Korea Republic: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

Another stop along the FIFA World Cup 2014 takes us to the Korea Republic! Asian cultures are known for their exotic and plentiful street foods. You can find bowls, skewers and mouths full of some of the most delicious food you've ever seen on every street corner. We're going to take a look at pan-fried fish cake and a delicious cocktail recipe for an Apple Soju!

Photo Credit: crazykoreancooking.com

Pan-fried fish cake may not sound appetizing to the average American, but like tofu, it's a great way to add a semi-flavorless protein component to take on the tastes of any great sauce. I found and chose this recipe because it reminds me of a good stir-fry dish and sounds perfect for enjoying a good match! The onions, green and red peppers, and garlic come together with other traditional Asian flavors to make a stir-fry sauce with some pop!

Photo Credit: zenkimchi.com

Apple Soju is a drink made with potato vodka, which has become quite popular in Korea. Combine the potato vodka with some bubbly tonic, apple juice and sake and you've got the Apple Soju. These flavors are tart, sweet, and smooth...sounds like a great drink to me! Try it out and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or on the Facebook Page!

Italy: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another stop on the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Next on our journey through the World Cup is Italy. Italy is known for it's larger than life way of eating and enjoying life. The wine is flowing, the cheese is fresh, and the days are full of great eats! We're going to test out Foccacia di Recco and the Negroni.

Photo Credit: Acadamia Barilla

Foccacia di Recco is made of a very thin dough, almost a crepe-like dough, filled with fresh cheese. The recipe calls for a lot of prep work and kneading of dough, but the flavor is slammin'! The natural slight saltiness of the cheese combined with the savory flavors of olive oil and buttery dough make for great one-handed snacking during the match!

Photo Credit: Imbibe Magazine

The Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail. The cocktail's origins are unknown, but it came to be by taking The Americano recipe and putting gin in the place of soda water in the recipe and the orange peel garnish was originally used to indicate that it was a different drink. The sharp flavors of Campari combined with the herbal notes of gin come together to shape a cocktail traditionally served as an apéritif (before the meal) or digestif (after the meal).

England: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

If you've been to The Londoner to grab a bite and watch the FIFA World Cup 2014 then you've had a few bites from across the pond! England has a beautiful countryside and ton of outlying cities, but in the hustle and bustle of London, street food can be seen on almost every corner. Let's take a look at some pasties and the Union Jack cocktail.

Photo Credit: Hungry Girl Chronicles

Pasties are little pockets of scrumptious. Similar to meat pies, a traditional pasty is essentially beef stew inside of a puff pastry. If that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will! There are tons of variations, and easy to eat on the go! Try out this recipe and let me know how it comes out!

Photo Credit: aboutmyarea.co.uk

The Union Jack cocktail highlights an English favorite: gin. Gin combined with Sloe Gin, which is gin soaked with fruit (typically plums or dark red fruits) makes for a super red cocktail with flavors of juniper and citrus. This drink has a little sweetness and a lot of booze. Enjoy!

Spain: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another delicious bite and booze along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014. The winners of the last World Cup are known for plates with bold flavors and colors. Spain is a country full of life, great food, and a plethora of libations. For this edition of the street food guide, we're going to take a look at the Bocadillo and the world renown sangria!

Photo Credit: thelatinkitchen.com

Bocadillo translated is sandwich. In America, we dress our sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and various condiments; the Spanish have a more simplified approach and take delicious cured meats and fine cheese and sandwich them between fresh, artisan rolls. You can find these in delis all over Spain with endless combinations of flavors. I found a recipe for Bocadillo de Jamon Serrano y Manchego that would be perfect for watching a great match! Jamon Serrano is an air dried ham packed with flavor and Manchego cheese is a hard, white cheese that is slightly sharp and makes for a killer sandwich. I can't wait to have one of these!

Photo Credit: spanishviaskype.com

Sangria is a big hit all over the world. Typically served in pitchers as a table wine, Sangria is made by taking white or red wine and macerating fruit in the wine. The natural sweetness of the fruit enhances the favors of the wine. Typically citrus is used, but try using some Louisiana strawberries or peaches!

Belgium: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're sadly halfway through the FIFA World Cup 2014. Our final stop in group play along the street food guide to the World Cup is Belgium (playing Korea Republic at 3pm CDT) . Popular for their delicious chocolate and beer, we will be taking a look at Belgian waffles, and the Rub & Rye cocktail!

