Grilled Rosemary Quail with Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Our latest Virtual Potluck adventure has taken the group into the world of gourmet seasonings from the Savory Spice Shop.  Each VP blogger got a different category of spices to deal with.  I chose the chicken and seafood grouping since I knew I'd be grilling something in that category sometime soon.  Still, I didn't want to be too obvious.  Chicken on the grill just wouldn't do.  I thought about perhaps some Louisiana seafood, but nothing quite struck my fancy right away.  Then I had my ah-ha moment.  Savory Spice sent me some seasoning called "Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub."  However, I wouldn't use chicken for this cook out.  Instead, I decided to grill one of my favorite, most nostalgic game birds: quail!




The quail, which I picked up at Calandro's Supermarket here in Baton Rouge, got a special brine of their own.  They marinated in a mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar with some onion and spices for a few hours.  I then stuffed each quail with a skewer of fresh rosemary from my Harb's Oasis herb garden.  The outside of each bird got generously sprinkled with the Savory Spice Shop's Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub.  The quail were then grilled over some charcoal and apple chips to provide a little sweet smoke.  The succulent birds had a wonderful flavor throughout.  They took on the characteristics of the apple and rosemary very well.  But the real secret had to have been the rub.  The delightful blend of seasonings created a crust on the outside of the quail that had just the right amount of sweet and heat!  I might have to try to cook some more quail soon.  If anybody would like to take me quail hunting, just let me know!!


Brine:
1 Quart Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Pint Apple Juice
1 Yellow Onion, Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Savory's BBQ Rub
2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper

Reserve a cup of the brine for basting before soaking the quail in the remainder.


The Rest:
A Dozen Quail (or however many you want to cook!)
3-4 Inch Sprig of Rosemary for each Quail
1/2 Cup Savory Spice Shop's Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Grilled Rosemary Quail with Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Savory Spice Giveaway:

Savory Spice Shop on Facebook

Twitter: @SavorySpiceShop  

Go to the Savory Spice Shop Facebook page, click the Virtual Potluck link, and choose a spice from my section.  Then come back here and tell me which spice or blend you'd like to try the most!  I'll select one winner on Friday, April 20, 2012 to get some free spices from our friends at the Savory Spice Shop!

Chicken and Buffalo Andouille Risotto - Virtual Potluck

The Virtual Potluck crew recently teamed up with The Buffalo Guys to do a round of blog posts about incorporating various buffalo sausages into a dish.  Since I needed to test out my recipe for chicken and andouille risotto anyway, I decided to give it a try with the buffalo andouille that was so graciously sent to me.

I knew the dish would be pretty similar to a chicken and sausage jambalaya.  The main difference is that the Arborio rice used to make risotto is a short grain Italian rice which cooks a little differently than a longer grain Louisiana rice.  The method for cooking risotto is to slowly add stock little by little, allowing the rice to soak in the flavors as you go, rather than boiling and covering the rice until it has absorbed all the water, as is common in most Cajun dishes.  A risotto should yield a dish that is ultimately similar to jambalaya (in this case, using the Trinity, chicken, and andouille).  The rice should end up cooked through, soft, and perhaps even a bit creamy without being mushy.

Chicken and Buffalo Andouille Risotto 

Makes 4-6 servings

Fresh Herbs from the Garden

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart water
• Several sprigs fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, thyme, cilantro, oregano from my Harb's Oasis herb garden)
• 2 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pack (12 oz) buffalo andouille sausage
• 1 cup medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs shopped curly parsley for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a 4-6 quart stock pot, add the chicken stock, water, herbs, and carrots and bring to a boil over high heat.  In an enameled cast iron pot (or another stock pot), heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium high heat.  Cut the chicken thighs and Andouille into bite-sized pieces.  Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the oil followed shortly by the andouille and brown them until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, but don’t overcook because you still want the chicken to be juicy.  Transfer the chicken and Andouille and juices to a mixing bowl, the return the pot to medium-high heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil followed by the onions, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic.  Saute until the onion becomes translucent. 

Strain the herbs and carrots out of the stock.

