Jay D's Bites: Pork Egg Rolls

Easy to eat, and a crowd favorite, these pork and cabbage egg rolls are a spin on the classic European dish, cabbage rolls. Using ground pork and cabbage along with Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub, this eggroll packs a punch of flavor. The Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard  mixed with sour cream adds a nice tang.

Pork Cabbage with Molasses Mustard Dipping Sauce

makes ~14 egg rolls

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

1 package of egg roll wraps

1 lb ground pork
½ head/2 cups cabbage, diced
¼ cup carrot, small dice
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub
½ cup tomato sauce
½ Tbsp kosher salt
1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Molasses Mustard Sour Cream Dipping Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard
Pinch of salt

Heat canola oil to 350℉ in a skillet. In another skillet, brown ground pork. Add carrots, onions, and garlic, then saute until soft. Add Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub, tomato sauce and salt. Cook for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool. Take an egg roll wrap and brush each side with egg wash. Place 2 tablespoons of filling on wrapper and fold up the corner. Fold the left and right corners into the middle and continue to roll. Fry both sides of egg roll until golden brown and delicious. Serve with molasses mustard sour cream.

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls

Jay D's Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls

Egg rolls are a great bar food snack. I like to make these Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue chicken egg rolls when I have a bunch of friends over because they're easy to make and easy to hold when you have a beer in the other hand!

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls

Makes 12 egg rolls

3 cups green cabbage, julienned
2 cups red cabbage, julienned
3 cups chicken, chopped
3 scallions
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 onion julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 Eggroll wrappers
1 tsp. mirin
1 tsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F. Heat saute pan with olive oil and saute vegetables with mirin, sugar, salt, and pepper until soft. Remove and set aside to cool. Heat chicken in saute pan with barbecue sauce and simmer until thick. Remove and set aside to cool. Fill eggroll wrappers with 1 Tbsp. sauteed vegetables and 1 Tbsp. of chicken. Use the egg to seal the wrap. Fry until golden brown. Serve with Jay D's Asian Barbecue Sauce!

Camelot Club Wine Tasting and Another Trip to Bonefish

Wine tastings spread joy to people such as myself like Disney World spreads joy to children and most high school to college-aged females, so I'm really glad I recently got take part in one (a wine tasting, not a Disney World) at the Camelot Club in downtown Baton Rouge.  The Camelot Club sits perched on the top of the south Chase Tower and is one of the more exclusive settings in the city with a picturesque sight of the State Capitol to the north and a bird's eye view the Mighty Mississippi peacefully rumbling below.  Eusebio and I previously met Kris Kimball, the Membership Director of the Camelot Club, at the Baton Rouge Culinary Classic when we sat at the same table as her during our gluttonous feast.  At the Assemblage Wine Tasting, Kris and the Camelot Club and Purveyor of Fine Wines invited guests to sample vino that mostly came from smaller distributors and wine makers on the West Coast of the United States. 

Wines Set Up for Tasting

Eusebio and I walked around the event, mingling with wine makers and winery representatives while tasting exquisite vintages that are hard to come by in South Louisiana.  Some of the vineyards and varietals that I enjoyed the most were: Andrew Geoffrey's Diamond Mountain 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cancilla Cellars' 2007 Pinot Noir, Miner Family Vineyards' 2005 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, Justin Winery's Paso Robles 2006 Savant (Syrah/Cabernet blend), the 2005 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Astral from the Dierberg Family of Wines in Santa Maria, the 2007 Epiphany Gypsy, Morgan Winery's 2006 Double L Pinot Noir and 2006 Tierra Mar Syrah, and my gold medal winner, Boudreaux Cellars' 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State.

Chocolate Fondue Fountain with Fruit, Cheese, Cookies, and Brownies for "Dipping"

The food at the Camelot Club attempted to equal the quality of the wine, though it had a lot to live up to.  Apparently they got the memo that it always helps when there is a chocolate fondue fountain!  One twirl under the flowing rich milk chocolate coated the fruits, cheeses, and cookies that were there for dipping pleasure.  Yum!  More events should have these!

Plate of Hors D'oeuvres

The chocolate fountain wasn't the only thing worth snacking on in between wine tastings.  There were also mini duck egg rolls with Thai chili sauce, crawfish and cheddar croquettes with dilled sour cream, and other special finger-food treats.  I ate enough to keep something in my stomach while we continued to sample and taste the delicious wines that formed a border around the room.

