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.

Bite and Booze Wins at the Taste Awards (with Video!)

The Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd.

I cannot imagine a better four day stretch in Los Angeles than the one I just experienced. I'll get to all the food and drinks eventually, but for now I need to write about the real reason I made the trip: The 5th Annual Taste Awards. A couple years ago Peggy Sweeney-McDonald of Meanwhile, Back at Cafe du Monde... fame hosted some red carpet interviews at the Taste Awards. I knew nothing of it at the time, but she showed me the video and at some point tried to encourage me to apply. I blew it off. It seemed unattainable. People like Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and Zane Lamprey were winning these awards. TV shows like Top Chef and Food Network Star were being highlighted. I thought maybe one day, but not now. The fourth annual awards came and went last January, and again Peggy mentioned to me that I should look into them. So when the nomination process came back around this past August, I submitted the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket for the Best Food or Drink Radio Broadcast. I figured it couldn't hurt to just throw my show out there. I heard nothing until November when the finalists were announced. I got a tweet from Kid Chef Eliana out of New Orleans who congratulated me on my nomination. As it turned out, her show, Cool Kids Cook, was also a finalist! Votes were cast over the next month and then all I could do was plan a trip to L.A. and wait. Obviously there is a great need to thank all of you who helped in any way whether it was by casting votes, sharing links, or screaming from a levee top.

Michelle Farmer-Purcell with Jay Ducote on the Red Carpet

The day finally came. Again, I'll have more about my eating and drinking adventures later. My date, Michelle Farmer-Purcell, who I had met as contestants on season two of Masterchef last time I was in Los Angeles, graciously served as my "arm candy" (her words, not mine, but she lived up to it!) for the evening. We checked in and then waited in line to do some red carpet photos and interviews. Peggy came back to do interviews again this year, so I got to chat with her for a bit. I'll be posting that interview on my Facebook page whenever it is online. After the red carpet we headed into the theater to get our seats. Well, I drank a few glasses of champagne, and then we went inside. We were welcomed and a few other awards were passed out. When they got to the fourth presenter the show came to the first Viewers Choice category, which happened to be for the Best Food or Drink Radio Broadcast. I somehow started recording on my phone just in time:

The entire time on stage is a blur in my mind like the Flash running by in the night. I truly did not prepare a speech or even think much about what I would say on stage because I didn't want to even partially get my hopes up that I might win. I figured there was no way, in my first year of being nominated, and competing against shows in much larger media markets, that I'd have a chance. Somehow, thanks to all of you who voted, I emerged victorious. Surprised and excited, I passed my phone off to Michelle and ran to the stage where I decided a few victory leaps with my arms stretched to the sky would be a good idea. I recall pausing a time or two during my speech to both catch my breath and actually try to think about what I should say. I felt like I really made a fool out of myself, but looking back now it isn't so bad. After the show people actually told me that it was the best acceptance speech of the night because there was evident surprise and passion. I'll take that, I suppose!

I returned to my seat with Michelle as well as Samira from Samira's Table and her friend Valerie who had both joined in on the fun in order to support me. They both seemed way more confident that I could win than I ever was. And now that I'm home with a TASTY, I guess they were right all along!

Now that I'm not on stage and have had a little more time to think about everything, I would like to say thank you to some people in addition to all the voters and supporters and listeners out there.

First, my mom, Phyllis Ducote. She has been my biggest fan, role model, encourager, and teacher. She might not realize it, but I always appreciate her wisdom and words of advice. She is the kindest and most giving person I know, and I hope I can even come close to living my life in that fashion. 

My brother Eric, who really helped encourage me to keep blogging right when I started, my sister Dana who I share a lot of memories with, and my dad Jere who has always given me the ability to chase after my dreams instead of living a boring life.

On to the radio nods, Chris Courtney at Talk 107.3 FM has been the producer of the Bite and Booze Radio Show since my very first episode. He has been there for any question I've had, for any pop-up dinner I've cooked, and for any advice I've needed about the show. He also makes the show happen on the technical side, which is awesome. Also, thanks to Flynn Foster, Gordy Rush, and everyone at Guaranty Broadcasting for giving me a shot three years ago to make a successful local food and beverage based radio show. And to Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Radio Show and Podcast who is my field producer anytime the show is recorded out of studio. He makes the magic happen when we invade bars and restaurant with the show, and does it all for a beer or two.

A huge thanks to all of my sponsors. Calandro's Supermarket, the Louisiana Culinary Institute, and the Tin Roof Brewing Company have been on board practically since the beginning of the show. Some sponsors have come and gone, and some are brand new, and I'd like to thank each and every one of them. I couldn't have been doing this show over the last three years without the sponsors, advertisers, and supporters that have made it all possible. Juban's Creole Restaurant is the first major restaurant to believe in me enough to put their name on my brand. Visit Baton Rouge, which has been a supporter for a long time, has also been a great partner in allowing me to create content that promotes the Capital City. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mason's Grill, Restaurant IPO, the Donner-Peltier Distillery, Mama Della's Pizzeria, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, and Chef Chris Wadsworth at Triumph Kitchen have also been a huge part of the growth of the Bite and Booze brand as a whole and especially the radio show.

