Jay D's Bites: Pimento Cheese Cornbread

Cornbread is a staple in the typical Southerner’s diet. It is used to soak up your favorite stews, as a side with your collard greens, or simply serve it with butter for breakfast. While delicious just as it is, cornbread adapts to all kinds of personal touches. So we added our famous pimento cheese to this cast iron cornbread. The star in this recipe is Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet Rub; mix it in the butter slathered on top before chowing down.

Pimento Cheese Cornbread

Serves 8-12

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

1½ cups cornmeal
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
16 oz Jay D’s Pimento Cheese (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350℉. Combine dry ingredients. Add all wet ingredients plus pimento cheese. Mix until combined. Place in buttered cast iron skillet. Bake 35-40 min or until golden brown and is pulling away from skillet.

Jay D’s Pimento Cheese:
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard
12 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
12 oz Smoked Gouda Cheese, grated
1, 4-oz jar diced pimentos, rinsed

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and allow to marry flavors for at least 30 minutes.

A Little Soul in the Old Heart of Baton Rouge: Dominique's Stockyard Café

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Many argue that Baton Rouge struggles to find a food identity, but sometimes, what I love most about our culinary culture is the variety. I hail from Sulphur, Louisiana which is home to mostly chain restaurants, mediocre Tex-Mex, and simple Americana, so moving to Baton Rouge for school became a gastronomic awakening.

Baton Rouge does a handful of things really well, and soul food is absolutely one of them.

I’ve always been an adventurous eater and made a conscientious effort to seek out hidden gem eateries to which the average college student might not venture. However, Dominique’s Stockyard Café is something I didn’t find until under the seasoned wing of Jay Ducote.

Pulling up to the Stockyard Café, I don’t know why, but I wasn’t expecting it to be an actual stockyard. Already charmed by the exterior, I entered into the café to the smell of one of the greatest things on the planet: lunch.

I am very into mac n’ cheese always, but I’ve found that soul food places tend to make theirs with spaghetti noodles. It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. A bite of that with the gravied up meatloaf punched a one-way ticket to nap city.

Meat Loaf over Rice & Gravy with Mac n' Cheese and Cornbread

Meanwhile, Jay had a rib in one hand, fried okra in another, and a goofy grin on his face. Sides of flavor bursting cornbread dressing and gravy, hearty greens, and a few strips of delectably crispy fried catfish decorated the table. Pair everything with the smiling faces of people cooking good food, and each bite becomes more heavenly than the last.

Cornbread Dressing with Gravy, Fried Okra, and Greens

Crispy Fried Catfish and a plethora of more delicious sides at Stockyard Café

If you find yourself near the Old Mississippi River Bridge craving cozy home cooking at a decent price, Stockyard is a great place to stop in. And, you can actually see old Stockyard while you're there!

Bite and Booze's MasterChef Season 2 Journey

Ever since I started the whole MasterChef process people have wanted to know some things that I haven't been allowed to say.  Since we filmed in February, every contestant had to sign rather strict confidentiality agreements with FOX and the production companies to not divulge anything that happened on the show before it aired.  That being said, now that I've aired and did not receive an apron, I'm allowed to offer my commentary about a few things!

First things first, let's talk about what actually happened to me on the show.  Each chef had one hour to prepare their dish before going into the judges room where they got an additional 5 minutes to chat with the judges, finish cooking, and plate their dishes.

My hour went by really fast, but for the most part I was completely on pace.  I got my herbs chopped up and marinated the venison (recipe to come in a later blog post).  I then started working on the stuffing for the bell pepper.  All in all, things went exactly as planned.  Half an hour in I had both the venison and the bell pepper in the oven, so I turned my attention to the bourbon cream sauce.  Yes indeed, the bourbon.  While making the sauce, I most definitely did take multiple shots and flambéed some bourbon multiple times for the cameras.  After I toasted a friend and took one shot, the producers came up to me and asked if I could take another one on camera.  Of course I obliged.  Really, what were a couple shots going to do at that point?