Another Table Full of Delicious Wine

As I mentioned before, my favorite wine of the evening came from the Pacific Northwest state of Washington.  Rob Newsom, the owner and winemaker from Boudreaux Cellars, spoke passionately about his wine while I sampled the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Chardonnay, and my personal favorite of the evening, the 2005 Reserve Cab.  Rob is a Louisiana native who now makes outstanding wine in the "middle of nowhere," Washington.  I could try to explain Rob, his wine, and his passion, but it might be better to just let you see for yourself in this video clip:

Rob's wines upheld the standards that have been set by multiple publications which have raved about his vino over the past several years.  I especially love that Rob is still a new, small batch wine maker who puts love and shows his skill for the craft in every barrel and bottle that he produces.  I'm going to make sure I visit his winery when I go to Seattle this summer (although it is a several hour drive through the Cascade Mountains from Seattle). 

After an evening of drinking wine the time had come to eat a real meal.  Since Eusebio and I had been drinking together, a logical choice was to revisit and old favorite, Bonefish Grill.  While it is a corporate restaurant, you can't beat the price when dining with Eusebio.  It's one of the perks of being best friends with the Sous Chef from Fleming's! 

Bang Bang Shrimp

We began our meal with an order of  Bang Bang Shrimp.  These tasty crustaceans are fried and then tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce and are best eaten with the provided chopsticks.  While not my favorite shrimp in town, these are a standby that have never disappointed.

Mussels Josephine

The Mussels Josephine features Prince Edward Island mussels sautéed with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and lemon wine sauce.  This is one of my favorite apps on Bonefish's menu.  I wish mussels were more available around Baton Rouge because they are an underrated seafood option around here.  I guess since they don't really come of out the gulf they aren't very popular, but they sure are good!

Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Stout

Naturally the wine buzz started to wear off after some appetizers.  In order to fix that travesty, I ordered a Jefferson Stout from Lazy Magnolia.  This Sweet Potato Cream Stout beer is dark and smooth in nature with hints of chocolate, coffee, and caramel.  Its creamy head and dark body is sweeter than most stouts which is due to the sweet potatoes and lactose (milk sugar) that are used in the brewing process. 

Sea Bass Filet topped with Shrimp Scampi

To cap off my evening I ordered a grilled sea bass filet topped with Bonefish's supurb shrimp scampi.  The fish melted in my mouth with its firm, yet buttery texture and the shrimp were a great compliment.  As always, the asparagus is a favorite of mine.  This evening ended on a high note just like how it started.  I drank some fantastic wine, met some interesting people, saw some old friends, and finished everything off with a nice meal.  Who says you can't have at all... if only for a night!?

A Sunday to Remember... if only I actually could.

Sunday was quite an adventure on many levels.  It began with great gathering at Granny's house with lots of family and friends.  She treated us to her famous Pecan Rolls which never disappoint.  Eusebio was able to come with me to the breakfast and had his first taste of the morning treat.  The dough is homemade, spread thin, layered with pecans and cinnamon, then rolled up, sliced, and baked to perfection.  It is a true breakfast of champions that only a Granny can create.

After breakfast at Granny's and story time with the family and friends, Eusebio and I made our way to New Orleans to join Brandon Brown for a day in the Big Easy to watch the Saints play the Jets.  After arriving at Reverend's apartment we quickly made our way to The Bulldog on Magazine Street to grab a table before the crowd showed up.  We started with a pitcher of Abita Andygator, some King's Nachos, and Tex-Mex Egg Rolls.  I am a pretty big fan of Andygator.  It is a Helles Doppelbock style beer with a 8% alcohol content with a delicious, crisp bite to it.  Matt Mediamolle and his buddy Gary joined us at the Bulldog in time for the game.  Throughout the game we proceeded to have pitchers of Nola Brown, Nola Blonde, Abita Purple Haze, and quite a few more.  It was a great time, the Saints won, and everybody was happy.  Oh, and the beautiful Amanda Callais came and joined us as well.  The nachos and egg rolls were typical pub food.  Very satisfying while drinking beer in a bar, but nothing to rave about here.  When we left the Bulldog we went over to see Matt and Gary's apartment, drank a few Champagne of Beers, and then decided it was time for Sushi Brothers on St. Charles... we had heard good things.

Sushi Brothers is cozy a little Japanese restaurant that provides a comfortable atmosphere and spectacular sushi.  We started with a nice squid salad and some salty edamame.  The two appetizers complimented each other very nicely and our meal was already off to a terrific start.

Eusebio, Brandon, and I all ordered some Kirin Ichiban bombers to take care of our thirst as we awaited our first sushi rolls.  Round one included a Louisiana Roll, a Crunchy Dynamite Roll, and an Uptown Roll.

