite Page.  There are only 30 seats available, and at least half of them are already sold at the time I'm writing this!

Recap: Post Olympics Beer Dinner at The Londoner

Tripel Karmeliet and La Trappe Quad

The Londoner, on the appropriately named Sherwood Forest Boulevard (actually, while Sherwood Forest is famous due to Robin Hood lure in England, it isn't that close to London, but still...) in Baton Rouge, recently had me over to help host a beer dinner.  We did four courses with eight beers from around the world shortly after the Summer Olympics ended in aforementioned London.  Each of the four courses were paired with two beers of similar style from different countries.  The first course featured the famous Belgian treat of mussels and frites with Belgian style ales from Belgium and the Netherlands.  The mussels had a wonderfully flavorful broth with tomatoes, basil, and bacon.  We paired them with the Tripel Karmeliet from Belgium and the La Trappe Quad, which is actually a Trappist brewery in the Netherlands.  While the Tripel and Quadrupel are technically two different styles, they still showed of what that Belgian yeast and malt profile can taste like with its signature fruitiness and balance.

Tuna Duo with White Ales

Our second course stayed in the sea but in a far different way than the mussels and frites.  Utilizing white ales from both the USA and Japan, we created two tuna dishes on one plate meant to emulate the cuisine from those counties.  The tuna tartare with cucumber was served on a crispy wonton with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.  The obvious Asian flare partnered with the Hitachino Nest White Ale, widely considered to be one of the best beers of its style in the country.  On the American side we plated a seared ahi tuna to go with the Clown Shoes Clementine.  Both dishes were executed very well by Chef Cole at the Londoner and the beer choices were spot on.
 

Lamb Chops and English Style India Pale Ales

The main course featured a delicacy in both England and New Zealand: Lamb.  The beautifully cooked medium rare lamb chops were served with a bit of mashed potatoes.  Accompanying the lamb were a couple of English style India pale ales.  Not quite the hop bomb that American IPAs are, the Tuatara from New Zealand and the Meantime from England both helped cut through the gaminess of the tender lamb.  This, hands down, ended up being my favorite course of the meal both because of the superb sear and seasoning on the lamb and the pairing with the English style IPAs.  It was like both of these beers were meant to be served with lamb... and since they come from countries with a lot of love for eating sheep, perhaps they are!

Dessert with a Russian Imperial Stout and Scottish Porter

Dinner ended with a nice pairing as well.  Norway's Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout poured dark and rich with strong booze and hints of espresso, chocolate, and dark fruit.  While not the same beer style, the Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Black Ale, technically a Porter, out of Scotland also poured incredibly dark (hence the name) with flavors of coffee and dark chocolate.  It only made sense to compliment the flavors of the beer with a chocolate dessert and the sweetness from some fruit.  The Londoner's pastry chef whipped up some stunning chocolate and raspberry tarts that were exactly what these two beers needed.  While not the same style and vastly different up close, the tart played off of flavor notes in each beer to deliver a great ending to the meal.



I enjoyed being able to help the Londoner out with some different beer and food pairings.  All of these beers came from my friend Natalie with International Wine and Spirits.  Look for them at Calandro's Supermarket or wherever fine beers are sold!  And also keep an eye out for some future beer dinners at The Londoner.  You never know who might be making an appearance!