BBQ Pitmaster Adrian Davila’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Texas-based Chef Adrian Davila is the award-winning third-generation pitmaster who leads Davila’s BBQ in Seguin, Texas. You may recognize him as a food judge on The Travel Channel‘s “American Grilled,” or the winner of the Food Network‘s “BBQ Blitz” competition show. Chef Davila is known for specializing in authentic Texas barbecue with a uniquely Latin American twist. Here he shares with us one of his favorite recipes for dressing, a perfect side for barbecues, picnics, and holiday meals.

Aunt Olivia’s Cornbread Dressing

8 servings

Ingredients

  • A pan of fresh cornbread of your choice, crumbled into small pieces
  • 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 to 2 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
  • One 10.5 ounce can of cream of chicken soup
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Heat butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add celery and onion and cook until soft.
  2. Add poultry seasoning, chicken stock and cream of chicken soup to the mixture.
  3. In a large bowl combine crumbled cornbread and sugar.
  4. Stir in half of the vegetable and chicken stock mixture until well combined.
  5. Add dried sage, dried parsley, salt, pepper and the other half of the vegetable and chicken stock mixture. Mixture should be very moist. Add more stock if necessary.
  6. Transfer to a greased baking dish and cover with plastic wrap and foil.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

 
WATCH CHEF ADRIAN’S RECIPE ON INSTAGRAM

 

www.davilasbbq.com

Buena Vista Social Club Release Historic Collection Album with World Circuit Records

An influential album is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! It is titled Buena Vista Social Club, and it’s an album that changed history for Cuban music. For this momentous occasion, a special anniversary edition has been released featuring previously unreleased songs via World Circuit Records.

The new album was released in September 2021, and there are a variety of formats available for purchase. The record has special bonus features amongst the variety of formats; including unseen photos, new lyrics, new liner notes, art prints and written biographies and history of the Havana Club. It has also been remastered by Grammy-winning engineer Bernie Grundman.

To build anticipation for the release, World Circuit Records debuted one of the previously unheard tracks prior to the special edition release! The song is titled “Vicenta”, taken from the 1996 album sessions, and is a duet sung by Eliades Ochoa and Compa Segundo. The song is about the story of a well-known fire in Cuba in 1909 which destroyed almost the entire village of La Maa, close to Santiago de Cuba, where Eliades was born.

The Buena Vista Social Club has been claimed to be the most influential Cuban music album of the 20th century, so this special edition release is definitely worth checking out. Find it at www.worldcircuit.co.uk or www.bmg.com

Review by Kylee Shafer

Netflix The Taco Chronicles Accepts Honoree Taste Award

Netflix The Taco Chronicles Accepts Honoree Taste Award, presented for the 12th Annual TASTE AWARDS.

Often called “The Oscars of Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Media,” the TASTE AWARDS in Hollywood/Beverly Hills are the premier awards celebrating the year’s best in Food, Fashion, Health, Travel, and Lifestyle programs in Film, Television, Online & Streaming Video, Podcasts, Radio and Photography.

The Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, Sony Pictures, DreamWorks, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, APT, Create TV, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Vimeo, Vice, LiveWell Network, Esquire Network, Bio/FYI Channel, iHeart Radio, HBO, MyxTV, Small Screen Network, StyleHaul, PTA, Zagat, Mode Media, WatchMojo, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Lifetime Network, Buzzed, Vox Media, and more.

www.TheTasteAwards.com

Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience Tour Honored by the TASTE AWARDS

Atlanta’s Viva Tequila Festival was honored at this year’s TASTE AWARDS (aka, the TASTY Awards). Often called the “Oscars of Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Media,” this edition of the Taste Awards highlighted Viva Tequila Mexico Experience under the category of OUTSTANDING CULINARY & TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. This year, as for many awards shows, the Taste Awards had a virtual broadcast that reached viewers across the globe, from Japan and South Africa to England, Poland and Italy, and from New Zealand to Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

Hosted by wine, beer and spirits purveyor Juan Bonilla, dubbed “Mr. Tequila,” the Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience tour takes participants on an exclusive trip down the historic timeline of Mexico’s Tequila Trail, providing in-depth understanding of the different regions that cultivate Tequila, the history of this iconic Mexican spirit and its importance in local, national and international economies.

The Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience tour visits several cities, including Tlaquepaque, Tequila, Atotonilco and Guadalajara to provide a local perspective of the manufacturing of Tequila. Participants are able to mingle with locals and admire and shop for unique Mexican works of art, both folk and fine, all while sipping limited edition craft Tequilas from distilleries that embody traditional to modern styles of manufacturing.

Highlights includes visits to the Fortaleza and Don Nacho craft distilleries as well as hacienda of José Cuervo, where participants bottle their own Reserva de la Familia, and enjoy a tasting in the property’s private cellar and then dinner at the Tienda de Raya, both opened exclusively for Viva Tequila Festival.

Tour participants are treated to stays in centuries-old haciendas that were once home to some of Mexico’s wealthiest people. They can enjoy a morning horseback ride at the historic, 17th century Hacienda Labor de Rivera or disconnect and relax with a spa treatment at Hacienda El Carmen Hotel & Spa.

Other winners at this year’s Taste Awards included recipients of the new ANDREW ZIMMERN DISCOVERY AWARD. This award honors the mission to discover new cultures, flavors or talent. The inaugural honorees of this new award are noted chefs Andrew Zimmern and Tyler Florence.

Other well-known personalities who won or were honored at the Taste Awards include Ming Tsai, Selena Gomez, Idris Elba, Dylan Dreyer, Chef John Folse and Lidi Bastianich, along with Bravo’s Top Chef, America’s Test Kitchen, NHK, the Africa Channel and New Soul Kitchen.

The Taste Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, Create TV, APT, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Dreamworks, Esquire Network, FYI Network, The History Channel, Bio, iHeart Radio, Sony Pictures, APT, Myx TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime and more. See them at www.TheTasteAwards.com.

For more information on Viva Tequila Festival’s tours, visit www.vivatequilafestival.com.

Madre Mezcal Secures $3 Million Series A Round to Grow Top Mezcal Brand

Madre Mezcal, one of the fastest growing mezcal brands in America, recently raised $3,000,000 to apply to the brand’s growth strategy to new products and new markets. The Series A round was led by Room 9, a NYC-based venture capital studio that specializes in investing in the consumer sector.

Amid an increasingly competitive mezcal category, Madre has found success through a grassroots strategy aimed at introducing new consumers to the mezcal category. With the additional funding, Madre is being poised to expand its word-of-mouth campaign, largely driven by in-person activations and online engagement. The priorities of the funded Madre brand will be to expand its product range to target new consumption occasions, while also expanding its distribution and marketing efforts in new countries, US states, and online.

“Beyond a great-tasting, easy-to-drink mezcal, Madre’s success has been a result of working closely with the communities that have driven word-of-mouth for the brand,” says Chris Stephenson, CEO of Madre. “For us to expand while continuing this successful path, we needed a partner that recognizes the cultural authenticity that fuels our approach. With Room 9, we’ve found a partner that understands the growth opportunities through product, geography and digital expansion, and encourages the brand development through cultural engagement.”

Room 9 is an early-stage venture capital studio whose selective portfolio spans across the consumer, food, beverage and technology sectors and includes Jot Coffee, Los Sundays Tequila and Cleancult. Room 9 Founder, Anish Bhatia previously led fundraising efforts for Los Sundays, an award-winning tequila brand based out of Orange County, CA, and currently sits on their Advisory Board.

