Jay D's Bites: Duck & Leek Dumpling with Blanc du Bois Blueberry Sauce

by Chef Jenn Breithaupt

These dumplings make an excellent appetizer with a pop of color. You can stuff a dumpling with a plethora of fillings; dumplings are delicious. I chose duck and leek because they pair very well together. The fat from the duck and the acidity from the leek create a great balance. An alternative way to get some color on them is to poach them or quickly sear in a hot skillet.

Duck & Leek Dumpling with Blanc du Bois Blueberry Sauce

makes about 25 dumplings

2 duck breasts, small diced, skin off (reserve skin)
1¾ cup leeks, thin half moons
2 Tbss shallots, minced
½ cup carrots, small diced
1 rib celery, small diced
1 Tbs fresh garlic, minced
⅓ cup Jay D’s Blanc du Bois
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
25 small wonton wrappers
1 egg
1 Tbs water

For the blueberry sauce:

1½ cups Jay D’s Blanc du Bois
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
6 oz blueberries, crushed

Take skin off duck breasts and place skin into skillet. Turn heat to low and allow for skin to fully render fat (this may take a while). Once fat has rendered, discard skin, but keep the fat.

Add small diced duck breasts, shallots, carrots, celery and garlic to skillet with duck fat. Cook until vegetables are soft, duck is cooked and there is no liquid left in skillet. Set aside and allow to cool.

Whisk 1 egg and 1 Tbs of water. Set aside to be used for egg wash for dumplings. Put wonton wrapper down so one corner is pointing towards the top (diamond-shaped) and brush along edges with egg wash. Place 1 Tbs of filling in the middle and take the bottom corner to meet the top corner to form a triangle. Seal on all three sides and brush with egg wash.

In a saucepot, bring water to a simmer. Poach dumplings until dough is soft.

To make the blueberry sauce, combine blueberries, Jay D’s Blanc du Bois, honey and salt in a saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes until thickened and reduced by half. Serve over dumplings or as a dipping sauce.

Jay D's Bites: Chargrilled Oysters with Blanc Du Bois Butter

by Chef Aimee Tortorich

The Gulf of Mexico produces some of the world’s best oysters, so it was a no-brainer for this round of recipe development. I picked out a dozen beautiful oysters from a local seafood market, Tony’s Seafood and made a simple wine butter featuring Jay D’s Blanc du Bois that complemented the natural flavor of the oysters. Simple, delicious, and quite the treat!

Chargrilled Oysters in Blanc Du Bois Butter

1 dozen(12) Gulf oysters, shucked and on the halfshell
1 stick butter, unsalted
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs chives, minced
½ cup Jay D’s Blanc du Bois
1 Tbs fresh garlic, minced

For the Blanc du Bois Butter:
Allow butter to soften and combine with parmesan, chives, Jay D’s Blanc du Bois and garlic. Mix very well then put in fridge to harden.

Shuck oysters and leave on half shell. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each oyster and grill or broil until butter is bubbly and slightly browned.

Louisiana Wine Month: Landry Vineyards

by Paige Johannessen

In honor of Louisiana Wine Month I wanted to reflect and share about the wonderful experience I had visiting Landry Vineyards. A few weeks ago, Jay and I headed out to West Monroe for the grape stomp and concert at the Louisiana winery and to celebrate the new vintage of Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois being bottled and ready for release.

En route, we needed a brief stop for lunch and found ourselves at The Camp in Natchez, MS. This cool waterfront restaurant is an obvious favorite with the locals. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon people were congregating on the patio and stopping in for a cold one after a morning run or bike ride along the water. Two burgers and a cold beer later, we were prepared to make the rest of our journey to the rolling hills of West Monroe.

The Slow Burn: pepper jack, bacon, jalapenos, Cajun haystack onions, Slow Burn sauce

Upon arrival, I literally felt as though I had been transported out of Louisiana and dropped somewhere in Texas Hill Country. Lush green pastures and elevation that towered higher than the Indian Mounds on LSU’s campus...how could this be?

As we pulled in, Jay pointed out Jeff Landry, the owner of the vineyard, manicuring the area around the stage in preparation for his guests to arrive. Drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, this man was obviously not afraid to get his hands dirty. After having a few days to sit and visit with Jeff and his family, it is apparent that hard work and belief in Louisiana agriculture is what has propelled this vineyard to the success they are seeing today. They truly care about the land, value a hard day's work and their product speaks to all of those truths.



Jeff, Libby and their four sons; Ethan, Kohen, Noah and Micah are the backbone of the business and have continued to grow thanks to the great support of friends in the Monroe area. The first vineyard started in Folsom, LA with two acres of a white European American hybrid grape, Blanc Du Bois. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Landrys relocated to the beautiful hill country of West Monroe, LA. The vineyard has now grown to a 20-acre site including a new winery and beautiful tasting room.

