This recipe for Roasted Carrot Hummus, inspired by Gov’t Taco’s “Magna Carrot” taco, is a fun and simple twist on something that’s delicious, nutritious and impressive. If you’re looking to spice up your hummus life (and you should be) – this recipe will be a hit!
This hummus is savory, but slightly sweet at the same time thanks to the natural sweetness that the roasting brings out in the carrot. The Jay D’s Coffee/Chile Rub compliments the slightly sweet carrots, while adding a unique, spicy twist that in turn adds to the depth of flavor. Try it out and let us know what you think!
Roasted Carrot Hummus
vegan, gf
Ingredients: 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed well
1 cup carrots, thinly chopped ½ cup tahini ½ cup lemon juice 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs tumeric powder 1 Tbs Jay D’s Coffee/Chile Rub 2 tsp garlic powder Sea salt Pepper
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat chopped carrots in olive oil, sea salt and pepper then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the carrots for 15-20 minutes or until they're soft. In a food processor, pulse and blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!
One year ago today my dream of once again having a Curbside burger became reality when owner Nick Hufft finally opened the doors to the Curbside brick and mortar on Government Street. Sitting next door to Calandro’s Supermarket, Hufft took what was once the most popular food truck in Baton Rouge and created the perfect setting for burgers, frites and boozy milk shakes anyone can enjoy either inside or on their awesome patio area.
Last week, to celebrate their anniversary, Nick reached out to a few of his culinary friends and with their help created five collaboration burgers that were available for a limited time. I of course took on the task of visiting Curbside during those five days to try each of the specialty burgers. Let’s take a look at the gloriousness of it all:
This was the perfect way to start off my week! Crispy chicken topped with sharp cheddar, honey sage sausage gravy nestled between two glazed donut buns in a happy dance of salty and sweet harmony. Hopefully, this one will show up from time to time on their brunch menu.
I was really looking forward to trying our collaboration burger and it did not disappoint. A juicy patty rubbed with Chef Aimee Tortorich’s coffee/chile rub, melty chihuahua cheese, poblano pico with roasted garlic mayo and Hola Nola tortilla strips.
Every bite was a flavor party in my mouth. The poblano pico was exceptionally good.
The cool and overcast weather on this day made for an ideal situation for this burger. A pork patty topped with hoisin, pickled onions, sriracha mayo, bean sprouts and herb salad. The clincher was the cup of pho that came on the side to dunk the burger in. I was almost tempted to come back for dinner and get another one!
Hands down my favorite of all the burgers! This was everything and more: a delicious hot Italian sausage patty with swiss and gremolata between two pepperoni pizza buns. I could literally eat this burger every day.
Curbside ended the week strong with this offering from pitmaster Alex Barbosa. The fact that it starts off with being described double Texas hot gut beef patties should have you ready to dive in. Finished off with American cheese, smoked onion jam and a roasted poblano aioli, this was a fantastic burger.
A huge congrats to Nick and everyone at Curbside Burgers! Here’s to many more years of great business and great burgers!
Before late April I had no idea what Jay Ducote did or who he even was, but that all changed when Jay spoke to my Digital Marketing class at LSU. Usually the guest speakers don’t interest me all too much, but when Jay came along and talked about Bite & Booze, Jay D’s, and Govt Taco, I was sold. I am not sure if it was Jay’s public speaking ability that caught my attention or the fact that he ate and drank for a living. All I knew was that I wanted to be a part of his team.
A few days later I emailed Jay about the possibility of joining the company as an intern and he invited me to the office for an interview. When asked what my least favorite food was, I responded “pickles..” (as anyone should) and Blair replied “Oh great, Jay hates pickles too.” That’s when I knew I was in.
When Jay spoke to my class he said he was looking for a jack of all trades type of intern, and he meant that literally. On the first day I put tags on our bomb AF Louisiana Molasses Mustard (seriously if you’re reading this and haven’t tried it then do yourself a favor and go buy some right this second, this blog isn’t going anywhere) helped craft tweets for our Twitter accounts, created graphic designs, and worked a private dinner at the office. At the end of the day I had worked a little over 13 hours. You’re probably thinking “I bet this dude wanted to quit immediately”, but you would be mistaken. It was single handedly the best day of “work” I have had in my entire life, and I worked at Disney World for 6 months so that’s saying something! The best part about it was that at the end of a 13 hour work day I felt like I knew everyone in the office for years and that I was a part of the family.
Aaron rocking his Jay D's shirt alongside fellow intern Drew, helping serve at Jay D's Backyard BBQ at Tin Roof Brewery. Photo by Jordan Hefler Photography
In a month’s time I have done so many things that I never expected to do. I recorded a podcast sampling beer, wrote multiple blog posts, assisted at demos in grocery stores, made product deliveries, packed and moved our entire office (#RIPOfficeHouse), and attended a handful of Gov’t Taco and Jay D events. It has been a great experience so far and I can only imagine it will keep getting better.