Finally, there's no way I can get to them all, but thanks to Chef Eusebio Gongora for being my culinary role model and taking that first trip to San Francisco with me to a Food Blogger Festival and to Brent Broussard for being a "long time listener, first time caller" on my very first radio show. Thanks to Tommy Talley and everyone involved with tommysTV for helping launch everything I've ever done on the video side too. There's a bright future there as well. To everyone else, sorry if I missed you! But thanks to you too!

Cocktail Contest Call for Entries - Red Stick Revelry

Would you like to help Baton Rouge celebrate the inaugural New Year's Eve celebration - Red Stick Revelry?

Planners of the Red Stick Revelry are inviting area bars and restaurants to compete for the signature cocktail for Red Stick Revelry 2014 on Friday, Dec. 27. The Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel & Casino will be hosting the event at 7 PM. The winner will be recognized for their signature drink.

Entry deadline is Dec. 13. There is no entry fee. If you'd like to enter yourself, your bar, your restaurant, or what-have-you into the contest, make sure to email Nancy Little at nancy@brac.org by the 13th so that you can participate!

And yes, I will be one of the judges. But no, I do not accept bribes for my judging. Honesty and fairness is always the best policy!

Cajun Cook-off Benefiting Thrive Baton Rouge

Thrive Baton Rouge, a charter school for at-risk youth in our community, is holding a Cajun Cook-off fundraiser on Thursday, December 12th. You can find much more information about Thrive at http://thrivebr.org/. Sponsored by Grace and Hebert architects, the Cajun Cook-off will be a culinary battle that you'll have the ability to enjoy. You can purchase tickets online for only $10 right here. Swing by 501 Government St. at lunch time to take part in the festivities and help support Thrive's mission in our community.

A Look Back on the Whisk(e)ys of the World Tournament Part 2/3: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Our whisk(e)y tournament had gone from 68 spirits down to the Sweet 16 throughout November and December of 2011. For the full look at how we figured out the field of 68, check out last week's post. My #1 seed, Blanton's bourbon, got knocked out by 16 seed Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey... that's some good stuff! Eric and James each had their #1 seeds make it through the first two rounds so Power's and Highland Park stayed alive. Tullamore Dew, Jeremy's top seed, got eliminated by a different Irish whiskey, Knappogue Castle. We spent two weeks taking this field of 16 down to the Elite 8 then another week of tasting over the airwaves to get to our final four. The 16 whisk(e)y listed below are certainly all worth taking a look at. Some had much tastier roads to get to where they are. James and Chivas in the bottom right bracket eased their way into the Sweet 16 and that match-up really wasn't worthy of being held this far into the tournament. For the most part, the rest of them are all worth putting your liquor shelves. Quite a few of these have been reviewed on other Whisk(e)y Wednesday posts, but not all of them. That will come in time! Next week we'll look back on the Final Four!

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, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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.

Louisiana’s Bite and Booze Radio Show Nominated for The Taste Awards

BATON ROUGE, LA – THE TASTE AWARDS have selected the Bite and Booze Radio Show as a nominee in the category of Best Food or Drink Radio Broadcast. The Bite and Booze Radio Show, hosted by Jay Ducote of biteandbooze.com, airs on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge, La. on Saturdays from 5-6 p.m. The Best Food or Drink Radio Broadcast category is in the People's Choice awards section, which means public votes will decide the fate of the nine finalists. Voting is limited to one ballot per person and is open through December 18, 2013. To see all of the categories and nominees and to cast a ballot, visit http://tastetv.com/awards/vote.html.

“I’m thrilled about being nominated and that my efforts since 2011 to spread the word about the food and beverage culture of Louisiana over the airwaves is now getting recognized,” said Jay Ducote.

The Annual TASTE AWARDS are the original awards for the Lifestyle Entertainment Industry. Also known as the Tasty Awards, they are the premier broadcast awards show celebrating the year's best achievements in Food, Fashion, Home and Lifestyle programs on Television, in Film, Online, on Radio and at Live Interactive Events. The Mission is to recognize and acknowledge outstanding excellence in video, film, mobile and interactive content focused on food, drink, fashion, design, travel and lifestyle.

“The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro’s Supermarket has been getting better and better since it hit the airwaves in April of 2011,” Ducote proclaimed. “I really have a lot of fun with it. Each week I get to talk about something different happening in the food world around Louisiana. While the show is based in Baton Rouge and that’s mostly what I cover, I’ve recorded episodes in New Orleans and Lafayette, talked to celebrity chefs from around the country, and celebrated our local food and beverage culture all along the way. I really couldn’t have done it without the support of Guaranty Broadcasting, my producer Chris Courtney, my field producer Charles Pierce, and all of my great sponsors.”