Concert days are no joke at the vineyard. Hundreds of people come from the surrounding areas with blankets, chairs and picnics packed ready to purchase bottles of wine to be enjoyed right on the vineyard property.

Have you tried Jay D's Blanc Du Bois? This local grape varietal is grown right here in Louisiana at @landryvineyards! You can find it at most of your local grocery stores or online at jayducote.com. #drinklocal #shoplocal #landryvineyard #tastelouisiana #louisianaagriculture #wine #vineyard #westmonroe

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Aug 30, 2017 at 2:51pm PDT

Jay and I set up a small tasting booth that featured our Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet BBQ Rub popcorn and sausage sauteed for guests to grab and dip into our Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and Molasses Mustard. We were so happy to be out there and mingle with everyone and experience the thrill that is a Saturday evening at Landry Vineyards.

If you have never been out to the vineyard, I highly recommend the journey on a Saturday afternoon with friends and family. They have tractors rigged up with trailers and benches for vineyard tours, tastings of all of their different varietals set up in the pagoda and live music echoing from the stage nestled right at the base of the hill rolling down to the vineyard. It was the perfect summer evening to relax, listen to music and enjoy the bounty that this family has worked so hard to produce.



You can find Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois at most of your local supermarkets. We are proud to partner with a local vineyard supporting Louisiana agriculture.

Also, check out our latest podcast talking about Louisiana wine month and Landry Vineyards with Jeff and Libby Landry:

Jay D's Bites: Blanc Du Bois Bellini

by Therese Schneider

Summer is right around the corner and the days are only getting warmer. It’s time to break out the swimsuits and anything that can cool you off. Kick back by the pool on the weekends with a delicious, super easy summer sipper. It’s an all in one blitz and done kind of recipe and it couldn't be easier to make. Crisp, and refreshing, Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois makes for the perfect warm weather wine. With the grapes grown right here in Louisiana, it’s a must try and perfect for a fun recipe like this. You can grab a bottle Calandro’s Supermarket or at other local grocery stores.

Blanc Du Bois Tropical Bellini

Yields 8-10 glasses

1 Bottle of Jay D’s Blanc du bois
1 16 oz Bag of frozen peaches
1 16 oz Bag of frozen mangos
¼ cup of honey or agave nectar

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until it's all combined. Pour into a pitcher and share with friends...or don’t!

Behind the Scenes: Calandro's Supermarket Celebrates 75 Years in Baton Rouge

Calandro's Supermarket has been the title sponsor of the Bite and Booze Radio Show since it hit the airwaves in 2011, and since then, our relationship with the store has grown in immeasurable ways.

Behind the scenes at Landry Vineyards, Jay Ducote chats with Jeff Landry

In many ways, if I hadn't had the store's support, I wouldn't be where I am today. That's why making this video for them didn't require a second thought. They play a huge part in the local community and should be celebrated as much as any locally owned restaurant for contributing to the Baton Rouge food scene. 

Jay talks with Mike Coullard of Panola Pepper Company, where Jay D's sauces are bottled

When I launched Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce over a year ago, Calandro's didn't just put it on their shelves. They threw me an over-the-top launch party timed with the Fourth of July. They helped roll out my Blanc du Bois collaboration with Landry Vineyards and more recently Jay D's Louisiana Molasses Mustard.

In a small way, this video gave me a way to give back to the Calandro family. I'm really proud and happy with the resulting ad celebrating Calandro's 75th year in Baton Rouge.

Working with tommysTV always makes the process easy and fun, and the finished product is always gorgeous. Some of my favorite shots are the ones we took at Landry Vineyards and the ones just driving through the state. 

If you haven't watched the video, take a look! Happy 75th year, Calandro's!

The Official Bite and Booze Holiday Gift Guide

by Sydney Blanchard

The original idea for this post was to make a gift guide for the Baton Rouge food lover. But then we realized...it's hard not to be a food lover in a city like Baton Rouge. Like, pretty much everyone on your holiday shopping list probably loves to eat, right?

Yeah, that's what we thought.

Here are some locally available items we know we'd love to receive during the holiday season, so there's a pretty good chance someone you know will appreciate them, too.

Heck, we'll just come out and say it: we think we've got pretty good taste.