Add the Arborio rice to the pot with the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and let it soak up any liquid that might be in the pot.  When everything is dry, scoop in two ladles worth of stock and stir with a wooden spoon until all the stock has all been absorbed.  Add another ladle of stock and stir.  Continue to add stock, one ladle at a time, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes.  Add the reserved chicken and sausage and continue to ladle in stock and continually stir for another 10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed enough liquid.  Taste the risotto for seasoning and texture of the rice.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.  If rice still has a little crunch, continue to ladle in stock and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice has absorbed enough stock to be soft throughout but not mushy.

Scoop a pile of risotto onto a plate and grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top, then sprinkle with chopped parsley as a garnish. 

Discount on Buffalo Sausage

Would you like to try some buffalo sausage for yourself? The Buffalo Guys will offer a 15% discount off any hot dog or sausage purchase through the end of March 2012. Just go to their online store and enter the code VIRTUALPOTLUCK when you check out. I’m sure they would also appreciate it if you gave their Facebook page a LIKE.

California Olive Ranch and Bob's Red Mill's Healthy New Year Giveaway

As part of eating and blogging and living a little healthier in the new year, Bob's Red Mill and the California Olive Ranch teamed up with the Virtual Potluck crew to bring us a Healthy Holiday Cooking Challenge as well as a product giveaway.  Each blogger got four different grains from Bob's Red Mill and four different extra virgin olive oils from the California Olive Ranch.  We are all tasked with pairing the grains and oils in four dishes (consisting of an appetizer, side dish, entree, and dessert) over the month of January.   I'll get to the giveaway later, but for now, let's check out my appetizer!

Above are some of the ingredients that I used.  I selected Bob's Red Mill's whole wheat pastry flour and the Arbosana olive oil to go along with some other excellent ingredients like elk sausage, Serrano peppers, and black beans.  

Elk Sausage and Black Bean Soup:

Over medium-high, heat 3T olive oil in dutch oven and brown elk sausage on all sides

Remove the sausage when it is done browning and place aside to cool

Add another 3T olive oil and 2T butter to dutch oven and stir until butter melts

Add 1/2C whole wheat flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a roux

Continue to make roux, stirring regularly, until it turns a dark brown color

When the roux is sufficiently dark, add one medium yellow onion, diced, and stir

After about a minute, add one green bell pepper, diced, and stir

After another minute or so, add two stalks of celery, diced (about 1C) and stir

Add six cloves of garlic, minced, and continue to stir

The roux and veggies will all come together, but don't worry about that

Add three diced Serrano peppers, cored and de-seeded

Add three 19oz cans of black beans, or equivalent if you had dried black beans and re-hydrated them

Add 1QT chicken stock and stir the mixture until it is consistent

Slice the elk sausage into roughly 1/4" slices and return to the pot

Add 2t kosher salt, 2t freshly ground black pepper, 3 bay leaves, 1/2t smoked paprika, 1t ground cumin, a shot (1.5oz) tequila, 1T Cajun seasoning like Slap Ya Mama, and six diced green onions

Thanks to my Harb's Oasis herb garden, I was also able to secure some very fresh tarragon, thyme, parsley, and cilantro.  I added 1T of fresh chopped tarragon, 1.5T fresh chopped cilantro, 1.5t fresh chopped thyme, and 1T of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Allow the soup to get up to a boil then reduce to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, to allow all the flavors to come together.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

When ready, serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions, as seen below.

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.

Emeril's One-Pot Wonder: Chicken and Dumplings

In an effort to get back on track after my not-so-successful Tuscan white bean soup, I decided to tackle some American comfort food once again with a Southern staple: Chicken and Dumplings.  I had never previously made dumplings although it turned out to be pretty similar to biscuits in the whole scheme of things (at least the dough making part).  As for the chicken, well, it was pretty standard... and very delicious.

After getting all of my ingredients from Calandro's Supermarket in place I began to get the stock going.  I submerged the chicken quarters in chicken stock (I've got to start making my own!) and water and added aromatics such as onion, celery, carrot, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley.

Once the stock came to a rolling boil I lowered it to simmer and turned my attention to the dumplings.  Some flour, salt, baking powder and chopped herbs were mixed together with vegetable shortening and then even more so with whole milk.  After that I kneaded the dough and cut it into thirds.