Jay would like to encourage anyone and everyone to copy and paste this tweet or come up with a unique way to spread the word about the nomination and voting:

Congrats to @biteandbooze for being nominated in the @TastyAwards as best food or drink radio broadcast! Vote: http://tastetv.com/awards/vote.html

###

The Bite and Booze Radio Show first aired in April 2011 on Talk 107.3 FM WBRP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is also available streaming online and as a podcast on iTunes. On the show, Jay chats with guests from all aspects of the culinary world from farmers markets to gourmet chefs and from craft brewers to other bloggers and authors. Based off of his food and beverage blog by the same name that Jay Ducote started in 2009, the radio show celebrates the food and beverage culture of Louisiana and everywhere Jay travels. To learn more about Bite and Booze and the Bite and Booze Radio Show, visit www.biteandbooze.com. For additional updates from Bite and Booze, follow @biteandbooze on Twitter, watch Bite and Booze videos on http://www.youtube.com/jaydducote and visit http://www.facebook.com/biteandbooze.

THE TASTE AWARDS are holding their 5th annual awards ceremony on January 16, 2014 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The Annual Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Sony Pictures, and more. 

A Look Back on the Whisk(e)ys of the World Tournament Part 1/3: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

About two years ago we began the Whisk(e)ys of the World Tournament on one of my radio shows called Raise a Glass (now you can listen to the Me and Big Mouth Radio Show in that time slot). The concept was pretty simple: four of us would pick our #1 seeds then we would fill in the rest of the ballot by pulling whisk(e)ys out of a hat. We included all the whisk(e)y brands that the four of us had on hand as well as other major brands that we knew we could acquire easily. No bottle exceeded $100 retail, and really only a couple were even close. Most, as you can see looking at the list on the right, were pretty affordable. We actually had 80-90 in the hat, so nothing other than our four #1 seeds were guaranteed a spot. We also put in a play-in game for the 16 seed in each bracket, so in total 68 whisk(e)ys made the field. These included bourbon, American whiskey, Canadian whisky, both blended and single malt Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Japanese Whisky, and even a couple odd balls. For the most part, the #1 seeds were selected based on perceived value and taste. I picked a bourbon, Blanton's, to head my bracket. My brother Eric from the BR Beer Scene picked Highland Park 12, a Scotch, for his. James and Jeremy both selected Irish Whiskeys for their brackets going with the Powers Gold Label and Tullamore Dew, respectively. The #1 seeds were not meant to be our choice for the best whiskey of all time, but rather our pick for a whiskey that might get farther than others, that we had on hand, and that we wanted to guarantee a spot in the field.

So the field was set. We spent the following weeks tasting every whiskey in every bracket and announcing who would move forward and which spirit got sent home. We went from 64 to 32 in a matter of four weeks, then again from 32 to 16 over the following four weeks. Next week on Whisk(e)y Wednesday I'll reveal the sweet 16. Which whisk(e)ys would be your pick?

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, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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.

Mason's Grill in Baton Rouge wins Thrillist's Search for America's Best Bloody Mary!

Bacon Bloody Mason

Chris and Kristen with the judges from Chopped

Big news came out of New York this weekend. After being voted the top bloody mary in Louisiana by an online poll for Thrillist.com, Kristen Alfandre and Chris from Mason's Grill attended the live competition as part of the New York Wine and Food Festival. Sponsored by Absolut, the contest sought to name the very best intoxicating tomato based drink in the country.

Mason's trophy!

So the big news... Mason's won! That's right, the Bloody Mason, which you can find right here in Baton Rouge, has gone to New York and conquered the boozing world by winning the contest.

This is something for Baton Rouge to be proud of. This is cause for celebration across the state of Louisiana. We've long known the best bloody marys in the world come from Louisiana, and now we have proof. Please join me in congratulating Mason's Grill. Send them a tweet, post something on their Facebook wall, or just go have a Bloody Mason!

And for those who may have missed it, below is the 225: Into the Mix video that we made at Mason's Grill. It was mostly about burgers, but I built my own Bloody Mason while I was there too!

Baton Rouge Epicurean Society presents the 7th Annual Fete Rouge

2012 Fete Rouge Winners

One of the largest culinary events of the year for Baton Rouge is coming up on Friday, August 23. The 7th annual Fete Rouge is upon us, and I'd like to personally encourage all area foodies or just big eaters to join me!

The Baton Rouge Epicurean Society's Friday event showcases prominent Baton Rouge area chefs and some of the finest wines from around the world.