Photo Credit: roaminghunger.com

It's amazing how many variations to the waffle one can pull off. The Belgian waffle is an extremely popular street food. You can find carts all over carrying sweet, savory and everything in between waffles! I don't know about you, but this sounds like my kind of place! Wafel and Dinges is probably the most popular waffle truck around in Belgium, and I found a recipe for their Brussels Waffle. You can add anything on top of these things and it will taste amazing. Let me know what combinations you try by leaving a comment or telling us about it on the Facebook page!

Photo Credit: liquor.com

The Rub & Rye cocktail highlights a popular Belgian beer called Peche Mel. For those of you who don't know, peche is French for peach. Rye whiskey combined with maple syrup, fluffy egg white foam, lemon juice and peach flavors makes for a decent sounding drink if you ask me! It sounds like the makings of some sort of peach sidecar. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Women in Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday Presented by Lock & Key

One Wednesday every month, the Lock and Key Whiskey bar plays host to a crowd of women. Make no mistake; it’s not a “ladies night” thing. These women take over the leather couches to learn about peat, charring, nose and all the linguistics of whiskey. Women are being taught how to talk like a man about whiskey…that sounds like a good time!

Each one of the Women in Whiskey seminars is completely free. Each lady will taste a few drams alongside Brandi with a few notes from Arthur and learn a little about the female history of each bottle they try. This particular installment included 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey, Four Roses Small Batch, and Jefferson’s Reserve.

While the lesson may be filled with fun facts and female history, the tasting is pretty serious. Learning how to pick out smells and flavors on different areas of the palate is turned into a group discussion. It’s loads of fun according to my Chief Confusion Coordinator, Blair Loup. I sent her knowing how much she’d enjoyed a tasting we did with Arthur a few weeks back. A novice when it comes to whiskey, Blair was eager to learn about the vocabulary and proper tasting techniques. According to Blair, it was the difference between playing Cards Against Humanity with three other people, and playing with five or more people. While it can be fun with less people, you reach a whole new level when you’re sharing with a larger group.

If you’ve missed the past two Women in Whiskey events, make sure you keep an eye out on the Lock and Key Whiskey Bar Facebook page for the details of Brandi’s next event!

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're almost out of group play in this street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! The ball keeps rolling, players keep falling, and we keep eating and drinking! Up next on our journey is the Bosnia and Herzegovina team (playing Iran at 11am CDT). For this edition of the street food guide, we'll take a look at a delicious desert commonly found on street corners along the Adriatic Coast, Fritule and the native drink of choice, Rakia.

Photo Credit: traveladriatic.com

Fritule looks similar to chocolate covered donut holes. Little deep fried dough balls, Fritule is considered "beach food" as well as street food. This sweet tooth satisfier is typically covered in granulated or powdered sugar and a chocolate sauce. While they can most commonly be found in neighboring Croatia, they're very popular is Bosnia and Herzegovina and other parts of Southeast Europe. I can't wait to make some of these, they look delicious!










Rakia, often homemade in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as other Southeastern European countries, is a high proof alcohol made from fermented fruit. The origins of this national drink are unknown, but the name stems from the Turkish word for condensation which occurs during the final distillation stages. The most common types of fruits used in Rakia, or Rakija as it would be seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are plums, apricots, and grapes.

Ivory Coast: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

Okay World Cup fans, it's time to sit down to another plate and glass full of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! The players of the Ivory Coast (playing Greece at 3pm CDT) may be fast, but their street food favorite is caught nice and slow. Fried fish paired with a Mojito Abidjanaise is what's for eats today.  Easy to eat and quick to make, these will disappear into your stomach quicker than Clint Dempsey can score a goal.

Photo Credit: our-africa.org

Simple and golden brown, I haven't met a fried fish I didn't like. I like to marinate my fish filets in a little mixture containing mustard, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce, Salt & Pepper, and Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce! After I let it marinate for a while I toss the filets in some Slap Ya Mama Fish Fry and cook them until they're done! On the Ivory Coast, they do it a bit differently. On the streets you can find an assortment of setups that have fish frying or grilling whole. You'll see the average citizen grabbing one on their way back to the docks or bringing home a string of them to the family.

Photo Credit: bunkycooks.com

A Mojito Abidjanaise isn't what comes to mind when you think of a classic mojito. The main liquor in this cocktail is sloe gin abidjanaise, a typical African holiday liquor, that is composed of high quality gin soaked with hibiscus flowers. If you can't find this in stores try making it yourself! This African version of the mojito uses dark rum, abidjanaise, mint, sugar, and tonic. The floral liquor is typically consumed around holiday times for celebration. I personally don't see how the World Cup violates that tradition, so grab a glass, turn on that TV, and go to town!