From there the dumplings had to be rolled out fairly thin and then sliced.  I'm sure this could have been done in a pasta machine almost as easily but I did it with an old-fashioned rolling pin.  Once I got the dough flattened out I cut into squares and rectangles and then moved them to the refrigerator until it was time to drop them in the boiling broth.

The stock had to go through a straining process.  The chicken was also removed.  Fat, skin and bones were discarded and then I waited to drop it back in.  I got a fresh batch of carrots, onion and celery ready to go before adding my strained stock back to the pot.  Once that got to a boil I added my dumplings.  A little later I added the chicken back along with the peas and then left everything to simmer for a little while.

My dumplings finished really nicely, plumping up into a chewy flavorful pillow of dough.  The chicken came out beyond fork tender and full of flavor.  I added a little heat to mine because I like food a little on the spicy side, but other than this recipe was right on the money.  I think I've cooked about all the stocks and soups and such that I can handle for now though.  The next recipes I make from Emeril Lagasse's Sizzing Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders will be a little different!

Oh, and see that serving dish featured above?  Stay tuned to an upcoming blog post because you're going to get a chance to win a set of them!

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.

Peru in Baltimore: Chicken Rico

A recent trip to visit Caroline in Pennsylvania had me routed through the Baltimore airport thanks to a Southwest Airlines buddy pass from the one and only Amanda Ball.  Since I had a couple hours to kill in Baltimore before Caroline could come pick me up, I gave drinking and sailing pal Doug Avnet a call to see if he could join me for lunch.  Fortunately for me, he could; and he knew exactly where to take me.  I met Doug around Camden Yards on a snowy Baltimore afternoon.  We hopped in his cab and took off towards Chicken Rico, a Peruvian chicken joint on Eastern Avenue.  Baltimore is a city known for being rather multicultural, and one tour down Eastern showed why.  I'm used to "Latin" restaurants meaning Mexican, Tex-Mex, or possibly a little Mexican-Cajun fusion, but is rare to see authentic Cuban, Peruvian, Honduran, and more.  I knew I was in for a treat!

Clearly, charbroiled chicken highlighted the menu.  Whole  roasted chickens revolved continuously over red-hot charcoal on a rotisserie spit.  As the birds slow-cooked to hot, juicy goodness, customers could see exactly where their food was coming from.  The chickens were rubbed with Peruvian spices to give them proper flavor.  When ordered, the staff takes a plump chicken and chops it up with a cleaver right in front of you.  Doug and I ordered a "family special" that came with a whole chicken, two sides, and a few beverages.  Within about ten seconds the chicken had be deconstructed into eighths and piled onto a platter.  For side items we opted for thick-cut fries as well as fried plantains.

A whole charbroiled bird, fries, and fried plantains from Chicken Rico

I tried Inca Kola for a change of taste

The chicken exploded with juices on first bite.  The tender and moist meat had a great flavor with more herbs and spices under the skin.  Each bite pulled off the bones of the bird and made my stomach extremely happy.  The fries and plantains were just okay though.  I would try something else if I went back to see if any of the other side items were any better.  In the end , after I ate half a chicken, it's not like I really needed any sides!  I also tried Inca Kola, a carbonated beverage that Chicken Rico had in their cooler.  I figured I might as well drink something that I've never had before.  I don't know that I'd choose Inca Kola again, but they at least wet my whistle while I enjoyed the chicken!

New Zealand - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

New Zealand

Finally Bite and Booze will cover the World Cup from the Oceania perspective.  The "All Whites" (because their soccer team wears all-white uniforms whereas their rugby team, the "All Blacks" wears all black uniforms, though today the soccer team is wearing black so maybe somebody can correct me here) have had a great run at the tournament so far including a dramatic draw with Italy which may have been the largest upset of the Cup so far.  However, their days in South Africa could come to an end today at the boot of Paraguay.  Perhaps, just maybe, they can pull out a miracle.  A victory today gives them a spot in the round of 16, and crazier things have happened.  Still, they should not be forgotten on my series of World Cup country bites and boozes, so let's see what this island nation has to offer!