In addition to all of these great experiences I’ve gained an appreciation for local products and most importantly craft beer, thanks Chuck! You would think being from the Baton Rouge area I would try to stick to local products, but I have honestly never thought much about it. Now, I make an effort to only shop at Calandro’s or other local grocery stores. The team has shown me a bunch of locally owned restaurants in Baton Rouge that I never even knew existed, and my fridge is stocked with delicious Louisiana beer.
I hope the rest of this internship goes just as smoothly as the first month, I certainly think it will.
Happy National Mac and Cheese Day! In honor of this glorious day, we thought we'd give you a look into Baton Rouge's innagural Capital City Mac Fest where our Gov't Taco team took home the People's Choice Award earlier this summer. Geaux Rouge presented the first ever Capital City Mac Fest at Curbside Burgers where 15 competitors showed up to present their version of mac and cheese and raised money for altBR.
A ticket to this gastronomic festival got you a one way ticket to cheese town where you could taste each competitors interpretation and cast a vote for the People's Choice Award. There was also a "Taste Award" voted on by a panel of judges and a battle amongst the competitors for The "Best Booth Award."
The competition was comprised of a heavy hitting list of some of the best places in Baton Rouge. This is definitely something you won't want to miss out on next year.
GOyaya’s Crêpes won the the judge’s “Taste Award” with their “Pot Calling The Kettle Mac,” a pot roast mac and cheese with caramelized onions and tomato confit with a lattice work pie crust.
Gov't Taco won the People’s Choice award with their Clucks & Balances taco. The taco features pimento mac and cheese, smoked chicken thigh, nashville hot chicken skins and white BBQ sauce.
The team had a blast and we hope this festival sticks around next year! p.s. we heard there is another mac and cheese festival happening in New Orleans this October with a very special celebrity guest judge...hope to see you there!
photo by: Blair Thompson Photography, Gov't Taco Team: Blair Loup, Chef Aimee Tortorich, Jennifer Breithaupt, Jay Ducote, Sophie Spring, Charles Pierce, Paige Johannessen
"Welcome to Bite and Booze", they said. After exactly two weeks in my new position with Bite and Booze I was in a minivan heading to our nation’s capital for a Gov’t Taco pop up. 1,200 miles, 5 people, and 18 hours each way in the car. Ok, so I guess this is orientation.
We left late Saturday afternoon to head to our first destination, Auburn, AL. The home of the other Tigers. Tucked away in this college town is a restaurant the group has been gushing about relentlessly since they found out we were taking this trip. Apparently on the way back from cooking at the James Beard House in New York the team stopped at Acre for what turned out to be one of their favorite meals of the trip (you can read more about that here).
And boy, did those plates come: aged beef tartare, crab claw toast, Brussells sprouts off the stalk, foie gras basted ribs, aged prime rib with fried okra and peanut butter icebox pie.
Most, if not all, of the produce displayed and prepared for the dishes were grown on Acre’s property or in Bancroft's own yard. Acre exemplifies “farm-to-table” and chef displayed his vision and creativity proudly to us throughout the night. I left that Saturday night full and happy. The bar was officially set for the rest of the trip.
Sunday, we were back on the road to head to our next destination, Shady Valley, Tennessee. En route we decided to take a break in ATL to check out Ponce City Market. With the opening of Gov’t Taco in White Star Market we have been anxious to check out any and all markets/food halls when given the chance. While walking through the market we decided to continue our Gov’t Taco research and stopped for lunch at Minero, a casual Mexican eatery created by renowned southern chef, Sean Brock.
Torta of the Day at Minero: jamon, chihuahua cheese, queso fresco, hot sauce, salsa verde and a fried egg
We tried their trio of salsas, ordered every single one of their tacos and one glorious torta. It was the perfect opportunity to stretch our legs, eat our fill and check out a really cool spot in the Atlanta area.
After a beautiful and relaxing night in Shady Valley, including spaghetti courtesy of Chef Aimee Tortorich and Therese Schneider, we were hitting the road again. But first, Jay insisted that we stop at the local Raceway Restaurant for a home style breakfast.
Is there really anything better than biscuits, pancakes, eggs and bacon in the morning? I think not. Our bellies were full and ready for the last leg of the trip and our final destination!
After settling in at the Airbnb in Washington D.C., our new home for the next week, a few of the team members headed out to a local watering hole to meet Chef Alex McCoy (Jay’s co-contestant on Food Network Star and owner of Alfie’s) for local beers and a spot to watch the LSU baseball game (side note: great season Tigers!).
Once the game was over and our hearty breakfast had worn off, Alex recommended some late night Korean fare. We ended up at Tosokchon in Virginia for a truly authentic experience. Korean beer mixed with shots of soju, a rice wine liquor served in bowls, pork, kimchi, soup, dumplings, and these are just a few of the dishes that were shared at the table.
View of our table at Tosokchon
We drank, we ate, we drank some more. It was one hell of an introduction to D.C.!
Tuesday was spent working and wandering the city but our evening started with rooftop drinks in China town followed by a first for me, Ethiopian cuisine at Ethiopic. Ethiopian wine, a vegetable sampler and meat sampler were presented to us on a bed of injera, a large spongy sourdough flat bread.