Here is what they actually showed of me on MasterChef:

So that leaves a lot to the imagination.  I know my plate was a little sloppy, but the venison was cooked exactly how I wanted it to be!  I ended up waiting over an hour between when I finished cooking and when I went into the judges room.  A lot of people had to wait that long, but still, it seemed excessive.  Nothing I made held any kind of temperature, but the producers assured us that temperature would not be factored into the judges' decision.

The walk to the judges was even longer than it looks on TV.  It took a good stroll with that cart to get to them, and then we had to start plating our dish and talk to them simultaneously.  I introduced myself as I put the bell pepper back in the oven, put the sauce on the stove, and moved the venison to a cutting board.  Chef Gordon Ramsay told me "You look like a chef, you move like a chef, let's hope you cook like one."  I told him "Thanks Chef" and continue my prep work.  They asked me a little about my back story and why I was cooking the dish I had chosen.  I told them that it represented me on a plate because I grew up deer hunting with my dad, my Granny made my favorite cornbread stuffed bell peppers, and now, well, bourbon just made sense to use as an ingredient!  Bite and Booze, baby!

Then came the conversation that made the TV show.  What ACTUALLY happened is that Graham Elliot asked me if I had any more bourbon with me after I flambéed some.  I said yes, put the handle of Knob Creek on the counter, then asked Graham if he wanted a shot.  He replied with "No thanks, I'm driving."  Hahaha... very funny!  Then Gordon asked me if I had been drinking it, and I told him "I had a couple shots while I was cooking!"  Graham never told me anything about being scared to see what would happen next.  That comment came from a completely different clip with someone else in the kitchen.  Oh well, I guess it still made good TV!

I got rushed for time at the end as I was told my 5 minutes had expired so I just kind of threw the sauce on my plate and threw my hands up.  Graham Elliot asked me if I wanted to put the parsley that I had chopped on the plate too, and I felt a little silly.  I told them I didn't have to because time was up, but they insisted that it was my plate, so I put a little bit of parsley randomly over the top.  The time crunch certainly attributed to my lack of plating prowess.

When tasting my dish, Gordon Ramsay went first.  He and Graham Elliot both made comments about the venison looking like it had been cooked perfectly as I was cutting the chops.  The first thing he did was tear into the bell pepper and get a fork full out of the middle.  He tasted it, then promptly handed me a fork.  I tasted it for myself and knew right away it was bad news.  I said, "It needs more salt, Chef."  Chef Ramsay looked at me and claimed "It needs more everything!"  He then tasted the venison and stuck the back of his fork in some of the bourbon cream sauce and tasted that as well.  He seemed to like the venison, but as he walked away he said something along the lines of "What a shame.  The venison was nice, but the bell pepper was bland.... what a shame!"  Graham and Joe followed suit.  Their messages weren't much different other than Joe making a comment about the venison being cold.  I responded that its because I had been waiting for over an hour, but it didn't matter.  Gordon and Graham both said no and Joe didn't have to vote.  I told them thanks and turned to walk away.  After a few paces, I realized that I had forgotten my bourbon.  I turned back around, said I'm going to take this with me, grabbed the bourbon, and left the judges' room.

Despite not getting an apron MasterChef was still a great experience.  I had a blast, met some amazing people, and really had quite an enjoyable experience.  I was honored to be one of the 100 amateur chefs that they chose to go on the show.  I do have a couple regrets about my dish, but you live and you learn.  Next time I'll be ready!  Thanks for all the support from my Bite and Booze fans!

Any other questions about the show?  Post them in a comment and I'll answer what I can!!

MasterChef on FOX: Bite and Booze Style

So by now I'm sure you've heard that I am one of the "Top 100 Amateur Chefs in America" competing for the title of MasterChef on Season 2 of FOX's hit reality show.  Indeed, that is true.  I had the opportunity to go out to Los Angeles and film the show with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay as well as the other judges Chef Graham Elliot and Restaurateur Joe Bastianich.  Here I am on the set of MasterChef, preparing my signature dish for the judges:

Jay Ducote prepares his rack of venison on the FOX reality TV Show MasterChef

My signature dish featured a fresh herb roasted rack of venison with a Cajun shrimp and cornbread stuffed bell pepper.  I finished it off with a bourbon cream sauce because, well, I wouldn't be Bite and Booze without cooking with some sort of alcohol!

