Third Row Crawfish Boil 2012

I'm not sure how many consecutive years we've been doing the Third Row Crawfish Boil, but it has to be somewhere around a dozen.  This past year brought us 450 pounds of Louisiana crawfish, a couple kegs including one of Tin Roof Blonde Ale, and plenty of people to enjoy it all.  Third Row is our old tailgating krewe from LSU and we definitely still know how to throw a party.  Even though the festivities on campus are a few years behind us, I'm very glad that we've kept up with the annual crawfish boil.  It truly is an event I look forward to every year.  Travis and Eusebio continue to impress with their crawfish boiling skills as they come up with some magnificently spicy and flavorful mudbugs.  Thanks to everyone who attending this year.  I hope to see you all again sometime around April/May next year!

450 pounds of Louisiana crawfish awaiting consumption

Tin Roof Bandit Blonde Ale... a great beer for a crawfish boil! 

The 2011 Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge

This past weekend, team Bite and Booze once again competed in the annual Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge. The results may not have been quite what we were hoping for, but we still had a great time and cooked some fantastic barbeque.

Let's get things started by giving you a glimpse of something special.  Here's our BBQ Sauce Fountain.  Talk about a show stopper!  We had to fight the crowds away.  Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post saying how classy you think it is!

That's right... keeping it classy with a cascading BBQ Sauce Fountain and Grilled Sausage!

Thanks to everybody who came out to eat and cheer us on!  Our team - myself, Chef Eusebio Gongora, Travis Ducote, and Eric Ducote - really appreciates all the support!  Thanks to Sammy from Calandro's Super Market for coming early to help set up on Friday and hanging out all day Saturday, Ashley for coming late Friday night to relax, Jeremy for coming early Saturday morning with supplies and for assisting with the camera work on the video, and most certainly to Rush for the use of the travel trailer... what a great improvement over last year!  Also, thanks to Tony and Nani of KickersBBQ for the rub, sauce, and company!  Oh, and we also used some of the Red Stick Spice Company's applewood smoked sea salt and apple chipotle rub... you must check that out!  Finally, this video is the unveiling of the new Bite and Booze intro animation created by the one and only Hunter Brown.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about that and the BBQ!

Team Bite and Booze would like to thanks our title sponsor for the 2011 Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge:

        Additional thanks to:

                

Now, how about some more pictures from Jeremy Wells of FairelesCourses.net?

BBQ chicken plated and ready to be served to the judges

Ribs finishing on the grill after smoking for hours

Travis and Jay pull pork to plate it for the judges

Brisket resting before slicing

11 Things I’m Excited to Eat and Drink in 2011

This article has been published in the January 2011 issue of Town Favorites Magazine. You can visit the Town Favorites website at http://www.townfavorites.com/, follow them on Twitter @TownFavorites, "Like" them at Facebook.com/TownFavorites, and find their magazines at over 150 restaurants and businesses around Baton Rouge! Pick up a copy today!

11 Things I’m Excited to Eat and Drink in 2011
By Jay D. Ducote

2011 is sure to bring renewed resolutions and fresh starts when it comes to diets and detox, but I’d prefer to kick off the New Year by thinking about 11 local items I can’t wait to eat and drink. Some of these are relatively new items in the Baton Rouge food and beverage scene, and some are old staples that will bring back memories of 1984, but still, all should be mouthwatering, enticing, and crowd pleasing in 2011. In no particular order, here are my picks:

BBQ Beef Sandwich at KickersBBQ

BBQ Sandwiches from KickersBBQ
KickersBBQ provides barbeque on wheels, and it is obvious that Tony and Nani know what they are doing. Their street eats have quickly rolled to the top of the BR BBQ scene. It is a hard call between the pulled pork or brisket sandwiches, but either way you’ll be happy you tracked them down! And if you are feeling adventurous, you could also try a Tex-Mex hotdog!

Nani, Jay, and Tony show off some BBQ!

King Cake
Louisiana isn’t short of seasonal foods, and one of my favorites is King Cake around Mardi Gras time. I usually opt for a little cream cheese filling or a classic cinnamon cake. Ambrosia Bakery makes one my favorites in town, but it is usually hard to go wrong with any of them! Good luck finding that baby and getting to buy the next cake for the house or office!