Chile: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

It's time for another stop along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Like most South American countries, Chile (playing the Netherlands at 11am CDT) has a culinary culture that feeds off of the land. Both coastal and agricultural, their foods typically consist of shellfish, beef, and exotic game like llama. They are also big on empanadas and sopaipillas. Let's take a look at the special Chilean sopaipilla and their version of the sangria, the Borgoña!

Photo Credit: southamericanfood.about.com

Sopaipillas are both a sweet treat and an everyday grab and go street food in most South American countries. You may be used to fluffy cinnamon pastries drizzled with honey, but in Chile they put pumpkin in their dough and are more like fritters. The pumpkin gives the dough a natural sweetness and brings a thickness to the texture. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Photo Credit: thelatinkitchen.com

Sangria is a crowd pleaser, no matter where you're from! In Chile, Borgoña is served in massive pitchers for everyone around the table to enjoy. Simple and delicious, Borgoña is usually prepared with sliced strawberries or peaches macerated in sugar and mid-low level white wine (usually a sauvignon blanc). This is an extremely refreshing cocktail to be consumed during any gathering. Grab some local fresh fruit and get after it!

Russia: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

As the heat blazes on in Brazil at the FIFA World Cup 2014, we sit down to another street food delicacy and cocktail from Russia (playing Belgium at 11am CDT): Potato Blini and "From Moscow with Love." From the last winter Olympics we learned things can be cold and a bit dreary in Russia, but let's perk up our appetites and see what they have going on.

Photo Credit: foodperestroika.com

A plethora of Russian pancake recipes exist, but this one for potato blini sounded scrumptious to me! Technically, these blini would be called oladi in Russia because of their thickness. Simple and bland in flavor, potato blini are basically pancakes with riced potatoes mixed in. I'm sure they keep you warm in the Russian winter time, but for our purposes, they'll hold us over until USA match at 5pm.

Bite and Booze Bonus: They're pictured with some type of caviar or beaded honey on top, but try getting your hands on some ghost pepper infused caviar--that'll take these from bland to GOAL in no time.

An ode to the old 007 film, To Russia, With Love starring Sean Connery, From Moscow with Love features vodka. Shocked, I presume. This fun play on a vodka soda will get you through the match just fine! Unless you're dead set on using an actual Russian vodka, I suggest swinging by Calandro's Supermarket and grabbing some of the Donner-Peliter Oryza Vodka. It adds loads of flavor to cocktails because of the long-grain rice from Crowley, LA it's made with.

Ghana: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

A trip across the pond to Ghana (playing Germany at 2pm CDT) furthers our journey along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! To find great street food in Ghana, you go where there's hustle and bustle; this can be markets, busy intersections or bus stations. Here we'll take a look at one of my favorites, fried plantains, and a ginger cocktail inspired by the locals that make their own gin and ginger wine.

Photo Credit: moodifoodi.com

Plantains for those of you who aren't familiar are like bananas if the inside of a banana was more like a potato. There are a lot of ways to cook plantains, but the most common method is to fry them. Whether you slice them thin like chips, in cubes like home potatoes, or fry them, mash them, and fry them again, you can't go wrong! They're sweeter than a potato, but not as sweet as a sweet potato. I think they're delicious and they're relatively easy to find and prepare.

Photo Credit: bsinthekitchen.com

I have chosen the Le Coloniale to represent Ghana because it's well known that they like to make their own gin, ginger wine, or ginger infused drinks. This is fine by me since I like to eat and ginger is a natural digestif. The herbiness of the gin is complimented well by the ginger liqueur (if you can't find a ginger liqueur, you can make an easy simple syrup on the stove and chop up some fresh ginger to simmer with it). What I love most about this cocktail is the added cucumber. Cucumber can brighten up any cocktail and it's refreshing. If you really want to boost the flavor, try using the Donner-Peltier Oryza Gin--it's made with rice from Crowley, LA and can really enhance your cocktail. I always pick mine up from Calandro's Supermarket.

Costa Rica: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

As the FIFA World Cup 2014 continues, so does the street food guide to each match; up next is Costa Rica (playing Italy at 11am CDT)! Simple, tropical, and delicious-- Costa Rica isn't known for too many street foods. Their culture is focused on family style meals, but you can find a few snacks while perusing the roads. Let's take a look at what they have to offer!

Photo Credit: foodandotherthings.com

Sweet fruits such as mango and papaya can be found almost anywhere in Costa Rica at fruit stands in the streets.  When I eat mangos I do as the Costa Ricans do: score them, drizzle them with a little fresh lime juice, and lightly dust them with chili powder. This is a great sweet and subtly spicy snack!

Aguardiente (firewater)-esque, Cacique Guaro is a nationally famous spirit made with sugarcane featured in the Cacique Guaro Sour. A couple of shots of Cacique and a little lime juice later you have it right. For a little flavor add some local strawberries or mixed berries from the farmer's market and enjoy the match!

Uruguay: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

Cows and soccer are the main concerns of the natives on the next stop of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014. Uruguay (playing England at 2pm CDT), an extremely agrarian place, has more cow inhabitants than it does humans. Nestled between the two large, bold countries of Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay lives off of the land and has a fancy for grilled meats and futbol. Chivitos and the "Keep It Up" are on the menu today.

Photo Credit: epicurious.com

The popular Chivitos sandwich is a doozie stacked with steak, ham, pancetta, cheese, eggs and a bunch of other delicious accompaniments. It does have veggies so it's...balanced. Guaranteed to fill you up, this sammie is a meal hearty enough to feed the fittest soccer player, so don't snack too much during the match.

Photo Credit: theranking.com

The Uruguayans are actually big champagne and wine drinkers. The Keep It Up is a cocktail combining champagne, cognac, orange juice and bitters. Easy to make and easy to drink-- the fruitiness compliments the effervescence of the champagne.

Bruichladdich Rocks: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Bruichladdich Rocks Scotch Whisky

The Lock & Key Whiskey Bar has a great Scotch whisky called Bruichladdich ($14) which I had the fortune of trying for the first time recently at the bar. The Rocks version is an un-peated single malt Islay whisky which presents something very different for the Scotch drinker. The peat smoke aroma isn't there, but the sea salt sure is. On the nose the whisky is briny with whiffs of the ocean breeze dancing on the nostrils. It continues on the tongue as you can nearly hear the seagulls and distant fog horns when you take a sip. Malt and a touch of roasted grains balance out the salt and the finish comes in a lovely warm and slow manner, then dissipates like that same salty breeze. It leaves you wanting a beach-side bonfire kind of night.

Bruichladdich Rocks Scotch Whisky
Average Score: 76.75

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, Charlies Pierce, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Australia: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

G'day mates!...It's time for another dose of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! This time we're headed down unda' (that's the last one) to Australia (playing the Netherlands at 11am CDT) for a Sausage Sizzle and a Dark n' Stormy. There's a huge street food movement in Australia going on right now, but a lot of it is Chinese dumplings and dim sum. While that's delicious, it doesn't really highlight the average intake of an all-Australian bite. The two indulgences we'll be looking at today are both delicious and simple to make in time for you to watch the match!

Photo Credit: The Life She Made

The Sausage Sizzle isn't super complicated; it's essentially a glorified hot dog. I found a recipe to kick up the simmer to a full on sizzle. Cooking the sausages in a covered pan with onions really helps flavor both ingredients. After you get a nice crisp from the grill and a good caramelization on the onions, you're ready to rock! Check it out and let me know what you think.

Photo Credit: barmansjournal.com

Australians, much like Americans, like to keep it simple. The Dark n' Stormy has three ingredients: dark rum (use Rougaroux Full Moon to keep it local), ginger beer, and a hint of lime. The refreshing ginger beer will not only make you feel pumped about life, but ginger also serves as a digestif which will help you out if you've been snacking on game food.

Algeria: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

The spotlight of today's street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014, Algeria (playing Belgium at 11am CDT), has a cuisine riddled with savory spices, meats, and seasonal availabilities. With its top border touching the Mediterranean Sea, Algeria also houses much of the Sahara Desert. It is a place where the cuisine is as diverse as its inhabitants and ecosystems. While there isn't much street food, there's a little something called Mhadjeb that is usually sold out by the peak of the lunch hour. Good drinks are hard to find in Algeria, but I did stumble across an Algerian cocktail recipe that will more than suffice for the game ahead.

Photo Credit: yanncook.com

Mhadjeb, from what I've read is like a soft, flattened egg roll. Naan-like bread wraps around a filling of sautéed onions, tomatoes and spices. The caramelized onions and tomatoes make for a savory sweetness, while some chili paste and other spices brighten up the palate and give the dish character. It can be held with one hand which is perfect for watching the match and holding a fog horn in the other hand.