The event actually kicks off on Thursday, August 22nd, with the Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Dinner, honoring Vince Ferachi, owner of Capitol City Produce and dedicated supporter of the Baton Rouge community. The dinner will include seven impeccably designed courses, each paired with a carefully selected fine wine. The feast will be prepared by some of Baton Rouge’s including Peter and Gino Sclafani from Ruffino’s Restaurant, William Wells of Culinary Productions, Jeremy Langlois of Latil’s Landing Restaurant at Houmas House Plantation, Cody and Samantha Carroll of Hot Tails Restaurant, David Dickensauge of Bin 77 Bistro and Wine, Kelley McCann of Galatoire’s Bistro, and Gary Schenck of The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge.

The big Food and Wine Fete kicks off at 6:00 PM Friday and features a competition in which 40 local chefs will each prepare their best dish. Gold medals and “Best in Show” prizes will be awarded, and I'll actually be serving as one of the judges. The evening will also showcase more than 200 wines from around the world. You'll be able to sample the food and wine throughout the evening while enjoying live music and entertainment. Friday’s event will also feature a silent auction and raffle benefiting the “Girls on the Run of Baton Rouge.” One lucky raffle participant will win a bottle of each wine featured at the event.

Tickets for Thursday evening are $200 per person, or $1,600 for a table of eight.  Tickets for Friday’s Food and Wine Fete are $50 in advance, and $65 at the door.  For more information and tickets to the festival, which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, check out www.feterougebr.com.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Vanessa Gomes, Craft Beer, and Hot Dogs

This past week Vanessa Gomes, the Craft Brands Manager for Champagne Beverage on the Northshore, joined me on the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket. After congratulating Chris Courtney, my producer, on his victory at the Frankie's 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, Vanessa and I talked craft beer, upcoming events on the Northshore, and much more. Give it a listen!

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

MLB FanCave

Last year's MLB FanCave

While this isn't a sports blog, few things go together better than Bite, Booze, and Baseball... from the fan's perspective, anyway.  I'm excited to announce that I am a finalist for the 2013 MLB FanCave.  If selected, I'll spend a good bit of this summer living a baseball fan's dream at the FanCave in NYC.  In order to get there, I need some help.  As of right now, I'm one of 52 finalists selected from thousands of applicants.  The first goal is to be in the top 30 in online voting, thus earning me a spot at the Spring Training auditions.  From there, I'd try out to be NYC bound.  So vote.  Vote again.  Refresh the page and vote again.  And then make sure you share on Facebook and Twitter!

bit.ly/jay4fancave
#Jay4FanCave
@MLBFanCave

Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Gold Medal Winners for the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Raise a Glass, a show I host on WHYR 96.9 FM Baton Rouge Community Radio, recently completed a 14 episode run of the "Beer Olympics."  The program is about the history, traditions, culture, production, and, of course, consumption of alcoholic beverages.  We dedicated our entire 4th season of the show to beer in an event called the Beer Olympics.  Each beer style served as a separate event for the Olympics in which only one beer from each country could enter.  Fortunately for us, The Cove has over 660 beers available from all over the world, so finding a selection to please our palates didn't prove to be too difficult.  Just for kicks, we also threw in some random categories that were not matched by the style of the beer.  Each category had an average of around 8 beers to sample.  All in all we had 16 countries medal in 18 events.  No beer could ever be entered twice.  Judging was done by myself, Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene, James Lawson, and Jeremy Spikes.  Here are the medal winners from the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics.  You can also listen to all of the archived episodes including the medal ceremony right here the Raise a Glass page or you can subscribe through iTunes.  New episodes of the show air Fridays at 6 PM and replay Sundays at 4 PM.

Listen to the Medal Ceremony Episode of Raise a Glass:

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Best Sellers from Around the World (Top seller from each country)
Gold - Guinness, Ireland
Silver - Carlsberg, Denmark
Bronze - Stella Artois, Belgium

Session Beers (Under 5% ABV)
Gold - Mikkeler Dream, Denmark
Silver - Engels Bitter, Netherlands
Bronze - 80 Shillings Scottish Heavy, Scotland


Strong Beers (10% ABV or stronger)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Heaven and Hell, Netherlands
Silver - JW Lee's Harvest Calvados, England
Bronze - North Coast Old Stock, USA

Name that Beer (Best tasting beers with crazy names or stories behind the names)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Cease & Desist, Netherlands
Silver - Mikkeler IBeatU, Denmark
Bronze- DeDulle Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch), Belgium

Oldest Breweries (Beers from the oldest breweries in each country)
Gold - Gouden Carolus Tripel, Belgium
Silver - Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, Germany
Bronze - Belhaven Wee Heavy, Scotland

21st Century Breweries (Beers from breweries started in the 2000s)
Gold - Parish Canebrake, USA
Silver - To ol/Mikkeler Ovral IPA, Denmark
Bronze - Meantime IPA, England

Top 100 Beers in the World (Showdown of brews that appear in "top 100 beers in the world lists")
Co-Gold - Rochefort 10, Belgium
Co-Gold - Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Canada
Silver - Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, England
Bronze - Weihenstephaner Hefe, Germany