The Louisiana Roll made me a little nervous since one of the key ingredients was pickled okra but after the first bite I quickly got over my fear of all things pickled and realized that the roll was rather flavorful.  The Crunchy Dynamite Roll was a fairly standard version of the always delightful classic.  The Uptown Roll contained yellowtail, snow crab, and avocado, topped with eel sauce.  The flavors meshed very well together and all three rolls were a treat... but they just got us warmed up for what came next.  I present the Tiger Roll, the Rock'N'Roll, the LSU Roll, and the FEMA Roll!

The Rock'N'Roll was a beautiful creation of tempura shrimp, snow crab, avocado, and asparagus with an eel sauce on top.  The LSU Roll also featured tempura shrimp but this time it was paired with cream cheese and some other goodies and topped with fresh tuna and avocado.  The roll had a good taste at first but was soon overpowered by the cream cheese... so much so that I don't remember what else was in it.  The FEMA Roll sported salmon, snowcrab, avocado, and asparagus rolled in rice and soybean paper then topped with spicy tuna, smelt roe, and a special sauce.  The FEMA Roll had a whole lot of flavors that came together to produce something... interesting.  The spicy tuna on the top was rather mushy and definitely belongs inside a roll and not on top.  A lot of the other ingredients were items that we had tasted before and this time it was just too much, and FEMA was an edible disaster compared to the other rolls we ate.

The star of the show was the Tiger Roll.  It started with a delicious dynamite roll as the base and was then topped with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and barbeque eel.  The fresh fishes that laid atop the Tiger Roll had terrific textures and sensational flavors.  It was a truly delightful sushi roll that I would certainly be willing to go back and eat again.  Overall Sushi Brothers proved to be a great experience, especially after a day of beer drinking and football watching.  The meal was delicious from the first bite to the last.  It had a few rocky parts along the way and there were a couple of the rolls that we tried that I would not order again... but mostly only so that I could try something else instead.  The Tiger Roll was money.  It was really about as good as any sushi roll I've indulged on before.

What a Sunday!  And wait, Monday is the Baton Rouge Culinary Classic!  Stay tuned for that update.

China House

This is the kind of thing that gets me in trouble.  I was walking down the street to Smoothie King for lunch today, trying to be healthy and not be a complete glutton.  It just so happens that to walk from my office to Smoothie King means I pass by several downtown eating establishments, including China House.  I didn't eat anything for breakfast today and was in a meeting until 12:30, so when I stepped out onto Third Street and foolishly attempted to walk to Smoothie King, I was immediately surrounded by the aroma of a Chinese buffet.  The sweet and sour smells of all things cooked in a wok, fried golden brown, or mixed with mixed with sticky white rice filled the street and I was lured in like a large-mouthed bass going after the hooked bait in front of him.  My head was telling me to keep walking and be healthy, but empty stomach and salavating taste buds put on the brakes and I walked into the China House, got a plate, and hit the buffet hard and strong.  I came back to my table with a plate that looked like this:

Jay's Lunch, China House, Third Street, Baton Rouge

Ah yes, the classics.  Buried under the lo mein, eggroll, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp, sesame chicken, and chicken on a stick, were actually some vegetables in the form of beef with broccoli and stir-fried string beans.  It sure was satisfying and delicious, although I did have some lingering thoughts about how this can't possibly help any dieting ideas that I ponder every now and then.  But, when at the China House, do as the Chinese do... I went back to the buffet for round two.  It looked like this:

Jay's Lunch, Plate 2, China House

Yes, a much more conservative plate than the first, but still enough to satisfy my cravings and another taste of my favorite items from round one.  The sweet and sour chicken and shrimp were freshly fried and magnificently crunchy and juicy.  Combined with the classic red sweet and sour sauce, it is always a staple at any good Chinese buffet and China House did it right today.  I also got a second serving of sesame chicken... a decent version of the dish, although not really on par with other sesame chickens from around the city.  I added a couple snow crab rolls and a california roll mostly because I wanted to clear my sinuses with some wasabi.  They were alright, but certainly better can be found at any sushi restaurant.  The egg roll was plenty good enough on my first plate to get another one on the second plate.  That was certainly worth it because they had brought out a fresh batch and the second one was even better than the first!

Final take: not the best Chinese buffet in town, but if you are downtown, it is certainly worth stopping in.  The lunch buffet runs around $9 with a drink so it is definitely a good value for the amount of food! 

Fortune Cookie: "We must become the change we want to see" ... in bed!