I'll post more about my MasterChef experience as well as the full recipe for my dish at another time!

Below is a video about Season 2 of MasterChef on FOX.  If you pause the video you can see me at two different points.  My face sticks out above the crowd at 0:27, and you can see my back very well at 1:30.

Needless to say, I am very excited to watch the show.  The whole journey was incredible and it is going to be fun to see how they edit all the footage they got and turn it into a television program.  Tune in to FOX on June 6th at 7 PM CT to see how I do.  If you don't see me then, the second episode airs the following day, June 7th.  The show will continue with the first round on Monday, June 13th and will move to the elimination rounds on Tuesday, June 14th.

On Campus: Tailgating at LSU vs. West Virginia

Yes, I'm a lucky man.  This past weekend we filmed the first installment of our On Campus look at Tiger Tailgating.  I traveled around campus with some of the LSU Athletic Department Marketing staff to film, interview, and taste some of the best that game day tailgating had to offer.

Thanks to the following tailgate groups for hosting us while they tailgated for the LSU vs. West Virginia football game:

Level 3 Tailgaters
SOLA Tailgating
Ford Family Tailgating

Now, without further ado, the video:

Click here for the direct link to the video on LSUSports.net.

Want us to come to your tailgate party?  Let me know where you are and what you'll be cooking!

Schedule:
LSU vs. West Virginia
LSU vs. Tennessee
LSU vs. McNeese State
LSU vs. Alabama
LSU vs. ULM
LSU vs. Ole Miss

Paraguay - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Paraguay

Bite and Booze's first visit to South America for the 2010 World Cup comes from the country of Paraguay. While I have personally never been to Paraguay, or anywhere in South America for that matter, it is a place that fascinates me with a unique culture and rich traditions. I'll get there one day, and when I do you can bet that I'll do plenty biting and boozing! Paraguay is a land-locked country in the heart of South America with a population around 6.3 million people. Today we'll take a look at two Paraguayan staples: sopa paraguaya and caña.

Sopa paraguaya literally translates to Paraguayan Soup, though the dish really is not a soup at all. The national dish of Paraguay, sopa paraguaya is actually very similar to cornbread though typically much more moist and sticky. The savory cornbread is made with corn flour, pig fat, cheese, onions, eggs, and milk or whey. Legend has it that the dish was created by accident when too much corn flour was added to a soup. The chef, cooking for the president of Paraguay, threw the mixture into an adobe oven and baked it then served it as a "solid soup." Amazed at what he tasted, President Don Carlos dubbed the dish "sopa paraguaya," and the name has lived on.

Paraguay isn't known extremely well for any particular beverage, but something that they produce very well is caña. Caña, as the name implies, is made from sugar cane and is very similar to traditional Caribbean sugar cane rum. It is often used to make fruity cocktails, but can also be consumed straight or on the rocks.  The fermented drink can also use honey in addition to molasses.

For a little more about Paraguayan Beer, Check out the BR Beer Scene!

Credits and Thanks:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24286256@N04/2389815493/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdseyeview/2324305359/
http://www.capasa.com.py/productos.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dairocorrea/2664302227/

Yule Tide Joy and Holiday Cheer

The holiday season of 2009 brought many reasons to celebrate the joyous tidings of family and friends.  Starting with Friendsgiving and Turkey Day, the holidays then carried on to Christmas and ringing in the the New Year at Jay's Bay.  I guess it is time to make sure I capture the Christmas bites and boozes on the blog, so here is the best of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Maker's Mark Mint Julep

The Yule Tide Joy got started on Christmas Eve at Mama and Papa Ford's house.  It was rather quiet compared to many Christmas Eve parties at the Ford's, but I still got to see most of the family, including Brayden for his first Christmas.  Collin introduced me to Maker's Mark Mint Julep, a Kentucky Bourbon with mint julep flavors already mixed in.  All I had to do was serve it over ice and enjoy!  Having had authentic mint juleps, I was fairly impressed by the bourbon and the taste that it delivered with no extra mixing.  Strong, yes, but also very tasty.  The mint julep reminded me of Christmas and it sure seems like it would make for a great drink any time of year!