Boiled Crawfish 
Speaking of seasonal cuisine, Louisiana Crawfish are about as good as it gets. Every Spring I look forward to devouring quite a few pounds of mudbugs, and 2011 will be no different. Whether you get your crawfish from a local restaurant or you boil them yourselves, just roll up your sleeves and start peeling! I can taste the spices already!

Chef Eusebio Gongora and Travis Ducote dump a batch of boiled crawfish onto the table at the Third Row Crawfish Boil

Cocktails at Galatoire’s Bistro
Expert bartender Brian Thom mixes up some of the best custom cocktails in Baton Rouge. Check out their Sazerac or even opt for the New Orleans Belle Martini. While it might be pink in color, it still packs a mighty punch. The martini is made from house-infused mango pepper vodka, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, and fresh squeezed lime and orange.

New Orleans Belle Martini at Galatoire's Bistro

Pho
Sadly I’m not all that experienced with the Vietnamese soup called Pho (fuh), but that will certainly change in 2011. I’m hoping to become a regular at Pho Quynh and Tasty Casian where I will consume bowl after bowl of that traditional noodle soup.

Craft Beer from the Tin Roof Brewing Company
From their new brewery in an old warehouse off of Nicholson Drive, William and Charles have brought Baton Rouge their own craft brew, and I’m excited to drink it. Whether you opt for the Perfect Tin Amber or my personal choice, the Voodoo Bengal Specialty Pale Ale, you might as well quench your taste buds all around town with these delightful local suds!

Tin Roof's Perfect Tin Amber

Raw Oysters
In 2010 Gulf oysters had quite a setback with the oil spill. In order to make up for lost time, I think the best thing we could do is eat an unprecedented amount of oysters in 2011. I’ll probably sit at the bar in quite a few restaurants and eat them raw by the dozen. Some of my favorite places for oysters are The Chimes, Mike Andersons, Mason’s Grill, and ACME, but I’ll be happy to meet you anywhere there is shucking going on!

Coffee from A Coffee Truck 
Not everything I drink in 2011 can be alcohol, so I might as well find the trendiest place to get my caffeine fix. A Coffee Truck started rolling around Baton Rouge in late 2010, and I’m excited to track them down more in 2011. Using the food truck model of being followed on social media, A Coffee Truck can be located using Twitter, Facebook, or by sniffing out the ground espresso beans. They are sure to have something to perk you up!

Honey Bourbon
Then again, I guess I could have a little more booze. Here’s one of my favorites: honey bourbon! Juban’s makes fantastic honey bourbon out of Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon and fresh honey comb. I’ll drink that every time I’m there. However, in 2011 I also intend to make some of my own. I’ll use some honey comb from the Bocage Bee and Honey Company and some great bourbon, and see what I can come up with. Cheers!

Praline Bacon and Pork Belly Preserves at Curbside Truck 
There are few more beautiful combinations of words than “praline bacon.” Just the thought of that sweet candy and savory meat combination makes my mouth water. At Curbside Truck, yet another one of Baton Rouge’s mobile eateries, you can enjoy a delicious cheeseburger topped with praline bacon. And if that doesn’t quite do it for you, they also have a magical little spread called pork belly preserves. Or, you can do what I do, and get both of them!

A burger with praline bacon and pork belly preserves from Curbside Truck

Duck
Finally, in 2011 I look forward to eating a lot of duck. Yes, it may slightly because of viral videos and the fact that the LSU Tigers play the Oregon Ducks in Dallas to kick off the 2011 football season, but Duck is also extremely tasty! You can find duck meat in gumbos, crepes, tacos, and more. Chef Eusebio Gongora at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar also cooks up an amazing duck appetizer on occasion or has a blueberry glazed duck breast on the featured mixed grill. However you find it, just make sure to join me in feasting on feathered fowl this year!