Stouts
Gold - Sweet Horizon, Norway
Silver - Nils Oscar, Sweden
Bronze, NOLA Irish Channel, USA

Farmhouse Ales/Saisons
Gold - Anchorage Love Buzz, USA
Silver - Gavroche, France
Bronze - Kissmeyer Denied Entry, Denmark

German Style Lagers
Gold - Ayinger Celebrator, Germany
Silver - Abita Andygator, USA
Bronze - Moa, New Zealand

Amber/Red/Scottish
Gold - Duchesse De Bourgogne, Belgium
Silver - Stone Levitation Ale, USA
Co-Bronze - O'Hara's Irish Red, Ireland
Co-Bronze - Belhaven Scottish, Scotland

Barleywines
Gold - JW Lee's Lagavulin Harvest, England
Silver - Bommen & Grenaten, Netherlands
Co-Bronze - BrewDog/Mikkeller Collab Devine Rebel, Scotland
Co-Bronze - Nils Oscar, Sweden

Porters
Gold - Renaissance Elemental, New Zealand
Silver - Sinebreychoff, Finland
Co-Bronze - Rogue Mocha, USA
Co-Bronze - Carlsberg Carnegie, Sweden

Pale Ales
Gold - Orval Trappist Ale, Belgium
Silver - Belzebuth, France
Bronze - Re Ale Extra, Italy

Brown Ales
Gold - Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale, England
Silver - 8 Wired Brown, New Zealand
Bronze - Baird Angry Boy Brown, Japan

White/Wheat/Wit
Gold - Ommegang Witte, USA
Silver - Hitachino Nest Weizen, Japan
Bronze - St. Bernardus Wit, Belgium

Trappist Style
Gold - Le Trappe Quad, Netherlands
Silver - Chimay Blue, Belgium
Bronze - Unibreu Maudite, Canada

IPAs
Gold - Mikkeler 19, Denmark
Silver - Piraat, Belgium
Bronze - Stone IPA, USA

Lineup of Gold Medal Winning Beers

Beer Olympics Medal Count:

Points Gold=3 Silver=2 Bronze=1, (Total #)

Belgium 19 pts (9)
USA 17 pts (9)
Denmark 13 pts (6)
Netherlands 13 pts (5)
England 11 pts (5)
New Zealand 6 pts (3)
Germany 6 pts (3)
Scotland 4 pts (4)
Sweden 4 pts (3) 
Ireland 4 pts (2)
France 4 pts (2)
Canada 4 pts (2)
Japan 3 pts (2)
Norway 3 pts (1)
Finland 2 pts (1)
Italy 1 pt (1)

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

Panna Cotta is an Italian gelatin-based dessert made with cream, sugar, and whatever flavorings your heart desires. I recently found the beauty of panna cotta in its simplicity. There are few desserts that are easier to make or that give you a more rewarding outcome for the effort! So when I got sent a box of True Lemon as part of a Virtual Potluck promotion, I figured it could work perfectly in a lemon panna cotta!

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
6 packets True Lemon (equivalent to juice of one lemon)
2 packets gelatin
6 Tbs cool water
1 pint Pontchatoula Strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup Chianti
2 Tbs local honey (Bocage Bee Company)

Makes 8-10 servings
Make 3 hours ahead of time or even overnight



Place cream in sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and continue to heat until cream is steaming but not boiling and sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in True Lemon until it is completely dissolved as well.  Place gelatin and water in a mixing bowl and allow gelatin to absorb the water. Let it stand until the cream is ready. When the cream is up to temperature and the sugar and True Lemon are dissolved, remove it from the heat. Pour the cream over the gelatin in the mixing bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before evenly pouring it into either 8-10 ramekins (to invert onto a plate) or wine glasses (to serve directly out of). Place containers with panna cotta mixture into a refrigerator and allow to set for at least three hours or overnight.

In a small saucepan, heat the Chianti over medium-low heat. When warm, add in sliced strawberries and honey and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes for all the flavors to combine together, stirring occasionally to ensure that the honey is dissolved. Either top the cold panna cotta with the hot strawberry-Chianti sauce, or allow the sauce to cool, scoop on top of the panna cotta, and keep it refrigerated until ready to eat.


Giveaway:
Company Website: http://truelemon.com/
Company FB page: https://www.facebook.com/truelemon

All True products are 100% natural with no artificial ingredients or sweeteners, preservatives,sodium or gluten. True Lemon's ingredients are the same as found in a lemon: Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Lemon Oil and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

True Lemon, through Bite and Booze, is giving away one gift set (consisting of a box each of True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange, True Grapefruit, True Lemonade, True Raspberry Lemonade, True Lemon shaker, True Lime shaker and a t-shirt) as part of a drawing. Also, anybody who reads this and emails True Lemon directly at customercare@truelemon.com can have some free samples.  Just mention Bite and Booze AND Virtual Potluck in your email!  To be entered to win the gift set, leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you would use one of the True products!  And make sure you follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook too!