V. Sattui Vintage Port

This Vintage Port came from one of my favorite wineries that we visited in Napa Valley in 2008, and Collin kindly shared with the group for Christmas Eve.  The V. Sattui Winery makes a lot of spectacular vino, and this Port is no exception.  Having been to Porto, Portugal and tasted the real stuff straight out of the barrel, I can say that V. Sattui knows what they are doing when it comes to making fortified wine.  This beverage is delightful when sipped by itself, along many different food pairings, or as a savory dessert itself.

Christmas Goose Before and After

My main contribution to dinner was this Christmas goose that we killed during our duck and goose hunting trip earlier in the month.  I brined the goose over night in some great flavors then Christmas morning I seasoned the goose inside and out with sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, brown sugar, and a couple other spices.  I also used a lemon and an orange to help add some flavor to the goose.  The juice from the fruits got squeezed out all over the goose and then I stuffed the cavity of the goose with the remaining citrus.  I covered the pan in foil and put it in the oven at about 250F for several hours until the meat became tender and started to pull from the bone.  Not bad wild game, if I may say so myself.

Kendall Jackson Cabernet in a Third Row Wine Glass

My father supplied our Christmas dinner with a selection of wines from Kendall Jackson.  Certainly not my first choice, but I'm rarely picky when you put something in front of me.  I drank the Cab until it ran out and then switched to Merlot.  Both were very drinkable, though much like a macro-brewed beer, it was nothing to rave about.

Uncle Rush Slicing the Prime Rib

Uncle Rush kindly cooked an entire ribeye for the dinner and sliced it at the house.  The medium-rare beef had a magnificent marbled consistency and a tender taste that was every bit as mouth-watering as it was beautiful to look at.

Christmas Plate... We're So Classy that We Used Paper!

Yes, the Ducote family is clearly a protein and starch group!  I'm glad I also cooked up a little asparagus to add the slightest amount of green to an otherwise plate of pink and tan hues.  In addition to the previously mentioned goose and prime rib, Travis also cooked up an entire smoked ham for us to enjoy.  We were also graced with Dana's mac and cheese, some sweet potatoes, and several other items that are buried under the mountain of meat.  But like any of our family's holiday meals, it would not be complete without Granny's cornbread dressing!

Granny's Famous Pecan Cake

If there is one thing that Granny does better than cornbread dressing (okay, two things because I'd put her pecan rolls up there too), it is her famous pecan cake.  This traditional, moist, yellow cake is layered with a homemade pecan icing that brings me back to my childhood.  Every bite is a perfect combination of cake and nutty-sweet flavor that I find myself craving between holidays and birthdays.

I certainly ate and drank well over Christmas thanks to my family and friends.  Feliz Navidad!

Delpit's Chicken Shack

There are several good places in Baton Rouge to find fried chicken other than Popeye's.  Undoubtedly one of the best of these places is Delpit's Chicken Shack on N. Acadian.  The Chicken Shack serves up hot lunches to many satisfied patrons every day as they have quite a few offerings on the menu, but their specialty is the bone-in, finger-licking fried chicken.

Delpit's Chicken Shack, N. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, La

I recently visited the Chicken Shack for my first time after strong recommendations from Eusebio and Eric.  The lovely Caroline met me there for lunch to help me see what all the fuss was about.  We got things started with an order of the "shack balls."  These hand-battered boudin balls were unlike the other deep-fried Cajun treats that you can find around town.  The each ball contained the flavorful rice and meat mixture that remained extremely moist inside.  The shack balls impressed me a lot, so I couldn't wait for the chicken!