Photo Credit: Big World Small Kitchen

The Coctel Algeria features a nationally popular liquor that goes by the name Pisco. Typically served as a Pisco Sour with fluffy egg white foam, Pisco is a green grape brandy that's super smooth. Combined with orange liqueur, apricot brandy and some fresh OJ this is the perfect thing to sip after being out in the sun all day...or watching futbol on your couch.

United States: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

Another stop along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014 brings us home to the U. S. of A (kicking off Group Play today against Ghana at 5pm CDT). As a melting pot, America has absorbed a lot of street foods inspired by or imitable of other countries. America doesn't have a ton of street food all its own because of the large quantity of fast food restaurants and drive thrus. Having that said, there is one street food and drink most Americans have had at some point in their lives: hot dogs and Jack & Coke.

Shrimp Creole dog at Botsky's in Lake Charles, LA

Perhaps the most common of street foods is the hot dog. While this may seem boring, there are plenty of variations to keep your palate alert and satisfied. I feel like Bubba in Forrest Gump when I try to name all of the ways to make a hot dog, so if you really want to get creative, check out the menus of Frankie's Dawg House here in Baton Rouge, Botsky's in Lake Charles, or Dat Dog in New Orleans. If you're too lazy to recreate these, just go pick up some for you and your buddies before the game!

Photo Credit: roderickpena.wordpress.com

There's nothing more American than refreshing Classic Coca Cola...with a little Tennessee Jack Daniel's Whiskey. A classic combination of whiskey and coke can set your evening right and get you geared up for the match! If you're feeling in the mood for something local, try to get your hands on some local LA1 Whiskey from the Donner-Peliter Distillery in Thibideaux and mix it with some of Swamp Pop's Noble Cane Cola!

Give me Liberty or Give me Sauce: Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce launches to shelves in style!

The official launch of Jay D’s Lousiana Barbecue Sauce is finally upon us, and it is one week of activities you won’t want to miss! Unique in flavor and consistency, this barbecue sauce redefines a Southern summer staple and does it in style. This isn’t your mom’s barbecue sauce launch—from bottle signings to hot dog eating contests, Jay D’s has you covered for your fourth of July week happenings.

While most barbecue sauces are thin and vinegary or as thick as molasses, Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce has a consistency somewhere between the two with flavors of tomato, Louisiana cane syrup and brown sugar. Follow that with flavors inspired by the heat of Louisiana cuisine including cayenne, Creole mustard, and Cajun pepper sauce and you’ve got a locally made and inspired concoction.

The schedule of events for launch week, all of which are free and open to the public, include samplings, and bottle signings is as follows:

July 1st – The week kicks off with the official launch party at Beausoleil Restaurant & Bar from 6-9pm. Executive Chef Nathan Gresham will prepare a variety of eats featuring Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. This is going to be the coolest thing you could be doing on July 1st!

July 2nd – Red Stick Spice Company will be hosting me from 4-7pm for a cooking demo featuring Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. Slow-cooked brisket sliders and grilled sausage will be served. They have tons of great products and if you've never had the chance to stop by, this is the day to do it!

July 3rd – Calandro’s Supermarket will be hosting a big local foods blowout in preparation for the Fourth of July at their Perkins at Siegen from 3-8pm. There's going to be a lot of great things to try that can really kick up your game for the 4th that are made and sourced locally. It's going to be a party for sure!

July 4th – On this day of national celebration, Frankie’s Dawg House is holding its 3rd hot dog eating contest at noon. Frankie’s was one of the first places to use Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue sauce on a menu item, so stop by and try a Jay Ducote Dawg, watch the competition, or see if you have what it takes to compete against yours truly!

July 5th –From 8am-noon, I will be selling bottles of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue sauce for the first time ever inside the Main Street Market at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market! This is one of my favorite Saturday morning activities and I can't wait to sling some sauce, so come by and see me!

Mark your calendars for each of these barbecue-licious activities! A bottle of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce can be purchased at any of these events or at Calandro’s Supermarket (both locations), Red Stick Spice Company, Ambrosia Bakery, or online at Indie Plate and HugJayD.com. Look for the sauce on menu items at Ambrosia Bakery, Mason’s Grill, Leroy’s, Brew Ha Ha, and Frankie’s Dawg House.

Cheers!