For the Louisiana Transplant

South Louisiana Supper gift box from Red Stick Spice Company, $28

For the Fast Peeler 

Love Crawfish, Love Louisiana tee from Storyville, $16

For the Grillmaster

Himalayan Salt Plate at Shoppers Choice, $32

For the One Who's Tired of Burning Everything

Pastry and Savory Leisure Classes at Louisiana Culinary Institute, around $125

For the Indulgent Health Nut 

Hanleys Foods Dressings at Calandro's Supermarket, $5

For the Craft Beer Aficionado  

Tin Roof Merch at the Tin Roof Tap Room, $20

For the Recipe Collector

Louisiana Cookin's Louisiana de Mer Cookbook, $20

For the President of the Jay Ducote Fan Club 

Jay D's Holiday Bundle, $25

For the Hosts with the Most

Donner-Peltier's locally produced spirits, around $30

For the Farmer's Market Frequenter 

Taste of Louisiana gift basket from Indie Plate, $45

For the Fashionable Foodie

Mimosa New Roads Pecan Necklace, $30

For the Wine Snob

Landry Vineyards Wines available at Calandro's Supermarket, around $15

For the One with the Freezer Full of Gumbo

Gumbo Print from Defend New Orleans, $20

For the Spice Junkie

Slap Ya Mama gift basket, $20

Libby Landry: Governess of Grapes

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Libby Landry overlooking the vineyard in West Monroe, Louisiana

When you pull onto the gravel road that leads to Landry Vineyards you’re greeted by a landscape of rolling hills covered in grape vines. It’s a sight you can’t see in many parts of Louisiana, but to the Landrys it’s just another day at the office.

Jeff and Libby Landry were high school sweethearts at Hahnville High School in Boutte. Libby turned Jeff down a few times when he asked her if he could carry her books, but a determined man, Jeff won her over eventually.

Three years later, they married. Jeff studied engineering while Libby learned cosmetology. In the early years of their marriage, Jeff traveled across the country for months at a time for work, and after having a few children, the Landrys felt a hankering for something with a slower pace.

The dynamic duo and their four boys settled down in Folsom, Louisiana, and began searching for a blueberry farm. Neither Libby nor Jeff had any experience working on a farm, so Libby had no idea what her family was in for.

You can imagine her amusement once Jeff had discovered a vineyard, talked to the owner, and set his sights to open his own.

“I told him he was crazy…absolutely crazy,” Libby said.

The Landrys' experience wrangling four rowdy young boys was nothing compared to farming.

Six weeks later, the family started laying cloth in the ground to cultivate the land for grape vines. It takes three years from the time the fruit is planted until you can yield a successful crop.

Eight years later, still struggling through the process of growing grapes for wine in Louisiana’s temperamental climate, Hurricane Katrina made landfall. The Landrys moved North to West Monroe, Louisiana, where Jeff had every intention of starting over and Libby saw an opportunity to get out of the business.

But once they found the perfect piece of land, the couple decided to see the vineyard through. The temperature, rolling hills, and soil were ideal for growing grapes.

While owning and operating a Louisiana vineyard may have been the dream of her husband, Libby's hard work made it all possible.

“I would cook food for days," she said. "We’d pack up the boys and live in the old barn showering with a water hose until each harvest was complete. That was our life for a while.”

Six years later, Landry Vineyards bottles wines with grapes grown in California and shipped overnight to West Monroe in addition to fungus and disease resistant grapes grown on their property in Louisiana.

Libby still help harvest the grapes when it’s time, but now her duties lie mostly with the vineyard’s tasting room, concert series, and special events.

Their concert series starts in March and is held every other weekend until the end of the summer. Sometimes over 1,000 visitors attend, and Libby shops and cooks for all of them. Almost every other weekend of the year is taken up with special events or weddings.

In addition to events, Libby also in charge of gift basket orders and coordinating their new wine club.

“The jobs are endless,” she said.

She runs vineyard, keeps her man in check, has two teenage boys at home, and still finds time to pour herself a few glasses of wine; I’ll drink to that!

This post is part of a monthly series spotlighting Louisiana women in the business of booze. Previous features include:

Natalie Parbhoo: Duchess of Distribution
Lindsay Nations: Baroness of Beers
Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service
Nora McGunnigle: Headmistress of Hops
Myrna Arroyo: Vino Valedictorian
Brandi Lauck: Warden of Whiskey
Cari Caramonta: Mother of Malts
Erin White: Priestess of Pairing
Beth Donner: Dame of Distilling
Halston McMullan: Hustler of Houston Hops

Between Two Shells: Raw West Coast Gold Creek Oysters with Jay D's Blanc Du Bois

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

As Louisiana wiggles its way into “fall,” our sinuses retaliate against the endless back and forth of cool one minute, warm the next weather, and we find ourselves victims to flash thunderstorms and preemptively retrieving our warmer clothing out of storage bins.

