7 of the LSU Area's Best Daiquiris and Frozen Drink Spots

by Marit Schroeder, intern

Frozen drinks are a way of life and I like to consider myself a bit of a connoisseur (college edition) as I’ve tried and tested my fair share of daiquiris, margaritas, and even adult slushies. Too much of my weekly grocery budget goes towards frozen drinks on a sunny day and I have no plans of stopping.

So to help you get ready for Saturday tailgates, I’ve gathered up a few of the best frozen drinks in the LSU area to make your game day just a little bit cooler. Get excited because football season has started and is quickly rolling along!

Zippy’s Burritos, Tacos and More: 3155 Perkins Rd.

Probably the busiest hangout spot for game day, Zippy’s cranks out a colorful selection of daiquiris and margaritas all day. I’m putting in a personal recommendation for my favorite cold drink in town- the Knockout. It’s an orange flavored daiquiri. A large can carry you through the whole day.
Bonus: Zippy’s sometimes even offers up dine-in specials on their drinks for game days!

Lakeside Daiquiri and Grill: 7490 Burbank Dr.

Best known for crawfish boils in the spring, Lakeside offers some killer daiquiris and Jose Cuervo margaritas year round. The best part for return customers is their punch cards- buy 9 daiquiris and get the 10th free! There are only 7 home games this semester, but I guess that just means you’ll have to drink some daiquiris during bye weeks, too.

New Orleans Original Daiquiris: 133 Lee Dr.

With 12 daiquiri or margarita options, these drinks are premade and ready to be cranked out quickly for your convenience on game day. One downside to this shop is that people seem to always be sitting at the bar and doing their best to keep you from putting your order in, so be assertive.

French Quarter Daiquiris: 5201 Nicholson Dr.

Like New Orleans Original Daiquiris, some of the widest varieties of frozen drinks can be found here because Daiquiris is all they do. Their Bourbon Street TKO is a bestseller, but the Cajun Lemonade is the most refreshing for a long day in the sun.

Caliente Mexican Craving: 1072 W Lee Dr.

Caliente’s margaritas are well-loved amongst LSU students for being the best bang for your buck. They let you pick classic, top shelf, or ultimate for your alcohol so you can pick the perfect drink size and percentage for your margarita!

Mikes in Tigerland: 1121 Bob Pettit Blvd.

Although it’s not open during the day for you to bring along to a tailgate, this Tigerland bar deserves a spot on this list for their specialty daiquiri, the Mikes 190. The warning is in the name, but (again just in case) this drink is a knockout with pure alcohol.

Barcadia: 3347 Highland Rd.

New to the frozen drinks game, Barcadia just launched a Daiquiri Bar with eight different flavors. Drinks come in sizes of  20 oz., 32 oz., and gallon so there’s a pick for all parties. Every weekend offers game day specials including deals like the 20 oz. daiquiris for only $5! I personally can’t wait to try the Jungle Juice daiquiri. Yum!

Uncrate a Cajun Plate: The Magic of a Cajun Crate Subscription

by Marit Schroeder, intern

Cajun Crate is back, and their September box is just as awesome as the last! This time a Jay D’s product is included in the box so I’m counting that as even more incentive to start a Cajun Crate subscription.

This month’s box includes seven great products from South Louisiana including Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce, Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans, Zydeco Chop Chop (dehydrated Cajun Trinity), Cajun Country Popcorn Long Grain Rice, Gator Blood Half Cajun Bloody Mary Mix, Thib’s Ultimate Garlic Pepper Sauce, and Tabasco Worcestershire Sauce.

The Cajun Crate for September

Inside every box is a helpful pamphlet that gives information about the products, where they came from, and how best to use them! Two recipes from Cajun Crate are also mentioned on the back of the pamphlet- Spicy Garlic Parmesan Wings and a Tailgate Bloody Mary. I don’t know about you, but I’m into both of those things!

Now that we’ve got your mouth watering, you’ve got to visit cajuncrate.co. Whether you’re looking to purchase a singular crate or subscribe, use the code HUGJAYD and receive 15% off any subscription for the LIFETIME of your subscription. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Check out this recipe for red beans and rice we made using three of the products featured in this month’s crate:

Spicy & Sweet Red Beans & Rice:

Red Beans & Rice featuring Jay D's Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub

1 lb Camellia Red Beans, soaked overnight
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 oz, Zydeco Chop Chop, re-hydrated
1 Tbs of dried sage
3 bay leaves
2 Tbs Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub
1 Tbs of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions, sliced
16 oz Cajun Country long grain rice

To soak beans: Cover beans in water by at least an inch and soak overnight.

In a large Dutch oven, brown sausage in canola oil. Add Zydeco Chop Chop and continue sautéing for 3-5 minutes. Pour beans and water into pot and bring to a simmer. Add sage, bay leaves, Barbecue Rub, and Cajun Seasoning.

Simmer beans until soft. (Should take 1 1/2 -2 hours)

When beans are soft, mash about a cup of beans against the side of pot using the back of a spoon. Stir in green onions and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve over white rice with a dash of hot sauce and enjoy!

Spaghetti & Gravy: Not Your Mom's Red Sauce

by Marit Schroeder

Although Louisiana food is best known for unique flavors, there are more food styles than just Cajun and Creole.