Three Shack Balls

The fried chicken dinner came in a styrofoam box with couple of sides and a roll.  I ordered a three piece meal of all dark meat and picked cornbread dressing with brown gravy and yams as my side items, which may have been a decent call, but they weren't anything too special.  Fortunately for me, they were better than the two sides that Caroline got so at least I can brag about that!  Both of my sides were plenty good enough to eat, just not good enough to bring people to Chicken Shack on their own.  The chicken, on the other hand, is a different story!

Fried Chicken, Cornbread Dressing, Yams, and a Roll from Delpit's Chicken Shack

Seasoned well, fried crunchy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, this chicken could soundly be argued to be the best fried bird in town.  It was absolutely delicious from the first bite of crispy skin to the final nibble of tender flesh off the bone.  Each bite made me want to order more to eat until I couldn't stuff any more down my throat, then go back for more the next day!  I resisted the temptation though.  But don't worry, I'll be back soon enough.

How do you say, ah yes, Turkey Day

Turkey Day 2009 proved to once again to be a day filled with family, friends, food, and fun.  Eric and Dana, my brother and sister, went to my cousin Philip and his wife Lisa's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  The family generational gap made its presence as Granny made it to dinner with a lot of her grand children but none of her kids (our parents) were present.  They all seemed to be out of town and feasting somewhere else in the country.   Oh well, more bites and boozes for me!

Cousin Travis attended the Thanksgiving dinner with his lady friend, Lauren.  He prepared a fantastic pumpkin and pecan bread which we devoured like we hadn't eaten breakfast.  Oh yeah, I didn't eat breakfast.  I was saving room for dinner!!

Travis's Pumpkin and Pecan Bread

Travis also came to the gathering with some home-vinted vino.  He brought a bottle of Pinot Noir made from a home-fermented Pinot concentrate.  The wine was surprisingly good!  I expected it to be pretty good because I have never really known Travis to make anything bad, but this wine actually had some character to it.  It was a refreshing red wine that was fairly light on the palate and I'd say a little less complex and fruity than a typical Pinot, but still extremely drinkable, delightful, and cheap!

Home-Vinted Pinot Noir

Thanksgiving is not just an occasion for wine though.  It is also a holiday that calls for really good beer.  I started my pre-dinner beer drinking with a homebrewed porter.  This porter, which was crafted by Phil, Travis, and Eric, I believe, came out strong, rich, and spicy.  I could taste the dark-malted brew on my lips and tongue while the liquid went down my throat and into my extremely satisfied belly.

Homebrewed Porter and Stone Brewery's IPA in Frosty Third Row Mugs

Stone's IPA is a terrific, hoppy bear that went down so well after Thanksgiving dinner.  It is a beer drinker's beer for sure, and those that don't like robust hops need not give it a taste.  I, however, love strong hoppy flavors and found the Stone IPA to be a great beer for a holiday dinner.  Now, on to the meal!

Thanksgiving Dinner Plate at Phil and Lisa's House

Thanksgiving dinner was served with a marvelous spread of food that covered the entire kitchen at Phil and Lisa's house.  Granny made her signature cornbread dressing which was the only thing that I HAD to have on Thanksgiving.  There was also mashed potatoes and gravy, Dana's green bean casserole, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and, of course, turkey and cranberry sauce.  Philip smoked the turkey this year and it came out very nicely.  The bird was flavorful, moist, and tender with a smoky flavor that made the turkey extra special.  I can't say that I'd mind eating food like that all the time! 

For dessert Travis and Lauren brought over an assortment of pumpkin and apple pies.  I had a slice of each, adding a hefty scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla to the apple pie.  Man, that was a treat!  I wanted to eat it so badly that I apparently forgot to take a picture!  After hours of chatting, playing some UNO with the kids, and talking about beer and wine, it was time to leave Phil and Lisa's home.  No worries though!  The next stop happened to be Sara's house for more dessert!