We ate with our hands, using pieces of injera to pick up our bites! It was simple, delicious and something I will miss not having access to in Baton Rouge. Maybe one day...
After Ethiopic we ended the night with a round of oysters, lobster rolls and oyster shooters (my favorite!) at The Salt Line. Located right outside the Washington National’s baseball stadium this restaurant has a true oyster bar feel with a killer food and cocktail menu that I hope to check out more next time I am in the city.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were dedicated to the Gov’t Taco pop up. The team took over Alfie’s to debut the full menu for the first time, and let me tell you, Louisiana came to town! We had a line around the block both nights and had a blast visiting with D.C. Tigers, Baton Rouge transplants and lovers of Alfie’s, Jay, Alex and all things tacos!
THANK YOU to everyone in the capital city who came out to try Gov’t Taco and for all of the wonderful feedback. We hope you all had as much fun as we did.
The final goodbye before hitting the road was one last stop at Alfie’s Saturday early afternoon to enjoy Alex’s pop up “Crabs and Crushes.”
The perfect cure after two long days of of working hard, and celebrating harder, came in the form of fried chicken, his mom’s potato salad, green chile burgers with fries and boiled crabs.
Just when I thought I couldn’t fit one more bite...there was sticky toffee pudding. STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING! Only my favorite dessert on the face of this Earth.
The Bite and Booze/Gov't Taco Team at Acre enjoying a fresh Brussels sprout stalk, torch roasted at the table by Chef David Bancroft.
With orientation behind me and my jeans fitting slightly tighter, I am glad to be a part of the crazy adventure that is Bite and Booze.
“I really don’t know.” My response when family and friends asked me what I was going to be doing at my internship this summer. You could say it was a last minute decision to live in Baton Rouge for the summer, as I got the internship with Bite and Booze the night before my last final. The chaotic nature of finding a place to live, roommates and moving all my possessions from sorority house to my new condo only increased my excitement to start working for Jay and the Bite and Booze crew.
After the long 21-hour drive from Basking Ridge, New Jersey to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I couldn’t wait to dive in. My first day consisted of random tasks from intern orientation, to running out for forgotten groceries, to peeling and cutting 25 pounds of carrots.
As I’ve learned is the usual in the #officehouse, snacks are always coming out of the kitchen: Jay’s bratwurst from Iverstine Butcher, taco samples to prep for Gov’t Taco events, artisan chocolate bars sent to us from CrateChef and beer from Tin Roof and other local breweries (only for those of us over 21, of course).
I left with five new t-shirts and a nervous anticipation for my next day of work, catering the VIP tent at Live After 5 downtown.
I'm all smiles while Paige snaps to the beat, Therese dances and Blair flips tortillas! Photo credit: Jordan Hefler
As I roll up to the office Friday morning, I was immediately rushed into Chuck’s Jeep as we trucked over to City Pork for a filming of the Food Network show, Ginormous Food. My second day on the job and I was already getting on TV!
The highlights of going to the filming were getting to taste the giant porchetta sandwich, meeting Ginormous Foods host Josh Denny and realizing how locally famous my boss Jay Ducote was. I’m already planning a viewing party so all of my friends can see the back of my head on national television when the episode airs in July!
Next, we headed to Tin Roof Brewery to sort and tag some Louisiana Molasses Mustard bottles and Louisiana Barbecue Sauce to fill orders. While tying small tags to countless bottles of mustard in a dark, hot and humid warehouse isn’t exactly my idea of fun, it’s cool to see how involved the whole staff is in every aspect of the business. Jay went from being interviewed for Food Network to working right next to me, opening and resealing boxes of his molasses mustard. However, work like this has its benefits and no one in this company will never turn down a chance to grab some Tin Roof beer.
After going back to the office to pack up equipment, I jumped in the car with some of the Gov’t Taco crew to head downtown for Live After 5. While Snap Chatting myself flipping tortillas on the flat-top, assembling tacos and listening to live music my friends are all asking, “What is your job and where can I get one?!”
Even after working a 12 hour day, I wanted to do nothing more than get to the office at 6:15am the next morning to make a vat of popcorn tossed with Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub to give out as samples at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market.
As I wandered around the Farmer’s Market, forgetting I was wearing my iconic Jay D’s shirt, I was shocked by how many vendors came up to me with friendly remarks, conversation and most importantly, samples of their products. While I had to restrain myself from buying something from every stand, I left the Farmer’s Market with tons of cool finds and an appreciation for Jay’s influence and connections in Baton Rouge.
I had already worked 21 hours, but was still most excited for our next event: Gov’t Taco pop-up at The Overpass Merchant.
I geared up for another 11 hour day, this time with a black taco flat brim of my own to sport for the evening. The kitchen was hot, my hands were burnt from the flat top and I was standing in a restaurant kitchen corner for nearly 5 hours flipping tortillas and assembling elote, but I had never had so much fun!