Jay D. Ducote is the author of the blog Bite and Booze, which chronicles his culinary and indulgent cultural experiences around Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, and the world. It can be found at www.biteandbooze.com. You can also reach him by email at jay@biteandbooze.com, like the Bite and Booze fan page on facebook.com/biteandbooze, and follow him on Twitter @biteandbooze. 

Thanks to Eric Ducote of BRBeerScene.com for taking all the pictures for this article.

On Campus: Tailgating at LSU vs. Tennessee

I was back on campus this past weekend where we filmed the second installment of our "On Campus" look at Tiger Tailgating.  This day brought me to the legendary Third Row Tailgaters who were having their reunion party to enjoy a gathering of old friends, show some new people the ropes, and celebrate some "acquisition" from 10 years ago.  Let me tell you, they do it right!

Want us to come to your tailgate party for the McNeese game?  Let me know where you are and what you'll be cooking!

Schedule:

LSU vs. West Virginia

LSU vs. Tennessee

LSU vs. McNeese State

LSU vs. Alabama

LSU vs. ULM

LSU vs. Ole Miss

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

Yule Tide Joy and Holiday Cheer

The holiday season of 2009 brought many reasons to celebrate the joyous tidings of family and friends.  Starting with Friendsgiving and Turkey Day, the holidays then carried on to Christmas and ringing in the the New Year at Jay's Bay.  I guess it is time to make sure I capture the Christmas bites and boozes on the blog, so here is the best of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Maker's Mark Mint Julep

The Yule Tide Joy got started on Christmas Eve at Mama and Papa Ford's house.  It was rather quiet compared to many Christmas Eve parties at the Ford's, but I still got to see most of the family, including Brayden for his first Christmas.  Collin introduced me to Maker's Mark Mint Julep, a Kentucky Bourbon with mint julep flavors already mixed in.  All I had to do was serve it over ice and enjoy!  Having had authentic mint juleps, I was fairly impressed by the bourbon and the taste that it delivered with no extra mixing.  Strong, yes, but also very tasty.  The mint julep reminded me of Christmas and it sure seems like it would make for a great drink any time of year!

V. Sattui Vintage Port

This Vintage Port came from one of my favorite wineries that we visited in Napa Valley in 2008, and Collin kindly shared with the group for Christmas Eve.  The V. Sattui Winery makes a lot of spectacular vino, and this Port is no exception.  Having been to Porto, Portugal and tasted the real stuff straight out of the barrel, I can say that V. Sattui knows what they are doing when it comes to making fortified wine.  This beverage is delightful when sipped by itself, along many different food pairings, or as a savory dessert itself.

Christmas Goose Before and After

My main contribution to dinner was this Christmas goose that we killed during our duck and goose hunting trip earlier in the month.  I brined the goose over night in some great flavors then Christmas morning I seasoned the goose inside and out with sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, brown sugar, and a couple other spices.  I also used a lemon and an orange to help add some flavor to the goose.  The juice from the fruits got squeezed out all over the goose and then I stuffed the cavity of the goose with the remaining citrus.  I covered the pan in foil and put it in the oven at about 250F for several hours until the meat became tender and started to pull from the bone.  Not bad wild game, if I may say so myself.

Kendall Jackson Cabernet in a Third Row Wine Glass

My father supplied our Christmas dinner with a selection of wines from Kendall Jackson.  Certainly not my first choice, but I'm rarely picky when you put something in front of me.  I drank the Cab until it ran out and then switched to Merlot.  Both were very drinkable, though much like a macro-brewed beer, it was nothing to rave about.

Uncle Rush Slicing the Prime Rib

Uncle Rush kindly cooked an entire ribeye for the dinner and sliced it at the house.  The medium-rare beef had a magnificent marbled consistency and a tender taste that was every bit as mouth-watering as it was beautiful to look at.

Christmas Plate... We're So Classy that We Used Paper!

Yes, the Ducote family is clearly a protein and starch group!  I'm glad I also cooked up a little asparagus to add the slightest amount of green to an otherwise plate of pink and tan hues.  In addition to the previously mentioned goose and prime rib, Travis also cooked up an entire smoked ham for us to enjoy.  We were also graced with Dana's mac and cheese, some sweet potatoes, and several other items that are buried under the mountain of meat.  But like any of our family's holiday meals, it would not be complete without Granny's cornbread dressing!