First, Robert Romero, who is a good buddy of mine that writes the blog Dead End, is currently living in New Zealand.  Undoubtedly he is excited about today's match! Hopefully he's had a chance to wine and dine like a king over there. New Zealand cuisine is largely driven by local ingredients and seasonal variations. Occupying an island nation with a primarily agricultural economy, the Kiwis enjoy quality local produce from land and sea. Similar to the cuisine of Australia, the cuisine of New Zealand is a diverse British-based cuisine with Mediterranean and Pacific Rim influences as the country becomes more cosmopolitan.  However, before the British arrived the Maori (New Zealand's indigenous people) had a cuisine of their own with influence from the Polynesian islands.

Central to this cooking method is hāngi, or using heated rocks buried in a pit oven. To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering (or lifting) the hāngi.  Traditional hāngi food is pork, mutton, lamb and chicken, with generous portions of root vegetables such as kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin, carrot, potato, onions and cabbage.  With a hāngi, no special preparation of the food is needed besides peeling the root vegetables, but adding herbs such as rosemary, garlic, or stuffing the chicken can add exciting flavors. A Polynesian addition of taro leaves wrapped around some of the food gives it a peppery spice.

There are three main components to the cooking process, all of which can be affected by many variables including but not limited to earth type, amount of heat in the rocks, quantity of food and portion size, type of food and food placement.  Water added at the start of the process creates steam instantly. Once covered, the pit oven becomes a low pressure cooker. Pressures in excess of 4 PSI have been measured.  Direct dry heat from the rocks creates an oven roasting or baking effect. Temperatures in excess of 300°C have been measured.  Finally, fat and juices from the meat drip onto the hot rocks and burn causing smoke which appears to be the key to hangi appearance, aroma and flavor. Often there is also ash and ember smoke that can add to the flavor and appearance.  I want to do this in my back yard!!

Unfortunately the Maori people did not have any form of alcohol.  So for that, we'll have to fast forward to modern day New Zealand.  While it would be easy to discuss the robust and exceptional wine region in New Zealand, I'd rather focus on something else: whiskey distillation.

This fine profession started early in New Zealand's history. The British, and particularly the Scottish, had a large influence on alcohol in New Zealand.  Owen McShane is credited as the countrys first moonshiner turning out Chained Lightning at Oue near Riverton in Southland from 1850. His range of whiskies, gin, brandy and rum were all produced from Cabbage Tree root. Moonshine distilling became a cottage industry and grew mightily until the government of the day, alarmed at the potential tax loss introduced the Distillation Act in 1865. This effectively barred all distilleries that failed to produce 5000 gallons (23000L) annually. However, two companies did receive licences: the New Zealand Distilling Co of Dunedin and Crown Distilleries in Auckland.

The Dunedin distillers went to great lengths to make a good product, importing Islay peat, Spanish Oak Sherry casks and a three year maturation period. But mistakes were costly, the resin from Kauri Pine vats ruined the first 100,000L of spirit. Later the distillery added 8 foot and 4 foot diameter copper stills, used American Oak shavings for ageing and produced 400,000L in 1870.

In Auckland by 1872 the Crown distillery was producing 18000 gallons (80,000L) annually using 2000 gallon wash stills and 500 gallon copper spirit stills. Wholesalers apparently purchased this spirit in bulk then sold it in reused (and presumably already labelled) whiskey bottles as the Crown distillery never had a bottling line.

Vogels Government in 1879 (perhaps in response to demands from the Scottish banks who were financing the countrys new railways) effectively closed both distilleries by increasing local duties to equal imported prices. For the next 83 years there was no official local distilling industry in New Zealand until in 1962 a gin distillery licence was approved. The plant was jointly owned by the two brewery giants Lion and DB (I'm sure you can read more about them on the BR Beer Scene. A new company, Hokonui Distillers Ltd (formed November 3, 1961) thinking they may get a similar licence also applied but Customs Minister Sheldon refused it stating ‘good Whisky needs blending’.

