Recipe: Rösch Bakehaus Pretzel Bread Pudding with Rougaroux 13 Pennies Praline Sauce

by Chef Aimee Tortorich

One of the best desserts that you will find in the Deep South is bread pudding. In Louisiana, we take our bread pudding seriously, and rightly so. So simple to make, but celebrated by all, it is no mistake that this dessert canvases menus across the state.

We like sticking to the basics: bread, custard, and rum sauce. No crazy fillings, just bread pudding done right. For our version, we decided to use pretzel bread from our friend Jim Osborne at Rösch Bakehaus. After having a surplus of pretzel buns left over from Brats & Brews at Great Raft Brewing last fall, we decided to give it a shot. The finished product was stunning. A little salt, a bit of sweet and a lot of love made it a perfect bread pudding. Check out Rösch Bakehaus for pretzel bread that is sure to make a difference in your next bread pudding!

Rösch Bakehaus Pretzel Bread Pudding with Rougaroux 13 Pennies Pecan Praline Sauce

Pretzel Bread Pudding
Yields 30 servings

20 bratwurst or hamburger sized pretzel buns from Rösch Bakehaus
1 ½ quarts heavy cream
20 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 tablespoons of cinnamon

Praline Rum Sauce

2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup Rougaroux 13 Pennies Praline Rum from Donner Peltier Distillers
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups pecan pieces

Praline Pretzel Bread Pudding served at a holiday party

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crumble pretzel buns with hands into small pieces and set aside. Mix together egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar until smooth. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to egg and sugar mixture. With your hands, mix custard with pretzel crumbled until it resembles oatmeal consistency. Bake uncovered until middle is set and top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

For rum sauce, heat brown sugar and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add rum, cream, cinnamon and pecan pieces and simmer until thickened. Serve over bread pudding.

Praline Pretzel Bread Pudding served at a luncheon in New Orleans

Month of Salads: Barefoot's at the Hilton Sandestin

Blackened Grouper Salad at Barefoot's

by Jay D. Ducote

Sometimes I just need to eat a salad, and thus, two years ago I created the Month of Salads on Bite and Booze. The idea is two-fold: first, I need to eat more salads and this seemed like a good way to trick myself into feasting like a rabbit. Secondly, salads CAN be good, and we here at Bite and Booze need to focus a little more on them. So now every August on the blog that's what we do.

Recently on a trip to Destin for the Beer Industry League of Louisiana's annual convention, I enjoyed several meals with beach views at Barefoot's, a poolside bar and grill at the Hilton Sandestin. For one of those meals, as the Month of Salads is designed to encourage me to do, I ordered a salad.

I went with a blackened grouper salad, served with an adequately spiced fish over a bed of organic mixed greens with spiced pecans, roma tomatoes, carrot strings, and a citrus vinaigrette. The tartness from the lemon added a nice balance to the blackening spices on the fish. The rest of the salad did its job as the pecans added a delightful textural balance. And the other good news: I felt pretty light and chipper for the rest of my day at the beach!

Month of Salads: Mansurs on the Boulevard

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

I've only recently begun eating duck, and it's quickly become a menu item I gravitate toward.

Recently when Team Bite and Booze ventured to Mansurs on the Boulevard for our month of salads, I spotted the Warm Duck Salad, and it spoke to me.

Grilled duck medallions, along with pecans, bleu cheese, and dried cherries, sit atop a bed of spinach drizzled with a rosemary raspberry vinaigrette. It's the perfect combination of sweetness, warmth, crunch, and cheesiness. 

Warm Duck Salad at Mansurs on the Boulevard

Unlike other salads, this one goes for warm and hearty over crisp and refreshing, and the combination of the duck and spinach kept me full until dinner! This is a great option for the meat eater trying to get some greens in their diet (me).

Beth Donner: Dame of Distilling

How did Beth Donner get the idea to start a Louisiana distillery?

“It was just that. It was just an idea," she said.

Beth, her husband Tom, and their business partners Henry and Jennifer Peltier, started Donner-Peltier Distillery in 2011.

Co-founder, Co-Owner, and President of Donner-Peltier Distillery in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Photo courtesy of the Donner-Peltier Distillery

After toying with the idea of opening a Louisiana rum distillery, they realized it had to be big. While there are only a handful of distilleries in the state, Louisiana residents aren’t new to libations, so they knew they needed to stand out.

The Donner-Peltier Distillery takes a unique approach to their product mix. Not only do they produce three different types of rum made from Louisiana sugarcane (and one with Louisiana pecans), they also churn out gin, vodka, and the first aged whiskey to be made in Louisiana since Prohibition using Louisiana rice.