With Gnarly Barley beer flowing through the taps, music pumping and jokes flying we capped off the night by heading to Ivar’s with the whole crew, who are already starting to feel like my family. My friends don’t understand how that can be fun for me, or how I am still excited to work all of these hours, but walking through the #officehouse already feels like home.
After a relaxing Memorial Day, with me grilling burgers using Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub for friends (and making some of them local celebrities by featuring them on the @jayducote instagram), I was ready to come back for our private dinner on Tuesday night.
Yet another long day, working from 9a.m. to 10p.m., was well worth it just for a bite of coffee rubbed venison and corner scraps of Therese’s sponge cake bread pudding. Seeing our work table transformed into a beautiful dining space for 12 lucky locals was super cool, almost as cool as taking part in cooking, serving and assembling five beautiful courses, expertly paired with wine and beer.
Just in my first few days, I have learned so much about entrepreneurship (my major) and running a business from Jay, working in a restaurant and cooking for a crowd (my dream) from Aimee and Therese, working hard and balancing different passions (my life right now) from Chuck and being a funky, cool, and awesome person (everyone’s goal) from Blair.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer because I can’t wait to see what else Bite and Booze has to offer. What do I think I’ll get from this internship? My predictions are food, fun and invaluable lessons about working hard, cooking well and endless hijinks with a crazy new family at the #officehouse.
I remember Blair coming to Dr. Folse’s marketing class like it was yesterday. She shared what Bite & Booze was all about and I remember having a gut feeling that this was meant for me. That sounds so cheesy and so easy to say now that we’re here, a semester later...But, that’s the thing, I follow my gut. I have honed in on listening to my intuition, and it’s gotten me this far. As the class ended my friend Chad leaned over and said, “You seem a lot like her, are you going to talk to her?”; I said yes.
I marched down, got her business card and that was that. We skyped for the interview on a winter day when it was about negative four degrees in Chicago, and I remember Jay asking me what my least favorite food was. Later that day I got an offer from them, and I took it.
Coming back from winter break, and walking up to the #OfficeHouse on the first day, I was incredibly nervous. I have always loved eating food, but I did not think I was qualified enough to review food or represent a company all about food. The most crafty I got in the kitchen was putting olive oil in a pan with vegetables and stir frying them and I’m still not even sure if that’s exactly what you would call that. I was ready to try though, even if I was a nervous and excited mess.
Being Blair’s intern has been a little something extra. Blair, Chief Confusion Coordinator and Spin Doctor, is someone I view with the to utmost respect and has become one of my role models through this whole experience. I’ve gotten to see her goofy, honest and kind personality shine through whether we’re editing blog posts, cleaning the #OfficeHouse or having a dance party while running errands. There is never a dull moment with this crew, and everything turns into laughter and dancing in almost no time at all.
From private dinners, to grocery stores, to working Gov’t Taco events, there’s always something going on. Throughout these various adventures, I’ve learned so much more about culinary marketing and real life experience than any classroom could have taught me. This internship has opened my eyes to all of the amazing experiences that happen off of LSU’s campus, and it’s made me appreciate this city so much more than I could have ever imagined.
I also have a new appreciation for food and shopping locally. Jay and the team are so dedicated to buying local ingredients and supporting small businesses, and it really made me evaluate where I was shopping and what I was feeding myself.
Our partnerships with local Louisiana companies gives outlets to promote local commerce to both parties, and it’s been very interesting to see how everything works together. I think that shopping locally and focusing on the quality of ingredients has changed how my body operates, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement. It makes a world of difference when you care about the quality of food you’re putting into your body (except for this sinfully delicious grilled cheese I wrote about).
Getting to pal around with Blair and taste almost every cup of coffee in Baton Rouge, pho and having our almost weekly lunches at Zippy’s have grown to be some of my favorite memories of college. But also, seeing all the effort and hardwork that goes into building a brand for a restaurant and getting to be a voice in the decision making process has been a truly rewarding experience (taste testing almost every taco hasn’t been too shabby either).
Since coming through that door in early January, the adventures, laughs and love have been endless. Which, again, sounds cheesy but it could not be more true. This group of humans have been one of the most genuine I’ve ever come into contact with.
The success of this team, I believe, is due to the cohesiveness and family-like atmosphere we work in every day. For the past five months I’ve woken up and looked forward to my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Bite & Booze. So much so, that I’m coming back in the fall when I finish up my last semester at LSU!
Local is always best. Luckily, in Baton Rouge there are more than several options for local coffee. In the past, we have posted about the best local coffee places in Baton Rouge, but those times they are a changin’, so we figured we’d update the list to showcase the new places, both opened and coming soon to Baton Rouge!
A honey latte and mini spinach quiche at Magpie Cafe Downtown
This calming atmosphere is the perfect blend of hip and soothing. You feel right at home with the pillows, natural lighting and the hardwood floors. Their menu offers offers not only muffins and other pastries but also sandwiches, soups, salads and pizzas that make it more than a coffee shop.