It’s a glorious time of year, and Baton Rouge is bustling with fun events – Live After Five is a favorite of mine. I like to be posted up with an assortment of raw oysters at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, drink in hand.

Raw West Coast Gold Creek Oysters with Jay D's Blanc Du Bois at Live After Five

Situated on North Boulevard with doors open to the street, Jolie Pearl is the perfect location for grabbing a dance session on the lawn and then shimmying your way back to the bar for refills.

At my first Live After Five of the season, I paired some West Coast Gold Creek raw oysters with a glass of Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois, because why not?

It’s been a few months since the limited release of Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois from Louisiana’s Landry Vineyards, and while it can be hard to find a bottle in stores, Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar still pours it by the glass!

With grapes grown on Louisiana soil, the Blanc Du Bois is crisp to compliment the extra saltiness in these non-Gulf oysters, and fruit-forward notes of peach and pear harmonize with the briny, earthy notes that West Coast oysters are known for.

Delicious separate, but better together.

Below are some of the other pairings we suggest at Jolie Pearl:

Raw Gulf Oysters and Fresh Margaritas

Oysters Rockefellar and the Louisiana Mule

Raw Gulf Oysters topped with Cucumber Mignonette with Fresh Grapefruit Margaritas

Asian Style Chargrilled Oysters with Tin Roof Turnrow Harvest Ale

Chargrilled Oysters with Gnarly Barley's Catahoula Common

Dare to Pair: Here is a list of items that pair reasonably well with Jay D's Blanc Du Bois

– Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

Jay D's Blanc Du Bois shot by Nicole Colvin at the Olive or Twist wine launch on May 20, 2015. 

Jay D's Blanc Du Bois won't be on shelves for much longer. We only corked 1,000 bottles, and most of those have been snatched up already. But if you can get your hands on one, or if you're one of the lucky few with a bottle sitting in the fridge, feel free to use this very official Jay D's Blanc Du Bois Pairing Guide to take your sipping to the next level.

Popcorn 

I discovered this pairing by accident. As it turns out, the buttery, salty flavors of microwave popcorn go swimmingly with the tart, refreshing flavors in the Blanc Du Bois. Jay recommends seasoning the popcorn with his FNS buddy Arnold Myint's Herbs de Provence or with some Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Barbecue chicken pizza made with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue sauce. 

It almost goes without saying that Jay D's Blanc Du Bois was made to pair perfectly with outdoor cooking. But if outdoor cooking isn't your thing, try Jay D's with barbecue chicken pizza. All the flavors of the outdoors combined with the honeysuckle and pear flavors in the wine work together magically. Check out our recipe for barbecue chicken pizza using Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce here!

Pistachios 

I love contrasting the crisp flavors of a white wine with a handful of salty nuts. Something about it just works without being too filling. Try pairing salted pistachios with a glass of Jay D's Blanc Du Bois, or if you're feeling crazy, maybe try pairing the wine with some pistachio gelato. Who's going to stop you?

Chicken Salad

Calvin's Bocage Market's chicken salad is legendary. Photo from calvinsbocage.com. 

There's no greater love story than that of white wine and chicken. The two are a match made in heaven. Also made in heaven? Calvin's chicken salad. Recently I nearly pitched a fit when I went to grab a container of the stuff for a beach trip and another shopper stood directly in the way of the chicken salad. Grab your favorite crackers, a couple of pounds of Baton Rouge's favorite chicken salad and a glass of Jay D's Blanc Du Bois and call it a night.

(Bite and Booze bonus: Check out this vintage video of Calvin himself appearing on NBC nightly news in 1996!)

Hot Dogs

Jay D's Blanc Du Bois tastes like summer. You know what else tastes like summer? That's right. HOT DOGS. I can't even express my excitement at the idea of an outdoor hotdog cookout and a glass (or three) of Blanc Du Bois. A little mustard, a little ketchup, and a dash of relish on a pork or sausage hot dog, surrounded by a fresh, toasted bun washed down with a cold glass of Jay D's? Sign me up.

Fro Yo

If you're feeling especially indulgent, this is the pairing for you. Counter Culture's Humphrey, a frozen yogurt treat with strawberries, bananas, grapes, and granola drizzled with honey, works well with the Blanc Du Bois. The fruit flavors in the wine compliment the fruits in the yogurt, and the tartness in the wine is balanced by the tartness in the yogurt. 

Hummus

Ruth's is my favorite locally made hummus.

Ruth's Hummus tastes fresh and lemony, and it's perfect for dipping just about anything. It's locally-made and versatile, just like the blanc du bois. Grab some vegetables, your favorite pita, and a glass of Jay D's Blanc Du Bois and snack outside by the pool on a hot day and thank me later.