Poppy Tooker

Host of Louisiana Eats!

Poppy is the host and executive producer of the weekly show, Louisiana Eats! Food personality, culinary teacher and author, Poppy Tooker is passionate about food and the people who bring it to the table.

Poppy provides weekly restaurant commentary on, “Steppin’ Out” (WYES TV). Her book, The Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook received a Tabasco cookbook award and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine.She was recognized by the Times-Picayune as a “Hero of the Storm” for her work reviving New Orleans restaurants and food providers following Hurricane Katrina. The International Association of Cooking Professionals recognized Poppy’s rebuilding efforts at their annual conference in April 2008, with their first ever, Community Service Award.

For over 25 years, Poppy’s cooking classes have centered on history and tradition as well as the food science behind her preparation.

Ways to Connect

Fathers, Sons & The Family Business

By Poppy Tooker • 22 hours ago

On this week's show, we meet fathers and sons who are working together to make business work across generations. We begin with Baumer Foods, the third-generation company that makes Crystal Hot Sauce. Al Jr. and his son "Pepper" explain how in their family business, there are no shortcuts to the top.

Then, we visit father-son duo Carlos and Will Avelar at their family business, Mawi Tortilleria in Metairie. Will was a rising star in the culinary world when he and his father decided to join forces to provide fresh, authentic corn tortillas to the New Orleans community.

Louisiana Eats: America Eats

By Poppy Tooker • Jul 4, 2020

America The Cookbook by Gabrielle Langholtz

On this week's show, we're celebrating the 4th of July holiday by savoring the remarkable diversity that shapes America's food culture.

Food and Race Through the Lens of History

By Poppy Tooker • Jun 27, 2020

As in cities worldwide, the streets of New Orleans have come alive this spring with protests, marches, and rallies for racial justice. The Crescent City has long been a hotbed for activism and played an important role in civil rights era organizing that helped put an end to Jim Crow. This week, we take a look at the legacy of the segregated South through stories about the intersections of food, race, and labor over the past century.

Click Here To Listen To This Week's Show: https://omny.fm/shows/its-new-orleans-louisiana-eats/food-and-race-through-the-lens-of-history

10 Years of Louisiana Eats

By Poppy Tooker • Jun 7, 2020

On this week's show, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our show's debut!

We've dug through our archives for some of our favorite moments over the past decade, with an emphasis on Louisiana culture and cuisine. The first episode of Louisiana Eats broadcast on June 9, 2010. That year also marked the 125th anniversary of New Orleans’ streetcar line. We look back at our very first field piece, when we took a streetcar ride with the late, great historian Michael Mizell-Nelson.

Saber-Brandishing Bunnies and Tiny Turtles

By Poppy Tooker • May 9, 2020

Since Ralph Brennan and Terry White reopened the venerable Brennan's Restaurant in 2014, they've initiated some new traditions, like champagne sabering in the patio and an annual turtle parade. On this week's show, we speak with general manager Chris Pendleton, who, since the coronavirus shutdown, has been demonstrating the art of sabrage in a series of funny videos posted online. One in particular, which featured him dressed up as the Easter Bunny, became a worldwide sensation.