Being “farm to bottle” is what differentiates Donner-Peltier from other spirits on the market.

It’s an interesting quadrangle of owners.

Jennifer Peltier is a nurse and works at the pediatric clinic with her husband, Henry, a pediatrician. Tom Donner is a practicing neurosurgeon, and Beth has her BA in International Trade and Finance from LSU, and an MBA from FSU (but we’ll forgive her for that).

Beth's background in business made made her the obvious choice to be President of Donner-Peltier Distillers.

As President, Beth handles a lot of the day-to-day duties of running a business, including accounting, financials, and managing staff; but marketing, creative collaborations, and branding falls on her shoulders as well.

“It’s the kind of job I’ve always wanted to do,” Beth explained, “but it’s been hard.”

Beth said there have been a number of times when felt she had to take a backseat when meeting with bars and distributors.

“It’s a male dominant industry, you know?" she said. "It is what it is."

For Beth, it's less about bar accounts knowing she's the boss and more about them pouring Donner-Peltier products.

Like a true woman in charge, she said her focus is on the company, getting their signature brand, LA1 Whiskey, established, and enjoying her favorite Oryza Vodka martini after a long day’s work.

Although her husband is a brain surgeon, Beth acts as the brains of the operation at the Donner-Peltier Distillery where she’s happy to be bringing the sweet nectar of south Louisiana to glasses all over the state in a way that supports and sustains the local economy.

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 Beer

Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service

Nora McGunnigle: Headmistress of Hops

Myna Arroyo: Vino Valedictorian

Brandi Lauck: Warden of Whiskey

Cari Caramonta: Mother of Malts

Erin White: Priestess of Pairing

Month of Salads #6: MJ's Café

The peach and blueberry salad at MJ's Café

MJ's has been one of my favorite hidden gems in Baton Rouge for several years now. Despite my carnivorous ways, popping in to MJ's for a freshly made soup, vegetarian sandwich, or a locally constructed salad really hits the spot for me at lunch time. Maureen Joyce, the owner, has always made it a point to serve the freshest and most local ingredients she can get her hands on. While she has a regular menu, I tend to stick to the rotating soups and salads of the day. This particular salad was made with fresh Louisiana peaches and blueberries atop a bed of mixed greens, fresh feta cheese, and roasted Louisiana pecans. The flavors worked so well that once Blair finished Instagramming and eating her cup of pinto bean soup, she took one bite of the salad and proceeded to praise the merits of the fresh flavors and diverse textures until her bowl contained no more. If you're ever in the mood for something amazingly delicious and local, stop in and let Maureen set you up!

Artisana Nut Butters for Virtual Potluck: Shrimp Stir Fry and French Toast

Dana's Mystery Ingredients

My sister, Dana, recently challenged me to a "Chopped" style cooking experiment where she would bring home a range of mystery ingredients and I would have to prepare a meal using all of them.  I added my own wrinkle by also making this little culinary challenge into a post for Virtual Potluck.  Artisana Raw Organic Nut Butters had previously gifted each of the VP bloggers with some various butters and asked us to use them in some recipes.  Not knowing what Dana would come up with, I thought it may make my day even tougher to incorporate a couple nut butters into my dish as well!  

Shrimp Stir-Fry with Artisana Cashew Butter

I decided to split the ingredients into two dishes.  Obviously the highlight of Dana's mystery ingredients were the large, head-on Louisiana shrimp.  I know I had to do something fun with those.  Along with the shrimp were portobello mushrooms, water chestnuts, blackberries, eggs, and a loaf of bread.  I also added the Artisana cashew butter and the pecan butter for good measure. My first dish went a little Asian in nature.  I decided to stir-fry the shrimp with the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and cashew butter.  I also added a little onion and carrot along with some sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.   The resulting dish had plenty of flavor!  The cashew butter added a nuttiness to the dish and worked well with the flavors of the oil and vinegar to make an interesting sauce.  Peanut sauces are fairly common in Thai cuisine, so I figured that the cashews ought to work in the stir-fry, and they did.

French Toast with Blackberry-Pecan Cane Syrup

I still had blackberries, bread, and eggs in addition to the Artisana pecan butter so it seemed like a dessert was in order.  I decided to go for a French Toast with Blackberry-Pecan Cane Syrup.  I sliced up the bread and dredged it in some beaten eggs spiced up with a little cinnamon.  The strips of egg covered bread were then grilled on a pan to give them a golden brown crust on the outside.  I also took some pureed blackberries, pecan butter, and cane syrup and whisked them all together to make sauce which I then drizzled over the French toast.  After adding a couple fresh blackberries as a garnish, this breakfast-turned dessert was ready to be devoured!