Independence, a little town in Southeast Louisiana, started as an Italian-American community with many families coming from the island of Sicily. Now famous for its Sicilian Heritage Festival every March, the town is still working hard to remember their roots.

My family roots come from Independence, and we do our best to honor our ancestors by cooking. When my great-grandparents wanted to remember where they came from, they got together with other people in town to make a red gravy-- the Sicilian version of red spaghetti sauce. While there’s no significant difference between red gravy and red sauce, most Sicilian Americans will agree that the correct vocab is important!

I had a really fun time talking to my mom and grandmother about our family history and getting involved in the cooking process. I’ve grown up eating spaghetti and gravy around three times a month and it continues to be a big affair that involves friends and family coming over for dinner. Usually when we have family dinners though, it can take an extra push to convince my grandmother and great aunts that we aren’t tired of spaghetti so they will cook it again. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Red Gravy

Serves 12-18

Red Gravy:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 (12 oz.) cans tomato paste
8 (12 oz.) cans warm water
1 ½ tbsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. basil (optional)
Dried spaghetti or linguine
Water

Meatballs:
2 lb. ground sirloin
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Garlic powder (optional)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 cup hard breadcrumbs, moistened

½ cups Romano cheese, grated

Gravy: Sauté onions in heavy pot in olive oil. Add tomato paste. Fry mixture at medium temperature for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently so that the tomato paste does not burn or stick. Add water and mix. Add salt, pepper, sugar and basil. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning after 60 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add water one cup at a time to desired thickness.

Meatballs: Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl add ground sirloin, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Soak hard bread in water. Squeeze water from bread and separate bread into small fine pieces. Add this and Romano cheese into beef mixture. Shape beef mixture into 18-24 meatballs, which are tacky. Arrange meatballs on a baking pan with a rack. Put in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until all sides are brown. Drain well and add browned meatballs to sauce. Leave sauce and meatballs at simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Jay D's Bites: Jay D's Pimento Cheese

by Aimee Tortorich

Looking for a great recipe for pimento cheese? Our version of this Southern favorite is a step above the rest. Featuring a nice balance of cheddar and smoked Gouda cheese amped up with Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub and Jay D’s  Louisiana Molasses Mustard. Perfect on crackers, sandwiches and burgers, minds will be blown at your next gathering.

Jay D's Pimento Cheese:

Jay D's Pimento Cheese featuring Jay D's Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub and Louisiana Molasses Mustard

2 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp molasses mustard

12 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

12 oz Smoked Gouda Cheese, grated

1, 4-oz jar diced pimentos, rinsed

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and allow to marry flavors for at least 30 minutes.  Enjoy with crackers, veggies, on baked potatoes, grilled cheese or on burgers.  

TX takes LA: Beignets

by Rachel Hamburger, intern

As a Texas girl that made the “big move” (4 hours) to Baton Rouge to go to LSU, I quickly realized that Cajun culture was no joke. While mourning the loss of all my Tex-Mex faves back in Houston, I had no choice but to fill the void with some Cajun classics.

I had never really tried most of the Louisiana staples like gumbo, jambalaya and boudin, but there is one staple that I was all too familiar with: beignets. Growing up, I was a frequent customer at Crescent City Beignets in Houston. My go-to order was the beignet strips (which I now know is the non-traditional option) with the classic powdered sugar, and not so classic chocolate and vanilla sauce drizzled on top.

The first time I visited Café Du Monde in New Orleans, I was shocked that they only had beignets in square form. I wanted my beignet strips (beignets that basically look like human fingers… kind of creepy.) After trying the classically shaped pastry, I finally understood why that’s the form they’re typically served. The ratio of golden crunchy crust to doughy steamy goodness is perfection. While the beignet strips from Crescent City Beignets will always hold a nostalgic place in my heart, I have a new found appreciation for their classic predecessor.

Experiencing this classic Louisiana treat at the place of all places got me thinking: What is the origin of this heavenly dessert that has somehow camouflaged itself as a breakfast food?

I did a little research and here’s what I found:

French settlers brought the recipe for the beignet when they migrated to a region called Acadia in Eastern Canada in the 17th century. Some believe it was the French Ursuline Nuns in particular.

So, how did the beignet get from Canada all the way down to Louisiana?
A hundred years after the French settled in Acadia, the British took over and forced them to migrate. Many made their way to Louisiana! They became known as the Cajuns, and brought their food and language with them. Beignets are most associated with the French Quarter in New Orleans, but are a tradition all over Louisiana.

How are these hole-less doughnuts on steroids made?
Beignets are choux pastry (a light pastry dough moist enough to puff up with steam, aka no yeast is needed to make them rise). They are prepared fresh to order, or at least should be because they are so much better that way. They take a nice hot bath in vegetable oil, and are fried until they’re golden brown.

Once they come out of the fryer, they are covered in copious amounts of powdered sugar. Beignets are traditionally served with café au laits (hot coffee mixed with steamed milk) and in some parts of Louisiana there’s also chicory mixed in there. I’ll tell y’all all about chicory in my next post. I highly recommend you dipping your beignet in café au lait.

All this talk about beignets got you hungry for them? Here’s a couple places right here in Baton Rouge where you can go grab some today!

Coffee Call: 3132 College Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (They’re open till 2AM every night!)

Rue Beignet: 18135 E Petroleum Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70809