However just two years later after much lobbying by AO Davies of the Otago Development Council, Wilsons in Dunedin (known for their malting plant) and the Greggs Company obtained a licence on October 3, 1964. Stills were purchased in Scotland and installed by 1969. The first run used locally grown and malted barley and the peat was cut especially from the Winton area. After aging in Bourbon Barrels for the requisite 4 years ‘Wilson’ and ‘45 South’ went on sale in February 1974. That year Whiskey imports totalled 3.5 million litres and Wilsons target was 10% of this total.

History shows that they never did achieve this target, a glut of cheap Scotch Whiskey, hotel and wholesale licence ownership and brand loyalties all limited the success of the Wilsons and 45 South brands. Under Seagrams ownership, the last bulk whiskey was shipped overseas during the 1990’s and the plant was finally dismantled.  Today the scene is reminiscent of the 1850’s with many thousands of private stills quietly going about their task, in homes, workshops and small factories throughout the country, perhaps a small victory for free enterprise.  But significantly, Hokonui Whiskey is now legally available for the first time and its legend is celebrated every February at the Hokonui Moonshiners Festival in Gore.

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangi
http://sites.google.com/site/nzsocietyscotland/about-us
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/audrey.y.james/headeddownsouth/1152907320/dsc00544.jpg/tpod.html
http://www.hokonuiwhiskey.com/spirit.html
http://www.clan-macrae.org.uk/scotland/clannews.cfm?Task=display&ID=103
http://www.whiskymerchants.co.uk/#/southern-dist-nz/4533634596

Nigeria - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Nigeria

Nigeria goes into its final group stage match with a mathematical chance of advancing in the World Cup despite having 0 points.  If Argentina defeats Greece and Nigeria can pull out a decent win against South Korea, the Super Eagles could be moving on to the round of 16.  Yes, it is a tall task and they do have to score some goals to win the tiebreaker, but they could possibly do it.  In celebration of their attempt, we will now take a look at the bites and boozes of Nigeria!

Suya  is meat kabob that is coated in ground peanuts and other delicious seasonings and local spices.  The meat on a stick, which we can always use more of, is usually cooked on a grill or pit like in American barbeque or over open flames on their skewers.  Suya can be found all over Nigeria in restaurants, homes, and from street vendors.  Most suya is made from beef, though occasionally chicken or veal is used.  This may actually be something that I try to make for myself, so let me know if you want to enjoy some Nigerian cooking one day!

Ogogoro, also known as emu and several other names, is the Nigerian version of palm wine that is very popular in Western Africa.  Ogogoro is typically brewed locally when in Nigeria it is known as the country's home brew.  The beverage is brewed from the sap and juices of the Raffia palm tree.  Incisions are made in the trunk of the tree and a day or two later the sap is collected.  The sap is the boiled with the steam being collected, then the steam is allowed to condense and be used for fermentation.  The process produces high levels of ethanol which certainly works at getting the locals drunk... sometimes too drunk.  How can I say too drunk?  Well, with an alcohol content ranging from 30-60%, depending on the home brew, it is said that hundred die every year from alcohol poisoning and over-consumption of amateur-brewed ogogoro.  Oops!

For more on Nigerian beer, visit the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_cuisine
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Suya-Spice
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-372190.256.html

Honduras - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Honduras

Bite and Booze hasn't represented CONCACAF in the World Cup posts since Mexico on post two. Today we pay a visit to Honduras, a small Central American nation between Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  Honduras belonged to the Mayan civilization before the Spanish conquistadors arrived following Christopher Columbus's discovery of New World. Obviously, both the Mayan and Spanish cultures carry through to their cuisine of today.  An original and notable dish is a baleada, and the accompanying beverage of the day is a liquor called Gaffity.

Baleadas are made by taking a thick flour tortilla, folding it in half, and filling it with mashed fried beans. Basically it is like a bean soft taco, but with a larger and thicker tortilla.  From that basic form that every baleada uses, other ingredients are up to the eater.  The most common baleada fillers are crumbled cheese, scrambled eggs, sausage, plantain, avocado, chicken, pork, tomato, onion, and bell peppers.  Baleadas are so popular in Honduras that there are restaurants devoted to only serving various baleadas.