Raise a Glass Whiskey of the World Tournament Final

The final four of the Raise a Glass Whiskey of the World Tournament

As I'm sure most of you are aware, I am currently hosting two radio shows and podcasts in Baton Rouge.  One is the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket on Talk 107.3 FM, and the other is called Raise a Glass which airs on WHYR 96.9 FM LP, Baton Rouge Community Radio.

Raise a Glass recently wrapped up Season 2, which was a 13 episode Whiskey of the World Tournament in which a field of 68 whiskeys and whiskys were whittled down to one solitary winner.  I had a blast doing the tournament with my co-host and fellow Booze Brother Eric Ducote, author of BR Beer Scene, as well as our producer James Lawson, and fellow beverage enthusiast and owner of Me-Moe's Lawn and Landscape, Jeremy Spikes.

Jay, Eric, Jeremy, and James prepare to record Raise a Glass at Roux Wine and Spirits

Roux Wine and Spirits on Airline Highway in Prarieville hosted our recording session and provided a bottle of each of the final four whiskeys in the tournament.  Pictured below, those whiskeys were Jefferson's Presidential Select 17 yr Bourbon, Highland Park 15 yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Penderyn Welch Whisky Madeira Cask, and Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey.  The most expensive bottles in the tournament were right around $100 each, and two of those made the finals, Jefferson's and Midleton.  That price tag is not to scare you off - they are worth the money - but rather to let you know what we didn't have any crazy 30 or 40 year scotches or significantly expensive bottles in the tournament.

Final Four Whiskeys lined up and ready to be poured

You can listen to the finals in the embedded player below.  SPOILER ALERT: for those that don't want to listen and just want to know the winner, click and mouse over this blank space as if to highlight it: Jefferson's Presidential Select Bourbon! Also make sure to follow @RaiseaGlass on twitter, like Raise a Glass on Facebook, and subscribe to the show on iTunes.  Season 3 of Raise a Glass will explore all sorts of topics from wine to cocktails and drinking in places from Mexico to Japan.  We'll even have some light beer taste-offs and samplings of malt liquor.  It'll continue to be a great show!

Whiskey of the World Tournament Final Episode:

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Baked "BBQ" Chicken Thighs over Grande Whole Grains with Thyme

As part of the promotion that I'm doing with Virtual Potluck, Bob's Red Mill and the California Olive Ranch sent each of the bloggers some special grains and oils in order to help us come with some healthy dishes to kick off 2012.  You can go back and take a look at my appetizer and side dish, but now it is time to get on to the main event!  I needed to make use of Bob's Grande Whole Grains as well as the Miller's Blend olive oil.  I also had access to my Harb's Oasis herb garden, some chicken thighs, and my own homemade BBQ sauce.  Plus, as an added bonus, I recently received a sample of DJ Paul's (yes, the DJ Paul from Three 6 Mafia!) BBQ rub.  This chicken and whole grains had met its match!

Baked "BBQ" Chicken Thighs over Grande Whole Grains with Thyme

The basic preparation shook down like this:
A few hours before I was ready to start cooking I put 8 chicken thighs in a brine of apple cider vinegar, Tin Roof Amber Ale, a chopped onion, and some of my homemade Bite and Booze BBQ Sauce.  They then went back into the refrigerator until I was ready to cook.

The whole grains needed to boil and simmer for a while to absorb enough moisture.  I added 1 cup of grains and 2 and half cups of water to a sauce pan and placed it over high heat.  I also threw in a pinch of kosher salt, a couple turns of my black pepper mill, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of dried thyme that I had previously cut from my herb harden.  After coming to a boil, I covered the pot and reduced the heat to simmer for nearly an hour.

The 8 chicken thighs were removed from the brine, patted down with a paper towel, drizzled lightly with Miller's Blend olive oil, and placed in a large hotel pan (any baking dish would work).  With the skin side up, I sprinkled DJ Paul's BBQ rub on each thigh to liberally coat the skin.  The thighs were then placed in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  After the half hour, I took the chicken out of the oven, brushed each thigh with BBQ sauce, and then returned them to the oven for another 15 minutes.

After everything was ready, I plated the dish by placing a large serving spoon of whole grains on the plate, then topping that with a chicken thigh.  I garnished with a sprig of tried thyme to give the entree a more rustic look that worked with the whole grains.  And the best part: after I took a few pictures, I got to eat it!

Want some Bob's Red Mill grains and olive oil from the California Olive Ranch?  Read blow for the details about how you could win some!

• Visit either Bob's Red Mill or California Olive Ranch's Facebook pages and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then use that code word in a sentence, when commenting on this blog post. 

Additional Entries:

• For an extra entry: Follow BRM, COR and VirtualPotluck's Twitter profiles and tweet about the contest linking to this blog post and using the #virtualpotluck hashtag. Then comment again, letting me know you've done so, by providing the link to your tweet.