About Madre
Distilled with both the newcomer and the seasoned consumer in mind, Madre is a ‘gateway mezcal that offers beautifully well-balanced flavor with smooth finish. With less smoke than most mezcals, Madre opens palates to a new market of consumers thanks to its signature blend of espadin and cuishe. Madre is a certified artisanal product from Mexico, hand made by mezcaleros in open air palanques located in the rural hills of Oaxaca. Using local water and natural airborne yeast, Madre’s flavor is directly tied to the earth it comes from. https://www.madremezcal.com/

About Room 9
Room Nine is not your typical early-stage VC. Our Creative Agency + Venture Studio model is for the misfits who create, deviants who innovate and dreamers who dare tell their stories. Our generation craves authenticity more than ever and at Room Nine we celebrate their fearless pursuit of design and culture. Room Nine’s portfolio spans across consumer, food, beverage and technology sectors. Our mission is to discover, partner with and fund authentic brands and founders.

Puerto Rican Rum brand Don Q Rum debuts Gran Reserva XO

Puerto Rico’s Don Q recently launched its Gran Reserva XO as part of its curated portfolio of super-premium aged rums. TasteTV’s editors and tasters found the Gran Reserva XO to be perfect for sipping by itself, or for adding to hot ciders on a cool evening to warm your heart and body.

Don Q Gran Reserva XO is a rebranding of the award-winning Don Q Gran Añejo, a signature blend of the distillery’s portfolio, that has been popular for more than 25 years. It offers the same great blend of aged rums but is presented in a new bottle design that evokes the refinement and elegance that has characterized the rums crafted by the Serrallés family for more than 155 years.

“We updated the Don Q bottle design and packaging to better communicate our brand values and create a look and feel that reflected the quality and craftsmanship of the super-premium aged rum inside each bottle,” says Philippe Brechot, President and CEO of Destilería Serrallés. “This rum blend has been a stellar expression for more than 25 years. We wanted to keep the same great blend of aged rums but present it under the new name of Gran Reserva XO as it better articulates the exclusive nature of the reserve rums that are blended to produce it.”

Gran Reserva XO

Gran Reserva XO is a blend of rums aged between nine and 12 years in American white oak barrels, with the addition of Solera rums aged up to 55 years, creating a unique balance and signature flavor. This smooth, aged rum has no added sugars and its tannins as well as the subtle oak nuances and hints of spice, help distinguish Gran Reserva XO’s award-winning flavor profile. This expression is best served on the rocks, neat or in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

  • Color: Bright intense amber
  • Aroma: Gran Reserva XO greets the nose with notes of tropical fruit and spice. Good balance with hints of baked apple, citrus fruits, and roasted nuts and a warm and long finish.
  • Tasting notes: Deep complex nose of molasses, cigar tobacco and dark caramel, with pronounced notes of vanilla, cinnamon and honey.
  • Alcohol: 80 Proof, 40% ALC/VOL
  • Price: Don Q’s Gran Reserva XO (MSRP: $49.99)

About Destilería Serrallés:

Destilería Serrallés is one of America’s oldest family-owned businesses with a rum making tradition that spans six generations and 155 years. Based in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the distillery produces its flagship product, the award-winning Don Q rum brand, the #1 selling rum on the island. The Distillery has been awarded the “Green Award” from The Drinks Business, which recognizes leaders in environmental practices within the beverage industry, and more recently was recognized as “World Class Distillery” by World Spirits Awards. For additional information, visit us at https://donq.com/ and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/DonQ and @donqrum.

About Serrallés USA:

Serrallés USA, based in Stamford CT, is the USA distribution company of Destilería Serrallés. Serrallés USA’s portfolio includes: Don Q Cristal, Don Q Gold, Don Q Gran Reserva XO, Don Q Reserva 7, Don Q Signature Release Single Barrel 2005, 2007 & 2009, Don Q Double Aged Vermouth Cask Finish, Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish, Don Q Oak Barrel Aged Spiced, Don Q Limón, Don Q Coco, Don Q Pasión, Don Q Piña, Don Q 151, Reserva de la Familia Serrallés, Palo Viejo & Caliche Rum; as well as a sales and marketing alliance with Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur.