Lychees have a sweet, floral flavor and translucent flesh. You just have to peel back the thick, pinkish skin to find the springy and succulent treat. They're great for snacking and making luscious summer cocktails. Lychee season starts in earnest in June. A few merchants around town are starting to see small shipments of the fresh tropical tree fruit. This week, the Asian supermarket Vinh Phat, began receiving lychees still on the branch from a vendor in Florida. The season there lasts only about a month, so grab Vinh Phat's lychees while you can (call ahead at 273-1175 to be sure). For a few lychee-infused drink recipes, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's latest blog post here.
There’s no better time to test Gonzales’s "Jambalaya Capital of the World" claim than at the Jambalaya Festival held over Memorial Day weekend. Gonzales will once again host its annual four-day festival complete with carnival rides, a 5K race and 1-mile fun run, antique car show, live music, and above all, the World Jambalaya Cook-Off. Think barbecue contests are hardcore? It takes both stamina and a keen sense of timing to prepare authentic Cajun jambalaya in a cast-iron pot over hardwood. Contestants can only use regulation ingredients— long grain rice, chicken and their choice of an allowable list of spices and aromatic vegetables. The intense standardization ups the ante on the cooking process—the judges aren’t looking for over-the-top creativity, but perfect workmanship. For more information on the festival and cook-off, check out Maggie Heyn Richardson's full article from 225
In the ongoing childhood obesity debate, the school lunch is the perpetual whipping boy. However, there’s good reason to be concerned about children’s weight gain over the summer when they’re at home. Researchers at Indiana and Ohio State universities released a study a few years ago that found that children’s body mass indexes increased twice as much during the summer as they did during the school year. To get tips on what you can do to fight back against the weight gain, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog here.
Fresh food is coming to some of Baton Rouge's food deserts. The Scotlandville Branch Library (Map it!) will host the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market Wednesday, May 22 at 9 a.m. The market will then set up shop at 1 p.m. at Star Hill Baptist Church (Map it!). This will be the second week for the program. The market will be open every Wednesday and features seasonal produce from the same farmers who participate in the Red Stick Farmers Market. It will provide a consistent retail source of locally grown produce in areas of north Baton Rouge that lack access to grocery stores and other sources of healthy foods.
This week's warmer temperatures are a great excuse to work in a crisp, food-friendly white wine, and Barr Estate Winery's 2010 Albariño from Paso Robles is a nice choice. For more information and reasons why the 2010 Albariño is perfect for the upcoming summer heat, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog Spatula Diaries.
An antique commercial coffee grinder, woven baskets and a log mortar used for grinding hominy are among the charming food-related relics on display at the LSU Student Union Art Gallery until May 19. "A Slice of Life in South Louisiana: 1890-1920" explores the daily lives of four cultural groups: African American laborers, Native Americans, middle-class New Orleanians and Italian Americans.
One of Louisiana's best known food festivals takes place this weekend less than an hour away—the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, an event that pulses with Cajun and zydeco music and features piles of steaming crawfish and dozens of crawfish-centric dishes. Louisiana's tradition of netting and boiling the freshwater crustaceans began not far from Breaux Bridge in the Atchafalaya River Basin. The festival honors this centuries-old tradition, which sadly, is in peril. To read more about the festival and the perspective from a crawfisherman, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog here.
With a menu offering fresh fried chicken, beignets, shrimp and grits and more, Leroy's is now open at 4001 Nicholson Dr. in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's (Map it!). The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to Leroy's brand strategist Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-style food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of...
Every April and May, my father would lay a tarp underneath the large mulberry tree in our backyard. My brother and I would climb the trunk and shake its branches, sending dark mulberries raining down. Back at the house, my mother would bake the mulberries into a pie, paying no mind to the tiny green stems that were so hard to pluck from the fragile fruit. "It's just roughage. It'll cook down," she'd say as we watched her stir it with sugar on the stove before pouring into a piecrust.
The 2013 New Orleans Jazz Fest begins next week, and its terminal fans are busy plotting the stages—and food booths—they plan to visit this year. An enduring culinary favorite among festers is Crawfish Monica, crawfish tails bathed in a spicy cream and wine sauce and served over Rotini.
Armed with plenty of groceries on a recent Sunday, I set aside a couple of hours to cook several dishes that freeze well, including spinach manicotti, kale and black eyed pea vegetable soup and pork piccata. I can't tell you what a relief it's been lately to whip open the freezer door in the afternoon and find those reassuring packages. Busy families don't need to be reminded how unbearably time-pressed weeknights are, but there is hope. Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
Baton Rouge is now No. 1 in AIDS cases and No. 3 in HIV cases in the United States, beating out larger cities with higher populations. Never have local nonprofits needed more support to spread the word about prevention and to help families impacted by the disease, which has claimed the lives of more than 550,000 Americans.
Boiled crawfish piled high on backyard tables might be the enduring way to consume the celebrated Louisiana crustacean, but the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and Mockler Beverage Company want you to enjoy crawfish in its many forms, including salads, tarts, pad Thai, charcuterie and more. The two organizations will co-host the gourmet crawfish festival CrawFête on Thursday, April 18, at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd.
Holy Week is the height of crawfish sales in Louisiana. On Friday and Saturday combined, Tony's Seafood on Plank Road expects to sell more than 100,000 pounds of live and boiled crawfish to consumers planning Easter weekend crawfish boils, says owner Bill Pizzolatto. "It's always our busiest time for crawfish," he says.
If street food is your thing, this weekend's America's Hometown Eats Food Festival in the French Market promises serious booty. Spanning four blocks in the market are sumptuous nibbles from Louisiana as well as other spots across America known for their cuisine. Expect right-sized, right-priced portions that allow you to taste a range of eats, including Texas pit barbecue, pecan pie, artisan boudin balls and refrigerator pickles. The tasting is accompanied by cooking demonstrations and talks by culinary authors. The free Hometown Eats Food Fest will be held Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, March 24, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The weekend fest also features other ticketed events, including a night of America's famed sweets on Friday night at Café Reconcile, a crawfish boil and fais do do outside of New Orleans on Saturday and a beignet eating contest on Sunday in the French Market. Come hungry. For more information, click
St. Patrick is front and center in Baton Rouge this weekend, but St. Joseph will also get his due at dozens of altars throughout South Louisiana created for the Feast of St. Joseph. Most take place this weekend.
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux.
Matherne's Supermarket on Highland Road is beloved among local oenophiles for its regular wine dinners, but next week's event features a new twist. Chef Regan Hounshell's multi-course meal will include seven recipes from River Road Recipes IV, Warm Welcomes, the next installment in the Junior League of Baton Rouge's celebrated cookbook series. Its first volume, published in 1959, is still required reading among local cooks and is loaded with emblematic regional eats like spinach Madeleine, oysters Rockefeller and crabmeat ravigote. It went on to become the nation's top-selling community cookbook.
After securing final permits last Thursday, Frankie Marcello's held a grand opening of its new restaurant at Perkins Road and Essen Lane this week, says Bunkie Hughes, who has partnered with a Mandeville-based restaurant family in the project. The family-style restaurant serves Italian fare, seafood and steaks. It's in a 3,600-square-foot space at 7520 Perkins Road that was formerly home to a short-lived Mexican restaurant, and before that, a Calendar's. More details and a full menu can be found here.
Our secret food critic writes, “As I ascended the steps to the front porch of The Cabin for dinner recently, I felt something overwhelmingly familiar. Then it hit me: This was very much like my great-grandfather's house. All that was missing was a screen surrounding the porch, my cousins lying on the floor giggling and the voice of one of my aunts telling us bébés to ‘hush now and go to sleep.’ I hadn't thought of that house in many moons. I rushed inside expecting wonderful things.
Today, Together Baton Rouge and Mayor Kip Holden are laying out plans for a new 13-member commission created to address food access issues in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Food Access Policy Commission will work over the next 10 months to examine the causes of "food deserts"—that is, vast stretches of residential neighborhoods lacking nearby grocery stores. The commission will also determine best practices for addressing food deserts and develop a concrete set of policies and practice recommendations for the city-parish to remedy food access issues. The Food Access Commission is being funded through the Fresh Beginnings project of the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative.
During the long winter months, it is hard to get motivated to do much of anything, much less entertain. So we've come up with a nice way to unwind without going to too much trouble. Invite a few friends over for a “come as you are” evening and have them hang around your kitchen counter to help make homemade pasta.
“The last couple of years in Baton Rouge, we’ve seen a growing level of interest in how to improve our local food systems,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “More chefs are buying local, farmers market numbers continue to climb, school gardens are up and there is palpable enthusiasm for new culinary trends. On Saturday, Feb. 16, Slow Food Baton Rouge will host a live webcast of TEDx Manhattan’s annual food forum, ‘Changing the Way We Eat.’ The third annual webcast convenes farmers, chefs and food entrepreneurs from around the country to explore the state of the American food system and our progress toward greater sustainability.” Find out more about this unique event in this week’s Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
Local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison will host a tasting festival at Tin Roof Brewery this month, featuring the fruits of their Iron Chef-style homebrew competition, Iron Brewer. Each team in the running had to use Louisiana-based ingredients to brew their beer. Attendees to the Tin Roof event on Friday, Feb. 22, will have the opportunity to try beers made with chicory, red beans, jasmine rice, honey, peaches, Louisiana citrus and much more. Each team will serve samples of their beer to anyone 21 and older who brings non-perishable food donations for the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank—no money will be accepted. Food trucks will also be in attendance. Guests will vote to determine the People's Choice champion. The ultimate winner of the night will be determined by four local celebrity judges who will crown the festival's “Ultimate Iron Brewer.” Find out more at brbrewers.com.
“On Friday, tickets will be available for the third annual Slow Food Spring Farm Tour and Dinner in the Field event,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson in this week's Spatula Diaries. “Slow Food Baton Rouge members can purchase their tickets first, while others will have to wait until Feb. 8. The two-part event, which exposes farm life and the regional culinary bounty, has become a favorite among local food aficionados. It begins with a free, self-guided tour of selected family farms north of Baton Rouge. Even if you don't attend the dinner, this is a great way to spend the afternoon.” Find out more about this unique event by clicking here.
A longtime member of the Baton Rouge community and owner of Capitol City Produce, Vince A. Ferachi will be the recipient of the Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013, presented by the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society. The BRES annually selects an epicure from the Greater Baton Rouge area who has dedicated much of his or her life in service to the Baton Rouge community—previous winners have included chefs, wine experts and restaurant owners from T.J. Moran to John Folse. Born in Baton Rouge, Ferachi is the second-generation owner of Capitol City Produce. His father, Vincent Charles Ferachi, started the company in 1947 and his family has been servicing the Baton Rouge community since. Under his son’s leadership, in 1988 the company also began supplying the New Orleans area with fresh produce and local products, later expanding the family business throughout the state and the Mississippi Gulf coast.
“By now, the New Year’s resolutions we made almost a month ago are either rocking along or have been tossed on the failed experiment pile,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “I’m not a big fan of making resolutions because they’re usually dull and restrictive, but this year, I made a simple commitment to eat more nutrient dense foods—to actually play off the list of so-called super foods as my starting point in meal planning. It hasn’t been hard when you consider what’s on it: blueberries, beans, wild salmon, avocado, dark chocolate, oats, low fat yogurt, onions and garlic, turkey, spinach, pumpkin, oranges, cinnamon, soy and more. These self-contained nutritional powerhouses are named super foods because of their generous vitamin and minerals and lack of unwanted fats, salt and sugar. There are a handful of super foods smart phone apps that profile the foods themselves and include recipes. SuperFoodRX is the one...
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, and regional diners and visitors are on the hunt for the beloved local food. From Stroube's duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it. Find out how the Louisiana oyster industry is bouncing back and local restaurants are serving them up by clicking here.
When elites of the film world gather in Park City, Utah, this week for the Sundance Film Festival, among the events they'll want to put on their schedule is a Louisiana feast prepared by local chef Chris Wadsworth of Restaurant IPO, on Third Street downtown, and 225 food blogger Jay Ducote. The event—which will be held at Cicero's restaurant next to the Egyptian Theater, where many of the Sundance films are screened—is designed to help promote the inaugural Louisiana International Film Festival, which will take place in Baton Rouge and New Orleans in April. Ducote is culinary ambassador for the Louisiana festival and is helping organizers create a buzz about the event—hence the party at Sundance. "We thought it would be a good way to get the Hollywood crowd excited about our festival," says Ducote, who volunteered to cook at Sundance and enlisted the help of his friend, Wadsworth. At a Jan. 21 party, Wadsworth and Ducote will be showcasing homegrown foods...
Carnival season officially began Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, but Louisianans know it's here when stacks of white rectangular boxes adorned in purple, green and gold appear in local grocery stores. King cakes are back, and most locals will pick up more than one before Ash Wednesday brings the Carnival festivities to a close. Supermarkets and bakeries take Louisiana's favorite pastry seriously, but few outlets have the same following as Gonzales-based independent grocery store Ralph's Market.
“Top-quality kitchenware is a priority for home cooks these days, including good knives, barware and inventive gadgets. But sometimes what our kitchens need is a dose of the old—vestiges from the past that lighten the mood and keep us grounded,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Websites like Etsy and Imm Living have raised the bar on attractive, functional design elements for the kitchen, but shopping for these kinds of things is a tactile experience best carried out in person.” Find out where you can juice up your kitchen's décor in this week's Spatula Diaries.
225 writers Tracey Koch and Stephanie Riegel offer up some delicious recipes for Carnival season. Now that Christmas has come and gone and New Year's Eve celebrations are under our belts, it is time to take a moment to sit back and relax. But not for long—because Carnival season is upon us. Mardi Gras is a favorite time of year for us. We really tap into our New Orleans roots and embrace the festivities for this unique regional holiday. That is why this month, we decided to dedicate a meal to the night that kicks off the Carnival season, with a Twelfth Night menu that includes a traditional French king cake, or Galette des Rois, Chicken Grillades, Flash-fried Oysters on Pernod-scented Spinach and Sazerac Cocktails. Click here for recipes and a step-by-step photo gallery on how make a traditional Galette des Rois.
“The Baton Rouge food and beverage scene has seen a lot of growth in 2012,” writes local food blogger Jay Ducote. “It is exciting to be a part of the movement, watching a culinary culture grown right in front of us. Baton Rouge has much more than chains, you just have to get off the gridlocked interstate to find some of them. When I first thought of putting together a list of my top new restaurants and bars in 2012, I figured it might be a challenge to actually get to 10. Instead, I found myself perplexed by what to omit.” Click here to find out what made Jay's list.
Home brewers, start your fermenters—the first annual Louisiana State Homebrew competition is set for November 2013. The Brewstock shop in New Orleans is sponsoring the contest, and brewers interested in entering should start making and testing batches now. The event will include dinners, tastings and more—with prizes and ribbons awarded to winners. Competition is open to residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas—but with Baton Rouge’s booming home brew culture, the Red Stick should be well represented. Keep your eyes on Brewstock’s website for the official rules and regulations to be announced soon.
“A new app recently hit the marketplace for Apple products that was created right here in Baton Rouge,” writes food blogger Jay Ducote in this week’s Bite and Booze blog. “Logan Leger from NewAperio and Chad Aucoin released Extreme Cajun Cooking. The app features a ton of recipes categorized by the main proteins or types of dishes. The depth or recipes is definitely pretty solid, and there are contributions from companies like Bruce Foods and Slap Ya Mama that you know are going to be good! Maybe one day I'll have a recipe or two in here!” Click here to find out more about this cool local app.
Chicken pot pie was so close to heaven for actor Daron Stiles, he'd have chosen it over church any day of the week and twice on Sunday. If only his parents had agreed. His devotion is chronicled in Meanwhile Back At The Café Du Monde, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald's new book featuring local foodies and celebrities paying tribute to their favorite dishes. Ah, chicken pot pie. “These icons of frozen culinary bliss had to be baked in the oven for a full 40 minutes,” Stiles recalls. One night, at age 6, Stiles fell asleep during the family prayer of thanks before eating. Later, as his parents rolled him into bed—without any supper, since he'd snoozed through it—Stiles prayed aloud, half asleep but awake to what really mattered to him: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should wake before I die, help me to eat my chicken pie.”
Customers of Red Stick Spice Co. may not notice any changes when they go shopping for spice blends, loose teas, infused sea salts and small portions of freshly ground, exotic spices. But the Jefferson Highway store is under new ownership. Anne Milneck, a professionally trained chef and writer, is taking over as owner of the shop today. She purchased it last week for an undisclosed price from owners Lee and Gloria Easterwood, who opened the store in 2010. The Easterwoods previously told Daily Report they were asking $105,000 for the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website, and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. Milneck grew up in LaPlace and has a culinary arts degree from Nicholls State University. Her husband, Greg Milneck, who owns Digital FX, says she plans to keep the store the same for now but eventually hopes to grow the business, especially its online operations. "I don't think she's going to change a lot initially, but she's got lots of ideas," he says.
The much-anticipated opening of Galatoire's Bistro, which was supposed to take place in time for the holiday season, has been delayed. The restaurant's opening is now slated for sometime in January. Restaurant management attributes the delay to "challenges with construction of the parking lot" in the Acadian Village shopping center, where the restaurant is being built. "The contractors were not able to get as much site work done as quickly as they'd hoped due to all the rain we had six or eight weeks ago," says Melvin Rodrigue, president and COO of Galatoire's in New Orleans. "It is the parking lot for the entire development, so all of the parking is tied to the phase of construction we are in." The white brick building, designed to resemble the flagship restaurant in the French Quarter, is almost complete, according to Rodrigue, who says it will likely be turned over to the owners sometime next week. "We would have loved to have gotten the holiday crowds," he says. "But it doesn't...
One unhealthy aspect of north Baton Rouge, particularly in the 70805 ZIP code area, is the dearth of grocery stores and fresh produce. In an effort to address the situation, this so-called food desert is getting planted with fruit trees and blueberry bushes on Arbor Day, the third Friday in January in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Green is using a major portion of a $28,000 grant from ExxonMobil to plant a variety of trees, including satsuma and peach, near the new homes of Urban Gardens, an affordable-housing project just north of Hollywood Street at the corner of Amarillo Street and Breckenridge Avenue. There are currently nine homes built in Urban Gardens—seven are sold or under contract—and five more will be built next year. The development plan calls for a total of 21 homes eventually. The community is being built on the old grounds of Hollywood Elementary School; the garden is being planted on a lot owned by King's Children Ministry. "And the church evidently had a little...
For the home cook: The Demarle no-stick baking mat is the perfect gift for the friend or family member who loves to get their hands dirty—functioning as both a perfectly nonstick work surface and pan liner, and safe in microwaves and freezers. For the coffee geek: Named as one of the 100 best-designed products of modern times by the Illinois Institute of Technology, the elegantly simple Chemex lets you brew coffee as strong as you like without bitterness. If the coffee connoisseurs in your life haven't converted yet, this is the perfect time to get them hooked.
If you're looking to spice up your holiday table, or maybe just add a mouthwatering stocking-stuffer to your repertoire, Stacey Haveland Orihuela has the perfect solution. Her homemade Stacey's Salsa, which she makes by hand and sells in small batches by request, is a delicious treat to give your friends. Orihuela's recipe comes from many different sources—taking from various recipes to create the current version, which is loaded with spices, garlic and cilantro, but has a fresh, sweet flavor. Her venture began as just gifts for friends or for charity sales, but as time went on, and more and more people requested it, she decided to launch a small business. Sizes vary from the 8 oz. jar to a gallon—but Orihuela says she'll make as much as you need for any given gathering. You can place your orders through Facebook or by e-mailing her at staceyssalsa@yahoo.com.
"How many times this holiday season will you find yourself in a grocery store wine section under pressure to separate swill from decent stuff?" writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "If it's white you're looking for, the 2008 Pinot Grigio from California winery Murphy-Goode fits the bill." Find out what makes this wine so deliciously distinctive in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Grinning Jupiter will bring a smile to your face—at least, that's the hope of Ashley Savoy, maker of the delectable jams, jellies and other preserves that bear the name. “I've been making preserves forever,” she says, but it was around two years ago when she decided to make the leap to selling them professionally. They've proved a runaway success—her Etsy store has her shipping preserves around the country. Found locally at Brew-Ha-Ha, they regularly sell out.
“No matter what food trends surface, homey, gooey casseroles remain a fixture on most holiday tables,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Their pabulum-like consistency, indulgent ingredients and tether to the past make them irresistible. But as much as I enjoyed sweet potato, squash and fresh green bean casseroles at Thanksgiving, they left me searching for cleaner, leaner vegetable side dishes for my upcoming Christmas dinner. This week, I started playing around with some of my favorite roasted veggie recipes.” Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
Contributing editor Amy Alexander writes, "When she moved to Colorado from Texas, my grandmother was okay with leaving behind the sandblasted prairies and oven heat. But one thing she could never quit was baking. And the thing she baked best was pecan pie. She would begin with the most buttered nuts on the planet, then slather them with dark Karo syrup cooked down. You can keep your milk and honey. I'll take my Grandma's pecan pie.
Traveling around the Capital Region lately, you are sure to find a staple on most traditional Southern menus: shrimp and grits. If the craving for a bite of this popular comfort dish hits you, consider grabbing a booth at an unexpected spot to satisfy your urge. With two locations, local longtime favorite TJ Ribs is better known for its great barbecue and fun game-day atmosphere. However, this spot hits a home run with its Avery Island Shrimp and Grits ($17.95). One might quickly overlook the shrimp and grits on the menu next to typical barbecue and grilled fare. But after your first forkful, you will soon appreciate what may be this restaurant's best-kept secret. Perfectly sautéed, jumbo Gulf shrimp rest on a generous portion of creamy, savory poblano corn grits with a slight smoky twist. Finely diced tomatoes and a squeeze of lime help freshen and lighten what is often a heavy dish.
“The forthcoming holidays will have us combing wine shelves over the next few weeks looking for great deals, party wines, culinary mates and special bottles to break out when the rest of the room isn’t looking,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “I’ll be exploring a handful of winners in this column to keep you busy.” Click here to find out which red is recommended this week.
The turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie you might be planning for your Thanksgiving feast this year have all gone up in price since last year. And while the price of cranberries, rolls, whipping cream and pie shells have all decreased, they haven't gone down enough to offset the increases of other traditional Thanksgiving staples. So when it's all said and done, the typical Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana will end up costing about $44.35 for 10 people—an increase of 13.2% over last year—according to a new LSU AgCenter survey. "That's an increase of $5.16 from last year's Baton Rouge average of $39.19," says LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker.
“Last week’s formula for easy larb at home converts nicely to a recipe for lettuce wraps, another interactive dish that’s completely within reach on weeknights,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “All it takes is butter lettuce, shredded rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs, raw crunchy vegetables like packaged broccoli slaw and grated carrots and a quick sauce.” Click here to get the whole recipe for this quick and tasty treat.
A uniquely Cajun snack concept that was perfected in a Central resident's kitchen has spread to more than 4,000 stores across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in less than a year. "After many long hours experimenting in my kitchen sink, I finally found the perfect blend of ingredients, and the result was a sunflower seed that tastes like crawfish," explains Cathy Bryant, who developed Swamp Seeds with her friend Marshall Beall. Bryant's son created the packaging for the seeds, after which Bryant began driving around to stores to pitch the snack product about eight months ago. The first stores to carry the seeds are in the Capital Region. The number of stores carrying Swamp Seeds quickly grew from a few dozen to a few hundred, and now it's at about 4,000 and counting.
225 blogger and restaurant owner Patrick Fellows is food- and fitness-obsessed. In our new Food Diary feature, 225 Dine will take you through a day in his culinary life.
Whether your kids scared up way too much candy from your neighbors, or trick-or-treaters around your door were scarce, you may find yourself awash in an excess of sweet treats today. Instead of letting it sit in the back of your pantry until next year, why not donate your sugary surplus to Operation Gratitude? This nonprofit sends care packages stuffed with goodies to troops overseas—and several local dentists are participating in the Halloween Candy Buy-Back program. If you can persuade your kids to give up some of their treats, some dentists will donate a dollar a pound toward this give-back effort—and no fun-sized candy bar or jujubes will be turned away! Click here to find out more about this program and locate the participating dentists’ offices.
Louisiana's bounty of raw culinary materials is one of the most lush on the globe, yet how to get it into the hands of more local chefs remains a challenge. A new event called Louisiana Feast of Fields: A Gastronomic Gala hopes to better connect farmers, fishers, chefs and consumers by showcasing what can be done with local agricultural and fishery products. Held at the Burden Center Nov. 9, the dinner event begins with a 5 p.m. reception with three food stations serving Chappapeela Farms' duck rillettes crostini, a mix of Louisiana charcuterie and roasted vegetable strudels made with local produce.
The Delta Queen Cookbook author Cynthia LeJeune Nobles grew up on a rice farm in Iota in Acadia Parish—formative years that formed the basis of a lifelong appreciation for the state's unique foods. A food historian and a contributing writer to the Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group, Nobles recent work explores the history of the famed passenger steamboat and its lush culinary traditions. Sailing between 1927 and 2008, much of it on the Mississippi River, the Delta Queen was known for its great food and warm, inviting culture. Nobles traces the recipes and culinary ethos over nearly a century, noting how they reflected the changing gastronomic traditions on land. Because of the Delta Queen's strong association with New Orleans and other Southern cities, its recipes had a distinctly Southern flair, says Nobles.
This weekend is the annual and much-celebrated Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in neighboring Lafayette, and even if you live in Baton Rouge, there's good reason to visit besides the opportunity to listen to incredible bands like Feufollet and BeauSoleil. The Bayou Food Festival is an attraction all on its own. Lafayette institutions like Cochon and Poupart's, among others, will be serving up delicious Cajun treats, from fried frog legs and shrimp étouffée to barbecue boudin and meat pies. Find out more at festivalsacadiens.com.
Baton Rouge's annual Women's Week continues this week through Saturday. Among its dozens of community seminars are classes on cooking techniques and new menu ideas. Thursday at 5 p.m., Whole Foods Market sponsors a Women's Week “Crust-ation Creations” session on how to crust Louisiana seafood with ingredients that keep it out of the fryer. The supermarket follows this with Girls at the Grill Friday at 4 p.m., and Easy Cheese Appetizers Saturday at 4 p.m. The classes are free. Another class organized by Waist Away and The Dream Gourmet will be held Friday and Saturday at noon and teaches participants to stretch beyond fast food and plain salads in favor of make-ahead lunches like Greek chicken lettuce wraps with caramelized onions and mint salsa, and fresh pears with basil and cinnamon. Fee is $10 per participant. Women's Week is an annual program of the Women's Council of Greater Baton Rouge. For more information, visit
There are many Italian restaurants in Baton Rouge, but it seems none is more revered than Gino's. Neither my companions nor myself had eaten here in 10 or more years, but we all seemed to have an unexplainable score to settle with this bastion of Italian eats. Our imaginary score cards ready, we entered the legendary lair with trepidation. When we arrived on a recent Friday, the softly but amply lit restaurant was half full. Quickly after being seated, the restaurant filled to capacity. As restaurants get crowded, the noise level can become unbearably loud. I was fearful that Gino's would be no different, but I needn't have worried, as none of us ever struggled to be heard. Point one: Gino's. Click here to read our food critic's full review.
The "Tailgate Challenge” at the new L'Auberge Casino's Stadium Sports Bar & Grill is a six-pound po-boy stuffed with a lengthy list of innards. Fried gator, fried shrimp, shaved ham, smoked sausage, tasso and pulled pork sit side-by-side in this monster sandwich dressed with cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño mayo and pickled peppers. If you can finish it in 45 minutes—along with a side of fries or tots—a tailgate apron and a comp'd ticket are yours. The dish, which neatly fuses the excesses of tailgating and casinos, was the brainchild of Executive Chef Jeff Oliveri, who says he's been like a kid in a candy store designing and launching the $368-million casino's three sit-down restaurants. The Stadium is joined by upscale eatery, 18 Steak, a reference to Louisiana's order of statehood, and the Bon Temps Buffet, an expansive highway of food, most of it cooked on the spot, adjacent to the gaming room. Boiled Gulf shrimp, along with that requisite casino staple,...
Before its expected reopening by Christmas at Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway, Galatoire's Bistro will showcase a sneak preview of Chef Kelley McCann's talents at an upcoming charity event for the Companion Animal Alliance. The “Let the Dogs Out” benefit takes place Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Viking Cooking Schools Outdoors on the rooftop plaza of the Shaw Center for the Arts. Tickets are $200 for one of 50 seats at the chef's table and $150 for dinner seating. Profits pay for better living conditions and quality outdoor play areas for dogs at the Companion Animal Alliance shelter, which was established in 2011 to radically improve the high euthanasia rate of shelter animals in the city-parish.
In preparation for the plodding tropical storm that ultimately turned into Hurricane Isaac, local consumers spent plenty of time last week stocking up on wine, beer and spirits, say Baton Rouge merchants. “We're in Louisiana, honey, and it's all about booze and food,” says Kim Gray, wine manager at Calandro's Select Cellars on Government Street. “I think a lot of it, too, was fear of Gustav,” she adds. Indeed, on Sunday, Monday and even Tuesday, many consumers who recalled Hurricane Gustav's lingering effects four years ago went searching for wine and beer for themselves and their houseguests.
Among other interruptions Hurricane Isaac caused this week was the temporary closure of the Thursday Red Stick Farmers Market. It will reopen next Thursday at its usual spot at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. But if all goes as planned, you won't have long to wait for fresh, local produce. The Market is gearing up for a big Labor Day weekend market this Saturday with several events to kick off the fall season, says BREADA Executive Director Copper Alvarez. The market's food artisans will showcase tailgating suggestions for expectant football fans. They'll also have lots of late summer vegetables, fresh eggs, baked breads and desserts, meats, cheeses, dairy items and fresh Gulf seafood. The John Gray Jazz Trio will perform throughout the market, and Liz Lopes will share her face painting talents. The Arts Market will also take place in the adjacent surface lot. For more information check breada.org.
Despite its range of flavor profiles and ability to pair with assertive foods, dry rosé has historically gotten short shrift from local wine drinkers. It may be because the wine's pink hue conjures up notions of inexpensive white zinfandel, the sweeter, heavily marketed California “blush” wine of the '70s and '80s. But dry rosé's day may have finally come in Baton Rouge, says Ian McCaffery, Martin Wine Cellar manager. “People around here are drinking a ton of rosé this year. It has not slowed down,” says McCaffery. “I think they're finally seeing how good and how versatile it is.”
Baton Rouge has a long list of Japanese restaurants, and while there are standouts, many seem to be doing the same things the same ways. To warrant interest you have to offer something different. At Kabuki, some of what we ordered was lackluster; other items truly piqued our interests and delighted our taste buds.
Before Baton Rouge became awash in self-serve yogurt shops, local entrepreneur Chad Hughes launched his own version: Bosco's, on Nicholson Drive. After graduating from LSU in 2008, Hughes observed the success of national chains like Pinkberry, and figured the concept would fare well in the Capital City. He and his wife, Christina Bourg, opened Bosco's in 2010, one of the few locally-hatched serve yourself yogurt shops in the region. Last month, Bosco's moved from its original location on Nicholson between Parker and East Boyd to the Perkins Road Overpass District. Hughes and Bourg are hoping to capitalize on the area's high concentration of restaurants and burgeoning pedestrian culture. The new Bosco's is located next to Jimmy John's in the former Denim Library, within walking distance of Rock N'Sake, Pinetta's, DiGiulio Bros. Italian Café, Rama, Schlittz and Giggles, Chelsea's, Zippy's and other restaurants.
He's cooked for Travel Channel hosts Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern and was named one of Louisiana Cookin' magazine's Chefs to Watch in 2011 for his work at Crawfish Town USA, as well as named one of 225's people to watch in the same year. But as much success as Colt Patin has had in the toque, working as a chef wasn't the only thing on his bucket list. He also wanted to teach. Last October, the Breaux Bridge native left the restaurant world to instruct culinary students at the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge. “I got my start in food by taking ProStart classes in high school,” says Patin, referring to the Louisiana Restaurant Association program that fosters restaurant careers among high school students. “I'm passionate about teaching.”
This weekend, the 12th annual Natchez Food and Wine Festival gets underway at several venues in the historic town known for its lush foliage and bed and breakfast culture. The events begin Friday with Tastings Along the River at the Natchez Convention Center, where several regional chefs will prepare dishes reflective of their personal perspectives. Juban's Executive Chef Jaime Hernandez, Tsunami Regional Kitchen Director Toon Nguyen and the Fat Cow's Chef Doug Hosford, a Natchez native, are among more than two dozen regional chefs participating in the kick-off event. The variety of food should be lush; it includes Lafayette food truck Viva La Waffle, Pearl Street Pasta and dishes by Natchez Food Art food stylist David Leathers, among others.
“I have to be one of the luckiest chefs in town,” says Elton Hyndman, chef-owner of Nino's Italian Restaurant (Map it!) and Oscar's Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (Map it!). Hyndman, and his wife and business partner, Randee, live in close proximity to the Red Stick Farmers Market's Thursday location on Perkins Road, which they visits en route to their two restaurants, also nearby. Hyndman routinely incorporates all sorts of fresh seafood and produce from local fishers and farmers into the modern Italian cuisine at Nino's,...
Fish topped with cream sauce is standard fare in South Louisiana restaurants, but steamy temperatures have inspired Beausoleil Chef Co-owner Nathan Gresham to reconsider how to crown his fresh fish this summer. Deviating from the region's emblematic crab beurre blanc and crawfish cream, Gresham adorns daily deliveries of Gulf fish with cold, textured salads. Specials like pan sautéed trout, escolar or mahi mahi are topped with a sweet, tangy amalgam of caramelized fennel, grilled artichokes and fresh crabmeat. And seared Gulf tuna is served on a puddle of green onion aioli and finished with shaved Brussels sprout slaw. The vegetable's characteristic bitterness is tamed by Gresham's honey lemon vinaigrette.
Part of the mystique of Gabby Loubiere's popular cake balls at Brew Ha-Ha! (Map it!) is their interactive nature. The coffee shop owner constantly invites feedback from customers on what flavors they most enjoy and what they'd like to see, resulting in 150 rotating flavor choices on the menu. Recently, however, Loubiere realized that while she was flush with white and yellow cake-based choices, she was short on chocolate. “I couldn't believe how few chocolate ones there were compared to the others. There were only about 15,” says Loubiere, who instantly created a contest inviting fans to suggest possible new chocolate cake balls. —Maggie Heyn Richardson
The sweet, floral flavor of a fresh lychee has made it a go-to ingredient in both traditional Asian desserts and in modern applications from trendy cocktails to pork marinades. Lychee lovin' Baton Rougeans normally turn to canned fruit to get their fix, but it is possible to find them fresh in the Capital City this time of year. The window closes quickly, but once again, they're making a brief appearance at Vinh Phat (Map it!), the venerable Asian market at the east end of Florida Boulevard.
Nur Pinner’s lima been plaki seems like such a simple dish, consisting as it does of lima beans, tomatoes, carrot dices and thin slices of garlic. But behind this unfussy façade is the kind of complexity that emerges from exceptional raw materials and a subtle hand. “I look around for the best ingredients,” says the founder of Covington-based Nur’s Kitchen, which sells Mediterranean prepared foods at the Red Stick Farmers Market and Whole Foods in Baton Rouge. “I buy a lot them from the farmers markets, and I take time to really look for quality when I pick things out.”
There's no question that interest in locally grown produce is at an all-time high in Baton Rouge. The three locations of the 15-year-old Red Stick Farmers Market host a steady stream of new patrons along with committed regulars who plan their menus according to what's in the fields. Our progress on this front is palpable—we'd hold our local market up to any city's—but what we still lack in Louisiana is substantial organic produce. The few organic farmers who have sold at the Red Stick Farmers Market over the years have largely faded or moved to other communities. Moreover, organic participation in Louisiana overall is woefully behind other states. Farming authorities here have generally told farmers flirting with the idea that going organic is too hard in a region with near-tropical climates, scads of bugs and other heat-related challenges.—Maggie Heyn Richardson
Green tea is served in many ways now: flavored green tea, green tea extract, green tea pills, green tea candy and even green tea ice cream. Now you can add “green tea cocktail” to the list. Rock-n-Sake, on Perkins Road by the overpass, serves a delicate cocktail called the Green-Teani ($10). Don't be fooled! It may look like a margarita, but the comparison stops there. The premium sake gives it an exotic kick, but it has a neutral flavor from the Charbay Green Tea Vodka and fresh-brewed green tea. Compared to other cocktails, it can seem “bland,” so you can ask for a little more lemon and simple syrup. But the neutral flavor perfectly complements sushi with raw fish. It's a good sunrise to the California Sunset roll ($11.50). If tea isn't your thing, then try out the other sake cocktails, such as Tiger-tini ($8) and Pom-Punch ($10), which have fruitier flavors. Some people use green tea for medicinal purposes, like losing weight or cleansing the body, but the...
Nothing spoils the mood of a nice night out with your friends like trying to fairly divvy up the check at the end of the night. Who ordered which drinks? Who ate what appetizer? If your server didn't—or couldn't—split your bill, your evening can end on a headache-inducing note rather than a relaxing one. Enter the elegant check-splitting app Billr, 99 cents in the iTunes store. With a simple, appealing interface that allows you to track each person's auto-tallying “tab” separately, figuring out the bill at the end of the meal will be a quick and easy footnote, rather than an awkward coda spent fumbling with calculators and scribbling on the backs of receipts. And for less than the cost of a tip, it's well worth saving face with your friends. —Rachael Upton
From Spatula Diaries: Lychees are in season—it's martini time
Lychees have a sweet, floral flavor and translucent flesh. You just have to peel back the thick, pinkish skin to find the springy and succulent treat. They're great for snacking and making luscious summer cocktails.
Lychee season starts in earnest in June. A few merchants around town are starting to see small shipments of the fresh tropical tree fruit. This week, the Asian supermarket Vinh Phat, began receiving lychees still on the branch from a vendor in Florida. The season there lasts only about a month, so grab Vinh Phat's lychees while you can (call ahead at 273-1175 to be sure). For a few lychee-infused drink recipes, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's latest blog post here.
Authentic jambalaya cook-off at Gonzales Jambalaya Festival
There’s no better time to test Gonzales’s "Jambalaya Capital of the World" claim than at the Jambalaya Festival held over Memorial Day weekend. Gonzales will once again host its annual four-day festival complete with carnival rides, a 5K race and 1-mile fun run, antique car show, live music, and above all, the World Jambalaya Cook-Off. Think barbecue contests are hardcore? It takes both stamina and a keen sense of timing to prepare authentic Cajun jambalaya in a cast-iron pot over hardwood. Contestants can only use regulation ingredients— long grain rice, chicken and their choice of an allowable list of spices and aromatic vegetables. The intense standardization ups the ante on the cooking process—the judges aren’t looking for over-the-top creativity, but perfect workmanship. For more information on the festival and cook-off, check out Maggie Heyn Richardson's full article from 225
From Spatula Diaries: Kids and summer weight gain
In the ongoing childhood obesity debate, the school lunch is the perpetual whipping boy. However, there’s good reason to be concerned about children’s weight gain over the summer when they’re at home. Researchers at Indiana and Ohio State universities released a study a few years ago that found that children’s body mass indexes increased twice as much during the summer as they did during the school year. To get tips on what you can do to fight back against the weight gain, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog here.
New mobile farmers market on the move
Fresh food is coming to some of Baton Rouge's food deserts. The Scotlandville Branch Library (Map it!) will host the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market Wednesday, May 22 at 9 a.m. The market will then set up shop at 1 p.m. at Star Hill Baptist Church (Map it!). This will be the second week for the program.
The market will be open every Wednesday and features seasonal produce from the same farmers who participate in the Red Stick Farmers Market. It will provide a consistent retail source of locally grown produce in areas of north Baton Rouge that lack access to grocery stores and other sources of healthy foods.
From Spatula Diaries: Spotlight on Barr Estate Winery's 2010 Albariño
This week's warmer temperatures are a great excuse to work in a crisp, food-friendly white wine, and Barr Estate Winery's 2010 Albariño from Paso Robles is a nice choice. For more information and reasons why the 2010 Albariño is perfect for the upcoming summer heat, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog Spatula Diaries.
LSU exhibit 'Slice of Life' includes Louisiana food traditions
An antique commercial coffee grinder, woven baskets and a log mortar used for grinding hominy are among the charming food-related relics on display at the LSU Student Union Art Gallery until May 19. "A Slice of Life in South Louisiana: 1890-1920" explores the daily lives of four cultural groups: African American laborers, Native Americans, middle-class New Orleanians and Italian Americans.
Spatula Diaries: A line and a pole
One of Louisiana's best known food festivals takes place this weekend less than an hour away—the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, an event that pulses with Cajun and zydeco music and features piles of steaming crawfish and dozens of crawfish-centric dishes. Louisiana's tradition of netting and boiling the freshwater crustaceans began not far from Breaux Bridge in the Atchafalaya River Basin. The festival honors this centuries-old tradition, which sadly, is in peril. To read more about the festival and the perspective from a crawfisherman, read Maggie Heyn Richardson's blog here.
Leroy's now open on Nicholson
With a menu offering fresh fried chicken, beignets, shrimp and grits and more, Leroy's is now open at 4001 Nicholson Dr. in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's (Map it!). The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to Leroy's brand strategist Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-style food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of...
Nooley's is back
For 13 years, Jacob Couvillion heard how Baton Rouge missed Nooley's.
Spatula Diaries: Chicken and waffles helps culinary student win 'Race to Cannes'
The bountiful, but short, mulberry season
Every April and May, my father would lay a tarp underneath the large mulberry tree in our backyard. My brother and I would climb the trunk and shake its branches, sending dark mulberries raining down. Back at the house, my mother would bake the mulberries into a pie, paying no mind to the tiny green stems that were so hard to pluck from the fragile fruit. "It's just roughage. It'll cook down," she'd say as we watched her stir it with sugar on the stove before pouring into a piecrust.
Crawfish Monica's 30th year at Jazz Fest
The 2013 New Orleans Jazz Fest begins next week, and its terminal fans are busy plotting the stages—and food booths—they plan to visit this year. An enduring culinary favorite among festers is Crawfish Monica, crawfish tails bathed in a spicy cream and wine sauce and served over Rotini.
Spatula Diaries: The frozen chosen
Armed with plenty of groceries on a recent Sunday, I set aside a couple of hours to cook several dishes that freeze well, including spinach manicotti, kale and black eyed pea vegetable soup and pork piccata. I can't tell you what a relief it's been lately to whip open the freezer door in the afternoon and find those reassuring packages. Busy families don't need to be reminded how unbearably time-pressed weeknights are, but there is hope. Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
Five Baton Rouge restaurants to participate in Dining Out For Life Event
Baton Rouge is now No. 1 in AIDS cases and No. 3 in HIV cases in the United States, beating out larger cities with higher populations. Never have local nonprofits needed more support to spread the word about prevention and to help families impacted by the disease, which has claimed the lives of more than 550,000 Americans.
Baton Rouge Epicurean Society hosts 'CrawFête'
Boiled crawfish piled high on backyard tables might be the enduring way to consume the celebrated Louisiana crustacean, but the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and Mockler Beverage Company want you to enjoy crawfish in its many forms, including salads, tarts, pad Thai, charcuterie and more. The two organizations will co-host the gourmet crawfish festival CrawFête on Thursday, April 18, at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd.
Crawfish industry's Holy Grail
Holy Week is the height of crawfish sales in Louisiana. On Friday and Saturday combined, Tony's Seafood on Plank Road expects to sell more than 100,000 pounds of live and boiled crawfish to consumers planning Easter weekend crawfish boils, says owner Bill Pizzolatto. "It's always our busiest time for crawfish," he says.
Hometown Eats Food Fest Starts Friday in New Orleans
If street food is your thing, this weekend's America's Hometown Eats Food Festival in the French Market promises serious booty. Spanning four blocks in the market are sumptuous nibbles from Louisiana as well as other spots across America known for their cuisine. Expect right-sized, right-priced portions that allow you to taste a range of eats, including Texas pit barbecue, pecan pie, artisan boudin balls and refrigerator pickles. The tasting is accompanied by cooking demonstrations and talks by culinary authors. The free Hometown Eats Food Fest will be held Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, March 24, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The weekend fest also features other ticketed events, including a night of America's famed sweets on Friday night at Café Reconcile, a crawfish boil and fais do do outside of New Orleans on Saturday and a beignet eating contest on Sunday in the French Market. Come hungry. For more information, click
Ornate culinary spreads at St. Joseph altars
St. Patrick is front and center in Baton Rouge this weekend, but St. Joseph will also get his due at dozens of altars throughout South Louisiana created for the Feast of St. Joseph. Most take place this weekend.
Spatula diaries: Boudin, boiled crawfish and more from nearby Bergeron's
An embarrassment of riches in spring food festivals
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux.
Latest Matherne's wine dinner features River Road Recipes
Matherne's Supermarket on Highland Road is beloved among local oenophiles for its regular wine dinners, but next week's event features a new twist. Chef Regan Hounshell's multi-course meal will include seven recipes from River Road Recipes IV, Warm Welcomes, the next installment in the Junior League of Baton Rouge's celebrated cookbook series. Its first volume, published in 1959, is still required reading among local cooks and is loaded with emblematic regional eats like spinach Madeleine, oysters Rockefeller and crabmeat ravigote. It went on to become the nation's top-selling community cookbook.
Tidbits: Frankie Marcello's opens … Cane’s celebrates 150th restaurant opening
After securing final permits last Thursday, Frankie Marcello's held a grand opening of its new restaurant at Perkins Road and Essen Lane this week, says Bunkie Hughes, who has partnered with a Mandeville-based restaurant family in the project. The family-style restaurant serves Italian fare, seafood and steaks. It's in a 3,600-square-foot space at 7520 Perkins Road that was formerly home to a short-lived Mexican restaurant, and before that, a Calendar's. More details and a full menu can be found here.
Restaurant Review: The Cabin
Our secret food critic writes, “As I ascended the steps to the front porch of The Cabin for dinner recently, I felt something overwhelmingly familiar. Then it hit me: This was very much like my great-grandfather's house. All that was missing was a screen surrounding the porch, my cousins lying on the floor giggling and the voice of one of my aunts telling us bébés to ‘hush now and go to sleep.’ I hadn't thought of that house in many moons. I rushed inside expecting wonderful things.
Bite and Booze: What is a pop-up?
Spatula Diaries: The Best Stop's Boudin
New commission to tackle 'food deserts' in the B.R. area
Today, Together Baton Rouge and Mayor Kip Holden are laying out plans for a new 13-member commission created to address food access issues in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Food Access Policy Commission will work over the next 10 months to examine the causes of "food deserts"—that is, vast stretches of residential neighborhoods lacking nearby grocery stores. The commission will also determine best practices for addressing food deserts and develop a concrete set of policies and practice recommendations for the city-parish to remedy food access issues. The Food Access Commission is being funded through the Fresh Beginnings project of the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative.
Dining in: Pasta party
During the long winter months, it is hard to get motivated to do much of anything, much less entertain. So we've come up with a nice way to unwind without going to too much trouble. Invite a few friends over for a “come as you are” evening and have them hang around your kitchen counter to help make homemade pasta.
Bite and Booze: Chefdance at Sundance
Spatula Diaries: Slow Food Baton Rouge to host live webcast of “Changing the Way We Eat” forum
“The last couple of years in Baton Rouge, we’ve seen a growing level of interest in how to improve our local food systems,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “More chefs are buying local, farmers market numbers continue to climb, school gardens are up and there is palpable enthusiasm for new culinary trends. On Saturday, Feb. 16, Slow Food Baton Rouge will host a live webcast of TEDx Manhattan’s annual food forum, ‘Changing the Way We Eat.’ The third annual webcast convenes farmers, chefs and food entrepreneurs from around the country to explore the state of the American food system and our progress toward greater sustainability.” Find out more about this unique event in this week’s Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
Homebrew competition at Tin Roof
Local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison will host a tasting festival at Tin Roof Brewery this month, featuring the fruits of their Iron Chef-style homebrew competition, Iron Brewer. Each team in the running had to use Louisiana-based ingredients to brew their beer. Attendees to the Tin Roof event on Friday, Feb. 22, will have the opportunity to try beers made with chicory, red beans, jasmine rice, honey, peaches, Louisiana citrus and much more. Each team will serve samples of their beer to anyone 21 and older who brings non-perishable food donations for the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank—no money will be accepted. Food trucks will also be in attendance. Guests will vote to determine the People's Choice champion. The ultimate winner of the night will be determined by four local celebrity judges who will crown the festival's “Ultimate Iron Brewer.” Find out more at brbrewers.com.
Bite and Booze: Sundance or bust
Spatula Diaries: Dinner in the Field tickets on sale Friday
“On Friday, tickets will be available for the third annual Slow Food Spring Farm Tour and Dinner in the Field event,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson in this week's Spatula Diaries. “Slow Food Baton Rouge members can purchase their tickets first, while others will have to wait until Feb. 8. The two-part event, which exposes farm life and the regional culinary bounty, has become a favorite among local food aficionados. It begins with a free, self-guided tour of selected family farms north of Baton Rouge. Even if you don't attend the dinner, this is a great way to spend the afternoon.” Find out more about this unique event by clicking here.
Epicurean Society names Lifetime Achievement Award winner
A longtime member of the Baton Rouge community and owner of Capitol City Produce, Vince A. Ferachi will be the recipient of the Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013, presented by the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society. The BRES annually selects an epicure from the Greater Baton Rouge area who has dedicated much of his or her life in service to the Baton Rouge community—previous winners have included chefs, wine experts and restaurant owners from T.J. Moran to John Folse.
Born in Baton Rouge, Ferachi is the second-generation owner of Capitol City Produce. His father, Vincent Charles Ferachi, started the company in 1947 and his family has been servicing the Baton Rouge community since. Under his son’s leadership, in 1988 the company also began supplying the New Orleans area with fresh produce and local products, later expanding the family business throughout the state and the Mississippi Gulf coast.
Heavy rains good for farming crawfish, to a point
Bite and Booze: Hogs for the Cause
Spatula Diaries: Super foods as a starting point
“By now, the New Year’s resolutions we made almost a month ago are either rocking along or have been tossed on the failed experiment pile,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “I’m not a big fan of making resolutions because they’re usually dull and restrictive, but this year, I made a simple commitment to eat more nutrient dense foods—to actually play off the list of so-called super foods as my starting point in meal planning. It hasn’t been hard when you consider what’s on it: blueberries, beans, wild salmon, avocado, dark chocolate, oats, low fat yogurt, onions and garlic, turkey, spinach, pumpkin, oranges, cinnamon, soy and more. These self-contained nutritional powerhouses are named super foods because of their generous vitamin and minerals and lack of unwanted fats, salt and sugar. There are a handful of super foods smart phone apps that profile the foods themselves and include recipes. SuperFoodRX is the one...
Oysters make a resurgence
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, and regional diners and visitors are on the hunt for the beloved local food. From Stroube's duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it. Find out how the Louisiana oyster industry is bouncing back and local restaurants are serving them up by clicking here.
Bite and Booze: Rock-n-Sake sushi rolls
Spatula Diaries: The answer's in the chocolate chips
Baton Rouge chefs to cook at Sundance
When elites of the film world gather in Park City, Utah, this week for the Sundance Film Festival, among the events they'll want to put on their schedule is a Louisiana feast prepared by local chef Chris Wadsworth of Restaurant IPO, on Third Street downtown, and 225 food blogger Jay Ducote. The event—which will be held at Cicero's restaurant next to the Egyptian Theater, where many of the Sundance films are screened—is designed to help promote the inaugural Louisiana International Film Festival, which will take place in Baton Rouge and New Orleans in April. Ducote is culinary ambassador for the Louisiana festival and is helping organizers create a buzz about the event—hence the party at Sundance. "We thought it would be a good way to get the Hollywood crowd excited about our festival," says Ducote, who volunteered to cook at Sundance and enlisted the help of his friend, Wadsworth. At a Jan. 21 party, Wadsworth and Ducote will be showcasing homegrown foods...
Ralph's king cakes are a tasty kickoff to the season
Carnival season officially began Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, but Louisianans know it's here when stacks of white rectangular boxes adorned in purple, green and gold appear in local grocery stores. King cakes are back, and most locals will pick up more than one before Ash Wednesday brings the Carnival festivities to a close. Supermarkets and bakeries take Louisiana's favorite pastry seriously, but few outlets have the same following as Gonzales-based independent grocery store Ralph's Market.
Bite and Booze: Getting ready for Baton Rouge Restaurant Week
Spatula Diaries: Kitchen Kitsch
“Top-quality kitchenware is a priority for home cooks these days, including good knives, barware and inventive gadgets. But sometimes what our kitchens need is a dose of the old—vestiges from the past that lighten the mood and keep us grounded,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Websites like Etsy and Imm Living have raised the bar on attractive, functional design elements for the kitchen, but shopping for these kinds of things is a tactile experience best carried out in person.” Find out where you can juice up your kitchen's décor in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Dining in: Twelfth Night
225 writers Tracey Koch and Stephanie Riegel offer up some delicious recipes for Carnival season.
Now that Christmas has come and gone and New Year's Eve celebrations are under our belts, it is time to take a moment to sit back and relax. But not for long—because Carnival season is upon us.
Mardi Gras is a favorite time of year for us. We really tap into our New Orleans roots and embrace the festivities for this unique regional holiday. That is why this month, we decided to dedicate a meal to the night that kicks off the Carnival season, with a Twelfth Night menu that includes a traditional French king cake, or Galette des Rois, Chicken Grillades, Flash-fried Oysters on Pernod-scented Spinach and Sazerac Cocktails.
Click here for recipes and a step-by-step photo gallery on how make a traditional Galette des Rois.
Spatula Diaries: Culinary trends—what to expect this year
Bite and Booze: Best new bars and restaurants of 2012
“The Baton Rouge food and beverage scene has seen a lot of growth in 2012,” writes local food blogger Jay Ducote. “It is exciting to be a part of the movement, watching a culinary culture grown right in front of us. Baton Rouge has much more than chains, you just have to get off the gridlocked interstate to find some of them. When I first thought of putting together a list of my top new restaurants and bars in 2012, I figured it might be a challenge to actually get to 10. Instead, I found myself perplexed by what to omit.” Click here to find out what made Jay's list.
Homebrew competition happening in 2013
Home brewers, start your fermenters—the first annual Louisiana State Homebrew competition is set for November 2013. The Brewstock shop in New Orleans is sponsoring the contest, and brewers interested in entering should start making and testing batches now. The event will include dinners, tastings and more—with prizes and ribbons awarded to winners. Competition is open to residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas—but with Baton Rouge’s booming home brew culture, the Red Stick should be well represented. Keep your eyes on Brewstock’s website for the official rules and regulations to be announced soon.
Spatula Diaries: An affordable red for the New Year
Bite and Booze: Extreme Cajun Cooking app developed in Baton Rouge
“A new app recently hit the marketplace for Apple products that was created right here in Baton Rouge,” writes food blogger Jay Ducote in this week’s Bite and Booze blog. “Logan Leger from NewAperio and Chad Aucoin released Extreme Cajun Cooking. The app features a ton of recipes categorized by the main proteins or types of dishes. The depth or recipes is definitely pretty solid, and there are contributions from companies like Bruce Foods and Slap Ya Mama that you know are going to be good! Maybe one day I'll have a recipe or two in here!” Click here to find out more about this cool local app.
Pie in the sky
Chicken pot pie was so close to heaven for actor Daron Stiles, he'd have chosen it over church any day of the week and twice on Sunday. If only his parents had agreed. His devotion is chronicled in Meanwhile Back At The Café Du Monde, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald's new book featuring local foodies and celebrities paying tribute to their favorite dishes.
Ah, chicken pot pie.
“These icons of frozen culinary bliss had to be baked in the oven for a full 40 minutes,” Stiles recalls. One night, at age 6, Stiles fell asleep during the family prayer of thanks before eating. Later, as his parents rolled him into bed—without any supper, since he'd snoozed through it—Stiles prayed aloud, half asleep but awake to what really mattered to him: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should wake before I die, help me to eat my chicken pie.”
Red Stick Spice Co. under new ownership
Customers of Red Stick Spice Co. may not notice any changes when they go shopping for spice blends, loose teas, infused sea salts and small portions of freshly ground, exotic spices. But the Jefferson Highway store is under new ownership. Anne Milneck, a professionally trained chef and writer, is taking over as owner of the shop today. She purchased it last week for an undisclosed price from owners Lee and Gloria Easterwood, who opened the store in 2010. The Easterwoods previously told Daily Report they were asking $105,000 for the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website, and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. Milneck grew up in LaPlace and has a culinary arts degree from Nicholls State University. Her husband, Greg Milneck, who owns Digital FX, says she plans to keep the store the same for now but eventually hopes to grow the business, especially its online operations. "I don't think she's going to change a lot initially, but she's got lots of ideas," he says.
Galatoire's delays opening of new Baton Rouge bistro
The much-anticipated opening of Galatoire's Bistro, which was supposed to take place in time for the holiday season, has been delayed. The restaurant's opening is now slated for sometime in January. Restaurant management attributes the delay to "challenges with construction of the parking lot" in the Acadian Village shopping center, where the restaurant is being built. "The contractors were not able to get as much site work done as quickly as they'd hoped due to all the rain we had six or eight weeks ago," says Melvin Rodrigue, president and COO of Galatoire's in New Orleans. "It is the parking lot for the entire development, so all of the parking is tied to the phase of construction we are in." The white brick building, designed to resemble the flagship restaurant in the French Quarter, is almost complete, according to Rodrigue, who says it will likely be turned over to the owners sometime next week. "We would have loved to have gotten the holiday crowds," he says. "But it doesn't...
Bite and Booze: Grand Isle NOLA style
Spatula Diaries: Pick-ups and small plates for Christmas Eve
Community garden planned for 'food desert' of north Baton Rouge
One unhealthy aspect of north Baton Rouge, particularly in the 70805 ZIP code area, is the dearth of grocery stores and fresh produce. In an effort to address the situation, this so-called food desert is getting planted with fruit trees and blueberry bushes on Arbor Day, the third Friday in January in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Green is using a major portion of a $28,000 grant from ExxonMobil to plant a variety of trees, including satsuma and peach, near the new homes of Urban Gardens, an affordable-housing project just north of Hollywood Street at the corner of Amarillo Street and Breckenridge Avenue. There are currently nine homes built in Urban Gardens—seven are sold or under contract—and five more will be built next year. The development plan calls for a total of 21 homes eventually. The community is being built on the old grounds of Hollywood Elementary School; the garden is being planted on a lot owned by King's Children Ministry. "And the church evidently had a little...
Foodie Christmas gifts
For the home cook: The Demarle no-stick baking mat is the perfect gift for the friend or family member who loves to get their hands dirty—functioning as both a perfectly nonstick work surface and pan liner, and safe in microwaves and freezers.
For the coffee geek: Named as one of the 100 best-designed products of modern times by the Illinois Institute of Technology, the elegantly simple Chemex lets you brew coffee as strong as you like without bitterness. If the coffee connoisseurs in your life haven't converted yet, this is the perfect time to get them hooked.
Give the gift of homemade salsa
If you're looking to spice up your holiday table, or maybe just add a mouthwatering stocking-stuffer to your repertoire, Stacey Haveland Orihuela has the perfect solution. Her homemade Stacey's Salsa, which she makes by hand and sells in small batches by request, is a delicious treat to give your friends. Orihuela's recipe comes from many different sources—taking from various recipes to create the current version, which is loaded with spices, garlic and cilantro, but has a fresh, sweet flavor. Her venture began as just gifts for friends or for charity sales, but as time went on, and more and more people requested it, she decided to launch a small business. Sizes vary from the 8 oz. jar to a gallon—but Orihuela says she'll make as much as you need for any given gathering. You can place your orders through Facebook or by e-mailing her at staceyssalsa@yahoo.com.
Bite and Booze: Salú on Magazine
Spatula Diaries: Slip into this easy-to-find white
"How many times this holiday season will you find yourself in a grocery store wine section under pressure to separate swill from decent stuff?" writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "If it's white you're looking for, the 2008 Pinot Grigio from California winery Murphy-Goode fits the bill." Find out what makes this wine so deliciously distinctive in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Grinning Jupiter preserves
Grinning Jupiter will bring a smile to your face—at least, that's the hope of Ashley Savoy, maker of the delectable jams, jellies and other preserves that bear the name. “I've been making preserves forever,” she says, but it was around two years ago when she decided to make the leap to selling them professionally. They've proved a runaway success—her Etsy store has her shipping preserves around the country. Found locally at Brew-Ha-Ha, they regularly sell out.
Bite and Booze: Brash Brewing/Clown Shoes Beer Dinner at Juban's
Spatula Diaries: Add roasted veggies to the holiday table
“No matter what food trends surface, homey, gooey casseroles remain a fixture on most holiday tables,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Their pabulum-like consistency, indulgent ingredients and tether to the past make them irresistible. But as much as I enjoyed sweet potato, squash and fresh green bean casseroles at Thanksgiving, they left me searching for cleaner, leaner vegetable side dishes for my upcoming Christmas dinner. This week, I started playing around with some of my favorite roasted veggie recipes.” Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
An ode to the pecan: No taste like home
Contributing editor Amy Alexander writes, "When she moved to Colorado from Texas, my grandmother was okay with leaving behind the sandblasted prairies and oven heat. But one thing she could never quit was baking. And the thing she baked best was pecan pie. She would begin with the most buttered nuts on the planet, then slather them with dark Karo syrup cooked down. You can keep your milk and honey. I'll take my Grandma's pecan pie.
An unexpected gem
Traveling around the Capital Region lately, you are sure to find a staple on most traditional Southern menus: shrimp and grits. If the craving for a bite of this popular comfort dish hits you, consider grabbing a booth at an unexpected spot to satisfy your urge. With two locations, local longtime favorite TJ Ribs is better known for its great barbecue and fun game-day atmosphere. However, this spot hits a home run with its Avery Island Shrimp and Grits ($17.95). One might quickly overlook the shrimp and grits on the menu next to typical barbecue and grilled fare. But after your first forkful, you will soon appreciate what may be this restaurant's best-kept secret. Perfectly sautéed, jumbo Gulf shrimp rest on a generous portion of creamy, savory poblano corn grits with a slight smoky twist. Finely diced tomatoes and a squeeze of lime help freshen and lighten what is often a heavy dish.
Bite and Booze: Meanwhile, Back at Cafe du Monde...
Spatula Diaries: A winning red for the holidays
“The forthcoming holidays will have us combing wine shelves over the next few weeks looking for great deals, party wines, culinary mates and special bottles to break out when the rest of the room isn’t looking,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “I’ll be exploring a handful of winners in this column to keep you busy.” Click here to find out which red is recommended this week.
Thanksgiving dinner costs increase in La.
The turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie you might be planning for your Thanksgiving feast this year have all gone up in price since last year. And while the price of cranberries, rolls, whipping cream and pie shells have all decreased, they haven't gone down enough to offset the increases of other traditional Thanksgiving staples. So when it's all said and done, the typical Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana will end up costing about $44.35 for 10 people—an increase of 13.2% over last year—according to a new LSU AgCenter survey. "That's an increase of $5.16 from last year's Baton Rouge average of $39.19," says LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker.
Bite and Booze: State Fair fare
Spatula Diaries: Lettuce Wraps
“Last week’s formula for easy larb at home converts nicely to a recipe for lettuce wraps, another interactive dish that’s completely within reach on weeknights,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “All it takes is butter lettuce, shredded rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs, raw crunchy vegetables like packaged broccoli slaw and grated carrots and a quick sauce.” Click here to get the whole recipe for this quick and tasty treat.
Central woman's Swamp Seeds sprouting success
A uniquely Cajun snack concept that was perfected in a Central resident's kitchen has spread to more than 4,000 stores across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in less than a year. "After many long hours experimenting in my kitchen sink, I finally found the perfect blend of ingredients, and the result was a sunflower seed that tastes like crawfish," explains Cathy Bryant, who developed Swamp Seeds with her friend Marshall Beall. Bryant's son created the packaging for the seeds, after which Bryant began driving around to stores to pitch the snack product about eight months ago. The first stores to carry the seeds are in the Capital Region. The number of stores carrying Swamp Seeds quickly grew from a few dozen to a few hundred, and now it's at about 4,000 and counting.
Bite and Booze: Louisiana Feast of Fields 2012
Spatula Diaries: Easy larb at home
Food Diary: Patrick Fellows, owner, Fresh restaurant and food truck
225 blogger and restaurant owner Patrick Fellows is food- and fitness-obsessed. In our new Food Diary feature, 225 Dine will take you through a day in his culinary life.
Dealing with leftover Halloween candy
Whether your kids scared up way too much candy from your neighbors, or trick-or-treaters around your door were scarce, you may find yourself awash in an excess of sweet treats today. Instead of letting it sit in the back of your pantry until next year, why not donate your sugary surplus to Operation Gratitude? This nonprofit sends care packages stuffed with goodies to troops overseas—and several local dentists are participating in the Halloween Candy Buy-Back program. If you can persuade your kids to give up some of their treats, some dentists will donate a dollar a pound toward this give-back effort—and no fun-sized candy bar or jujubes will be turned away! Click here to find out more about this program and locate the participating dentists’ offices.
Feast of Fields
Louisiana's bounty of raw culinary materials is one of the most lush on the globe, yet how to get it into the hands of more local chefs remains a challenge. A new event called Louisiana Feast of Fields: A Gastronomic Gala hopes to better connect farmers, fishers, chefs and consumers by showcasing what can be done with local agricultural and fishery products. Held at the Burden Center Nov. 9, the dinner event begins with a 5 p.m. reception with three food stations serving Chappapeela Farms' duck rillettes crostini, a mix of Louisiana charcuterie and roasted vegetable strudels made with local produce.
Cynthia LeJeune Nobles, author of The Delta Queen Cookbook
The Delta Queen Cookbook author Cynthia LeJeune Nobles grew up on a rice farm in Iota in Acadia Parish—formative years that formed the basis of a lifelong appreciation for the state's unique foods. A food historian and a contributing writer to the Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group, Nobles recent work explores the history of the famed passenger steamboat and its lush culinary traditions.
Sailing between 1927 and 2008, much of it on the Mississippi River, the Delta Queen was known for its great food and warm, inviting culture. Nobles traces the recipes and culinary ethos over nearly a century, noting how they reflected the changing gastronomic traditions on land. Because of the Delta Queen's strong association with New Orleans and other Southern cities, its recipes had a distinctly Southern flair, says Nobles.
Festivals Acadiens et Creoles in Lafayette
This weekend is the annual and much-celebrated Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in neighboring Lafayette, and even if you live in Baton Rouge, there's good reason to visit besides the opportunity to listen to incredible bands like Feufollet and BeauSoleil. The Bayou Food Festival is an attraction all on its own. Lafayette institutions like Cochon and Poupart's, among others, will be serving up delicious Cajun treats, from fried frog legs and shrimp étouffée to barbecue boudin and meat pies. Find out more at festivalsacadiens.com.
Women's Week food classes
Baton Rouge's annual Women's Week continues this week through Saturday. Among its dozens of community seminars are classes on cooking techniques and new menu ideas. Thursday at 5 p.m., Whole Foods Market sponsors a Women's Week “Crust-ation Creations” session on how to crust Louisiana seafood with ingredients that keep it out of the fryer. The supermarket follows this with Girls at the Grill Friday at 4 p.m., and Easy Cheese Appetizers Saturday at 4 p.m. The classes are free. Another class organized by Waist Away and The Dream Gourmet will be held Friday and Saturday at noon and teaches participants to stretch beyond fast food and plain salads in favor of make-ahead lunches like Greek chicken lettuce wraps with caramelized onions and mint salsa, and fresh pears with basil and cinnamon. Fee is $10 per participant. Women's Week is an annual program of the Women's Council of Greater Baton Rouge. For more information, visit
Gino's Italian Restaurant
There are many Italian restaurants in Baton Rouge, but it seems none is more revered than Gino's. Neither my companions nor myself had eaten here in 10 or more years, but we all seemed to have an unexplainable score to settle with this bastion of Italian eats. Our imaginary score cards ready, we entered the legendary lair with trepidation.
When we arrived on a recent Friday, the softly but amply lit restaurant was half full. Quickly after being seated, the restaurant filled to capacity. As restaurants get crowded, the noise level can become unbearably loud. I was fearful that Gino's would be no different, but I needn't have worried, as none of us ever struggled to be heard. Point one: Gino's. Click here to read our food critic's full review.
Jeff Olivieri, L'Auberge Casino
The "Tailgate Challenge” at the new L'Auberge Casino's Stadium Sports Bar & Grill is a six-pound po-boy stuffed with a lengthy list of innards. Fried gator, fried shrimp, shaved ham, smoked sausage, tasso and pulled pork sit side-by-side in this monster sandwich dressed with cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño mayo and pickled peppers. If you can finish it in 45 minutes—along with a side of fries or tots—a tailgate apron and a comp'd ticket are yours. The dish, which neatly fuses the excesses of tailgating and casinos, was the brainchild of Executive Chef Jeff Oliveri, who says he's been like a kid in a candy store designing and launching the $368-million casino's three sit-down restaurants. The Stadium is joined by upscale eatery, 18 Steak, a reference to Louisiana's order of statehood, and the Bon Temps Buffet, an expansive highway of food, most of it cooked on the spot, adjacent to the gaming room. Boiled Gulf shrimp, along with that requisite casino staple,...
Let the big dog eat
Before its expected reopening by Christmas at Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway, Galatoire's Bistro will showcase a sneak preview of Chef Kelley McCann's talents at an upcoming charity event for the Companion Animal Alliance. The “Let the Dogs Out” benefit takes place Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Viking Cooking Schools Outdoors on the rooftop plaza of the Shaw Center for the Arts. Tickets are $200 for one of 50 seats at the chef's table and $150 for dinner seating. Profits pay for better living conditions and quality outdoor play areas for dogs at the Companion Animal Alliance shelter, which was established in 2011 to radically improve the high euthanasia rate of shelter animals in the city-parish.
Isaac wine sales high, but not like Katrina or Gustav
In preparation for the plodding tropical storm that ultimately turned into Hurricane Isaac, local consumers spent plenty of time last week stocking up on wine, beer and spirits, say Baton Rouge merchants. “We're in Louisiana, honey, and it's all about booze and food,” says Kim Gray, wine manager at Calandro's Select Cellars on Government Street. “I think a lot of it, too, was fear of Gustav,” she adds. Indeed, on Sunday, Monday and even Tuesday, many consumers who recalled Hurricane Gustav's lingering effects four years ago went searching for wine and beer for themselves and their houseguests.
Farmers Market Isaac update
Among other interruptions Hurricane Isaac caused this week was the temporary closure of the Thursday Red Stick Farmers Market. It will reopen next Thursday at its usual spot at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. But if all goes as planned, you won't have long to wait for fresh, local produce. The Market is gearing up for a big Labor Day weekend market this Saturday with several events to kick off the fall season, says BREADA Executive Director Copper Alvarez. The market's food artisans will showcase tailgating suggestions for expectant football fans. They'll also have lots of late summer vegetables, fresh eggs, baked breads and desserts, meats, cheeses, dairy items and fresh Gulf seafood. The John Gray Jazz Trio will perform throughout the market, and Liz Lopes will share her face painting talents. The Arts Market will also take place in the adjacent surface lot. For more information check breada.org.
Rosé Rising
Despite its range of flavor profiles and ability to pair with assertive foods, dry rosé has historically gotten short shrift from local wine drinkers. It may be because the wine's pink hue conjures up notions of inexpensive white zinfandel, the sweeter, heavily marketed California “blush” wine of the '70s and '80s. But dry rosé's day may have finally come in Baton Rouge, says Ian McCaffery, Martin Wine Cellar manager. “People around here are drinking a ton of rosé this year. It has not slowed down,” says McCaffery. “I think they're finally seeing how good and how versatile it is.”
Kabuki Sushi
Baton Rouge has a long list of Japanese restaurants, and while there are standouts, many seem to be doing the same things the same ways. To warrant interest you have to offer something different. At Kabuki, some of what we ordered was lackluster; other items truly piqued our interests and delighted our taste buds.
Bosco's Owners Chad Hughes and Christina Bourg
Before Baton Rouge became awash in self-serve yogurt shops, local entrepreneur Chad Hughes launched his own version: Bosco's, on Nicholson Drive. After graduating from LSU in 2008, Hughes observed the success of national chains like Pinkberry, and figured the concept would fare well in the Capital City. He and his wife, Christina Bourg, opened Bosco's in 2010, one of the few locally-hatched serve yourself yogurt shops in the region. Last month, Bosco's moved from its original location on Nicholson between Parker and East Boyd to the Perkins Road Overpass District.
Hughes and Bourg are hoping to capitalize on the area's high concentration of restaurants and burgeoning pedestrian culture. The new Bosco's is located next to Jimmy John's in the former Denim Library, within walking distance of Rock N'Sake, Pinetta's, DiGiulio Bros. Italian Café, Rama, Schlittz and Giggles, Chelsea's, Zippy's and other restaurants.
Chef Colt Patin
He's cooked for Travel Channel hosts Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern and was named one of Louisiana Cookin' magazine's Chefs to Watch in 2011 for his work at Crawfish Town USA, as well as named one of 225's people to watch in the same year. But as much success as Colt Patin has had in the toque, working as a chef wasn't the only thing on his bucket list. He also wanted to teach. Last October, the Breaux Bridge native left the restaurant world to instruct culinary students at the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge.
“I got my start in food by taking ProStart classes in high school,” says Patin, referring to the Louisiana Restaurant Association program that fosters restaurant careers among high school students. “I'm passionate about teaching.”
Natchez Nosh
This weekend, the 12th annual Natchez Food and Wine Festival gets underway at several venues in the historic town known for its lush foliage and bed and breakfast culture. The events begin Friday with Tastings Along the River at the Natchez Convention Center, where several regional chefs will prepare dishes reflective of their personal perspectives. Juban's Executive Chef Jaime Hernandez, Tsunami Regional Kitchen Director Toon Nguyen and the Fat Cow's Chef Doug Hosford, a Natchez native, are among more than two dozen regional chefs participating in the kick-off event. The variety of food should be lush; it includes Lafayette food truck Viva La Waffle, Pearl Street Pasta and dishes by Natchez Food Art food stylist David Leathers, among others.
Chef Elton Hyndman, getting fresh at Nino's and Oscar's
“I have to be one of the luckiest chefs in town,” says Elton Hyndman, chef-owner of Nino's Italian Restaurant (Map it!) and Oscar's Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (Map it!). Hyndman, and his wife and business partner, Randee, live in close proximity to the Red Stick Farmers Market's Thursday location on Perkins Road, which they visits en route to their two restaurants, also nearby. Hyndman routinely incorporates all sorts of fresh seafood and produce from local fishers and farmers into the modern Italian cuisine at Nino's,...
Beausoleil Chef and Co-Owner Nathan Gresham
Fish topped with cream sauce is standard fare in South Louisiana restaurants, but steamy temperatures have inspired Beausoleil Chef Co-owner Nathan Gresham to reconsider how to crown his fresh fish this summer. Deviating from the region's emblematic crab beurre blanc and crawfish cream, Gresham adorns daily deliveries of Gulf fish with cold, textured salads. Specials like pan sautéed trout, escolar or mahi mahi are topped with a sweet, tangy amalgam of caramelized fennel, grilled artichokes and fresh crabmeat. And seared Gulf tuna is served on a puddle of green onion aioli and finished with shaved Brussels sprout slaw. The vegetable's characteristic bitterness is tamed by Gresham's honey lemon vinaigrette.
Brew Ha-Ha Cake Ball Contest concludes; Chocolate Cookie Dough the victor
Part of the mystique of Gabby Loubiere's popular cake balls at Brew Ha-Ha! (Map it!) is their interactive nature. The coffee shop owner constantly invites feedback from customers on what flavors they most enjoy and what they'd like to see, resulting in 150 rotating flavor choices on the menu.
Recently, however, Loubiere realized that while she was flush with white and yellow cake-based choices, she was short on chocolate. “I couldn't believe how few chocolate ones there were compared to the others. There were only about 15,” says Loubiere, who instantly created a contest inviting fans to suggest possible new chocolate cake balls. —Maggie Heyn Richardson
Lychee love
The sweet, floral flavor of a fresh lychee has made it a go-to ingredient in both traditional Asian desserts and in modern applications from trendy cocktails to pork marinades. Lychee lovin' Baton Rougeans normally turn to canned fruit to get their fix, but it is possible to find them fresh in the Capital City this time of year. The window closes quickly, but once again, they're making a brief appearance at Vinh Phat (Map it!), the venerable Asian market at the east end of Florida Boulevard.
Nur Pinner, Nur’s Kitchen
Nur Pinner’s lima been plaki seems like such a simple dish, consisting as it does of lima beans, tomatoes, carrot dices and thin slices of garlic. But behind this unfussy façade is the kind of complexity that emerges from exceptional raw materials and a subtle hand.
“I look around for the best ingredients,” says the founder of Covington-based Nur’s Kitchen, which sells Mediterranean prepared foods at the Red Stick Farmers Market and Whole Foods in Baton Rouge. “I buy a lot them from the farmers markets, and I take time to really look for quality when I pick things out.”
Organics still hard to come by; new farm in the mix
There's no question that interest in locally grown produce is at an all-time high in Baton Rouge. The three locations of the 15-year-old Red Stick Farmers Market host a steady stream of new patrons along with committed regulars who plan their menus according to what's in the fields.
Our progress on this front is palpable—we'd hold our local market up to any city's—but what we still lack in Louisiana is substantial organic produce. The few organic farmers who have sold at the Red Stick Farmers Market over the years have largely faded or moved to other communities. Moreover, organic participation in Louisiana overall is woefully behind other states. Farming authorities here have generally told farmers flirting with the idea that going organic is too hard in a region with near-tropical climates, scads of bugs and other heat-related challenges.—Maggie Heyn Richardson
Sips: Remedy for the summer heat
Green tea is served in many ways now: flavored green tea, green tea extract, green tea pills, green tea candy and even green tea ice cream. Now you can add “green tea cocktail” to the list. Rock-n-Sake, on Perkins Road by the overpass, serves a delicate cocktail called the Green-Teani ($10). Don't be fooled! It may look like a margarita, but the comparison stops there. The premium sake gives it an exotic kick, but it has a neutral flavor from the Charbay Green Tea Vodka and fresh-brewed green tea. Compared to other cocktails, it can seem “bland,” so you can ask for a little more lemon and simple syrup. But the neutral flavor perfectly complements sushi with raw fish. It's a good sunrise to the California Sunset roll ($11.50). If tea isn't your thing, then try out the other sake cocktails, such as Tiger-tini ($8) and Pom-Punch ($10), which have fruitier flavors. Some people use green tea for medicinal purposes, like losing weight or cleansing the body, but the...
Billr
Nothing spoils the mood of a nice night out with your friends like trying to fairly divvy up the check at the end of the night. Who ordered which drinks? Who ate what appetizer? If your server didn't—or couldn't—split your bill, your evening can end on a headache-inducing note rather than a relaxing one. Enter the elegant check-splitting app Billr, 99 cents in the iTunes store. With a simple, appealing interface that allows you to track each person's auto-tallying “tab” separately, figuring out the bill at the end of the meal will be a quick and easy footnote, rather than an awkward coda spent fumbling with calculators and scribbling on the backs of receipts. And for less than the cost of a tip, it's well worth saving face with your friends. —Rachael Upton