GIVEAWAY!

Artisana Organic Foods makes quite a few different organic raw nut butters.  They are manufactured in a gluten free and peanut free facility.  They are pure, with no sugar added, and are extremely healthy to cook into recipes or just eat them with some fruit on the go.  If you'd like to receive your own bottle of one of their nut butters and some sample squeeze packs, leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite nut!  I'll pick one winner and get Artisana to send you a little something special.

Toasted Pecan and Parmesan Quinoa plus a Giveaway!

As part of the Bob's Red Mill and California Olive Ranch Healthy 2012 Challenge with the Virtual Potluck team, one of our missions was to create a side item using a whole grain and a olive oil.  I decided to further the challenge by only using ingredients that I already at home instead of going out shopping for more.  The quinoa seemed like a great choice for a side item, so I started there.  After getting two cups of water boiling I poured in one cup of quinoa along with a little salt.  That needed about 12 minutes to cook, so I then turned my attention to what else would go with the quinoa, which by itself is rather bland like most grains.  Fortunately I found some pecan halves and thought that the nutty flavor might go well with the quinoa.  I grabbed the olive oil and some smoked sea salt from the Red Stick Spice Company as well.  

I mixed about a cup of the shelled pecans with two teaspoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of smoked sea salt.  After the pecans were well coated, I spread them out of a baking sheet and toasted them in the oven at around 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.  

After a little more seasoning to finish up the quinoa, I threw the dish together.  I placed the toasted pecans atop the quinoa and then grated some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.  The result ended up being quite satisfying, especially for my first attempt at quinoa!

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.

Hotel Indigo Hosts Local Bloggers and Food Writers

Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to a blogger and food writer dinner at Baton Rouge's Hotel Indigo.  The boutique hotel sits on the corner of Lafayette and Convention downtown and features 93 stellar guest rooms.  The entire hotel is filled with amazing photographic prints of scenes from around the Red Stick which gives the space a great local feel.  Next to the lobby on the first floor sits the King Bar & Bistro, named after the old hotel that previously occupied the site in the first half of last century.  The space opens as a coffee shop and for breakfast daily at 6 am then transitions to lunch and to dinner without ever closing.  Perhaps most exciting is the happy hour with tapas from 4-7 pm on Monday through Friday.  I might have to go check that out soon... plus I can bring a laptop and get some work done with the free wireless internet throughout the hotel.

A Teddy Bear Margarita came out as the "prelude" for our dinner at Hotel Indigo.  The beverage consisted of tequila, passion fruit puree, Cointreau, Grand Marinier, and lime juice.  I love a flavorful margarita that never touches high-fructose corn syrup loaded premade mixes!  The Teddy Bear did well to whet my appetite.  The name came from a quote from an early drinker of the cocktail.  This margarita is said to "wrap its arms around you" and squeeze a little like a Teddy Bear if you've had a couple!

The great servers at the King Bar & Bistro placed the "beginning" course in front of everyone at our table.  The Capital City Seafood Gumbo came with rice, Creole mustard potato salad and some garlic bread.  The rich and flavorful roux and broth tasted great as I consumed everything down to the final morsel on my plate.

A Ponchatoula Strawberry Salad was served as our "fresh" course.  The strawberries are buried underneath the fresh spinach in the picture above, but they were actually quite plentiful.  Along with the crumbled cheese and toasted pecans, this salad combined a great mix of flavors and textures.

Along with the salad came a classic cocktail called a French 75.  Very simple in ingredients, the cocktail packs quite a punch to go along with a tremendous flavor and refreshment factor.  The French 75 is a mixture of gin, lemon juice and champagne.  I enjoyed this version so much that I might have to add these to my regular imbibing schedule!

For the night's "main event" we were greeted with Tin Roof BBQ Shrimp served over creamy grits, some garlic bread spears and a side of marinated peppers.  The New Orleans style barbecue shrimp's flavor exploded in my mouth with the addition of Baton Rouge's local brew in the sauce.  One great aspect of all Hotel Indigo properties is that they are required to take on the characteristic of their surroundings.  The hotel has a uniquely Baton Rouge feel complete with two beer taps in the bar that pour nothing but the local Tin Roof Beer.  Being an advocate for both eating and drinking locally, I loved it!

Only to out do themselves, our "finale" tugged at my soul.  I'm a firm believer that every great meal should end with dessert and this one sure worked!  River Road Dark Roast and New Orleans Praline Liqueur accented a stunning slice of Bourbon Pecan Pie.  I could have eaten two or three slices had they been placed in front of me.  I enjoyed the entire meal and am very glad that I got to participate in the "Locals Know Best - Dish on the Dish" series.

  

Alabama's White Sand Beaches: Part I

For my birthday weekend I received an invitation to enjoy the white sand beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast and to check out the restaurant scene around Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.  Eric and I made the relatively short drive from Baton Rouge to the beach where we checked into the Phoenix All-Suites West.  The view from our 7th floor room let us know there was no oil in sight as the beaches and water looked as pleasant as ever!

White Sand Beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama

After throwing our luggage down in the hotel room we ventured over to Orange Beach and to our first feasting destination, Live Bait at the Wharf.  We were there as part of the Mamas4Mamas Tweetup, an event to raise money and awareness for the sea turtles that lay their eggs on the Alabama shores.  Eric and I randomly ran into an old friend, Julie Laperouse, who happened to be asking for a table right when we walked in.  Good times!  After checking in at the Tweetup, we grabbed a few Pick Axe Pale Ales from the Tommyknocker Brewery and met the rest of our blogger crowd.

Ericka, Jay, and Shannon at Live Bait at the Wharf on their birthday!

Live Bait at the Wharf served up some grub for all the bloggers to sample.  We started with the Greek seafood nachos and blackened gator bites.  While the gator failed to live up to what we're accustomed to in Louisiana, the Greek seafood nachos were fully loaded and quite good.  They had shrimp and crawfish tails piled up on fried wantons with red onion, olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, scallions, and a creamy spinach cheese sauce.  Interesting, and quite delicious!

Greek Seafood Nachos at Live Bait

Once we sat down at the dinner table we ordered up a couple other appetizers.  This time we selected the fried calamari and baked oysters.  The calamari had a nice golden brown color and tasted about average for a fried calamari.  The oysters were also satisfactory, though they didn't have the size of the oysters we get in Louisiana.  Still, they were topped with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, andouille sausage, Italian bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese, so they most definitely were not bad!

Fried Calamari with Firecracker Sauce

Baked Oysters

I went with the off-menu Chef's Special for my main course.  The Pecan-Crusted Flounder came with a Franjelico-butter cream sauce, mushroom rice, and steamed vegetables.  The rice reminded me of something a college kid would make when desperate in a dorm room.  Unfortunately, it was barely better than pure rubbish.  The vegetables were little more than filler.  They were steamed and lacked anything other than some nutritional value.  The fish, however, came through in the clutch.  The flounder had a nice flaky flesh and the pecan crusting satisfied my appetite.  Combined with the delightful butter sauce, the entrée saved the evening and my dining experience at Live Bait with its crusty exterior and flavorful flounder.

Pecan Crusted Flounder with Parmesan-Mushroom Rice and Steamed Veggies

The meal concluded with some cake that April and Lori organized for the birthday group.  It capped off a great night of meeting some new people, randomly running into an old friend, drinking a new beer, and eating some all around decent food.  The first night in Alabama had gone well, and I eagerly anticipated the full schedule we had lined up for Saturday!  More about that on Part II of Alabama's White Sand Beaches.

Erika, Shannon, and I's Birthday/Tweetup Cake!

Things To Do
Orange Beach

Things To Do
Gulf Shores

United States - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

United States

Happy Fourth of July, America!  In celebration, despite being eliminated from the World Cup by Ghana in the Round of 16, today will feature a post about bites and boozes of the good old USA!  Choosing this is rather painful.  Since I live in the USA, and I know about so much good food here, AND I could really do a post on all 50 states, let alone one for the entire country, the selection process will be difficult.  I thought about going with hot dogs and Budweiser, but that would be too easy.  So instead, I'll go hamburgers and Bud Light... no, just kidding.  Instead, I'll do... wait for it... State Fair fare and bourbon!

What is more American than food at a State Fair?  I'd say apple pie, but isn't it more American when you get it deep fried on a stick?  Food on a stick provides easy access from barbeque pit or deep fryer, using a delivery mechanism, straight to the mouth.  Think of all the wonderful things you can find at State Fairs!  Take these, for example.  I know there are plenty more out there, so let me know if you can find something better!

Here is your basic French fries on a stick.

But have you ever had fried mashed potatoes?

You can always find the classic American corn dog.

But, have you ever had a deep fried hot dog with a bun or French fries?

Bacon wrapped sausage is usually a good call.

Or, you can just opt for the "chicken fried bacon"!  You really can't beat a meat-fried-meat!

Maybe you are a vegetarian?  There is always deep-fried corn!

And if you really want a bowl of goodness instead of just eating it off a stick, how about a Hot Beef Sundae!?

Once your sweet tooth warms up, go for the deep fried tootsie roll (or twinkies, snickers, etc.)

You won't go far without finding a funnel cake.

Apple pies on sticks are good, but this deep fried pecan pie on a stick may be even better!

And finally, as if the needed to get better, you can grab a deep fried Oreo cookie.

Need I say anything more than GOD BLESS AMERICA?!  On to bourbon!

Bourbon is an American whiskey, a type of distilled spirit, made primarily from corn (maize) and named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. It has been produced since the 18th century. While it may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

On May 4, 1964, the United States Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States." The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5.22) state that bourbon must meet these requirements:

• Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.
• Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
• Neither coloring nor flavoring may be added.
• Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.
• Bourbon must be entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
• Bourbon, like other whiskeys, may not be bottled at less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume.)
• Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.
• Straight Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
• If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.

In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as "straight bourbon"—with or without the "straight bourbon" label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity brands of bourbon aged only three years and pre-mixed cocktails made with straight bourbon aged the minimum two years. However, a few small distilleries market bourbons aged for as little as three months.

For a post about American beer, though likely also not about Budweiser of Bud Light, check out the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:

http://nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com/2009/06/food-on-stick.html
http://www.slashfood.com/2007/08/27/texas-state-fair-food/
http://www.digitalworshiper.com/2008/08/texans-determined-to-die-early-and.html
http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?p=132219
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey
http://www.theupstairscharlottesville.com/cellar/cellar.htm
http://midmidlifecrisis.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/drinking-in-your-20s/

Hammond Smokin' Blues 'n BBQ Challenge

On the final weekend of March, Travis, Eusebio, and I competed in the Smokin' Blues 'n BBQ Challenge in Hammond, La.  We entered the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event, which means we were cooking against the big dogs.  Johnny Trigg from the TLC show Barbeque Pitmasters was there, as well as QUAU and Pellet Envy, the first and third ranked BBQ teams in the country according to KCBS.  It turns out that of the 50 teams doing competitive barbeque, we were the ONLY rookie team and seemingly the only team with chefs under the age of 40.  In fact, we are all 30 or younger, and every other team appeared to be full of wily veterans in their 50s and 60s.  We knew we were going to have our hands full to just not finish last in each category.

In KCBS contests, each team must enter all four meat categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork butt, and brisket.  Teams must have their meat inspected the day before the competition to ensure they were not pre-marinated, and then they have until noon the next day to prepare and cook the meats.  As with any true barbeque, the preferred cooking method is low and slow.  Barbeque pits infuse the meats with delicious smoky flavors while cooking them for a long time at a low temperature, leaving the finished product flavorful and tender.

The Monstrosity: Third Row Tailgaters' Famous BBQ Pit and Smoker

For the majority of our cooking, we used the Third Row barbeque pit and smoker, which has been dubbed "The Monstrosity."  We hand-crafted this pit back in 2002 or 2003.  It is made it an old full-barrel aluminum keg flipped on its side with a smoke stack connecting to a stainless steel keg that is used as the smoker.  It is a true thing of beauty, and I think easily got the most looks and brought up the most discussion of any pit in the KCBS challenge. 

Soaking Pecan Chunks

For some extra flavor, we used pecan chunks as a smoking wood.  I find that pecan gives a nice balanced smoke that adds sweetness and smoky flavor without overpowering the meat. 

I could go on with more text about the competition, but I think this video that I put together would sum it up a little better.  Enjoy!  Warning: it will make you hungry!

Thanks to Lauren for help with the video!  One thing for sure is that we had a good time.  The contest presented its challenges but was also a whole lot of fun, and we did cook some great food.  We ended up placing 39th overall, which really wasn't too bad.  On our first attempt at competitive barbeque we beat out 11 teams that had been doing this for years!  Our chicken placed 23rd, which we were pretty proud of. To cook some chicken that finished in the top half exceed our expectations of anything we could do on a first attempt.  The pork finished tied for 31st and the ribs came in 34th.  The only really sad note for us was that our brisket came in 49th.  But hey, we weren't last in anything, and we learned a lot about cooking in a KCBS contest.  I imagine we'll do it again at some point, and we'll only be better!  The barbeque circuit better look out!

Things To Do
Hammond