Granny's Famous Pecan Cake

If there is one thing that Granny does better than cornbread dressing (okay, two things because I'd put her pecan rolls up there too), it is her famous pecan cake.  This traditional, moist, yellow cake is layered with a homemade pecan icing that brings me back to my childhood.  Every bite is a perfect combination of cake and nutty-sweet flavor that I find myself craving between holidays and birthdays.

I certainly ate and drank well over Christmas thanks to my family and friends.  Feliz Navidad!

How do you say, ah yes, Turkey Day

Turkey Day 2009 proved to once again to be a day filled with family, friends, food, and fun.  Eric and Dana, my brother and sister, went to my cousin Philip and his wife Lisa's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  The family generational gap made its presence as Granny made it to dinner with a lot of her grand children but none of her kids (our parents) were present.  They all seemed to be out of town and feasting somewhere else in the country.   Oh well, more bites and boozes for me!

Cousin Travis attended the Thanksgiving dinner with his lady friend, Lauren.  He prepared a fantastic pumpkin and pecan bread which we devoured like we hadn't eaten breakfast.  Oh yeah, I didn't eat breakfast.  I was saving room for dinner!!

Travis's Pumpkin and Pecan Bread

Travis also came to the gathering with some home-vinted vino.  He brought a bottle of Pinot Noir made from a home-fermented Pinot concentrate.  The wine was surprisingly good!  I expected it to be pretty good because I have never really known Travis to make anything bad, but this wine actually had some character to it.  It was a refreshing red wine that was fairly light on the palate and I'd say a little less complex and fruity than a typical Pinot, but still extremely drinkable, delightful, and cheap!

Home-Vinted Pinot Noir

Thanksgiving is not just an occasion for wine though.  It is also a holiday that calls for really good beer.  I started my pre-dinner beer drinking with a homebrewed porter.  This porter, which was crafted by Phil, Travis, and Eric, I believe, came out strong, rich, and spicy.  I could taste the dark-malted brew on my lips and tongue while the liquid went down my throat and into my extremely satisfied belly.

Homebrewed Porter and Stone Brewery's IPA in Frosty Third Row Mugs

Stone's IPA is a terrific, hoppy bear that went down so well after Thanksgiving dinner.  It is a beer drinker's beer for sure, and those that don't like robust hops need not give it a taste.  I, however, love strong hoppy flavors and found the Stone IPA to be a great beer for a holiday dinner.  Now, on to the meal!

Thanksgiving Dinner Plate at Phil and Lisa's House

Thanksgiving dinner was served with a marvelous spread of food that covered the entire kitchen at Phil and Lisa's house.  Granny made her signature cornbread dressing which was the only thing that I HAD to have on Thanksgiving.  There was also mashed potatoes and gravy, Dana's green bean casserole, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and, of course, turkey and cranberry sauce.  Philip smoked the turkey this year and it came out very nicely.  The bird was flavorful, moist, and tender with a smoky flavor that made the turkey extra special.  I can't say that I'd mind eating food like that all the time! 

For dessert Travis and Lauren brought over an assortment of pumpkin and apple pies.  I had a slice of each, adding a hefty scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla to the apple pie.  Man, that was a treat!  I wanted to eat it so badly that I apparently forgot to take a picture!  After hours of chatting, playing some UNO with the kids, and talking about beer and wine, it was time to leave Phil and Lisa's home.  No worries though!  The next stop happened to be Sara's house for more dessert!

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Ginger Cheesecake

I had the pleasure of swinging by Sara's house with Eric and Dana to meet Sara, Lauren, Lizzie, and Mitch for some hanging out and extra dessert.  Lizzie is a pastry chef in Minnesota and whipped up this cranberry-white chocolate-ginger cheesecake for us!  Have I said how much I love cheesecake?  This dessert knocked my socks off!  What a great way to use cranberries during the holidays!  Everything about this cheesecake made me happy, and now writing about it I want more!  If there is one thing I need to learn how to make, it is cheesecake!