• More Blogs, More Ways to Win: Get additional entries in each week's giveaways by visiting our host blog and finding other participating VP bloggers sites to comment on.

Andrew Zimmern Visits Baton Rouge and the Food Trucks Go Crazy!

Jay Ducote and Andrew Zimmern in Baton Rouge

Andrew Zimmern, probably best known for hosting Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, stopped by Baton Rouge on Wednesday to film an episode of his popular MSN web series "Appetite for Life."  In case you are unaware, next week a new episode of Bizarre Foods America will air on the Travel Channel that features Louisiana and our unique cuisine.  This time though, Andrew was hosting a jambalaya cook-off, and to make things more interesting the weekly Wednesday Food Truck Wroundup was held at lunch in conjunction with the filming.  I actually had the extreme pleasure of being one of the judges for the food truck event that featured each truck's best Cajun inspired dish.  Along side me in the judging booth were Rachael Upton from 225 Dine, Lauren Westbrook from WAFB, Beth Colvin from The Advocate, and Brian Haldane from Talk 107.3 FM.  

Judging Panel for the Appetite for Life Food Truck Wroundup

Every truck there did an exceptional job with the challenge.  The dishes blew me away with their creativity and flavor.  This seriously might have been one of the most difficult food challenges that I've ever had to judge.  It is a tough job, but somebody has to do it... or so they tell me (as I'm doing it!).  Here were the entries and results.  Start drooling now.

Taco de Paco's "Cajunator": Seafood gumbo taco with seared andouille, crawfish tails, rice, gumbo sauce, and fried okra!  This won the "Laissez Les Bon Food Trucks Rouler" award for best use of traditional Louisiana/Cajun foods in the entry.

The Cajunator from Taco de Paco

A Coffee Truck returned with their King Cake Latte that took the non-traditional prize in last year's King Cake Contest with Visit Baton Rouge.  While it didn't win any awards this year, it still impressed all the judges and was a great sweet treat along side all the savory dishes.

a coffee truck's King Cake Latte

The Cuban Connection's entry featured a blackened catfish filet over a bed of Louisiana seafood paella.  I loved the seasoning on the catfish as it burst with spices that were home to both the Cajuns and the Cubans.  Unfortunately this plate didn't win either, but the Cuban truck should still keep their chin up!

Seafood Paella with Blackened Catfish from Cuban Connection

 Curbside hit a homerun with a debut offering and sneak peak at their upcoming links truck.  The "Porkducken" featured truck-made local pork, chicken, and wild duck sausage basted in duck fat, thyme, and roasted garlic then finished with lemon zest.  Nick and crew topped the sausage with a cream cheese foam, Hungarian smoked paprika and fresh chives which all sat atop some house-made creole potato chips and fresh French bread.  Curbside ended up taking home the "Way more creative than this name" award for most creative dish.  Well deserved!  It freaking rocked, and I can't wait for that new truck!

Curbside's Porkducken

Sadly I got so carried away with everything that I forgot to snap a picture of FRESH's shrimp salad.  It also had blue cheese and candied pecans.  It was definitely my kind of salad!  They didn't win any awards for it, but I'd gladly eat it again!

Ignatius Reilly's took home the top prize with their Warm Savory Couche-Couche, with Smoked Trotter & Switches Gravy and a Fried Softshell Crawfish.  The gravy was loaded with slow cooked pig tail and crawfish tails.  The dish had an amazing balance with sweetness from the cous cous cake, spiciness from the gravy, and savoriness from, well, everything.  And then to top it off with deep fried soft shell CRAWFISH?!  Wow.  For the win.  The "Show Dat" award for overall best tasting - best in show.  Congrats!

Ignatius Reilly's winning dish

The event as a whole helped raise over $2,000 for the Capital Area United Way.  Big thanks and congrats to everyone involved, and I'll definitely be posting the link to the Appetite for Life episode when it comes out!!  Oh, and there is also this clip about the whole event from WAFB.  Watch closely... you'll see me taking a huge bite at some point!

Turkey Sandwich Gauntlet 2011

The rules were relatively simple.  For two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, eat nothing but one turkey sandwich for every meal each day.  Two weeks.  Fourteen days.  Forty-two turkey sandwiches.  I failed.  Being a food writer, radio host, and having a lot going on for two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, I found it nearly impossible to consume nothing but turkey sandwiches for fourteen straight days.  Still, I tried.  And while 33% is certainly a failing score, if I were playing baseball that would be a pretty damn good batting average.  I managed a total of 14 turkey sandwiches, or an average of one per day.  I'll take it... until next year!