Gaffity is a Honduran liquor that contains various herbs and spices.  The fiery beverage cannot be found in grocery stores and little is written about it.  From best I can tell, it is concocted by the Garifuna people on the tiny Cayos Cochinos (The Hog Islands).  The islands are an archipelago north of Honduras' Caribbean coast.  From the pictures and few quotes about the place and the beverage, I'd sure like to give it a try!



















For more on Honduran beer, check out the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleada
http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/recipes/g/Honduras_Drinks.htm
http://www.discovercentralamerica.com/country.html?country=honduras

Greece - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Greece

Though they may be in the middle of a financial crisis, Greece certainly has a history and culture that is second to none.  They suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of South Korea in their first match of the 2010 World Cup so today they'll be looking to rebound against Nigeria.  As for Bite and Booze, we'll be looking at one of Greece's most renowned agricultural products, olives, and a beverage that Greeks guzzle with glee, ouzo.

Greek Olives come in multiple varieties and are used in many ways.  Most commonly, olives are turned in to olive oil or they are served as table olives, an appetizer and snack that is very popular in Greece.  One of the major types of olives is the Konservolia.  This olive makes up about 80% of the Greek table olive production.  They are usually slightly larger olives that are oval in shape and preserved in brine.  They are known by regional names when they come from different areas of the country, but in general they are the same type of olive.  Another variety is the Nychati of Kalamata, which is a black olive that is also very important to Greek olive industry.  Other popular varieties include the Chalkidiki, Megaritiki, and Kothreiki.

Ouzo traces its roots back to Byzantine (later to be known as Ottoman, then Turkish) origins, dating back to the 1600s. It is usually produced from a pure white alcohol (a lot of it is 100% ethyl alcohol from raisins) that has undergone two distillation processes.  Once the alcohol is distilled, it is then infused with herbs. The most predominant herb is anise, however ouzo can also contain licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel, and hazelnut. The most popular (and generally considered best) ouzo comes from Lesvos, an island in the East Aegean Sea. Ouzo can be quite strong with alcohol contents reaching as high as 45%.  Still, most people shoot it straight, put a couple cubes of ice in it, or slightly cut it with some water.

For a few notes on Greek beer, check out the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/26/Taste/The_spirit_of_relaxat.shtml
http://www1.american.edu/TED/ouzo.htm
http://www.greek-islands.us/greek-food/greek-table-olives/

La Carreta on Government Street

Not too long ago I met Megan for lunch at La Carreta on Government Street.  This local Mexican Restaurant got its start in Hammond, La area before expanding to Baton Rouge and other locations in South Louisiana.  In fact, business has been so good for owner Saúl Rubio that he has recently opened a second location in the Red Stick on Bluebonnet Blvd.  Still, the Mid-City location is easier for me to get to from work, so it was there that I dined!

La Carreta on Government Street

The restaurant recently underwent a renovation that moved the entrance to the patio area that used to be the back of the establishment.  La Carreta actually has one of my favorite outdoor dining spaces in Baton Rouge, so if you are ever in the mood for Mexican food on a nice day, it is a good spot to hit up. 

La Carreta's Salsa

Obviously one of the best things about Mexican dining in the United States is the free chips and salsa that customarily accompanies every feast.  La Carreta's salsa has a few chucks of fresh tomato that are mixed in with an otherwise liquidy base of tomato juice and herbs.  The flavor is fairly ordinary but still tastes fine if you like a classic salsa to go with your salted corn tortilla chips.

La Carreta Special: Beef Burrito, Chicken Tostada, Beef Enchilada

I ordered the La Carreta Special for lunch.  It came with a beef burrito, a chicken tostada, and a beef enchilada.  The tostada got buried under a pile of lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo while the burrito and enchilada could be found a little easier on the plate.  Unfortunately the ground beef that stuffed the burrito and enchilada was nothing to brag about.  It was plain and bland and I think I've honestly been happier with burritos at Taco Bell.  This really surprised me as I've had great experiences with La Carreta in the past.  Perhaps the best advice is to stick with chicken or steak and avoid the ground beef.  I'm sure I'll be back at some point to sit on the patio and enjoy some cerveza.  I'll just have to be more careful about what I order!