While this is nothing new for the fans of their Perkins Road location, the downtown location features a full bar and a walk up window. We tried their mini spinach quiches with our morning lattes and we couldn’t get enough!
A cup of River Road Coffee and a side of bacon at Simple Joe
Simple Joe makes it simple. They stick to what they know and make it easy to order and enjoy. Their incorporation of local art and photography gives it the Ogden Park neighborhood feel that locals love. We decided to enjoy a side of bacon with our piping hot cup of joe!
A Vanilla Cafe Latte at the Coffee Bean on Coursey
This was one of my favorite spots! The Coffee Bean had a wide variety of menu options, they even sell Girl Scout cookies! We got a Cafe Latte with a shot of vanilla, and it was the perfect amount of sweet. We enjoyed it on their lovely patio on a lovely Spring day!
A simple cup of coffee, delicious macaron and patio vibes at Tredici Bakery
in the Capital Heights neighborhood of Baton Rouge
Celebrating its one year anniversary last November, Tredici Bakery is definitely a place to put on your radar! Nestled in the heart of Capital Heights, they have a plethora of baked goodies, we chose to try one of their many Macaroons. The Salted Caramel Macaron was a perfect pairing for their coffee!
A rendering of the Square 46 development that will house the White Star Market on White Star Market
This Lafayette legend is known for roasting their own phenomenal coffee. We’re so excited to have them to be neighbors with Gov’t Taco in White Star Market!
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The compact cafe is making it’s way to Baton Rouge! Opening in New Orleans in November of 2014, French Truck Coffee’s vision for cultivating a sense of community is evident in their close quarters. We cannot wait to see these guys set up shop in Baton Rouge!
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With a mission to employ and help those in Baton Rouge who are refugees or displaced people, Amber and Steve Elworth are currently trying to raise money through to open Light House Coffee. Visit their Indiegogo page to learn more about the concept!
2017 is finally here which means that we can all kick 2016 to the curb. These past twelve months have shown us the good, bad and the ugly. There have been losses and sadness along with wins and celebrations, but you have to take the good with the bad for everything to balance out right?
Even though this past year had its share of setbacks, it was an epic year for me! From announcing the plans for our upcoming restaurant, Gov’t Taco, to cooking at the legendary James Beard House, I pretty much kicked 2016’s ass. Here’s a look at some of my favorite things I had the chance to do this year:
Gov't Taco
In early April, Jay Ducote officially announced the opening of his first food concept, Gov’t Taco. I humbly accepted the position as Executive Chef and have been working nonstop to build a menu that food enthusiasts will be excited to experience.
I’ve gained a vast knowledge of food by traveling the world as a Navy photographer and am ready to throw Baton Rouge some bold flavors and curveballs in the form of tacos. Through our progressive vision and seasonal menu, we will continually strive to keep diners on their toes, so look out Baton Rouge! Your taco dreams will be coming true in 2017!
Volunteering for Operation BBQ Relief
As a Louisiana native, 2016 was especially difficult for me. We suffered many tragedies too close to home. One of the most humbling experiences I found myself fortunate to be a part of was volunteering to feed flood victims.
Jay put me in contact with Operation BBQ Relief, a Disaster Response Organization based out of Missouri, where they ultimately served 313,587 meals in South Louisiana over 13 days and with 540 volunteers. There is something to be said about the positive effects that come out of negative situations. The amount of support and help that I experienced during this tragedy was overwhelming and I am so proud to call Baton Rouge my home.
New York Culinary Dream Tour
There aren’t many times in people’s lives where the sun, moon and stars are aligned, but they most certainly were in July! Our New York culinary tour was what dreams are made of. The magnitude of awesomeness was off the charts and very difficult to put into words, but I will give it my best go!
The day before our James Beard dinner, Katrina Rank (Napa Winemaker and now dear friend), invited the Bite and Booze team to a private tasting with Executive Wine Editor for Food & Wine Magazine, Ray Isle in their wine cellar. We did a blind tasting of eclectic wines from around the world. Ray guided us along with his impeccable wine knowledge and rated Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois as the best Blanc Du Bois he has tasted, ever!
Cooking at the James Beard House
Posing in the legendary James Beard kitchen (from left to right): Eusebio Gongora II, Blair Loup, Jay Ducote, Chuck P, Aimee Tortorich, Shelly Flash, Sarah Burkhaulter
As many of you may not know, the James Beard House is a sacred ground for aspiring chefs. It’s the ultimate measure of a chef’s talent besides gaining a Michelin star or Master Chef Certification, in my opinion. It’s what separates the good from the great in the culinary field and it’s been on my radar for a while, but I knew that years of hard work and persistence would be the only way I would even have a chance to cook there.
To my surprise, early last year I got an invite from Jay Ducote to help him execute his Tailgate on 12th menu! It was an unforgettable experience that the Bite and Booze team crushed!
Chefs & Champagne
Hanging out at Chefs & Champagne with John Besh and Chef Roxanne Spruance
Anything with the title “Chefs and Champagne” will naturually make my top moments of 2016. Fresh off of that James Beard dinner high, the Bite and Booze team headed down to the Hamptons to cook at the James Beard Foundation’s ‘Chefs and Champagne’ event at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard.