Turkey breast with spinach, red onion, and mustard on a croissant from Maxwell's Market

Turkey Day with Virtual Potluck and Marx Foods

A group of food bloggers from around the country who were brought this Fall for the Emeril's cookbook promotion has together decided to continue to work together on other projects. I'm very proud to be a member of the Virtual Potluck group and hope to continue to do some amazing things such a wonderful and inspirational group of bloggers. One of our first promotions is to cook a virtual Thanksgiving meal with ingredients from Marx Foods, a gourmet specialty food company that can send amazing ingredients straight to your door. You can actually use a promocode this week to get a discount at Marx Foods: Enter “POTLUCK” into the “Coupon Code” field at checkout for 10% of everything in the store. Valid 11/21 – 11/27.  My contribution was part of "Turkey Four Ways" meal that I prepared for WBRZ news in Baton Rouge. The special should air the night before Thanksgiving. You can find links to the rest of the Virtual Potluck meal on Cookistry, and you can find all four turkey recipes at Deep South Magazine, but below is the recipe for the Smoked Sea Salt and Puya Chili Oil Seared Turkey Thighs with Brandy Wine Black Trumpet Mushroom Cream Sauce!

Smoked Sea Salt and Puya Chili Oil Seared Turkey Thighs with Brandy Wine Black Trumpet Mushroom Cream Sauce
2 turkey thighs
2 tsp. smoked sea salt (or kosher salt) - From Marx Foods
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper or to taste
1 puya chili with stem removed (or guajillo or other medium-heat pepper) - From Marx Foods
3 T grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil, divided
1/2 ounce dried black trumpet mushrooms or other mushroom variety - From Marx Foods
1 cup hot water
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup cream
1/4 pound butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat turkey thighs dry with a paper towel. Lightly score the skin of both thighs with a knife in a crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle skin side with smoked sea salt and place aside to rest for at least 10 minutes. In a food processor, add the chili and 2 tablespoons of oil. Pulse the food processor to incorporate and make chili oil. Place dried mushrooms in hot water and let soak for at least 10 minutes. Heat the chili oil over high heat in an oven-safe sauté pan. Sprinkle the turkey thighs with black pepper and place skin down in the chili oil. Sear the skin side for 4-5 minutes and then flip the thigh over. Transfer pan to oven and continue to cook for 30-35 minutes until the thighs have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

In a separate sauté pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir for another minute or two. Drain the mushrooms, chop them a little if desired, and add to the pan. Add some freshly ground black pepper. Lower the heat to medium. Add in the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Carefully pour in the brandy and continue to reduce for a few more minutes. Add the cream and again cook until reduced by half. Reduce heat to low. Stir in and melt the butter. Taste and add salt as desired. Once the butter is in, do not return the sauce to a boil. Pour sauce over turkey thighs and pasta if desired.

Raise a Glass Season 2: Whiskey Tournament!

Season 2 of Raise a Glass starts tonight (Friday, 11-11-11) at 6 PM on WHYR 96.9 FM in Baton Rouge.  It will also be available online and through iTunes shortly.  Raise a Glass is a weekly radio and podcast hosted by myself, Jay Ducote, and my brother Eric Ducote.  It is produced by James Lawson.  The show is about the history, culture, traditions, production, and consumption of alcoholic beverages, and for season 2 we are introducing something new: a Whiskies of the World Tournament!

To find out how this bracket was selected make sure to tune into Raise a Glass tonight at 6 or Sunday at 4 to listen to the Whiskey Bracket Selection Show.  We'll be narrowing down the field on each episode for the next 13 weeks until we get to one winner which will win the prize of the Raise a Glass Best Whiskey/Whisky in the World!!  Have a vote on which whiskies you think should move forward?  Would you like to share your opinions about bourbon, scotch, Tennessee, Canadian, Irish, Japanese, or any other whiskey?  Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment here or tweeting our show @RaiseaGlass!

Here is the first round matchup from my quadrant of the bracket: Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey versus Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey.  We'll announce who moves on from this match up and more on future episodes of Raise a Glass!

BREADA Tailgating Throwdown

Saturday, November 5th is the day of the biggest football game of the year as LSU faces off against  Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  Here in Baton Rouge there will be some amazing pregame festivities for a great cause.  BREADA, the organization that runs the Red Stick Farmers Market, is hosting a Tailgating Throwdown outside the downtown market.  From 8 AM to noon the normal market will be going on as well as the arts market.  There will also be teams up and down the streets competing to create the best tailgating dishes using ingredients from local farmers.  All proceeds will go towards BREADA's mission which includes supporting the market and local food producers as well as education about local foodways.

There are several ways for you to get involved.  First, you have until this Monday (October 24) to submit your team to compete in the Throwdown.  If you think your tailgating food is hard to beat, come try out your cooking skills in downtown Baton Rouge!  Second, just show up at the market to shop with the local farmers and sample all the tailgating cuisine.  I'll be there to judge the cook off along with Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and Poppy Tooker from NOLA.  There is also a people's choice award that everybody will get to vote on!

You can find more information on BREADA's webpage.

You can also get more information about being a sponsor or entering your team!

Hope to see you on November 5, 2011!  Meet me at the Market!