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Ginger Cheesecake

I had the pleasure of swinging by Sara's house with Eric and Dana to meet Sara, Lauren, Lizzie, and Mitch for some hanging out and extra dessert.  Lizzie is a pastry chef in Minnesota and whipped up this cranberry-white chocolate-ginger cheesecake for us!  Have I said how much I love cheesecake?  This dessert knocked my socks off!  What a great way to use cranberries during the holidays!  Everything about this cheesecake made me happy, and now writing about it I want more!  If there is one thing I need to learn how to make, it is cheesecake!

Happy Friendsgiving!

Friendsgiving came and went, but the memories will last forever yet again. I'd like to start by giving Sara and Rachel a heartfelt shout out for hosting such a fine evening of wine and Thanksgiving-style cuisine. Our third annual Friendsgiving took place this past Wednesday and certainly lived up to all the hype and anticipation!  I brought scallops topped with bacon and a home made pear and bourbon reduction chutney for an appetizer as well as a side of asparagus for the feasting.  In addition, I also threw in a bottle of Suisun Valley's Scholium Project Syrah, which is quite tasty!

Sara and Rachel set up a couple old Third Row tables in their living room to give us enough dining space for the 16+ guests that showed up for Friendsgiving.  They did a fabulous job setting the table to dazzle the diners both before we sat down and after!

Friendsgiving Dinner Table Before and After We Were Seated

We served the food buffet style and then took our seats at the table.  I was fortunate enough to grab the end of the table with a little extra elbow room!  Our end of the table was certainly the "classy side" as I was joined by Eric, Teal, Hunter, Rachel Smith, and Chris. 

My First Plate at the Freindsgiving Feast of 2009

I'm going to attempt to go around the plate in order and give credit where I can and where it is due.  Starting on the bottom center we have Teal's cornbread dressing with shrimp and crab meat.  It is a great place to start because it was delicious!  I'm not sure I'lve ever had cornbread dressing that had such a perfect combination of moistness and flavor.  Well done, Teal!  Moving clockwise to the left sits the sweet potato casserole topped with candied pecans.  Money!  Next is a special tradition from Hunter Brown: mashed potatoes and gravy from Popeyes Famous Chicken and Biscuits!  It is hard to do better, so why try, right HB?  To the far left there is part of a roll.  Above that there is a great green bean casserole that was made by my sister, Dana.  The beans were moist and tender and covered in crispy onion strings.  The casserole impressed me, but not as much as Dana's other dish, the macaroni and cheese.  All the way at the top of the plate sits Dana's mac 'n' cheese which used multiple cheese varieties and some penne pasta noodles.  Way to go, sister!  Next, we have the turkey.  Eric made the turkey again this year and did another marvelous job with the large bird.  It came out of the oven about as tender and moist as one could ask for with plenty of flavor.  I'm a big fan of the dark meat, so my plate contained mostly leg and thigh meat with some home made cranberry sauce.  There is some ham that Rachel Stich cooked under there somewhere too.  To finish the plate off there are a couple asparagus spears that I cooked under there somewhere and another cornbread dressing at the bottom right of the picture.  Whew!  I got through all that.  How did I go back for another round?  I must be a machine.  Just call me Jaybert Dujols,  the Albert "The Machine" Pujols of feasting. 

Three Home Made Ice Cream Flavors from Sara

There were plenty of desserts at Friendsgiving but ice cream was the only thing I still had room for.  Fortunately Sara had three flavors of home made ice cream to choose from.  On the right is the brown sugar and bacon ice cream!  The bacon flavor shined in the cream while not leaving too much of the taste in your mouth afterwards.  My only complaint would be that there were actually chunks of bacon mixed in the ice cream that tasted fine but messed up the texture of the creamy goodness.  On the top left there is a coffee flavored ice cream which had a good taste that was not overpowering.  Beneath the darker brown coffee ice cream is the orange pumpkin ice cream.  It won my award for best ice cream of the night and I could definitely eat it again.  The ice cream had a smooth, rich flavor with the pumpkin and spices that make pumpkin pie so good... but in an ice cream.  Thanks Sara! How cool would it be to serve coffee ice cream in photo mugs with our favorite group pictures?

Happy Friendsgiving, everyone!  Eat, drink, and be merry!  'Tis the season, afterall.