It was no coincidence that Louisiana’s, John Besh, (and one of my culinary idols) would be this year’s honoree for all of the work he does throughout the Besh Foundation. Aside from humbly serving alongside some of the best chefs in the country, Bite and Booze was the only culinary team to represent Louisiana.
Pineywoods Supper Club
Blair, Jay and I cooking with fire at Mahaffey Farms
There is something special about cooking outdoors. The smell of fire and a drink in hand is probably my favorite setting for cooking. Our Pineywoods Supper Club dinner at Mahaffey Farms had to make the list. We executed the majority of our dishes entirely on wood fire and served some amazing dishes. From Jay Ducote’s Dutch oven biscuits to Nashville style hot chicken feet, all the guests were stoked and we had one hell of a time!
In conclusion, I say this to you 2016: I will not dwell upon you. I will happily thank you for all of your ups and downs, knowing that either way, you have been a year to remember! I will recall the disappointments, losses, and upsets but most importantly I will celebrate your blessings: the love, laughs, and memories that I have shared.
Cheers to what’s to come in 2017!
Take a look at what the rest of Team Bite & Booze had to say about 2016:
Every year when I look back on the adventures I've taken and the amazing things I've eaten, I'm always amazed. I love what I do and I work really hard for it. For me, rewards are often more embodied in a bowl of soup or a mouth-watering dessert than they are in any other way. All of this king-like feasting is documented fairly well, so when taking a stroll through the various and copious photo libraries at my disposal of food pics from throughout the year, I find myself salivating all over again.
Blair and Chuck have written about their 'Best Bites of 2016' and now it's my turn. I focus on three categories: dishes from the road that blew me away, desserts that I'll never forget, and times that I impressed myself with food that we prepared. Here's my best of 2016:
On the Road:
Khao Soi Neuea: Short Ribs, Coconut Curry Soup, Housemade Baa Mee, Noodles, Crispy Noodles
Khao Soi Neuea: Short Ribs, Coconut Curry Soup, Housemade Baa Mee, Noodles, Crispy Noodles
Alfie's pop-up in DC made the list for Blair and Chuck, but I knew long before I took them in July that Alfie's would make my list as well. I got my first taste of Alfie's back in February on snowy trek to our nation's capital for a beer dinner with the NBWA. Alfie's was just opening, but I managed to get a closing-time table thanks to my buddy Alex McCoy from Food Network Star. With a contingent of Louisiana friends now living in DC, we set up camp at Alfie's and nearly consumed the entire menu.
The Khao Soi Navea, beef short ribs simmered down in a coconut curry broth with noodles, nearly made me move to Thailand. The dish had just the right amounts of spice and complexity. The beef fell apart at the twist of a fork. The crunch noodles added the right textural contrast to bring it together. I'd take another bowl right now, but Alex has moved on from Alfie's to create new pop-ups in the same space, but don't fret! It'll be back one day, and I'll be there!
No trip to Nashville would be complete without hot chicken. I loved the hot chicken so much that we did a hot chicken pop-up here in Baton Rouge; more to come on that later.
However, the hot chicken from Nashville isn't what's on my list. Instead, the dish I crave to this day is the East Nasty from the popular restaurant in The Gulch, Biscuit Love. The buttermilk biscuit sandwich features a deep fried chicken thigh, aged cheddar cheese and a decadent sausage gravy. It's the kind of biscuit sandwich that you have to eat with a fork and knife, but that's alright by me!
Cream, Butter and Corn Milk Poached Silver Queen Corn
Cream, Butter and Corn Milk Poached Silver Queen Corn
Sometimes it's the most simple dishes that create lasting memories. I've eaten some true fine dining and molecular tinkering this year, but I always remember what Wolfgang Puck told me is the secret to good cooking. "Start with good ingredients," he said with a smile, "and don't fuck them up."
Chef David Bancroft at the restaurant Acre in Auburn, AL is the embodiment of that philosophy. He grows a lot of what he cooks on the one acre plot on which the restaurant sits. When it's time to harvest, his menu features food that is essentially grown in his parking lot.
The most memorable dish that he served us on our drive home from the James Beard House in New York was this cream, butter and corn milk poached Silver Queen corn. There wasn't much to it, but it was quite simply one of the best things I ate all year. That's how corn is supposed to taste. And rather than try to do too much with it, David instead chose to just not fuck it up.
Cooking competitions are tricky, and with as many of them as I judge, there's a reason that I usually don't feature dishes from competitions on these kinds of lists. However, this year at The Wharf Uncorked, Chef Chris Sherrill from the Flora-Bama Yacht Club pulled off an nearly unprecedented kind of feat. His smoked and fried oysters took home three prizes, best in his category, best in show as picked by the judges, and people's choice as voted on by the public. He didn't just win, he blew the competition away.
The oysters were coated in a batter of dehydrated okra and potato flour. The oysters were served with more dehydrated okra for a little show-and-tell, as well as a rustic corn aioli. I could have sat back and eaten these like they were popcorn.
Cosme in NYC impressed me so much that they are going to make this list twice. The Duck Carnitas were nothing short of inspirational. As a signature dish, they certainly nailed it. It is the kind of dish that pushes me forward and makes we want to replicate it my own way. It's the reason why we've been practicing duck carnitas tacos for Gov't Taco. It HAS to go on the menu, and it has to live up to this sort of legendary status.
It takes a lot for a pork chop to get me excited, but this is the best pork chop I've ever had! Served with the most interesting cut that I've ever seen and prepared in a mind-boggling fashion. the slab of Compart Duroc pork featured the loin, baby back rib, belly and skin of the pig all in one cut. This meant that the finished product had pretty much everything: juicy, tender pork loin, succulent rib meat, fatty belly and crispy skin.
Chef Larry Delgado got each piece of the chop to work right by using multiple cooking methods including searing, sous vide, baking and frying. Honestly, it doesn't matter to most people what he may or may not have done to perfect the pork. What matters is that I've been craving more of it ever since and if you're ever in McAllen, TX you have to dine at this restaurant.
Desserts:
Carrot Cake
Kyle Field, College Station, TX, Thanksgiving Day
Chef Picou and Jay Ducote in the Kitchen at Kyle Field with Carrot Cake
I had the pleasure of traveling to College Station for the LSU vs Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving Day. As impressive as LSU was on the field, the Aggie Hospitality team may have taken the cake in terms of impressiveness. They're taking stadium food to a new level. If you're lucky enough to get catering in the club level or a suite, you're in for a treat at Kyle Field.
On day one of my behind-the-scenes tour and tasting, I got to sample a lot of their smoked meats, specialty hot dogs and more. The beef short ribs weren't far from making this list, but Chefs Picou (pictured above) and Mora, both assured me that I needed to try the carrot cake the next day. I got a special invite to track them down in the stadium's kitchen at halftime of the football game to give it a try. Folks, I'm not kidding when I say it's the best carrot cake I've ever had. I'll go back to a football game and sneak into a suite if I have to in order to get another slice!
I said earlier that Cosme would make this list twice. Here's number two: the illustrious corn meringue has made magazines and headlines, so I'm definitely not the first person to admire its glory. However, this list of foods I ate in 2016 wouldn't be complete without a mention of it. With a hard shell on the outside and creamy corn sweetness on the inside, this dessert gave me a new respect for how many ways people can make something as simple as corn into something awesome.
Speaking of making corn into something awesome, 2016 started out strong with a culinary trip to Lafayette and a feasting at Dark Roux. The entire meal was quite exceptional, but it still managed to end on an even higher note. The cornbread bread pudding had the flavors and textures that help a bread pudding stand apart. With so many bread puddings on southern menus, It's hard to be impressed by this classic dessert these days, but when one does, it's divine. Using cornbread to make a dessert gave it just enough of a savory edge to make it truly memorable instead of just being a block of sugar. If you go to Dark Roux, don't miss it.
My opinion on bread pudding, as seen above, is that bread pudding is good, but it takes a truly special one to impress me. However, my feeling on tres leches is that they are usually rubbish. They are wet, soggy messes of batter and milk and sugar and they shouldn't be a thing. So when I was told to get the Tres Leches Cake at Corks & Cleaver in Gulfport, MS, my first instinct was to run.
However, trusting Chef David Dickensauge's skills and palate, I decided to give it a try. I'm sure glad I did. I've never had a tres leches like this. It's all about the texture, and this one worked. Not existent was the soggy goop of traditional tres leches. Instead, this cake featured magnificently velvety layers of sweetened milk and spongy cake. Now I think I'm scared of tres leches cakes even more though, because I'll probably never have another one like this again.
Food Prepared by Me and My Team:
Nashville Style Hot Chicken, Mustard Greens, Mac & Cheese
Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof pop-up for flood relief, Baton Rouge, LA, September
Nashville Style Hot Chicken, Mustard Greens, Mac & Cheese
Having eaten at Hattie B's in Nashville twice this year, I developed a true respect and subsequent craving for hot chicken. It provides a mouth sensation that can best be described by a Ray Bradbury quote from Fahrenheit 451: "It was a pleasure to burn."
Not being able to get hot chicken in Baton Rouge is a problem, so I decided to take it upon myself to do a hot chicken event at the Tin Roof Brewing Company called Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof. My team with Blair, Chuck, Aimee and interns (Marit and Rachel) were joined by Jason Lees of Roux 61, Alex Barbosa from Barbosa's Barbeque and Alex Hamman from the Louisiana Culinary Institute to pull off an epic hot chicken popup.
Complete with a bad ass mac & cheese and braised mustard greens (donated by Table Fresh), the plates of hot chicken flew off our serving line as fast as we could fry them. We served over 300 people that night, and between us and Tin Roof, donated over $1,000 to the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank as a part of a flood relief effort.
Also, the chicken, to put it mildly, was on point.
One of our very first taco experiments to get Gov't Taco menu development started featured a dish containing a black bean puree, goat cheese, pepitas, chimichurri and cane-syrup-glazed roasted carrots. The ingredients were designed to be fillings in a vegetarian taco option, and it worked. It worked so well, in fact, that we did it again at another Gov't Taco pop-up and we're almost certain that it will end up on our opening menu. So we have that going for us, which is nice.
Fig, Fennel, Almonds, Hybrid Tortilla
Gov't Taco Pop-up at Slash Creative, Baton Rouge, LA, October
Fig, Fennel, Almonds, Hybrid Tortilla
The roasted carrots were great, but the fig and fennel taco that we did for Spooky Taco Tuesday at S/ash Creative may have been even better. The combination of sweet late-season figs from Indie Plate and anise flavored fennel with crunchy toasted almond slices explodes on the taste buds. This is a taco that we are sure to repeat as soon as fig season is back.
Granny's Pecan Rolls
James Beard House, NYC, July
Granny's Pecan Rolls
Photo: Fortunato M. Ramin
My top professional accomplishments of 2016 were having a pilot for my own show air on Travel Channel, launching my Spicy & Sweet Barbecue Rub and Single Origin Coffee, and cooking at the historic James Beard House in New York. For the dinner, I knew I wanted to do some of my "greatest hits" dishes from TV shows and cooking events, but I got hung up on what to do for dessert. I wanted to feature a dish that truly meant something to me, so when we came up with the idea to feature my Granny's pecan rolls, I knew we were onto something.
Chef Aimee Tortorich worked hard on taking my grandmother's recipe and turning it into a dessert rather than a breakfast dish. We added a little more sugar as well as a pecan praline sauce. They filled every bit of the nostalgic void in my stomach. Our best batch came at the James Beard House, though all the practice runs were pretty spectacular as well.
So this one time, we were in the Hamptons, and we were asked to hang out for a pool party and cook for some local guests... and Heidi Klum showed up... and when I asked for a picture, she grabbed the leg of lamb from the table and we captured this magic.
But here's what you can't really see from that picture: that lamb may have been the best thing I cooked this year. Roasted whole in a La Caja China, the lamb was seasoned with nothing more than garlic-infused olive oil and Jay D's Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub plus a little extra kosher salt. The toasted bark on the outside of the lamb from the rub and heat from the the wood fire provided charred heaven while the inside of the lamb was tender and succulent, containing lots of flavor in every bite. It truly was worthy of The Hamptons, Heidi Klum, our fantastic hosts and all the excellent wine we drank!
Jay Ducote makes biscuit dough at Mahaffey Farms for the Pineywoods Supper Club
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Jay Ducote works the mother fire at the Pineywoods Supper Club while biscuits cook in Dutch ovens
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Evan McCommon uses the light on his phone to check on a batch of Dutch oven biscuits
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Dutch Oven Biscuits from the Pineywoods Supper Club at Mahaffey Farms
These aren't the first biscuits to make this year's list, which just goes to show that biscuits are so hot right now. I put Dutch Oven Biscuits on our menu for the Piney Woods Supper Club, complete with many other delightful dishes from duck carnitas tacos (inspired from above) to glazed carrots (inspired from above) to a whole lamb (inspired from above). However, unlike all of those things where we had recent practice runs to base everything off of, these biscuits weren't something I had much experience with.
Buttermilk biscuit making is an art form. The proper mixing of flour, salt baking powder with cold butter, lard (from Mahaffey Farms in the this case) and buttermilk is the first step. On the farm this was all done in small batches and by hand. I actually didn't even have measuring cups so I just eye-balled everything and went by feel and ratios. I flattened the dough out on an outdoor table lined with contractor trash bags then laminated the dough, folding it over itself and stretching it back out again and again. Not having a ring mold, I used the lid to a mason jar to cut the biscuits into beautiful rounds.
Cooking outside on a farm can have its challenges, one of which is the lack of an oven to bake said biscuits. Needing to stay true to my word of delivering Dutch oven biscuits, I set up three cast iron pots above a bed of coals and then shoveled hot coals onto the lids of the pots as well once biscuits were inside. This is, afterall, the intent of the Dutch oven. Each pot fit around 7 biscuits, so using all three I was still only cooking 21 at a time.
With around a 20 minute cook time, the biscuits were the most elusive item at the 100-person feast. People waited in line for all the food, but the biscuits are what spread throughout the farm as the hard-to-get item worth waiting for. When all the smoke had cleared from the whole lamb and charred carrots, the last batch of biscuits were the only thing left over fire. Fortunately by that time most people had finished eating, so I got to have one of the biscuits right out of the Dutch oven. The buttery and flaky dough melted in my mouth as the salty lard gave a savory depth throughout the biscuits. The coal ovens gave the biscuits an outside crust with a beautiful, steamy interior.
I'll go so far as to say that they were the best biscuits I've ever made. I'm going to be searching for that satisfaction in every biscuit I create from now on.
